Looking for a home loan? If you are, here are a few tips that can save you a lot of time.

When you decide on a lender, the lender will want you to provide several different things to complete the loan. First, they will want the social security number of you and your spouse. They'll want to see copies of your checking and savings accounts for several months. Call and ask how many months you need to provide. If you have other assets, provide documentary proof of ownership. For example, you may own stocks and bonds. Provide them with recent paycheck stubs as proof of your earnings. They'll want to see a list of current loans you have and the amounts of monthly payments on them. Most financial institutions will also want two years of Federal Income Tax filings, and the name and address of your employer so they can verify employment.

If you assemble all of this information before you meet with the lender, you can save yourself a lot of time.

When looking for a home loan, the best path to take is to compare loans from different sites. And by all means contact your local financial institutions. Often the best deals are not on the net but down the street.