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Silicon Valley, CA

Neil A. Lefmann, MAI, SRA

Senior Vice President | Valuation Advisory Services
Contact
T 408.588.2309 C 408.483.9080 neil.lefmann@kidder.com
10 Almaden Boulevard
Suite 550
San Jose, CA 95113
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About

Neil Lefmann, a 50-year veteran, has been practicing in the Bay Area since 1972, valuing nearly all property types throughout Northern California. Neil has an extensive condemnation and expert witness background, including work related to many of Silicon Valley’s major transportation and other public works projects. His practice also focuses on ranch, open space and habitat preservation lands, diminution appraisals, and unique or especially complex appraisal problems.

Education

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE in finance with accounting minor, San Jose State University (1971)

POST-GRADUATE (1972-73)

CERTIFICATE IN REAL ESTATE, West Valley College (1972)

OVER 1,000 HOURS Appraisal Institute, Society of Real Estate Appraisers, CAR, NAR, and Real Estate and Appraisal-related education (1972-current)

Memberships & Interests

National and California Association of Realtors (1972-current)

Bay East Association of Realtors (2016-current)

Santa Clara County Association of Realtors (2002-2016)

International Right of Way Association (IRWA) (1970’s-2020)

Masonry – Member of Santa Clara Liberty Lodge No. 299

Scottish Rite – Member of Valley of San Jose

Interests include local history, sailing & power boating, ranches & open space, mapping & GIS

Licenses & Certifications

CALIFORNIA CERTIFIED GENERAL REAL ESTATE APPRAISER No. AG003512 (issued 1992)

CALIFORNIA BROKER LICENSE No. 00528405 (issued 1972)

APPRAISAL INSTITUTE: MAI designation No. 6730 (awarded 1983); SRA, SRPA designations (awarded 1988)

Teaching Engagements

AI NATIONAL FACULTY Instructor – Capitalization Theory & Techniques (1995-1997)

CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES Lifetime Teaching Credential in Real Estate – No 338761

Speaking Engagements

DEVELOPER & PRESENTER “So what makes it legal? Understanding legal parcels, legal descriptions, and California’s Subdivision Map Act”
Presented four times for AI, one time for REAA

DEVELOPER & PRESENTER “Valuing easements in Eminent Domain” Eminent Domain Institute CLE Conference, San Francisco (Oct. 2020)

PRESENTER Appraisal Technology: Tools, Tips & Tricks – AI Spring Conference (2015)

PRESENTER Google Earth Applications for Appraisers – AI Spring Conference (2016)

PANELIST Arbitration & Dispute Resolution – AI Fall Conference (2016)

Appraisal Institute Activities

National

  • Regional Ethics Administrator/Case Manager
  • National Ethics & Standards Panel Member
  • National Instructor Panel (1995-1997)
  • Regional Chapter Representative
  • Advisor, Candidates for Designation
  • Recipient of National “Volunteer of Distinction” (award Oct. 2017)

California

  • California Government Relations Committee

Northern California Chapter

  • Education Chair (1986)
  • Admissions Committee Vice Chair (1995)
  • Board of Directors (1988-1993; 1999-2006; 2017-current)
  • Executive Officer (1989-91; 2000-2003; 2007; 2019-2021)
  • President, Northern California Chapter, Appraisal Institute (2003)
  • Vice President, Northern California Chapter, Appraisal Institute (2021)
  • Chair, Northern California/Sacramento Sierra Merger Committee (2020-2021)
  • Chair, Fall Conference Committee (2018)
  • Co-Chair Monterey Bay Appraisal Seminar (2021)
  • Chair, Silicon Valley Branch (2006; 2014-2017)

Real Estate Valuation Experience

Notable Appraisals

  • Bear Valley Meadows
  • Cemex Davenport Cement Plant Site
  • City of Santa Clara RDA ownerships incl Convention Center & Great America site
  • Coyote Ridge Bay Checkerspot Butterfly Habitat
  • Exxon/Texaco swap – 35 Service stations from Prunedale to San
  • Former Iranian Consulate – San Francisco
  • Google – Moffett Field
  • IBM – All Santa Clara County holdings
  • North Coyote Valley Industrial Area
  • Notre Dame de Namur University
  • Pony Tracks Ranch, Portola Valley
  • Red, White & Blue Beach, Santa Cruz Co.
  • Salinas Airport Business Park
  • San Vincente Redwood Forest, Davenport 8,000-Ac CE
  • San Jose Jet Center
  • Sony Western Hemisphere Headquarters

