In 2009 our average HomeFinder buyer received a $4,600 rebate after closing. Do the math. You'll find there's no better way to buy a home.

How did we get into home buying?

Like your 5th grade teacher would say…lets look at this as a story problem:

A couple is moving from the west side of Madison to Middleton. They have already searched online and narrowed down their list of potential houses to the Stonefield and Foxridge neighborhoods. There are 10 houses for sale, of which 5 meet their basic criteria. All 5 houses are listed at roughly $400,000 with a 6% listing commission ($24,000). The listing agents for each property have offered to share 1/2 of their commission ($12,000) with any MLS agent who sells the property.

The buyers have three options:
1. Call the listing agent for each property and set up individual appointments.
   (result: listing agent keeps the whole $24,000 commission)
2. Enlist the help of an outside agent (non-buyer agent) to take them through all properties together.
   (result: sub-agent earns $12,000)
3. Hire a buyer agent to show them houses, give them market data and negotiate on their behalf.
   (result: buyer agent earns $12,000)

We got into home buying to help solve this problem.

How does our HomeFinder work?

Simple. We don't keep all the money we earn. Instead, we rebate a portion of our commission back to our clients. In the above example we would walk the buyers through all 5 properties, provide comparable sales data for the neighborhoods, advise the buyer on negotiation strategies, write the offer and see the offer all the way through closing - all the assistance of a traditional buyer agent. But, unlike most buyer agents we would rebate $8,000 back to the buyer after closing (see our sliding scale image below).

This is a win/win for everyone. The seller sells the house. The listing agent earns their half of the commission. The buyer saves $8,000 that would otherwise go to an agent. And we earn $4,000 for providing the service.

Are we qualified to do this?

You decide.

Stuart Meland has been the #1 selling agent in both Dane County and South Central WI for the past 5 years, and currently serves on the MLS arbitration panel. He has a lifetime sales total over $283,000,000.

Sheri Meland is our primary buyer agent and negotiator and currently sits on the committee that helps shape MLS policy. She has a lifetime sales total over $27,000,000.

It is not uncommon for us to sell more houses in a week than the average agent sells in an entire year. Who do you think is more qualified?

Still not convinced?

Our HomeFinder service makes so much sense that the US Department of Justice has created a website to educate consumers about the benefits of buyer rebate programs like ours. Click here for more info.

Tips for how to increase your savings:

1. Do your homework before you request a showing, and combine showings into as few trips as possible.
2. Narrow down your search. Determine which are the most important criteria: school district, location, size, style, etc. We will then provide you with auto-emails for all future listings that fit your parameters (often a full 12-24 hours before the listings show up on the public Realtor® and MLS sites).
3. When you receive an email about a newly listed property, drive past it to determine if there are any obvious reasons to exclude it from consideration. Don't waste showings on houses that you would never consider buying.
4. Ask us for relevant information before you see a house. Do you care if it has already been on the market for 18+ months? Or if it has had four owners in the last four years? Many listings also include digitized condition reports, so we can tell you if the seller has disclosed any major defects that would make the house less desirable.
5. If you have a home to sell, wait until you have an accepted offer before you request showings. This will greatly decrease the amount of time you spend looking at houses.

How much can you get back?

The hours you've spent scouring real estate websites and driving around neighborhoods can now save you thousands of dollars on your next purchase. A few quick examples:

Sale Price	2.0%	1.5%	1.0%	0.5%
$200,000	$4,000	$3,000	$2,000	$1,000
$400,000	$8,000	$6,000	$4,000	$2,000
$600,000	$12,000	$9,000	$6,000	$3,000
$800,000	$16,000	$12,000	$8,000	$4,000

Click here for a rebate calculator.

Note: our HomeFinder service is subject to certain Realtor® rules/restrictions -

• We must be the point of contact between you and the listing agent of the property you buy. This is very important! If you have already approached another agent (including the listing agent) to inquire about the property or discuss terms of a possible sale, we are not eligible for the sales commission in the MLS and our HomeFinder incentive does not apply. This is true even if you don't sign anything with the other agent; they can earn the commission with a single phone conversation.
• Please do not attend agent Open Houses without telling us in advance. Think of them as traps set by listing agents to capture unsuspecting buyers. As soon as you talk to an agent about a property you "belong" to them and our HomeFinder incentive will not apply for that property. Strange but true.

Getting Started

Contact Sheri Meland at , or call (608) 438-3150.

To sign up for auto-email, let us know what sort of property you're looking for:
• price range
• # of bedrooms
• general location (city, school district, etc.)
• when you plan to move
• any other required features
• your preferred email address

We are available 7 days a week to answer questions or help you get started.