$1,699,000
185 Howes Dr, Los Gatos 95032
AddressIntel AI Briefing
The optimal play is a teardown-and-mansionize approach to build a high-end 2,265 sqft home in a top-tier Los Gatos neighborhood. The small 1,088 sqft existing footprint is outdated and underutilizes the 5,663 sqft lot. Strong household incomes and lack of geologic hazard blockers support a highly profitable speculative build.
Property Permit History
Recent Neighborhood Remodeling (Los Gatos)
Parcel & Zoning Info
ADU Potential
Wide & shallow · Corner lot · ~74 ft frontage × 82 ft deep, limited depth, an ADU likely sits beside the house rather than behind it. 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
Meaningful unused floor-area headroom under current zoning, room to add square footage. Zoning allows roughly 1,952 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: Los Gatos Town Code 29.40.075 (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
Alta Vista Elementary
Union Elementary
Union 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
76/100
Based on recent sales velocity and local demand in 95032.
Flippability Score
75/100
Measures neighborhood renovation density vs. recent permits on this property.
Bidding War Prob.
18%
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 1,952 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 Los Gatos (95032): $1,338/sqft. Sized within 25% of the 2,000 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 (Los Gatos 95032)
Sized to the modelled 2,000 sqft build: sales within 25% of it. Smaller houses sell for more per foot, so pricing a rebuild off them overstates resale.