Pre-qualification is an informal estimate of how much you might be able to borrow, usually based on basic info you provide.

Pre-approval is more official: the lender verifies your income, credit, and assets, and gives you a conditional commitment. Sellers tend to prefer buyers with pre-approval because it shows you’re serious and ready.

Get pre-approved now!

Think of it as creating a financial snapshot for your lender, being organized upfront can speed up the process.

If you're purchasing, you’ll want to have:

1. Latest 2 months bank statements (ALL PAGES) with balance sufficient to

cover down payment and closing costs.

2. Latest 1 month paystubs

3. Latest mortgage statements on all of your properties

4. HELOC statements if applicable

5. Current insurance statement on all of your properties

6. If W-2 employee: last year federal tax return and W-2

7. If self-employed, 2 years federal income tax return AND 2 years business

tax returns (if own 25% or more in the company).

For refinancing:
1. Latest 2 months bank statements (ALL PAGES)

2. Latest 1 month paystubs

3. Latest mortgage statements on all of your properties

4. Current insurance statement on all of your properties

5. If W-2 employee: last year federal tax return and W-2

6. If self-employed, 2 years federal income tax return AND 2 years business tax

returns (if own 25% or more in the company).

You don’t always need 20%! Depending on the loan type, you could put as little as 3% down, and in some cases, even zero. We’ll walk you through your options so you’re not stretching yourself too thin.

Not at all. While higher scores can get you better rates, there are plenty of loan programs for buyers with less-than-perfect credit. We’ll help you find the right fit for your situation.

Get a credit report.

Yes! It just takes a little extra documentation to show your income. We’ve helped many self-employed buyers make it happen.

The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the total cost of borrowing, expressed as a yearly percentage. Unlike your interest rate—which is just the cost of the loan itself—APR also includes certain fees and charges, giving you a more complete picture of what you’ll actually pay over the life of your mortgage.

Think of it this way:

Interest rate = the price tag on the loan.
APR = the price tag + the extra costs to get the loan.

What’s Included in APR?

APR factors in many of the up-front and ongoing costs of a mortgage, these are built into the APR, such as:

-Discount points and origination fees

-Loan processing and underwriting fees

-Document preparation fees

-Private mortgage insurance (PMI) if required

-Certain escrow-related costs

-Prepaid interest (interest paid from your closing date to month’s end)

What’s Not Included in APR

Not all fees make it into the APR. Costs like:

-Title or abstract fees

-Attorney fees (if applicable)

-Home inspection fees

-Recording fees and transfer taxes

-Credit report fees

-Appraisal fees

These are usually paid to third parties, not the lender, so they’re not part of the APR.

On a conventional mortgage, when your down payment is less than 20% of the purchase price of the home mortgage lenders usually require you get Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) to protect them in case you default on your mortgage. Sometimes you may need to pay up to 1-year’s worth of PMI premiums at closing which can cost several hundred dollars. The best way to avoid this extra expense is to make a 20% down payment, or ask about other loan program options.