Mortgage preapproval is a conversation with a lender about your income, debts, credit, and the kind of house you want to buy. A strong letter can make an offer easier for a seller to read. It is not a closing, and it can change if your job, your debt, or the property changes.
Do this before you spend a Saturday in houses you cannot buy. Tell the lender whether you are looking at a single-family house, a condo, a townhome, or a property with acreage and outbuildings. Those details change the file. Ask what documents they need and what the letter will and will not say.
William recommends Lori Meaney at PrimeLending for buyers who want that conversation. Her public identity is on lorigetsyouhome.com: Production Manager, NMLS #1132235. You may choose another lender. William does not take the loan application, quote a rate, or require her services in exchange for showing homes.
Bring the lender’s questions back to the house search. A payment that only works in a spreadsheet is not a house you should tour ten times. Continue with the first-time buyer page or contact William when you are ready to look at properties.