Absolutely!  Even if you haven't so much as picked out houses to visit yet, it's important to see your mortgage counselor first.  Why?  What can we do for you if you haven't even seen your first house or negotiated a price, and don't know yet how much you want to borrow?

When we pre-qualify you, we help you determine how much of a monthly mortgage payment you can afford, and how much we can arrange for you to borrow.  We do this by considering your income and debts, your employment and residence situations, your available funds for downpayment and required reserves, and most importantly, your goals and what's comfortable for you.  It's short and to the point, and we keep the paperwork to a minimum!

Once you qualify, we can 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.  It will also say that we've reviewed your credit report and that the pre-qual is based on the information provided by you.

When you find a house that catches your eye, 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.

But wait! You may want to be APPROVED to submit an offer!

Depending on the current state of the housing market and what sellers and listing agents are expecting, a pre-qual may not be enough.  You may need an Approval or loan commitment.  This involves more than just an opinion.

More importantly, to a home seller, your being approved is like you walked into their house with a suitcase full of cash to make the deal!  They won't have to wonder if they're wasting their time because you'll never qualify for a mortgage to finance the amount you're offering for the home.  You have the clout of a buyer ready to close the deal right now!

You can always use the calculators available on our site to get an idea of how much mortgage you can afford -- but it's important to meet with our mortgage counselors.  For one thing, you need a Pre-Qualification discussion!  For another thing, we may be able to find a different mortgage program that better fits your needs.