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Topic: digital signatures
Conf: (P-PDF) General, Msg: 25458
From: May
Date: 8/9/2001 02:20 PM

I am trying to put together a way to conduct real estate transactions over the internet or through email. So far I have not been able to find someone who
has a solution or product to accomplish my objectives. I was hoping someone could help by directing me to the right person, software or just tell me if the technology I want is not yet available. I would appreciate any help anyone can give me.

I am a one person real estate firm in Indianapolis. I sell residential real estate. Many of my clients have access to the web and use email. Here is a sample of what I would like to accomplish.

After taking a client to view homes they call me and say they would like to make an offer on a home. I pull up a purchase agreement and send it to them via email. Together, on the phone, we can view the
form and fill it out. When they are happy with the offer, they digitally sign it and send it to me. I call the listing agent, tell her I have an offer and forward it to her. She, in turn, calls her clients
and forwards the offer to her clients. Her clients say one of three things:

1. This is great we will sign it-I would like to have them digitally sign and email to me
2. They outright reject the offer-again they need to
state that and digitally sign and email back to me
3. They want to make a counter offer. This can be done with a separate form which they will esign and return.

I have MS word, Adobe Acrobat 5.0, FrontPage 2000, Outlook 2000. I also like to put the contract (in pdf format) on my website where it can be accessed with a password and filled out and signed online. The key is the solution must be easy for my clients and other agents. Most of them do not have digital ID's and won't have a clue as to what a digital id means.

Is the technology present to do this type of transaction? If so, it is cost prohibitive for a small operator like me? I can see where this would be an
invaluable tool to lots of real estate agents-I can put together the needed documents if the technology is available. I have contacted several vendors (verisign, adobe) and no one seems to have a solution. The gentlemen at Verisign seems to try to help but he must be new-he proposed a solution that involved a $495.00 investment for me and for each and every person that
would sign a document. No one is going to pay that much money to sign a document. I may have to make an investment to get this type of system up and running but my customers want to sign for free or very low cost. Otherwise they will simply print and mail
the document for .34 cents.

I am sorry for the long message. I hope someone can point me in the right direction. I would appreciate any help at all, even if it is to say there is no way to do this right now!
> Thanks
>
> May Ehresman
> Attorney/Broker-Owner
> May@sellersrealtyinc.com
> www.sellersrealtyinc.com
> Sellers Realty, Inc.
> 8711 Warrington Drive
> Indianapolis, IN 46234
> O:(317)271-2593
> F:(317)271-2536