One of the most important advantages you can give yourself as a buyer in our market is getting pre-approved. Here’s why, and what you’ll need to do so.
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There’s no doubt about it—it’s a competitive market out there if you’re looking to buy a home. Inventory is low and more and more buyers are entering the market every day. This is why you need to give yourself every advantage and put yourself in the best position to grab that perfect home when it becomes available.
The first thing you need to do in this regard is get pre-approved for a mortgage before you start looking for a home. If I’m working with a seller who’s received two offers on their home and one buyer is qualified to buy a certain dollar amount and the other doesn’t have a pre-approval letter, we’ll probably end up negotiating with the buyer who’s already been to a lender and has their pre-approval letter.
There are three things you’ll need when you meet with a lender:
1. Proof of income. You’ll need 30 days’ worth of pay stubs that who your year-to-date income, two year’s worth of W-2s, and two year’s worth of federal tax returns.
2. Proof of assets. You need to be able to show your lender where your money would come from to pay your down payment and closing costs. This includes your bank statements such as savings, checking, or investment account statements.
3. Good credit. Lenders reserve great credit rates for buyers with great credit scores like 740 and above.
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Meet with a lender before you even start looking for homes.
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Even if you don’t have that kind of score, you can probably still qualify for a loan, so meet with a lender now and see what you could qualify for. You’re going to need to know this once you find the home you want anyway, so do it now so you’re not stressed about it once you do find that home.
If you’re looking to buy a home now, visit my website, ShannonR.com, and set yourself up with a search criteria that will notify you of new homes coming onto the market whenever you like. Unlike Zillow, my website is updated every 10 minutes, so you know exactly what’s available and what’s not.
If you’re selling a home or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to call or email me anytime. I’d be happy to help you.