Duplex for Sale with back lot - Questions?

[Catherine C.]

Hi all, There is a duplex I found that’s in decent condition, and it’s being sold with the adjacent back lot that currently has an old shack/home. The back lot is zoned as vacant land, and is basically the parking area for the front duplex. There is a back alley that goes to the back lot. The back lot is small (like 88x88) and the zoning office wasn’t much help when I asked for more information on how the lot could potentially be used/ if a small single family property could be built. It has it’s own street address, but my question is, have you had any experience working to rezone vacant land lots? With a lot that small, what could I even use it for? The lot is tiny - so not sure what use it has besides a garage space and parking (no driveway or parking for the front duplex).

Any thoughts?

[Nik Moushon]

88x88 (7744 sf) is not a tiny lot. I have a 6000sf lot (approx. 60x100) that I am building a duplex on (1400 sf ea side). And the smallest lot allow in my zone for a duplex is 4500 sf. So my lot is even considered big. So you have LOTS of options as to what you could fit on that lot. Now what you have to find out is what your zoning is and what it allows. 

You can re-zone but its not always easy and definitely not cheap and will take a while. If the main duplex pencils out then I would take the risk on trying to get it re-zoned but if this re-zoning is the only way to make it work then I would pass. If you not have the experience (and more importantly that money) then this would be a lot of risk.