At what point during the home buying process should I speak to a lender?

Talking to your lender first can save you the time and frustration of finding a house that you can’t afford. By speaking to a lender early in your home buying process, you can find out what you can afford in a house and get prequalified and preapproved. Your lender can also help answer questions about the steps you can take to improve credit or increase savings in order to be better prepared for home ownership.