Privacy Policy
Effective Date: September 23, 2026 • Last Updated: September 23, 2026
Mateo Appraisal Services, LLC • California BREA License #3008278
1. Introduction & Overview
Mateo Appraisal Services, LLC ("we," "our," or "us"), operated by Certified Residential Appraiser Levi Mateo (California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers License #3008278), respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, maintain, protect, and disclose information obtained from visitors and clients who use our website at mateoappraisals.com (the "Website"), submit online quote requests or contact forms, and communicate with us via phone, email, or text messaging (SMS).
Please read this policy carefully. By accessing our Website or submitting your information to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the terms of this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information directly from you when you submit an inquiry, as well as automatically when you navigate through our Website:
A. Information You Voluntarily Provide
- Contact Details: First and last name, email address, and telephone number.
- Property Information: Property address, city, state, zip code, and assessor parcel number (if provided).
- Appraisal Inquiry Details: Intended purpose of appraisal (e.g., divorce asset division, estate planning, date of death / step-up basis valuation, pre-listing price strategy, property tax appeal, PMI cancellation, or custom appraisal needs).
- Property Characteristics & Comments: Home square footage, bedroom/bathroom count, property condition, remodeling history, special features, or scheduling preferences submitted via form text fields.
- Communication Records: Contents of emails, text messages, voicemails, or notes from telephone consultations.
B. Automatically Collected Technical Information
- Device & Connection Data: Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, operating system, device model, and internet service provider (ISP).
- Browsing Activity: Pages viewed, referring/exit pages, time spent on individual pages, links clicked, date and time stamps, and navigation paths.
C. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use standard automated data collection tools, including cookies, web beacons, and tracking scripts:
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Analyzes user traffic, engagement, and website performance. Google Analytics may collect your IP address and browsing patterns. You can opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.
- Meta Pixel (Facebook Pixel): Measures the effectiveness of our social media advertising and helps understand visitor actions on our Website.
- Vercel Analytics: Privacy-focused web analytics that gathers aggregate site performance and visitor statistics.
- Anti-Spam Honeypots: Automated form validation tools that detect and block fraudulent submissions and automated spam bots.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for legitimate business and professional purposes, including to:
- Evaluate property characteristics and prepare custom fee quotes, scope of work proposals, and turnaround time estimates.
- Contact you via telephone, email, or SMS to discuss your appraisal inquiry, answer questions, and schedule physical property inspections.
- Send automated confirmation emails containing customized informational resources and FAQs relevant to your appraisal type.
- Execute formal appraisal assignments pursuant to signed Letters of Engagement and deliver completed appraisal reports.
- Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and optimize the functionality, security, and user experience of our Website.
- Prevent fraud, bot spam, and unauthorized access to our Website and systems.
- Comply with applicable legal, licensing, judicial, and professional recordkeeping standards under California law and USPAP.
4. Appraiser Confidentiality & USPAP Standards
As a California Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser, Levi Mateo is bound by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), including the USPAP Ethics Rule regarding Confidentiality.
Under the USPAP Ethics Rule, an appraiser must protect the confidential nature of the appraiser-client relationship. When an appraisal engagement is formed, we will not disclose confidential information or assignment results to anyone other than:
- The client and parties specifically authorized by the client in writing;
- State appraisal regulatory agencies (including the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers);
- Third parties as may be authorized by due process of law (such as pursuant to a valid judicial subpoena or court order); or
- A duly authorized professional peer review committee.
5. Sharing and Disclosure of Information
We DO NOT sell, rent, lease, or monetize your personal information to third parties or data brokers.We disclose personal information solely in the following limited circumstances:
- Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Website and conducting our business under confidentiality agreements, including:
- Resend: Cloud email delivery platform used to route inbound quote notifications and send client confirmation emails.
- Vercel: Cloud website hosting, domain management, and serverless infrastructure.
- Google & Meta: Website analytics and conversion measurement providers.
- Telecommunications Carriers: Wireless carriers used to transmit SMS/MMS notifications and phone calls.
- Legal Requirements & Law Enforcement: We may disclose information if required to do so by federal, state, or local law, subpoena, court order, search warrant, regulatory investigation, or administrative summons.
- Protection of Rights & Safety: We may disclose information when we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service, protect the safety of any person, or defend the legal rights and property of Mateo Appraisal Services, LLC.
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of company assets, client contact records may be transferred as a business asset, subject to continuing confidentiality obligations.
6. Data Retention & Mandatory Recordkeeping
We retain general website inquiries, quote requests, and contact communications only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, resolve disputes, and satisfy standard commercial and tax requirements.
Mandatory USPAP Workfile Retention: Under the USPAP Record Keeping Rule, an appraiser is legally required to retain a complete workfile for each appraisal assignment for a minimum of five (5) years after preparation, or for at least two (2) years after the final disposition of any judicial proceeding in which the appraiser provided testimony related to the assignment, whichever period expires last. Personal data contained within an appraisal workfile cannot be destroyed or deleted prior to the expiration of this mandatory regulatory retention period.
7. SMS & Telephone Communication Consent (TCPA Notice)
By submitting your telephone number on our Website (such as through our quote request form, contact form, or direct text message inquiry), you expressly consent to receive telephone calls and text messages (SMS/MMS) from or on behalf of Mateo Appraisal Services, LLC and Levi Mateo regarding your appraisal inquiry, quote details, property inspection scheduling, and assignment updates.
- Consent to receive informational calls or text messages is not a condition of purchasing any appraisal service.
- Message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier and wireless plan.
- Message frequency varies depending on your project status and correspondence.
- How to Opt Out: You may opt out of receiving text messages at any time by replying STOP to any SMS received from us, or by emailing us at Levi.Mateo14@gmail.com. Reply HELP for assistance.
8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA & CalOPPA)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA), provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information:
Right to Know and Access: You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you over the past 12 months, the categories of sources from which it was collected, the business or commercial purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we shared it.
Right to Request Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to legal and regulatory exceptions (including the mandatory USPAP 5-year workfile retention rule, tax obligations, and legal defense requirements).
Right to Correct: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information that we maintain about you.
Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. Therefore, we do not provide an opt-out mechanism for sales because no sale occurs.
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you in pricing, service quality, or turnaround times for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights.
California "Shine the Light" Law (Civil Code § 1798.83): California residents may request a notice describing the categories of personal customer information we have shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year. Mateo Appraisal Services, LLC does not share personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
Exercising Your Rights: To exercise any California privacy rights, please submit a verifiable consumer request by contacting us at Levi.Mateo14@gmail.com or calling (951) 764-3212. We will confirm receipt within 10 days and respond substantively within 45 days.
9. Do Not Track & Opt-Out Signals
Some web browsers transmit "Do Not Track" (DNT) or Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals to websites. Because there is currently no universal industry standard for interpreting DNT signals, our Website currently does not respond to automated browser DNT headers. However, you can manage cookie settings directly through your browser preferences.
10. Data Security Measures & Limitations
We employ reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from accidental loss, unauthorized access, misuse, alteration, and disclosure. Contact form submissions are transmitted using Transport Layer Security (TLS/HTTPS) encryption.
However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security against unauthorized third-party interception, breach, or cyber attack.
11. Children's Online Privacy Protection (COPPA)
Our Website and appraisal services are directed exclusively to adults aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly solicit, collect, or maintain personal information from individuals under the age of 18 (or minors under 13 under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act). If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete that information from our records.
12. Third-Party Links & External Websites
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn), county assessor portals, Google Maps, or government agencies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or policies of external websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.
13. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to revise or update this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of an updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.
14. Contact Information & Privacy Inquiries
If you have questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please contact us at:
Mateo Appraisal Services, LLC
Attention: Levi Mateo, Certified Residential Appraiser
California BREA License #3008278
Primary Service Area: Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, & Southern California
Phone: (951) 764-3212
Email: Levi.Mateo14@gmail.com
Website: mateoappraisals.com