By Aidan Sowa · October 2026 · St Simons Island, GeorgiaTeardown properties in 31522 are selling as land, and the sample compiled for this research prices that land through the finished home it will carry. Older homes in the ZIP code averaged 23.1 percent of the price of new construction on a comparable lot, so where a new build sold for $1,400,000, the older home on the comparable lot changed hands for roughly $325,000 (Frontier Capitals, 2026). Across the documented new construction range of $1,100,000 to $1,900,000 for standard island lots (Redfin, 2026), that ratio places teardown acquisitions roughly between $254,000 and $439,000, before the exceptions that position and lot quality create. Builders acquired 9 of the 17 older homes in the sample, a demand rate of 52.9 percent, so the teardown buyer is not a fringe bidder in 31522; the teardown buyer is the modal buyer for the island older stock (Frontier Capitals, 2026).
A second set of figures explains why those prices can look low beside the value of the finished project. The worked residual illustration in the research starts with a $1,500,000 new build sale, subtracts roughly $620,000 in hard and soft construction costs and a builder margin near 20 percent, and leaves a residual land value near $550,000 to $650,000, before $20,000 to $35,000 in site preparation costs. The teardown acquisition price lives below that residual ceiling, because the buyer still has to fund the site work and carry the risk of the build. The maximum a builder can pay while still clearing a margin is a separate calculation, worked through in the report on the maximum price a builder can pay for a St Simons Island property and still make a profit, and sellers who understand the ceiling negotiate better than sellers who only watch finished sale prices.
Two cautions belong in the lede, because teardown pricing attracts sloppy claims. First, the sample is 17 older homes built in 1980 or earlier, and its figures are sample figures, not a census of every teardown sale in the ZIP code. Second, the ratio is an average on comparable lots: a teardown candidate on a beachfront or marsh-view lot, where finished prices reach the top of the documented range, will price very differently from one on an interior lot with a constrained envelope. Recorded deeds are where individual teardown prices can be verified, transaction by transaction (Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court, 2026), and this report uses the sample to explain the pattern those deeds show rather than to replace them.
Key Findings
- Across the homes studied in 31522, what an older home fetched came to 23.1 percent, on average, of what a newly built home on a similar lot fetched (Frontier Capitals, 2026).
- At that ratio, the older home comparable to a $1,400,000 new build changed hands for roughly $325,000 (Frontier Capitals, 2026).
- Builder purchases accounted for 9 out of the 17 older homes studied, giving that group a 52.9 percent share of the sample (Frontier Capitals, 2026).
- The worked residual illustration leaves a land value near $550,000 to $650,000 on a $1,500,000 new build sale, before $20,000 to $35,000 in site preparation (Frontier Capitals, 2026).
- A newly built home on a typical lot has brought in anywhere from $1,100,000 to $1,900,000, with lots closer to the beach or the marsh and larger lots drawing the stronger prices (Redfin, 2026).
What have builders actually paid for teardown properties in 31522?
The sample answer is the ratio and its band: roughly $254,000 to $439,000 for older homes comparable to finished houses across the documented $1,100,000 to $1,900,000 range, with the worked example at roughly $325,000 (Frontier Capitals, 2026; Redfin, 2026). That evidence is gathered and examined in more detail in the report on what builders have recently paid for teardown properties in St Simons Island, which separates observed acquisition behaviour from the residual ceiling. The distinction matters because sellers often confuse the two numbers. The residual near $550,000 to $650,000 in the illustration is the most the land can be worth to the project before site preparation; the acquisition price is what a builder actually pays after allowing for that site work, for carrying risk and for the possibility that finished prices move during the build.
Why the gap between the ceiling and the cheque? Start with site preparation at $20,000 to $35,000, the documented cost of getting an older island lot ready to build. Add the time value of a long island build, the insurance and tax carry on the lot, and the margin discipline that keeps a builder from bidding the residual to zero profit. The result is a bid inside the residual, not at it. A seller who receives a teardown offer below the residual has not automatically been lowballed; the offer has to be read against the construction cost block of roughly $620,000 and the margin near 20 percent in the illustration. Conversely, an offer at the very top of the sample band deserves the verification steps described later in this report, because a teardown price is only real when the buyer can close it.
The structure on the lot contributes little to any of these numbers, and the renovation illustration shows why. A $75,000 update on a 1968 island cottage might lift the price by $50,000 to $65,000 for a live-in buyer and returns $0 if the buyer clears the lot, because the teardown buyer assigns the improvements no value (Frontier Capitals, 2026). Sellers pricing a teardown should therefore strip the structure out of their expectations entirely and price the lot: its segment, its dimensions from the parcel record (Glynn County Board of Assessors, 2026), its elevation and its finished price potential.
What moves a teardown price up or down inside the band?
