$5,098,000
863 Melville Ave, Palo Alto 94301
AddressIntel AI Briefing
A tight lot size and maximum FAR limits near the current footprint make a complete teardown and rebuild highly inefficient. The optimal pathway is a stealth density play using ADU development, though the liquefaction risk will require careful soil and foundation engineering for any new footprint.
Property Permit History
| Date | Project Type | Status | Valuation | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finaled | -- | DOLLENS ELECTRIC INC | ||
| Finaled | -- | SYNERGY COMPANIES | ||
| Finaled | $3,200 | PROLIFIC GARDEN | ||
| Finaled | $43,535 | Owner Builder | ||
| Finaled | $5,000 | LUMISOL INC | ||
| 2022-08-24 | Permit Issued | -- | TC CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC DBA MONSEN COLLINS BUILDERS |
Recent Neighborhood Remodeling (Palo Alto)
Parcel & Zoning Info
ADU Potential
Flag / irregular · Corner lot · ~112 ft frontage × 129 ft deep, a tucked-away rear unit is very private; access is typically via the pole driveway. A second street frontage lets an ADU take its own entrance and address.
Screening heuristic based on lot size, existing coverage, lot orientation, and hazard overlays. CA ADU law is ministerial statewide; verify max size, setbacks, and JADU owner-occupancy with the local planning dept.
Redevelopment Potential
Existing home already uses most of the allowable floor area, little expansion headroom. Zoning allows roughly 2,449 sqft of gross floor area on this lot.
Screening estimate comparing existing living area to the city's single-family floor-area limit. FAR rule curated from current municipal code. Source: PAMC 18.12.040 Table 2; max house size 6,000 sqft (as of 2026-06-30). Verify FAR, coverage, setbacks, and height with the local planning dept.
Hazard Snapshot
Flood Zone
Fire Severity
Liquefaction
Fault Zone
Not a substitute for a Natural Hazard Disclosure (NHD) report. Zones reflect available GIS data and may not cover all localities. Liquefaction and fault flags: modified from California Geological Survey, Web Service of Official Maps of Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones and Web Service of Official Maps of Seismic Hazard Zones (2025).
Nearby Public Schools
Addison Elementary
Palo Alto Unified
Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle
Palo Alto Unified
Palo Alto High
Palo Alto Unified
School boundaries are subject to change. Nearest school distance does not guarantee enrollment eligibility. Check with the local district. Data provided by CDE.
Proprietary Intelligence
Market Heat Index
67/100
Based on recent sales velocity and local demand in 94301.
Flippability Score
35/100
Measures neighborhood renovation density vs. recent permits on this property.
Bidding War Prob.
36%
Likelihood of multiple offers based on local list-to-sale ratios and DOM.
Proforma ROI Calculator
Back-of-the-napkin deal analysis across development strategies.
Zoning allows roughly 2,449 sqft on this lot, and the default builds to that envelope. The FAR figure is a discretionary-review trigger, not a hard cap.
Median of 12 recent single-family sales in Palo Alto (94301): $2,181/sqft. Sized within 25% of the 2,400 sqft build, because smaller houses sell for more per foot and pricing a rebuild off them overstates resale.
Commission, transfer tax and closing. Deducted from resale before profit, so the ROI below is net of the exit rather than gross.
Carry on total capital for the project duration. At 0% the model is a cash purchase; 12 months at a typical construction-loan rate moves ROI by 6 to 10 points on a deal this size, so price it with your real rate.
Projected Profit
Warning: Project is mathematically underwater.
Recent Comparables (Palo Alto 94301)
Sized to the modelled 2,400 sqft build: sales within 25% of it. Smaller houses sell for more per foot, so pricing a rebuild off them overstates resale.