Don't be frightened off by putting together home buying paperwork. It's not nearly as bad as you might surmise.

But it's a good idea to begin collecting the required paperwork and documents before you start house hunting. This way, you'll have all your ducks in a row and know exactly how much of a loan the lender will give you. Lenders can make preliminary judgments about a buyer's qualifications, but to get a solid preapproval, you will need to submit the required paperwork.

The very first thing you should do is pull a copy of your credit report. You don't need to inspect each credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies, either. Just one will suffice. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year. So, the smart way to do it is to obtain a copy from one agency, wait four months and get a copy of your report from another, and so on. That way you can get an updated credit report every four months, instead of collecting all three at once. . . . read more about Home Buying Paperwork.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub, click below:

• Don't Fall Victim to Trigger Leads
  
• The Best Time to Lock a Loan
  
• How Much Home Can You Afford?

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