Down Payment Scout ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use downpaymentscout.com, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. By using this site, you agree to the practices described below.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
When you use our eligibility tool or request an action plan, we may collect:
- Name, email address, and phone number
- Location (ZIP code, county, city, state)
- Household income and size
- Estimated home price and down payment amount
- Homeownership history (first-time buyer status)
- Any comments or questions you submit
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the site, we automatically collect:
- Device and browser type, operating system, and screen size
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Pages visited, time spent, and navigation patterns
- Referring site or search engine
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Cookies section below)
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Match you with down payment assistance programs based on your eligibility criteria
- Generate personalized action plans and email them to you when requested
- Respond to your inquiries, questions, or consultation requests
- Connect you with a licensed mortgage professional or partner realtor when you request it
- Improve the site's content, functionality, and user experience
- Analyze usage patterns and measure the effectiveness of our content
- Comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud or abuse
How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following limited situations:
Partner Mortgage Professionals & Realtors
When you request an action plan or consultation through a realtor's branded page (for example, a page at /p/[realtor-name]/), we share your contact details and eligibility information with that specific realtor so they can follow up with you.
Service Providers
We use trusted third-party services to operate the site. These include analytics (Google Analytics, Cloudflare Web Analytics), lead delivery (GoHighLevel), email services, and hosting (Cloudflare Pages). These providers process data on our behalf under contractual confidentiality obligations.
Legal Compliance
We may disclose information when required by law, subpoena, or court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of others.
Business Transfers
If Down Payment Scout is merged, acquired, or sold, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, understand how visitors use it, and improve performance. Specifically:
- Essential cookies: Required for the site to function (session state, form submissions).
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics and Cloudflare Web Analytics help us understand aggregate site usage.
- Functional cookies: Remember your preferences (for example, saved eligibility criteria).
You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect site functionality. We do not use advertising cookies or retargeting pixels on this site.
Your Rights and Choices
Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:
All Users
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion: Ask us to delete your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements).
- Unsubscribe: Opt out of marketing emails using the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us.
California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including:
- The right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
- The right to delete personal information we have collected
- The right to correct inaccurate personal information
- The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell your personal information)
- The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at Contact@downpaymentscout.com.
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. This includes HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted to the site, secure hosting on Cloudflare Pages, and limited access to personal data by authorized personnel only. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Lead information is typically retained for up to 7 years to support ongoing follow-up and comply with mortgage industry record-keeping requirements. Analytics data is aggregated and retained for up to 26 months.
Children's Privacy
Down Payment Scout is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Third-Party Links
Our site contains links to third-party websites (government housing agencies, lender sites, informational resources). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes, we will provide more prominent notice (such as a banner on the site or email notification to registered users).
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact us at: