Lenders mortgage insurance Definition
Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), also known as Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), is insurance payable to a lender when taking out a mortgage. It is an insurance in the case that the mortgagor is not able to repay the loan, and the lender is not able to recover its costs after foreclosing the loan and selling the mortgaged property.
The LMI may be payable up front, or it may be capitalized onto the loan. This type of insurance is usually only charged if the downpayment is less than 20% of the sales price or appraised value (in other words, the LTV or loan to value ratio should be 80% or less). Once the principal reaches 80%, the LMI is no longer required.