<prompt> Human: Im paying a close to 200month in PMI on a house I bought five years ago that has increased in value.I paid 264k for the home and currently owe 232k on the loan. I understand that if I reach 78 LTV I can drop PMI.The county appraised my house at 298k, which makes it right in the ballpark of the 78 LTV I need. My bank, however, needs me to use their appraiser in order for them to believe the value. Their appraiser will be upwards of 500. Whats the likelihood of their appraiser coming in with a value lower than the countys? I obviously dont want to throw away the 500 only to find out the bank appraised it at something like 280k. Other than that, are there any other gotchas I need to be aware of?  <response>: Read your mortgage. Dont rely on what the internet says or some idiot at the bank says about what it says. Read what your mortgage says. 