$2,000,000
519 University Dr, Menlo Park 94025
AddressIntel AI Briefing
A textbook teardown-and-mansionize candidate, this 96-year-old cottage sits on a prime Menlo Park lot with zero environmental hazards. Demolishing the tiny structure to build a maximum-FAR new home yields the highest return. Alternatively, an SB 9 lot split into multiple units is fully open with no local blockers.
Property Permit History
Recent Neighborhood Remodeling (Menlo Park)
Parcel & Zoning Info
ADU Potential
Flag / irregular · ~107 ft frontage × 111 ft deep, a tucked-away rear unit is very private; access is typically via the pole driveway.
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
Small, older home using a low share of the allowable building envelope on a sizable lot, a scrape-and-rebuild or major-expansion play. Zoning allows roughly 2,800 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: Menlo Park Muni Code 16.16.030 (R-1-U) / 16.14.030 (R-1-S) / 16.17.030 (R-1-U(LM)) (as of 2026-08-24). 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
Oak Knoll Elementary
Menlo Park City Elementary
Hillview Middle
Menlo Park City Elementary
Menlo-Atherton High
Sequoia Union High
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
93/100
Based on recent sales velocity and local demand in 94025.
Flippability Score
90/100
Measures neighborhood renovation density vs. recent permits on this property.
Bidding War Prob.
27%
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 2,800 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 Menlo Park (94025): $1,519/sqft. Sized within 25% of the 2,800 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: Margin is tight for the construction risk.
Recent Comparables (Menlo Park 94025)
Sized to the modelled 2,800 sqft build: sales within 25% of it. Smaller houses sell for more per foot, so pricing a rebuild off them overstates resale.