[WHAT IS PRE-APPROVAL AND WHY DO I NEED IT?]
Is buying a home in your plans for this year? Are you thinking of buying a home at some point in the “near” future?
There are several things you need to decide if you plan on buying a home. For example, you’ll need to consider the style, location, square footage, and type and number of rooms. These are all important; however, the first thing you should do is see how much you can get approved for on a loan -- unless you are paying cash.
Knowing how much you can pay for a house (the loan plus down payment) will do two major things for you:
- It will help you decide the type or style of home you want, the size, number of rooms and the locations where you can look, and
- It will help you be competitive in the buying process.
Let’s concentrate on the second item… Most real estate agents won’t even show buyers houses if the buyer does not have a loan approval from a financial institution. The loan approval is different from a loan pre-qualification.
A loan pre-qualification a loan. This is good to know. However, it is of the utmost importance to be means that the loan officer has looked at your application and pending all of the information being verified and accurate, you can probably obtain approved for a loan.
Loan approval means that your loan application has been reviewed and the financial institution’s underwriter has approved your loan. All you need to do is go find a house, tell the loan officer the address, obtain an approval letter and make an offer!
So when you are thinking of buying a home, the first thing you need to do is obtain a loan approval. Your real estate agent will be able to help you find the home that best fits your needs within the amount you can pay (loan and down payment).
Now, have some fun! Check out what is available in a neighborhood that interests you.
Prepared by:
Nancy Van Pelt, Broker
425-780-6817
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