Get pre-approved for a mortgage BEFORE shopping for a home!

Get PRE-APPROVED for a mortgage.

Buying a home is the largest single purchase for most folks. And it can be more stressful than having cavities filled! Why would you not want to reduce the stress level and increase your chance to find and close on a home? The easy way is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This is the first thing you need to do before looking at homes.

A mortgage pre-approval is a when a mortgage officer reviews your credit, income and assets. Once a lender pre-approves you they issue a letter stating they have reviewed your information and that you can afford up to a certain amount for the purchase of a home.

Now let me show you how the pre-approval letter is applied to your home buying experience:

• It shows the real estate agent you are a serious buyer. Most agents will not/should not take you out to see homes if you are not financially vetted. This is understandable because their job is to find a ready, willing and able buyer for the seller. They don’t want to waste their time or the seller’s time.
• It shows the seller you are a serious buyer. And in today’s seller’s market, a pre-approval letter is a must-have when submitting an offer to purchase. This will put you in a better negotiating position. A seller is less likely to accept an offer from someone with shaky financing.

Getting pre-approved is free.

In most cases if you are a W-2 employee it can be done in as little as 24 hours. More complex borrowers may require several days. One of the many advantages of working with a local real estate professional is that many have relationships with lenders who will be able to help you with this process. Once you have selected a lender, you will need to fill out their loan application and provide them with important information regarding your credit, debt, work history, down payment and residential history.

Take that FIRST step before shopping for a home. Get pre-approved for a mortgage now to reduce possible headaches and heartaches later.