Location first, as it does everywhere in this research. Beachfront and marsh-view premiums show up in new build comps, raising finished prices toward $1,900,000, and rarely show up with equal force in older home listings, which is precisely the arbitrage the teardown buyer is pricing (Redfin, 2026). A teardown candidate in the beachfront blocks or on a marsh-view corridor therefore sits near the top of the acquisition band, while an interior mid-island candidate sits near the bottom, even if the two cottages are identical. The Village, the island original district, carries its own premium as a named segment. Automated estimates blur these distinctions by averaging sold data across the ZIP (Zillow, 2026), which is why a teardown seller should work from recorded sales in the same segment, checked in the deed record (Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court, 2026).
Lot size and buildable footprint move the price second. The sample minimum lot was 6,098 square feet, and flood zone setbacks constrain the buildable envelope, so a teardown lot that supports a larger finished home prices higher than a tight lot of similar measured area (Frontier Capitals, 2026). Building permit and tree protection requirements run through Glynn County (Glynn County Community Development, 2026), and the live oak canopy is part of what builders price around: a lot where protected trees consume the buildable middle is worth less than its dimensions suggest. Elevation and flood compliance move the price third. Flood insurance pricing under the National Flood Insurance Program Risk Rating 2.0 methodology and elevation certificate requirements shapes the economics of the finished home (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2026), and a lot that allows a compliant build at sensible cost protects its teardown price, while a difficult lot gives value back in engineering and insurance.
The seller own preparation can move the price at the margin, though never out of the band the lot defines. Having the parcel record, flood zone and any elevation information assembled before soliciting bids lets builders price the lot instead of discounting for unknowns. How a builder bid for an individual older house is built up is detailed in the report on how much a builder will pay for an older house in St Simons Island, and a seller comparing a teardown bid with a household listing should run both through the cost ledger in the next section before deciding which gross figure is really larger.
What does a teardown seller actually keep after costs?
More of the price than a listed seller keeps, if the sale is structured directly, and the documented ledger shows the difference. On a listed $550,000 sale, a typical total commission of 5 to 6 percent takes $27,500 to $33,000 (National Association of Realtors, 2025), seller side closing costs add 1 to 2 percent, and the two together run 6 to 8 percent, or $33,000 to $44,000. Georgia transfer tax at $1 per $1,000 of consideration (Georgia Department of Revenue, 2026) is part of that closing ledger. Concessions and inspection repair credits on older island inventory routinely run $10,000 to $25,000, a particularly poor fit for a teardown, since the seller would be crediting repairs to a structure the buyer does not intend to keep. Carrying costs over three to six months of market time run $15,000 to $35,000, and a listed older island home commonly takes 60 to 120-plus days, so a teardown candidate listed to household buyers can spend months paying to present a house its eventual buyer plans to remove.
Disclosure still applies, and teardown sellers should not mistake an as-is sale for a silent one. Georgia sellers carry a duty to disclose known material property conditions, and the duty applies even when a home is sold as-is (State of Georgia, 2026). The honest teardown transaction discloses what is known about the structure and the lot, prices the land, and skips the repair theatre entirely. That combination, full disclosure with no repair obligation, is one reason the as-is format is the market native form for teardown sales in this ZIP: with the structure priced near zero at the 23.1 percent ratio, there is nothing to repair, credit or renegotiate beyond the lot itself.
Verification protects the keep as well. A teardown seller should ask any direct buyer for proof of funds in the buyer name dated within the last 30 days, not a pre-approval or a lender letter, and should check recorded deeds in the buying entity name from actually closed purchases (Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court, 2026). A straight answer about what happens after signing matters too: Frontier Capitals buys directly and places the deal with a vetted builder, while a contract with an assignment clause and no means or intent to close is the operator pattern the research warns sellers against. Owners who would rather avoid repair spending altogether will find the practical route in the report on how St Simons Island homeowners can sell without making expensive repairs.
What does a direct teardown sale save, in the documented figures?
All five benefits apply to a teardown sale with unusual cleanliness, because the transaction is about land from the first conversation. Frontier Capitals works as a wholesaler, putting off-market homes in front of builders and purchasing from owners in its own right, without ever presenting the firm as a building company. First, privacy: zero showings, zero open houses, no public marketing period and no public record until the deed transfers, so a family cottage is never paraded as a teardown listing in front of the neighbours. Second, flexible closing: 7 to 21 days when speed matters, or months out with a leaseback, against the 60 to 120-plus days of a listed sale, which shrinks the carrying cost window the research prices at $15,000 to $35,000 over a normal market cycle.
