[LIDRENA B]

for a mortgage? i'm a first time buyer looking to buy my first home in long island new york. but first i would like to get pre-approved for a mortgage first . how do i go about seeing what bank will approve me and what im pre approved for?

[Emoly]

Go to the bank you use and ask to talk to a loan officer. You give them info about your income, debts, and assets. They will be able to help you apply for a loan, and if you qualify they will pre-approve you for a certain amount. Don't just stop there, though. Use lendingtree.com to see what kind of banks/lenders would be interesting in lending to you. Stop around banks in your area and ask to apply. It'll cost $50 or more per application, usually- but you really want to shop around before you decide on a particular mortgage. Get a pre-approval letter from every bank that approves you, and you can take it to show the realtors so they'll know you're serious and not jerking them around.