Interactive processing of real estate transactions

• US 20040044696A1
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RE3W WorldWide Ltd. (Medican Enterprises, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Re3W, Inc.
• Inventors: Frost, Richard N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

The systems and methods dislcosed facilitate real estate transactions. The systems and methods preferably allow a participant in a real estate transaction process to create, access, and modify the content of property files associated with parcels of lands. The systems and methods preferably allow a user to administer access rights to access and modify the content of portions of the property files. The systems and methods preferably allow various participants in the real estate transaction process to integrate content into one or more portions of a property file.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for integrating an supplemental content into a property file stored in a computer system, the property file having content related to a parcel of real property and being configured for presenting the content related to a parcel of real property, the method comprising:

receiving a user input indicative of a request for supplemental content;

in response to receiving the user input, sending at least some of the content related to the parcel of real property to a content provider;

receiving from the content provider supplemental content generated using at least some of the content sent; and

in response to receiving the generated supplemental content, automatically associating the generated supplemental content with the property file;

wherein the generated supplemental content is presentable as an integrated portion of the property file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating one or more predefined access rights with the generated supplemental content; and

presenting the generated supplemental content according to the one or more predefined access rights to the generated supplemental content.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more predefined access rights include the right to view the generated supplemental content, but not edit the generated supplemental content.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving content indicating that the generated supplemental content is not current; and

presenting an alert indicating that the generated supplemental content is not current.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the generated supplemental content comprises a title report for the parcel of property.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

presenting a prompt to request current supplemental content from the content provider; and

generate an advertising billing record associated with the prompt.

7. A method for hierarchically controlling visual access to a plurality of property files stored in a computer system, the property files being configured for presenting information related to parcels of real property, the method comprising:

creating a first set of access rights, the first set of access rights comprising first access rights to view a first set of one or more of the plurality of property files;

creating a second set of access rights, the second set of access rights comprising second access rights to view a second set of one or more of the plurality of property files; and

creating a third set of access rights, the third set of access rights comprising third access rights to view the first set of one or more of the plurality of property files and to view the second set of one or more of the plurality of property files;

wherein a hierarchy of access rights is created in which the third set of access rights is at a higher level in the hierarchy than the first set of access rights and the third set of access rights is at a higher level in the hierarchy than the second set of access rights

whereby a plurality of participants in a real estate transaction may access different sets of property files and different portions of those different sets of property files to facilitate the real estate transaction.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first set of one or more of the plurality of property files and the second set of one or more of the plurality of property files are mutually exclusive.

9. A method for controlling access to one or more portions of a set of one or more property files stored in a computer system, the property files being configured for presenting information related to a parcel of real property, the method comprising:

creating a first set of rights that allow access to a first set of one or more portions of a property file;

creating a second set of rights that allow access to a second set of one or more portions of a property file, wherein the first set of one or more portions of a property file and second set of one or more portions of a property file are not mutually inclusive;

creating a first property file having multiple portions;

granting a first user the first set of rights for the first property file; and

granting a second user the second set of rights for the first property file.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first set of rights include the right to view the information displayed the first set of one or more portions of a property file.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first set of rights include the right to edit the information displayed the first set of one or more portions of a property file.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first set of rights include the right to upload documents into the first set of one or more portions of a property file.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

creating a second property file having multiple portions;

in response to creating the second property file, automatically granting the first user the first set of rights for the second property file.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the first access rights include at least one of

creating a third set of rights that allow access to a third set of one or more portions of a property file wherein the third set of one or more portions includes the first set of one or more portions of a property file and includes the second set of one or more portions of a property file;

and

granting a third user the third set of rights for the first property file and the third set of rights for the second property file;

whereby the third user may supervise the first user and the second user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the third set of rights include the right to view the information displayed the first set of one or more portions of a property file.

16. A system for facilitating creation of property files, the system comprising:

a client component that runs on a mobile computing device equipped with a GPS receiver; and

a server component that runs on a server system and communicates over a network with the client component;

wherein the client component is configured to receive from the GPS receiver coordinates of a parcel of property of interest to a user of the mobile computing device, and to transmit the coordinates to the server system;

and wherein the server component uses the coordinates received from the client component to retrieve information about the parcel of property, and to incorporate the information into a property file for the parcel;

whereby the system facilitates the ability for users to create property files during visits to corresponding parcels of property.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the server component incorporates contact information identifying a person into the property file.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the mobile computing device is a personal digital assistant.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the mobile computing device is a laptop computer.

20. A computer-implemented method for facilitating generation of a property file, comprising:

receiving from a user an indication of a plurality of streets corresponding to a location of a selected parcel of property for which a property file is to be created;

identifying a set of parcel maps corresponding to the plurality of streets, wherein the parcel maps display parcel IDs to facilitate identification of the parcel ID of the selected parcel of property; and

presenting the set of parcel maps to the user in conjunction with an option to initiate creation of a property file for a selected parcel ID;

whereby the user can use the set of parcel maps to determine the parcel ID of the selected parcel and then initiate creation of the property file for the selected parcel.

21. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

in response to the user selecting the option, creating a property file for a selected parcel ID; and

storing contact information in the property file.

22. A computer-implemented method for facilitating generation of a property file, comprising:

receiving from a user an indication corresponding to a selected side of a street;

identifying a set of parcels of property corresponding to the selected side of a street for which a property file is to be created; and

presenting the set of parcels in conjunction with an option to initiate creation of a property file for a selected parcel;

whereby the user can then initiate creation of the property file for the selected parcel.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the indication corresponding to a selected side of a street indicates one of the following:

parcels of properties having an even-numbered address or parcels of properties having an odd-numbered address.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the post-relationship set of access rights grant, to the first user account, access to a first copy of the set of one or more of the property files.

24. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access control of a property file, comprising:

creating a first user account having access to the computer system;

creating a second user account having access to the computer system;

creating a relationship between the first user account and the second user account wherein the relationship defines a post-relationship set of access rights for property files that are stored in the computer system and that will be created within the relationship;

within the relationship, creating a set of one or more of the property files stored in the computer system;

dissolving the relationship; and

in response to the dissolution of the relationship, automatically effecting the post-relationship set of access rights.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the post-relationship set of access rights deny, to the second user account, access to any copy of the set of one or more of the property files, whereby the first user, and not the second user, retains access to a copy of the set of one or more of the property files that were created within the relationship.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the post-relationship set of access rights grant, to the second user account, access to a second copy of the set of one or more of the property files, whereby the first user and the second user each retains access to a copy of the set of one or more of the property files that were created within the relationship.