The past couple days, I shared some tips for sellers. Today, I'll share one for buyers. 

It can be super exciting when the time comes to begin looking for the perfect house, particularly if this is your first time. Running right out and visiting a bunch of properties though isn’t really the best place to start. The process should begin by getting a mortgage preapproval before your hunt begins.

A preapproval letter is a document from a lender that tells you exactly how much loan money you can get. It’s based on your financial information, such as your credit score, taxes, and bank statements. It is not a guarantee that the mortgage will get approved. There are other factors at play here including the property you’re looking at, but that’s a topic for another day.

Getting a preapproval is going to help you, and your agent find properties within your budget. It also gives the sellers peace of mind knowing that you, the buyer, can afford their home. When you’re preapproved, you’re also less likely to run into last-minute surprises or delays with your lender. Being preapproved also allows us to write an offer quickly, should we find your dream house.

Bottom line, get a preapproval before you start shopping for a home. Most mortgage preapproval letters last between 60 and 90 days, so we’ll have plenty of time to find you the right house. I work with some great local lenders that are fast and responsive.I can definitely help make that connection.

If you're going to be looking for a new home, I'm here to help! Email me and we can talk more about the process and get started!