It is important to get pre-approved because it can help you when it comes time to place an offer on your dream house.   In a competitive housing market like in Denver, it is critical to move quickly if you want to buy a house before somebody else does.   Having a pre-approval in place speeds up the buying process, and establishes your credibility and seriousness with the seller.

Most Realtors will require a buyer to talk to a lender before beginning to look for their future home. A pre-qualification occurs when a lender asks the potential buyer questions regarding income, assets, debts, credit history, and job history. Based on the answers from the buyer and a credit report, the lender can issue a “Pre-qualification Certificate” which allows the Realtor the confidence to sell a home to the buyer.

However, because of the hot Denver market, pre-qualification with a lender may not be enough to be competitive against multiple offers. Once a buyer pre-qualifies, they should immediately come into the lender’s office and get pre-approved.

Pre-approval is simply gathering proof of the information discussed on the phone. By making available W-2’s, pay stubs, bank statements, and possibly tax returns, your loan can be submitted and approved by an underwriter.

By providing a “Pre-approval Certificate” with your contract, the seller knows that your loan is in place and as long as the house appraises well, the contract will close. In some cases, multiple contracts come in on some properties and if one of the contracts has a “pre-approved buyer” - they usually get the home. Pre-approval is good for 90 days which should allow you enough time to find and close your home.

Taken from Better Homes and Gardens newsletter, 1999