How To Get Preapproved Or Prequalified For Your First Home Loan

By Alexandria P. Anderson

One of the most important steps to home buying involves getting the right loan amount for your ideal property. There are several ways you can get prequalified to purchase a home and preapproved for a home loan, and it's generally a good idea to check your credit report before approaching this step. A prospective lender will be reviewing your credit report and other financial details in great detail as you set the prequalification or preapproval process in motion, and you can obtain a free credit report from any of the three major credit bureaus to check it for errors.

Have your credit records immediately cleared if you notice any discrepancies in it and ensure that you keep intact all proof of communication with the credit institution. When all these have been settled, it's now easier to proceed with your homebuying experience; the following tips are important in the prequalification and preapproval of your loan:

1. Do a research on various mortgage program via the Internet. There are many online resources where you can actually see the lists of current interest rates for various loan packages such as LendingTree.com and Bankrate.com. An initial step would be to look at some options or better yet, submit your personal information for sample or preliminary review. In just a few days, a loan representative may communicate with you and guide you along the way.

2. Visit and seek the help of your local bank. The best authority from your area bank to ask help from are mortgage officers in case you want to get a prequalification letter or preapproval status. This may take some time to accomplish compared to the online process, according to Ilyce Glink, author of '100 Questions Every First Time Home Buyer Should Ask'. But if you are the type of person who find it easier to get things started going to the bank and talk to a representative in person, this may be what you need. The same kind of service is provided.

3. Pick up the phone. Some lenders offer prequalification services over the phone, so you may not need to resort to an online application or go to the bank to get the process started. Just call your local bank or other financial institution for a phone number and you can share your personal information over the phone.

4. Go for a national lending institution. The benefit of opting for national lenders like Countrywide home loans and Bank of America is that it can give you more alternatives for your future loan because they offer both online and telephone transaction for prequalification and preapproval. Information about the latest rates can be found in their websites, so it's easier for you to submit information and get loan prequalification.

5. Visit an aggregator website. This type of online resource provides documents on rates and services offered by different lenders and a good option where you can submit your personal information instead of a bank or any other financial institutions. Several options are available for you to choose from after you have submitted your info.

Getting prequalified and preapproved for a home loan is the first important step in home buying. Use any of the above resources to get the process started and get the best rates for your future mortgage. - 23217

About the Author:

Realtor and Author Alexandria P. Anderson uses the Twin Cities real estate listings to help her realty clients find homes for sale in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.