Representative Condemnation Appraisals

  • City of San Jose Reclaimed Water Project
  • Fremont to San Jose Bart corridor
  • Light rail corridor appraisals – N First Street & Tasman Drive & Capitol Ave Extensions
  • Milpitas BART station
  • Route 85 Freeway right of way through IBM site south San Jose
  • Route 237-880 Freeway Interchange
  • UPRR Rail relocation for Hwy 85

Representative Clients

  • Attorneys
  • Adams, Broadwell, Joseph & Cardozo
  • Berliner & Kidder
  • Boskovich Gorini & Vanasse
  • Cotchett, Illston & Pitre
  • Davidovich & Bennett
  • Dudnick Detwiler Rivin & Stikker LLP
  • Ericksen Arbuthnot
  • Erickson, Beasley & Hewitt LLP
  • Ferrari Olsen
  • Ferrari Ottoboni
  • Fidelity National Law Group
  • Goldfarb & Lipman
  • Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc.
  • Hopkins & Carley
  • Howrey LLP
  • Jackson, Tufts, Cole & Black
  • Long and Levit
  • Matteoni, O’Laughlin & Hechtman
  • McPharlin, Sprinkles & Thomas LLP
  • Miller Starr Regalia
  • Morrison & Foerster LLP
  • Ruby & Schofield
  • Steyer, Lowenthal, et al
  • Terra Law LLP
  • Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP
  • Turner & Turner
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office | No. Dist. of Calif.
  • Winston Strawn LLP
  • Corporate and Other Clients
  • Apple
  • California American Water,
  • Carlyle Fortran Realty Trust
  • CarrAmerica
  • Chevron Corp
  • Doris Day
  • Exxon Corp
  • GE Nuclear Energy
  • Greg Melchor
  • Greyhound Lines
  • IBM
  • Metropolitan Life
  • Nob Hill Foods
  • O’Connor Hospital
  • Plantronics
  • Ridge Vineyards
  • Shappel Industries
  • Sisters of Notre Dame
  • Sony Corporation
  • SOS Steel
  • Southern Pacific Pipelines
  • Stevens Creek Quarry
  • Symantec Corp.
  • University of California
  • Xilinx
  • Developers
  • Arcadia Development Co.
  • Brandenburg Properties
  • Fred Sahadi
  • Kirkorian Enterprises
  • McCarthy Ranch
  • Peery & Arrillaga
  • Shea Homes
  • Summerhill Homes
  • The Sobrato Organization
  • Government Clients
  • California Department of transportation (CalTrans)
  • California Wildlife Conservation Board
  • Central Fire District, Santa Clara Co.
  • City of Fremont
  • City of San Jose
  • City of Santa Clara
  • City of Sunnyvale
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC)
  • Santa Clara Co. Roads & Airports
  • Santa Clara County Transportation Agency (SCCTA)
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • U.S. Department of State
  • Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
  • Lender Clients
  • AmSouth Bank
  • Bank of Santa Clara
  • Bayview Federal Savings
  • Citicorp
  • Comerica Bank
  • County Bank of Santa Cruz
  • Cupertino National Bank
  • First American National Bank
  • First National Mortgage Company
  • Union Bank
  • Wells Fargo Bank
  • Open Space & Habitat Protection Clients
  • Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
  • Peninsula Open Space Trust
  • Santa Clara County Parks Dept
  • Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
  • Save the Redwoods
  • Silicon Valley Habitat Conservation Agency
  • The Trust for Public Land
  • Title Company Clients
  • Chicago Title Co.
  • Commonwealth Title Company
  • Fidelity National Title Co.
  • First American Title Co.
  • North American Title Insurance Co.
  • Old Republic Title Co.
  • Stewart Title Co.