Fullerton’s Forever Homes

More than 280 modernist tract homes in south Fullerton, drawn by Eichler's own architects — and not one of them is an Eichler. That's the story.

Talk to Stacey The Real Story

The story

Eichler’s architects, without Eichler

Between 1953 and 1956, builder Pardee-Phillips put up more than 280 modern homes in three phases across south Fullerton — south of Valencia, between Richman and Euclid.

The plans came from A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons, the same architects drawing Joseph Eichler's houses up north. NBC's "Home" show had commissioned a Jones & Emmons design — "The House That Home Built" — and offered the plans to any developer in America for $200. Pardee-Phillips took them up on it.

So Fullerton's "Eichlers" aren't Eichlers — Fullerton Heritage is emphatic on the point. They're something arguably rarer: a genuine Jones & Emmons tract that exists nowhere else in Orange County.

What they are

Small plans, real modernism

The scale

Mostly 1,100–1,400 square feet — compact by design. The efficiency is the point, and the price of entry reflects it.

The pedigree

Jones & Emmons designs, mid-1950s — the same hands behind Eichler's plans and some of the era's best tract architecture.

The condition question

Many have been altered over seventy years. An intact example is genuinely scarce — and worth moving on when one surfaces.

The naming trap

Listings sometimes say "Eichler." They're not, and the difference matters at appraisal. Provenance done right protects your money.

The neighborhood

South Fullerton, walkably mid-century

The three phases spread across a cluster of streets — Maplewood, Jefferson, Rosslynn, Adams, Oak, West, Ash, Elm, Washington — in an established, tree-lined part of town near downtown Fullerton and its Metrolink connection.

Whether a specific house is a Forever Home, and how much original fabric survives, is exactly the homework we do before you write an offer. Fullerton also adopted the Mills Act in 2020 — an individual-landmark route with real limits, worth understanding before you count on it.

Fullerton listings →

On the market now

Live listings, inside the tract lines

Straight from the MLS, drawn against the actual Forever Homes boundary — not a citywide radius. Every card links to the full listing.

Checking the MLS…

The OC Modern Watchlist

Small tracts trade quietly — the good ones are often gone in a weekend. Leave your email and we’ll flag new Forever Homes listings when they hit the MLS. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Contact

Curious about the Forever Homes?

Small houses, big design, and a market that misprices them in both directions. Talk to someone who knows which is which.

Let's TalkText 949.302.2414 EmailStacey.may@compass.com