After many years in the same home, the question “What’s next?” can feel big. There is no single right answer, and nothing here asks you to decide anything.
How to use this guide
Words like this open a short, plain-English explanation. Tap one any time. You can always come back.
May fit ifYou love your home and neighborhood, it suits you physically, and you want to keep your low property tax base.
Things to weighUpkeep and repairs on an older home, stairs and bathroom safety, yard work, and having help nearby. Simple changes like grab bars, better lighting, or a first-floor bedroom can make a big difference. The Huntington Beach Senior Center in Central Park offers care management and referrals at (714) 536-5600.
May fit ifYou would like single-level living, less maintenance, or a lock-and-leave home, while staying close to friends, doctors, and routines.
Things to weighCapital gains on the sale, HOA dues and rules, and moving logistics. Proposition 19 can let you bring your current property tax base with you if you are 55 or older.
Browse homes for sale near youhb.homes ›May fit ifYou want flexibility, to be near family, or to try a new area before committing.
Things to weighRent increases over time, giving up the Prop 19 benefit if you don’t buy within two years of selling, and capital gains on the sale.
May fit ifLeaving the home to family matters to you and someone may want to live in it.
Things to weighHeirs generally receive a “step-up” in basis that can erase most capital gains, but under Prop 19 their property tax may rise sharply unless a child moves in. A living trust can avoid probate.
May fit ifYou want to remain at home but would like more monthly cash flow.
Things to weighA federally insured reverse mortgage (HECM) is available at 62 and older. For 2026, FHA counts home value up to $1,249,125 when calculating how much you can access. Costs include an upfront insurance premium (2% of that value), you must keep paying property taxes, insurance, and upkeep, and HUD-approved counseling is required first.
The same five paths, compared on the three things that matter most: property tax, capital gains, and what your family receives.
Many long-time owners stay put because they fear a much higher property tax bill on their next home. For owners 55 and older, Prop 19 often removes that worry.
The short version
If you are 55 or older, you can generally carry your current taxable value to a replacement primary residence anywhere in California, up to three times, if you buy within two years before or after selling.
Your full low tax base comes with you. If you buy after selling, “the same or less” stretches a little: up to 105% of your sale price in the first year, and 110% in the second.
An example
Your home’s taxable value is $300,000. You sell it for $1,400,000 and buy a single-level condo for $1,100,000.
Illustration only, using a rate of about 1.15%. HOA dues and special assessments are separate.
You still benefit. The difference in price is added to your old tax base. In the example, a $1,600,000 home would be taxed on $300,000 + $200,000 = $500,000, not on $1,600,000.
The benefit is not automatic. You file a claim with the Orange County Assessor (form BOE-19-B), generally within three years of buying. Official details are at boe.ca.gov/prop19.
After decades in Huntington Beach, your home has likely grown in value far more than you paid. Knowing your number ahead of time takes the surprise out of selling.
The short version
You can exclude up to $250,000 of gain from tax, or $500,000 for qualifying married couples filing jointly. Long-time owners often have gains far above that. Records of improvements you’ve made can lower your taxable gain dollar for dollar.
Illustration only. Your CPA can run your real numbers.
The short version
Heirs usually inherit at today’s value, which can eliminate decades of capital gains. Gifting the home during life generally loses that benefit. Under Prop 19, heirs keep your low property tax only if a child moves in, and only up to a limit.
Before deciding anything, gather three things. With them in hand, a CPA, an estate attorney, and a local Realtor can each give you real numbers instead of guesses.
I’m Marc Samulewicz, a Realtor with Seven Gables Real Estate and the founder of hb.homes. I live and work in Huntington Beach, and much of my work is helping neighbors who have owned their homes for many years understand their choices, whether that means moving, staying, or simply planning ahead.
The short version
Money you spent making your home better, bigger, or longer-lasting is added to what you paid for it. That lowers your taxable gain dollar for dollar. Everyday repairs don’t count.
That is common after many years. City permit records, old photos, bank statements, and contractor names can help your CPA rebuild the list. Start gathering now, well before you sell.
The short version
Many of the benefits in this guide apply only to the home you live in. A rental or second home follows different rules for capital gains, property tax, and your heirs.
The short version
A reverse mortgage lets homeowners 62 and older turn part of their home’s value into cash, with no monthly mortgage payment. The loan is repaid when the last borrower moves out or passes away, usually from the sale of the home.
The short version
When your children inherit your home, the tax law generally treats them as if they bought it at its value on the day they inherit. Decades of growth in value can be wiped clean for capital gains purposes.
You bought your home in 1985 for $180,000. Today it is worth $1,400,000.
Illustration only, before improvements and selling costs. Your CPA can run your real numbers.
The short version
Before 2021, children could usually keep their parents’ low property tax. Now they keep it only if a child moves into the home as their main residence, and only up to a limit. Otherwise the home is reassessed at today’s value.
What it can mean in dollars
A home with a taxable value of $250,000 pays about $2,900 a year in property tax. If heirs who don’t move in inherit it at a market value of $1,400,000, the bill can rise to about $16,000 a year.
Illustration only, using a rate of about 1.15%. Actual rates and assessments vary.
Official information: boe.ca.gov/prop19 and the Orange County Assessor.
The short version
A living trust holds your home while you are alive, and you stay in full control. When you pass, the person you chose hands it to your family directly, without going through probate court.
California statutory probate fees on a $1,000,000 estate
No obligation. You are welcome to have a family member, CPA, or attorney join us.
Prefer email? marc@hb.homes · Visit hb.homes