If you’re starting to poke around listings in Columbus, Powell, Dublin, Westerville or Upper Arlington, you’ve probably been told, “Get pre-approved first.” Then some lender website offers you a “quick pre-qualification in 60 seconds.” Those are not the same thing. And in competitive pockets like New Albany, Lewis Center, Evans Farm, Delaware, and Worthington, picking the wrong one can cost you the house.

Let’s sort it out.

1. Pre-Qualification: The Casual, First-Date Version

Pre-qualification is basically a conversation with a lender, not a commitment.

Usually it’s:

• You giving rough numbers on income, debts, and assets

• The lender giving you a ballpark price range

• Often no documents, no credit pull, lots of “ifs” and “maybes”

Is it useless? No. It’s a decent first step if you’re just starting to think about buying in Columbus, Powell, Westerville, or Delaware and want to know, “Are we more like $300K… or $600K?”

But sellers in Dublin, Upper Arlington, New Albany, or Lewis Center won’t be impressed by a flimsy pre-qual letter. It’s you saying, “We might be able to do this,” not “We’re ready.”

2. Pre-Approval: The Real-Deal, “We’re Serious” Version

Pre-approval is where the lender actually verifies you:

• Pulls your credit

• Reviews pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns, bank statements

• Runs your file through automated underwriting

• Gives you a specific loan amount they’re prepared to lend (subject to the house appraising, etc.)

This is what you want in your back pocket when we’re writing offers in Dublin, Powell, Westerville, Evans Farm, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Lewis Center, or Delaware.

To a seller, a strong pre-approval says:

“These folks are legit. If we accept this offer, there’s a very good chance they can close.”

That’s the difference between getting taken seriously… and getting pushed behind buyers who did the work.

3. How It Changes Your Shopping Game in Central Ohio

With just a pre-qualification, you’re guessing:

• “I think we can go to $450K, but I’m not totally sure.”

• You don’t really know what that monthly payment looks like with Columbus-area taxes, insurance, and PMI baked in.

With a real pre-approval:

• We know your max, but more importantly your comfortable range.

• We can quickly sanity-check payments on homes in Dublin, Powell, Westerville, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Lewis Center, or Delaware without reinventing the wheel each time.

• When the right home hits in, say, Worthington or Evans Farm, we’re writing immediately, not scrambling for paperwork while someone else locks it up.

4. What Sellers and Listing Agents Are Actually Looking For

When I’m on the listing side, looking at offers on a nice place in Dublin, Powell, Westerville, or New Albany, I’m asking:

• Is this a full pre-approval, or a flimsy “pre-qual” letter?

• Which lender is it from—someone local and responsive, or a giant online call center?

• Does the letter match the offer price and look realistic given the buyer’s down payment?

A strong pre-approval can make your offer stand out even if you’re not the absolute highest price—especially on well-priced homes in hot areas like Upper Arlington, Lewis Center, and certain Columbus/Delaware neighborhoods.

5. How I Like My Buyers Set Up Before We Ever Tour a House

When we work together, my ideal setup before we start touring in Columbus, Powell, Dublin, Westerville, Evans Farm, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Lewis Center, Delaware, or Worthington looks like this:

• You’ve had a real conversation with a solid local lender (not just clicked a button).

• You’ve got a written pre-approval we can attach to offers.

• You understand your monthly comfort zone and how that changes by area (taxes matter).

• You feel clear on your down payment, closing costs, and cash cushion so nothing blindsides you.

That way, when the right home hits the market, you’re not “thinking about getting pre-approved.” You’re ready to move.

If you’re even thinking about buying in the next 6–12 months and you’re not sure whether you should pre-qualify, get fully pre-approved, or just talk through numbers first, that’s exactly where I come in.

[Contact Patrick Murphy, REALTOR® — Columbus, Powell & Dublin Expert]