Stavrosgroup

The Best Newport Beach Neighborhoods: A Look at Dover Shores

Welcome to the next edition of our Neighborhood Spotlight Series, where we provide a little insight into some of the best neighborhoods Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar have to offer, so you can feel more comfortable in the purchase of your new home in Orange County.

This month we will be featuring Dover Shores, a charming residential neighborhood in the heart of Newport Beach. Although mostly quiet and very family-friendly, Dover Shores is not short on beauty and things to do. With the Upper Newport Bay (or Back Bay to the locals) bordering just to the east, you’re close to ten and a half miles of some of the most picturesque running and biking trails in Southern California. Many homes are even lucky enough to boast panoramic views of the Back Bay area. The community also has three private beaches, all which feature summer lifeguard service and are perfect for families. You’re also only a stone’s throw from Irvine Avenue, which boasts a wide variety of restaurants, shops and other retail needs. Or if you’re looking for a night on the town, head over to Fashion Island for some world-class shopping and dining. This is becoming a desirable neighborhood, so bear in mind that Dover Shores homes for sale go quickly!

We have created an infographic to provide a quick glimpse into some of the housing and residential statistics that a potential homebuyer may be interested in. We hope you find this information helpful!

We happen to have a beautiful home in the Dover Shores neighborhood that will be yours for the taking when it hits the market on July 8. Completed in 2019, this exceptionally appointed home at 2101 Leeward Ln., showcases on-trend style and state-of-the-art smart-home technology. Curb appeal is off the charts, with Modern Farmhouse architecture complementing a soft-contemporary interior with 6 bedrooms, 4 baths and a bonus room in approx. 4,226 s.f. Discover light European oak wood flooring, white walls and millwork, a formal living room, large family room, and an enormous chef’s kitchen with marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Entertaining is a delight in the backyard with a pool, spa and raised deck.

We know that trying to settle on the right Newport Beach neighborhood as you’re looking at homes for sale in Orange County can be tricky, but here at The Stavros Group we’re here to provide a helping hand and make the process of buying the Newport Beach home of your dreams as easy as possible. Please do not hesitate to give us a call!

The Best Newport Beach Neighborhoods: A Look at Balboa Island

Welcome to the second edition of our Neighborhood Spotlight Series, where we provide a little insight into some of the best neighborhoods Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar have to offer. This way you can feel more comfortable in the purchase of your new home in Orange County.

This month we will be featuring Balboa Island, a charming little island community in Newport Beach. This harborside neighborhood may be small, running only 2.6 miles in circumference, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in charm. An iconic Newport Beach destination, this man-made island is densely-packed with a unique mix of charming cottages and modern, newly-renovated homes. This quaint yet vibrant community has a small-town feel with still being only minutes from the excitement that Newport Beach has to offer. After setting one foot on this island, you’ll be looking at Balboa Island homes for sale!

We have created an infographic to provide a quick glimpse into some of the housing and residential statistics that a potential homebuyer may be interested in for this community. We hope you find this information helpful!

One of the charming, highly sought after homes in the Balboa Island neighborhood is this one of a kind property at 1305 Park Ave. This charming coastal cottage is one of the most attainably priced homes for sale on Balboa Island. Just one block from the beach, mere steps from the classic Village Inn, and a quick stroll to Hersheyâs Market, you have tons of wonderful amenities within reach!

The Best Newport Beach Neighborhoods: A Look at Newport Canyon

You’ve decided to make the move to Orange County and you’ve even started browsing some houses for sale in Newport Beach. If you’re new to the area, the next step in your house hunting journey may be, “What is the best neighborhood for me?” Well, we’re here to help out, as we introduce our Neighborhood Spotlight Series, where we will provide a little insight into some of the best neighborhoods Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar have to offer, so you can feel more comfortable in the purchase of your new home in Orange County.

The first up in our Newport Beach neighborhoods feature is Newport Canyon. Newport Canyon is a well-established community located near the 73 Freeway, cornered by University Dr. and Jamboree Rd. and sits right next to Bonita Creek Park. A popular neighborhood in Newport Beach, this peaceful gated community is a prime example of why homebuyers are attracted to this area. Located at the bottom of a hillside, residents of this neighborhood enjoy a secluded, resort-style lifestyle, complete with around-the-clock guard patrol, a beautiful community pool and spa.

One of the beautiful, highly sought after homes in the Newport Canyon neighborhood is this one of a kind property at 3137 Corte Marin. The gorgeous Mediterranean-style architecture combined with modern granite and marble touches on the interior are something you don’t want to miss.

We know that trying to settle on the right Newport Beach neighborhoods as you’re looking at homes for sale in Orange County can be tricky, but here at The Stavros Group we’re here to provide a helping hand and make the process of buying the Newport Beach home of your dreams as easy as possible. Please do not hesitate to give us a call!

