Pre-Approval/Qualified questions

Hi
MY FH and I are going to start looking for a home in the next month or two. We have already planned out how much we can afford to spend on the home, how much downpayment we can afford, etc. So that is all squared away.

But what now? Before we start looking I was told to pre apply for a mortgage. Where do I do this? Can I go to my normal bank to do this? What if I get pre-approved there, but find a cheaper rate somewhere else...do I need to stay with whoever pre-approved me?

Also what is the difference between pre-approval and pre-qualifying?

Sorry so many questions...but I dont know where to start this process so we can get our

Pre-Qualify is a stupid thing... where you just punch in your salaries and debt into any calculator and they tell you how much you can afford to borrow. Its really a useless tool to a seller... its just for your own information.

Pre-Approval is when you actually apply for the mortgage... send them all your docs... bank statements... etc. Thats what you want to do. Shop around at different banks for a good interest rate.