PITI

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In relation to a mortgage, PITI (pronounced like the word "pity") is the sum of the monthly principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, [1] the component costs that add up to the monthly mortgage payment in most mortgages. That is, PITI is the sum of the monthly loan service (principal and interest) plus the monthly property tax payment, homeowners insurance premium, and, when applicable, mortgage insurance premium and homeowners association fee. [2] For mortgagers whose property tax payments and homeowners insurance premiums are escrowed as part of their monthly housing payment, PITI therefore is the monthly "bottom line" of what they call their "mortgage payment" (although more precisely it is a combined payment of mortgage, tax, insurance, and any fees). [3]

Contents

PITI's role in qualifying borrowers for mortgages

Reserves

Lending institutions often use a multiple of the PITI payment amount as the minimum amount of seasoned assets a borrower must document ("state") as a reserve when qualifying for a mortgage. The reserve shows that the borrower could continue to pay his/her monthly payment for several months even if his/her income was temporarily interrupted. This reduces the risk of default, making the borrower a safer bet for the lender. [4]

For example, if a mortgage lender requires 2 months' worth of PITI to qualify for a specific loan, and the PITI payment for the loan equals $1500/month, the borrower must document or 'state' (depending on Mortgage Loan Documentation requirements) $1500 x 2(months) = $3000 in seasoned assets.

PITI must come directly from one of the borrower's seasoned asset accounts that can be verified. Acceptable verifiable accounts include VODs (Verification of Deposit), checking accounts, savings accounts, 401k and other retirement plans, and stocks. [5]

Each bank or lender's asset and reserve requirements will vary. Before the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis, typical reserve requirements were 2 months PITI for owner-occupied properties, 3 to 4 months for second home and vacation properties, and 6 months for investment properties. Low-payment programs such as negative amortization usually required 3 to 4 months of assets for an owner occupied home because of the relative risk of such a loan.

Debt-to-income ratios (DTIs)

Another way in which lenders try to minimize the risk of default is by requiring that PITI not be more than a certain maximum percentage of the borrower's monthly gross income—that is, they specify maximum debt-to-income ratios (DTIs). [6] The two DTIs that lenders are most interested in are:

  1. the ratio of PITI to monthly gross income;
  2. and the ratio of all debt service (PITI + payments for credit cards, car loans, student loans, etc.) to monthly gross income.

The specific maximum values that a lender will allow for each of those DTIs depend on country, region, and era. However, the optimal DTI is less than 36%, while some lenders would accept a highly qualified candidate with a ratio of up to 50%. [7]

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In general, to pre-qualify is about passing or meeting an initial criteria or requirements before getting other opportunities opened up to such a person.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">FHA insured loan</span> US Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance

An FHA insured loan is a US Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance backed mortgage loan that is provided by an FHA-approved lender. FHA mortgage insurance protects lenders against losses. They have historically allowed lower-income Americans to borrow money to purchase a home that they would not otherwise be able to afford. Because this type of loan is more geared towards new house owners than real estate investors, FHA loans are different from conventional loans in the sense that the house must be owner-occupant for at least a year. Since loans with lower down-payments usually involve more risk to the lender, the home-buyer must pay a two-part mortgage insurance that involves a one-time bulk payment and a monthly payment to compensate for the increased risk. Frequently, individuals "refinance" or replace their FHA loan to remove their monthly mortgage insurance premium. Removing mortgage insurance premium by paying down the loan has become more difficult with FHA loans as of 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortgage-backed security</span> Type of asset-backed security

A mortgage-backed security (MBS) is a type of asset-backed security which is secured by a mortgage or collection of mortgages. The mortgages are aggregated and sold to a group of individuals that securitizes, or packages, the loans together into a security that investors can buy. Bonds securitizing mortgages are usually treated as a separate class, termed residential; another class is commercial, depending on whether the underlying asset is mortgages owned by borrowers or assets for commercial purposes ranging from office space to multi-dwelling buildings.

Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), also known as private mortgage insurance (PMI) in the US, is a type of insurance payable to a lender or to a trustee for a pool of securities that may be required when taking out a mortgage loan. Its purpose is to offset losses in the case where a mortgagor is not able to repay the loan and the lender is not able to recover its costs after foreclosure and sale of the mortgaged property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second mortgage</span>

Second mortgages, commonly referred to as junior liens, are loans secured by a property in addition to the primary mortgage. Depending on the time at which the second mortgage is originated, the loan can be structured as either a standalone second mortgage or piggyback second mortgage. Whilst a standalone second mortgage is opened subsequent to the primary loan, those with a piggyback loan structure are originated simultaneously with the primary mortgage. With regard to the method in which funds are withdrawn, second mortgages can be arranged as home equity loans or home equity lines of credit. Home equity loans are granted for the full amount at the time of loan origination in contrast to home equity lines of credit which permit the homeowner access to a predetermined amount which is repaid during the repayment period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loan-to-value ratio</span> Financial term used by lenders

The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is a financial term used by lenders to express the ratio of a loan to the value of an asset purchased.