What Are The Tax Benefits of Buying a New Home in Orange County?

Tax season might be over this year, but it’s never too early to start thinking about how events in your life now may affect your tax benefits for next year. Purchasing a new home in Orange County could arguably be one of the biggest financial decisions in your life. It’s also one that is known to potentially come along with multiple tax breaks. We’re breaking down a few of these potential benefits, along with changes under the recent tax reform, that you should familiarize yourself with before buying a new home in Newport Beach or putting your Laguna Beach home for sale.

Aside from the obvious gains of mere pride and joy that come with owning your own property, home ownership can offer multiple financial benefits, such as home tax deductions, tax credits and other breaks that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you plan to purchase a new home in Orange County this year, it would be wise to familiarize yourself with current tax laws, as they have undergone changes in the past few years, which may affect how that house purchase benefits you.

As a recap, the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) underwent a significant tax reform, which Congress enacted in December 2017 and is currently scheduled to go through December 2025. Below we have broken down a few of the tax benefits that you may receive if becoming a first-time homeowner this year, as well as changes implemented by the new TCJA that you should be aware of if buying or selling a home for the first time since January 2018.

Mortgage Interest Deduction

One of the biggest benefits of owning a home is the fact that mortgage interest expenses are deductible. Under the TCJA, homeowners can deduct the interest you pay on a loan on up to $750,000 from your income taxes. Although this limit used to be $1 million (the TCJA reduced the limit and made modifications on how a home equity line of credit could be used), this benefit should not be overlooked. This deduction could still provide you with massive returns come tax season next year. Homeowners with new loans could especially benefit from this, as interest charges on mortgages are normally higher at the beginning of the mortgage’s term.

Homeowners should keep in mind that this tax deduction limit only applies to those who itemize their personal deductions. For those that choose not to itemize deductions, the standard deduction for individuals or married couples filing individually is $12,000, if you’re the head of household it’s $18,000, and for those married filing jointly it’s $24,000. It is worth speaking with a financial advisor to determine which method of filing is ultimately most beneficial for you.

Tax-free Capital Appreciation

One benefit that is going unchanged even with the TCJA is the capital gains you receive tax-free after the sale of your home. Homes appreciate in value during the life of your ownership, so when it is time to part ways with that Newport Beach home you’ve lived in for years to move to one up the road in Laguna Beach, you can relish in the profits of your sold home without worrying about being taxed. Under the TCJA married homeowners can retain up to $500,000 in home appreciation profits from the sale of their home, or $250,000 for single filers. There is a catch, though. You have to have used your home as your primary residence for at least two years out of the five years before the sale date to qualify for this exclusion.

Property Tax Deductions

Another tax benefit from being a homeowner is the ability to be able to deduct portions of your property taxes. Although prior to the TCJA you could deduct the entirety of your property taxes, all is not lost, as you are still able to deduct up to $10,000 ($5,000 if married filing separately) under the new law. Under the TCJA, the deduction was changed from solely property taxes to a combination of property taxes and either state and local income taxes or sales taxes under the $10,000 limit.

While being a homeowner in 2019 offers a variety of tax benefits, with the overhaul of tax laws in the past few years, it is wise to evaluate your choices to determine what is best for you and your family. It is worth noting, as well, that many of these recent changes may end in 2025, so it’s always good to be knowledgeable about how tax changes could affect your returns. Whether looking for a new home in Newport Beach or thinking of putting your Laguna Beach home for sale, we would love to help you with whatever Orange County real estate needs you may have. Please do not hesitate to give us a call here at The Stavros Group!

Home Buyer’s Remorse: Who’s Having It and How to Avoid It

Making the jump from renting to owning an Orange County home is a big step. Many Americans are eager to take the leap into homeownership because it’s one of the factors that embodies the “American Dream”. Unfortunately, many people don’t go into this huge undertaking with the knowledge and information they need to fully understand what they’re getting themselves into. Because of this, new research shows that many new homeowners are suddenly having home buyer’s remorse. Read on to discover why certain people are feeling this way and what you can do to ensure you’re happy with your Orange County home purchase!

A recent Bankrate survey shows that 44% of all Americans have some regrets when it comes to their home purchase. What’s even more surprising is that, when broken down generationally, a whopping 63% of millennials regretted buying their home. A few of the main reasons for this included the size of the house not meeting their needs, bad location, and mortgage payments being too high. However, their biggest gripe was related to unexpected maintenance costs.

Often times, new homeowners are unfamiliar with the extent of the costs required to maintain a home, including utilities, taxes and insurance, and unexpected repairs or replacements. As any seasoned homeowner will tell you, surprises are unavoidable, so it pays to be prepared. Whether you’re a new or prospective home buyer, we’ve provided a few helpful tips to hopefully take away any unexpected costs along the way — take heed and spare yourself the trouble down the road!

