Should I get pre-qualified now or later?

[Ryan Moore]

I'm having a helluva time trying to get a few of the lenders that I have spoken to tell me how much exactly I can look to borrow for a conventional loan on a new residential multifamily purchase.  All I want to know is that I can borrow 'X' amount of dollars so that I can plan a strategy for when I start to look for property.  I've given tax returns, that included both regular W2 and my current rental's numbers.  Is this really a hard thing to ask?  Do I need to go through the process of getting pre-qualified to hear that exact amount?