Joe DownsCEO & Co-Founder, Belrose Storage Group. Founder, Storage Moguls.

Get Pre Approved Before You Shop

14 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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Get pre-approved for a mortgage before you start looking at houses. It shows sellers you're serious, keeps you from overspending emotionally, and gives you access to off-market listings. Refresh your pre-approval every three to six months since rates and your finances change.

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So you need to get pre-approved before you start shopping. You don't want to fall in love with a deal you can't afford. Also, knowing your budget upfront prevents emotional overspending. So getting pre-approved signals to brokers that you're a serious, capable buyer, not just a tire kicker, and they just might prioritize you for off-market deals at that point. So you should always keep your file current by updating your pre-approval every 3 to 6 months. Because remember, financials age and rates change quickly, which will affect your approval amount.