What? There’s more?

So you reserved a huge chunk of your savings for that large down payment — great! But you’re not quite done yet… Be prepared for closing costs that’ll range from roughly 2% to 5% of the home’s purchase price.

Maintaining your Home and your Happiness

It’s just a fact of homeownership that things are bound to break or give out, and they eventually will need repairing or replacing. It may be tough after a down payment and closing costs, but expecting the unexpected by keeping a reserve for repairs can make the difference between heartache and happiness. It’s recommended to save 1% of your home’s purchase price each year for upkeep costs. Take some time each month to inspect the pain points around your home and you can rest assured.

Don’t Forget Those Taxes

One of the biggest mistakes millennials make is only factoring in the cost of their mortgage into their monthly budget. Property taxes and insurance can be a hidden cost that can create an extra burden if you’re not prepared. Avoid this by remembering when Property Tax is due in your area!

Don’t Get Stuck in the Dark

New homeowners often times come from situations where they were living in a smaller space or renting somewhere that many of the utilities were covered for them. This leads to unexpected costs when maintaining the utilities of your home. It is good to keep in mind that you will typically be paying for electric, gas, and water, some of which may be higher than what you’re used to paying depending on if you’re upsizing or not.

Home ownership should be an amazing and rewarding experience, a dream come true for most Americans. Buying a home puts your monthly payments to work as an investment, by building your own equity instead of your landlord’s. And, as a homeowner, you have total freedom to make the choices you want and live the life you envision for yourself and your family! Just keep in mind that a prepared homeowner is a happy homeowner. While we can’t rid you of property taxes, at The Stavros Group we promise to find you an Orange County home that’s a perfect fit for your lifestyle and your budget! Let us know how we can help.

How to Quickly Spruce up Your Orange County Home

Putting your home for sale in Laguna Beach and want to stage your home to sell quickly? Or just looking to spruce up your Corona del Mar home a bit? There are lots of things you can do to a space to liven it up — buy new furniture, add some unique or colorful decor touches, update fixtures — but probably the one that creates the most dramatic change is adding a fresh coat of paint. For far less than the cost of a major renovation, painting your walls a new color will make your home feel modern, current, and refreshingly new. Whether you’re just moving in, looking to refurbish your existing space, or trying to sell your Orange County home quickly, here are a few of the trendiest interior paint colors that are sure to transform any room in your house.

Metropolitan AF-690 from Benjamin Moore

Voted Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year for 2019, their Metropolitan AF-690 is a neutral gray that is stylish yet comforting at the same time and seemingly pairs well with everything. Shades of gray are very in right now, due to their calming nature and their ability to add an air of class and sophistication to any space. According to Benjamin Moore’s Director of Strategic Design Intelligence, Ellen O’Neill, “Metropolitan AF-690 emanates nuance, harmony and extravagant ease. Always adaptable, it softens to matte or shimmers with sheen. It’s neutral. It’s understated. It just is. This is color, off-duty.”

This color would look great in any room of the house, from the kitchen to the bedroom. To give you even more reason to love it, this Metropolitan AF-690 was also featured on Consumer Report’s list of Hottest Interior Paint Colors of 2019. According to Consumer Report’s Paint Ratings, they recommend using either the Benjamin Moore Aura or the Benjamin Moore Regal Select, both slightly pricier options but are environmentally-friendly, and only one coat is needed to cover your walls.

Blue Tequila from Behr

To add a calming, beachy vibe to your home, a color like Behr’s Blue Tequila is the perfect shade of blue-green to compliment a room. A more modern take on seafoam, this paint can add the perfect touch of color as an accent wall in any living area or bedroom, or coat your entire kitchen in it to transform your cooking area. Pair with a classic eggshell white for a quintessential beach feel, or pair with shades of taupes, browns and even orange to give a more rustic feel. This is another color that is extremely versatile and is bound to look good in whatever capacity you use it!

Peppercorn from Sherwin-Williams

Often people shy away from darker colors, but Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn is a charcoal gray that packs a punch while retaining that neutral elegance. Darker walls make colors pop, especially if accompanied by lighter crown-molding or furniture to contrast with the bold walls. If you’re hesitant to turn your entire living room or bedroom this dark of hue, then start by playing around in the bathroom. A hall bathroom is a great place to try out bolder colors and decor choices since this isn’t a room you’re constantly using. Then, if you happen to love it, you can expand beyond to more areas of your house!

