The homes in Fullerton
Fullerton has a wider spread of home ages than most of its neighbors. The streets around downtown hold the oldest houses, including the largest intact group of 1920s homes in the city. Postwar tracts fill much of the flatland. Sunny Hills is on the hillier north side. The newest large community is Amerige Heights, built in the early 2000s on the former Hughes Aircraft site.
Neighborhoods and tracts
Fullerton recognizes 16 residential historic districts, and ten of them are Residential Preservation Zones. Jacaranda, Malvern and Brookdale, just west of downtown, became a preservation zone in 1997. College Park and Barranca are two others. In these zones, new construction and exterior changes go through design review, and the city offers Mills Act contracts for qualifying homes.
Other neighborhood names you will hear from agents and on listings are Sunny Hills, Golden Hill, Raymond Hills and SOCO, the South of Commonwealth part of downtown. West Coyote Hills, on the north side, is the largest remaining piece of undeveloped land in north Orange County.
Schools
Most of Fullerton is in the Fullerton School District for kindergarten through eighth grade, with schools such as Acacia, Golden Hill, Laguna Road and Sunset Lane, Beechwood and Fisler for K to 8, and Ladera Vista, Nicolas and Parks junior highs. High schools belong to Fullerton Joint Union High School District: Fullerton Union, Sunny Hills and Troy.
The lines do not follow the city limits. Some edges of Fullerton are in the La Habra City or Buena Park elementary districts, and the area east of the 57 is in Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified. A small part is in Brea Olinda Unified. Ask Tony to confirm the schools for a specific address.
Parks, shopping and landmarks
Downtown runs along Harbor Boulevard, with the Fox Theatre from 1925 and the 1930 Santa Fe depot. Hillcrest Park, opened in 1922, is the oldest city park. Laguna Lake Park has a lake path and an equestrian center, and the Fullerton Loop trail connects the two. The Fullerton Arboretum is on the Cal State Fullerton campus, and the Muckenthaler Cultural Center and Craig Regional Park are also in the city.
Getting around
The 91 crosses the south side, the 57 runs along the east side and the 5 clips the southwest corner. The Fullerton Transportation Center downtown has Metrolink Orange County Line and 91/Perris Valley Line trains, plus Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Southwest Chief. Fullerton Municipal Airport, a general aviation field, is in the southwest corner on Commonwealth Avenue.
Buying in Fullerton
Decide first whether you want an older home near downtown, a postwar tract or a newer hillside community, because the rules differ. In a preservation zone, ask Tony what design review means for the changes you have in mind. In Amerige Heights and other newer tracts, ask Tony about the HOA and any Mello-Roos on the tax bill.
Homes near the airport, the rail line and the freeways hear them, so visit at different times of day before you decide. Tony is also a licensed mortgage loan originator (NMLS ID 2359276) and can go through what you may be able to borrow before you tour.
Selling in Fullerton
A 1920s home in a preservation zone and a 2000s home in Amerige Heights are sold to different buyers with different questions. Original features, permits for past work and the assigned schools all belong in the listing. Tony is a REALTOR licensed in California since 2007 and works in Fullerton from his office at The Real Estate Solution in Cerritos.
