One of the first things I urge my clients to do is to get their mortgage pre-approval in place before they fall in love with a home.

I’ve worked with buyers who thought they were pretty sure about what they could afford, couples who assumed their bank would just approve them later and hopeful first-timer buyers who didn’t want to think about numbers until they found their dream home.

I find myself explaining to them the pre-approval isn’t a hoop to jump through—it’s a shield, a roadmap and in many cases, a stress-buster.

Let me explain.

1. A pre-approval gives you a realistic budget, not a guess

Housing prices can move fast. A pre-approval pins down what you can comfortably and confidently afford today. That means no more........

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