This way you do not waste time looking for houses that are out of your mortgage qualification price range. Besides being a waste of time, there is nothing more frustrating or heart breaking to know that the perfect home has the asking price on is way above the amount the mortgage company will loan to you. Additionally, if you find out that you are not financially strong enough to qualify for a mortgage yet, then the home mortgage company can make some financial recommendations so you can work towards being able to qualify for a home mortgage. Of course, the rate changes if loan is delayed for any reason. So before applying, track rates from several different mortgage companies. Some home mortgage companies price aggressively one week and then pull out of the market the next.
When you meet with the home mortgage company you should have some information with you. The initial meeting with the home mortgage company will usually begin with an interview where the mortgage lender will ask you some questions and discuss your loan. Be sure to have some documentation with you to verify income and debt. Those questions will give the mortgage company agent a general idea if you would qualify for a mortgage and in what range. However, to pre-qualify for a home mortgage and be sure of the amount, you will have to fill out a mortgage application for the home mortgage company. If you have gone to that meeting prepared, it is possible that you can fill out your mortgage application completely at that time. Either way, by the end of the meeting you have a general idea of the fact that you qualify for a mortgage and around how much you will qualify for. After the application is reviewed you should have definite answers within days.
