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.

  • Big House vs. Simple Life in Newport Beach: The Real Annual Cost of Each,Dar Mardan

    Big House vs. Simple Life in Newport Beach: The Real Annual Cost of Each

    Most downsizing conversations start with feelings. As a CPA, I usually start somewhere else: what does each home actually cost you to own for 1 year? When you put a large Newport Beach house and a smaller condo or townhome side by side, line by line, the answer is often not what people expect. Somet

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  • Clearing Out the Family Home Before You Sell in Orange County,Dar Mardan

    Clearing Out the Family Home Before You Sell in Orange County

    How long does it take to clear out a family home before selling it in Orange County? For a home a family has lived in for 20 years or more, plan on 8 to 12 weeks from the first sorting session to an empty, list-ready house. The work itself is not complicated. What takes time is the decisions: what e

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  • Selling a Family Home in Orange County Without Losing Yourself,Dar Mardan

    Selling a Family Home in Orange County Without Losing Yourself

    Selling a long-held family home in Orange County is as much an emotional process as a financial one. Most sellers experience grief-like responses, guilt, and identity loss, especially in a high-value market like Newport Beach where the home often represents decades of memories and a once-in-a-lifeti

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