The short answer
A preapproval is a lender's conditional review of your credit, income, and assets. Gathering documents in advance and avoiding new debt during the process are the two most helpful things you can do.
Reviewed by Jennifer Reich, Branch Manager, NMLS 162239 · Last reviewed October 16, 2026
Documents to gather
Most borrowers will be asked for:
- Pay stubs covering the most recent 30 days
- W-2s for the last two years, or tax returns if self-employed
- Two months of bank and investment statements
- Photo ID
- Information about any other properties you own
Protect your preapproval
Between preapproval and closing, check with Jennifer before you:
- Open new credit cards or finance a car
- Change jobs
- Move large sums of money between accounts
- Co-sign for someone else
Share documents securely
Use Jennifer's secure application and document-upload portal — never email or a website contact form — for sensitive documents.