Pre-Qualified Finance
Taking the Stress Out of Home Financing
Financing a New Home
When looking for a new home to buy, getting a pre-approval letter from a lender can mean a lot less stress and can make the whole process run a lot smoother. Nobody wants to fall in love with their dream home only to find out they are not in a position to buy it.
Getting pre-qualified and pre-approved will put you in the best possible position to secure the home of your dreams.
Let’s see how it’s done...
Pre-Qualification
Pre-qualification is one of the first steps for potential home buyers to take. It gives you an approximation of what loan amount you may be able to obtain. No credit checks or detailed financial assessments are generally needed for this, just a simple phone call with one of our lenders is often all that is required.
Pre-qualification is an estimate of the size of the mortgage loan you would qualify for, based on the information provided. This is a great place to start as it gives buyers a ball-park figure of what they can afford.
Armed with this information, and when you’re ready to start looking for a home to buy, the next step would be to get pre-approved finance from your lender.
When you’re ready to get the ball rolling with your home loan application, our trusted lending partners are here to help you get started. With as little as 3.5% down, Goldwater Bank, SouthState Bank or MIDFLORIDA Credit Unit can help you own your dream home sooner.
Apply online at Goldwater Bank
Apply online at SouthState Bank
Apply online at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union
Pre-Approval
Getting your loan finance pre-approved is where a lender conducts a series of credit checks and collects detailed financial and employment information from you in order to make an accurate and informed decision about how much they are willing to loan you. Once this process is complete, they will issue you with a letter stating the pre-approval amount.
The pre-approval process can be time-consuming and a little intimidating, but it has enormous benefits when buying a new home and is well worth the effort. Most importantly, having pre-approved finance in place demonstrates to prospective agents and sellers that you are a serious buyer, and this puts you at a distinct advantage when making an offer to buy a home.
It’s important to distinguish the difference here between pre-qualification and pre-approval. Pre-qualification gives you a rough idea of the loan amount you may be qualified to take out, but having pre-approval in place can be your ticket to opening the doors to your dream home.
From Renting to Buying
Deciding to move from renting to buying a home is a position a lot of people would like to see themselves in. The feeling of having a home to call your own is a deeply satisfying and rewarding experience for a lot of people. Not only does it provide a great sense of security, but it also represents a solid financial investment. Renters often find out a mortgage payment is generally less than their current rental payment.
People who prefer to rent often relax in the freedom of leaving all the responsibility of mortgage repayments and ownership of a home to other people. The advantage of this freedom is often more important than the commitment of a large long-term loan. However, owning your own home can provide significant benefits that renters may not be aware of.
Benefits of Owning Your Own Home
- It’s your home, and anything can be done with it, including painting the walls, changing the flooring, or deciding to put in a new kitchen or bathroom.
- No need to ask your landlord to hang up a picture or make any minor changes to the house.
- Buying your own home is an investment that will most likely appreciate in value over time.
- Homeowners can deduct the mortgage interest and property taxes when they file their tax returns.
- Depending on loan terms, there is usually the ability to fix all or part of your interest, giving you a consistent repayment amount rather than being at risk of the rent going up each year.
- With each monthly payment the principal loan amount reduces while your equity increases rather than all of your payment going to a landlord.
Getting Started
To make things clearer and easier, here are the basic steps that can help you navigate the path to new home ownership with a whole lot less stress.
1. Determine how much you can roughly afford (this is called getting “pre-qualified”).
2. Get “pre-approved” financing from a lender (this is an official letter stating a specific maximum amount that lender is willing to loan you under their conditions).
3. Start house hunting with confidence (the fun part!).
4. Find an experienced and quality realtor in your buying area (to help you find and purchase the home of your dreams).
5. Visit open homes and model homes.
6. Submit an offer (your “pre-approval” letter will put you at a distinct advantage here).
7. Get a home inspection (property and home condition report).
8. Get a home appraisal (the estimated market value of your home).
9. (Re)negotiate around required home repairs or conditions if needed.
10. Close the sale – Settlement of the home – congratulations!
Starting Your Loan Application
When you’re ready to get the ball rolling with your home loan application, our trusted lending partners are here to help you get started. With as little as 3.5% down, Goldwater Bank, SouthState Bank, or MIDFLORIDA Credit Union can help you own your dream home sooner.