Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 02/18/2025

Choice Home Mortgage, a DBA of Montana Real Estate Inc. (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through this Privacy Policy. This document outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our services, or interact with us in any manner.

1. What information do we collect?

We collect several types of information from and about users of our website and services, including but not limited to:

• Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license, or other government-issued identification.
• Financial Information: Income details, employment details, credit history, banking information, loan-related data, asset and liability details, and any financial documents necessary for mortgage services.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring URLs, interaction with the website, and online activity.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, search history, and other interactions with our website and digital platforms.
• Communication Data: Records of your correspondence with us, including emails, phone calls, or chat messages.
• Third-Party Data: Information obtained from credit bureaus, lenders, public databases, or authorized third parties necessary to process financial transactions.

2. How do we use your information?

We collect and use your information for the following purposes:

• Processing Loan Applications: To assess eligibility, verify identity, and facilitate loan approvals and mortgage-related transactions.
• Communication & Customer Support: To respond to inquiries, provide updates on applications, and offer customer service assistance.
• Legal Compliance: To fulfill legal and regulatory obligations, including fraud prevention, anti-money laundering compliance, and identity verification.
• Improving Services: To analyze trends, track website performance, and improve the quality of our website and services.
• Service Updates: To send you information directly related to a loan inquiry or transaction you initiated with us, such as follow-up, appointment reminders, document requests, and status updates. We do not sell your information and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.
• Security & Fraud Prevention: To monitor suspicious activity, detect security threats, and prevent fraudulent transactions.

3. Will your information be shared with anyone?

We may process or share your data based on the following legal basis:

• Consent: If you have given us specific consent to use your personal information for a specific purpose.
• Legitimate Interests: When processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests.
• Performance of a Contract: Where we have entered into a contract with you.
• Legal Obligations: When required to comply with the law, legal requests, or regulatory obligations.
• Vital Interests: To protect the safety of any person or prevent illegal activities.

4. Who will your information be shared with?

As a licensed mortgage broker, we share your information only with the parties needed to process and fulfill the loan inquiry or transaction you initiated with us. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. We share information only with:

• Lenders & Financial Institutions: To process loan applications and determine eligibility for mortgage products.
• Service Providers Who Help Us Deliver Our Services: Including but not limited to credit bureaus, title companies, appraisers, underwriters, attorneys, escrow agents, and our messaging provider — and only as needed to provide those services to you.
• Regulatory Authorities & Law Enforcement: As required by law, court order, or regulatory compliance.
• Parties You Authorize: Such as a real estate agent or legal representative you have asked to be involved in your specific transaction.

5. Do we use cookies and other tracking technologies?

We use a privacy-respecting, first-party website analytics system that we operate ourselves. It records which pages are visited, how visitors arrive at our site (for example, from a search engine or a link we shared), how long pages are viewed, and which buttons are clicked. This helps us understand what information visitors find useful and improve our website.

• Our analytics does not use cookies and does not follow you to other websites.
• We do not store your IP address; a one-way, daily-changing code is used to estimate visitor counts and cannot identify you.
• Analytics information is never sold or shared with third parties, and is never used in any credit or loan-eligibility decision.
• Website-analytics data is separate from, and is not used for, our SMS/text messaging program.

6. Do we use Google Maps Platform APIs?

Yes, our website may utilize Google Maps Platform APIs. Use of these services is subject to Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

7. How long do we keep your information?

We retain personal information as long as necessary for:

• Legal and regulatory compliance.
• Business operations, including record-keeping and fraud prevention.
• Service fulfillment and contractual obligations. When data is no longer required, we securely dispose of it.

8. How do we keep your information safe?

We implement industry-standard security measures, including:

• Encryption of sensitive information during transmission.
• Secure storage practices to protect against unauthorized access.
• Access controls and authentication measures to prevent unauthorized disclosure. Despite these safeguards, no method of electronic transmission is entirely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Do we collect information from minors?

No, we do not knowingly collect or market to individuals under the age of 18.

10. What are your privacy rights?

You have rights regarding your personal data, including:

• Access & Correction: You may request access to or correction of your personal information.
• Opt-Out of Communications: You can unsubscribe from our marketing or promotional emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the message. You can stop our text (SMS) messages at any time by replying STOP, as described in Section 11.
• Restrict Processing: Under certain conditions, you may request to limit the use of your data.
• Data Deletion: Subject to legal and business obligations, you may request the deletion of your personal information. To exercise these rights, please contact us at Esther@choicehm.com.

11. SMS / text messaging & mobile information

If you provide your mobile phone number and agree to be contacted, Choice Home Mortgage may send you text (SMS) messages related to your inquiry, such as follow-up from a loan officer. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out of text messages at any time by replyingSTOP, and you can reply HELP for assistance.

Mobile information sharing: No mobile information — including your phone number collected for SMS purposes and your consent to be texted — will be shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile opt-in data is not sold or shared for marketing. We may share your information only with the service providers who help us deliver messages and our services to you (for example, our messaging provider), and only as needed to provide those services.

12–16. Other legal rights & contact information

For details on California residents’ rights, Do-Not-Track features, and how to review, update, or delete your data, please contact us:

Choice Home Mortgage, a DBA of Montana Real Estate Inc.
PO Box 3606, Newport Beach, CA 92659
Email: Esther@choicehm.com
Phone: (949) 522-7310

By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.