Yes. A pre-approval letter is exactly your green light to go shop. A pre-approval means a lender has reviewed your income, assets, and credit and told you what you can borrow. You don't need to carry the letter to showings. It does two jobs: - Your budget. You tour homes in a price range you can actually finance instead of falling for one you can't. - Your offer. Your agent will want confirmation you're genuinely pre-approved before writing, and the letter (often updated to match the specific offer price) goes in with the offer so the seller takes it seriously. Two practical notes. Keep the pre-approval current, since letters are dated and your finances and credit can change. And avoid big financial moves like new debt or large unexplained deposits between pre-approval and closing. But to the core question: pre-approval in hand means go find the house.