You keep hearing the same advice: get pre-approved first. So you've been holding off on reaching out. You figure a call means asking for a letter, and you're not at that point. You just have a question or two.
Those are two different things. You can have one without the other.
A letter is a document. A conversation isn't.
A pre-approval letter is something you hold. It shows a seller or an agent that you're ready to make an offer.
A conversation is how you find out whether you're anywhere near making an offer. Does the price range you have in mind make sense? What would the payment look like? Those are fair things to ask with no letter in the picture.
Where you are decides what you need
If an offer is months away, or you aren't sure you'll make one, a conversation is the right size. Nobody needs a letter to think out loud.
If you're touring homes and an offer could come soon, a letter may be worth asking about. That's a step you choose, and you can bring it up when it's real.
If you're refinancing, there's no seller and no offer to back up. The letter probably isn't part of this at all.
You don't have to sort yourself into a group first
Maybe you can't tell which of those fits you. That's fine. "I'm not sure yet" is a complete way to start. Saying where you are and asking what you'd like to know is enough. Whether a letter belongs can come up later.
If you'd like numbers first
Try the mortgage calculator. It gives you a scenario to react to. It doesn't start a letter, and it doesn't commit you to one.
One thing to do
If you have a question, use Get In Touch and tell Jeff what you're trying to figure out. If you want to ask about a letter, say so. If you don't, say that too. Either way, the message is the same: here's where I am.