Privacy Policy for The New Home Skeptic
The New Home Skeptic ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website thenewhomeskeptic.com. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and transparency. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our forensic cost audit and structural inspection services.
Information We Collect
Personal Data You Provide
When you interact with The New Home Skeptic, we may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including but not limited to:
Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and mailing address when you request a consultation, submit an inquiry form, or sign up for our newsletter
Project Details: Property address, builder information, construction timeline, and specific concerns about your new home construction
Payment Information: Billing details and transaction information when you engage our services (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
Communication Records: Correspondence, emails, and messages exchanged with Ethan C. Morrison, PE, CCP, and our team
Professional Information: Your role in the construction project (homeowner, buyer's agent, attorney, etc.)
Automatically Collected Information
When you visit thenewhomeskeptic.com, we automatically collect certain technical information about your device and browsing behavior:
Log Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and timestamps
Device Information: Device type, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information
Usage Analytics: How you navigate our site, which pages you visit, time spent on pages, and interaction patterns
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
The New Home Skeptic uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze site traffic. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us remember your preferences and understand how you use our website. We use the following types of cookies:
Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand visitor behavior through services like Google Analytics
Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings for a better user experience
Marketing Cookies: Track your activity across websites to deliver relevant content and measure campaign effectiveness
You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of thenewhomeskeptic.com.
How We Use Your Information
The New Home Skeptic uses the collected information for the following purposes:
Service Delivery: To provide forensic cost audits, structural inspections, and expert analysis of new construction defects
Communication: To respond to your inquiries, schedule consultations, provide project updates, and deliver inspection reports
Business Operations: To process payments, maintain client records, and manage our professional relationships
Website Improvement: To analyze site usage, identify technical issues, and enhance user experience on thenewhomeskeptic.com
Marketing and Outreach: To send newsletters, educational content about construction defects, and information about our services (with your consent)
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and professional engineering standards
Security: To protect against fraud, unauthorized access, and other security threats
Third-Party Sharing and Disclosure
The New Home Skeptic does not sell your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your information in the following circumstances:
Service Providers
We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating thenewhomeskeptic.com and delivering our services. These providers have access to your information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated to protect your data. Examples include:
Web hosting and cloud storage providers
Payment processors and financial institutions
Email marketing platforms
Analytics services (such as Google Analytics)
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
Professional Collaborators
When conducting forensic cost audits and structural inspections, we may share relevant project information with other professionals involved in your case, such as attorneys, insurance adjusters, or expert witnesses, but only with your explicit consent or as required for service delivery.
Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, subpoena, or government regulation, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same privacy protections outlined in this policy.
Data Retention
The New Home Skeptic retains your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specific retention periods include:
Client Records: Maintained for a minimum of seven years following project completion, in accordance with professional engineering standards and potential statute of limitations for construction defect claims
Financial Records: Retained for at least seven years for tax and accounting purposes
Marketing Communications: Stored until you unsubscribe or request deletion
Website Analytics: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for statistical purposes
When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention schedule and applicable regulations.
Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. The New Home Skeptic respects these rights and provides the following options:
Access and Portability
You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and receive a copy in a structured, commonly used format.
Correction and Update
You may request that we correct inaccurate information or update incomplete data about you.
Deletion
You can request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions such as legal obligations, ongoing disputes, or legitimate business purposes.
Opt-Out of Marketing
You may unsubscribe from our marketing emails at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any promotional message or contacting us directly at the email address provided below.
Cookie Management
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Visit your browser's help section for specific instructions.
Do Not Track
Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature. Currently, thenewhomeskeptic.com does not respond to DNT signals, as there is no industry-wide standard for handling such requests.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Contact Information section below. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
Children's Privacy
The New Home Skeptic's services are intended for adults involved in new home construction projects. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. Our website thenewhomeskeptic.com is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly solicit or collect information from minors. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take immediate steps to delete such information from our records. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.
International Data Transfers
The New Home Skeptic is based in the United States, and our website thenewhomeskeptic.com is hosted on servers located in the United States. If you access our services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country of residence.
By using our website and services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other jurisdictions where we or our service providers operate. We take appropriate measures to ensure that your personal information receives adequate protection in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.
Security Measures
The New Home Skeptic takes the security of your personal information seriously and implements reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include:
Encryption: We use SSL/TLS encryption to protect data transmitted between your browser and thenewhomeskeptic.com
Access Controls: Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis, with authentication requirements for our team members
Secure Storage: Client files and sensitive documents are stored in encrypted, password-protected systems
Regular Updates: We maintain up-to-date software and security patches on our systems
Third-Party Vetting: We carefully select service providers who demonstrate strong security practices
Data Backup: Regular backups to prevent data loss while maintaining security protocols
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any passwords or account credentials you use to access our services.
Third-Party Links
The New Home Skeptic website may contain links to third-party websites, resources, or services that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy applies only to thenewhomeskeptic.com. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. Links to external resources do not constitute an endorsement by The New Home Skeptic.
California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include:
The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
The right to request deletion of your personal information
The right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (note: The New Home Skeptic does not sell personal information)
The right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below. We will verify your identity before processing your request.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
The New Home Skeptic reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:
Update the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy
Post the revised policy on thenewhomeskeptic.com
Notify you via email if you have provided your email address and the changes significantly affect your rights
Provide prominent notice on our website for significant changes
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of thenewhomeskeptic.com and our services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact The New Home Skeptic:
Ethan C. Morrison, PE, CCP
The New Home Skeptic
Website: thenewhomeskeptic.com
Email: [email protected]
We will respond to your inquiry within 30 business days. For urgent privacy concerns, please indicate "URGENT PRIVACY MATTER" in your subject line.
Thank you for trusting The New Home Skeptic with your forensic cost audit and structural inspection needs. We are committed to protecting your privacy while helping you translate builder-speak into real repair budgets.