With ADU construction now nearly matching single-family home building across the county, Anaheim-based agent Dylan Serna focuses exclusively on helping homeowners and buyers navigate the complexities of ADU property transactions.
Orange County issued 1,916 permits for accessory dwelling unit construction in 2025, a 40 percent increase over the 1,367 permits issued in 2024, according to data from Cotality (formerly CoreLogic). That figure nearly matches the 1,459 single-family home permits issued in the same period, a reversal from just a few years ago when ADU construction represented a small fraction of residential building activity in the county.
The surge has created a growing need for real estate professionals who understand how ADU properties differ from standard residential transactions. Dylan Serna, a licensed real estate agent based in Anaheim, works exclusively with properties that include accessory dwelling units, serving homeowners and buyers across Orange County.
Why ADU Transactions Require Specialized Knowledge
Properties with accessory dwelling units involve considerations that standard residential sales typically do not. Permit status, zoning compliance, rental income documentation, and the distinction between a legally permitted unit and an unpermitted conversion can all materially affect a property’s market value. According to construction industry estimates, a permitted ADU can add $150,000 to $300,000 to a home’s value in Orange County. The National Association of Realtors estimates that homes with ADUs sell for roughly 35 percent more than comparable properties without them nationwide.
However, unpermitted units or those with incomplete documentation can create the opposite effect, becoming liabilities during a sale rather than assets. Serna’s practice focuses on identifying and resolving these issues before they reach the transaction stage. For sellers, that includes verifying permit history, documenting rental income, and ensuring the ADU is positioned as a quantifiable financial asset. For buyers, it involves evaluating zoning compliance, realistic rental income projections, and whether a unit’s condition supports the asking price.
A Construction Boom That Has Outpaced the Industry
California’s ADU expansion has been driven by a series of legislative changes over the past decade. State law now eliminates minimum lot size requirements for ADU construction, relaxes setback rules for garage conversions, and, as of January 1, 2025, permanently removes the requirement that homeowners live on the property in order to rent out an ADU. The cumulative effect has been a rapid increase in construction that has outpaced the real estate industry’s ability to develop specialized expertise around these transactions.
Federal Housing Finance Agency data reflects the scale of the shift. The share of California home appraisals involving ADU properties has been climbing steadily since 2016. In 2023, the median appraised value for California properties with ADUs reached $1,064,000, compared to $715,000 for properties without them.
Serna currently serves homeowners and buyers across Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Buena Park, Long Beach, Lakewood, Fullerton, and Orange.
About Dylan Serna / ADU Realtor
Dylan Serna is a licensed real estate agent based in Anaheim, California, specializing in the purchase and sale of residential properties with accessory dwelling units. He works with homeowners evaluating the financial impact of their ADU and with buyers seeking properties that offer flexible living arrangements or rental income potential across Orange County
Media Contact
Dylan Serna
Dylan Serna – ADU Realtor
2108 W Lullaby Lane, Anaheim, CA 92804
Phone: (714) 860-2868
Website: www.adurealtor.net
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