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What Are the Major Design Trends Going Into 2027?

Posted by The Aaronson Group on September 17th, 2026

The Aaronson Group Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC

Warm wood paneling, woven cane seating, textured fabrics and abundant natural light capture the shift toward warmth and nature going into 2027.

Design & Lifestyle

What Are the Major Design Trends Going Into 2027?

The all-white, all-gray interior is fading. Heading into 2027, designers and homeowners are moving away from cool, sterile minimalism and toward rooms that feel warm, layered and connected to nature. Think earthy color, bold natural stone, curved furniture and spaces with a clear purpose.

For coastal Orange County, this shift fits naturally. Homes in Monarch Beach, Newport Coast, Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar already sit next to sandstone bluffs, sage-covered…

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The CDM Village Lifestyle: Dining, Shopping, and Coastal Community

Posted by The Aaronson Group on September 16th, 2026

The Aaronson Group Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC
 
Corona del Mar · Newport Beach

The CDM Village Lifestyle: Dining, Shopping, and Coastal Community

Corona del Mar Village is one of the few places in coastal Orange County where you can walk to dinner, walk to the sand, and walk home. The village core runs along Pacific Coast Highway roughly from Avocado Avenue to Poppy Avenue, with the alphabetical Flower Streets running down toward the water on one side and up toward the bluff on the other. It is roughly a mile end to end, and that compact footprint is the entire point.

Buyers who tour Corona del Mar for the first time usually arrive focused on the ocean. They leave talking about the walkability. That distinction…

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Fall Is Not the Off Season: Roughly One in Three Home Sales Happens in the Final Four Months of the Year

Posted by The Aaronson Group on September 14th, 2026

The Aaronson Group Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC

Coastal OC Market Insight

Fall Is Not the Off Season: Roughly One in Three Home Sales Happens in the Final Four Months of the Year

Summer is behind us, and the same question comes up in nearly every seller conversation this time of year: did I miss my window? The instinct is to wait for spring, repaint in February, and list when the coast is crowded again.

The data says otherwise. About a third of all existing home sales close in the last four months of the calendar year, and that share has grown every year since 2023.

The Numbers

Fall Is Busier Than Most Sellers Assume

National Association of Realtors data shows that September through December…

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Golf, Ocean Views, and Privacy: The Pelican Hill Buyer Profile

Posted by The Aaronson Group on September 10th, 2026

The Aaronson Group

Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC

 

Newport Coast · Buyer Profile

Golf, Ocean Views, and Privacy: The Pelican Hill Buyer Profile

Quick answer: Pelican Hill is a 24-hour guard-gated enclave in Newport Coast built around the fairways of Pelican Hill Golf Club. The typical buyer is looking for three things at once: a golf setting, a protected ocean view, and privacy that comes from the community’s design rather than a tall hedge. Most are primary-residence buyers relocating within Southern California or from out of state, and many are paying cash or close to it.

Buyers who end up in Pelican Hill rarely arrive undecided. They have usually toured Crystal Cove, looked at Pelican Crest and Pelican Point,…

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Homeowners Insurance Has Moved to the Front of the Transaction

Posted by The Aaronson Group on September 7th, 2026

The Aaronson Group Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC

Coastal OC Market Insight

Homeowners Insurance Has Moved to the Front of the Transaction

For years, homeowners insurance was a late-stage item. Buyers found a home, opened escrow, and handled the policy somewhere between the inspection and the final walkthrough. That sequence no longer works. In coastal Orange County, insurability now shapes what a buyer can afford, how long a listing takes to sell, and in some cases whether a deal closes at all.

This is not only a wildfire-zone conversation. It reaches ocean-bluff properties in Monarch Beach, canyon-adjacent homes in Laguna Beach, hillside estates in Newport Coast, and harbor-view properties in Dana Point. Kevin Aaronson and…

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The Off-Season Is the Honest Season in Laguna Beach

Posted by The Aaronson Group on September 2nd, 2026

The Aaronson Group Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC
 
Coastal Market Insight

The Off-Season Is the Honest Season

Labor Day weekend is the last heavy tourism weekend of the year on the Orange County coast. By the middle of next week, Coast Highway moves again, the lots empty out, and the towns that spend all summer hosting visitors go back to being neighborhoods.

For anyone who lives in Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Monarch Beach, or Newport Coast, this is the best stretch of the year. For anyone thinking about buying here, it is the most honest one.

It is also the front edge of a winter that forecasters are watching closely.

The crowds leave after Labor Day. The weather arrives right behind them.
The Seasonal…

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Thinking About Waiting for Lower Mortgage Rates? Read This First.

Posted by The Aaronson Group on August 24th, 2026

The Aaronson Group

Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC

   

Imagine waiting a year to buy a home, only to find mortgage rates haven’t changed much. That may sound frustrating, but it’s a real possibility.

A lot of people are putting their plans on hold because they believe much lower mortgage rates are right around the corner. Based on today’s forecasts, that may not happen.

Let’s look at why experts don’t expect a dramatic drop in rates, and the options that could help you buy anyway. Even if rates don’t fall, you can still move. Here’s how.

 

1. Mortgage Rates Aren’t Expected To Fall in a Meaningful Way

If you’re waiting for rates to fall, you’re not alone. A recent survey from Clever-Best Interest found that 42% of…

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Pelican Crest: Newport Coast’s Highest-Elevation Luxury Enclave

Posted by The Aaronson Group on August 21st, 2026

The Aaronson Group Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC

Newport Coast Community Guide

Pelican Crest: Newport Coast’s Highest-Elevation Luxury Enclave

Newport Coast is built in tiers. Each community sits a little higher than the one below it, and the higher you climb, the wider the view becomes. Pelican Crest sits at the top of that climb. It is the highest-elevation guard-gated enclave in Newport Coast, positioned above Pelican Hill Golf Club with sightlines that reach across the Pacific to Catalina Island, north up the coastline toward Palos Verdes, and inland across the canyon on clear evenings.

That elevation is the entire point of the neighborhood. Where the lower Pelican communities are built for proximity to the sand and…

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The Ultimate Guide to Buying an Oceanfront Estate in South Orange County

Posted by The Aaronson Group on August 19th, 2026

The Aaronson Group Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC

Buyer Guide · Coastal Orange County

The Ultimate Guide to Buying an Oceanfront Estate in South Orange County

Oceanfront property in South Orange County is one of the smallest real estate markets in California. From the Laguna Beach coves down through Dana Point, Monarch Beach, Capistrano Beach and San Clemente, the true oceanfront inventory measures in the hundreds of parcels, not the thousands. In a given year, only a fraction of those homes trade, and a meaningful share of them never reach the open market at all.

That scarcity changes how the purchase works. Comparable sales are thin. Price per square foot tells you very little. The diligence that matters most happens…

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How to Choose a Dana Point Luxury Realtor: A Practical Guide for the Rest of 2026

Posted by The Aaronson Group on August 10th, 2026

The Aaronson Group   Luxury Coastal Real Estate - OC       Dana Point, from the Headlands bluff to the harbor breakwater.   Dana Point | Choosing an Agent  

How to Choose a Dana Point Luxury Realtor: A Practical Guide for the Rest of 2026

  Most people interview two or three agents, listen to three versions of the same presentation, and pick the one they liked talking to. That works fine on a tract home in Ladera Ranch. It does not work here.   Dana Point is not one market. Ritz Cove and Monarch Bay behave nothing like Capistrano Beach. Beach Road has its own rules, its own risk profile, and its own buyer. The Strand at Headlands trades on a set of comparables that most agents in Orange County have…

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