What Is Pre-approval?
Getting approved for a loan prior to your home search is a smart move that offers several advantages. It gives you a benchmark for how much you can afford, helping you narrow down your home search from the start. It also allows you to be taken more seriously in the bidding stage, which can help tremendously in your negotiations, especially when dealing with distressed properties.
Getting preapproved is simply a matter of your lender checking your financial situation and writing a letter stating that it would be willing to lend you a certain amount of money.
You'll need to assemble several documents to start the preapproval process:
• Federal tax returns for the last two years.
• W2s (or 1099 statements) for the last two years.
• Bank statements for the last two months.
• Recent pay stubs and proof of any other income.
• Proof of assets (stocks, mutual funds).
• Information about your current debts.
• Information about the source of your down payment, including gifts.
TIP
Don't open new credit card accounts or take on any new debt for at least six months (and even up to a year) before shopping for a mortgage
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Community Updates
"Turn-Over" Thermocline
Referred to locally as the lake turning over the thermocline is a feature of lakes with deep water. The water on the top of the lake changes temperature much more variably during the year. On West Lake, it can reach as much as 75 degrees in July while the water below, greater than 35 or 40 feet deep is relatively stable around 45 degrees. In the fall and early winter, the top strata of the lake will cool to below 45 degrees, and then because it becomes denser, it will "sink" below the lower strata, thus, displacing it and making the lake "turn-over". In the deepest part of West Lake (near the 136ft mark), no light is availble, and hence little life is known whether fish or plant. Typically questions are raised as to why the surface water gets dirty for a short period of time in the fall, this this is the standard answer.
"The Tressle"
"The Tressle" bridge used to carry the old railroad that traversed the area. Now the tressle is home to some of the areas best fishing. Served as a hot spot for fisherman, and a trail for walkers and bikers, the tressle is a classic structure of the Okobojis. We spent days jumping off of the tressle doing cannonballs, preachers, flips and the like. I know in my life my friends and I have caught literally tens of thousands of crappie and blue gill off the tressle bridge.
The Market Scratch Kitchen
New to Okoboji is The Market Scratch Kitchen. They proudly offer salads, sandwiches and grab 'n go options made with fresh ingredients and prepared daily. Ask about the 'Vacation Mom' meals featuring nutritious and nourishing take-and-bake dishes ready to serve you and your Okoboji vacation family. The community is excited for a healthy food option choice in our area!
