Based in Athens, Georgia, Odom Real Estate Appraisal, Inc. is owned and operated by Michael Odom, with invaluable support from his wife Katharine and staff appraiser, Darrell Kinsey.
Michael Odom
Certified General Appraiser
After nearly a decade of working for several reputable firms in this area, Michael formed Odom Real Estate Appraisal in January of 2008 with the belief that he could enhance service and increase efficiency by operating independently.
In years past, data was expensive and a massive amount of paper shuffling was essential for every appraisal firm. Economies of scale favored larger firms who could afford the data, equipment, and clerical personnel necessary to be cost-effective. Technology has eliminated the old scaling paradigm. Property data, big and small, is affordable, and offices can effectively operate paper free, yet the legacy of large firms lives on. Beware of the glossy, super-sized report that is low on substance. Third-party demographic reports and other boilerplate can provide context but can be used to mask a lack of local market analysis. Michael believes in investing the time needed to bring the market into focus for the client, supporting sales adjustments and income models through comparatively bias-resistant forms of analysis such as statistical regression.
Even today data and algorithms alone are insufficient for the valuation of property and complex property in particular; a knowledgeable human is still the most important part of the equation. Over the last sixteen plus years Michael has amassed a diverse range of commercial and/or complex property work experience including large scale feasibility analysis, eminent domain cases, partial rights appraisal, conservation easement appraisal, contaminated property, historically significant property, courtroom testimony and a wide variety of otherwise unique or unusual property (see the Appraisal Experience/Portfolio tab for additional information). High profile clients include Georgia Power, the Georgia Department of Transportation, the NRCS/USDA, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Other intended users of Michael’s reports include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the National Parks Service.
A graduate of White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia, Michael received the Presidential Scholar Award while studying Economics at the University of Georgia where he met his wife, Katharine, a homemaker, Odom Real Estate Appraisal contributor and a freelance designer with a degree in landscape architecture. Michael and Katharine reside in Athens, Georgia along with our son, Jasper (2010), and daughter, Poppy (2012).
Darrell Kinsey
Registered Appraiser
Born and raised in Commerce, Georgia, Darrell graduated salutatorian of his class at Commerce High School and was the recipient of the Governor’s Scholarship. He studied literature at the University of Georgia where he served as staff-writer and columnist for the daily student newspaper. He graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2003 and went on to publish several articles and fiction pieces in local periodicals while also being employed for eight years at a publicly-funded healthcare provider. Beginning in early 2011, he began transitioning from his position in the agency’s central business office to the private sector and became registered as a real property appraiser with the Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board in August 2011. In addition to appraisal, Darrell’s duties frequently include market research, data profiling, and preliminary report preparation. His language skills, attention to detail and general diligence have proven invaluable to operations at Odom Real Estate Appraisal, Inc.
In his spare time Darrell enjoys reading, writing, and long walks with his two boys.