The wise buyer gets pre-approved for a home. Most people confuse it with pre-qualifying for a loan. When you are pre-qualified for a loan you are just finding out how much home you can afford. Pre-approval is where the money is actually set aside for you. Now you are like a cash buyer when you go to buy a home. That means you can pick up those distressed bargains that are out there and it opens up a whole world of opportunity that most people never get to have.