Thinking about listing your Sherman Oaks home in 2026, but unsure how Measure ULA could affect your price, timing, and terms? You are not alone. When a city measure touches land use or housing rules, even small changes can influence how buyers value your property and how negotiations unfold. In this guide, you will learn what to verify first, how to price and position your home, and the steps to protect your net proceeds. Let’s dive in.
What Measure ULA could mean for your sale
Measure ULA is a Los Angeles measure connected to land use, development, or housing policy. Its impact depends on the final rules and how they interact with existing zoning and state laws. The first step is to confirm whether your parcel is affected and how.
- Potential upside: If rules expand development rights, land value can rise because a buyer can build or convert more.
- Potential downside: If rules add obligations or fees, some buyers may reduce offers to account for added costs.
- Timing matters: During rulemaking, uncertainty can lead to longer contingencies or conservative offers. When rules are finalized, buyers may bid more confidently.
Start with parcel checks
Confirm eligibility and zoning
Pull a current parcel report to see zoning, overlays, and lot details. Start with a quick check on the City’s mapping tool, the ZIMAS parcel report. Then review policies and updates with Los Angeles City Planning.
Focus on:
- Base zoning and any overlays or specific plans.
- Lot size, width, depth, and topography that affect feasibility.
- Whether the parcel sits in a hillside or historic area.
Verify site constraints and status
Walk through the basics that can make or break a development pitch:
- Existing structures and their legal status, including ADUs.
- Utility capacity and access, including sewer connections.
- Easements, CC&Rs, or HOA restrictions that limit changes.
- Occupancy or long leases that complicate timing.
Cross-check official measure details
Confirm current language, adopted ordinances, and effective dates. Use the City Clerk measure page for official text and updates. For permits, forms, and plan check procedures, refer to Building and Safety permitting guidance.
Price and position the listing
Market development potential credibly
If your parcel could allow more units or a new configuration, buyers may value the land more. Only market what you can support. Include a zoning summary, a simple feasibility sketch or letter from a planner or architect, and language such as “development potential subject to City approvals.” Link your facts to public sources like Los Angeles City Planning and ZIMAS.
Set expectations if new obligations apply
If the measure adds fees, inclusionary requirements, or restrictions, expect buyers to adjust bids. Be proactive:
- Disclose what you know and what you do not.
- Provide estimated costs or ranges if a professional has supplied them.
- Offer the right terms, such as credits tied to plan check fees instead of lowering the list price.
Timing your move in 2026
You have three paths, and the right one depends on your risk tolerance and what final rules look like.
- List now: Capture current demand and avoid the risk of new obligations. Expect buyers to request longer contingencies while rules are uncertain.
- Wait: If you believe the final rules will clearly boost development rights and values, waiting for clarity can support stronger offers.
- Hybrid: List now with transparent caveats, price to reflect uncertainty, and use contingency language that sets clear approval timelines.
Negotiation playbook
Contingencies to expect
Investors and developers price in risk. Plan for these common requests:
- Entitlement and zoning verification periods.
- Due diligence windows for surveys, utilities, soils, and parking feasibility.
- Financing contingencies for development loans, especially while rules are evolving.
Align terms with buyer type
- Owner-occupier: Values the home as-is and may not pay a development premium.
- Small-scale developer or investor: Focuses on margins, entitlement effort, and any required set-asides or fees.
- Larger developer: May pay a premium for scalable opportunities with clear, favorable rules.
Model your net proceeds
A solid pro forma will guide your list strategy and limit surprises. Build two comparisons: as-is sale versus sale priced for post-measure development value.
Key cost categories to include
- Seller costs: brokerage, escrow and title fees, repairs, staging, and closing costs.
- Taxes: consult your CPA for capital gains and local transfer taxes. Confirm assessed value records with the Los Angeles County Assessor.
- Possible Measure ULA items: inclusionary obligations, in-lieu fees, transfer or documentary taxes, required dedications, or deed restrictions.
- Soft costs for buyers: plan check fees, surveys, soils, and utility upgrades, which influence what they will pay.
Compare as-is vs development value
- As-is: Current improvements and cash flow. Use local comps similar in age, size, and condition.
- Development: Assume buildable units, then subtract estimated fees, potential obligations, approval time, and financing costs. A planner or architect can outline buildable area and likely approvals.
Run sensitivity scenarios
Create three outcomes: optimistic, neutral, and conservative. Adjust for premiums if rules expand rights, or discounts if obligations add cost. This helps you set a realistic list price and decide whether to sell now or wait.
Watch implementation steps
Policy changes roll out in stages. Track the path so you can time your listing to the market’s comfort level.
Typical steps include election certification, adoption of implementing ordinances, administrative rulemaking, environmental review if required, and publication of procedures and fees. You can monitor official updates on the City Clerk measure page and review permit processes with Building and Safety permitting guidance. For affordable housing programs or guidance, check HCIDLA programs and guidance.
Understand state law interactions
State laws may complement or limit what Measure ULA allows. Review official texts of state laws like SB 9 and SB 10 and confirm how they interact with City rules. When you market potential unit counts or lot splits, tie every claim to public code sections or a professional feasibility letter.
Local context in Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks includes a mix of single-family streets and multi-family corridors. Demand for each product type will guide whether new development rights translate into higher land value. Plan check and permitting capacity in the Valley can affect how buyers model timelines and risk.
Practical tip: Emphasize facts that buyers can verify quickly. Provide the zoning summary, lot dimensions, utility notes, and a clean title picture. This shortens diligence and builds confidence.
A 60-day prep plan
- Week 1 to 2: Pull a ZIMAS parcel report, order a preliminary title report, and gather permits and plans. Verify current measure status on the City Clerk measure page.
- Week 3 to 4: Obtain a feasibility letter from a planner or architect. Outline likely approvals with references to Los Angeles City Planning and Building and Safety permitting guidance.
- Week 5 to 6: Build two pro formas, run sensitivity scenarios, and finalize a pricing lane. Have your CPA review tax items. If applicable, check HCIDLA programs and guidance.
- Week 7 to 8: Prepare disclosure exhibits and contingency language. Launch a targeted pre-market campaign to gauge demand and refine terms.
Your next step
The effects of Measure ULA are site specific. The smartest move is to verify what applies to your property, then tailor pricing, timing, and terms to protect your net. If you want a confidential strategy session, curated market comps, and a step-by-step plan for 2026, connect with Amanda Watkins.
FAQs
What should a Sherman Oaks seller check first about Measure ULA?
- Start with zoning and overlays on the ZIMAS parcel report, then confirm official measure text and any ordinances through the City Clerk measure page.
How could Measure ULA influence my Sherman Oaks list price?
- If rules expand development rights, buyers may pay more for land; if obligations or fees increase, buyers may discount offers, so a site-specific pro forma is essential.
Where do I confirm permitting steps and timelines in Los Angeles?
- Review plan check, permits, and forms through Building and Safety permitting guidance and policy resources from Los Angeles City Planning.
Do state laws like SB 9 or SB 10 affect my options?
- They can; review the official texts of state laws like SB 9 and SB 10 and consult a planner on how they interact with City rules for your parcel.
Who can help me model net proceeds before I list?
- Work with a local agent, a land-use planner or architect, a title and escrow team, and a CPA; verify assessed data via the Los Angeles County Assessor.
