I know the mortgage process can be confusing, so I thought I’d shed some light on what some of the acronyms in the mortgage world mean.
LTV
LTV stands for Loan to Value Ratio. It represents the amount of money borrowed divided by the purchase price of the home. For example, if you borrow $400,000 on a house with a purchase price of $500,000, the loan to value ratio or LTV is 80%. Different loan programs have different maximum LTV standards.
DTI
DTI Stands for Debt to Income Ratio. It represents a borrower’s monthly debts divided by their monthly gross inome. It is a calculation used by banks to determine how much money an applicant is qualified to borrow. Different loan programs have different maximum DTI ratios.
PMI or MIP
Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI protects the lender in case the borrower defaults on a loan. PMI is required on Conventional loans in which the borrower has a down payment of less than 20%. It is either paid upfront at closing in a lump sum or on a nonthly basis with your mortgage payment.
MIP or Mortgage Insurance Premium is required with all FHA loans also to protect the lender against default by the borrower. MIP is required on all FHA loans regardless of loan to value ratio because the guidelines on FHA loans are less strict than on conventional loans. There is a one time up-front MIP payment and a monthly MI payment with FHA loans