Systems and methods for providing a real estate and rental marketplace

• US 8,380,638 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Watkins, Christopher John
• Primary Examiner(s): Sittner, Matthew T
• Application Number:
  US13/169,437
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

An environment provided by a financial entity in which buyers and sellers may be brought together to initiate and complete a transaction for the purchase of a property for sale or rental. The environment enables sellers to list items together with relevant information that buyers may need to understand the item. Buyers may apply for financing, insurance or other related services to receive approval to purchase properties. A mechanism by which the seller and buyer may communicate enables a negotiation process, scheduling and other processes associated with the sale or rental. After an agreement is reached between the buyer and seller, components associated with the environment, such property and casualty and banking may complete the necessary paperwork, etc. to close the deal.

Claims

1. A method for providing a real estate marketplace, the method comprising:

providing a computer processor;

maintaining a database of homes having attributes;

pre-qualifying, using the computer processor, a buyer for a mortgage up to a predetermined monthly amount;

pre-qualifying, using the computer processor, the buyer for homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to a maximum amount for which the buyer may be insured prior to receiving a selection of a particular home for purchase from the buyer;

receiving an indication of a location of interest from the buyer;

receiving an indication of desired attributes from the buyer;

computing a monthly total cost of ownership of the homes using information provided by the buyer and a seller of each of the homes;

presenting a listing of homes for sale in the location of interest based on the monthly total cost of ownership of the homes, wherein the listing of homes has attributes meeting the desired attributes;

receiving a selection of a buyer-selected home from the presented listing of homes; and

arranging for financing and insurance upon an indication of an agreement of sale between the buyer and a seller of the buyer-selected home.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a transaction portal through which a negotiation process is transacted between the buyer and the seller.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing contract to the buyer in accordance with the location of interest.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

communicating an electronically-signed contract from the buyer to the seller using the transaction portal; and

communicating the electronically-signed contract from the seller to the buyer to complete the agreement of sale.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the monthly cost of ownership of the homes based on a financed amount, insurance coverage, taxes, and estimated utilities.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising limiting the listing of homes to those having a monthly cost of ownership below the determined monthly amount.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a listing of rental properties if the buyer is not pre-qualified for a mortgage.

15. The method of claim 2 further comprising

receiving a notification of final conditions and a preferred closing date from the buyer and the seller through the transaction portal.

16. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

initiating a loan to the buyer after reaching an agreement of sale; and

issuing an insurance policy for the buyer-selected home.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the listing of homes after pre-qualifying the buyer for the mortgage and the homeowner'"'"'s insurance.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a plurality of computer-readable instructions tangibly embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed by a data processor, provide a real estate marketplace, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the data processor to maintain a database of homes having attributes;

instructions that cause the data processor to pre-qualify a buyer for a mortgage up to a predetermined monthly amount;

instructions that cause the data processor to pre-qualify the buyer for homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to a maximum amount for which the buyer may be insured prior to receiving a selection of a particular home for purchase from the buyer;

instructions that cause the data processor to receive an indication of a location of interest from the buyer;

instructions that cause the data processor to receive an indication of desired attributes from the buyer;

instructions that cause the data processor to compute a monthly total cost of ownership of the homes using information provided by the buyer and a seller of each of the homes;

instructions that cause the data processor to present a listing of homes for sale in the location of interest based on the monthly total cost of ownership of the homes, wherein the listing of homes has attributes meeting the desired attributes;

instructions that cause the data processor to receive a selection of a buyer-selected home from the presented listing of homes; and

instructions that cause the data processor to arrange for financing and insurance upon an indication of an agreement of sale between the buyer and a seller of the buyer-selected home.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise instructions that cause the processor to provide a transaction portal through which a negotiation process is transacted between the buyer and the seller.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise instructions that cause the processor to provide contract to the buyer in accordance with the location of interest.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the processor to communicate an electronically-signed contract from the buyer to the seller using the transaction portal; and

instructions that cause the processor to communicate the electronically-signed contract from the seller to the buyer to complete the agreement of sale.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise instructions that cause the processor to determine the monthly cost of ownership of the homes based on a financed amount, insurance coverage, taxes, and estimated utilities.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise instructions that cause the processor to limit the listing of homes to those having a monthly cost of ownership below the determined monthly amount.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise instructions that cause the processor to provide a listing of rental properties if the buyer is not pre-qualified for a mortgage.