Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

AFHMarketplace.com is Washington State’s specialized Adult Family Home (AFH) real estate platform, focused on AFH-related residential properties and AFH-suitable / AFH-potential properties.

This website is owned and operated by:

Petru Mihaluta
Licensed real estate broker and REALTOR® (Washington License #22035924)
Certified AFH Administrator

Brokerage:
Windermere Real Estate/South Sound, Inc. (Washington Brokerage License #18513)

Office Address:
33455 6th Ave S, Suite 1-A
Federal Way, WA 98003

Contact:
Phone: (425) 505-0595
General Email: Petru@AFHMarketplace.com

Privacy Email (preferred for privacy requests): privacy@AFHMarketplace.com

All real estate brokerage services are provided under RCW 18.86 through Windermere Real Estate/South Sound, Inc.

2. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information when you:

Visit AFHMarketplace.com
Submit a contact form, AFH Property Review request, or consultation request
Subscribe to AFH alerts, newsletters, or market updates
Communicate with us by phone, email, text, or other channels
Engage with AFHMarketplace.com content, tools, or resources

This Policy does not cover:

Third-party websites, tools, or platforms we link to
The internal privacy practices of NWMLS, lenders, attorneys, CPAs, AFH consultants, or other professionals we may refer you to
Any services beyond our Washington real estate brokerage scope

Please review each third party’s own privacy pol

3. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide real-estate–focused AFH services, respond to your requests, and improve the site.

3.1 Summary Table of Data Categories

Category	Examples of Data Collected	Primary Purposes
Contact & Identity	Name, email, phone, mailing address, preferred contact method, language preference	Respond to inquiries, schedule consultations, send requested info and alerts
Professional / Transactional	AFH operator status, role (buyer/seller/operator/landlord/investor), budget, timeline, notes	Provide tailored real estate guidance and prepare brokerage records
Property-Related	Property address, type, status (licensed AFH, CHOW, AFH-suitable, AFH-potential, not sure)	Market analysis, AFH Property Review, transaction prep
Communication Content	Form submissions, emails, text messages, call notes, consultation notes, feedback	Understand your goals, respond effectively, maintain communication records
Usage & Device Data (Automatic)	IP address, browser, device type, OS, pages visited, time on page, referrer, clicks	Site security, analytics, performance optimization
Cookies & Tracking	Cookie identifiers, pixels (e.g., Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel), session info	Remember preferences, measure traffic, run and evaluate marketing campaigns
MLS / Public Data	Listing data via NWMLS, public property records, basic demographic or market statistics	Provide AFH property info and market insights

We treat information as “personal information” when it identifies, relates to, or can reasonably be linked to a specific individual.

4. How We Collect Information

We collect information in three main ways:

4.1 Information You Provide Directly

Contact forms (general contact, AFH Property Review, buyer/seller forms, consultation requests)
Email, phone calls, text messages, and other communications
Subscriptions to AFH alerts, newsletters, or market updates
Optional fields such as goals, budget range, and preferred timelines

4.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit AFHMarketplace.com, we automatically collect certain data through cookies and similar technologies, such as:

IP address and general location (city/region level)
Browser type and version
Device type and operating system
Pages viewed and time spent on each page
Links clicked and referring pages

4.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive additional information from:

NWMLS and other MLS providers (listing data, status, and property details)
Public property records and tax assessor data
Marketing and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Facebook/Meta tools)
Social media platforms, if you interact with our content there
Lead sources or referral partners, when you have consented to be contacted

5. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information only within our real estate and educational scope, including:

5.1 To Provide and Manage Real Estate Services

Answering your questions about AFH real estate
Evaluating your AFH property from a real-estate–only perspective
Preparing comparative market analyses (CMAs) and AFH Property Reviews
Coordinating showings, offers, negotiations, and closings
Providing buyer, seller, landlord, or investor representation under RCW 18.86
Sending AFH opportunity alerts and market updates you request

5.2 To Communicate With You

Responding to inquiries and consultation requests
Sending confirmations, reminders, and follow-up information
Providing transaction-related updates when you are a client
Sending educational AFH content and newsletters (with opt-out options)

5.3 To Improve Our Website and Services

Analyzing traffic and usage patterns
Identifying content and features that are most useful
Fixing errors and improving performance
Enhancing navigation, layout, and user experience

5.4 For Marketing and Analytics (Within Legal Limits)

Understanding which topics and property types are most relevant to visitors
Measuring the effectiveness of online ads, emails, and campaigns
Building audiences for AFH-related advertising (e.g., on Meta/Facebook or Google)
Showing more relevant content to site visitors, where permitted

5.5 For Legal and Compliance Purposes

Complying with Washington real estate law (RCW 18.86) and record-keeping requirements
Complying with Fair Housing Act and Washington’s Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60)
Responding to lawful requests from courts or regulators
Detecting, investigating, and preventing fraud or misuse of the site
Enforcing our Terms of Service and other policies

We do not use your information to provide legal, tax, financial, medical, clinical, or AFH operational advice.

6. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share it in these limited situations:

6.1 Within the Real Estate Brokerage Context

With Windermere Real Estate/South Sound, Inc., as required to deliver brokerage services under RCW 18.86
With licensed assistants, transaction coordinators, or staff involved in your transaction
With cooperating brokers and MLS participants when necessary for showings, offers, or transactions
With escrow, title, and other essential transaction service providers

6.2 With Service Providers

We use carefully selected third-party vendors to operate and improve AFHMarketplace.com, such as:

Website hosting and security providers
Email marketing and CRM platforms
Analytics and advertising tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Meta/Facebook)
Appointment scheduling tools
Cloud storage and productivity tools

These providers are contractually required to:

Use your data only to perform services for us
Protect your data with reasonable security measures
Not sell or use your data for their own unrelated purposes

6.3 With Other Professionals (At Your Direction)

At your request or with your knowledge, we may share relevant information with:

Attorneys and legal counsel
CPAs and tax professionals
AFH licensing or operational consultants
Lenders and mortgage professionals
Inspectors, contractors, or other real-estate–related professionals

We do not receive referral fees or compensation for such referrals, in alignment with RESPA and professional ethics.

6.4 For Legal, Safety, or Compliance Reasons

We may disclose information if we believe in good faith that it is reasonably necessary to:

Comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal processes
Respond to lawful requests from public authorities
Protect the rights, property, or safety of AFHMarketplace.com, our clients, or others
Enforce our Terms of Service or investigate potential violations

6.5 Business Transfers

If AFHMarketplace.com or a substantial portion of its assets is involved in a merger, acquisition, or similar transaction, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Privacy Policy or a successor policy with equivalent protections.

6.6 Aggregated or De-Identified Data

We may share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably identify you (for example, general AFH market statistics or anonymized website usage data).

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

7.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites remember your preferences and understand how visitors interact with the site.

7.2 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies – Required for basic site functionality and security.
Performance & Analytics Cookies – Help us understand traffic and usage (e.g., Google Analytics).
Functionality Cookies – Remember preferences, such as language or saved search criteria.
Advertising & Remarketing Cookies – Help us measure and improve AFH-focused advertising on platforms like Google or Meta/Facebook.

7.3 Third-Party Tracking

Third parties such as Google, Meta/Facebook, or email marketing platforms may place cookies or pixels when you:

Visit AFHMarketplace.com
Open our emails
Interact with our ads or social media content

Their privacy policies govern how they use this data.

7.4 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

Your browser settings (block, delete, or limit cookies)
Platform-specific tools (e.g., Google Ads settings, Facebook ad preferences)
Tools such as the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On

Note: Disabling some cookies may reduce site functionality.

7.5 Do Not Track

Some browsers offer “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals. AFHMarketplace.com does not currently respond to DNT signals, but you can manage tracking as described above.

8. AFH Resident Information & PHI (RCW 70.02)

8.1 We Do Not Want Protected Health Information (PHI)

AFHMarketplace.com is a real estate platform, not a healthcare or clinical service. We do not request or knowingly collect:

Resident names or identifying details
Medical histories or diagnoses
Care plans or treatment notes
Any other Protected Health Information (PHI) as defined under federal or state law

Please do not include PHI in any form submissions, emails, texts, or attachments.

8.2 Operator Responsibility Under RCW 70.02

AFH operators and healthcare providers are solely responsible for:

Protecting resident health information under RCW 70.02 and any applicable federal laws (e.g., HIPAA)
Maintaining secure systems and procedures for PHI
Ensuring that PHI is not transmitted to non-covered entities like real estate brokers without proper de-identification and legal review

8.3 If PHI Is Sent in Error

If PHI is inadvertently submitted to us:

We will not use it for marketing or analytics
We will make reasonable efforts to avoid unnecessary retention
We may delete it when discovered, to the extent permitted by law

9. Third-Party Services and Links

AFHMarketplace.com may link to or embed content from third-party services such as:

NWMLS and other MLS data providers
Mapping services (e.g., Google Maps)
Video platforms (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo)
Social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube)
Scheduling, form, or survey tools

We do not control third-party privacy practices. When you click a third-party link or use embedded tools:

You may be subject to that third party’s terms of use and privacy policy
Their collection and use of your data is governed by their policies, not ours

We recommend reviewing third-party privacy policies before providing any information.

