Fullerton ADU Market Update — July 2026: What's Active, What's Closed, and What the Numbers Are Telling Us
Fullerton is one of the more nuanced ADU markets in North Orange County right now. The price spread is wide — from sub-$1M JADUs near Troy High to $3M+ equestrian estates — and the data from active and recent closed sales tells a clear story about where ADU value is actually landing in mid-2026.
Here's the full breakdown: what's live, what just closed, and what buyers and sellers should take away from each.
What's Active Right Now
1012 Maertin Ln — $999,900 | 92831 | Active
A 5-bed/3-bath, 2,169 sq ft home with a 394 sq ft JADU completed in 2025. Troy High School district, which puts it in the most competitive submarket in Fullerton. At $999,900 this is the most attainable entry point in the current market for a Fullerton ADU property — and the Junior ADU is already built and permitted.
2016 E Santa Fe Ave — $1,099,888 | 92831 | Active (Reduced)
Also in the Troy High district. A 4-bed/3-bath with a 325 sq ft JADU. Price was reduced from $1,150,000 — it's been sitting 29 days. At the right number, this is a clean buy: proven school district, permitted JADU, and a seller who's shown willingness to move on price.
422 W Amerige Ave — $1,450,000 | 92832 | Active
A 5-bed/4-bath property in the Downtown Fullerton area with a large Standard ADU — 1,000 sq ft, built in 2026 — currently renting for $3,000/month. At $1.45M with $3,000/month in rental income already in place, this one has a real income story attached to it. How lenders count that ADU rental income when you're qualifying for a mortgage is worth understanding before you write the offer — a 2026-permitted ADU with an established tenancy qualifies differently than a projected rent number.
2501 Santa Ysabel Ave — $1,580,000 | 92831 | Active
Troy High district. A 6-bed/4-bath with a 1,075 sq ft Standard ADU built in 2026. Been on the market 42 days. The combination of a brand-new large ADU and Troy High proximity puts this in the premium tier — but 42 days suggests the market is still price-sensitive even when the fundamentals are strong.
539 W Amerige Ave — $2,550,000 | 92832 | Active (Back on Market)
This one is the investor play of the current active inventory. An 8-bed/7-bath, 3,456 sq ft property on an R3 lot with two ADUs — 963 sq ft renting at $3,500/month and 916 sq ft renting at $3,650/month. Combined rents of $7,150/month on the ADUs alone. This is back on market, which means a deal fell through — but the R3 zoning and dual ADU income stream are the kind of setup that serious income investors look for. California's state ADU law gives R3 properties additional flexibility for units beyond what single-family lots can support, which makes the zoning here as important as the ADUs themselves.
520 W Hermosa Dr — $2,560,000 | 92835 | Active
Sunny Hills Estates — premium north Fullerton neighborhood. A 5-bed/5-bath, 2,928 sq ft home with a Studio ADU (370 sq ft), pool, and RV access. This is more of a luxury primary residence with an ADU than a pure income play, but the Sunny Hills Estates location and amenity package make it competitive at that price.
1419 N Richman Knoll — $3,299,000 | 92835 | Active (Back on Market)
The top of the Fullerton ADU market right now. A 6-bed/4.5-bath, 4,351 sq ft equestrian estate with two guest suites (592 sq ft and 371 sq ft). Back on market after 150 days — the buyer pool at $3.3M in Fullerton is naturally narrow, and this property is specific enough that it needs the right buyer.
Active Under Contract
436 E Truslow Ave — $2,195,000 | 92832 | Active Under Contract
This one tells an interesting story. A 4-unit property with 12 beds/8 baths across 4,500 sq ft, with two additional ADUs at 800 sq ft each — each renting for $2,650/month. Gross rents of $13,390/month. It sat for 272 days before going under contract.
The long DOM reflects the realities of selling a heavily-tenanted multi-unit at $2.2M — the buyer pool is smaller and the underwriting is more complex. But it's under contract now, which is the outcome. The 3 SoCal property benefits that stack quietly behind income properties — principal paydown, appreciation, and depreciation on top of cash flow — are exactly why patient investors are still chasing multi-unit deals like this one even when the timeline to contract is long.
Pending
2830 Anacapa Dr — $2,995,000 | 92835 | Pending (as of 6/30/26)
A 7-bed/5-bath, 5,105 sq ft home in the Laguna Lake area with two detached guest residences (660 sq ft and 551 sq ft). Went pending June 30th. At nearly $3M this is the highest-priced property currently pending in Fullerton's ADU market — the buyer didn't wait long once the deal made sense.
What's Closed (Recent Sales)
This is where the real data lives.
2535 Balfour Ave — Listed $999,000 / Closed $1,278,000 | 92831 | Closed 6/4/26
This is the standout comp in the entire dataset. Listed at $999,000, closed at $1,278,000 — $279,000 over asking, or 28% above list price. Days on market: 4.
The property had a new 499 sq ft ADU built in 2026. The bidding war wasn't random — it was a direct response to a permitted, newly built ADU at the right price point in the right part of Fullerton. Four days and $279K over asking is what happens when the supply of well-priced, permitted ADU properties in Fullerton can't keep up with buyer demand.
660 Green Acre Dr — Listed $2,390,000 / Closed $2,625,000 | 92835 | Closed 3/26/26
The other standout: $235,000 over asking, closed in 3 days. A 586 sq ft ADU on a premium Sunny Hills Estates property. Three days on market and $235K over list — same pattern as Balfour, different price tier. How a home with an ADU is valued when you sell in Orange County explains why permitted ADU units drive premiums that appraisers can actually support — the income approach is only available to permitted units, and that's what puts buyers in competition.
