Reader Question: I want to start looking for a home, but several people suggested agents won’t take me seriously without a pre-approval letter. I understand the pre-approval must be updated every 30 days, and a credit check hurts my credit score. How do I avoid being punished for planning ahead and beginning my search far […]

A mortgage loan pre-approval from a lender has gained more importance in real estate transactions than ever before. Mortgage lending has been affected the past several years with a heightened level of regulation in an attempt to prevent the types of abuses they believe created the real estate meltdown that began around 2008. Appraisal restrictions, […]