One of the first steps in buying a home is getting pre-approved for a mortgage. This process starts with either a meeting or a phone call with a licensed loan officer, who will require some information from you. He or she will check your credit scores, verify your employment and income, check your tax records and bank statements, and require you to fill out a loan application. Once they have all the documentation they need, they will begin the approval process, which will usually take a couple of weeks to a month, depending on the complexity of your financial history.