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Note to Homebuyers: A Solid Pre-Approval Letter is Key

Learn how a pre-approval can be helpful during the homebuying process.

Note to Homebuyers A Solid Pre Approval Letter is Key

With many homes drawing multiple offers within a few days or even just hours after hitting the market, real estate agents are advising would-be buyers to nail down a solid mortgage loan pre-approval before they start looking.

“Pre-approval is extremely important in a competitive market,” said Alexis Ruzell, with Realty Executives Integrity on the North Shore. “And it’s important to know what kind of pre-approval you are getting. Are you getting one the bank will stand behind?”

 There is a big difference between “pre-qualification” and pre-approval.  Pre-qualification is typically something you can get without anybody actually checking your credit and reviewing your income versus your debts. It’s a ballpark estimate of your buying power. Pre-approval is based on verification of income, assets and credit.

 


With a solid pre-approval, you can make an offer with the confidence that, if it fits the parameters of the pre-approval we’ve given you, you’ll be able to get the mortgage.”

Getting pre-approved doesn’t have to be time-consuming, he added, noting that visitors to the North Shore Bank website can obtain a pre-approval letter 24 hours a day. The bank’s data processing system instantly verifies information submitted by the applicant, pulls credit scores from third-party databases, determines if you qualify for the loan amount submitted, and generates a pre-approval letter for that amount – in other words, exactly the same steps that would occur with an in-person application.

“There’s no waiting time when it comes to making an offer,” said Ruzell. “You need to come to the table with your financing arrangements in order.” 

 

FAQs

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Already enrolled in Online Bill Pay? Follow these steps to start using Zelle®:
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Bill Discovery will automatically connect you with your eligible bills by searching the biller database and if you consent, your credit bureau data. Once the bills are located, you can add them to your list of bills in one click. Bill Discovery greatly reduces the time it takes to set up Bill Pay and reduces the chance of manual input errors.

Bill Discovery will continually search for new bills and alert you if new bills have been found.

Bill Discovery is available in both Online Banking and the Mobile App.

The following are screenshots of how you can set up and use this feature.

You first must consent to have your bills be found through the biller database and your credit bureau data. If you wish to have your credit data used, it is a soft inquiry and your credit score will not be impacted.

 

Once you provide consent and click Find My Bills, you will be presented with a page of potential payees.

 

If biller(s) require additional verification upon selecting the biller, you will be provided with the additional verification fields.  If the biller does not require any verification then you can add those directly by clicking the Add button.

 

If you are not yet using Bill Discovery, you may see the following banner ad to begin using the feature.

 

After initial entry into Bill Discovery, new billers found among billers from the biller network or in your credit report will appear in the top, right area of your window.  When clicking “Get My Bills”, you will be walked through the process of adding your bills in the same manner as the initial setup.

 

Yes, you can easily schedule an appointment at any of our offices or with one of our Mortgage Loan Officers through our online scheduling tool.

My Card Manager shows the most recent 50 debit card transactions posted within the last 30 days. Additional history can be viewed within the Accounts menu.

Sometimes a merchant will pre-authorize the card for an amount that may be more than the spend limit you allow on the card. In this case, your card will be denied.