I get it. Browsing at houses online and even looking at a few in-person is all well and good but the idea of actually talking to a lender, let alone filling out an application online can be scary. What if you can't actually get approved and your dream of home ownership is dashed then and there and you get laughed off the Internet?
Guess what? That doesn't happen.
Worst case scenario? You have to wait to buy until you clean up a few things. Sometimes this only takes a couple months and a phone call or two. But even in the worst case scenario, a good lender is going to give you valuable insight into what to clean-up and how. Is there a specific credit card that's holding you back? Maybe the biggest impact you can make would be refinancing your vehicle and getting those car payments down (a very common situation).
The best case scenario? You're actually in better shape than you thought and can afford to add $20k more to your search range. It happens.
Either way, unless you're buying with cash, your pre-approval letter is unavoidable and the earlier you talk to a lender, the smoother the home-buying process will be in the long run.
To learn more about the pre-approval process and for lender recommendations, give me a shout.