A VA loan is a mortgage loan in the United States guaranteed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The program is for American veterans, military members currently serving in the U.S. military, reservists and select surviving spouses and can be used to purchase single-family homes, condominiums, multi-unit properties, manufactured homes and new construction. The VA does not originate loans, but sets the rules for who may qualify, issues minimum guidelines and requirements under which mortgages may be offered and financially guarantees loans that qualify under the program.

In the consumer mortgage industry, debt-to-income ratio is the percentage of a consumer's monthly gross income that goes toward paying debts. There are two main kinds of DTI, as discussed below.

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Loan origination is the process by which a borrower applies for a new loan, and a lender processes that application. Origination generally includes all the steps from taking a loan application up to disbursal of funds. For mortgages, there is a specific mortgage origination process. Loan servicing covers everything after disbursing the funds until the loan is fully paid off. Loan origination is a specialized version of new account opening for financial services organizations. Certain people and organizations specialize in loan origination. Mortgage brokers and other mortgage originator companies serve as a prominent example.

Cash out refinancing occurs when a loan is taken out on property already owned, and the loan amount is above and beyond the cost of transaction, payoff of existing liens, and related expenses.

Mortgage insurance is an insurance policy which compensates lenders or investors in mortgage-backed securities for losses due to the default of a mortgage loan. Mortgage insurance can be either public or private depending upon the insurer. The policy is also known as a mortgage indemnity guarantee (MIG), particularly in the UK.

The debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), known as "debt coverage ratio" (DCR), is a financial metric used to assess an entity's ability to generate enough cash to cover its debt service obligations. These obligations include interest, principal, and lease payments. The DSCR is calculated by dividing the operating income available for debt service by the total amount of debt service due.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortgage calculator</span> Automated financial tool

Mortgage calculators are automated tools that enable users to determine the financial implications of changes in one or more variables in a mortgage financing arrangement. Mortgage calculators are used by consumers to determine monthly repayments, and by mortgage providers to determine the financial suitability of a home loan applicant. Mortgage calculators are frequently on for-profit websites, though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has launched its own public mortgage calculator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortgage loan</span> Loan secured using real estate

A mortgage loan or simply mortgage, in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any purpose while putting a lien on the property being mortgaged. The loan is "secured" on the borrower's property through a process known as mortgage origination. This means that a legal mechanism is put into place which allows the lender to take possession and sell the secured property to pay off the loan in the event the borrower defaults on the loan or otherwise fails to abide by its terms. The word mortgage is derived from a Law French term used in Britain in the Middle Ages meaning "death pledge" and refers to the pledge ending (dying) when either the obligation is fulfilled or the property is taken through foreclosure. A mortgage can also be described as "a borrower giving consideration in the form of a collateral for a benefit (loan)".

Mortgage underwriting is the process a lender uses to determine if the risk of offering a mortgage loan to a particular borrower under certain parameters is acceptable. Most of the risks and terms that underwriters consider fall under the three C's of underwriting: credit, capacity and collateral.

Mortgage acceleration is the practice of paying off a mortgage loan faster than required by terms of the mortgage agreement. As interest on mortgages is compounded, early payments diminish the period needed to pay off the mortgage, and avoid a quotient of compounded interest.

Loan modification is the systematic alteration of mortgage loan agreements that help those having problems making the payments by reducing interest rates, monthly payments or principal balances. Lending institutions could make one or more of these changes to relieve financial pressure on borrowers to prevent the condition of foreclosure. Loan modifications have been practiced in the United States since the 1930s. During the Great Depression, loan modification programs took place at the state level in an effort to reduce levels of loan foreclosures.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) is a federal program of the United States, set up by the Federal Housing Finance Agency in March 2009, to help underwater and near-underwater homeowners refinance their mortgages. Unlike the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which assists homeowners who are in danger of foreclosure, this program benefits homeowners whose mortgage payments are current, but who cannot refinance due to dropping home prices in the wake of the U.S. housing market correction.

References

  1. Staff, Investopedia (2005-03-07). "Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance (PITI)". Investopedia. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  2. "FAQ | PITI Mortgage Calculators". PITI Calculators. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  3. "The Ultimate PITI Calculator | Mortgage Calculators". PITI Calculators. 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  4. Inc., US Legal. "PITI Reserves Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc". definitions.uslegal.com. Retrieved 2018-11-26.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. "Assets and Reserve Requirements for Mortgages | The Truth About Mortgage". www.thetruthaboutmortgage.com. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  6. Folger, Jean (2005-08-03). "Debt-To-Income Ratio (DTI)". Investopedia. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  7. Treece, Kiah (21 June 2023). "5 Personal Loan Requirements To Know Before Applying". Forbes. Retrieved 30 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)