Purchase Process: Obtaining Mortgage From Bank

[Riley Blake]

Hi, I'm new to the bigger pockets community. Eventually when I have saved up enough capital I would like to house hack a duplex with an FHA loan, but I'm a little confused on how the whole purchase process works. Generally, do you want to obtain the mortgage before you purchase the house? Do you get pre-approved with the bank for a mortgage up to a certain amount then go out and try to find a deal within that price range, or do you look for the house first then get the mortgage? It seems to me getting the mortgage first would make the most sense since the seller would be frustrated if you didn't have the money and someone else did.

-Riley Blake