Zillow offers valuable advice about the importance of getting Pre Approved for a real estate transaction. Recently, I have worked with buyers that did not know how to get a Pre Approval. Unless a buyer has 100% of their purchase money on hand, then a lender will be needed to purchase a  property.  By forming a good relationship with a lender, a buyer's options, choices and opportunities will grow!  Be smart by getting a jump on the buying game by knowing what you can afford before you find that dream property.

 There are many reasons why you should get pre-approved. The most important reason is that you will get an accurate idea of how much home you can afford. This can help to target your home search and ensure you only look at houses that are truly in your price range. A pre-approval letter also helps you prove to real estate agentsand sellers that you’re a credible buyer and able to act fast when you find the home you want to buy. Some sellers might even require buyers to submit a pre-approval letter with their offers, though having a pre-approval letter does not guarantee that your offer will be accepted by a seller. A pre-approval letter can make you stand out in a competitive real estate market. If you make an offer on a house without a pre-approval, your offer may not be taken as seriously as an offer from another person with a pre-approval.

Reference

Author Unknown, Zillow, "How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage" (2016).  Retrieved on 11/13/2015 from online source, http://www.zillow.com/mortgage-learning/pre-approval/.