Getting a Mortgage
Sound advice can help you get the most house for your money.
Maybe you need to know how much you can spend before you start shopping for a home. Maybe you’ve spotted the perfect place and need to know whether you can afford it. What type of mortgage will best fit your needs? With Greenman Properties and our trusted mortgage partners, you will get the answers you need.
Our pre-approval services help you look good to a home seller, and when you’re ready to buy, we’re known for a streamlined application process and securing fast approvals.
Use our handy Mortgage Calculator
Q : Is it a good idea to get pre-approved?
We often tell first-time home buyers that it's critical to apply for a loan before shopping for a home, as this is an essential first step. But do you know that it's far better to be pre-approved for a loan than to be prequalified? There are more advantages to gaining pre-approval than you would initially surmise. When a lender hands a borrower a "pre-approval letter", it means the borrower can save time by checking out homes you can actually afford to buy instead of falling in love with ones you just can't get into. Then you can allot more time to thinking about all the little nuances each home has to offer. Lots of home buyers never move past the price point when sorting out their preferences, but now you can devote your energies to looking at the little things that matter to you most!
Pre-approval can also better your negotiating ability. How? Sellers are more likely to immediately accept your offer, even if that offer is for less than list price, because you are giving the seller peace of mind that her home is sold. She can take her home off the market and place it into pending status with confidence.
Q : Is closing faster with pre-approval?
Because there is no window period while your loan application is processed, the lender can speed up the entire processing procedure. Appraisals can be ordered immediately. It's possible to shorten a 30-day closing to two or three weeks, which comes in handy if a seller needs to quickly move and can't decide which offer to accept. Yours will move to the front if you can accomplish the seller's need to quickly close. Because mortgage approval is generally the longest contingency to satisfy in a purchase contract, it is to your advantage to obtain a "pre-approval" letter as soon as you are ready to begin a home search. Lenders will render a decision based on your complete loan application, employment verification and data from all three credit reports. ~ Barbara Greenman


