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.
Check our Real Estate Questions page; maybe someone else had the same doubts you have and we answered it already!
Popular Real Estate Terms
What Is a Real Estate Bubble? One definition for a real estate bubble is the fast increase in prices, usually driven by investors and speculators in major urban areas. Properties are ...
The accelerated depreciation definition is a type of depreciation that makes it possible for a homeowner or real estate investor to depreciate their property faster than the straight-line ...
Opening so that air or gas may enter or leave. For example, an air conditioner has a "vent open" or "vent closed" knob for outside air. The "vent close" switch must be on for air ...
City apartment building that is overcrowded, poorly constructed or maintained, and generally part of a slum. In law, a tenement also refers to possessions of an individual that are ...
Agreement between two or more individuals whereby each party agrees to do or not to do some act. The parties have reciprocal obligations of performance or actions. ...
Provision in a written agreement that depends on the occurrence of something else. ...
Angle from north or south of a property. When a real estate appraiser does surveying, it is looked at clockwise from north. It may assist in determining the form or boundaries of land. ...
One who receives real property under a will. ...
Having the intellect to comprehend the terms and conditions of a will and their impact. A testator must understand his or her estate and its eventual disposition and effects in order to ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.