When is an approval really an approval? When is an approval only a conditional approval? Below are the different levels of “loan approval” you can get for a mortgage:
1. Pre-Qualification:
This is done before you make an offer on a home. This is only a loan officer analysis, and supporting financial documents are not required. This is a review of the applicant’s income and debts using standard methods of determining housing and debt ratios to indicate the maximum loan amount for which an applicant would qualify, subject to the satisfactory appraisal, further verifications of income, employment and credit history. This is the lowest form of analysis you can have done.
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I have discussed this topic before, but it bears mention again. Homebuyers almost always wait until the last second to get pre-approved. Why? If you know you are interested in buying a home, and if you are in fact actively looking, why wait? Homebuyers seem to think the pre-approval process is instantaneous, but it is not. It is not even quick and it certainly is not easy. 
Most humans I know wait to do things, and wait as long as they can. I did it as a child when it came to cleaning up my room, I did it in college when it came to studying for an exam, and I do it as an adult when it comes to going to see the dentist. The only things that I do not procrastinate on are things that are really important, like getting pre-approved for a mortgage. Now that is important! That should be done right away. 
