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Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

Hello,

I was wondering if any companies would pre qualify you for a mortgage without a hard pull?  I would like to purchase a home early next year and I would like to know how much i qualify for.  The result makes a difference in where I would purchase a home but I do not want any hard pulls on my credit right now since its very early on.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance!

Message 1 of 8
7 REPLIES 7
NC_Mtg_Loaner
Valued Contributor

Re: Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

Well, it isn't rocket science, and even though one 'hard pull' inquiry from an experienced and/or licensed loan originator would be worth its weight in gold (not to mention that your score would easily recover from any 'dings' it would take from a hard inquiry) you can simply calculate this on your own.

 

Try this rough estimate on for size....

 

First, what is your gross monthly income?

 

then,  divide it in half or multiply it by .45 to determine your total 'back end' qualification 'load'.

 

Then, subtract all liabilities that report to all 3 Bureaus to obtain your total monthly housing payment for which you qualify.  (PITIMI)

 

 

__________________________________________________

Licensed NC Mortgage Loan Originator
Message 2 of 8
19eighty5
Senior Contributor

Re: Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

There's a company by the name of Better Mortgage that will prequal without a hard pull. However, I wouldn't use this type of prequal for more than a litmus test as to what you may qualify for when ready to fully commit and buy.

FICO 8 (Feb 2018):EX- 519, TU- 530, EQ- 545
FICO 8 (Sept 2022):EX- 706, TU- 685, EQ- 684
What's in my wallet:


Message 3 of 8
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

Just pull your scores here and ask lenders what the rate would be: even better ask to see their tier sheet which gets updated daily or even more frequently.

You cannot lock a rate in without a pull so it can change, but it generally is not hard if you can quote your middle score, your DTI, and your LTV (I.e how much money you are putting down vs financing). That is basically all that is required to get a good estimate for a rate.

Also I would note that if you execute all the pulls in a 14 day window there is no additional FICO penalty beyond the first pull and that has a 30D Grace period too.

Basically it isn’t a big deal



        
Message 4 of 8
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

SoFi will do a pre-qual without a hard pull. Ownup will also do it and they’ll call and talk to you about your options.
Message 5 of 8
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

Disclaimer: I'm a licensed Loan Officer (NMLS ID 1662211)  (Mod cut-this would be considered advertising here on myFico and its prohibited)- Most lenders and Loan Officers will want to pull your credit in order to evaluate the following: 

1. Identify your total monthly debt and calculate your total DTI ratio. This is important because not all debts are required to be reported as debts when qualifying for a loan. For example, if you're 6 months from paying off a car loan, that monthly payment doesn't have be included in the DTI ratio calculation. If you can provide a recent credit report from a reputable source like a myFICO report - a good loan officer can give you a general idea of what you might qualify for. But keep in mind Loan Officers and lenders want you to allow them to pull your credit as a sign of your commitment to purchase a home. Most people who aren't ready to purchase won't want the hit on their credit. Also, credit reports aren't cheap to pull. Some lenders will charge you to pull your credit. 

 

2. Check your credit score to see which loan programs fit you best. Most lenders will use your middle score from the three credit bureaus as the primary score to qualify you. If you're married, whomever has the lowest high score, they'll use their middle credit score for the pre-qual.

 

Typically, a score of a 640-679 will qualify you for a conventional loan, however the interest rate may be higher due to your lower score and credit risk. The ideal credit score of 680+ will get you a pretty good to stellar rate. Anything under a 640-540 is an FHA loan. There aren't many lenders that will go as low as 540, but they're out there.

 

One thing to keep in mind when you ask to get pre-qual'd for a loan without a hard pull, they can't guarantee what you'll qualify for. They're making an educated approximation based on the facts you've presented them. Many Loan Officers and Lenders tend to shy away from using credit scores verbally told to them because most consumers think their credit is better than it actually is. Don't get too upset if what they first told you is completely different than after they've pulled the credit. There are just so many factors to take into consideration, so without a good look your financial situation they can't be sure.

 

I suggest future home buyers start preparing at least 1 year before they purchase a home.

 

Here's a quick checklist to gauge whether it's the right time to pull credit. 
1. Start 1 Year before you're wanting to buy a house. Get a credit health check by getting your myFICO score. 

