When the number has to hold up.

Usually not, and that's the point. A county assessment is a mass-appraisal estimate produced by a computer model for taxation, not an inspected opinion of value for your specific property on a specific date. Courts, the IRS, and lenders generally will not accept it in place of an appraisal — and in Tarrant County the assessed square footage itself is frequently wrong.

Yes, and it's often the smarter path. A joint or stipulated engagement — where both parties or both attorneys agree on a single appraiser — costs half of two competing appraisals and removes the "battle of the experts" problem. My obligation is impartiality regardless of who signs the engagement letter, so the report reads the same either way.

Effectively as far back as the market data supports, which in this market is decades. It's called a retrospective appraisal: the effective date is the date of death (or the alternate valuation date, if the estate elects it), and only data available as of that date is used. Expect it to take somewhat longer than a current-value assignment — that's the research talking, not a backlog.

No appraiser can promise what the IRS will do, and be wary of one who does. What I can tell you is that the report is developed in accordance with generally accepted appraisal standards, that I meet the qualified-appraiser criteria at Treas. Reg. §1.170A-17 for residential real property, and that the report contains the content and the appraiser declaration required for Form 8283 reporting. Your CPA should confirm which valuation date and which form apply before I begin.

Yes. Testimony and deposition are billed hourly and quoted in advance, separate from the appraisal fee — including preparation and wait time. That's standard practice and it protects the appraisal's independence: I'm paid for time, never for an outcome.

Yes. The appraiser–client relationship and your assignment results are confidential under the USPAP Ethics Rule and are disclosed only to you, to parties you authorize, to state enforcement agencies, to third parties as authorized by due process of law, or to a duly authorized peer review committee. In a contested matter, I don't hand a copy to the other side — your attorney controls that.

Client and intended use. In a lender assignment the lender is the client, the report is written to their guidelines, and you're just permitted to receive a copy. Here you (or your attorney) are the client, the intended use is stated as yours — probate, division, a tax filing — and the report is written for the person who will actually be reading it.

See the fee table above. Ranges depend on property complexity and whether the assignment is retrospective. What I won't do is quote a low number and revise it after I've seen the house — the fee is set and firm once I know the address and the intended use.

Standard delivery is 5–7 business days after inspection, and rush is available for a fee when a hearing or filing deadline requires it. If a deadline is tight, say so in your first message — I'd rather decline than miss it.

No. My credential is Certified Residential, which covers one-to-four unit residential property and residential land at any value and any complexity — but not commercial, not 5+ unit apartments, and not subdivision development analysis. If that's what you need, tell me and I'll point you to a Certified General appraiser rather than waste your time.

No, and that's a feature. An opinion of value comes after the assignment is defined, the property is inspected, and the market data is analyzed. Any appraiser who tells you the number before doing the work is offering you something that won't survive being questioned.

A great deal — square footage is a primary driver of the value conclusion. I measure to the ANSI Z765 standard on every assignment, and discrepancies against county records are common, particularly on older homes with additions, converted garages, and finished attic space. That measurement is often useful on its own for a tax protest.