Questions worth asking before you order.

Those are algorithms guessing from public data — wrong on a single home by six figures, sometimes. An appraisal is a licensed professional who inspects your home, pulls the right comparable sales, and signs a defensible opinion of value you can hand to a court or the IRS.

A CMA is an agent’s pricing opinion to help you list — useful, but not independent, and not accepted where a formal value is required. An appraisal is an independent, USPAP-compliant valuation by a licensed appraiser, built to be defended.

A BPO is another agent-prepared estimate, often for lenders. It isn’t a certified appraisal and won’t carry the same weight in court, at the IRS, or before a review board.

You can order one for any reason — no lender required. When you engage us, the report is yours to use for divorce, estate, taxes, or a sale. Not sure? Take the free 15-minute read and we’ll tell you honestly — even if the answer is “you don’t.”

Yes. Retrospective appraisals — date of death, date of separation, a prior tax year — are standard practice, not a special request. Just tell us the effective date when you order.

A Texas-certified real estate appraiser, matched to your county and situation by Bearing’s ordering desk. Bearing is an ordering service — not an AMC — and never takes lender assignments.

Remote Chart: 1–2 business days. On-site Compass: 3–5 business days. Beacon: within 24 hours of the inspection. We confirm your date in writing when you order.

Yes. USPAP binds us to confidentiality. Your appraisal is a private document — never filed in public records, and shared only with whom you tell us to.

Chart $450, Compass $550, Beacon $650, measurement $175. Larger or complex homes: same service, exact fee confirmed within one business day before any work begins. See pricing.

We’ll walk you through how we got there, and you can send us anything you think we missed for a second look. What we won’t do is change a number to match an expectation — an appraisal only holds up because it’s independent.

We can’t promise a number, and you should be wary of anyone who does. We promise an honest, defensible value and a hard deadline. That’s what makes the report useful.