Answers by Becky Roenspie

I can't think of one reason why this would affect your loan. I am not in your state but that seems very strange. Unless your agent is worried about you depositing money into your account, you have to explain that to your lender sometimes. Talk to your lender about it instead of your agent. The lender would be happy to talk to you about it.

Yes, a seller can ask you to get pre-qualified or pre-approved with their preferred lender. It doesn’t mean you have to use that lender for the actual loan, but sellers sometimes want that extra layer of confidence before they take their home off the market, especially if it’s a unique property or a more complicated deal. I’ve asked buyers to do this myself in certain situations. Most of the time, it’s just a soft credit check, so your score won’t take a hit, though the lender will still want to see documents like bank statements and paystubs. Bottom line: it’s allowed, and it happens before an offer is even accepted. It’s mainly about giving the seller peace of mind that you can actually close.