$2,200,000
5493 Fern Dr, San Jose 95124
AddressIntel AI Briefing
The optimal play is stealth density: primary + ADU + JADU via AB 1033 condo splits to add value without disturbing the primary structure. Tearing down this fully updated 1959 home is blocked by high acquisition costs and negative ROI metrics. Adding an ADU takes advantage of San Jose's expedited permitting pathways.
Property Permit History
Recent Neighborhood Remodeling (San Jose)
Parcel & Zoning Info
ADU Potential
Deep lot · Corner lot · ~60 ft frontage × 118 ft deep, room to set a detached ADU back from the street with a buffer, reads as a separate home. 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 3,136 sqft of gross floor area on this lot.
Screening estimate comparing existing living area to the city's single-family floor-area limit. FAR figure is a discretionary-review trigger, not a hard cap. Treat as approximate. Source: SJMC 20.30.200; 20.100.1020 (Single-Family House Permit) (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.
Nearby Public Schools
Noddin Elementary
Union Elementary
Dartmouth Middle
Union Elementary
Leigh High
Campbell 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
91/100
Based on recent sales velocity and local demand in 95124.
Flippability Score
40/100
Measures neighborhood renovation density vs. recent permits on this property.
Bidding War Prob.
29%
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 3,136 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 San Jose (95124): $990/sqft. Sized within 25% of the 3,100 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 (San Jose 95124)
Sized to the modelled 3,100 sqft build: sales within 25% of it. Smaller houses sell for more per foot, so pricing a rebuild off them overstates resale.