A. Technically, YES, you can go look at homes before you speak with a lender. However, this is not recommended. Before going to visit homes, you want to understand first whether you can qualify for a loan, and if you can, how much you qualify for. Why would you want to spend time looking at homes that are outside of your price range, only to later become disappointed when you want to make an offer and the lender tells you that you do not qualify?
Moreover, you only want to look at homes when you are ready, willing and able to do so. In my opinion you may be willing, but if you are not pre-approved and if you do not understand the financial side of this process, you ARE DEFINITELY NOT ABLE OR READY. This is the biggest purchase of your life. Take the time to remove the unknown! Understand the numbers. And once you do, the fear and anxiety will be gone, and you can make clear headed decisions.