Terms of Use

1. The website and its purpose

Desert Oasis Insider is an independent local publication and media business. It covers places, communities, people, history, nature, activities, local services, and real estate. Articles can include reporting, opinions, firsthand observations, public-source research, and third-party information. Our approach to sourcing, disclosures, and corrections is explained in our Editorial Standards.

Many pages are informational guides even when Shopify organizes them as “products” or “collections.” A page about a home, floor plan, community, business, or attraction is not itself an offer by us to sell that property, admission, membership, or third-party service. Any actual purchase or service offer must state what is being supplied and its applicable terms.

2. Articles, photography, video and permitted use

Our original articles, photographs, videos, graphics, page designs, and original tools are owned by Mark Miller/Desert Oasis Insider or used with permission, except where another owner or source is identified. Third-party photographs, builder floor plans, maps, MLS information, names, logos, and other material remain subject to their owners’ rights. We do not claim ownership of facts or third-party material.

You may read the website for personal use, share links, and use any download or sharing feature according to the instructions provided. Copyright exceptions, including fair use where applicable, remain available. Attribution alone does not grant a license to republish a photograph or substantial article text.

Unless a specific license or applicable law permits it, obtain written permission before reproducing or republishing our articles, photographs, or videos; using our work in listings, advertising, or paid products; distributing copies; removing watermarks or credits; or systematically copying or compiling our content into another publication, database, or commercial service.

A purchased photography or media license is governed by the applicable service agreement. Being a subject of an article, owning a featured property, or being a client does not by itself transfer copyright. For permission requests, contact MarkMillerCA@gmail.com with the material, proposed use, and where it would appear.

3. Accuracy and changing information

We work to provide useful, accurate reporting and correct errors brought to our attention. Information reflects its source and stated reporting period. A page’s update date does not necessarily mean every figure, quotation, image, or external link was independently reverified on that date.

Prices, HOA dues, assessments, membership charges, availability, opening hours, access rules, construction schedules, amenities, rental restrictions, and laws can change. Statements about plans or proposed developments are not guarantees of approval, completion, timing, or final features. Photographs show conditions when taken and can include models, staging, optional upgrades, or historical conditions.

Before making a financial, property, travel, or activity decision, confirm material details with the appropriate current source—such as a property owner, builder, HOA, club, operator, government agency, or your professional adviser. Contact us with a specific correction and supporting information.

4. Interactive tools, maps and floor plans

Calculators, market explorers, filters, comparisons, maps, and floor-plan tools are for general exploration. Their results depend on the data, assumptions, filters, reporting dates, and inputs shown. An estimate is not an appraisal, lender quote, insurance quote, tax determination, legal opinion, or promise of a transaction outcome.

• Market data: samples may omit transactions or include classification differences. Past sales and selected comparables do not guarantee a particular property’s value, sale price, appreciation, or time on market.
• Cost estimates: calculators may exclude assessments, insurance changes, taxes, financing costs, maintenance, membership fees, and other expenses. Obtain property-specific figures before committing.
• Floor plans and measurements: plans are illustrative and can vary by builder, model, elevation, lot, construction phase, option, or later alteration. Dimensions and square footage require independent verification. Plans are not construction documents, surveys, engineering advice, or a certification of permitted work.
• Maps and route information: location markers and routes can be approximate. They do not establish boundaries, easements, legal access, trail conditions, or permission to enter property.

5. Real-estate information and inquiries

Mark Miller is a California real-estate agent, DRE #01963114. Mark also owns Bloom Home Search Engine. The website can help readers research communities and contact Mark about buying, selling, or renting. Current brokerage disclosures appear on the website and applicable transaction documents.

Reading an article, using a search tool, or sending an inquiry does not by itself establish representation, fiduciary duties, an exclusive agency relationship, or an obligation to pay a commission. Representation, duties, scope, and compensation are governed by applicable law and the relevant agreements. Nothing in these Terms waives a duty that applies when Mark acts as your agent.

General website information does not replace individualized real-estate, legal, tax, lending, insurance, inspection, or other professional advice. Community descriptions and comparison tools support your own research and preferences. Housing services remain subject to applicable fair-housing and nondiscrimination requirements.

MLS and other listing information is subject to the source’s notices and usage restrictions, including any personal, noncommercial-use limitations shown with the data. A search result or a property featured in our reporting is not a guarantee that it is currently available.

Where a requested introduction or referral involves another professional, that professional’s services and any applicable compensation or relationship disclosures are addressed separately. You remain free to select the professionals you use. See our Editorial Standards for ownership, professional-role, and editorial disclosures.

