Buyer's Guide - Alyssa Van Breene

South Bay

BUYER'S GUIDE

A LYSSA VA N B R E E N E REALTOR®

Real estate expertise with a lawyer’s eye, designer’s touch, and local heart.

DRE# 02112042 | M: 310.795.3992 | alyssa@vanbreene.com | vanbreene.com

Whether you’re buying your first home or upgrading to your dream home, my goal is to make the process seamless, fun, and stress-free.

I will support you through the process by: Providing real-time market insights Using my knowledge of on and off market listings to find homes that

My background as a family law and trust

meet your criteria

attorney shaped the way I help others

Sharing local expertise and tours of

handle complex financial and emotional

the area

decision making experiences.

Helping build your "buyer’s team" by

With expert guidance and a strategic approach, I will help you navigate every step of the process and achieve your real estate goals with confidence.

connecting you with trusted lenders, vendors, etc.

Strategizing with you to craft your best offer that is tailored to the home you want to buy

THE HOME BUYING PROCESS 01

Let’s Chat for a Minute

03

05

Confirm We’re the Right Fit

Submit an Offer and Negotiate

Our first step is a brief call to introduce ourselves. We’ll discuss your goals and how I can help you. We’ll set a time to go over the process in greater detail.

Now that you know what you can afford, we’ll sit down and go over the homebuying process in detail and answer any questions you have.

02

We’ll discuss your ideal home’s location and amenities.

What’s Your Budget?

I’ll also go over the Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation Agreement (BRBC) which outlines our relationship and my fee for representing you.

Before beginning your search, your first step is to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan (unless you will be paying the full price of your home in cash). I can connect you with lenders that will be the right fit for your needs and objectives. This may be a loan officer at a bank or a mortgage broker.

Based on your income and credit history, the lender will determine how much a bank will lend you, which will help determine the price range for your search.

The lender will provide you with a pre-approval letter, a necessary component to submit an offer. This will also give you the opportunity to see what your budget is based on what the bank can loan you versus what your budget is based on your monthly payment.

04 Time to Shop Based on our discussions, you will have a Compass Collection showcasing homes that match what you’re looking for. It will include exclusive Coming Soon and Off-Market properties only available to Compass agents.

We can communicate through the Collection, but I always recommend a text or phone call if something is really catching your eye.

Once you identify a home you love, I will help you craft an offer that will increase your chances of being chosen by the seller to purchase the home. An offer is an agreement to pay a certain price for the home, but there are many other components of the offer that can increase the likelihood of making your offer successful.

Your offer package is comprised of a Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA), Proof of Funds (POF) and PreApproval Letter.

It is common for a seller to send a counter-offer on price and/or other acceptable terms, which you can accept, reject, or make another counter offer in response. A counter offer can be made only to you or, if the seller receives multiple offers, to multiple buyers who have submitted offers.

07

06.A

06.B

Loan and Appraisal

Final Walkthrough

Once in escrow, you will hire different inspectors to help inspect the property and determine the overall condition within the agreed timeline and contractual contingencies. I’ll be here to hold your hand during the process and provide referrals.

Your lender will know that you have submitted an offer and will be notified when your offer is accepted. They will also receive a copy of your Residential Purchase Agreement. Once you are under contract, your lender will order an appraisal. If you are a cash buyer, I can help you order an appraisal for your own due diligence.

A final walkthrough of the property is scheduled and completed usually within the five days before closing. The walkthrough is to verify the home is in substantially the same condition as when you wrote your offer and that any repairs have been completed.

Home Inspections and Disclosures

Your inspectors will provide you with written reports about their findings. We will discuss these findings and determine the appropriate next steps whether that be a request for credits or repairs.

You will also review the seller’s disclosures, natural hazard disclosure, and preliminary title report.

Your lender will work with you directly to collect any additional documents and advise when to lock your rate. I will also be in contact with your lender throughout the process to make sure things run smoothly. Just before the close of escrow, the lender will transfer the loan funds to escrow.

08

Closing Once all of the conditions of the contract have been satisfied, it is time to close escrow. You will sign closing documents, transfer your remaining funds, and escrow will have the deed which transfers the property to you recorded with the County.

09

Welcome Home!

Time to celebrate in your new home!

Please remember, I’m always here to help you with referrals and answer any questions you may have now that you are in your home.

