Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the BuyersTaxi.com program are below.
If you have additional questions, simply contact us by phone at (800) 621-4258 or by e-mail at TriStarRealty@cox.net.

1) What is BuyersTaxi.com?
BuyersTaxi.com is an innovative home-buying program offered by Tri-Star Realty. We believe the program offers unprecedented and unparalleled value to home buyers. The program is designed for you to save as much money as possible on the purchase of your home. Basically it works like this:

A) You Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan This is an important step to understand what you can afford and make sure that your offer is taken seriously by the home seller. B) You Use Readily Available Resources to Find and Tour Homes Readily available resources include our Search for Homes page, open houses, listing agent tours, BuyersTaxi.com tours, etc. Please view our Tour Homes page for more detail regarding your options to tour homes of interest. C) Tri-Star Realty Represents You in Your Real Estate Transaction Just contact us for a Buyer Agency Agreement form. We will provide guidance on offer price and terms, prepare and present your purchase offer, negotiate on your behalf, coordinate all inspections, coordinate with your lender and escrow, complete required documentation, and otherwise move your transaction to settlement. D) We Give You a Cash Rebate of up to 2% of the Purchase Price of Your Home It is just that simple. Getting a cash rebate on your home purchase does not get any easier than this.

2) Is BuyersTaxi.com a Licensed Real Estate Brokerage?
BuyersTaxi.com is a program offered by Tri-Star Realty, Inc., a full-service real estate brokerage. Carl Wuestehube is the designated broker of Tri-Star Realty.
Mr. Wuestehube is licensed by the California Department of Real Estate as a Real Estate Broker (DRE Broker License No. 00634943)

 

3) Why Do I Have to Pay for a Home Tour?
You don’t have to. We provide the first home tour (maximum of 4 hours) free of charge. After the free home tours, additional home tours are provided for a flat fee. We believe our fees for home tours are very affordable, especially when considering the Buyer Cash Rebate program we offer. If you wish to tour homes without our assistance, you can likely view homes by attending open houses or by requesting a private tour from the listing agent. To determine if and when an open house will be held, or to obtain the contact information for the listing agent, simply contact us by phone or e-mail and we will get right back to you. If you wish to participate in our Buyer Cash Rebate program, it is very important that you inform all real estate agents that you intend to have Tri-Star Realty represent you in your real estate transaction. You must notify the agent upon initial communication and before you view the home.

You will pay for home tours only if you choose BuyersTaxi.com to show you homes. We have ready access to nearly all the home listed in the MLS and have extensive expertise to answer your questions and provide you guidance while touring homes. Our charges for home tours are as follows:

A) Single Home Tour $100.00 B) 4-Hour Tour $250.00 C) 8-Hour Tour $450.00

We acknowledge that it may seem surprising to pay for a home tour at all, but we believe that you will agree that our fees are very affordable when compared to the 2.5-3% commission typically paid to a buyer's agent.

4) If I Use BuyersTaxi.com for Tours, Am I Obligated to Use You As My Agent?
No. Our home tour program is simply a service to get you into the homes you want to view. However, we would be delighted represent you as your buyer’s agent; and rebate you back up to 2/3 of the commission we receive from the listing agent. We do highly recommend that you enlist our services to represent you in the transaction. In our experience, the only thing more difficult than getting the listing agent to show you the home, is getting the listing agent to hand you over a portion of their commission. As a licensed real estate brokerage and a member of the MLS, we already have an agreement with the listing agent to share the commission. By using us to represent you in the transaction, you not only get expert advice and negotiation assistance, you also get a rebate of up to 2/3 of the commission we receive.

5) What Do You Mean “Up To” 2% of the Purchase Price of Your Home?
We have a minimum fee of 1% of the purchase price for buyer representation. As long
as the commission offered by the listing agent is 3% or more, we give you 2% of
the purchase price as a rebate. If the commission offered by the listing agent is
less than 3%, we rebate you everything over our 1% minimum fee.

6) Can I Use BuyersTaxi.com If I Am Currently Working With A Real Estate Agent?
If you are already working with a real estate agent to represent you in the purchase of a home, we recommend that you continue working with your agent to view homes and make an offer. If you feel that your real estate is not adequately servicing your needs, we recommend that you discuss this situation with your agent and try to reach a resolution. In the event that you have ended the relationship with your agent and wish to consider BuyersTaxi.com to service your needs, just give us a call.

7) How Do I Find Out How Much Money I Will Get Rebated?

Your rebate depends on the purchase price of the home and the buyer’s agent commission offered by the listing agent. Buyer’s agent commissions are typically 2-3% of the purchase price. The MLS does not allow us to provide the commission offered by the listing agent to the public through our MLS search page. However, our office has access to this information and you are welcome to call us and ask.

8) When Will I Get the Commission Rebate?

We typically credit your rebate toward your closing costs during the escrow process. This way you pay less “out of pocket” costs for the purchase of your home. If the rebate amount exceeds your closing costs, we provide you with the excess by check after closing. You will typically receive a check for the excess within 2 weeks of the close of escrow. This is our typical structure for payment of your rebate. We are able to coordinate an alternative arrangement at your request. For example, you may wish to apply the rebate toward payment of the listing agent’s commission in exchange for a lower purchase price. A lower purchase price could save you money in property taxes.