Methods and systems for financing expenses with a loan secured by real property

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/219,797, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BUNDLING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND UTILITIES INTO A MORTGAGE,” filed Aug. 14, 2002 by John J. Pembroke, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] This application is related to concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FINANCING EXPENSES WITH A LOAN SECURED BY REAL PROPERTY” John J. Pembroke, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0003] This application relates generally to real-property mortgages. More specifically, this application relates to methods and systems for financing recurring expenses with a loan secured by real property.

[0004] Typical property owners have a number of expenses. A common ordering of their living costs for property owners in order of expense is: their home mortgage payment, food, healthcare, energy, and telecommunications. Of these five principal expenses, only the mortgage payment provides financing over an extended period of time. The other expenses are paid as they are incurred and may be subject to substantial variations as a result of external impacts, such as when world events affect the availability, and therefore the cost, of energy sources. Cost spikes in certain sectors force many homeowners with tight budgets into circumstances where they need to decide which of their principal expenses to meet, and which to default on. In many instances, this may result in mortgage-loan defaults, an occurrence disadvantageous both to the property owner and to the lender.

[0005] There is, thus, a general need in the art for methods and systems that increase consumer buying power and that insulate consumers from dramatic price fluctuations.

[0006] Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for providing a loan to a borrower. An identification of real property and a specification of products and/or services providing expenses is received. A total loan value for the real property and specified products and/or services is calculated. A request is made for approval of the loan secured by the real property for the total loan value. A closing is initiated on the loan at which a customer depository account is funded to provide future funds for payment of the expenses.

[0007] In some embodiments, the loan may also be secured by the specified products and/or services. Approval of the loan may comprise initiating an appraisal of the value of the property with the specified products and/or services and calculating a back-end ratio that omits consideration of separate payment of the expenses by the borrower. The funds in the customer depository account may be designated as a prepaid asset linked with the real property, whereby the funds in the customer deposit account comprise a real-property interest. In one embodiment, the specification of products and/or services comprises a specification of a term for the products and/or services.

[0008] The loan may be any number of different types of loans secured by real property in different embodiments. For example, in one embodiment, the loan comprises a mortgage, and the borrower is a buyer of the real property. In another embodiment, the loan comprises a refinance mortgage and the borrower is an owner of the real property. In a further embodiment, the loan comprises a home-equity loan or a home-equity line of credit and the borrower is an owner of the real property.

[0009] At least some of the expenses may comprise recurring expenses, with payment of the recurring expenses being initiated when due. In some instances, at least some of the expenses comprise periodic expenses; in such instances, the method may further comprise periodically initiating payment of the periodic expenses. In some cases, foreclosure may be initiated against the real property and against the customer depository account in response to a default by the borrower on terms of the loan. Foreclosed funds in the customer depository account may be directed to be paid to the lender or supplier of the products and/or services. Embodiments of the invention may permit a value of the customer depository account to be increased by depositing additional funds by the borrower or a third party after closing into the customer depository account; this has the effect of extending a useable term of the customer depository account for payment of the expenses. The customer depository account may comprise a plurality of customer depository account, each being identified with a distinct subset of the specified products and/or services. A transfer of funds may thus be effected among at least some of the plurality of customer depository accounts. In other instances, the customer depository account may be segregated for separate tracking of funds identified with distinct subsets of the specified products and/or services. This permits an identification of the funds among the distinct subsets to be changed.

[0010] The methods of the present invention may be embodied in a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a computer system. Such a computer system may include a communications system, a processor, and a storage device. The computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the computer system to provide a loan to a borrower in accordance with the embodiments described above.

[0011] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the several drawings to refer to similar components.

[0012] FIG. 1 provides a schematic illustration of a functional environment in which a bundling company operates in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for financing certain products and services with a loan secured by real property in a first embodiment;

[0014] FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow diagrams illustrating methods for financing certain products and services with a loan secured by real property in other embodiments of the invention;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for obtaining an appraisal in concert with the methods of FIGS. 2-4 in some embodiments;

[0016] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the effect of default on a loan that finances certain products and services in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and

[0017] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the structure of a computer system on which methods of the invention may be embodied.

