Getting preapproved for a mortgage is an important part of the home buying process. While technically not required before you begin your home search, there are some key advantages to getting preapproval from a lender before you get too deep into the process.
Here are some of the main reasons why to consider getting preapproved for a mortgage:
Cost is one of the major factors you’ll be dealing with in finding a new home. A house is a significant investment and one of the biggest purchases you’re likely to make, so it’s crucial to understand your financial situation clearly early on.
Mortgage lenders will examine your finances, using things like credit history, investment account statements and debt-to-income ratio.
With this careful analysis of your financial situation, a mortgage preapproval can help you determine how much you can afford to spend on a house before you start looking. It will help you estimate how much of a down payment you can offer and how high an interest rate you can comfortably afford while paying back your mortgage.
The real estate market is constantly changing, both across the country and across your local area. Economic shifts can make a huge difference in the availability of homes for sale and their prices. It can also make a difference in how much competition you’ll have for the same property.
Getting mortgage preapproval will give you an advantage over other potential buyers because it will communicate to sellers that you’re financially qualified and less of a risk.
As long as you don’t make any major changes that could affect your financial status, having mortgage preapproval shows you have the financing to back you up. Sellers may be more likely to choose you over another buyer if they have the reassurance of your mortgage preapproval letter.
While the mortgage preapproval process itself might seem daunting and complicated, the benefits can certainly outweigh the inconvenience. Keep these advantages in mind when considering whether to get preapproved for a mortgage.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
