For Landscaping, water-Wise doesn’t have to be a sacrifice — It can be the New Luxury

For years, "drought-tolerant" meant gravel, a few succulents, and an apology to your neighbors!  We’re past that now, I’m happy to report. Southern California's newest landscape trend is replacing the barren desert stereotype for something closer to a Mediterranean ideal — silvery sage, sculptural agave, olive trees, and lavender layered like a designer garden, not just a water-saving compromise.

For homeowners and home sellers alike, this matters. Buyers touring homes today are increasingly put off by thirsty lawns that signal high water bills and high-maintenance upkeep, not unlike an old pool.  A well-designed water-wise front yard shows as intentional and…

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  • Condo sales taking longer than detached homes to sell.
  • Average 30 yr. fixed rate hovering between 6.5% and 6.75%.
  • Market tipping in buyers' favor, finally.  Discounts from list price increasing.

What was once the ideal stepping stone for buyers who are unable to afford a detached home for their first purchase, condos and townhomes are getting more expensive to buy and own.  Orange County condo and townhome inventory is up 17% over last year, according to local economist Steven Thomas, while demand is down 8%.  Detached home inventory, for comparison, is down a more modest 11% while demand is down 6%.  Expected Market Time is 114 days for attached homes and 93 days for detached homes.  This gap is the largest it's been in years.  Why would…

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  • Overall, the current market is balanced.  Supply currently matches demand, and as a result, prices have plateaued.
  • Expected market time (no. of days to sell entire market inventory) is UP year over year in all price points up to $1.5m, but is trending SHORTER for all homes from $1.5m - $6m+!   The luxury market is sizzling!


As the chart below shows, the expected market time, defined as the number of days it would take for the current inventory to sell if no new homes were added, is speeding up in the $1.5m+ market, while it's slowing below that price point.  Historically, anything below $1.5m that's priced correctly flies off the shelf.  It's been years since we've had enough inventory to satisfy the appetites of buyers at this attractive…

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  • De-listed homes match 2020 numbers - and we don't have a global pandemic!
  • List price sensitivity at all time highs.  Well-priced homes flying.  Over-priced homes, not so much!
  • Iran conflict has pushed interest rates above 6.5%, and experts don't see relief this year.  Buyers re-calibrate.

When Covid-19 hit in 2020, market uncertainty hit all time highs.   Not surprisingly, thousands of Orange County home sellers pulled their homes off the market, or "de-listed".   The number of Orange County homes that have been de-listed in 2026 is approaching 2020 numbers, but for different reasons.   We now know how the 2020 low-inventory market, coupled with historically low interest rates, spurned a rapid 6 year home price increase.  Surely 2026's…

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Burrowcore: The Design Trend That Makes Home Feel Like a Refuge

Move over, cottagecore. The latest interior trend taking hold is burrowcore — and it's less about picture-perfect aesthetics and more about creating a space you genuinely never want to leave.   OK, I can't say I'm seeing this trend flooding the Orange County market (yet), but I think you'll agree that some of the key tenets are admirable.  Who doesn't want to create a home that you don't want to leave?

Where other design movements prioritize polish, burrowcore leans into warmth, character, and comfort. Think overstuffed seating, worn woods, layered textiles, vintage finds, and lighting that flatters rather than interrogates. The look feels collected over time — not decorated all at once…

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Limewashed Walls Are Popping Up and They Look Great!

If you're like me and scroll through design pages on Instagram, you're probably seeing soft, cloudy, almost ancient-looking walls — well, that's limewash. I'm not suggesting anyone go out and change everything in your house, obviously.  Like previous posts, I'm sharing some things I'm seeing in newer remodels that I feel are more than passing trends!  Check back in 5 years and see how I did!

So what is Limewash?  It's a paint technique made from slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) that's been used for centuries. Unlike regular paint, it doesn't just sit on the surface — this binding mortar simply soaks in, creating a layered depth that changes subtly depending on the light. Morning sun hits it…

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  • Interest rates are hovering in mid to high 6s.  10 year treasury pushed up to 4.6% with war uncertainty.

  • Buyers mistakenly feeling it’s a buyers’ market where they call all the shots.  It’s actually pretty balanced!

  • Sellers must focus on accurate pricing for location and condition during uncertain times or risk longer market time, and ultimately a lower price.  I know I sound like a broken record!


 An eye-opening 52% of Orange County home sales closed above list price last month!  Buyers who barge in expecting to haggle when a home is priced correctly may be bitterly disappointed.  If a home checks all the boxes and is ready to move-in, priced correctly, and professionally marketed (I can't believe some agents still list…

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EVENT HAS PASSED. 

CALL OR TEXT MATT FOR DETAILS FOR THE NEXT ONE!

Annual FREE Living Trust Event

with Trust Attorney Sarah Rinelli, Esq.

Thursday, May 28 from 6 - 7:30pm

Seven Gables Real Estate 

19671 BEACH BLVD

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

More information below

Call or text me with any questions.

Matt (949) 677 3618

Click "read full post" for link to activate.

LINK to RSVP 

 

 

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The Disappearing Kitchen: Why Today's Best Appliances Are the Ones You Can't See

Walk into a high-end home today like my upcoming listing on Evergreen Place in Costa Mesa, and you might notice something is missing — the appliances. No stainless steel refrigerator dominating the wall. No dishwasher door breaking up the cabinetry. Just clean lines, seamless surfaces, and a kitchen that looks more like a piece of furniture than a workspace, and I love it!

I’m seeing a rise of the integrated appliance and I think it’s here to stay.

Refrigerators now hide behind custom cabinet panels, dishwashers tuck beneath counters with no visible controls, and induction cooktops sit flush with stone surfaces — sometimes revealing nothing but a subtle knob. …

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  • Interest rates are back at 6% despite doom and gloom reports in the news.

  • Inventory is creeping up and buyer demand is a little lower than normal (see recent rate spikes)

  • OFF-MARKET sales are dominating my workflow this quarter.  

When I meet with a home seller, my first thought is almost always to prepare the home to look its best and to take it to market for full exposure.  This may involve some light remodeling, or just de-cluttering, touch-up painting, and staging.  Additionally, I always present the opportunity to sell the home off-market to my clients.  Conventional wisdom would suggest this limited exposure would likely net the seller less.  But, it's not quite that simple.  

As dues-paying Realtors (members of the…

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