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Pelosi Made 178% While Your 401(k) Crashed

Nancy Pelosi: Up 178% on TEM options
Marjorie Taylor Greene: Up 134% on PLTR
Cleo Fields: Up 138% on IREN

Meanwhile, retail investors got crushed on CNBC's "expert" picks.

The uncomfortable truth: Politicians don't just make laws. They make fortunes.

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Congress filed 7,810 new stock buys this year as of July.

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_{Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal.}

Alphabet Soup Series: BPO vs CMA vs AVM — Who Wins?

Real estate comes with its own bowl of alphabet soup, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the world of valuation. Buyers, sellers, investors, and lenders all want to know: What’s this property really worth?

But depending on which acronym you choose, you may get wildly different answers.

Today, we’ll rank the most common valuation tools in reverse order of credibility, starting with the least reliable and working up to the one that ultimately “wins.”

4️⃣ AVM — Automated Valuation Model (Least Reliable)

An AVM is a computer-generated estimate based on a collection of data points.

Consumer-facing versions (Zillow, Realtor . com) might use around 20 data points, while professional-grade systems like ATTOM or HouseCanary can use 50–60+.

More data can mean better accuracy — but remember:

• AVMs cannot see inside a property

• They miss condition, upgrades, or layout issues

• They can be dramatically wrong in heterogeneous neighborhoods

AVMs are useful for a quick ballpark number, but no lender will rely on one, and you shouldn’t either.

3️⃣ CMA — Comparative Market Analysis

A CMA is prepared by a real estate agent using recent sales of comparable properties.

When done by an active agent who truly knows the neighborhood, a CMA can be surprisingly accurate — often more accurate than a BPO or even an appraisal.

Why?

Because the best agents know:

• Which homes were remodeled

• Which streets are more desirable

• Which listings were overpriced

• What buyers are actually paying today

A sharp CMA can be the most real-world valuation you’ll get.

2️⃣ BPO — Broker’s Price Opinion

A BPO is essentially a CMA prepared by a licensed broker, often for a fee.

In theory, the broker’s extra training should make the valuation more accurate.

In practice? Not always.

Many BPOs are created quickly for:

• Hard money lenders

• Private lenders

• Banks estimating future value after renovations

They can be useful in these contexts, but not automatically better than a CMA from a true neighborhood expert.

1️⃣ The Wild Card (and the Winner): The Appraisal

Here’s the twist:

The appraisal isn’t always the most accurate — especially since modern appraisal rules often assign appraisers far outside their familiar territory.

BUT…

The appraisal always wins for one simple reason:

👉 Lenders make their decisions based on it.

Even if your CMA is better, even if your AVM is close, and even if your BPO was done by a pro — the appraisal is the valuation that controls the deal. So the winner, as always, is the Appraisal — the only valuation method with a lender behind it, and yes, the only one with more than three letters.

The Bottom Line

A great agent’s CMA might give you the most accurate picture of market reality.

A broker’s BPO might add formality and structure.

An AVM might give you a fast first look.

But the appraisal is the only number that actually moves the lender’s needle.

Know the differences, use each tool wisely, and don’t confuse credibility with authority.

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