Buyers

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, an investor, or looking to buy a second home, buying a home is a complex and often stressful undertaking. Given the array of factors to consider, the home buying journey can be rather overwhelming, so working closely with a fantastic real estate agent is so important. Brad Alewine will guide you through the buying process, supporting you each step of the way. Here is the home buying process you can expect to go through when working with Brad:

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Step 1: Evaluating Your Goals

You and Brad will discuss your specific criteria regarding the area you wish to live in, the type of home and amenities you desire, and every aspect needed to find your perfect home. Once you’ve discussed your objective, Brad will utilize current market research, comps, and regional knowledge to help you find the right property.

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Step 2: Finding a Lender

Brad will help you find a lender, providing you with a list of reputable options. A loan consultant is another resource worth exploring to help you determine a loan amount and provide a pre-approval letter. The pre-approval process helps you figure out a home price you can afford, with the standard recommendation being to purchase a home that costs three to five times your annual household income with a 20% down payment.

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Step 3: Viewing and Finding the Perfect Home

Brad will utilize his experience and professional network to research available properties that fit your preferences, including off-market listings. Once a collection of homes is compiled, showings will begin based on your established criteria. If you have difficulty finding a home, you will sit down with Brad to re-evaluate your needs. The more descriptive and precise you are, the more successful your home search will be. Stay on top of this, and you’re more likely to find the ideal home you’ve been envisioning.

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Step 4: Composing a Compelling Offer

Once your eyes are set on a property, Brad will do all necessary research to help you put together a compelling offer. You will sit down together to write the purchase agreement, with Brad advising you on protective contingencies, customary practices, and local regulations.

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Step 5: Presenting Your Offer

After composing an offer, Brad will present it to the seller or seller’s agent. The seller/seller’s agent will either: accept, reject, or counter your offer. Brad will negotiate strongly on your behalf, doing his best to get you into your dream home.

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Step 6: Responding to the Seller

Once a seller responds, Brad will review it with you. If the seller counters your offer, you can either accept, reject, or counter it. Note that cosmetic upgrades or other repairs can be worked into the offer at this point.

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Step 7: Opening Your Escrow

When the purchase agreement has been accepted and signed by all involved parties, Brad will open escrow for you. At this point, your initial deposit will be given to the title company — a neutral third party that receives, holds, and distributes all funds associated with the transaction.

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Step 8: Removing Contingencies

All contingencies listed in the Purchase Agreement must be met prior to closing. Brad will coordinate the removal of these contingencies and review all associated documents with you. Typical contingencies might include:

  • Home inspections
  • Loan approval, including a property appraisal
  • Approval of the seller’s transfer disclosure statement and initial title report
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Step 9: Closing Escrow

Once all the purchase agreement conditions are met, you will sign all loan documents and closing papers. You’ll deposit your down payment and closing costs to escrow, and your lender will deposit the balance of the purchase price. The deed will then be recorded at the County Recorder’s office, and you can begin moving into your new home!

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

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Our Testimonials

See why our clients love working with us.

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Spencer W.

Brad and his team are a must when looking to sell, or buy a home in the Victoria Woods area in Riverside. Brad’s extensive knowledge of the area made the process of selling our home such an enjoyable experience. He and his tea...
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Michael M.

I highly recommend Brad and his team! Brad's local knowledge and insight were essential to my family and I being able to find and close a home in Riverside this past year. Simultaneous with our home search, he also was able to ...
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Wald M.

We worked with Jeremy to help us sell our old home and buy a new one in the area. He was extremely knowledgeable and attentive. This is a professional that listened and was able to identify what we needed extremely quickly. As ...
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Dolly B.

Gary is the best and I trust him without reservation. In 2012, Gary shepherded us through a house search and purchase, which was no easy task due to both the unprecedented amount of paperwork resulting from the market crash and...
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Andrew & Autumn C.

We want to personally thank you for everything you have done for our family. Purchasing a home is a huge undertaking and doing it as a first-time buyer can be very confusing and stressful. Once you started as our agent the conf...
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Mary Lee N.

I have finally found a moment to say thank you for your outstanding help with the purchase of my new home in the Huntington Beach Landmark community. Your guidance and knowledge made the process much easier for me. You are a co...
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Carla Y.

Jeremy Hubacek is without a doubt, the hardest working Realtor® I have ever come in contact with. We put our property on the market, and within one week, We had a buyer. He went above and beyond his duties as a Realtor®, and I ...
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Buyer | Seller

Brad has been our Real Estate expert for approximately eight years, with four completed transactions involved, some of which include So Cal's most recent and painful recession were obtaining a home loan was protracted and nearl...
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Nhi N.

I was looking to purchase a home and wasn't sure where to start. Jeremy helped me get pre-approved so I had a realistic budget before looking at a few homes. He helped narrow down some homes for me to look at and really helped ...
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Sumaya C.

From the very beginning, Jeremy was on top of everything. Between connecting me with a financial department and also asking me what my expectations were he hit the ground running to make sure I was on my way to finding my perfe...
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Buyer

Jeremy made our home buying experience a breeze. He is extremely responsive and available at all times which made it easy to ask questions when they arose. Jeremy listens to your requirements, does the research on the home and ...
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Buyer & Seller

We bought and sold the same home with Brad Alewine off of Overlook in the Whitegate area. Brad is hands down the best Realtor® in Riverside. Extremely knowledgeable of the Riverside Market and the Real Estate industry. He is hi...
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Adrian V.

Jeremy was such a great Realtor® to work with. We truly appreciated his guidance, expertise, and patience as we navigated the whole process together. As a first-time homebuyer, in such a competitive market, he helped our offer ...
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Camin R.

Jeremy went way beyond what could be expected. He helped me deal with a number of difficult situations with professionalism and kindness. He is honest and works hard to help his clients. I would only use him for future transact...
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Matlin

Jeremy is a great Realtor® he is very knowledgeable he always responds in a timely manner and always has your interest at heart I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a great Realtor®.
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Kensington W.

Jeremy is professional, prompt, and personable. Quickly responded and followed up on all questions and concerns, thus making the transaction seamless. Would definitely recommend his services to others.
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Rush H.

I have known Brad for dozens of years and find him to be the most knowledgeable and honest person in Real Estate. If you don’t list with Brad, you are not receiving the best representation.
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Nancy Z.

Best Realtor® in Town. He is honest and has integrity. He is always professional and takes great care of his clients.
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