By the end of this guide you will know how to get a mortgage pre approval without hard pull, using a soft credit check through Duane Buziak, so you can shop Glen Allen, Short Pump, and Henrico homes with a real budget and no score damage. Before starting, gather recent pay stubs, two years of W-2s or tax returns, two months of bank statements, and a photo ID.
By Duane Buziak, NMLS #1110647 (Coast2Coast Mortgage LLC, NMLS #376205)
- Step 1: Understand What a Soft Pull Pre Approval Can and Cannot Do
- Step 2: Gather the Documents That Make a Soft Pull Pre Approval Stick
- Step 3: Start Your No Touch Credit Review With Duane Buziak
- Step 4: Match Your Profile to a Loan Program
- Step 5: Run the Numbers With a Worked Dollar Example
- Step 6: Get Your Pre Approval Letter and Use It to Shop
- Step 7: Plan for the Hard Pull Once You Have a Contract
- Start Your Glen Allen Pre Approval Review Today
- Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1: Understand What a Soft Pull Pre Approval Can and Cannot Do
A hard inquiry is recorded on your credit report when you apply for credit and a creditor pulls your file to make a lending decision. A soft inquiry is visible only to you, and it does not factor into your score. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains how credit inquiries work in its Owning a Home resources, and it is worth a read before you start.
Duane Buziak starts buyers with his NoTouch Credit Pull, part of the Free No Touch Credit Services. It is an initial look at your credit profile that works as a no credit hit mortgage application, so you learn where you stand before anything is recorded against you.
Be clear about the limits. A soft-pull pre approval is a strong early read on your budget, but as of 2026 a hard pull is still generally required later, before final underwriting and closing. The goal is to delay and limit hard inquiries, not to skip them forever. A soft-pull result is also not a final approval, because underwriting verifies your income, assets, and credit in full.
Two terms get mixed up here. A pre-qualification is usually a quick estimate based on information you state. A pre approval involves a review of your credit and documents, which is why sellers take it more seriously.
One more myth: that every comparison costs you points. Scoring models generally treat multiple mortgage inquiries made within a short rate-shopping window as a single inquiry. The length of that window depends on the scoring model, and commonly cited figures run from 14 to 45 days, so confirm the current guidance on consumerfinance.gov instead of relying on a number from memory. Starting with a soft pull means you may never need to test that window at all.
Step 2: Gather the Documents That Make a Soft Pull Pre Approval Stick
The soft pull tells Duane Buziak about your credit. Your paperwork tells him whether the income and cash behind it can support a loan. Pull together the set that matches your situation, and use this full mortgage application document checklist if you want to double-check nothing is missing:
- W-2 employees: 30 days of recent pay stubs and two years of W-2s.
- Self-employed borrowers: two years of personal and business tax returns, plus a year-to-date profit and loss statement.
- VA borrowers: your Certificate of Eligibility. You can request it through VA.gov, or Duane Buziak can help you retrieve it.
- Everyone: a photo ID and two months of bank statements for every account you plan to use.
If family is helping with your down payment, you will also need a signed gift letter stating the amount, the donor, and that repayment is not expected. Large unexplained deposits are the most common reason a file stalls, so be ready to document anything that is not a regular paycheck.
The checklist does not change with the price point. A first-time buyer eyeing a townhome near West Broad Village brings the same core paperwork as a family shopping in Twin Hickory.
Mistake to avoid: from now until closing, do not open new cards, finance a car, or shuffle money between accounts. Each of those changes the numbers your pre approval is built on, and a new credit application would also create the very hard inquiry you are trying to delay.
Step 3: Start Your No Touch Credit Review With Duane Buziak
Call 804-212-8663 or stop by 4860 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23060, and tell Glen Allen Mortgage by Duane Buziak that you want a soft credit pull mortgage review first. That one sentence sets the sequence for everything that follows.
From the soft pull, Duane Buziak reviews your score range, open accounts, balances, late payments, and any collections. The site references Vantage Score 4.0, but how a scoring model is used differs by loan program, so ask Duane which score the program you are considering will rely on at underwriting, and read up on how VantageScore relates to mortgage approval. Do not assume the number you see in a free app is the one that counts.
The soft pull mortgage broker approach has a second advantage. Duane Buziak can shop hundreds of loan options at one time through his platform, so you compare programs and pricing without each one pulling your credit. Compare that with walking into several offices and signing several applications, where each hard inquiry is a decision you have to manage. For more on this, see how to do mortgage rate shopping without a credit hit.
Before you make the call, decide what you want the loan to do. Tell Duane which of these matters most:
- The lowest monthly payment.
- The smallest down payment.
- The fastest close.
That priority drives which program he runs first. A buyer who wants the smallest cash outlay is steered differently than one who wants the lowest long-term cost, and knowing your answer up front saves a round of back and forth.
Step 4: Match Your Profile to a Loan Program
With your credit picture in hand, Duane Buziak narrows the field. In broad strokes:
- Conventional: typically rewards stronger credit and larger down payments with better pricing.
- FHA: offers more flexibility on credit and down payment. See HUD.gov for program basics.
- VA: for eligible service members and veterans, with no down payment required in many cases. VA does not set a minimum credit score itself, but the investors behind each loan apply their own overlays, so confirm current requirements as of 2026 before assuming a score will work.
