What Moves to Make Before Buying

Pre-qualification is an informal way to see how much you might be able to borrow for your new home. You can get “pre-qualified” over the phone by telling a lender your income, your long-term debts and how large a down payment you can afford. The lender will not make a commitment to lend to you based on this unverified information, but you will have a general number for how much you can spend.

Pre-approval is a lender’s actual commitment to lend to you. The process involves assembling your financial records – see our checklist – and moving through a preliminary approval process, which can take several weeks.

Pre-approval provides you a definite idea of what you can afford and shows sellers that you are serious about buying. In addition to documenting your financial ability to close a transaction, pre-approval shortens the time needed to close a loan, and makes you a more attractive buyer to sellers who want a quick and efficient escrow. Let us help you start today.