From Wikipedia:
Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), also known as Private mortgage insurance (PMI) in the US, is insurance payable to a lender or trustee for a pool of securities that may be required when taking out a mortgage loan. It is insurance to offset losses in the case where a mortgagor is not able to repay the loan and the lender is not able to recover its costs after foreclosure and sale of the mortgaged property.[1] Typical rates are $55/mo. per $100,000 financed[2], or as high as $1,500/yr. for a typical $200,000 loan[3].