Skip to main content

What's the Difference in Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval?



Before looking for a home, you need to know how much you can afford. While you may have a number in your head, the lender has the final say. Securing a pre-approval from a lender helps make the home buying process easier and helps to avoid delays.

Many buyers confuse the terms pre-qualification and pre-approval. They mean two different things. In simple terms, a pre-qualification is an estimate of what you can afford. A pre-approval is a conditional approval based on the proof you provide.

The pre-qualification is a preliminary step some borrowers take to get a feel for what price home they can afford. Based on your income, assets, and estimated credit score, lenders can estimate what you can afford.

It's important to know, there's nothing binding about a pre-qualification. It's simply a starting point.   When you are serious about buying a home, though, you want a pre-approval.

Before you shop for a home, meet with a recommended lender to get a pre-approval letter. Sellers and/or Realtors value this letter because it shows you are likely to secure the necessary financing and serious about buying a home.

Lenders meet with you in person to create the pre-approval. You'll provide the lender with all the following:

  • Permission to order your credit report
  • Paystubs, W-2s and/or tax returns to prove your income
  • Asset statements, investment statements or any other proof of assets
  • Proof of employment
  • Any other miscellaneous documentation required by lender

Lenders evaluate the documents and determine your conditional approval. The letter will state the mortgage amount you qualify for, the loan's terms, and any conditions the approval is contingent upon. 

Normally, final approval is contingent on a fully executed sales contract of the property to be purchased, a satisfactory appraisal and clear title on the property.

Once a purchase contract is signed, the lender completes the underwriting on your loan. They will confirm that the property meets the necessary requirements. The lender will also re-confirm your income, assets, employment, and credit information before closing on the loan.

Securing a pre-approval prior to beginning the home buying process will give you confidence and can help your negotiations with the seller. Your REALTOR® can provide you more information in an Buyers Guide and recommendations of trusted lenders.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Before You Leave Town...

Along with all the planning of what you're going to do and where you're going to stay, consider this checklist to make you feel more comfortable while you're away from home. Ask a trusted friend to pick up your mail, newspaper and keep yard picked up to avoid an appearance of not being at home. Stop your mail ( USPS Hold Mail Service ) and your newspaper. Don't post about your trip on Facebook and other social media until you return; some burglars look for this type of announcement to schedule their activities. Do notify police or neighborhood watch - especially if you're going to be gone for more than just a few days. Let your monitoring service know when you'll be gone and if someone will be checking on your home for you. Light timers make it look like someone is home. Set multiple timers for various times to better simulate someone at home. There are plug-in modules for lights and appliances that would allow you to control...
2 comments
Read more

Make Your Home Offer the Most Appealing

Sales in February 2023 were up 14.5% month over month and still down 22.6% year over year according to the NAR Housing Snapshot.   The median sales price dipped 0.2% to $363,000 and there are 2.6 months supply of homes on the market compared to 1.7 months a year ago. "Inventory levels are still at historic lows, and consequently, multiple offers are returning on a good number of properties." According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of REALTORS�. It is still important to have a strategy for potentially competing with other buyers on the house you want to buy.   The plan should include several available provisions and options, so that at the time of drafting the sales offer, you can consider exactly what to include based on the situation. Unless a person is paying cash, you need to be pre-approved by a trusted mortgage professional long before you start looking at homes.   Include the written pre-approval letter along ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rental Home Investments

Rental homes whether they be single-family detached properties, condos, two, three or four-unit properties share many of the same benefits.   Most people instinctively understand many of the working parts because they are the same as their home.   They have a basic understanding of value and how to maintain the property.   The service providers for a home would be the same for a rental home. These properties allow an investor to obtain a large loan-to-value mortgage at fixed interest rates for up to thirty years.   They appreciate in value, currently exceeding many other assets; have defined tax advantages and allow an investor more control than many alternative investments. Most lenders require 20-25% down payment and will finance the balance at rates close to owner-occupied homes.   Buyer closing costs will add another three to four percent to the amount of cash needed to close.   It is also prudent to have available funds for repairs and maintenanc...
Post a Comment
Read more