- Renovation loans: fold repair costs into the mortgage for fixer-uppers.
Loan size matters too. As of 2026, the baseline conforming loan limit, the maximum loan size eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is $832,750, and Henrico County falls under that baseline. Check the current figure on fhfa.gov. Most Glen Allen and Short Pump purchases sit well below it.
If down payment is your hurdle, ask about Virginia options administered through Virginia Housing. Programs and eligibility change, so confirm current details there instead of relying on a summary. If your credit score is the hurdle instead, read what your options are when credit is too low for approval.
The table below shows how the two pre approval paths differ, so you can see what you gain and give up by starting soft.
| Feature | Soft-Pull Pre Approval | Full Hard-Pull Pre Approval |
|---|---|---|
| Credit impact | None. Visible only to you | Hard inquiry recorded on your report |
| What it tells you | Credit standing, estimated budget, likely programs | Fuller underwriting review and firmer approval terms |
| How long it lasts | Set by the letter; ask for the expiration date | Set by the letter; ask for the expiration date |
| Best use | Early planning and home searching | Writing offers and moving to contract |
Step 5: Run the Numbers With a Worked Dollar Example
The following is an illustration, not a quote. Suppose you buy a $450,000 home in Short Pump with 5% down. Your down payment is $22,500, leaving a loan of $427,500.
For the rate, check the current average on Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey and note the date, because it changes weekly. For this example, assume 6.25% on a 30-year fixed loan. Your own rate depends on your credit, program, and market conditions on the day you lock.
- Monthly rate: 6.25% ÷ 12 = 0.5208%.
- Principal and interest on $427,500 at 6.25% over 360 months comes to about $2,632 a month.
Now compare two scenarios on the same house:
- 10% down: $45,000 down, a $405,000 loan, and about $2,494 a month. That is roughly $138 less.
- A 0.25-point lower rate (6.00%) on the $427,500 loan: about $2,563 a month, roughly $69 less.
To repeat this with your own numbers, run any standard mortgage payment formula with your loan amount, rate, and 360 months, or try one of these mortgage rate comparison tools.
Principal and interest are only part of the bill. Add:
- Property tax: verify the current Henrico real estate rate at henrico.us. If it were $0.87 per $100 of assessed value, a $450,000 home would owe about $3,915 a year, or $326 a month.
- Homeowners insurance: assume $1,800 a year, or $150 a month.
- Mortgage insurance: required on most loans under 20% down. At an assumed 0.5% annual rate on $427,500, that is about $178 a month. Here is what private mortgage insurance (PMI) is and how it works.
The total for the 5% down scenario lands near $3,286 a month. Set your comfortable budget from that all-in figure, not from the maximum approval amount.
Step 6: Get Your Pre Approval Letter and Use It to Shop
A solid letter states the loan amount, the loan program, and an expiration date. Duane Buziak can issue a letter based on the soft-pull review. Sellers and Realtors may weigh it differently than a fully underwritten approval, so ask your agent how it will be received in a competitive offer in your target neighborhood. If you want the full picture of the process, see how to apply for a mortgage pre-approval letter.
Then put it to work on real searches. Walk the streets near Crump Park, compare condos in Innsbrook, and look at homes in Lakeside and Tuckahoe. Set your price ceiling a little below the approved maximum. That cushion absorbs a rate shift, an insurance quote that runs high, or a tax bill that differs from your estimate.
If you do not have an agent yet, Duane Buziak can connect you with local Realtors who know these neighborhoods well. A good agent also tells you how much a letter like yours carries when several offers are on the table.
The common mistake is letting the letter lapse. Ask Duane for the validity period when he issues it, put the expiration date on your calendar, and ask for a refresh before it runs out. A refreshed letter reflects any change in your income, savings, or credit since the first review, and it keeps you from scrambling mid-negotiation.
Step 7: Plan for the Hard Pull Once You Have a Contract
The hard inquiry happens when you choose a loan and move into formal application and underwriting, usually once you are under contract. Waiting until then keeps it to one deliberate inquiry instead of several scattered ones along the way. For a deeper look, read Duane’s guide on how to avoid mortgage credit inquiries.
Between that pull and closing, protect your score:
- Avoid any new debt, including furniture financing for the new house.
- Keep card balances low.
- Leave old accounts open.
- Expect a credit refresh shortly before closing, and keep your income and employment stable until the keys are in your hand.
If the full pull changes your numbers, do not panic. Ask Duane Buziak for a quick plan. Depending on what changed, that might mean paying down a card, disputing an error directly with the credit bureau, or switching to a program that fits your updated profile. Because you started with a soft review, there should be few surprises, and any that appear are fixable while you still have time under the contract.
Duane Buziak’s site highlights fast close times, but ask him for a realistic timeline for your specific loan and property instead of assuming a number. Appraisals, title work, and your own document turnaround all affect the calendar, and how long mortgage approval takes varies from file to file.
Start Your Glen Allen Pre Approval Review Today
Call Duane Buziak at 804-212-8663 or visit Glen Allen Mortgage by Duane Buziak at 4860 Cox Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23060 to start a no hard inquiry mortgage pre approval review. Ready to experience stress-free mortgage approval with no credit hit and access to hundreds of loan options at once? Get your free mortgage consultation today and discover why Glen Allen families trust Duane Buziak for personalized guidance and the fastest close times in the area.
