By decreasing the inventory of homes to those that fit your parameters, you can allot more time to thinking about all the little nuances each home has to offer. Many of first-time home buyers never move past the price point when sorting out their preferences, but now you can devote your energies to looking at the little things that matter the most to you such as whether your SUV will easily pass through the overhead space in the garage or smash into the microbeam.
Now when you find that perfect home, nobody can take it away from you by telling you that you do not qualify to buy it. You can minimize anxiety and remove last-minute loan surprises that could disqualify you. You’ll sleep better at night knowing that the home you selected is yours. Moreover, you can tell your relatives and friends that the home you made an offer is definitely going to close and you will not “lose face” with anybody.
Sellers will be more likely to immediately accept your offer, even if that offer is for less than list price, because you are giving the seller peace of mind that her home is sold. She can take her home off the market and place it into pending status with confidence that the buyer is qualified to obtain a loan. Although the property still needs to qualify, for a seller, having the knowledge that the buyer can close is enormous. It will give your offer more credibility.
Because there is no window period while your loan application is processed, the lender can speed up the entire processing procedure. Appraisals can be ordered immediately. It’s possible under certain circumstances to shorten a 30-day closing to two or three weeks, which comes in handy if a seller needs to quickly move and can’t decide which offer to accept. Your purchase offer will undoubtedly move to the front if you can accomplish the seller’s need to quickly close.
Because mortgage approval is generally the longest contingency to satisfy in a purchase contract, it is to your advantage to obtain a preapproval letter as soon as you’re ready to begin your search. Lenders will render a decision based on your complete loan application, reviewing bank accounts and other assets, employment verification and the data collected from three credit reports.