Why get pre-approved?

First of all, any Real Estate Agent should make sure that a buyer is qualified to buy a house they are viewing. A step better is to get pre-qualifyed (which is not a guarantee), but it does make any offer being made worthy of serious consideration. Any first time buyer should almost always make their offer conditional on financing (but in cases where there are multiple offers, it could be held against you). If you take the time to get pre-qualified before you start your search, you may save time in the long run, make your offers more appealing, and make your purchase more Pleasant. Good Luck!