While it used to be the trend to find a desirable home and then get approved, today’s North Fl real estate market has proven this to be one of the least effective methods in landing your dream home. Getting a pre-approved mortgage may be one of the best moves you will make when looking to buy a home. Many lenders can pre-qualify you for a mortgage over the phone based on questions about your income, debt, assets, and credit history. Based on this information, lenders can estimate how much mortgage you qualify for. Pre-approved and pre-qualified are different things. Pre-qualified means you have applied for the mortgage, filled out the application, received your credit report, and verified your employment, assets, etc. Pre-approval means you know exactly what the maximum loan amount will be when looking for you Jacksonville home.