Is money needed at the time you apply for a mortgage?

My wife and I are planning on buying a home in the next few months.  Ideally, we would like to get into a contract or close by April 30th for the tax refund.

My question… Do we need to have all the money at the time we apply?  i.e. money for the down payment, closing costs, escrow, etc.  And specifically for an FHA loan.

We are in the process of paying off all our debt to help our credit.  By the end of the month, we should only have one relevant balance.  However, it means we are spending most of our savings.

I was thinking we could apply for a loan in early March to get the process started.  If we closed or enter a contract by mid April, we’ll have the money.  After this month, the vast majority (ballpark 70-80%) of our income will be pure savings.  I won’t rush into buying a home, but at the same time, would love a $8k check.

Thanks all.