959 Rodeo Rd — Listed $3,000,000 / Closed $3,000,000 | 92835 | Closed 5/26/26
Full list price, 13 days on market, 700 sq ft ADU. At $3M in Fullerton, closing at asking without concessions is a strong signal. The buyer didn't negotiate — which tells you the pricing was right and the property (and ADU) supported it.
128 S Citrus Ave — Listed $1,450,000 / Closed $1,400,000 | 92833 | Closed 3/17/26
A 1,196 sq ft ADU built in 2025 — one of the larger ADUs in the closed comp set. Combined rental income of $7,650/month. Closed $50K under asking in 18 days. At $1.4M with $7,650/month gross rents, the income story here is real.
600 S Brookhurst Rd — Listed $1,475,000 / Closed $1,475,000 | 92833 | Closed 1/14/26
Full list price on a 3-unit with a 750 sq ft ADU. $9,200/month in total gross rents. 43 days to close. Multi-unit income properties with strong in-place rents are closing at list when priced correctly — tenants and income documentation doing the work at the negotiating table.
725 San Ramon Dr — Listed $1,449,000 / Closed $1,449,000 | 92835 | Closed 2/27/26
Full list price, 744 sq ft ADU, 8 days on market. Another sub-10 day contract with full price — the Sunny Hills area continuing to reward well-positioned ADU properties.
151 N Lincoln Ave — Listed $1,350,000 / Closed $1,290,000 | 92831 | Closed 4/27/26
A duplex with a 1,095 sq ft ADU, closed with FHA financing at $1,290,000 after 17 days. FHA on a duplex with an ADU — worth noting for buyers who assume these deals require all-cash or conventional financing. Fannie Mae's ADU income guidelines and FHA rules are distinct, but both allow the ADU income story to work for qualifying buyers.
124 N Princeton Ave — Listed $1,150,000 / Closed $1,100,000 | 92831 | Closed 2/4/26
A duplex with a 685 sq ft ADU renting at $2,600/month. Closed $50K under asking in 10 days. Clean comp for duplex-plus-ADU in the 92831 pocket at this price point.
521 W Whiting Ave — Listed $1,599,000 / Closed $1,488,000 | 92832 | Closed 1/16/26
A 634 sq ft ADU dating to 1928 — a historic unit, not a new build. Closed $111K under list after 26 days. Historic ADUs trade differently than 2025–2026 builds: condition, legal compliance, and documentation all affect the buyer pool. Knowing how an ADU gets treated at appraisal — especially older units with complicated permit histories — helps sellers set realistic expectations before they list.
139 Ramona Dr — Listed $1,360,000 / Closed $1,343,000 | 92833 | Closed 4/23/26
ADU-style lower unit, cash buyer, closed $17K under list. Cash buyers on ADU properties typically close with less friction but negotiate harder — the speed premium usually costs something on price.
What the Numbers Are Telling Us
A few patterns stand out when you look at Fullerton's ADU market as a whole.
New 2026 ADUs are getting bid up hard. The Balfour comp ($279K over asking, 4 days) and Green Acre Dr ($235K over asking, 3 days) are not flukes. Both had newly built, permitted ADUs. Buyers in Fullerton are pricing permitted ADU potential aggressively — and they're competing for it. For sellers considering whether to build an ADU before listing, these comps make the math easy.
The Troy High School district acts as its own submarket. Three active listings in the 92831 zip — Maertin, Santa Fe, and Santa Ysabel — are all positioned around the Troy High premium. Buyers willing to pay for that district are a specific buyer pool, and the ADU is an additional driver on top of the school district pull. The combination is one of the stronger value stories in North Orange County right now.
Multi-unit and R3 properties command patience. The Truslow 4-unit sat 272 days before going under contract. The Richman Knoll estate has been back on market. These properties aren't wrong — they're specific. The buyer who wants $13,390/month in gross rents on a $2.2M Fullerton property exists; they just don't show up every week.
Fullerton compares favorably to nearby ADU markets.Anaheim's June ADU market showed solid comp velocity in the $900K–$1.3M range. Fullerton's closed comps cluster in the $1.1M–$1.5M band with stronger ADU square footage — the city's larger lot sizes in north Fullerton in particular support more ambitious ADU builds than you'll see in denser Anaheim pockets.
AB 976 matters for investor buyers. As of January 1, 2026, California permanently eliminated owner-occupancy requirements for ADUs — the change codified by AB 976. For properties permitted after that date, an investor can own and rent both the main home and the ADU without ever living on site. That's a meaningful shift for the income-property math on deals like the Amerige Ave R3 listing or the Truslow multi-unit. It removes a compliance question that used to complicate purely investor-held ADU properties.
Fullerton city permits are accessible. The City of Fullerton's permits and licenses page covers ADU permitting pathways — useful context for buyers evaluating active listings with recently built ADUs and for sellers considering adding a unit before listing.
Thinking About Buying or Selling an ADU Property in Fullerton?
The comps above show that Fullerton rewards sellers who bring well-positioned, permitted ADU properties to market — and punishes overpricing on properties that need the right buyer. Buyers who move quickly on new-build ADU properties are the ones capturing the premiums.
If you're evaluating a specific property or planning to list, call or text Dylan Serna directly at (714) 860-2868. He specializes in ADU properties across Fullerton and North Orange County and can walk you through what the data means for your specific situation before you make a move.
Or download the free ADU Seller Kit to get started on your own.
Data from CRMLS. Active/pending/closed status as of 7/2/2026. Market data should be independently verified. This is not financial or legal advice.