10. Your Privacy Rights and Choices (General)

Regardless of where you live, you generally have the ability to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Update or correct inaccurate information
Request deletion of certain information, subject to legal and contractual obligations
Opt out of marketing emails and texts
Control cookies via browser and platform settings

To make a request, contact us using the information in Section 18. We may need to verify your identity before acting on certain requests.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including:

Right to Know what categories of personal information we collect, the sources, purposes, and with whom we share it
Right to Access specific pieces of personal information we hold about you
Right to Delete personal information, subject to legal exceptions (e.g., real estate record-keeping obligations)
Right to Correct inaccurate personal information
Right to Non-Discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

We do not sell your personal information as “sale” is defined under CCPA/CPRA, and we do not have actual knowledge of selling personal information of minors under 16.

To exercise California rights, contact us (see Section 18). We will verify your identity and respond within timeframes required by law (typically 45 days, extendable as permitted).

12. European / UK Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you may have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or similar laws, including:

Right of access to your personal data
Right to rectification of inaccurate data
Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), subject to legal obligations
Right to restrict processing in certain cases
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
Right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

Legal bases we may rely on include:

Consent (e.g., marketing communications, non-essential cookies)
Contract (e.g., providing requested real estate services)
Legitimate interests (e.g., site security, analytics)
Legal obligations (e.g., real estate record-keeping requirements)

Our servers are located in the United States. By using the site, you acknowledge your data may be transferred to and processed in the U.S. We apply reasonable safeguards for such transfers.

To exercise GDPR/UK rights, email privacy@AFHMarketplace.com with “GDPR Request” in the subject line.

13. Children’s Privacy

AFHMarketplace.com is intended for adults involved in real estate and AFH-related decisions.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18.
We do not target our services or content to children.

If you believe a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@AFHMarketplace.com and we will promptly review and delete that information where appropriate.

14. Data Security

We use reasonable technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, such as:

SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit
Password-protected systems and role-based access controls
Vendor contracts requiring appropriate security measures
Regular updates and maintenance of software and systems

No system can be guaranteed 100% secure. You can help by:

Using strong, unique passwords (if you create an account in the future)
Avoiding sending sensitive data via unencrypted email or text
Alerting us promptly if you suspect unauthorized access or misuse

To report a security concern, contact privacy@AFHMarketplace.com or call (425) 505-0595.

15. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as reasonably necessary to:

Provide requested services and maintain our relationship with you
Comply with legal, regulatory, and record-keeping obligations (e.g., under RCW 18.86)
Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements

Typical retention periods:

Real estate transaction records: generally 3–7 years (or as required by law)
General inquiries and marketing contacts: typically up to 3 years after last interaction, unless you opt out sooner
Aggregated or anonymized data: may be kept longer, as it no longer identifies you

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it or de-identify it in a commercially reasonable manner, subject to legal retention requirements.

16. International Users

AFHMarketplace.com is operated from the United States and governed by U.S. and Washington State law.

If you access the site from outside the U.S.:

Your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States
Data protection laws in the U.S. may differ from those in your home jurisdiction

By using the site, you consent to these transfers, subject to applicable safeguards and the rights described in this Policy.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

Changes in our services or business
Changes in applicable laws or regulations
Improvements in our privacy practices

When we make changes:

We will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page
For material changes, we may also provide additional notice (e.g., a banner on the site or email notice if you are subscribed)

Your continued use of AFHMarketplace.com after changes are posted means you accept the updated Privacy Policy.

18. Contact Information

If you have questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact:

Privacy Officer / Data Protection Contact
AFHMarketplace.com

Mailing Address:
AFHMarketplace.com
Attn: Privacy Officer
33455 6th Ave S, Suite 1-A
Federal Way, WA 98003

Phone: (425) 505-0595
Privacy Email (preferred): privacy@AFHMarketplace.com
General Email: Petru@AFHMarketplace.com

Business Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PST, or by appointment
Service Areas: King, Pierce, Kitsap, Thurston & Snohomish Counties, Washington State
Languages: English, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian

19. Additional Important Information

Email & CAN-SPAM: All marketing emails will clearly identify the sender, include a physical mailing address, and provide a working unsubscribe link. We honor opt-out requests within a reasonable time.
Fair Housing & Non-Discrimination: All services comply with the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.) and Washington’s Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60). We do not use personal information to discriminate against any protected class.
Professional Scope Reminder:
- We provide real estate brokerage services only under RCW 18.86.
- We do not provide legal, tax, financial, medical, clinical, or AFH operational consulting.
- All licensing and regulatory decisions for Adult Family Homes are made solely by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) under RCW 70.128 and WAC 388-76.