Reflecting Pool from HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams

For those looking to add a pop of color to their homes, Reflecting Pool by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams may be a perfect option. This beautiful shade of teal is bold enough to add spice to a dining room or living room, but also modern enough to give a sophisticated and elegant feel to the home. This was another color that made it onto Consumer Report’s list of Hottest Interior Paint Colors of 2019, which recommends using HGTV Home Infinity by Sherwin-Williams or the HGTV Home Showcase paint for this color, both ranking high in their Paint Ratings. Pair it with navy and a yellow hue if you’re aiming for more of a fun and playful look, or with greys and creams if you want just a pop of color. This hue would be a great option when updating a modern or mid-century modern style space.

Ella Rose from Magnolia Home Paint

An unexpected color that you may not have thought of incorporating into your home is pink. Most people associate shades of pink with youthful, “girly” rooms. However, the right shade of pastel pink or dusty rose can add a bit of charm to any shabby chic or traditional home. Ella Rose from Magnolia Home Paint by Joanna Gaines is a beautiful pale neutral pink with accents of peach. It has a softer, sweeter touch to it that will translate to your home. It’s the perfect shade if you want a graceful and timeless color with a fresh twist.

Blueprint S470-5 from Behr

Behr’s Blueprint is a deep hue of beautiful slate blue that would compliment a bedroom, living room or kitchen. Voted as Behr’s 2019 Color of the Year, this color would especially compliment a modern or mid-century modern aesthetic home. Shades of blue are always popular, as they are calming and usually very versatile. However, this shade adds a bit more dimension to a room and can make lighter-colored furniture or cabinets really pop. This was another color that made it onto Consumer Report’s list of Hottest Interior Paint Colors of 2019. They recommend using Behr Marquee, Behr Premium Plus Enamel, or Behr Premium Plus Ultra for this color, all ranking high in their Paint Ratings.

Magnolia Green from Magnolia Home Paint

If you want to recreate the rustic Fixer-Upper look that Joanna Gaines is so famous for creating, then Magnolia Green from Magnolia Home Paint is a perfect place to start. This gorgeous olive green color can be used as an accent or to fill an entire room. It’s extremely versatile and, although you might not initially think it at first glance, it can look amazing in any room of the house. Pair it with creams and grays to complete that enchanting farmhouse look.

I hope these colors have given you some inspiration to get you started on that renovation or home facelift you’ve been dreaming about. Whatever decor choices you make, what really matters is that you make it feel like you. If you get to the point where your current house no longer feels like home and you’re yearning for a bigger change, I’d love to help you find that perfect Orange County property that truly is the home of your dreams.

Why Life in a Newport Beach Home is a Dream Come True

Surfer walking on beach near their Newport Beach home — Photo courtesy of ActionVance

Many people long to live in a coastal location where beautiful beaches surround you and mild temperatures and sunshine is the norm. The town of Newport Beach in Orange County is one such California locale that seems to have everything. With wonderful residential neighborhoods and a number of living options that include gorgeous luxury homes and upscale condos, this seaside town is one to be desired. We’re breaking down what makes this area so special and why you will immediately start wanting to look for homes for sale in Orange County so you soon can see yourself living in a Newport Beach home.

What People Are Saying About Life in Newport Beach

This town beside the sea boasts many stunning beaches and plenty of water sport activity options like kayaking, surfing, and boating. The water is warm, the sand is golden and there are some spectacular sunsets at dusk. There are plenty of shops, decent restaurants, and other eating venues. At night, there are some lively clubs, great music, and good company. There is something for everyone, and the people here are friendly. This is a nice alternative to big city life. If ever wanting some of that larger excitement, it is only an hour’s drive to several bigger city destinations.

Advantages of Living in This Beautiful California Coastal Town

There are many advantages of living in this beautiful geographical location. The neighborhoods seem more like smaller town communities where everyone looks out for each other. The schools are superb, and the town is relatively clean. The great thing about moving here is the different choices in housing. There are wonderful single family homes, condos and apartment complexes. A sizable number of classy upscale homes draw many, and most neighborhoods feel safe. The beaches have nearby attractions like bowling, arcades, various clubs, picturesque hiking/biking trails and bars if you like that scene.

The Best Way to Buy or Sell a Luxury Home in This Area

While there are some good deals on upscale homes if you know where to look, it can be a bit difficult to buy or sell a top-of-the-line home without knowing all of the nuances of the real estate market in these parts. Working with an experienced realtor who specializes in these higher-end living environments is usually the best way to buy or sell these homes. Sellers often run out of time and might end up settling for far too low a price. Newcomers to the area often get hoodwinked into paying too much when buying a local luxurious home featuring added amenities.

If you find yourself in the market for a new home in Orange County and want someone knowledgable about the area to show you the absolute best Newport Beach, California homes for sale, then do not hesitate to contact us here at The Stavros Group. We’d be happy to help!