Journal
Strategy briefs, neighborhood-level market notes, buyer and seller guides, and the deal stories behind our results. Written by humans who work this coast, and updated as the market actually moves.
Seller guide · July 6, 2026 · 8 min read
Private exclusives, office exclusives, coming-soon, and the quiet agent networks: what 'off market' really means in California, what Clear Cooperation allows, and the honest math on when a private sale serves you and when it costs you.
Market · July 6, 2026 · 7 min read
I read the buyer needs coming through our private network of top Orange County agents every day. Here is what the money is chasing this summer, aggregated and anonymized: docks, single-story, and homes that never touch the MLS.
Strategy · July 2, 2026 · 5 min read
That's me with Robert Reffkin, who founded Compass. The reason a father-and-son team from Huntington Beach cares who runs Compass has nothing to do with the name on the sign, and everything to do with two things it changes for you.
The Tides · June 28, 2026 · 8 min read
The parade, the fireworks, the parking, and how to actually do the day right, from a family that has watched it from every spot on Main Street.
Market · June 16, 2026 · 6 min read
SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026 in the largest IPO in history. If you just became liquid and you're eyeing a coastal home, here's what happened and where that money tends to go.
Deal story · June 9, 2026 · 4 min read
A $3,925,000 sale. Twelve competing offers. Eight all-cash. $643,000 over asking, and about $1.475 million over Zillow's estimate. The real numbers, and the method behind them.
Seller guide · June 9, 2026 · 5 min read
Beyond the marketing, the questions worth asking before you hand someone the most valuable thing you own.
Strategy · June 9, 2026 · 4 min read
An online estimate is a starting point, not a strategy. Here is why it misses, and what a real number is built from.
Seller guide · June 9, 2026 · 5 min read
On the water, the diligence file is part of the product. Handling the seawall and dock up front protects the sale and the price.
Buyer guide · June 9, 2026 · 5 min read
A practical framework for what it takes to buy on the coast, without the false precision of a number that changes every week.
Buyer guide · June 9, 2026 · 6 min read
If you want a dock, a boat, and the water at your back door in Orange County, here is what to weigh before you buy in Huntington Harbour.
Strategy · June 9, 2026 · 5 min read
The sequencing of a move-up matters more than most agents will tell you. Here is how to stay in control of both sides.
Strategy · June 9, 2026 · 4 min read
Automated estimates weight square footage and bed count. On the water, the value is in the things an algorithm can't see.
Seller guide · June 9, 2026 · 6 min read
Selling on the water is a different sale. The dock, the depth, and the right buyer pool decide the price as much as the house does.
Seller guide · June 9, 2026 · 5 min read
There's no single right answer, only the right answer for your equity, your next move, and your timeline. Here is the framework we use with sellers.
The Tides · June 7, 2026 · 5 min read
June Gloom isn't summer running late. It's summer the way the coast does it. Issue No. 1 of The Tides: why the marine layer is a gift, the most underrated stretch of water in the county, and one honest number.
Market · April 28, 2026 · 5 min read
Where prices are, what's moving, and what we're telling buyers and sellers right now.
Seller guide · April 22, 2026 · 7 min read
Why the opening week on market decides everything, and why the preparation that precedes it's the only thing sellers can actually control.
Seller guide · April 15, 2026 · 6 min read
A pre-market test of demand inside the largest agent network in the country, before a single public dollar is spent on marketing.
Buyer guide · April 8, 2026 · 5 min read
Dock dimensions, deep-water access, and the cost-per-foot premium that drives Harbour valuations.
Buyer guide · April 1, 2026 · 6 min read
Fairway frontage, gated enclaves, and architectural review, and the governance details that determine whether Seacliff is the right community for your lifestyle.
Seller guide · March 18, 2026 · 5 min read
How the presale home-improvement program works, what it costs, and the situations where it changes a listing's outcome.
The Tides
Subscribe to The Tides, our monthly market letter for the Huntington Beach coast. Sent the first week of every month.
