Buying A Home This Spring? Mortgage Pre-Approval Is A Must First Step

If you’re thinking about buying a home this spring, the very best thing you can do right now and before you begin actively house hunting is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. Pre-approval is the best way you can put yourself in the strongest position to buy a home when you’re ready to do so.

Why Pre-Approval Is A Great Step To Take Today

If you’ve been planning on buying a home this spring, getting pre-approved for a mortgage is the first and most important step. This is true even in normal circumstances… but more so today during the current corona virus crisis. While in some areas, in-person home showings are totally prohibited, in others they are allowed under limited circumstances.

One of the limitations we’ve been seeing more of in the past few weeks is home sellers not approving a showing unless the prospective buyer provides a mortgage pre-approval letter at the time the showing request is made. For safety reasons, home sellers want to show their homes only to serious buyers with the means to buy a home. Your pre-approval letter is what gives the seller that security.  It’s also worth keeping in mind that top Buyer Agents typically won’t show homes before the buyer has a pre-approval letter in hand even when there is no pandemic.

And as things slowly get back to “normal,” you’ll be a step ahead of many other buyers in the market by being pre-approved — with a mortgage preapproval  you can make an offer with confidence. The video below provides more reasons to be pre-approved first.

 

 

We can introduce you to some of Charlotte region’s finest mortgage lenders. Don’t hesitate to let us know if you’d like an introduction.

Meantime, feel free to shop for your dream home on-line at www.GreatHomesInCharlotte.com.

5 Things You Will Need To Get Pre-Approved

Your pre-approval letter assures a home seller that a lender has reviewed your documents, verified your credit score, assets, income, and is prepared to lend you a specific amount of money assuming nothing in your financial situation changes between the time you’ve been pre-approved and when you make a final application for a loan for a specific home.

To be pre-approved by a mortgage lender, you will need to provide 5 things:

  1. Proof of assets, which will include copies of your bank and investment portfolio statements.
  2. Proof of income, which will include W-2 statements for the past two years and recent pay stubs; any additional income sources; two most recent tax returns.
  3. Good credit, which will include the lender checking your credit… your credit score impacts your interest rates.
  4. Employment verification (usually done via most recent pay stubs).
  5. Copies of your driver’s license; your social security number

 

Being ready to put your best foot forward when the time comes may be the leg-up you need to cross the finish line first and land the home of your dreams.

Home Buying Checklist

 

Home Buying Checklist

 

The process of buying a home can be overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to go through it alone. You may be wondering if now is a good time to buy a home… or if interest rates are projected to rise or fall. Our Free Home Buyer Guide: Things To Consider When Buying A Home will answer many of your questions and likely bring up a few things you didn’t even know you should consider when buying a home.