$3,750,000
246 Palo Alto Ave, Palo Alto 94301
AddressIntel AI Briefing
This century-old as-is cottage is a textbook candidate for teardown-and-mansionize to fully capitalize on Palo Alto's premier resale values. Alternatively, developers can leverage SB 9 for a lot split into multiple units to maximize premium square footage. Liquefaction is the only notable blocker, necessitating seismic foundation engineering but failing to diminish the site's massive development potential.
Property Permit History
Recent Neighborhood Remodeling (Palo Alto)
Parcel & Zoning Info
ADU Potential
Flag / irregular · Corner lot · ~136 ft frontage × 136 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
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 2,841 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.
Nearby Public Schools
Addison Elementary
Palo Alto Unified
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
67/100
Based on recent sales velocity and local demand in 94301.
Flippability Score
85/100
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 2,841 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): $2,389/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 (Palo Alto 94301)
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.