> but due to pure greed will become a 5x $800K property for someone. When you put 5 units where there was 1, the value generally doesn't multiply like that. T

> but due to pure greed will become a 5x $800K property for someone. When you put 5 units where there was 1, the value generally doesn't multiply like that. The individual units aren't worth the same as the single original, assuming the same time frame, comparable features and condition. And going from 1 to 5 units seems like a pretty incremental change - it's not like a house being converted to a high-rise building. > But, when you tear down perfectly charming houses Given that the project fits local zoning laws, I don't see what the relevance of the existing house's "charm" is. Unless the house is of local historical or cultural importance - which planning commissions consider - it's nobody's right to prevent its replacement on the basis of such a perception. If opinions on the charm are important, one should advocate their planning commission to establish aesthetic guidelines.