Buyer Pre-approval

I love showing buyers homes. They are usually so excited to get out and see homes that they may moving into. Kind of like car-shopping and that new car smell...there is just something about it. Then they find a home they want, get really excited, talk to their mortgage person, and wait...what's this...they find something on their credit they didn't know was there and that balloon that was inflating has just popped. I always have buyers talk to a lender first and have them know their credit situation. The lender should go over what they can afford, different options and what are the expected payments. This should be done before a buyer ever looks at a home. This sets all the criteria for a Buyer's agent because now we know what the price limits are, how to right the contract, and how serious the buyer is. Buyer pre-approval is the absolute first step.