6. Third-party businesses, links and activities

We may describe or link to businesses, communities, clubs, trails, attractions, software, videos, maps, or other third-party resources. A mention, interview, review, or link does not make us the operator of that business or activity and does not guarantee its safety, quality, availability, or performance. Identified sponsorships or other material relationships should be considered with the relevant disclosure.

When you use another provider’s site, book a service, join a club, or enter an activity, that provider’s agreement, privacy notice, qualifications, and operating rules also apply. Confirm pricing, permissions, eligibility, access, cancellation rules, and other material conditions directly with the provider.

Outdoor and recreational information cannot account for your experience, fitness, weather, heat, wildlife, water conditions, closures, or conditions on a particular day. Check current official guidance and on-site restrictions. A map, photograph, or article is not permission to enter private or closed property.

Some forms on this website support an identified activity operator. For example, the Palm Desert Resort liability/participation form concerns Court Resort Management; Desert Oasis Insider provides digital services for that form. The operator’s actual participation terms and any release you are asked to sign govern that activity. These general website Terms do not sign a release on your behalf.

7. Photography, media and other paid services

Photography, video, floor plans, YouTube management, and related marketing work are governed by the applicable quote, invoice, written agreement, and our Terms of Service — Real Estate Photography, where incorporated into the service arrangement.

That service agreement addresses scope, scheduling, delivery, fees, revisions, licenses, cancellation or refunds, and any subscription conditions. It controls over these general website Terms for those services, subject to applicable law. These Terms do not change an existing client’s payment, refund, or licensing agreement.

For any other paid offering, review the stated price, deliverable, timing, renewal, cancellation, and refund conditions before ordering. Any legally required affirmative acceptance or subscription consent must be obtained through the relevant transaction process. There is no general promise that a media, marketing, or real-estate service will produce a particular number of views, leads, clients, sales, or financial results.

8. Submissions, accounts and respectful use

Provide accurate information, act only for yourself or someone you are authorized to represent, and submit only material you have a right to provide. Do not use the website to impersonate others, harass people, send spam, publish unlawful material, infringe rights, collect other visitors’ information without authorization, introduce malicious code, bypass access restrictions, or disrupt the service.

If you intentionally submit material for public display, such as a public comment or review, you retain your rights and authorize us to display and make reasonable formatting or moderation changes needed to use that submission for its stated purpose. Separate publication or licensing arrangements may apply to contributed photographs, stories, interviews, or commissioned work. Sending a private inquiry does not automatically authorize its use as a public endorsement.

We may remove or restrict public submissions that are unlawful, misleading, abusive, infringing, off-topic, or inconsistent with the feature’s rules. We may restrict access when reasonably necessary to address misuse or protect the website, subject to applicable law and any paid-service obligations.

If you use an account, protect its credentials and contact the relevant provider about suspected unauthorized use. Our inquiry, account, newsletter, and commercial-service features are intended for adults able to enter the relevant arrangement.

9. Privacy and communications

Our Privacy Policy explains how information is collected, used, and disclosed through the website, including forms, analytics, advertising, and embedded services. It also explains privacy choices and how to contact us with a request.

We may respond to an inquiry through the contact details you provide. Newsletter subscriptions and other marketing choices are handled through their own signup and unsubscribe processes. These Terms do not replace any legally required consent for marketing calls, texts, cookies, or other processing.

10. Availability, warranties and responsibility

We may update, reorganize, or discontinue free website features and cannot promise uninterrupted availability, error-free operation, or that all external information and links will remain current. Subject to applicable law and any express service agreement, the free website and general informational tools are provided “as is” and “as available,” without additional warranties of accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose, or uninterrupted operation.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, we are not responsible for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential losses arising from use of the free website or reliance on general informational content. Responsibility for paid services is governed by the applicable agreement and law.

11. Applicable law and existing agreements

These Terms are governed by California law and applicable federal law, without depriving you of mandatory protections that apply in another jurisdiction. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions apply to the extent permitted by law.

These Terms address general website use. A separately accepted service, brokerage, licensing, or activity agreement controls its own subject matter where the documents conflict. The Privacy Policy controls the description of our personal-information practices. These Terms do not impose a separate mandatory-arbitration agreement or class-action waiver.

12. Updates to these Terms

We may revise these Terms as the website or services change. Revisions will be posted here with an updated effective date, with additional notice or acceptance where required by law. Changes apply prospectively and do not retroactively rewrite an existing service agreement or take away accrued rights.

13. Contact, corrections and permissions

Contact us with a question about these Terms, a factual correction, a content-permission request, or a concern about material on the website. Identify the relevant page and explain the request so we can review it.

Related: Privacy Policy · Editorial Standards · Photography Service Terms