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How much you might fork out for lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), or whether you have to pay it at all, will depend on how large a deposit you’re able to put down on your new home. If yours is less than 20% of your dream property’s value, you might want to read up on LMI.

How much is LMI?

The amount you might be asked to pay for LMI will depend on a number of factors, the biggest one being your loan-to-value ratio (LVR). That is, how much you're borrowing via a home loan compared to the value of the property you’re using it to purchase.

For instance, if your dream home comes with a price tag of $500,000 and you’ve saved up a $50,000 deposit, you’ll need to borrow $450,000 to purchase it. In such an instance, your LVR will be 90% (450,000/500,000=0.9) and you’ll probably be asked to pay LMI.

Fortunately, lenders often allow a homeowner to fold LMI into their home loan. While that means a buyer won’t need to fork out the cash upfront, they will have to pay interest on it.

How do you calculate LMI?

LMI can cost a buyer thousands, or even tens of thousands in some cases. If you’re wondering how much LMI could cost you, feel free to plug the details of your property purchase into the above calculator.

Continuing from the above example, if someone were to snap up a $500,000 property with a $50,000 deposit (an LVR of 90%), their LMI will likely come out at around $8,190. That figure could be lower if they bought a more affordable property or saved a larger deposit.

It’s also worth mentioning that LMI is often calculated using a property’s value, rather than its price. Your lender will likely determine a property’s value, so if you’ve paid overs for a house, you might find yourself unexpectedly paying LMI.

Property value

LMI payable (5% deposit)

LMI payable (10% deposit) 

LMI payable (15% deposit)

LMI payable (20% deposit) 

$400,000

$15,428

$6,552

$3,390

$0

$500,000

$19,285

$8,190

$4,237

$0

$600,000

$31,008

$9,828

$5,100

$0

$700,000

$36,176

$12,600

$5,950

$0

$800,000

$41,344

$14,400

$6,800

$0

$900,000

$46,512

$18,711

$9,104

$0

$1,000,000

$51,680

$20,790

$10,115

$0

Source: Savings.com.au's LMI Calculator.

If the figures on the above chart have you cringing, you’re likely not alone. Buying a house is already an expensive exercise without having to pay for insurance that you won’t benefit from. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid paying LMI.


Looking for a home loan?

Buying a home or looking to refinance? The table below features home loans
with some of the lowest interest rates on the market for owner occupiers.

Lender

Variable
More details
4.6 Star Customer Ratings
  • No monthly or ongoing fees
  • Unlimited free redraw
  • No application fee
4.6 Star Customer Ratings

loans.com.au – Variable Home Loan (LVR < 90%)

  • No monthly or ongoing fees
  • Unlimited free redraw
  • No application fee
Variable
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Apply In Minutes
  • No application or ongoing fees. Annual rate discount
  • Unlimited redraws & additional repayments. LVR <80%
  • A low-rate variable home loan from a 100% online lender. Backed by the Commonwealth Bank.
Apply In Minutes

Unloan – Variable Rate Home Loan LVR < 80%

  • No application or ongoing fees. Annual rate discount
  • Unlimited redraws & additional repayments. LVR <80%
  • A low-rate variable home loan from a 100% online lender. Backed by the Commonwealth Bank.
Variable
More details
Unlimited Redraws
  • No annual fees - None!
  • Get fast pre-approval
  • Unlimited additional repayments free of charge
  • Redraw freely - Access your additional payments when you need them
  • Home loan specialists available today
Unlimited Redraws

ubank – Neat Variable Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR < 60%)

  • No annual fees - None!
  • Get fast pre-approval
  • Unlimited additional repayments free of charge
  • Redraw freely - Access your additional payments when you need them
  • Home loan specialists available today
Variable
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loans.com.au – Solar Home Loan (Principal & Interest) (LVR < 90%)

    Variable
    More details
    • Estimate your borrowing power in as little as 1 minute
    • Complete your application in as little as 15 minutes

    Macquarie Bank – Basic Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR < 60%)

    • Estimate your borrowing power in as little as 1 minute
    • Complete your application in as little as 15 minutes
    Variable
    More details

    ubank – Neat Variable Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR ≤ 80%)

    • Home loan specialists available today
    Variable
    More details
    • Estimate your borrowing power in as little as 1 minute
    • Complete your application in as little as 15 minutes

    Macquarie Bank – Basic Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR 70%-80%)

    • Estimate your borrowing power in as little as 1 minute
    • Complete your application in as little as 15 minutes
    Variable
    More details

    Commonwealth Bank – Wealth Package Variable Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR 70% - 80%)

      Variable
      More details

      NAB – Base Variable Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (New Customer)

        Variable
        More details

        Westpac – Flexi First Option Home Loan (New Customer) (LVR > 80%)

          Variable
          More details

          ANZ – Standard Variable Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR < 80%)

            Variable
            More details

            Heritage Bank – Discount Variable Home Loan ($150k+) (LVR < 70%)

              Variable
              More details

              People's Choice – Package Variable Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (New Customer) ($100k+) (LVR < 70%)

                Variable
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                Bendigo Bank – Express Home Loan (Principal and Interest)

                  Variable
                  More details

                  HSBC – Home Value Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR < 70%)

                    Variable
                    More details

                    MOVE Bank – Everyday Home Loan (Principal & Interest) LVR < 80%

                      Variable
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                      Suncorp Bank – Personal Purpose Back to Basics Special (Principal and Interest) (LVR ≤ 60%) (New Customer)

                        Variable
                        More details

                        ING – Mortgage Simplifier Home Loan (Principal and Interest) ($150k-$500k, LVR < 80%)

                          Variable
                          More details

                          Great Southern Bank – Basic Variable Owner Occupier Construction (LVR ≤ 70%)

                            Variable
                            More details

                            Macquarie Bank – Basic Home Loan (Principal and Interest) (LVR 60%-70%)

                              Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning

                              Base criteria of: a $400,000 loan amount, variable, fixed, principal and interest (P&I) home loans with an LVR (loan-to-value) ratio of at least 80%. However, the ‘Compare Home Loans’ table allows for calculations to be made on variables as selected and input by the user. Some products will be marked as promoted, featured or sponsored and may appear prominently in the tables regardless of their attributes. All products will list the LVR with the product and rate which are clearly published on the product provider’s website. Monthly repayments, once the base criteria are altered by the user, will be based on the selected products’ advertised rates and determined by the loan amount, repayment type, loan term and LVR as input by the user/you. *The Comparison rate is based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years. Warning: this comparison rate is true only for this example and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Rates correct as of August 21, 2024. View disclaimer.

                              Important Information and Comparison Rate Warning