You can save yourself a good bit of time by figuring
out up front how much mortgage you can afford,
especially if you're a first-time home buyer. As a
general rule, a lender will want your monthly
mortgage payment to total no more than 29% of your
monthly gross income.Even more important, prospective buyers should consider getting prequalified or preapproved before they begin house hunting. What's the difference between prequalification and pre-approval?
Prequalification (good)
The mortgage lender reviews your income, assets, and liabilities to determine an appropriate loan amount. With prequalification prior to beginning the home search, you'll narrow your search to those properties in your price range. This service is often provided free by mortgage lenders.
Preapproval (best)
The mortgage lender reviews your credit and commits to a specific loan amount. Although you will usually have to pay some basic fee for this service, the process will likely lead to increased buying power by making you ready to present an offer.
