A mortgage pre-approval certificate states the maximum amount of money a lender is willing to loan you, based on your current income and credit history. It will specify a term, interest rate and mortgage amount. The pre-approval will be valid for a period of time and may have conditions that must be met. Why get pre-approved? It will save you time in the long-run; you will only look at the homes you can afford. You will have a reference point to decide on an offer for a house. You... [read more]