Moving From Washington DC to Orange County, California: What to Know Before You Buy

by Dar Mardan and Sherine Monir

What changes when you move from Washington DC to Orange County, California?

Almost every rule of the transaction. You will sell under DC, Maryland or Virginia rules, where transfer and recordation taxes are set by law and the sales contract, and settlement runs through a title company. Then you will buy under California rules, where a neutral escrow company handles closing, Proposition 13 limits how fast your assessed value can rise, and the Orange County median single-family price was $1,452,500 in August 2026.

A guest post by Dar Mardan, CPA, MBA and REALTOR® with Vidar Group Real Estate in Orange County. The section on selling in DC, Maryland and Virginia is by Sherine Monir, Realtor with Compass and also a licensed Interior Designer in DC.

Moving across the country means two transactions under two very different sets of rules. Sherine starts with the sale side: what it actually costs to sell a home in the DC metro, and what you walk away with. I pick it up from there on the California side. I work with buyers relocating into Orange County, and the surprises are rarely about the house. They are about the rules around it.

Start With the Sale: Your DC-Area Net Proceeds

By Sherine Monir, Realtor with Compass and also a licensed Interior Designer in DC

Your Orange County budget begins with what you actually walk away with here, and that depends on which side of the line you are selling from: Upper Northwest DC, Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Maryland, or Arlington, Alexandria and McLean. My breakdown of seller net proceeds in DC, Maryland and Virginia covers every line item. Here are the transfer taxes, side by side, on the same $1,200,000 sale:

Washington DC: The seller pays the deed transfer tax, 1.45% of the entire sale price at $400,000 and above (1.1% below that). The buyer pays the matching recordation tax. On a $1,200,000 sale, the seller’s share is $17,400. I explain why this split is fixed by the contract in my post on DC transfer tax for sellers in 2026.
Maryland (Bethesda, Chevy Chase and the rest of Montgomery County): Buyer and seller split three taxes 50/50. On a $1,200,000 sale to a buyer who will live in the home, the seller’s half comes to $17,950:
- County transfer tax, 1%. $12,000 in total; the seller pays $6,000.
- State transfer tax, 0.5%. $6,000 in total; the seller pays $3,000.
- Recordation tax, 0.89% plus higher rates above $500,000. The first $500,000 of the price is taxed at 0.89%, and each step above that pays more, so this tax climbs fastest on higher-priced homes. When the buyer will live in the home, the first $100,000 of the price is exempt. $17,900 in total; the seller pays $8,950.
- If your buyer is a first-time Maryland homebuyer, the state transfer tax drops to 0.25%, and the seller pays all of it.
Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria and McLean): The seller pays three charges that add up to 0.3% of the sale price. On a $1,200,000 sale, that is $3,600:
- Grantor’s tax, 0.1% ($1,200). The basic Virginia tax on selling a home, charged everywhere in the state. Your settlement statement splits it into two equal lines, a state share and a county share ($600 each).
- Regional congestion relief fee, 0.1% ($1,200). An added fee in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County (which includes McLean) and nearby localities that pays for regional transportation projects.
- WMATA capital fee, 0.1% ($1,200). A second added fee in the same localities that helps pay for Metro.
- Depending on the title company, your settlement statement may list the two regional fees separately or combine them into one line, such as “Regional Transportation Improvement Fee.”

Two things catch sellers off guard on any side of the line. Your mortgage payoff will be higher than your online balance because servicers build in extra interest, and the refund arrives weeks later. And if you are in a condo or HOA, the resale package is often paid upfront and may not show up on your settlement statement at all, so count it when you estimate your net.

Timing matters for a cross-country move. DC closings on financed deals typically run 21 to 45 days from a ratified contract. If your Orange County purchase depends on those proceeds, your two agents need to line up both closing dates from the start. If you are still weighing when to list, my post on whether to sell your house this year walks through the market timing.

What Your Money Buys: Comparing the Two Markets

The numbers below are real, but they do not all measure the same thing. Read the middle column before comparing them.

