Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

First Option Mortgage, LLC is a Georgia corporation with its corporate headquarters located in Atlanta, GA. For purposes of this privacy statement, "FOM, FOL or First Option" means First Option Mortgage, LLC of Georgia.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you should first contact a Branch Manager using the Contact Us section of the First Option Web site (www.firstoptiononline.com).

Your Privacy is Very Important to Us. At First Option, your privacy is our highest concern. We understand that you delegate us with your private financial information to help us match you with a bank, lender or loan broker (we refer to all of these as "Lenders") or real estate professional who can meet your needs. In exchange for your trust, you expect and deserve our dedication to treat your information with respect. Rest assured that we protect your privacy. Under NO circumstances will First Option sell or share any personal information about you to or with any person or organization except: as allowed by you, to participating lenders, real estate professionals or other parties involved in your transaction, or as may be required by law or court order. The Privacy Policy below describes the principles we adhere to in handling information about you and your loan request.

We want to inform you of the following:

• Information we may collect on a First Option Web site
• How your information is used
• Altering the information you submit through the First Option Web site
• How our Privacy Policy is monitored

Information We Collect

There are several areas on First Option's Web site where you may be asked to enter both personal and non-personal information. We will not and do not sell or share any personal information about you to or with any person or organization except: as sanctioned by you, to participating Lenders, real estate professionals or other parties involved in your transaction, or as may be required by law or court order.

• Information we receive from you on loan or realty requests. When you come to a First Option branch location to complete a qualification form you'll need to provide personal and financial information such as your name, phone number, Social Security Number, e-mail address, income and other financial information depending upon your expressed loan or real estate referral preference.
• Supplementary information for your loan or realty request. When you complete a loan at the First Option branch, it may be necessary for us to supplement the information you provide with information from third party sources.
• Technical information we collect. In order for us to ensure that we are providing the best possible consumer experience on the First Option Web site, we collect and track certain user information.
• Information from the "Contact Us" section of the First Option Web site. You may contact First Option through the "Contact Us" feature. Participation in this area is completely voluntary and it is your choice whether or not you wish to disclose your personal information to us.
• Information we collect when you apply for a job at First Option. First Option may collect information from job applicants via the Contact Us page on the First Option Web site. Participation in this area is completely voluntary and it is your choice whether or not you wish to disclose your personal information to us.

How your information is used

We use the information you provide on your loan or realty request to determine what loan programs you may be eligible for. We may also send your information to other third parties relevant to your transaction. Lenders will also receive your credit history when they review your request. First Option may also share certain aggregated data with our Lenders and other third parties for general marketing and demographic purposes; however, this data does not and will not include any of your personal identifying information.

• Sharing information with authorized agents. (when you click on the "Submit" button or on the "Continue" button on "Online Application" on the loan the information you provide on the loan will be sent through the First Option system and may be presented to our certified agents.) Our authorized agents do not sell or share your personal information with any person or organization.

Altering Information You Submit Through the First Option Web Site.

First Option puts you in control of your experience on First Option's Web site. You'll find our sites easy to navigate to find all the information you need to complete your transaction.

• Changing your information. You will be able to evaluate and change personal information in an active loan or realty request that you completed through First Option Online. If you are unable to complete this online, you may contact First Option for assistance.
• Deleting your information. Federal and state regulations require that we store completed loan and real estate requests for various periods of time. In order to comply with these regulations, we cannot delete information from our databases.
• Request to stop receiving emails from us. Every so often, First Option may send you emails to alert you to money saving tips or special offers. If you do not wish to receive any of these offers, please visit our "contact us" where we will remove you from our mailing list.
• Security. First Option's Web site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. More Details

Who We Are

When you visit the First Option Web site to request a loan, you will complete one simple loan or realty request. We will then contact you for additional information to determine what programs you may qualify for.

Information We Collect

Information we receive from you on loan or realty requests. Some of the information you supply to us on the loan or realty request may be optional. If you supply this information, it will not be sold or shared to or with any person or organization except: as authorized by you, to participating Lenders, real estate professionals or other parties involved in your transaction, or as may be required by law or court order.

• Supplementary information for your loan or realty request. In order for us to match you with the best programs, we may need to obtain additional data. For example, we may use your name and Social Security Number to request a credit report to help us determine which lenders are best suited to compete for your business.
• Technical information we collect. When you visit the First Option Web site, our Web server sends a cookie to your computer. This cookie merely stores a limited amount of information about your site visit. Banner advertisements for First Option may also have cookies served by third parties. The cookie tracks information on how the advertisement and our site are being used, including session counts, navigation patterns, pages visited, etc. These cookies, do not store any personally identifiable information such as your name, email address, phone number, etc. These cookies cannot be related to you as an individual unless you complete a loan or realty request.

When you complete a loan or realty request, we store your cookie identification in our system. If you request that we remember you during a loan or realty request, we use this cookie to allow our site to recognize you when you return.

First Option also utilizes Web Logs to track aggregate information about how our site is being used. Web Logs track anonymous user information, including the number of visitors to our site, operating systems, Internet Provider addresses (if publicly available), and browser type. Unlike cookies, Web Logs are maintained only on First Option servers and do not store or place anything on the user's computer.

If you come to theFirst Option Web site from an online banner ad, an anonymous identification number may be passed to our site. This information cannot be used to gather any personally identifiable information about you. It will only allow us to track the overall effectiveness of our online advertising campaigns.

• Information from surveys. Every survey presented to you will include specific instructions regarding how your information may be shared. By clicking the "Submit" button at the end of the survey, you authorize First Option to share your data in the manner outlined on the survey.
• Information from the "Apply Online" section of a First Option Web site. In the "Apply Online" form, we may ask you for personally identifiable information such as your name, mailing address, email address, etc. This information will not be sold to any person or organization. However, your information may be shared with other parties relevant to your transaction to help resolve any issues you report to us.
• Information we collect when you apply for a job at First Option. When you apply for a job through a First Option Web site, we may ask you for personally identifiable information such as your name, mailing address, email address, etc. This information will not be sold or shared with any person or organization. All data collected will be used for the purposes of evaluating your application for employment. Your e-mail address or telephone number may be used by authorized First Option employees to contact you concerning your application.

How your information is used

• We will take your information and determine what loan programs best fit your situation and needs. We will then contact you and discuss your options.

Altering Information You Submit Through the First Option Web Site

• Changing your information. If you want to change the type of loan or make other significant changes to your loan or realty request, you might need to make another request through our Web site.
• Deleting your information. Even if your loan or realty request was withdrawn, by law, we cannot delete that information. We store all of the information you might provide securely.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on January 14, 2008.