Each year, millions of individuals make the decision to buy a new home. If you are interested in becoming one of those individuals, it is likely that you will have to obtain a mortgage. A mortgage is a loan that will allow you to purchase the home of your dreams. When it comes to obtaining a mortgage, there are many individuals who are misinformed. This misinformation is often centered on when you should apply for a mortgage.There are many individuals who believe that they should not apply for a mortgage until after they find a home that they are interested in buying. This is untrue and it may even end up being a costly mistake. That mistake could prevent you from purchasing the home that you desire. Instead of waiting until you find a home, you are encouraged to apply for a mortgage as soon as you decide that you want to purchase a new home. Applying for a mortgage before you have found a home to buy is often referred to as a pre-approved mortgage. Pre-approved mortgages are offered by online lenders, local banks, and mortgage lenders all around the world. By taking your credit score and financial situation into consideration, a lender will approve you for set amount of money. In a way, this will make shopping for a new home easier. If you are only approved for one hundred thousand dollars, you will know not to bother examining homes that are more than you can afford. There once was a time where pre-approved mortgages only offered benefits to those looking to buy a home. Now, they are also offering benefits to real estate agents. These benefits include saving time and money. As more and more lenders offer pre-approved mortgages, you may find that many real estate agents require them before offering you assistance. This is something that many new home buyers are largely unaware of.If you are interested in buying a new home, it is likely that you will seek the assistance of a real estate agent. Real estate agents spend a large amount of time showing their clients homes that are for sale. This time often results in loss of money for real estate agents, especially if a home is not purchased. There are a large number of real estate agents who are trying to save money by eliminating clients that are not serious about buying a home. To many real estate agents, being pre-approved for a mortgage means that you are serious about buying a new home.As previously mentioned, pre-approved mortgages are offered by a wide range of financial lenders. If you are interested in obtaining a pre-approved mortgage, you are encouraged to get started right away. As with all other loans, you will find that it may take some time for you to be approved for a mortgage, even a pre-approved one. Your credit history and current financial situation will all need to be closely examined. The sooner you get started on your mortgage application, the sooner you can begin shopping for the home of your dreams.