[0018] Embodiments of the invention increase consumer buying power and insulate consumers from dramatic price fluctuations by providing a loan secured by real property that may be used to finance certain products and services. In some instances, security for the loan may be provided by the real property and some other property, such as by a cash value of specified products and services in one embodiment. Some of the products and services that may be financed provide “recurring expenses,” which is used herein to refer to expenses that occur more than once and are not satisfied by single payments. In some instances, the recurring expenses include “periodic expenses,” which are expenses that arise on a regular repeatable basis, such as payments that are to be made every month, every quarter, every year, or on some other periodic timetable. Other products and services that may be financed provide “fixed expenses,” which are one-time expenses paid to a supplier.

[0019] Examples of products and services that give rise to recurring expenses include the following, which may be categorized broadly as encompassing “voice” products and services, “video” products and services, “data” products and services, “audio” products and services, “communications” products and services, “utility” products and services, “security” products and services, “healthcare” products and services, “insurance” products and services, and “savings” products and services, among others. For instance, voice products and services may include telephone service, mobile-telephone service, voice-over-IP (“VoIP”) service, and the like. Video products and services may include television rentals, video-on-demand service, video-gaming service, video conferencing service, and the like. Data products and services may include broadband, dial-up Internet access, text messaging, and the like. Audio products and services may include music-on-demand services and the like. Communications products and services may include structured wire, optical fiber, wireless, wireline (including cable, coax, etc.), Ethernet, and satellite services, among others. Utility products and services may include energy products such as natural gas and electricity, water service, waste-disposal service, and the like. Security products and services may include home-security services, monitoring services, and the like. Home products and services may include homeowner association dues, lawn care, special assessments, and the like. Healthcare products and services may include healthcare programs, physician and hospital services, long-term care assistance programs, meal-delivery services, and the like. Insurance products and services may include home insurance, automobile insurance, umbrella insurance, and the like. Merely by way of example, utility services that require payment on a monthly basis are examples of services that result in recurrent periodic expenses. Conversely, video-on-demand services, which result in an irregular expense when the video is demanded, are an example of services that result in recurrent expenses that are nonperiodic.

[0020] The secured loan is provided in embodiments of the invention by a “bundling lender,” which is any entity that provides a real-estate-secured loan that bundles at least some products and services that result in recurrent expenses. Examples of entities that may be comprised by the bundling lender include mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, finance companies, credit unions, insurance companies, stock brokerage firms, and individual investors; it is not necessary according to embodiments of the invention that the bundling lender be associated with a financial institution. The bundling of the products and/or services is coordinated by a bundling company, which interacts with the bundling lender. An overview of an environment in which the bundling company may operate in coordinating the loan is illustrated schematically with the block diagram of FIG. 1, with the environment denoted generally by reference number 101.

[0021] The bundling company 102 may comprise any entity that offers bundleable products and/or services to be included in a loan and/or that facilitates the marketing or sale of bundleable products and/or services. Examples of bundling companies in certain specific embodiments include suppliers of products and services, mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, real estate agents, real estate brokers, builders, land developers, financial planners, or various facilitators such as independent marketing entities, title companies, insurance companies, appraisers, etc. The bundling company 102 has relationships with one or more suppliers 104 of products and services, such as those that provide those exemplary products and services enumerated above. The bundling company 102 may negotiate discounted prices for the products and services, using its position as an interface to large volumes of such products and services for many potential customers to obtain very favorable prices. As described in more detail below for various embodiments, the bundling company 102 may then offer the products and services to a buyer 110 or seller 111 of real property. The offered prices for the products and/or services may be at retail, less than retail, and may include a transaction charge. The buyer and/seller are sometimes referred to interchangeably herein as “consumers,” “customers,” “borrowers,” or “clients,” each of which may also refer generally to a homeowner, homebuyer, homebuilder, land developer, home seller, property owner, renter, or tenant, among others. In addition to interacting with the seller 111 and buyer 110, the bundling company 102 may interact with a number of other entities, examples of which include the suppliers of products and services 104, appraisers 116, and one or more bundling lenders 112, who actually provide the loan. The bundling company 102 may maintain a customer depository account 114, the use of which is described further below, although in some embodiments the customer depository account may be maintained by a separate institution.

