KO Appraisal
San Diego · Certified General · MAI
Commercial real estate appraisal
in San Diego.
USPAP-compliant valuations of multifamily, office, retail, industrial, and special-use property: for lending, estate and gift tax, property tax appeal, litigation, eminent domain, and partnership dissolution.
Why the licence classification matters here
Commercial work in California requires a Certified General licence, the state's highest appraisal classification, carrying no property-type and no value limit. Certified Residential appraisers are not permitted to take commercial assignments above defined limits. Kevin O'Brien holds California Certified General licence #3005065, issued by the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA), and is listed on the ASC National Registry.
He also holds the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute, held by fewer than 1% of appraisers nationwide, and the SRA residential designation. Where a lender requires an MAI, or where the value will be challenged by an opposing expert, that combination is the difference between a report that stands and one that gets argued away.
Experience
Before founding KO Appraisal in 2023, Kevin O'Brien was a Senior Real Estate Appraiser at JP Morgan Chase and an independent fee appraiser at MVT Appraisal. Completed valuations span proposed, partially completed, renovated, and existing structures: neighbourhood and community shopping centres, apartment complexes, single- and multi-tenanted industrial buildings, low- to high-rise office buildings, mixed-use facilities, and vacant land. For accountants, investment firms, law firms, lenders, and private and public agencies.
What gets appraised
Multifamily
Valued off the rent roll and market vacancy. In California, rent control and tenant protection rules can cap achievable rent, which changes value directly.
Office
Post-2020 office valuation turns on lease rollover risk and tenant credit far more than on price per square foot.
Retail
Anchor tenant strength drives the whole center. A single-tenant net-leased building is closer to a bond than to real estate, and is valued accordingly.
Industrial
Clear height, loading dock configuration, and power service decide which tenants can physically occupy the building, and therefore what it is worth.
Special-Use
Few or no local comparable sales exist, so the analysis leans on the cost approach or on national transaction data, and the highest-and-best-use question becomes the central one.
Why the report is being ordered
The intended use determines the scope of work, so it is the first question asked. An appraisal built for a lender does not answer a condemnation question, and reusing one for the other invites exactly the challenge you were avoiding.
Commercial Tax Appeals
Valuation evidence to challenge a commercial assessment before a county assessment appeals board.
- Assessment review support
- Comparable sales analysis
- Income approach documentation
- Expert witness testimony
Estate Planning & Gift Tax
Independent valuations for estate planning, probate, and gift tax reporting, prepared to meet IRS documentation requirements.
- IRS-compliant reports
- Date-of-death valuations
- Gift tax documentation
- Estate settlement support
Divorce & Partner Dissolution
Neutral valuations for marital dissolution and partnership buyouts, supporting equitable division of real property assets.
- Neutral third-party valuations
- Partnership buyout support
- Rebuttal analysis services
- Deposition testimony available
Lending & Pre-Purchase
Valuations for commercial lending, refinancing, and pre-purchase due diligence.
- Bank-ready reports
- Acquisition due diligence
- Refinancing support
- Investment analysis
Litigation & Eminent Domain
Court-defensible appraisals for litigation, condemnation, and eminent domain, including expert witness testimony.
- Court-defensible reports
- Condemnation valuations
- Just compensation analysis
- Expert witness testimony
Portfolio & Charitable Donations
Valuations for portfolio repositioning, charitable contributions, and strategic planning.
- Portfolio analysis
- IRS Form 8283 support
- Charitable contribution substantiation
- Strategic repositioning
What you receive, and when
| Report | Narrative appraisal identifying client and intended users, intended use, effective date, property rights, scope of work, highest and best use, approaches applied and those excluded with reasoning, reconciliation, and certification. |
|---|---|
| Standards | USPAP compliant. Court-defensible; suitable for IRS filings and assessment appeals boards. |
| Turnaround | 1–3 weeks standard, depending on complexity and data availability. Rush appraisals available for urgent deadlines. |
| Fee | Fixed, quoted before any work begins, never contingent on the value reached, which USPAP prohibits. |
| Testimony | Deposition, expert witness testimony, and rebuttal analysis available. |
| Coverage | San Diego County, including Downtown San Diego, Mission Valley, Chula Vista, Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, and the wider county. |
Common questions
How much does a commercial appraisal cost?
How long does it take?
Do you appraise multifamily and apartment buildings?
Can you testify if the matter goes to court?
Can an out-of-state appraiser appraise my California property?
Next step
Tell me about the property.
Most assignments start with a short call, property type, the purpose of the appraisal, and the deadline you are working against. You get a fixed quote before any engagement, never contingent on the value reached.
Typical commercial fees range $2,000–$4,000. Residential and simpler assignments quote lower. Every engagement is quoted in advance, so the figure is known before work begins.