Financing your purchase is one of the most important aspects of buying Real Estate.  A little bit of care and diligence in this area can save you several thousands of dollars in the long run.  These are the steps you should take when purchasing your home:

1. Get "PRE-QUALIFIED" - talk with your Mortgage Broker or Loans Officer and let them know you're planning to shop for a property.  They will most likely want to get some information from you about your finances so they can help you determine, in advance, how much you can afford.

2. Share this information with your Realtor. Make your Realtor part of your team (along with your Mortgage Specialist and your Home Inspector).  Once you and your Realtor have found a suitable property, write the offer "SUBJECT TO FINANCING".

3. Once you have an "Accepted Offer", contact your Mortgage Specialist and get final arrangements in place for your mortgage.  Once you have written confirmation on your financing, you and your Realtor can remove "subjects" and make your contract firm and binding.

....check out the following excellent web sites for lots of good information
(tell them Margie and Ken sent you !)

LOCAL BROKERS AND LOCAL MORTGAGE SPECIALISTS:

Mortgage Broker - Garibaldi Mortgage
Mobile Mortgage Specialist - Royal Bank
Mobile Mortgage Specialist - TD Canada Trust 
Mobile Mortgage Specialist - Scotia Bank