[0022] Various methods of the invention are illustrated for different embodiments with the flow diagrams of FIGS. 2-6. The method illustrated with FIG. 2 may be used in one embodiment when a seller 111 sells real property to a buyer 110. In response to the seller 111 offering the real property for sale to the buyer 110 at block 204, the buyer contacts a bundling company 102 at block 206 to coordinate obtaining the products and/or services and a loan for purchasing the real property with the bundleable products and/or services included. In some instances, the contact with the bundling company may conveniently proceed through another third party. Also, the buyer 110 may conveniently use a variety of different sources for identifying a bundling company 102, including computer networks, the Internet, computer software tools, and other electronic media. The bundling company 102 identifies a number of optional products and/or services at block 208 so that a selection of the desired products and services may be made by the buyer 110 at block 210. The optional products and/or services may provide for fixed expenses or recurring expenses in different embodiments. The selection of desired services may include specification of a term for the services, such as a term of five years.

[0023] At block 212, a bundling lender 112 is contacted for solicitation of a bundled loan for the real property with the selected products and services. The cost presented to the buyer 110 may incorporate the value of the selected products and services into the cost or may alternatively include a separate listing of the cost for the bundleable products and services. In either instance, the bundling lender 112 may consider the cost or value of the selected products and services when qualifying the buyer 110 for the loan. In some embodiments, qualifying the buyer 110 may comprise obtaining an appraisal of the real property with the selected products and services as indicated at block 214, but this is not necessary in other embodiments. The appraisal may be obtained by the buyer 110, by the bundling lender 112, or by a bundling company 102 in different embodiments. If the buyer 110 qualifies for the loan, it is approved by the bundling lender 112 at block 216.

[0024] In determining whether to approve the loan request, the bundling lender may calculate a “back-end ratio” as a measure of the borrower's ability to repay the loan using techniques known in the art. A high back-end ratio may disqualify a borrower from obtaining a loan. Embodiments of the invention advantageously lower the back-end ratio by eliminating certain borrower periodic payments to various service suppliers. For example, by financing the borrower's monthly energy, telecommunications, and healthcare expenses in a loan, the back-end ratio may be reduced, permitting the borrower to qualify for a larger loan amount. Lowering the back-end ratio also advantageously permits the bundling lender to modify its underwriting procedures, making the borrower's loan qualification easier. It also permits the lender to structure and offer new loan products that are based on this ability to lower the back-end ratio and other defaulting events. In particular, this capability is advantageous in structuring new loan products that may be attractive for sale in the secondary mortgage marketplace. Embodiments of the invention also advantageously expand the ability of bundling lenders to make new types of loans to new borrowers and to enter new markets by developing active partnerships with builders, utility service providers, telecommunications providers, healthcare providers, and other vendors of consumer-related products and services.

[0025] When the loan is to close, as indicated in the drawing generically by blocks 218, the buyer 210 typically supplies a down payment at block 220, although in some embodiments the loan might be provided without a down payment. The bundling lender 112 supplies the remainder of the total cost for the real property and the products and services that are bundled in the loan, as indicated at block 222. The cost of the real property is delivered to the seller 111 at block 224, and the remainder of the loan amount is deposited into the customer depository account 114 at block 228.

[0026] The customer depository account 114 may comprise any suitable account, such as a trust account, an interest-bearing account, an insurance account, or a bank account, and in some embodiments the customer depository account 114 may comprise a plurality of accounts, which may be maintained by a plurality of different institutions. In some instances, separate customer depository accounts may be provided for different classes of products and services or a single customer depository account may be segregated for separate tracking of different classes of products. Once the funds have been received in the customer depository account 114, the bundled products and services are assigned to the sold property, rather than to the borrower, and become an asset of the property, thereby conferring on them the status of a real-property interest. The funds in the customer depository account 114 may thereafter be used to make payments for the recurring expenses of the bundled products and services. The bundling lender 112 may be issued a document entitling the bundling lender 112 to foreclose on the customer depository account upon a default of the bundling loan by the borrower. The document typically identifies the funds being held in the customer depository account 114, as well as designating the funds as a “prepaid asset” of the property. The bundling lender 112 and/or buyer 110 are generally provided with the ability to obtain via telephone and/or electronic mechanisms the current cash balance in the customer depository account.

