Are You Pre-Qualified, Pre-Approved or Approved for a Southern New Hampshire Real Estate Mortgage?

One of the more frustrating aspects of buying Southern NH real estate is qualifying for a mortgage that will allow you to buy the home of your dreams. Lenders use terms to describe your loan status that may be confusing.

For example, what is the difference between being pre-qualified, pre-approved or approved for a mortgage on your Southern New Hampshire real estate?

·    Pre-Qualified – This just means that the lender may approve you for a loan if everything checks out. Pre-qualification is based solely on information you give the lender about your income and debts. This is no guarantee that you will get a loan. People do sometimes omit important details about their finances (whether accidentally or intentionally), so the lender won’t even be able to give you a possible loan amount at this point.

·    Pre-Approved – Once your lender pulls your credit report, they can give you an idea of what kind of loan you may get. When you’re pre-approved, you still have no guarantee that you will get a loan, but you have a better idea of your price range. Sellers like working with people who are pre-approved because it shows that their credit has been verified, and they are more likely to qualify for a loan.

·    Approved – When you are approved for a loan, your financial records have been verified, and the lender can say for sure how much they are willing to lend you for a particular home. You can be approved for a mortgage only after the lender has approved both you and the home. Once you have approval, you can move forward with the purchase.  This is why a financing contingency is included in the standard Purchase and Sales agreement used in New Hampshire for writing contracts to buy and sell property.

For more information about the mortgage approval process for purchasing Southern New Hampshire real estate, call me today at 603-821-1134 or email me at Dave@DaveHeeter.com.