By using this site, you agree to the terms below. If you don't agree, please don't use the site.
What this site is
The Homes Screen is a content and media site blending pop-culture content with real estate and home-financing education. Our calculators (like the HELOC calculator) produce rough, informal estimates based on the numbers you enter — they are not financial advice, not a loan offer, and not a substitute for speaking with a licensed professional. Figures used in our articles about specific properties are illustrative estimates, not verified appraisals.
We are not a lender, and we stay clear of the industry on purpose
The Homes Screen does not originate, underwrite, or fund loans, and has no business relationship — formal or informal — with any mortgage lender, broker, title/escrow company, appraiser, or insurance provider. This is a deliberate choice: we specifically avoid these relationships to prevent conflicts of interest. Our calculators only ever display the numbers you enter back to you; they never recommend a specific lender, rate, or product.
Founder disclosure
The founder of The Homes Screen is personally employed in the mortgage industry. That employment is unrelated to this site — the founder's employer has no role in, review of, or influence over our content, calculators, or any recommendation made here. Full details on the founder's professional background are available on our About Us page. We're disclosing this because you deserve to know it exists, not because it changes anything about how this site operates.
How we make money
We earn revenue through affiliate commissions when you purchase products through links on this site (for example, on Amazon, Wayfair, or Home Depot) — clearly marked wherever they appear. This never costs you more, and it never influences what content or products we choose to feature.
Accuracy
We aim to be genuinely useful and accurate, but we make no guarantees about the completeness or accuracy of any content, calculator output, or estimate on this site. Use your own judgment and verify anything material to a financial decision with a licensed professional before acting on it.
Intellectual property
The text, design, and original content on this site belong to The Homes Screen unless otherwise noted. Photography used in articles is licensed stock photography, credited to its photographer where it appears.
Acceptable use
Don't misuse this site — that includes attempting to disrupt it, scrape it at scale, submit false information through our forms, or use it for any unlawful purpose.
No liability
This site and its content are provided "as is," without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we aren't liable for any decision made based on information from this site.
Changes
We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.
Questions
Reach out using the contact form on our homepage.