[0027] The total loan amount includes the amount of payments for the future expenses used in supporting the bundled products and services. The future payment amount for payments on both the bundled products and services and on the property are amortized over the term of the loan. The loan term may advantageously have a term as long as 30 years (or even as long as 40 years in the case of some real-property loans). This is in contrast to consumer loans, which usually have terms of less than five years. In addition, using a structure that has a real-property loan with a real-property interest may provide tax advantages, such as in the United States where interest on real-property loans may be tax deductible. It is noted that this benefit is a consequence of the designation of the prepaid assets as real-property interests. In the United States, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were chartered by Congress to provide liquidity to the mortgage banking industry and are purchasers of more than 90% of the mortgage loans that originate in the U.S. In their charter, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could only purchase loans from mortgage banks that are real property and that do not include personal property. This is why a stand-alone television could not be financed within a mortgage, but a home theatre could. In response to consumer demand and a request from the National Association of Realtors, Freddie Mac designated certain appliances as providing a “real-property interest,” that permits their cost to be financed with a mortgage loan.

[0028] After closing, the buyer makes periodic payments to the bundling lender at block 230, similar to conventional mortgage payments. These payments may be made monthly, biweekly, or according to some other arrangement. In some embodiments, additional principal payments may also be accepted with the periodic payments to the bundling lender. The payments for the recurring costs are made from the customer depository account at block 232. The duration of the useable period of the bundled products and services may be more or less than the original term. For example, the borrower may use more services, resulting in more funds being withdrawn from the customer depository account 114. In this instance, the usable term of the bundled products and services would be less than the initial term because the customer depository account will be depleted faster than initially planned. Conversely, the borrower may use less or fewer bundled products and services, resulting in fewer funds being withdrawn from the customer depository account. In that case, the term of the bundled products and services is longer than the initial term because the funds in the customer depository account 114 will last longer. As indicated at block 234, funds may sometimes be added to the customer depository account to lengthen the usable term of the bundled products and/or services. Funds may be added by the buyer in some embodiments, or may be added by other entities such as the bundling company 102 or by the bundling lender 112 as part of a variety of possible incentive programs. In some embodiments separate tracking for different classes of products is provided through the use of a segregated account or through the use of a plurality of accounts, transfers between the different classes may be enabled.

[0029] A similar method may be implemented in embodiments where an existing homeowner wishes to refinance an existing mortgage or wishes to take a home-equity line of credit secured by the real property. These embodiments are illustrated with the flow diagram of FIG. 3 and have a number of aspects in common with aspects of the invention described in connection with FIG. 2. The homeowner contacts the bundling company 102 at block 304 or block 306 depending on the embodiment, again having the ability to make use of a variety of different informational tools to identify the bundling lender and perhaps making contact through a third party. Block 304 applies to homeowners seeking to refinance existing mortgages and block 306 applies to homeowners seeking a home-equity line of credit. Home-equity lines of credit are loans in which the borrower secures the loan with real property. They provide borrowers with long-term financing at attractive interest rates when compared with consumer loans that have relatively short terms and much higher interest rates. They differ from mortgages, which are used to finance the purchase of real estate. Highly developed markets exist for both mortgages and home-equity lines of credit, with lender being compensated with interest on the principal that is lent.

[0030] In either instance, the bundling company 102 may identify a number of optional products and services with recurring expenses that may be bundled with the loan at block 308. The borrower selects those products and services he wishes to include with the loan at block 310, including specification of a term for services if appropriate. A bundling lender 112 is contacted at block 312 with a request to provide a bundled loan for the real property and the selected products and/or services. The total loan cost is determined by amortizing the cost of both the underlying loan and the cost of the selected goods and services. An optional appraisal may be obtained at block 314, with the loan being approved by the bundling lender at block 316 if the borrower meets the loan requirements.

