Everything you need to know about getting pre-approved for a Florida mortgage — documents, timeline, and what lenders look for.
Written by Renzo Johnson, Licensed MLO · NMLS #PENDING · Last updated: February 2026
- Pre-approval vs pre-qualification: pre-approval is verified, pre-qual is estimated
- Documents needed: 2 years tax returns, 2 months paystubs, 2 months bank statements
- Lender pulls credit (hard inquiry — plan to have all lenders pull within 14-day window)
- Pre-approval letter valid for 60-90 days typically
- You’ll learn: maximum loan amount, estimated rate, monthly payment range
- In competitive FL markets, sellers may not consider offers without pre-approval
- Multiple pre-approvals are OK — rate shopping within 14 days counts as one inquiry
- Pre-approval is not a guarantee — final approval depends on property and verification