You may have heard that the housing market is very tight right now, or that it’s a “seller’s market.” This means that there are fewer homes for sale than people looking to buy a home. Getting preapproved is more important than ever in such a tight housing market!
What is a Preapproval?
A preapproval is a letter your lender provides you that states you qualify for a mortgage loan, and the amount you qualify for, based on an overview of your financial history, including your income, assets, debts and credit history. You must provide financial documentation to the lender — including pay stubs, bank statements, salary, assets and credit obligations — so that he or she can verify that the information you’re providing is accurate. The lender also will pull your credit report.
Preapproved Buyers Have an Advantage
Having your preapproval in hand before you go house hunting gives you a huge advantage over other buyers who don’t have a preapproval ready. If you see your perfect house, you’ll be able to write an offer immediately, whereas others may have to go through the preapproval process before they can make an offer. In today’s competitive housing market, a few hours can make the difference between getting a home and not getting it.
Realtors and sellers also view your offer more favorably if you have a preapproval letter because you’re able to demonstrate that you’ll likely be approved for a mortgage and the home will close.
Get Your Preapproval from Forte Bank — FREE!
Our preapproval letters are valid for 120 days and they are FREE! We understand that timing can be critical, so we do our best to provide preapproval letters in one business day or less after receiving your financial documents. Many times we don’t need to meet with you to review your financial history. We can speak over the phone or via email and you can provide your financial documents electronically via our secure upload center. We can easily email your preapproval letter and also send a copy to your realtor, with your approval.
A preapproval is not a guarantee of a loan. If you do put in an offer on a home and the offer is accepted, we move into the formal mortgage application process.
Are you ready to get preapproved? Contact one of our mortgage lenders today!
Learn more about our mortgage programs, check today’s rates, or use one of our financial calculators.
If you haven’t already, take our mortgage quiz to find out if you’re ready to buy a home.
For first-time homebuyers, Forte Bank also offers $1,000 off closing costs!
A preapproval is not the same as a prequalification. While they are similar, a prequalification is when your financial information is self-reported and is not verified by the lender. Therefore, a preapproval letter carries more weight because it is confirmation from the bank that they have verified your financial information and that you qualify for a specific mortgage amount. You can read more about the difference between the two on our blog.