HGTV's David Bromstad Shares The One Thing You Should Never Skip When House Hunting

If you're considering buying a home, you've probably found many important tips for first-time home buyers on the internet. From the key things to look for at an open house to negotiating strategies, there is a world of information to help you out. But David Bromstad, HGTV star and host of "My Lottery Dream Home," has one piece of advice that stands out above the rest: before you even start the search for your dream home, get pre-approved. Bromstad, who always gives excellent budget-friendly home buying advice, ensures this step is a non-negotiable. 

Pre-approval letters have been vital in today's competitively cut-throat market just to have your offer taken seriously. Even in 2025 — where buyers are starting to regain some leverage— having that letter ready to go can make or break landing your dream home. In an interview with The List, Bromstad said, "if you're house hunting and you're not [pre-approved], and you find a house that you love the market right now is so chaotic. You're not going to have time and you're not getting that house."

A pre-approval isn't just a piece of paper. It's your first step toward confident home buying. Following Bromstad's advice could mean the difference between losing your dream home and walking in ready to make an offer the seller can't refuse. 

If you're not sure why HGTV star, David Bromstad wants you to get pre-approval before looking at homes, you're not alone. Many people walk into the home buying process clueless about pre-approval, and may not realize that pre-qualification and pre-approval mean two different things. Pre-qualification is a quick process that gives you a ballpark number, however, it is not as accurate as pre-approval. Pre-approval takes longer to obtain and is still required even if you've been pre-qualified. Bromstad told Realtor.com, "Make sure you're pre-approved [for a mortgage] before you look. Because if you're not, and you find your dream house, most likely that house is going to be in a bidding war and the pre-approval takes time. So you will lose that house, and then you'll feel like you've lost your soul."

Besides making you look better to sellers, a pre-approval will open your eyes to what you can realistically afford. You can do all of the math you want in your head and think a certain monthly payment is manageable, but as Bromstad said to Realtor.com, "Houses are not for the weary. You might think, 'Oh, I'm paying this much in rent,' but with a house, you need insurance, and if something breaks, you fix it." The pre-approval will help you prepare and keep you from becoming "house poor" in the future.

A big myth about pre-approvals? That you're guaranteed a loan once pre-approved. Not true. A pre-approval is more like the lender giving you the green light to start shopping, but it's not exactly a done deal. Final approval is dependent on factors like sudden changes in financial situations, the home's appraisal coming in at or greater than the purchase price, and the lengthy and tedious underwriting process that confirms all of your financial documents.

Once you've found the perfect home, the pre-approval David Bromstad urges everyone to get can also help with a speedy closing process, which often eats up a lot of time. Since your financial documents have already been reviewed, a big chunk of the heavy lifting is out of the way. If there are no other concerns and you didn't go and buy yourself a brand new car, the underwriting process should go fairly smoothly.

There's so much power in walking into an open house with pre-approval. It shows sellers and their agents you've come financially prepared, making your offer one of the more reliable ones. In Bromstad's interview with The List, he offers one last piece of home-buying advice, "Just make sure that you love it ... it's going to be the biggest purchase you make in your life."