First time home buyer

[Aun Haider]

So I'm in the process of getting a mortgage in Phoenix for my first home purchase. My question is that do I need to go through a lending company for a pre-approval or can I go directly to a bank for the pre-approval?

If I go through a lending company, will they only provide the pre-approval or will they also provide the mortgage loan? Also, are there two separate credit checks at the time of pre-approval and getting the mortgage?