Definition of "Pre-Approval"

Tammy Cannon real estate agent

Written by

Tammy Cannonelite badge icon

JP & Associates

A lender commitment to make a mortgage loan to a specified borrower, prior to the identification of the property that will be mortgaged. On a pre-approval, unlike a pre-qualification, the lender verifies the financial information provided and checks the credit of the potential borrower. Prospective homebuyers seek pre-approvals because they believe it helps them in shopping for a house. Lenders offer pre-approvals in the hope that the homebuyers receiving them will come back to them for a loan after they contract to purchase. The lender's commitment under a pre-approval is usually expressed in terms of the monthly mortgage payment that the prospective buyer has the income to meet. Converting the mortgage payment into a loan amount requires an assumption regarding the interest rate, which is not known at the time of the pre-approval. Since the lender is not committed to an interest rate, an increase in rates could reduce the approved loan amount.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Mortgage Terms

A lender who offers mortgage loans directly to the public. ...

A payment made after the grace period stipulated in the note, usually 10-15 days. ...

A condominium project with features that lenders view as favorable in terms of their risk exposure on loans secured by individual condo units. The requirements of warrantability include ...

A charge imposed by the lender if the borrower pays off the loan early. The charge is usually expressed as a percent of the loan balance at the time of prepayment or a specified number of ...

The ratio of total housing expense to borrower income. This ratio is used (along with other factors) in qualifying borrowers. ...

A documentation rule where the borrower discloses income and its source but the lender does not verify the amount. ...

A lender that holds the loans it originates in its portfolio rather than selling them. ...

A particular combination of loan, borrower, property, and transaction characteristics that lenders use in setting prices and underwriting requirements. ...

A lender who delivers loans to another (usually larger) lender against prior price commitments the larger lender has made to the correspondent. Mortgage brokers sometimes evolve into ...

Popular Mortgage Questions