Timing for purchasing our retirement home

[davisgang90]

I'm retiring from the Navy mid-June of next year.  We plan to move from DC to Roanoke, VA and buy a house.  Our hope is that we will find and buy the house and be able to move in right after my retirement.  We are renting and our lease is up end of June.

We've been haunting Zillow.com, getting smart on the market and know which neighborhoods we want to live in. 

My question is two-fold:  When should we get pre-approved for a mortgage (VA most likely); and when should we plan to actually sign a contract on a house to meet our timeline?

I know pre-approvals are usually good for 60-90 days. 

Thanks for the help!

[CareCPA]

I would expect closing to take 2 months from the time you have an approved offer. They changed some of the bank rules and paperwork in the last couple years that just make it drag on forever. I don't know if the VA is any different - maybe someone can speak specifically to that.

[NoNonsenseLandlord]

Definitely get pre-approved.  Look for a preforeclosure of you can.  Find it on your own, if you can.