KE Y TERMS Get a better understanding of common real estate language and practices.

Appraisal

Debt-to-income ratio

Inspection

Assessment of the property’s market value, for the purpose of obtaining a mortgage and performed by a licensed appraiser.

The percentage of an individual's monthly gross income relative to the amount of debt owed.

An expert conducts a formal review of the property to find visible issues that need to be repaired. Buyers typically make their offers contingent on an inspection, but sellers can conduct a pre-offer inspection to appeal to buyers. The buyer may choose to do additional inspections like radon and a sewer scope.

Assessed Value Value placed upon property for property tax purposes by the tax collector.

Closing Costs Expenses incidental to a sale of real estate, such as loan fees, appraisal fees, and title insurance.

Contingency Certain criteria that have to be met in order to finalize the sale.

Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) A good faith deposit the buyer makes with an offer to show that you are serious about buying the property. In exchange, the seller agrees to stop marketing the property.

Final Walkthrough The buyer reviews the house just before closing to make sure everything is in the same condition and that all home inspection items are fixed.

Lien Search A background check on the property and the seller to ensure there are no outstanding debts or claims upon the property.

Pre-Approved Advanced approval from a bank or other lending institution for a home mortgage.

Pre-Qualified Potential buyers provide an overall financial picture and mortgage brokers provide an estimate of what level of loan you will likely be pre-approved for.

Title Insurance Insurance to protect the buyer and lender against losses arising from disputes over the ownership of a property.

Recording Fees A fee paid to the local government to officially report a sale of a home; usually paid by the buyer.

MY COMPASS TOOLS AND PROGR AMS HELP YOU FIND YOUR NE XT HOME Collections Collections lets you compare multiple properties—their size, neighborhood, amenities—within a central visual workspace. I can monitor market activity in real time, stay in constant contact, and invite collaborators to join in on our search discussions.

Search Compass Search can sort by a wide range of features and amenities to pinpoint the perfect home. Plus, discover exclusive Compass listings you won’t find anywhere else and receive realtime notifications of new homes with customized Saved Searches!

Coming Soon and Private Exclusives What buyer isn’t looking for an edge over the competition? Browse unique properties that are only viewable on Compass.com and discover your future home before it even hits the market.

FIND YOUR DREAM HOME WITH COMPASS No matter where your move may take you, my national Compass network can help!

In real estate, relationships are everything. My national network of agents covers 45% of the country's population, making Compass a coast-to-coast network of collaborative, hardworking agents. When you're looking to move to a new area, I leverage these local and national connections to make your dream home yours.

#1 Residential Real Estate Brokerage in the United States 1

$267B

37K+

2025 Gross 2 Transaction Value

Compass Agents

*#1 based on 2024 closed sales volume. T. Velt, Compass, eXp retain No. 1 spots on RealTrends Verified” HousingWire, Online, HW Media, 4/4/2025, https://www.housingwire.com/articles/compass-exp-retain-no-1-spots-on-realtrends-verified/ 2*Gross Transaction Value is the sum of all closing sale prices for homes transacted by agents on the Compass platform. We include the value of a single transaction twice when our agents serve both the home buyer and home seller in the transaction. This metric excludes rental transactions and includes a de minimis number of new development and commercial brokerage transactions. 3*In October 2025, we divested our Latter & Blum Texas business, which reduced our total agent count by approximately 900.

LET’S FIND YOUR NEW HOME TOGETHER!

As a dedicated and experienced realtor, I combine my deep local knowledge with my passion for real estate to help you make confident, informed decisions.

Formerly a family law attorney, I transitioned to a career in real estate to help others achieve their real estate goals and build generational wealth. Known for my communication skills, sharp negotiation tactics, and attention to detail, I work tirelessly to make each transaction seamless and successful.

Partnering with me means more than just buying or selling a home; it means gaining a trusted advisor who is equally invested in your success.

ALYSSA VAN BREENE DRE# 02112042 | REALTOR® | M: 310.795.3992 alyssa@vanbreene.com | IG: @alyssavanbreene | vanbreene.com Compass is a licensed real estate broker, licensed to do business as Compass RE in Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, Compass Real Estate in Washington, DC, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming and Idaho, Compass Realty Group in Missouri and Kansas, and Compass South Carolina LLC in South Carolina. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description of measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity.