Definition of "PITI"

Nezam Juman  real estate agent

Written by

Nezam Juman elite badge icon

Gulf River Realty LLC

You open your mortgage documents and you see this big amount of money owed under “PITI”. But you have no clue as to what is the right PITI definition. Don’t worry; we got you!

PITI is not someone with an accent trying to say “pitty”. The correct PITI definition is of an acronym to the primary elements of many monthly mortgage payments:

  • P for Principal
  • I for Interest
  • T for Taxes
  • I for Insurance

So, Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance  - or PITI – are actually the main components of what you will pay back to the lender monthly once you get a mortgage.  However, not all mortgages include taxes and insurance in the payments. That doesn’t mean they will charge you a “PI”; they’ll probably just single out principal and interest.

But saying that PITI is just an aggregation to make the understanding of borrower’s expenses is not the most thorough PITI definition. The PITI assembling is as important for the lender itself, so it can determine the affordability of an individual mortgage and approve it or decline it. The lender calculates one’s PITI to determine the borrower’s risk, just like the borrower does to determine if his pockets are big enough to purchase that home.

Real Estate Advice:

Check our Real Estate Questions page; maybe someone else had the same doubts you have and we answered it already!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

The nonavailability of jobs for people able and willing to work at the prevailing wage rate. It is important measure of economic health, since full employment is generally constructed as a ...

Method of using the buyer's down payment on a home as an interest bearing collateralized account to help offset the mortgage amortization process. The home down payment is used to ...

A form of life or disability insurance where a mortgagor insures a mortgage in the event of death or disability. The principal covered by mortgage insurance declines as the mortgage is ...

Stature regulating the use of credit information. Allows consumers such as prospective homeowners access to their credit files. It requires a lender to explain how loan interest is ...

Planned subdivision where detached housing is located in the close proximity to each other. Additionally, the subdivision shares common open space including parking and recreation areas. ...

As a hopeful house hunter, renter, or seasoned real estate investor, you've probably come across baffling terms. One such term is "adhesion contract." It might sound complex, but don't ...

Claim on property by an unpaid workman or contractor. The property may be sold to recover the money owed. The legal justification of the mechanic's lien is that the labor and materials ...

Limit on how much a borrower's payment can increase. ...

Person's sole ownership of real property. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions