PMI (private mortgage insurance)

Freddie Mac says PMI typically costs $30 to $70 a month per $100,000 borrowed, depending mostly on your credit score and down payment.

Under the Homeowners Protection Act, you can ask to cancel PMI when your balance reaches 80% of the home's original value, and it must end automatically at 78%. FHA loans use a different kind of insurance, MIP, with different rules.