Editorial Guidelines

Effective date: February 3, 2026

SebFrey.com is built to help Bay Area homeowners and consumers make smarter real estate decisions. This page explains how content is created, how we keep it accurate, how we handle AI and affiliate links, and what we do when we get something wrong.

What we publish (and who it’s for)

Most content on SebFrey.com is practical education: how the market works, how to think through selling decisions, what to expect during a transaction, and how local factors in Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area can affect outcomes. Some articles are straightforward “how-to” guides. Others are market commentary or opinion—clearly framed as analysis.

Our goal is simple: be useful, be clear, and be transparent.

AI disclosure

Yes, we may use AI tools to help with drafts, outlines, readability improvements, and summarizing longer topics. Think of AI as a writing assistant—not the expert and definitely not the final editor.

Every article is reviewed and edited by a human before it’s published. If something sounds generic, we rewrite it. If a claim can’t be supported, we either remove it, qualify it, or label it as opinion. And if a topic is sensitive—legal, tax, insurance, safety, or anything that could materially affect a homeowner’s decision—we apply extra scrutiny and encourage readers to confirm specifics with the right professional.

Fact-checking and accuracy standards

Real estate is full of details that can change fast—rules, forms, program requirements, deadlines, incentives, and local ordinances. We aim to keep content accurate and current, but we don’t pretend the internet can replace professional advice or a live update from a primary source.

When we reference factual claims (like rules, program eligibility, or official requirements), we try to verify them using primary sources whenever possible. That typically means government agencies, official program pages, published instructions, and other authoritative references. When we cite market stats, we do our best to use reputable sources and to describe what the numbers actually mean in real life.

If something varies by city, county, property type, HOA, lender, or season, we say so. If something is likely to change, we flag it. Our standard is to write in a way that helps you make better decisions—not in a way that pretends every answer is universal.

Opinion, analysis, and “real-world” experience

Some articles include interpretation of trends or commentary based on local experience. In those cases, we treat opinions as opinions, not facts. We also avoid promising results. Real estate outcomes vary based on condition, location, pricing strategy, timing, buyer demand, financing, and more.

If we share examples, they are meant to illustrate concepts—not guarantee a similar outcome for every property.

Affiliate disclosure and editorial independence

Some pages on SebFrey.com may include affiliate links. If you click and purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. When affiliate links are used, we aim to disclose that clearly within the article.

Affiliate relationships do not set our conclusions. We do not recommend a product or service solely because it pays. If something has downsides, we say so. If something isn’t a fit for most homeowners, we’ll say that too. The goal is to keep recommendations useful and honest, not salesy.

If a post is sponsored or includes paid placement, it will be disclosed.

Correction policy

Accuracy matters, and corrections are one of the strongest trust signals a site can offer. When we get something wrong, we fix it.

If you believe something on SebFrey.com is inaccurate, please email sebfrey at sebfrey.com and include the page URL and the specific issue. If you have a source that supports your correction, include that as well.

Here’s how we handle corrections:

• Small issues (typos, broken links, minor wording) are corrected as soon as we confirm them.

• Meaningful factual corrections—anything that could reasonably affect a homeowner’s decision—are updated and noted at the bottom of the article with a short statement such as: “Updated on [date]: corrected [what changed].”

• If a topic becomes outdated because a program or rule changes, we update the article and note it as an update rather than pretending the original version never existed.

Privacy and reader communication

If you submit information through a form, subscribe to email updates, or request a resource, we treat your information according to our Privacy Policy: If you receive email from us, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact

Questions about these editorial guidelines, or want to report an error?

Email: sebfrey at sebfrey.com

Phone:  408-413-3087

Website: SebFrey.com