San Diego apartment broker for 5–20 unit owners Sell it, or make it easier to own. We'll tell you which.
San Diego Apartment Advisors helps long-time owners in North Park, Hillcrest, Normal Heights and Golden Hill decide what to do with their buildings, then handles it with them.
- What your building would sell for, and what you'd keep after costs and taxes
- Your 1031 exchange and Prop 19 options, in plain English
- A management review if you'd rather keep the building and the income
Get your free building review
Confidential. Back to you within two business days.
Two doors
Most owners we meet are deciding one thing.
Keep the building, or sell it. Either way, you should know the numbers before anyone asks you to sign anything.
Sell, and know what you'll keep
A confidential estimate of your sale price and your net after commission, closing costs, loan payoff and taxes, with a 1031 exchange option side by side.
- Quiet, off-market sale if you prefer
- 1031 into easier, hands-off property
- Prop 19 and estate planning, explained
Keep it, and stop doing the work
A free review of your rents, expenses, tenant rules and repairs, and a clear plan for management that doesn't need you on the phone at night.
- Rents checked against the neighborhood
- AB 1482 and San Diego tenant rules checked
- Repairs handled within limits you set
For sons and daughters
Helping a parent decide what to do with the building?
Many of the calls we get start with a grown child: "Dad still fixes the toilets himself and he's 82." Or: "Mom wants to leave the building to all four of us, and we don't know what that means."
We sit down with the whole family, in person or on a video call, and lay out the choices: sell, keep with good management, 1031 into something passive, or hold and plan the inheritance. We explain Prop 19, step-up in basis and trust sales in words everyone can follow, and we work with your CPA and attorney.
A typical first family meeting covers:
- What the building is worth today
- What it earns, and what it costs to run
- What happens to property tax if the children inherit it
- Whether a sale now, a 1031, or holding leaves the family with more
- Who does what next
Know your building
Which building do you own?
Buyers price central San Diego buildings by era. Here's what they look for, and what we fix or explain before a sale.
| Era | Typical building | What buyers ask about | What helps the price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s–1940s | Craftsman bungalow courts, small Spanish-style courts in North Park, Hillcrest, Golden Hill | Foundations, knob-and-tube wiring, cast-iron and clay sewer lines | Character, yards, ADU potential, a recent sewer scope |
| 1950s–1960s | Two-story walk-ups and "dingbats" with tuck-under parking; six-unit "six-packs" | Wood balconies and stairs (SB 721), galvanized plumbing, parking | Balcony inspection done, updated electrical, below-market rents with upside |
| 1970s–1980s | Larger stucco buildings, 8–20 units, often with a pool or laundry room | Roofs, aluminum wiring, deferred maintenance | Clean rent roll, utility billing, new roof |
| 1990s–2000s | Low-rise buildings with garages and newer systems | HOA-style finishes, insurance cost | Low maintenance, newer systems; often outside local rent caps sooner |
How it works
Three steps. No pressure at any of them.
- Tell us about the buildingA two-minute form or a phone call. Units, ZIP code, and what's on your mind.
- Get your review in two business daysValue range, what you'd keep after costs and taxes, and your options if you keep it. Printed or by email, your choice.
- Decide on your own timeSit down with us, your family and your advisors. If the answer is "hold," we'll say so.
Guides for owners
Start with the question you have
Thinking of selling?
See what you'd keep after costs and taxes.
Done being a landlord?
Five ways out, compared side by side.
1031 exchange
Defer the tax and trade into hands-off property.
Family & Prop 19
Inheriting a building, or planning for the kids.
Better management
Keep the building, stop taking the calls.
Rent rules check
AB 1482, San Diego tenant rules, balconies.
Thamis GallanisBroker-Manager · CA DRE 01011756Who you'll talk to
You talk to the broker, not a call center.
Thamis Gallanis has spent 28 years in San Diego real estate: selling buildings, managing them, and advising the families who own them. Before that, he worked as a Resolutions and Receivership Specialist with the FDIC, taking over the real estate of failed banks and deciding, asset by asset, what to fix, what to hold and what to sell.
That job taught him to look at a building the way a lender or a buyer will, and to give owners a straight answer. Sometimes the right answer is to sell. Sometimes it is to fix the management and keep collecting rent. He'll tell you which.
- 28 yearsSan Diego sales, management and leasing
- FDICReceivership and asset-disposition background
- Broker-ManagerCA DRE 01011756
- Based in North ParkWe meet owners at their buildings
Watch before you call
Short videos for building owners
Two to seven minutes each, filmed in our neighborhoods. No jargon.
Where we work
Four ZIP codes we know building by building
North Park · 92104
Our home base. Bungalow courts, 1960s six-packs and walk-ups.
Hillcrest & Mission Hills · 92103
Older courts and mid-century buildings close to the hospitals and Balboa Park.
Normal Heights & Kensington · 92116
Adams Avenue walk-ups and small buildings near the canyon edges.
Golden Hill & Sherman Heights · 92102
Victorian-era houses split into units, courts, and small 1960s buildings.
Questions owners ask us
What does San Diego Apartment Advisors do?
We help owners of small apartment buildings in central San Diego decide whether to sell or keep their building, and then we do the work: selling it, setting up a 1031 exchange with your advisors, or managing it.
Is the building review really free?
Yes. You get a confidential estimate of what your building would sell for, what you would keep after costs and taxes, and your options if you keep it. There is no listing agreement and no obligation.
Will my tenants find out?
No. We don't put up signs, list on the MLS, or contact tenants unless you decide to sell and tell us how you want it handled.
What size buildings do you work with?
Mostly 5 to 20 units in North Park, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Normal Heights, Kensington, Golden Hill and nearby neighborhoods. We also help with duplexes, fourplexes and larger buildings.
Can my son or daughter be part of the conversation?
Please bring them. Many of our meetings include the owner and one or two grown children, sometimes with the family CPA or attorney on the phone. We explain things so everyone hears the same thing.
Do I have to sell to work with you?
No. If keeping the building makes more sense, we'll say so and can help with management, rents and compliance instead.
Who will I actually talk to?
Thamis Gallanis, the Broker-Manager. He has 28 years in San Diego real estate and a background as an FDIC receivership and asset-management specialist.
Talk to the broker today
Call the broker directly. If Thamis is with a client, he'll call you back the same day.