If you have so little confidence in your contractors quotes I would find a new contractor.

Hi, I am in need of a California-based estate / Tax attorney.

You are doing your research here in an attempt to verify the value.If you get a plethora of people you believe to indicated that they believed it was worth the cost then maybe it is.  

Good luck and I look forward to seeing what deals you find!

I plan on building self storage on the property,  and have enough money in a CD to build the first one.

This home had a HUGE delay that cost us thousands of dollars.The group that put in the underground plumbing dug the plumbing too low, and by the time we caught the mistake, the slab had already been poured and the septic tanks installed.We had to dig up the septic tanks, install a lift station, and reinstall the septic tanks.This all happened during 2 hurricanes, which caused even more delays.Time kills deals.This is why you need to 1) be conservative with your timelines and costs, 2) add contingencies to your budgets, and 3) have a healthy profit margin.

I have been an investor in Richmond since 2022. 

I live and work in the area and want to stay local in my initial phase of investing.

Even in the midwest which offer nice beginner markets where one can get in for under 100k on purchase, you will need 40k+ and the more the better. 

Do you want to be more active or passive?