2. Don't plan any big purchases this year. Don't APPLY for or OPEN any new credit cards or loans. NO NEW CARS. 

3. Start paying down your cards. Notice I didn't say PAY OFF, I said pay down. Which leads me to my next point. 

4. Start saving for a down payment. You don't need 20% down for a house most of the time. But you will need money down. (Unless you're a Veteran. Ask your Loan Officer/Lender about VA Loans.) There are loan programs that allow you to purchase a home with 3% down. Again, just ask your lender/loan officer about them. I know some of you are gonna say paying for mortgage insurance is bad or a waste of money. But it really isn't. You should consider that large lump sum of money you just handed over as a down payment... Generally, most people don't plan on staying in their first home longer than 5 years. So it doesn't make sense to dump all that cash into your house. Have your LO crunch the numbers to see if it makes sense to save money on that down payment and keep that extra cash in your pocket for investing/rainy days. Or if it's better to put down the full down payment to get you into your forever home.  

5. Be completely honest about what you want out of your loan. Everyone's financial fingerprint is different and everyone has different goals. Just be upfront about what your finacial goals are for the next 5 years and they can help you decide what the best path is for you. If they don't offer to partner with you find the best solution go somewhere else.

6. Ask questions. If they don't try find answers to your questions or really bad about following up -  RUN LIKE FOREST GUMP and KEEP RUNNING! You're gonna have a bad time during the entirety of the loan process. 
7. If after 6 months, you have a few thousand in the bank and your credit scores are looking good, get a hard pull pre-qual. The hard pull won't hurt your score because you've followed This will provide you the hard fast guidelines you'll need to follow for the next 6 months to get the best loan for you.  

 

A few final tips:

When you're shopping for a loan, I suggest you go with a mortgage broker or your credit union. In MOST cases, a broker is going to be able to get you the best loan based on your personal financial profile and goals. Brokers are able to shop around for several lenders with a single credit pull. A credit pull is good for 120 days, and you have 90 days to find a home and 30 days to close.

 

It's not always about the interest rate. 

You should ask what the total cost of loan is. There are lender fees and origination fees, and a bunch of other fees that some banks and lenders charge consumers for and some lenders that don't. (Mod cut-this also is inappropriate advertising here on myFico) Be wary of small boutique lenders and big banks. I'm not saying they're all bad. Just watch out for those fees. It could cost you or save you a few thousand dollars. 

And finally, NOT ALL BANKS AND LENDERS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Find someone who is willing to partner with you on this new and exciting adventure. 

I hope this helps. 

Message 6 of 8
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?

If I ever decide to move to TX (which I would love to do) I may hunt you down!

Thank you for providing this information.

Message 7 of 8
VALoanMaster
Valued Contributor

Re: Mortgage Pre Qualify without Hard Pull?


@Anonymous wrote:

Hello,

I was wondering if any companies would pre qualify you for a mortgage without a hard pull?  I would like to purchase a home early next year and I would like to know how much i qualify for.  The result makes a difference in where I would purchase a home but I do not want any hard pulls on my credit right now since its very early on.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance!


HI Amy83181,

 

Don't worry so much about what a lender says, figure out what you're comfortable paying first. You do not want to be house rich & cash poor.

If you have credit challenges, now would be a good time to have an experienced lender pull your credit so they can come up with a plan of action to improve your scores. 

 

Another reason to have a pre-approval done this way right now is because you could meet the minimum credit score requirement for a loan & still not be eligible due to something in your credit history. With a hard pull, a lender can run your application & credit report through an automated underwriting system to determine whether or not you qualify. We can't do that with a soft pull.

 

You also need to know whether or not a soft pull will include all 3 credit bureaus. In most cases, they only pull from 1. This is a big problem because creditors don't always report to all 3 bureaus so a lender can't get an accurate picture of your credit unless they see all 3 bureaus.

 

One more reason to consider an actual pre-approval is this. We will calculate your income. If you're self employed, earn commission, over time or bonus, there are certain things we have to do in order to count them as income.

If you receive alimony or child support, we have to document that it will continue for at least the next 3 years in order to count it.

 

If you're still dead set on not having a hard pull right now, you can still find a lender to simply run numbers for you to see where you stand or you can follow the advice from 

 

 

 

VA Mortgage Expert. Mortgage Banker lending in All 50 States.
VA, FHA, USDA. Jumbo, Conventional.
CAIVRS Expert.
Message 8 of 8
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