Privacy Policy, RESPA Disclosure, and Accessibility Statement

1. Scope and company role

This policy applies to OwningYourHouse.com, its webpages, forms, communications, and services that link to this policy. It does not govern the independent privacy practices of lenders, mortgage brokers, real estate professionals, title companies, insurance providers, builders, attorneys, inspectors, or other third parties.

OwningYourHouse.com is an informational and marketing platform that may help consumers connect with independent providers. The licensed or regulated provider responsible for a particular service will identify itself and provide any notices, disclosures, authorizations, or privacy policies required for that service.

OwningYourHouse.com is not a government agency and does not represent that any program, rebate, incentive, financing option, or provider is sponsored, endorsed, approved, or guaranteed by HUD, the CFPB, the VA, the FHA, the USDA, or any other government entity unless expressly stated in writing by that entity.

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use the website, we may collect:

• Contact information, such as your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, and preferred method of contact.
• Homebuying, selling, financing, or property preferences, such as location, property type, price range, transaction timeline, military status when voluntarily provided, and whether you are interested in new construction.
• Information submitted through forms or communications, including questions, messages, survey responses, appointment requests, and program interests.
• Technical and usage information, such as IP address, browser type, device type, referring page, pages viewed, approximate location derived from IP, cookie identifiers, and interaction data.
• Information received from partners or service providers, where permitted by law and consistent with your request, consent, or relationship with that party.

Do not submit Social Security numbers, bank-account credentials, payment-card information, or other highly sensitive financial information through a general website contact form. A licensed provider may request additional information through its own secure process and under its own privacy notice.

3. How we use information

We may use information to:

• Respond to inquiries and provide requested information.
• Match you with providers or programs you ask to learn about.
• Operate, maintain, personalize, secure, and improve the website.
• Schedule appointments and support communications with you.
• Measure website performance and marketing effectiveness.
• Prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents, and unlawful activity.
• Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, and recordkeeping duties.
• Send marketing communications where permitted and consistent with your choices.

4. How information is shared

We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

• At your request or with your consent. When you ask to be contacted, matched, prequalified, or given information about a service or program, we may send the information reasonably needed to one or more relevant independent providers.
• Service providers. We may use vendors that support hosting, customer relationship management, analytics, communications, cybersecurity, appointment scheduling, and website operations. They may process information only for authorized business purposes and subject to applicable contractual restrictions.
• Legal and safety reasons. We may disclose information when required by law, legal process, or a valid governmental request, or when reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, property, users, or the public.
• Business transactions. Information may be transferred in connection with a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or part of the business, subject to applicable law.

We do not authorize partners to use information received from us for purposes that are materially unrelated to the request or consent that caused the information to be shared. Independent providers may have their own legal obligations and privacy policies.

5. Email, phone, and text messages

When you provide contact information, we may contact you in response to your request. Marketing emails will include an unsubscribe method where required. You may also ask us to stop nonessential marketing communications by using the contact information below.

Where a form includes a separate text-message consent checkbox, checking it authorizes the communications described beside that checkbox. Consent to marketing text messages is not a condition of purchasing property, obtaining a loan, or receiving a generally available service. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out and HELP for help. Transactional or service-related messages may be treated differently where permitted by law.

6. Cookies and analytics

The website may use cookies, pixels, local storage, analytics tools, and similar technologies to operate features, remember preferences, understand usage, detect fraud, and evaluate advertising. Browser settings may allow you to block or delete cookies, although doing so can affect website functionality.

Where required, the website will present a cookie or privacy-choice mechanism before using nonessential technologies. Signals such as Global Privacy Control will be handled where legally required and technically supported.

7. Retention and security

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to respond to requests, maintain business records, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, and enforce agreements. Retention periods vary based on the information and the reason it was collected.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information. No website, transmission method, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please use care when sending information online.

8. Privacy choices and rights

Depending on your state and the nature of our data practices, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, portability, or information about disclosures of personal information. You may also have the right to opt out of certain sales, sharing, targeted advertising, or profiling, and to appeal a denied request.

