When and how should we start the process of getting pre-approved for a mortgage?

My boyfriend and I are looking to buy a house either the end of 2009 or early 2010.


When should we get pre-approved for a mortgage and how exactly do we do that?When and how should we start the process of getting pre-approved for a mortgage?
I would say closer to the end of the year, when you are ready to start looking at homes. This will also give you an idea of what price range you can look in. Don't listen to the person above me who mentioned about you not being married. If the two of you are serious about buying a home together and your relationship is on stable ground, being married has little relevance. Even marriages can ';break up.'; Don't let that remark discourage you. From now until you are ready to start house hunting: save, save, save! You will need a down payment (3.5% for FHA, 20% for most other loans) and you will also want about 6 months worth of your mortgage payment in savings (in case you would become ill, lose your job, etc.) Good luck!When and how should we start the process of getting pre-approved for a mortgage?
It's to early for you to do that. When? when you have saved money for a down payment and have extra cash in the bank for repairs to a home. It's complicated buying a home without being married, if you're ready to take that step, then you should be married as well to avoid all the problems that you will have if you buy together and then break up! Owning a home requires more than just making the payments, you have to be ready to replace the AC or roof if needed or make other repairs as they come up! If you don't have a down payment or cash to back you up, then you aren't even close to thinking about buying a home!
Contact a bank about getting a preapproval letter. If you have someone that knows a good lender you might ask them for names/numbers. My buyer's agent helped us find a good lender. Call them up, they'll ask for your personal information so they can get a credit report on you.





You shouldn't need to get a preapproval until you're close to making an offer on a house. But it doesn't hurt to ask for one now so you can see how much you can afford to spend on a home. You'll just have to call and get it updated as you get closer to actually offering on a house.





Good luck!
Get pre-approved as close to the date you will want to buy as possible. Getting pre-approved even 2 months before, makes the pre-approval irrelevent. Contact a lender to get pre-approved.
take your last 3 years tax returns to several banks...
go to a bank and have them pre approve you
go to a bank