[0031] At closing 320, the bundling lender 112 provides the refinancing or home-equity line of credit at block 324 and deposits funds into the customer depository account 114. Also, the bundling lender 112 is provided at closing with a document asserting its right to foreclose against the customer depository account 114 as well as against the real property itself in the event of a default. After closing, the relationship between the borrower and bundling lender is similar to that described above. The borrower makes periodic payments to the bundling lender as indicated at block 330 and payments for the recurring expenses are made from the customer depository account as indicated at block 332. Similar to the embodiments described in connection with FIG. 2, the usable term of the bundled products and services may be longer or shorter than initially planned, depending on the rate at which the finds are used. A provision is therefore provided at block 334 to permit funds to be added to the customer depository account to extend its usable term, either by the borrower or by another entity such as the bundling company or bundling lender in different embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 4 provides a similar flow diagram, but reflects aspects of the invention relevant to land development by a builder. This embodiment provides an example where one of the parties to the sale transaction for real property acts as the bundling company with the builder taking on this role, although in alternative embodiments a separate bundling company may work with the builder and buyer. The builder generally provides new construction, offering the sale of real property to a buyer at block 402. Because the builder is providing new construction, the range of options that may be provided as part of the construction is diverse. There may be both fixed-cost options and recurring-cost options. Traditional fixed-cost options include such enhancements as wood cabinetry, granite countertops, gold bathroom fixtures, upgraded carpet, and the like. In addition to providing the buyer with optional recurring-cost products and services, the builder may in some embodiments include certain recurring-cost products or services as part of the standard purchase arrangement. For instance, in one embodiment, the builder may advertise that the sale of each home includes, as standard, five years of utility payments and may offer options to provide certain other recurring costs at the option of the buyer—these may be marketed as “upgrades” to provide telephone service, video-on-demand, broadband access, and other recurring-expense products and services as described above. The standard items are identified to the buyer at block 404 and the optional items are identified to the buyer at block 406.

[0033] In response to the buyer making a selection of desired optional products and services at block 408, the sale cost is update at block 410 by amortizing the total cost of both the standard and upgrade aspects. The bundling lender 112 is contacted at block 412, either by the buyer, by the builder, or through another third party, and asked to provide terms for a loan to purchase real property with the selected fixed-cost and recurring-cost items, both standard and optional. The bundling lender 112 performs an analysis to determine whether to approve the loan, and performing that analysis may sometimes include obtaining an appraisal of the property with the selected products and services at block 414. Approval of the loan by the bundling lender is indicated at block 416 and, as previously noted, may comprise calculation of a back-end ratio that accounts for the reduction in recurrent expenses faced by the borrower as a result of their bundling with the loan.

[0034] Closing is denoted generally by blocks 418. As part of closing on the loan, the buyer may supply a down payment at block 420, although in some embodiments the loan may close without any downpayment. The bundling lender 112 supplies the remainder of the cost for purchase of the real property as well as for financing the recurring costs of the selected products and services at block 422. The cost of the real property is delivered to the builder at block 424. The remainder of the loan amount is deposited into the customer depository account 114 at block 428. The bundling lender 112 is also provided with documentary authority to foreclose on the customer depository account as well as on the real property in the event that the borrower defaults.

[0035] After closing 418, the builder may no longer be involved. The buyer makes periodic payments to the bundling lender 112 at block 430 to satisfy his obligations under the loan arrangement. Payments for expenses arising for the selected products and/or services are made at block 432 from the customer depository account. The payments may be made periodically for those expenses that occur periodically or may be made as needed for payment of nonperiodic expenses. As previously noted for other embodiments, the length of time that the customer depository account may cover expenses may vary, depending on how much is actually spent in satisfying those expenses. In cases where the term that the account covers is less than originally expected, a mechanism may exist in some embodiments to add additional funds to the customer depository account at block 434, such as by the buyer or by another entity like the bundling company or bundling lender.

[0036] In some cases, for any of the embodiments described in connection with FIGS. 2-4, the owner of real property that secures a loan that bundles products and/services may wish to sell the property. The funds in the customer depository account may be treated in a number of different ways in different embodiments. For instance, in some cases, the owner may transfer the funds from the customer depository account to a subsequent buyer of the property. In other cases, the owner may transfer the funds to a new property that the owner purchases.

