learnlive from the mls180 days of house salesboyenga team at compass
What a bigger lot sells for
Two houses the same size, one on a bigger lot: how much more did it sell for? The Lot Value Lab reads 180 days of house sales in a city, live from the MLS, and fits one line through them to split price between house size and lot size. Then it lists the houses for sale with the most land per dollar.
- houses read…last 180 days
- median lot…of those sales
- 1,000 sq ft more lot…same-size house
- 100 sq ft more house…same-size lot
the land line
What a bigger lot sold for in Sunnyvale
Each dot is a house sale. The orange line holds house size at the city’s median and shows how price rose with lot size. The ledger gives the line’s two numbers, what each added 1,000 square feet of lot and each added 100 square feet of house went with, each with a 90% range.
one house salethe land line
Method: an ordinary least-squares fit of sale price on living area and lot size, houses only, lots from 1,000 square feet to 2 acres, refit once after setting aside sales more than three standard deviations off the line. The figures describe these sales; they aren’t a land appraisal. A bigger lot often comes with other differences (location within the city, age, views, room to build), and the line credits all of that to the lot.
by lot size
House sales by lot size
The same sales grouped by lot size, with no model: how big the houses were, what they sold for, and the price per square foot of house and of lot. Grayed rows have fewer than 10 sales.
| lot size, sq ft | sales | median lot | median house sq ft | median price | $ per house sq ft | $ per lot sq ft |
|---|
$ per lot sq ft here is simply sale price ÷ lot size, house included, so it falls as lots grow. The land line above is the better read on what added lot went for. Lot sizes are as listed in the MLS.
for sale now
Houses for sale with the most land per dollar
Houses for sale now, ranked by square feet of lot per $1 million of asking price. Tags flag lots at least twice the city’s median lot. Land per dollar is one lens; check zoning, slope, easements and what can be built before counting on it.
Houses for sale with a lot size on record, from the MLS through our IDX feeds. Lot sizes are as listed and can differ from county records; ask for the survey or title report on a lot you’re serious about.
the nerd check
Read the land line like a Property Nerd
If you’re buying
- Price the land and the house separatelyThe line gives a city’s rough going rate for each. A house asking well above both may be pricing in something else, like a remodel or a view.
- Usable beats bigSlope, easements, setbacks, trees and the shape of the lot decide how much of it you can use or build on. A flat 7,000 sq ft lot can offer more than a steep 12,000.
- Check what the lot allowsAn ADU, a second home under SB 9 or a lot split depends on the lot and on state and city rules. The ADU Guide and Build Lab walk through what the law allows and what to check.
- Confirm the lot sizeMLS lot sizes come from the listing. Ask for the county record, a survey or the title report before paying for land you think you’re getting.
If you’re selling
- Lead with the land when it’s the storyIf your lot is well above the city median, show buyers why it matters: room for an ADU, a pool, a garden or a future build.
- Have the numbers buyers will checkKeep the lot size, its source and any survey ready, along with permits for what’s already built.
- Know your comps on both countsHouses of similar size on similar lots are the best comparison. We pull them for your street.
- Price it against sales that look like itA big lot with a small or dated house is mostly land and potential, so compare it with sales like that, not with finished homes on big lots.
The land line is a summary of recent sales, not a rule. It works best in cities with plenty of house sales and a range of lot sizes; in small or hillside towns the range gets wide, and the page says so. For a specific property, the closest comparable sales on similar lots still decide the price.
questions
Questions we hear
How does the page split price between house and lot?
It fits one straight line through the city’s recent house sales: sale price = a base amount + a dollar figure per square foot of house + a dollar figure per square foot of lot. Fitting both at once lets each number show what the other size couldn’t explain. Sales more than three standard deviations from the line are set aside and the line is fit again.
Is this what land is worth?
No. It’s what bigger lots went with in recent house sales, holding house size steady. A bigger lot can also mean a different part of town, an older house, a view or room to build, and the line can’t separate those from the lot itself. It isn’t an appraisal or a value for any property.
What does the 90% range mean?
It’s the statistical range around each figure, given how scattered the sales are. A narrow range means the sales line up well; a wide one, or one that reaches $0, means the city’s sales don’t show a clear figure.
What is R²?
The share of the spread in sale prices that house size and lot size together explain. Above about 50% is a fairly tight fit for home prices; under 30%, the page treats the figures as rough.
Why houses only?
Condos and townhomes usually share land, so their lot sizes don’t describe what each owner gets.
Why are lots over 2 acres left out?
Estate lots behave differently, and a few of them can tilt a straight line. Hillside towns with mostly large lots may show too few sales for a line.
Why does $ per lot sq ft fall as lots get bigger?
That column divides the whole sale price, house included, by the lot size, so it drops as lots grow even when the houses are similar. The land line separates the two.
Where do the numbers come from?
Houses sold in the city over the last 180 days, from the MLS through our IDX feeds, read live each time the page loads. Repeat records are removed, and only sales with both a living area and a lot size are used.
more to learn
Keep going
- Every city at onceThe lot and house figures for all 27 cities with enough sales, side by side (October 2026).
- Bigger homes, lower price per foot?House price per square foot by size band, city by city (October 2026).
- Price per Sq Ft MapEvery sale in a city plotted where it happened and shaded by price per square foot.
- Bedroom MathWhat each added bedroom costs, city by city, from 180 days of sales.
- Homes by DecadeHomes for sale grouped by the decade they were built, with each era’s styles and year-built rules.
- What $1 Million BuysSquare feet per $1M (or your budget) in every city, 2012 against now.
- ADU GuideWhat state law allows for a backyard home and a junior unit, with a cost calculator.
- Build LabADUs, two homes under SB 9 or a lot split: which paths a lot may open.
- Price LadderEntry, middle and top-end prices in every city.
Based on house sales and listings reported to the MLS through our IDX feeds, read live each time the page loads. Shown as reported and not guaranteed; repeat records are removed. Living areas and lot sizes are as listed.
talk to a property nerd
Weighing a bigger lot against a bigger house?
We’ll pull the sales that match the homes you’re considering and walk you through what the land and the house each added. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
