Should you talk to a mortgage professional before house hunting?

Absolutely! Even if you have not picked out houses to visit yet, it is important to see your mortgage professional first. Why?

When we pre-qualify you, we help you determine how much of a monthly mortgage payment you can afford, and how much we can loan you. We do this by considering your income and debts, your employment and residence situations, your available funds for down payment and required reserves, and various other factors. It's short and to the point, and we keep the paperwork to a minimum!

Once you qualify, we give you what's called a Pre-Qualification Letter (your real estate agent might call it a "pre-qual"), which says that we are working with you to find the best loan to meet your needs and that we are confident you will qualify for a loan for a specified amount.

When you find a house that interests you, and you decide to make an offer, being pre-qualified for a mortgage will do a couple of things. First, it lets you know how much you can offer. Your real estate agent will help you decide on an appropriate offer, but being pre-qualified gives you the confidence to know you can follow through.

More importantly, to a home seller, your being pre-qualified shows serious intent and that you are prepared! They will not have to wonder if they are wasting their time because you will not qualify for a mortgage to finance the amount you are offering for the home. You have the clout of a buyer ready to make the deal right now!

You can always use the calculator available on our site to get an idea of how much mortgage you can afford -- but it is important to meet with us as we will be able to introduce you to the various mortgage programs that may better fit your needs.