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.

How to Keep Your Family's Memories When You Downsize (Without Keeping Everything)

You keep your family's memories when you downsize by separating the memory from the object. Scan the photos, slides, and letters. Record the stories while the people who know them can still tell them. Decide who gets which heirlooms with a fair, written process. Put those decisions in your estate pl

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Sell Now or Keep It for the Kids? The Tax Math on a Long-Held Newport Beach Home

Should a senior sell a long-held Newport Beach home or keep it for the heirs?It depends on the tax math. Selling now can trigger capital gains above the $250,000 or $500,000 exclusion. Holding gives heirs a step-up in basis, but can cost you cash flow and them a Prop 19 reassessment. If you bought y

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Selling a Newport Beach Home as a Trustee or Executor: What You Owe the Heirs

What does a trustee or executor owe the heirs when selling a Newport Beach home? A fair price reached through a sound process, equal treatment of every beneficiary, no personal benefit from the sale, and enough information along the way that the heirs can see the job was done properly. In California

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