Maryland Home Rebate
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Guide · For buyers

Buying a home
with the rebate.

You browse listings, sign a Buyer Broker Agreement, see homes with a licensed agent, write offers, close — and a portion of the buyer-side commission flows back to you in cash. Compliance gates are automatic; here is what each step looks like in practice.

1. Sign up

Create an account at /auth/signin. Email + password is enough to start browsing — touring or making an offer requires a signed BBA, but that comes later.

  1. 1.1

    Open the signup form

    Visit /auth/signin and pick "Create an account". The form asks for email, password, and your display name. No phone number, no SSN, no credit pull — that is for later in the process.

    [Screenshot placeholder] /auth/signin signup form

  2. 1.2

    Password rules

    Minimum 12 characters. Mix of letters and numbers recommended. Passwords are bcrypt-hashed (saltRounds 12). Your password is never logged, never emailed back, never visible to support.

    [Screenshot placeholder] password strength indicator

  3. 1.3

    Verify your email

    Click the link in the verification email (valid 24 hours). Verified accounts can search, save listings, and contact us. Tour requests and offers require an additional BBA signing step (covered in section 3).

    [Screenshot placeholder] verify email confirmation

3. Sign your BBA

When you are ready to tour or write an offer, you sign a Buyer Broker Agreement (BBA). NAR settlement (effective August 17, 2024) made this mandatory for every brokerage in the US. Ours is digital, plain-English, and takes about two minutes.

  1. 3.1

    DocuSign envelope

    We email you a DocuSign envelope. The agreement is between you and the licensed brokerage (ushomerebate.com or its WA member firm wahomerebate.com, depending on the state). The signing flow handles SMS verification and identity confirmation.

    [Screenshot placeholder] DocuSign envelope email

  2. 3.2

    What the BBA says

    The agreement spells out: (a) the rebate amount as a percent of buyer-side commission or a flat dollar figure, (b) the term length (default 90 days, renewable), (c) exclusive vs. non-exclusive representation, (d) which states / counties it covers, (e) what happens if you switch brokerages mid-search.

    [Screenshot placeholder] BBA terms section

  3. 3.3

    Exclusive vs. non-exclusive

    Exclusive: you work only with us during the term — better rebate. Non-exclusive: you can also work with other brokerages — smaller rebate, more flexibility. Both are valid under NAR rules; pick what fits your situation.

    [Screenshot placeholder] exclusivity toggle

  4. 3.4

    Signed copy + audit log

    After you sign, you get a PDF copy by email. The signature event is written to compliance_event_log (hash-chained, append-only) — a regulator audit can pull this row years later. You can also revoke or amend the BBA before any offer is written.

    [Screenshot placeholder] BBA signed confirmation

4. Tour homes

Once your BBA is signed, you can request a tour from any listing detail page or from /tours. We match you with a licensed agent in your state, schedule the showing, and confirm with the listing agent.

  1. 4.1

    Request a tour

    On any listing page, click "Request tour". Pick 2–3 preferred time windows. The request is routed to /tours with your BBA + state context attached. The system blocks the request at the API + DB layer if no active BBA is on file (Gate 1, BBA hard gate).

    [Screenshot placeholder] tour request modal

  2. 4.2

    Agent matching

    We match by state, by area familiarity, and by current load. The matched agent is sponsored under the brokerage in your state — their license is re-verified at match time (Gate 8, transaction-time license recheck).

    [Screenshot placeholder] agent profile card

  3. 4.3

    Scheduling + confirmation

    Your agent confirms the time with the listing agent (or via the listing's ShowingTime / Aligned Showings link). You get an SMS + email confirmation. Calendar invite (.ics) included.

    [Screenshot placeholder] tour confirmation email

  4. 4.4

    After the tour

    Your agent debriefs by phone or message. Notes on the property are saved to your shortlist. If you want to write an offer, jump to section 5.

