Orange County Real Estate Blog

Straight answers from Dar Mardan, Realtor® + CPA, on selling, buying, taxes, Prop 19 and downsizing in Newport Beach, Irvine and across Orange County.

  • Inherited a Newport Beach Home but Live Out of State? A Checklist for Remote Heirs,Dar Mardan

    Inherited a Newport Beach Home but Live Out of State? A Checklist for Remote Heirs

    How do you handle an inherited Newport Beach home when you live out of state? You do it in 3 stages: protect the house in the first 30 days, meet the property tax deadlines that start at the date of death, and then decide whether to sell, rent, or keep it, using a local team so you don't have to fly

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  • Buy First or Sell First? How Prop 19's Price Limits Change With the Order of Your Move,Dar Mardan

    Buy First or Sell First? How Prop 19's Price Limits Change With the Order of Your Move

    Does it matter for Prop 19 whether you buy first or sell first? Yes, and it can matter by tens of thousands of dollars over the time you own your next home. Prop 19 lets an eligible homeowner carry a low property tax value to a replacement home, but the price ceiling for a full carryover depends on

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  • Renting vs. Buying in Orange County: How to Decide in 2026,Dar Mardan

    Renting vs. Buying in Orange County: How to Decide in 2026

    Photo: Nicholas Ceglia on Unsplash Is it better to rent or buy in Orange County, California?In Orange County, buying usually wins only if you stay long enough, about 8 years or more in our illustrative 2026 example, for appreciation and equity to outrun the higher monthly cost and transaction costs.

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