If you are hoping to speed up the home buying process, you may consider getting pre-qualified for your home loan. With a pre-qualification letter in hand, real estate agents and sellers will take you more seriously. Furthermore, sellers may readily accept your offer over another bidder because financing is partially secured.

Select a Good Mortgage Loan Lender

Pre-qualification letters are issued by mortgage lenders. Before applying for a home loan, research different lenders and inquire of their services. The easiest and fastest way to compare different lenders is through the internet. Using online services to secure a home loan is very convenient. Moreover, using a mortgage broker to locate a good lender will save time.

There are lenders for every credit type. Hence, if you have poor credit or no credit history, it is possible to get pre-qualified for a mortgage. In this situation, a sub prime lender or high risk lender will offer the best rates.

Provide Mortgage Lender with Documented Information

After selecting a good mortgage lender, the lender will request specific information. This information is necessary is order to complete the pre-qualification process. Before approving your request, the lender must ensure that you are capable of handling a mortgage payment.

For that matter, you must provide total monthly income and total monthly debts. Paycheck stubs or banking statements are acceptable. To determine your total deb

t to income ratio, you must also tally credit card and other consumer debts. If you have a low debt to income ratio, you will qualify for lower rates. If you have excessive debts, the lender will consider you a higher risk, and increase the interest rate.

Mortgage Lenders Review Credit Rating

Finally, before a pre-qualification letter is issued, the mortgage lender will pull your credit. Credit scores carry a lot of weight. Individuals with low scores rarely obtain a good interest rate. Upon reviewing your credit, lenders will know your amount of credit inquiries, credit accounts, balances due, derogatory remarks, etc.

After the lender approves your request for a pre-qualification, they will prepare a letter for sellers. The pre-qualification letter simply states that an applicant's income and credit have been verified, and the applicant is pre-qualified for a loan. However, pre-qualification letters do not guarantee a loan.

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