PreApprov

Education-only · Not a lender

Get ready for mortgage pre-approval — before you talk to a lender.

Pre-approval goes smoothly when your documents are organized, your budget is real, and your credit is ready. PreApprov walks you through all three, step by step.

Start the document checklist   Estimate what you can afford

Education only, not financial advice. PreApprov publishes general educational information about the mortgage pre-approval process. We are not a lender, broker, or financial advisor, and nothing here is an offer of credit, a rate quote, or personal advice. For decisions about your situation, work with a licensed mortgage professional.

Everything you need, in order

Step 1

Document Checklist

Exactly what lenders typically ask for — pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, ID — as an interactive tracker that saves your progress.

Open the checklist →

Step 2

Affordability Calculator

Plug in a home price and see a realistic monthly payment — taxes, insurance, HOA, and PMI included — plus a debt-to-income sanity check.

Run the numbers →

Step 3

Pre-Approval vs Pre-Qualification

They sound alike, they aren't. Learn which one sellers take seriously and why the difference matters for your offer.

Read the explainer →

Step 4

Credit Readiness Guide

What to do — and what to avoid — in the 60–90 days before you apply: hard pulls, utilization, disputes, and new accounts.

Get your credit ready →

Step 5

Timeline Planner

A week-by-week plan from "thinking about it" to "documents ready and credit clean" — a realistic 8-week path to pre-approval readiness.

See the timeline →

Why this site exists

Prepared buyers close faster

The biggest delays in pre-approval come from missing documents and last-minute credit surprises — both preventable. This site exists to prevent them.

Start with documents →

How pre-approval works, in 60 seconds

  1. You gather documents — income, assets, debts, and identity. Our checklist covers what lenders typically request.
  2. You estimate your budget — not just the listing price, the full monthly payment. Our calculator shows the real number.
  3. You get your credit ready — small moves 60–90 days out can change the picture. See the guide.
  4. You apply with a lender — a licensed mortgage professional reviews your file and issues a pre-approval letter stating how much you can borrow.

We cover steps 1–3. Step 4 happens with a lender of your choice — PreApprov never takes applications, never quotes rates, and never sees your personal financial data. Everything on this site runs in your browser.