$2,998,000
938 Van Auken Cir, Palo Alto 94303
AddressIntel AI Briefing
The tiny 1951 house on a spacious 9,583 sqft lot represents a classic teardown-and-mansionize opportunity with excellent ROI potential. However, development must navigate critical blockers including flood zone (AE) and liquefaction hazards, along with a blocked SB 9 status.
Property Permit History
Recent Neighborhood Remodeling (Palo Alto)
Parcel & Zoning Info
ADU Potential
Flag / irregular · Corner lot · ~97 ft frontage × 181 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 3,625 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
Ohlone Elementary
Palo Alto Unified
Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle
Palo Alto Unified
East Palo Alto Academy
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 94303.
Flippability Score
88/100
Measures neighborhood renovation density vs. recent permits on this property.
Bidding War Prob.
28%
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 3,625 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 (94303): $1,912/sqft. Sized within 25% of the 3,600 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
Recent Comparables (Palo Alto 94303)
Sized to the modelled 3,600 sqft build: sales within 25% of it. Smaller houses sell for more per foot, so pricing a rebuild off them overstates resale.