Neil A. Lefmann | Valuation Advisory | Silicon Valley, CA

Contact

T 408.588.2309 C 408.483.9080 neil.lefmann@kidder.com

10 Almaden Boulevard
Suite 550
San Jose, CA 95113

Downloads

About

Neil is an appraisal industry veteran with more than 50 years of experience in valuing nearly all property types throughout the Bay Area and Northern California. He 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 & 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)
Member, American Bar Association
Friends of the Chapter (Donor), CA Chapter ASFMRA
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,”
Developer & Presenter – Appraisal Institute (4 times), REAA, American Ag Credit

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 – 2012 through 2025

Northern California Chapter

Education Chair (1986)
Admissions Committee Vice Chair (1995)
Board of Directors (1988-1993; 1999-2006; 2017-2024)
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
Cargill Saltworks Site, Redwood City
Castro Valley Ranch – 8,000 Acs Gilroy
Cemex Davenport Cement Plant Site
City of Santa Clara RDA ownerships, including Convention Center & Great America site
Exxon/Texaco swap – 35 Service stations, Prunedale to San Francisco
Former Iranian Consulate – San Francisco
Fox Hills – failed 1,577-ac development, Los Banos
Smith Ranch – 400 Ac. Oceanfront – Big Sur
Google – Moffett Field Lease from NASA
IBM – All Santa Clara County holdings
LID Properties for Establishment of Great America Business Park & Theme Park
North Coyote Valley Industrial Area
Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame High School
Oddfellows Hall Geyserville
Pigeon Point & Snow Ranches – 5,000 Acs Pescadero Oceanfront
Pony Tracks Ranch, Portola Valley
Red, White & Blue Beach, Santa Cruz Co.
Salinas Airport Business Park
San Vincente Redwood Forest, Davenport 8,000-Ac Conservation Easement
San Jose Jet Center
Saratoga Country Club Property
Sony Western Hemisphere Headquarters
UTC Coyote Ridge – 1,800 Acs Bay Checkerspot Butterfly Habitat

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
PG&E v. Sony
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
Berliner & Kidder
Calif. Eminent Domain Law Group
Cotchett, Illston & Pitre
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 CA
Winston Strawn LLP

Corporate and Other Clients
Apple
California American Water
Cargill Salt
Carlyle Fortran Realty Trust
CarrAmerica
Chevron Corp
GE Nuclear Energy
Google
Greg Melchor
Greyhound Lines
IBM
Metropolitan Life
Nob Hill Foods
O’Connor Hospital
Plantronics
Public Storage
Ridge Vineyards
Shappel Industries
Shea Homes
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
Hunter Storm
Kirkorian Enterprises
McCarthy Ranch
Orchard Properties
Peery & Arrillaga
Sares Regis
Shea Homes
Summerhill Homes
The Sobrato Organization

Government Clients
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
CA Department of transportation (CalTrans)
CA Wildlife Conservation Board
Central Fire District, Santa Clara Co.
City of Fremont
City of Livermore
City of Morgan Hill
City of Palo Alto
City of San Jose
City of Santa Clara
County of Santa Clara
City of Santa Cruz
County of Santa Cruz
City of Sunnyvale
Internal Revenue Service
Metropolitan Education District
Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC)
Santa Clara Co. Roads & Airports
Santa Clara County Transportation Agency (SCCTA)
University of California
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of State
Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
Woodside Mutual Water Co.

Open Space & Habitat Protection Clients
California State Parks
East Bay Regional Park District
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Parks California
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Santa Clara County Parks Dep
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Save the Redwoods
Sempervirens Fund
Silicon Valley Habitat Conservation Agency
Sonoma County Ag + Open Space
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.

Lender Clients
American Ag Financre
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