Teardown & redevelopment finder

Find teardown properties the MLS never lists

DevelopmentIntelligence scores every parcel in your market for teardown upside — the land-dominant, scrape-and-rebuild lots where the dirt is worth far more than the tired house on it. The redevelopment plays no listing service ever tags.

Every parcel scored from public county data — 1.7 million in Phoenix alone — across 9 markets.

Why teardowns are invisible on the MLS

The MLS lists houses for sale, tagged by bedrooms, baths, and price — never "this is worth more as dirt." A teardown isn't a listing category; it's a conclusion you reach by comparing what the land is worth to what's standing on it. Finding them the manual way means combing county assessor rolls parcel by parcel for low structure-to-land ratios, old build years, and redevelopment-friendly zoning. That's exactly the work this teardown property finder automates.

How the teardown finder works

01

Score every parcel

We compute a teardown score for each parcel from its land-to-improvement ratio, structure age, and neighborhood trajectory — using public county data, not the MLS.

02

Rank the land-dominant lots

When a structure's value is a fraction of the land's, the highest-and-best-use is demolish and rebuild. Those rise to the top of your list, including off-market parcels.

03

Hand you the deal math

Every teardown comes with a regional rebuild-cost estimate, owner and zoning, an Opportunity Zone flag, and seller signals — so you can underwrite it on the spot.

What you get on every teardown

Off-market parcels

Not just what's listed — every parcel in the market, scored, so you see deals before they hit the MLS.

The teardown signal

The land-vs-structure value ratio that tells you the dirt is worth more than the house.

Regional rebuild cost

A construction-cost estimate to demolish and rebuild, grounded in current regional prices.

Owner & zoning

Who owns it and what you can build — with an Opportunity Zone flag where it applies.

Markets covered

Teardown screens are live across nine markets, with Phoenix as the deepest:

Phoenix, AZ Pinal County, AZ Tampa, FL Raleigh, NC Dallas, TX Omaha, NE Lincoln, NE Sarpy County, NE Grand Island, NE

What is a teardown property?

A teardown is a property whose structure has little remaining value relative to its land — an old, obsolete, or deteriorated house on a lot worth far more than the building. The best economic use is to demolish the structure and build new ("scrape and rebuild"), or to redevelop the site entirely. Investors hunt teardowns because the upside is in the land and the new build, not the existing home.

How to find teardown properties

The manual method is to pull county assessor data and look for parcels where the improvement (building) value is a small share of the total assessed value, then filter for older structures and zoning that allows a bigger or denser rebuild. It works, but it's slow and parcel-by-parcel. The faster way is to let a tool score every parcel for you and rank the strongest teardown candidates — which is what DevelopmentIntelligence does, then pairs each one with a fix-and-flip and rebuild deal calculator so you can underwrite it immediately.

Teardown finder FAQ

What is a teardown property?
A teardown is a property whose building has little value compared to its land — typically an old or obsolete house on a lot worth far more than the structure. The best use is to demolish and rebuild, or redevelop the site.
How do I find teardown properties?
Look for parcels where the building (improvement) value is a small share of the total assessed value, then filter for older structures and redevelopment-friendly zoning. DevelopmentIntelligence does this automatically by scoring every parcel in a market from public county data.
How do you identify a teardown?
The clearest signal is the land-to-structure value ratio: when the land is worth far more than the building, the structure is a teardown candidate. Build year, condition, and zoning that allows a larger rebuild add to the case.
Are teardown properties a good investment?
They can be, when the finished value after rebuilding exceeds the purchase price plus demolition and construction costs with margin to spare. The risk is in the rebuild budget and resale value, so underwrite each deal carefully.
What markets does DevelopmentIntelligence cover?
Teardown screens are live in nine markets: Phoenix and Pinal County in Arizona, Tampa, Raleigh, Dallas, and Omaha, Lincoln, Sarpy County, and Grand Island in Nebraska.

Start finding teardowns in your market

Every parcel scored for redevelopment upside — the off-market deals the MLS never lists.