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.

  • Newport Beach Skyline Watch, Part 2: How the New High-Rises Will Change Newport Beach,Dar Mardan

    Newport Beach Skyline Watch, Part 2: How the New High-Rises Will Change Newport Beach

    See what's coming: official renderings of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Newport Beach and Related California's twin towers at Big Newport (both open in a new tab). How will the new high-rises change Newport Beach? They bring a full-service, luxury condo lifestyle Orange County has rarely offered, alo

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  • 2-1 Buydown vs. Price Cut: The Smarter Way to Sell Your Orange County Home in 2026,Dar Mardan

    2-1 Buydown vs. Price Cut: The Smarter Way to Sell Your Orange County Home in 2026

    Watch the full breakdown in the video above. Is a 2-1 buydown better than a price cut when you sell your Orange County home?Usually, yes. On a $1,500,000 home, a $28,594 price cut lowers the buyer's payment by about $160 a month. The same money as a 2-1 buydown lowers it by $1,577 a month in year 1.

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  • Treasury Yields Just Hit a 20-Year High. Here's What It Means for Buying or Selling in Orange County.,Dar Mardan

    Treasury Yields Just Hit a 20-Year High. Here's What It Means for Buying or Selling in Orange County.

    Photo by Anatolii Nesterov on Unsplash Why did mortgage rates jump, and what does it mean for the Orange County housing market? Mortgage rates rose because the bonds that fund them — Treasury yields — just hit their highest levels in more than two decades, pushing the 30-year fixed mortgage to a one

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