we have said it before but in our current real estate climate, it definitely is important to keep repeating... pre-approval is key this year for buyers! pre-approval is one of the factors that can help give you a competitive edge when you make an offer on a house. In this seller-driven market, you need to be ready to write an offer immediately and time is of the essence. you need to know how much home you are pre-approved to purchase and understand the monthly payments based on home purchase price BEFORE you start looking.