You don't pick the mortgage insurance provider as well as you can't discuss the costs. In other words, when re-financing a residence or acquiring with a standard home mortgage, if the loan-to-value (LTV) is higher than 80% (or equivalently, the equity position is much less than 20%), the borrower will likely be required to lug private home loan insurance. It appears unAmerican, but that's what happens when you obtain a mortgage that surpasses 80 percent loan-to-value (LTV).