There’s something universally irritating about the endless flow of unwanted sales offers that clog up our mailboxes, inboxes and voicemails. But it’s particularly annoying when you’ve just closed on your new home only to find these solicitations seemingly triple in volume.

If this has happened to you, you’re not alone. It’s an irksome rite of passage for almost every new homeowner. But why? And what—if anything—can you do about it?

Why New Buyers Are Targeted

When you secure a mortgage and close on the purchase of your new home, your transaction becomes part of the public record. Documents such as deeds and loan details are recorded at your local county offices and become accessible to anyone.

These public records are often accessed by various companies who then target you with offers for all kinds of products and services, such as personal loans, insurance, home security systems and other items. This often leads to a tidal wave of junk mail, marketing calls and emails that can quickly become overwhelming.

Steps You Can Take

While it is challenging to completely prevent these offers, there are steps you can take to reduce their volume and protect yourself from falling prey to potential scams.

One way is to choose a home lender that puts its borrowers first. At Right By You Mortgage, for instance, we take proactive steps to protect our customers’ information right from the start. When you apply for a loan with us, we ensure your contact information is shielded as much as possible when pulling your credit. This can help minimize the amount of junk mail you receive after closing on your home.

Another step is to be cautious of official-looking solicitations you receive by mail. Marketers often design these offers to mimic genuine communications from your lender or a local government agency. Always verify the authenticity of any correspondence by contacting your lender directly, so you don’t fall prey to deceptive practices that could compromise your financial security or lead to unnecessary expenses.

Despite these precautions, it can be difficult to completely stop your information from being accessed in public records. But there are a few additional steps you can take to further cut down the amount of junk mail and unsolicited calls you receive.

Remember These Resources

The first step is visiting OptOutPrescreen.com, where you can opt-out of receiving certain preapproved or prescreened offers. This site was developed in response to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which protects consumers from the misuse and misreporting of their credit information by allowing them to opt out of prescreened offers for credit and insurance.

OptOutPrescreen.com is actually run by the major consumer credit reporting companies—Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion. While it doesn’t stop companies from accessing public records, you can remove your name from the lists these credit agencies sell to other companies. You have the option to opt-out for five years or permanently.

The second step is to register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry, which was established in 2003 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to offer consumers a choice about receiving telemarketing calls. The registry effectively prevents telemarketers from legally contacting anyone who signs up.

While registering your phone number blocks most telemarketing calls, it won’t stop calls from political organizations, charities, and survey researchers. But it should reduce the overall volume of marketing calls you receive. If you find that you’re still getting telemarketing calls for credit and insurance more than 31 days after registering, you can report these to the Federal Trade Commission.

At Right By You Mortgage, we understand the thrill and excitement that come with purchasing a home. That’s why we do everything we can to ensure that the joy of buying a new home isn’t overshadowed by a relentless stream of junk offers.

If you’d like to know more about how we protect our borrowers’ information and preserve homebuying as the amazing experience it was meant to be, our expert loan officers can help. Find a local loan officer near you or email us at inquiries@fidelitybanknc.com to learn more.