Market	Median price	What it measures	Source
Chevy Chase, DC (20015)	$1,485,000	Detached homes, 12 months ending August 2026	Bright MLS, via Sherine Monir
Chevy Chase, MD (20815)	$1,835,000	Detached homes, 12 months ending August 2026	Bright MLS, via Sherine Monir
DC metro	$675,000	All closed sales, June 2026	Bright MLS, via Sherine Monir
Orange County, CA	$1,452,500	Existing single-family detached, August 2026	C.A.R.
California	$901,420	Existing single-family detached, August 2026	C.A.R.

The useful read: a seller at the Chevy Chase, DC detached median lands very close to the Orange County countywide detached median. But Orange County is not one market any more than Upper Northwest is. The countywide figure blends inland cities with the coast, and coastal communities sit far above it. In Newport Beach, for example, the median sold price has run around $3.28 million in 2026.

Pace is similar too. The Orange County median rose 4.9% from August 2025, and the median time on market was 27 days in August 2026, according to C.A.R. For context on how rising mortgage rates are affecting that picture, see my post on interest rates and Orange County home prices.

Reading DC Listings: What “Old City 1” and “Old City 2” Mean

Search DC listings and you may see a home labeled Old City 1 or Old City 2 instead of a neighborhood name you recognize. These labels refer to the historic core of Washington, laid out in the city’s earliest plan. They take in areas such as H Street, NoMa, Truxton Circle and Shaw, which is part of the area historically called Old City or Near Northeast.

They are record-keeping labels used in tax and listing data, not names residents use day to day, and their exact boundaries are hard to pin down. When you see one, ask your agent for the neighborhood name locals actually use. It tells you far more about the block, the price range and the lifestyle.

Property Taxes: Two Systems Built Differently

This is the biggest mental shift for buyers coming from the DC area.

In DC, owner-occupied homes are taxed at a flat residential rate, which Sherine cites as $0.85 per $100 of assessed value. Maryland combines state, county and municipal rates, and in Chevy Chase, MD the combined rate typically runs higher than DC’s.

In California, Proposition 13 works on a different principle. Your purchase price becomes your assessed value. The base tax is 1% of that value, plus any voter-approved local bonds and assessments. After that, your assessed value can rise by no more than 2% a year for as long as you own the home. It resets only when the property changes hands. Because local bonds vary by neighborhood, always pull the current tax bill for the specific parcel before you write an offer.

Three California details to budget for:

Supplemental tax bill. After you buy, the county reassesses the home to your purchase price and sends a one-time supplemental bill for the difference. It arrives separately from your regular bill and is not paid from your mortgage impound account, so set the cash aside.
Mello-Roos. Many newer master-planned communities, including much of Irvine, carry Community Facilities District special taxes on top of the base rate. They must be disclosed, and they can add meaningfully to your annual bill.
No portable tax base from out of state. Proposition 19 lets some California homeowners carry their tax base to a replacement home, but only from one California home to another. Your DC assessment does not transfer. If part of the reason for your move is to be near parents who own in Orange County, Proposition 19 also decides whether their low tax base can pass to you. I cover that in Can My Parents Transfer Their House to Me Without a Property Tax Increase?

Closing Works Differently in California

In DC, Maryland and Virginia, settlement runs through a title company. In Orange County, a neutral escrow company holds the funds and documents and closes the transaction, while a title company issues the title insurance separately.

The transfer tax picture also flips:

Orange County’s documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of value, collected by the Orange County Clerk-Recorder. No Orange County city adds its own transfer tax. The seller customarily pays it here, though it can be negotiated.
The difference is real money. At the Orange County median of $1,452,500, the documentary transfer tax is about $1,598. A DC seller at that same price pays about $21,061 in deed transfer tax.
California buyers do not pay a percentage-based recordation tax like DC’s.

California also has its own disclosure package, including a Natural Hazard Disclosure that tells you whether the property sits in a flood zone, fire hazard severity zone or earthquake fault zone. Read it closely.

Get homeowners insurance quotes early. California’s insurance market has been strained by wildfire losses, and some coastal and canyon-adjacent homes are harder to insure. Get quotes before you remove your contingencies, not after. The California Association of REALTORS® keeps a homeowners insurance resource page for buyers.

