Being "pre-qualified" is usually a reference to having a preliminary clearance to obtain a mortgage loan. Sometimes it's called "pre-approval," but by whatever name, it precedes final approval. There are hoops to jump through in the loan application process, beginning with a chat with your friendly loan person. That always should be your first step when you are thinking about buying real estate.

I tell my customers: Don't look at homes or land for sale until you have at least been pre-qualified by a lender. Ask the lender for a written statement. It will be conditioned on your meeting certain requirements, but it will give a seller some assurance that you have the ability to buy his or her property.

Pre-qualification tells you your price range. Why waste time looking at properties you can't afford? If you have been pre-qualified for a loan of $100,000, there's no reason to look at houses priced at $200,000.

There's another kind of pre-qualification that's very important as well: motivation. On your list of priorities, how high is buying a house? If you are both financially and mentally ready to buy a house now, then you are pre-qualified. If one element is lacking, you are not ready to buy.

Money and motivation: Make sure you have both.

When your real estate agent can see that you are ready, he or she will go all out to help you reach your goal of home ownership. After all, your agent is also motivated. There's a commission check waiting at the end of the process, but to get there may require a large investment of time, energy and expertise by the agent.

We REALTORS get paid, not so much for what we do, but for what we know how to do. A big part of what we do in many cases is "put out fires." We save deals that might otherwise go down the tubes. Again, we are motivated by the financial reward that awaits us. If our buyer and seller are equally motivated, we all will be rewarded at the closing table.

If you are a first-time buyer, and want to get started on the right foot to buy a home of your own, please call me. Let's chat. I have no "sales pitch," and there are no "dumb questions." I'll try to put myself in your place, and give you my best advice. Till then, best wishes.