[0037] The descriptions of certain embodiments of the invention above are not intended to be exhaustive and may be accommodated within a wide range of lending products. For example, the loan may comprise any of the following in different embodiments: a first mortgage secured by the property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services; a second mortgage secured by the property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services; a third mortgage secured by the property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services; a refinanced mortgage secured by the property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services; a home-equity loan secured by equity in the real property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services; a home-equity line of credit secured by equity in the real property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services; a construction loan secured by the real property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services; and a personal note secured by the real property and perhaps also by the cash value of the products and services. In some instances, a plurality of loans may be used to finance the products and services, such as when they are financed through a first and second mortgage.

[0038] Each of the descriptions of FIGS. 2-4 above have noted that in some instances an appraisal may be sought, such as as part of the loan-qualification process. An overview of methods that may be used to perform an appraisal in provided with the flow diagram of FIG. 5. This method illustrates how the effect of bundling products and/or services with the loan may be accommodated as part of the appraisal. It is noted that it some embodiments the real property that is the subject of the appraisal may already have a customer depository account associated with it and classified as a prepaid asset of the property. This is true, for instance, in some embodiments described in connection with FIG. 2 where an existing home might be sold to a new owner.

[0039] At block 504 of FIG. 5, an appraiser 116 receives an order for an appraisal, usually from a bundling lender or from a borrower, although in some instances the request for an appraisal may be transmitted from the bundling company or through some third party. The appraiser 116 collects information on the remaining value of products and/or services that have expenses supported by a customer depository account associated with the property, as indicated at block 512. This value acts to increase the base value of the property. These products and/or services are termed “seller products/services” because they represent a prepaid asset of the seller's property and are distinct from the “buyer products/services” that the buyer wishes to bundle. In embodiments where the seller has no customer depository account to draw on for payment of recurring expenses, such as where the seller is a builder or where the seller arranged a loan without such a structure, the base value is equal to the value only of the real property. At block 512, the appraiser compares the fair market value of the property with the buyer products/services included with its value without the buyer products/services but including the seller products/services, if any. The difference between the two is assigned as a valuation difference to the property. In most instances, it is expected that the valuation difference will be a valuation increase, such as when there are no seller products/services or when the value of the seller's customer depository account has been depleted through prior payments. The property is accordingly appraised to include the value of the buyer products/services at block 516 and the appraisal is transmitted to the lender or borrower at block 520.

[0040] Because of the nature of the classification of funds held within the customer depository account as a prepaid asset of the property, that value is subject to foreclosure in the event of a default on the loan provided by the bundling lender. The authority for the bundling lender to foreclose against the funds held within the customer depository account may be provided with a document showing the classification of the funds as a prepaid asset. FIG. 6 provides a flow diagram illustrating the effect of foreclosure according to an embodiment of the invention. At block 604, the bundling lender 112 forecloses on the real property itself in a conventional manner. In addition, as indicated at block 608, the bundling lender 112 may receive information setting forth the remaining value in the customer depository account 114, thereby enabling the bundling lender 112 to request delivery of and receive the balance of the account at block 612. In some embodiments, the bundling lender 112 may alternatively provide instructions for the funds in the customer depository account to be assigned to a new designated real property or to a new buyer of the current designated property or to a supplier.

[0041] In some instances, particularly for certain types of bundled products or services, a bundling lender 112 may feel exposed to greater risks on default of the loan because of the exposure provided by the customer depository account. This risk may be allocated away from the bundling lender 112 in some embodiments through the use of contractual arrangements, such as with the bundling company 102 but perhaps with other entities in different embodiments. In one specific embodiment, the contractual arrangement specifies that the guarantor, i.e. the bundling company 102, pay the bundling lender 112 a guarantee amount upon default of the loan from the customer depository account. The guarantee amount may vary in time, decreasing in accordance with a generally expected rate of use of the customer depository account. For example, when the term for the products and/or services is five years, the guarantee amount for the first year after closing might be for the full value of the bundled products and/or services, decreasing by 20% each year.