To submit a request, contact us using the method in the Contact section. We may need to verify your identity and authority before completing a request. Authorized agents may be required to provide proof of authorization. We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

Children under 13 should not submit personal information through this website. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through general consumer forms. A parent or guardian who believes a child submitted information may contact us to request review and deletion.

9. RESPA and partner disclosures

OwningYourHouse.com supports consumer choice and transparent settlement-service relationships. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and Regulation X restrict kickbacks, referral fees, and unearned fee arrangements involving federally related mortgage-loan settlement services.

• You may shop for lenders, mortgage brokers, title companies, settlement agents, attorneys, inspectors, insurance providers, real estate professionals, and other providers, subject to any lawful limitations disclosed in your transaction.
• Accessing the website or requesting general information does not require you to select a particular settlement-service provider.
• Certain optional promotions may have provider-specific eligibility requirements. Any material requirement should be disclosed clearly before you enroll or rely on the promotion. You may decline the promotion and shop independently.
• OwningYourHouse.com does not pay or accept compensation for the mere referral of settlement-service business. Any partner compensation must be for actual, necessary, and distinct goods, facilities, or services at a reasonable fair-market value and not for steering a consumer or rewarding a referral.
• If OwningYourHouse.com or a person with an ownership interest in it has an affiliated business relationship with a settlement-service provider, any disclosure required by law will be provided separately, including the nature of the relationship, estimated charges where required, and the consumer's right to shop.

This website disclosure does not replace a transaction-specific affiliated-business, lender, mortgage-broker, real-estate, title, state-law, or promotional disclosure.

10. Rebates and incentives

The stated amounts are maximum advertised amounts, not guaranteed or typical payments. Actual availability and value may depend on location, transaction type, property type, participating program, provider, lender or loan-program rules, seller or builder terms, closing costs, closing completion, and applicable federal, state, and local law.

A rebate or incentive may be provided as a closing-cost credit, service discount, post-closing payment, gift, or another lawful benefit. It may be reduced or unavailable where it would exceed an applicable limit, create cash back not permitted by a loan program, exceed eligible costs, conflict with seller or builder terms, or otherwise be prohibited. The source, form, timing, eligibility requirements, and material conditions of a specific benefit will be disclosed before the consumer elects to participate.

Rebates and incentives are not loan approvals, interest-rate guarantees, commitments to lend, government benefits, or estimates of settlement charges. Programs may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn where permitted, but changes will not alter rights already fixed by a signed written agreement.

11. Accessibility statement

OwningYourHouse.com is committed to providing access to its website and services for people with disabilities. We use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, currently WCAG 2.2 Level AA, as an accessibility target and recognize that accessibility requires ongoing review, testing, remediation, and improvement.

Our accessibility efforts may include:

• Semantic headings, landmarks, labels, and form instructions.
• Keyboard access and visible keyboard focus.
• Text alternatives for meaningful images and controls.
• Sufficient color contrast and support for text resizing and reflow.
• Captions, transcripts, or alternatives for meaningful prerecorded media.
• Error identification and instructions that do not rely on color alone.
• Testing with automated tools, keyboard review, and assistive technologies.

Some content or functionality may be provided by third parties. We encourage accessible third-party solutions and work to provide an accessible alternative when a barrier is reported and a reasonable alternative is available.

If you encounter an accessibility barrier, need information in an alternative format, or need assistance completing a form, contact us using the information below. Please identify the page, feature, and type of assistance needed. We will make reasonable efforts to provide effective access through an appropriate alternative method while the issue is reviewed.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in law, technology, services, or business practices. The updated date will appear at the top of the page. Material changes may be communicated through the website or another appropriate method where required.

13. Contact us

For privacy requests, accessibility assistance, or questions about this policy, contact:

For accessibility requests, please include “Accessibility” in the subject line. For a privacy-rights request, please include “Privacy Request” and the state in which you live. Do not send Social Security numbers, bank credentials, or copies of identity documents by ordinary email unless we specifically provide a secure method.