Do I need to be pre-approved?

[Kyle Keller]

I would like to make an offer on a house but I am not pre-approved for a loan. I don't want to get pre-approved for a loan because I don't know if I will be buying a house soon or not, I just want to be able to watch the market and see if there is anything I can snag.

Do I need to be pre-approved for a loan in order to make an offer? If that offer gets accepted, should I be worried about not getting approved in time? (I have good credit, low DTI, and steady job)

Any thoughts are welcome, thank you.