Lot Splitting on Existing SFR - Advice requested

[Michael Deng]

I am looking into to buy a REO SFR built on a rectangular lot with side dimensions about 170 x 400 ft. All the SFR constructions were concentrated on one end, with about 170 x 240 ft gentle sloped (~10 deg) land unused. I am thinking about buying the property, split the land into two lots, and build another house on the empty one. My questions are:

- Can one do residential lot split or it simply is not allowed?
- If yes, where should I go to apply? City or county zoning commission?
- What kind of document should I prepare for the application?
- Do I need to prepare development plans before I apply the split? Will a town-hall meeting/community hearing be required?
- If the lot can be splitted, how the valuations will be done for property tax purpose? Will the value of the original SFR be reduced by the same amount? Shall I keep ownership for both lots?

I would appreciate all sharings from your past experiences for similar situations, and especially the necessary application steps and potential legal pot holes.

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