Third, no commissions, saving the typical 5 to 6 percent, $27,500 to $33,000 on a $550,000 sale (National Association of Realtors, 2025). Fourth, no seller closing costs, saving the further 1 to 2 percent, for a combined $33,000 to $44,000 on that example. Fifth, no inspections or repairs: no $10,000 to $25,000 repair credits, no inspection renegotiation, and a sale as-is in the format the teardown market already uses. Disagreements inside a family or between spouses do not change the pricing, though they can change who must agree before signing, a situation addressed for divorcing owners in the report on whether a house can be sold if one spouse refuses in St Simons Island and for estates in the probate reports in this series, including the report on whether a probate court needs to approve the sale of a house in St Simons Island.
Methodology and limitations
This report rests on the sample compiled for the St Simons Island research: 17 older homes in 31522 built in 1980 or earlier, 9 of them acquired by builders (Frontier Capitals, 2026). The 23.1 percent figure is an average across that sample on comparable lots, and the band of roughly $254,000 to $439,000 is that ratio applied to the documented new build range (Redfin, 2026); it is a derived band, not a fresh census of every teardown transaction in the ZIP code, and individual teardown prices will fall outside it where a lot is exceptional or constrained. The worked residual illustration is labeled simplified in the research and is used the same way here, and no builder maximum price is published in the source material beyond that illustration, so none is asserted. For this report, nobody visited a property to inspect it, and no formal valuation of any address was carried out. Deed, parcel and permit facts are as recorded in county sources (Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court, 2026; Glynn County Board of Assessors, 2026; Glynn County Community Development, 2026).
Conclusion
Teardown properties in 31522 are selling for land value: on the sample evidence, roughly $325,000 for the older home comparable to a $1,400,000 new build, inside a band of about $254,000 to $439,000 across the documented finished range, with builders acquiring over half of the older homes sampled (Frontier Capitals, 2026; Redfin, 2026). Position, buildable footprint and flood compliance move a specific teardown within that band, the residual illustration sets the ceiling above it, and the selling route decides how much of the price survives commissions, credits and carrying costs to reach the seller.
Owners who want a teardown valuation of a specific 31522 property run from its lot records and segment can telephone Frontier Capitals at 401-219-4207 or email [email protected].
When a buyer is really purchasing your lot and its finished future, which figure should anchor your negotiation: the price of your house, or the price of the one that will stand in its place?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical teardown price in 31522 in one figure?
The research worked example: roughly $325,000 for the older home on a lot comparable to a $1,400,000 new build, at the sample average of 23.1 percent of the new build price (Frontier Capitals, 2026). Across the documented finished range the ratio implies roughly $254,000 to $439,000, with segment and lot quality moving individual sales.
Why is the teardown price below the residual land value in the illustration?
Because the residual near $550,000 to $650,000 is a ceiling before $20,000 to $35,000 in site preparation, carrying costs during the build and the builder margin discipline are accounted for (Frontier Capitals, 2026). The acquisition price is the residual after those deductions, not the residual itself.
Does the condition of the house change a teardown price?
Very little, on the documented evidence. A $75,000 update returns $0 where the buyer clears the lot (Frontier Capitals, 2026), and the buyer purchasing for the land performs no structural inspection. Known material conditions must still be disclosed under Georgia law even in an as-is sale (State of Georgia, 2026).
How can I verify a teardown buyer is genuine?
Ask for proof of funds in the buyer name dated within the last 30 days and check recorded deeds in the buying entity name from actually closed purchases in county records (Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court, 2026). A buyer who buys directly and can show closed purchases in its own name is a different proposition from an operator with an assignment clause and no means to close.
Are teardown prices higher in any part of 31522?
They follow the finished prices, so they run highest where new builds sell highest: the beachfront blocks and marsh-view corridors, with the Village carrying its own premium as a named segment (Redfin, 2026). An interior lot with a constrained envelope prices near the bottom of the band regardless of the cottage on it.
Sellers in St Simons Island also ask Can an Inherited House Be Sold With Belongings Still Inside in St Simons Island?
Sources
- Frontier Capitals, 2026. 189 neighborhood builder acquisition sample: 17 homes sampled in 31522, 9 acquired by builders, average older home price 23.1 percent of new build. Market data.
- Redfin, 2026. Recently sold homes and new construction, ZIP code 31522, St. Simons Island GA. Market data.
- Zillow, 2026. Home values and recently sold, 31522. Market data.
- Glynn County Board of Assessors, 2026. Parcel records, flood zone designations, and lot dimensions for St Simons Island. Official record.
- Glynn County Clerk of Superior Court, 2026. Recorded deeds and plat records for 31522. Official record.
- Glynn County Community Development, 2026. Building permit and tree protection requirements for St Simons Island. Official record.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2026. National Flood Insurance Program: Risk Rating 2.0 methodology and elevation certificate requirements. Government data.
- National Association of Realtors, 2025. Highlights from the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Industry report.
- Georgia Department of Revenue, 2026. Real estate transfer tax: $1 per $1,000 of consideration. Official record.
- State of Georgia, 2026. Seller disclosure obligations for known material property conditions. Official record.