[0042] In another specific embodiment, the contractual arrangement specifies that the guarantor, i.e. the bundling company 102, assumes ownership of the real property and the customer depository account from the defaulting party upon a default. The guarantor then becomes responsible for making the periodic loan payments to the bundling lender 112 in its position as the new owner of the property. The guarantor may then seek to sell or otherwise transfer the real property, while insulating the bundling lender 112 from the default. In some cases, contractual arrangements may permit either of the above guarantee arrangements to be used, perhaps depending on the circumstances of the default or perhaps being available at the option of the guarantor. The use of such guarantee arrangements thus puts the lender at risk only for the real-property portion (“brick and mortar”) of the loan and not for other real-property interests created as part of the bundling arrrangement. This is thus a conventional risk assumed by lenders in conventional real-property lending arrangements so that no changes would be needed for such lenders in assessing risk factors when acting as a bundling lender.

[0043] In many embodiments, the methods described in connection with FIGS. 2-6 may be coordinated by computational devices that provide connectivity as shown with the schematic drawing of FIG. 1. A typical structure for such computational devices is shown in FIG. 7, which broadly illustrates how individual system elements may be implemented in a separated or more integrated manner. The computational system 700 is shown comprised of hardware elements that are electrically coupled via bus 726, including a host processor 702, an input device 704, an output device 706, a storage device 708, a computer-readable storage media reader 710a, a communications system 714, a processing acceleration unit 716 such as a DSP or special-purpose processor, and a memory 718. The computer-readable storage media reader 710a is further connected to a computer-readable storage medium 710b, the combination comprehensively representing remote, local, fixed, and/or removable storage devices plus storage media for temporarily and/or more permanently containing computer-readable information. The communications system 714 may comprise a wired, wireless, modem, and/or other type of interfacing connection and permits data to be exchanged with the other computational devices such as illustrated by the schematic arrangement of FIG. 1 to implement embodiments as described.

[0044] The computational device 700 also comprises software elements, shown as being currently located within working memory 720, including an operating system 724 and other code 722, such as a program designed to implement methods of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. For example, customized hardware might also be used and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets), or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed.

[0045] Certain benefits and advantages of embodiments of the invention are evident from the following description of specific examples.

[0046] In a first example, a consumer wishes to increase monthly cashflow by lowering monthly cash expenses. As part of a refinancing of the consumer's home mortgage to reduce the payment by taking advantage of a reduction in interest rates, the customer bundles an Internet service having a retail monthly price of $50.00. By using a mortgage loan amortized over 30 years, the monthly cash expense for the Internet service is reduced to about $14.00.

[0047] In a second example, a prospective homeowner anticipates paying an average of about $100 per month for video/television, telephone/long distance, Internet access, and home-security monitoring, in addition to about $150 in utilities, for total monthly expenses of $250. Over five years, the prospective homeowner thus expects to pay about $15,000 for these surfaces. The prospective homeowner decides to purchase a home having a base appraised value of $200,000 and to bundle these costs with the mortgage. The total appraised value is the sum of the base appraised value of the home and the five years of services for a total of $215,000. The homeowner closes by making a 20% downpayment on a 6%-interest loan, providing a mortgage amount of $172,000. The borrower's mortgage payment is thus $1031/month. If the borrower had taken a loan only on the real property for 80% of the $200,000, his mortgage payment would have been $959/month. While the increase in the loan payment is $72/month, the monthly expenses of $250 have been eliminated since they are paid from an associated customer depository account, providing the homeowner with a monthly cashflow increase of $178.

[0048] This advantage may be exploited further by noting that the mortgage interest is tax deductible in the United States. Using a 30% combined state and federal tax rate, the “after tax” value of the $72/month difference in payments is effectively $50, providing the homeowner with $200/month in increased average cashflow.

[0049] In a third example, the same scenario as presented in Example No. 2 is repeated, with the homeowner this time investing the additional cashflow in an interest-bearing account at a 5%/year interest rate. At the end of the 60 months of paid services, the savings accumulation would by $15,298. This corresponds to an average monthly increase in cash flow of $255, more than the cost of the services being financed. While the effective cost of the services averaged over 60 months might be $280/month because of rate increases, the average cost to the homeowner is fixed in accordance with the invention at a negotiated rate of $250. Since the average increase by investing the savings exceeds this fixed cost, the homeowner has effectively received the bundled services for free.

