Here are some helpful tips that could save you time, money and stress when purchasing a home.

Plan ahead.
Consult with one of our lending advisors to help prepare you for the process. Let us review your credit and financial information to help you make informed decisions. Decide on a monthly payment that you can afford that conforms to your budget. Use our online mortgage calculator to help you with this.

Decide what type of home is important to you.
How long will you live there? Do you have or plan to have children? What is the quality of the school system? How long is your daily commute?

Get pre-qualified
It is important to get pre-qualified so that you know that you will qualify for a certain amount. Pre-approvals help in the negotiating process. You can get pre-qualified online or by consulting with one of our lending advisors.

Start looking.
Once you are pre-qualified and have decided what type of home is important to you, then it will be a good time to start to look.

Make an offer.
A real estate agent, appraiser, or other various third parties can assist you in assessing the fair market value of a home. It is always easier to go up than down.

Choose your loan program.
Because each situation is unique and requires individual attention, consult with a lending advisor to help you determine the program right for you.

The "Do Nots"

Do not quit your job. We must verify your employment.

Do not make any major purchases. Adding to your debt can reduce your credit score and raise your debt to income ratio, thus making it harder to get approved.

Do not move money around without consulting with your lending advisor first. All shifts in assets must be documented.

Before making any major financial decisions, please consult with a lending advisor to see if will impact your approval.