Hearing the term "pre-approved" might perk up the ears of a borrower wishing to purchase a new home, but there are some fairly similar types of approvals that may become confusing for anyone who is new to the process of buying a new home and applying for a Florida home mortgage. Being "prequalified" is usually a marketing ploy by lenders to entice a potential borrower to put in an application where as being "pre-approved" carries more weight and usually means that a borrower can go to a real estate agent and make much more specific requests regarding what homes he wants to see.