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Pre-approval checklist

You may want to get pre-approved if you’ve already defined your price range, have a real estate agent and are currently shopping for homes. A pre-approval is only good for 90 days and it will show as an inquiry on your credit report, so don’t apply for pre-approval until you’re ready to start making offers. Here's what you'll need to get pre-approved.

Your residential address for the past two years, along with your landlord names and addresses for the past two years.

Bank account statements from the most recent months for all checking and savings accounts.

Other asset statements from the past two months for any CDs, IRAs, stocks, bonds or other securities you intend to use for your down payment.

Current real estate holdings, including property address, current market value, mortgage lender's name and address, loan account number, balance and monthly payment.

W-2 or I-9 forms (issued by your employer) for the past two years.

Paycheck stubs from the last 30 days showing your year-to-date earnings.

A list of any new monthly debts not listed on your credit report (auto loans, student loans, mortgage loans, credit card, etc) including creditor name, address, account number, minimum monthly payment amount and outstanding balance on each account.

Additional documents may be required at your mortgage closing. Your real estate agent and mortgage loan officer will let you know which documents will be needed when you close on your new home and they'll work closely with you at each step of the mortgage loan process..