Frozen in pre-approval limbo

[Ken Wheeler]

Newbie out of state investor here and hopefully my question makes sense (still learning terminology). After you get pre-approved with a lender, how long are you 'stuck' before you can pull the plug and look in another area for property using a different lender? I spent about four months doing my homework in a market prior to getting pre-approved. Now, about six weeks into my 'serious-ready-to-buy-search' it's looking like slim pickin's isn't going to change any time soon. I don't want to jump into another market and try to get pre-approved due to the hit on my credit score. Are there other options besides "you're stuck for 90 days"?