Systems and methods for providing a real estate and rental marketplace

• US 9,846,917 B1
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Watkins, III, Christopher John
• Primary Examiner(s): Sittner, Matthew T
• Application Number:
  US14/094,513
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• 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 web-based real estate marketplace, the method comprising:

providing a computer having a processor, display, and memory;

presenting on the display a web page configured to receive information from user inputs and from the Internet;

receiving financial information input by a buyer via the web page;

determining, using the processor, that the buyer is pre-qualified for a mortgage based at least in part on the buyer'"'"'s financial information;

receiving buyer preference criteria via the web page, the buyer preference criteria including at least one subjective preference determined using social networking;

upon receiving the buyer preference criteria via the web page, comparing the buyer preference criteria to one or more properties;

determining that no matches result based on comparison of the buyer preference criteria to the one or more properties;

receiving a revised buyer preference criteria via the web page;

comparing the revised buyer preference criteria to the one or more properties;

generating, using the processor, a listing of homes for sale among the one or more properties for which the buyer is pre-qualified for the mortgage and that matches the revised buyer preference criteria, the generating comprising matching the buyer preference criteria including the at least one subjective preference with property information in a listing database;

upon generating the listing of homes for sale, retrieving via the web page, photographs of homes in the listing of homes for sale; and

presenting a matched listing of homes, the photographs, and retrieved social networking information from another web page to the buyer via the web page.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, based at least in part on the buyer'"'"'s financial information, that the buyer is pre-qualified for homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to a selected amount.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the listing of homes for sale is further based at least in part on determining that the buyer is pre-qualified for the homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to the selected amount.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a home from the matched listing of homes from the buyer; and

providing a transaction portion through which a negotiation process is transacted between the buyer and a seller of the selected home.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the listing of homes for sale in a selected location, the selected location determined based at least in part on the buyer preference criteria; and

displaying the matched listing of homes to the buyer, in the selected location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the matched listing of homes further comprises providing a total cost of ownership for each of the homes in the selected location based at least in part on the buyer'"'"'s financial information and information about a seller of the homes.

7. 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 web-based real estate marketplace, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the data processor to present on a display a web page configured to receive information from user inputs and from the Internet;

instructions that cause the data processor to receive financial information input by a buyer via the web page;

instructions that cause the data processor to determine that the buyer is pre-qualified for a mortgage based at least in part on the buyer'"'"'s financial information;

instructions that cause the data processor to receive buyer preference criteria via the web page, the buyer preference criteria including at least one subjective preference determined using social networking;

instructions that cause the data processor to, upon receiving the buyer preference criteria via the web page, compare the buyer preference criteria to one or more properties;

instructions that cause the data processor to determine that no matches result based on comparison of the buyer preference criteria to the one or more properties;

instructions that cause the data processor to receive a revised buyer preference criteria via the web page;

instructions that cause the data processor to compare the revised buyer preference criteria to the one or more properties;

instructions that cause the data processor to generate a listing of homes for sale among the one or more properties for which the buyer is pre-qualified for the mortgage and that matches the revised buyer preference criteria, the instructions that cause the data processor to generate comprising instructions that cause the data processor to match the buyer preference criteria including the at least one subjective preference with property information in a listing database;

instructions that, upon generating the listing of homes for sale, cause the data processor to retrieve, via the web page, photographs of homes in the listing of homes for sale; and

instructions that cause the data processor to display a matched listing of homes, the photographs, and retrieved social networking information from another web page to the buyer via the web page.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to determine, based at least in part on the buyer'"'"'s financial information that the buyer is pre-qualified for homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to a selected amount.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions that cause the data processor to generate the listing of homes for sale is further based at least in part on the instructions that cause the data processor to determine that the buyer is pre-qualified for homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to a selected amount.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

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

instructions that cause the data processor to provide a transaction portal through which a negotiation process is transacted between the buyer and a seller of the selected home.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions that cause the data processor to generate the listing of homes for sale in a selected location, the selected location determined based at least in part on the buyer preference criteria.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions that cause the data processor to display, via the web page, details for arranging one or more of a property visit, an inspection, an appraisal, or a closing.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the data processor to receive an indication from the buyer that the buyer wants to rent;

instructions that cause the data processor to present rental options to the buyer; and

instructions that cause the data processor to receive, from the buyer, rental property preference criteria.

14. A system for providing a web-based real estate marketplace, the system comprising:

a display;

a memory; and

a processor disposed in communication with the memory and configured to issue processing instructions stored in the memory to;

present on the display a web page configured to receive information from user inputs and from the Internet;

receive financial information input by a buyer via the web page;

determine that the buyer is pre-qualified for a mortgage based at least in part the buyer'"'"'s financial information;

receive buyer preference criteria via the web page, the buyer preference criteria including at least one subjective preference determined using social networking;

upon receiving the buyer preference criteria via the web page, compare the buyer preference criteria to one or more properties;

determine that no matches result based on comparison of the buyer preference criteria to the one or more properties;

receive a revised buyer preference criteria via the web page;

compare the revised buyer preference criteria to the one or more properties;

generate a listing of homes for sale among the one or more properties which the buyer is pre-qualified for the mortgage and that matches the revised buyer preference criteria, the generating comprising matching the buyer preference criteria including the at least one subjective preference with property information in a listing database;

upon generating the listing of homes for sale, retrieve via the web page, photographs of homes in the listing of homes for sale; and

display a matched listing of homes, the photographs, and retrieved social networking information from another web page to the buyer via the web page.

15. The system of claim 14, the processor further configured to issue instructions to determine, based at least in part on the buyer'"'"'s financial information, that the buyer is pre-qualified for homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to a selected amount.

16. The system of claim 15, the processor further configured to issue instructions to generate the listing of homes for sale based at least in part on the instructions to determine that the buyer is pre-qualified for the homeowner'"'"'s insurance up to the selected amount.

17. The system of claim 14, the processor further configured to issue instructions to:

provide a user interface through which a user can sign and return an agreement.

18. The system of claim 14, the processor further configured to issue instructions to generate the listing of homes for sale I a selected location, the selected location determined based at least in part on the buyer preference criteria.

19. The system of claim 18, the processor further configured to issue instructions to:

display the matched listing of homes to the buyer, in the selected location; and

display a total cost of ownership for each of the homes in the selected location based at least in part on the buyer'"'"'s financial information and information about a seller of the homes.