[0050] The homeowner is also insulated from price volatility of the services. A spike in energy costs will not force the homeowner into a circumstance where he must make a decision of whether to pay the mortgage or make the energy payment one month. This is beneficial not only to the homeowner, but also to the lender who is insulated from circumstances that not uncommonly result in mortgage defaults.

[0051] In a fourth example, the same scenario as presented in Example No. 3 is repeated, with the homeowner deciding to pay off the mortgage at the end of the five-year period. The mortgage balance is $160,053, which may be compared with a balance of $148,887 that would have resulted if the borrower had financed only the real property at $200,000. The difference in pay-off amounts is $11,167, which is more than offset by the accumulated savings of $15,298, the homeowner being $4131 ahead of a conventional arrangement.

[0052] In a fifth example, the same scenario as presented in Example No. 3 is repeated, with the homeowner deciding to renew the arrangement and purchase another five-year term of services. This can be done in at least three different ways: (1) by refinancing the home and including another five-year term of bundled services; (2) by keeping the first mortgage and obtaining a home-equity line of credit to pay for and bundle the services; or (3) by paying retail for the services. If the homeowner chooses the first option, the accumulated savings at the end of 30 years would by approximately $237,132, with a net savings after paying off the mortgage differential of $118,586. If the homeowner chooses the second option, the overall accumulated savings at the end of 30 years would be approximately $148,250, with a net savings of $52,437. If the homeowner chooses the third option, the overall accumulated savings at the end of 30 years would by $17,409, with a net savings of $17,409.

[0053] In a sixth example, a bundling lender simultaneously originates a first mortgage loan and a second mortgage loan. The cost of the bundled products and services are included in the second mortgage loan. This permits the buyer of the real property to acquire both it and the bundled products and services for “no money down.” For example, the first mortgage may be an 80% loan-to-value loan, leaving 20% equity available for the second mortgage. For a property having an appraised value of $200,000, including $15,000 of bundled products and services, the 80% loan is for $160,000 and the second mortgage is for $40,000. At the loan closings, the second mortgage loan funds the customer depository account in the amount of $15,000 for satisfying recurring expenses for the products and services. The borrower benefits by not having to use any cash to purchase the property and the bundled products and services, as well as by avoiding the mortgage-insurance requirement attached to loans of 90% loan-to-value or greater. The bundling lender considers the cost of the bundled products and services in qualifying the borrower for two loans, one being a bundled loan, and may order an appraisal and identify the bundled products and services with the property. Once the borrower qualifies for the bundled loan, the bundling lender commits the funds for payment of the recurring products and services and distributes the funds in accordance with a predetermined agreement.

[0054] In a seventh example, a homeowner decides to sell his present home with a balance remaining in the customer depository account. The homeowner transfers the funds remaining in the customer depository account to the new purchaser of the existing property.

[0055] In an eighth example, a homeowner decides to sell his present home with a balance remaining in the customer depository account. The homeowner transfers the funds remaining in the customer depository account to the new, second property.

[0056] In a ninth example, a real-property owner has bundled products and services totally $70,000 with a loan secured by the real property. The bundling company and bundling lender have a contractual arrangement requiring the bundling company to pay a guarantee amount from the customer depository account in the event the owner defaults on loan payments. The owner defaults in the first year after acquiring the loan. The bundling company therefore pays the bundling lender $70,000.

[0057] In a tenth example, the same scenario is presented as described for Example No. 9, except that the owner defaults in the third year after acquiring the loan. The bundling company therefore pays the bundling lender $45,000.

[0058] In an eleventh example, the same scenario is presented as described for Example No. 9, except that the contractual arrangement specifies that the bundling company will assume ownership of the real property and assume responsibility for making loan payments in the event of a default. When the owner defaults, the bundling company thus assumes such ownership and responsibility.

[0059] Thus, having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in some alternative embodiments the use of a customer depository account may be avoided by having funds for payment of recurring expenses forwarded directly at closing to associated entities. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.