What is a Mortgage Pre-Approval?A pre-approval is generally a written statement from a lender stating the lender’s preliminary determination that a borrower
would qualify for a particular loan amount under that lender’s guidelines. The determination and loan amount are based on income and credit information. Most pre-approval letters are good for 60 to 90 days.
There are many reasons why you should get pre-approved.
The most important reason is that you will get an accurate idea of how much home you can afford.
This can help to target your home search and ensure you only look at houses that are truly in your price range.
A pre-approval letter also helps you prove to real estate agents and sellers that you’re a credible buyer and able to act fast when you find the home you want to buy.
Some sellers might even require buyers to submit a pre-approval letter
with their offers, though having a pre-approval letter does not guarantee that your offer will be accepted by a seller.
A pre-approval letter can make you stand out in a competitive real estate market. If you make an offer on a house without a pre-approval, your offer may not be taken as seriously as an offer from another person with a pre-approval.
