Back to resourcesGuide

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage in Utah.

A pre-approval is a lender's written conditional commitment to lend you up to a specific amount. It tells sellers your offer is real, and it tells you exactly what you can afford before you fall in love with a house. Below is what actually goes into one — written for buyers across Utah, from Cedar City and St. George to Salt Lake City, Provo, Park City, and Heber.

Credit

  • Most conventional loans want a 620+ FICO; FHA can go down to 580 (and sometimes 500 with 10% down).
  • Better scores unlock better pricing — every 20-point band can move your rate and PMI.
  • Avoid opening new credit, co-signing, or running up cards in the 90 days before you apply.

Income & Employment

  • Lenders typically want a 2-year history in the same line of work — job changes within the same field are fine.
  • W-2 income is calculated from base, overtime, bonus, and commission averages.
  • Self-employed borrowers are usually qualified off 2 years of tax returns (net income after write-offs).

Down Payment & Assets

  • Conventional: as little as 3% down. FHA: 3.5%. VA & USDA: 0% down for eligible buyers.
  • Plan on 2–5% of the purchase price for closing costs on top of your down payment.
  • Funds need to be 'sourced and seasoned' — in your account for 60 days, or documented gift letters.

Debt-to-Income (DTI)

  • DTI = monthly debt payments ÷ gross monthly income. Most programs cap total DTI around 43–50%.
  • Student loans, car payments, minimum credit card payments, and the new mortgage all count.
  • Paying off a small balance or two can sometimes unlock a much larger purchase price.

Job History

  • A consistent 2-year work history is the standard, but recent grads and career changers can still qualify.
  • Gaps over 30 days need a short letter of explanation.
  • 1099 / contract income generally needs a 2-year track record before it counts.

Documents to have ready

  • Last 2 years of W-2s (or 1099s / tax returns if self-employed)
  • Most recent 30 days of pay stubs
  • Last 2 months of bank, retirement, and investment statements
  • Photo ID and Social Security number
  • For VA: Certificate of Eligibility (Joey can help pull this)

Serving home buyers across Utah

Garrett Mortgage is licensed throughout the state of Utah and writes pre-approvals for buyers in just about every market — with deep local knowledge of Iron, Washington, Beaver, Salt Lake, Utah, Summit, and Wasatch counties.

  • Pre-approvals for Cedar City, Utah
  • Pre-approvals for St. George, Utah
  • Pre-approvals for Parowan, Utah
  • Pre-approvals for Beaver, Utah
  • Pre-approvals for Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Pre-approvals for Provo, Utah
  • Pre-approvals for Park City, Utah
  • Pre-approvals for Heber, Utah

Whether you're buying your first home in Cedar City, moving up in St. George, relocating to Provo or Salt Lake City, or picking up a second home in Park City or Heber, the pre-approval process is the same — and Joey can usually turn one around within one business day.

Ready to get pre-approved?

Joey will pull your file, run the numbers, and tell you exactly where you stand — usually within one business day.

Start with Joey