A Practical Timeline for a DC-to-Orange County Move

Get a net sheet on your DC-area home first. Your listing agent can build one line by line, including the taxes that apply on your side of the line.
Get pre-approved in California before you tour. At Orange County prices, many purchases need a jumbo loan, and lenders will want to know how your sale proceeds fit in.
Put your two agents in touch. Real estate licenses are state by state, so you will need one agent on each coast. The best moves happen when they coordinate closing dates, rent-backs and contingencies together.
Order insurance quotes and pull the tax bill for any home you are serious about before you write an offer.
Set aside cash for the supplemental tax bill that arrives after closing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Orange County more expensive than Washington DC?

It depends on where you are comparing. The Orange County median for existing single-family homes was $1,452,500 in August 2026, according to C.A.R. That is close to the $1,485,000 detached median in Chevy Chase, DC over the 12 months ending August 2026, but well above the $675,000 DC metro median for all home types in June 2026. Coastal Orange County, such as Newport Beach, runs far higher.

What do “Old City 1” and “Old City 2” mean in DC listings?

They are labels for the historic core of Washington, covering areas such as H Street, NoMa, Truxton Circle and Shaw. They show up in tax and listing data rather than everyday use, so ask your agent for the neighborhood name locals use.

What transfer taxes does a seller pay in DC, Maryland and Virginia?

In DC, the seller pays a deed transfer tax of 1.45% at $400,000 and above. In Montgomery County, Maryland, buyer and seller split the county transfer tax, the state transfer tax and the recordation tax 50/50. In Arlington, Alexandria and McLean, the seller pays 0.3% in total: the grantor’s tax plus two regional fees.

Who pays the transfer tax in Orange County compared with DC?

In DC, the seller pays a deed transfer tax of 1.45% at $400,000 and above, and the buyer pays a matching recordation tax. In Orange County, the documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of value, customarily paid by the seller, and California has no percentage-based buyer recordation tax.

Can I keep a low property tax base when I move to California?

No. Under Proposition 13, your purchase price sets your assessed value. Proposition 19 lets some homeowners move their tax base, but only between California homes.

How much are property taxes in Orange County?

The base rate is 1% of your assessed value, plus voter-approved local bonds and assessments that vary by neighborhood. Your assessed value can then rise by no more than 2% a year while you own the home.

What is Mello-Roos?

It is a special tax levied in many newer California communities to pay for infrastructure such as roads and schools. It is added to your property tax bill and must be disclosed before you buy.

What is a supplemental tax bill?

After a purchase, the county reassesses the home to its new value and sends a one-time bill for the difference in the current tax year. It usually is not paid through your mortgage impound account.

How long does it take to close on a DC home sale?

Financed DC closings typically run 21 to 45 days from a ratified contract, depending on lender timelines and contract terms.

Do I need a different agent in each state?

Yes. Real estate licenses are issued state by state, so you will need an agent licensed in DC, Maryland or Virginia for your sale and one licensed in California for your purchase.

Is homeowners insurance harder to get in California?

It can be, especially near canyons and wildland areas. Get quotes early in your search and confirm coverage before removing contingencies.

Planning the Move

If you are selling in Upper Northwest DC, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Arlington, Alexandria or McLean, start with Sherine. She is licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Call or text her at 202.536.4043 or visit sherinemonir.com.

For the Orange County side, I am glad to walk you through neighborhoods, property taxes and timing. Call me at 714-612-3870, email dar@vidargroupre.com, or visit vidargroupre.com.

About the authors: Dar Mardan is a CPA, MBA and REALTOR® with Vidar Group Real Estate at Real Broker, serving Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Newport Coast, Irvine and Mission Viejo. California DRE #02121982. Sherine Monir is a Realtor with Compass and also a licensed Interior Designer in DC, licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia. She represents sellers and buyers in Upper Northwest DC, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Arlington, Alexandria and McLean, and was named to RealTrends America’s Best 2026.

This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Tax rates, fees and market figures change. Confirm your own closing costs, tax obligations and net proceeds with your attorney, tax advisor, lender, escrow officer or settlement agent.

Photo credits: Washington Monument and cherry blossoms, Washington DC, by Andy He on Unsplash. Palm-lined street in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, California, by Jeffrey Clayton on Unsplash.