<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT 31.1
                                  ------------

                  CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


I, Robert C. Hamilton certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB of Home Loan Financial
Corporation, ("HLFC");

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of HLFC as of, and
for, the periods presented in this report;

4. HLFC's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for HLFC and have:

                  (a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or
         caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
         supervision, to ensure that material information relating to HLFC,
         including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
         within those entities, particularly during the period in which this
         report is being prepared;

                  (b) Evaluated the effectiveness of HLFC's disclosure controls
         and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

                  (c) Disclosed in this report any change in HLFC's internal
         control over financial reporting that occurred during HLFC's most
         recent fiscal quarter (HLFC's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an
         annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
         materially affect, HLFC's internal control over financial reporting;
         and

5. HLFC's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most
recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to HLFC's
auditors and the audit committee of HLFC's board of directors (or persons
performing the equivalent functions):

              (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
              design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
              which are reasonably likely to adversely affect HLFC's ability to
              record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

              (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
              or other employees who have a significant role in HLFC's internal
              control over financial reporting.



/s/ Robert C. Hamilton
-------------------------------
Robert C. Hamilton, President

Date:  November 14, 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                             26.