Gail Hayes, mortgage broker at Cape Cod Five, just sent out this informative post for potential buyers:
As the real estate market heats up, prospective home buyers are finding that competition for desirable listings is heating up as well. Multiple contract presentations have again become the norm in many areas of the country. In order to have the best chance to purchase a home, it makes sense to present yourself in the best light to a seller. Getting a solid pre-approval will put you in a position to do exactly that. What is a “solid” pre-approval? A pre-approval lets the seller know that your full credit package has been reviewed and approved by a qualified underwriter. This is in co mparison to a pre-qualification which represents an opinion from a loan officer in which all facets of the credit package have not been reviewed. The advantages of a pre-approval? There are several advantages to getting yourself in the right position to purchase:
• No second guessing. You will know exactly the price of the home you can purchase.
• Smoother sailing. Any potential problems such as credit issues can be put to bed before the contract is proposed.
• Less stress. You will have 98% of the paperwork of the loan process out of the way before you purchase, making the home buying process much less stressful.
• Less time. With only an appraisal needed to complete the process, you can go to closing more quickly. This gives you an advantage over the competition for a home.
• More negotiating power. You will stand out from competitors who are not prepared. Those others can’t compete against cash offers–thus you will stand alone in this regard.
Obtaining the home of your dreams at the price you desire can’t be left to chance. With the help of your Realtor, a pre-approval will give you the help you need to be successful. Source: The Hershman Group