Courtney Keating/iStock If you're on the market for a mortgage, you probably know that lenders won't just shower you with money when you show up at their office with a smile and a heart-warming story about how you've found the perfect home. Nope, they want to know that if they give you a home loan, odds are good you'll pay them back. And that's where mortgage pre-approval comes in. In this third installment of our Stress-Free Guide to Getting a Mortgage, we'll illuminate all you need to know about this crucial stage and how to ace it without a hitch. What is mortgage pre-approval, anyway? Mortgage pre-approval is that step in the process where a lender probes deep into your financial past, checking out your income, debts, credit score, and other factors that help it determine whether or not to give you a home loan—and how much money you stand to get. And that helps you set your sights on the right price range for a home. "You need to know your buying power, " says Ray Rodriguez, New York City regional mortgage sales manager at TD Bank.
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