Whether you’re self-employed or applying for an FHA or USDA loan, here’s the pre-approval paperwork you need.
If you’re serious about buying a home, getting pre-approved for a mortgage is a critical step. It’s also a tedious one. Lenders seem to want a mountain of documents and have so many requirements.
Yet the payoff is worth it. Most agents recommend mortgage pre-approval because it strengthens your offer. Sellers like to know the buyer already has financing secured.
Plus, you’re going to need that same hefty stack of paperwork for your official mortgage application once you’ve got a contract on a home, so you’re really knocking out two tasks at once.
To help, we’ve created a documents checklist for each type of mortgage pre-approval. Warning: Some lists are longer than others:
Conventional Loan | FHA Loan | Buying an Investment Property | If You’re Self-Employed | VA Loan | USDA Loan | Job-Based Incentive Loan