Mortgage Guides, Tips & Market Insights

How to Get Rid of PMI in 2026: When and How to Remove Mortgage Insurance

Removing PMI is a request you make to your loan servicer. Knowing the rules can get it done sooner. Short answer: on a conventional loan you can ask your servicer to cancel PMI once your balance reaches 80 percent of the home’s original value, and it must end automatically at 78 percent. On a $500,0

VA Loan Funding Fee 2026: Rate Chart, Exemptions and How to Lower It

The VA funding fee is a one-time charge. Many veterans never pay it, and those who do can sometimes lower it. Short answer: on a 2026 VA purchase loan with less than 5 percent down, the funding fee is 2.15 percent of the loan the first time you use the benefit and 3.3 percent after that. Put 5 perce

PMI in 2026: What It Costs, How to Avoid It and When It Goes Away

PMI is a monthly cost you can plan for, shrink with a better credit score and remove once you have enough equity. Short answer: private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required on a conventional loan when you put less than 20 percent down. On a $500,000 home with 5 percent down, one insurer’s published

Physician Mortgage Loans in Northern Virginia: 2026 Doctor Loan Guide

A physician loan trades a low down payment and no mortgage insurance for terms that each bank sets on its own. Short answer: a physician mortgage loan is a bank program that lets doctors, and often dentists and other medical professionals, buy with little or no money down and no private mortgage ins