    [Screenshot placeholder] tour notes panel

5. Make an offer

Found the one? Your agent writes the offer at /offers/new. State policy is auto-applied — purchase agreement form, escrow rules, attorney requirement (NY / MA / SC), inspection contingency defaults — all picked from state_policy.

  1. 5.1

    Offer price + financing

    Offer price, earnest money deposit, financing type (cash / conventional / FHA / VA), down payment, target close date. If FHA, the system auto-checks 24 CFR §203.37a (90-day anti-flipping rule) against the property's acquisition history.

    [Screenshot placeholder] /offers/new price section

  2. 5.2

    Contingencies

    Inspection (default: 10 days), appraisal, financing, sale of current home, title. State-specific defaults pre-filled — you can shorten or waive any of them, with explicit confirmation.

    [Screenshot placeholder] contingencies checklist

  3. 5.3

    Escalation clause (optional)

    Auto-increase your offer up to a cap if competing offers come in. Format: "I will pay $X over the highest other bona fide offer, up to a max of $Y." Permitted in most states; the system blocks it where state policy disallows.

    [Screenshot placeholder] escalation clause builder

  4. 5.4

    Submit + sign

    Review the offer, sign electronically (DocuSign). The system runs Gate 7 (state policy resolver), Gate 8 (license recheck), Gate 9 (audit log entry) before the offer is transmitted to the listing agent. You see status: Submitted → Countered / Accepted / Rejected.

    [Screenshot placeholder] offer submitted confirmation

6. Close + receive your rebate

After the offer is accepted, the standard closing workflow runs: inspection → appraisal → title search → final walk-through → settlement. After closing, your rebate is calculated against state policy and disbursed.

  1. 6.1

    Escrow + title

    Settlement is handled by an escrow / title company (or, in NY / MA / SC, by a closing attorney). Your agent coordinates inspection / appraisal contingency releases. You see real-time status in the dashboard.

    [Screenshot placeholder] closing tracker

  2. 6.2

    Rebate calculation

    After closing, the rebate is computed by RebateCalculator using state_policy at the closing date. Allowed states → the percent / flat dollar amount from your BBA. Banned states → no rebate (system refuses to disburse). Disclosure-required states → an extra written disclosure is generated for your file.

    [Screenshot placeholder] rebate breakdown card

  3. 6.3

    Lender disclosure (RESPA Section 8)

    If you have a mortgage, the rebate is disclosed to your lender as required by RESPA Section 8 (no kickbacks). The lender either consents (most do) or asks for an adjusted Closing Disclosure. Our system generates the consent letter automatically.

    [Screenshot placeholder] lender consent letter

  4. 6.4

    ACH within 7 business days

    Once the calculation is finalized and any required disclosures are signed, the rebate is disbursed via ACH to the bank account you provided at closing. Target: 7 business days. You also get a 1099-MISC at year end if the amount exceeds the IRS threshold.

    [Screenshot placeholder] ACH confirmation email

Buyer FAQ

Is a buyer rebate legal where I live?⌄
Most US states allow buyer rebates. A handful require an explicit written disclosure (we generate it for you). A few prohibit the practice outright. Our system reads state_policy at calculation time and refuses to disburse where banned — never quietly disburses something illegal. If you are in a banned state, your BBA flags it up front.
Does signing the BBA lock me into one brokerage?⌄
It depends on the agreement. An exclusive BBA means you commit to working only with us during the term (typically 90 days) — and you get the larger rebate. A non-exclusive BBA lets you also work with other brokerages, with a smaller rebate. Either way, the term ends naturally and you can choose not to renew.
Do I have to tell my mortgage lender about the rebate?⌄
Yes — RESPA Section 8 requires disclosure of any payment between settlement-service providers and the buyer. Our system generates the disclosure letter and routes it to your lender automatically. Most lenders consent; a small number ask for an adjusted Closing Disclosure that nets the rebate against closing costs.

Ready to start?

Create an account, set your state, and start browsing. The BBA only comes into play when you want to tour or write an offer.

Create an accountBrowse homes