Palm Springs Real Estate Blog

Eating is one of America’s favorite pastimes and here in Palm Springs there is definitely no shortage of excellent restaurants available for your dining pleasure. Whether you crave something fast, cold and fulfilling or something hot, spicy and satisfying; we have it all and we have narrowed it down for you to the top 3 restaurants in Palm Springs. These 3 give you a wide selection of sensory pleasing food to choose from while enjoying the ambiance of each different surrounding area. Read on for a breakdown of some of the best eating establishments here in Palm Springs.

For an authentic taste of Mexican cuisine, your choice would be Las Casuelas Terraza, recently ranked among the 50 best Hispanic restaurants across America, by the Hispanic Magazine. Here you are treated like family, regardless of your origins and the menu tempts your appetite like no other. Offering a spacious outdoor patio for dining-al-fresco or a low lit corner for relaxation, you will find Las Casuelas Terraza is the one restaurant that immerses you in the Hispanic culture, while offering you a temporary reprieve from day to day life. The bar is a favorite hangout at night and the Margaritas are Mui bien!!!

Not only is the restaurant among the top 50 best, but also makes my top 3 pick of restaurants in Palm Springs. This beautiful eatery is found along historic Palm Canyon Drive and has been opened to the public for nearly two decades. During this time the menu has been refined over and over and has taken a trend upward in offering some of the most amazing dishes as well as quick pick-up meals referred to as Pronto Food to Go. For an authentic taste of the West, visit Las Casuelas Terraza.

If your taste is leaning toward a more formal setting, and perhaps a good wine with an excellent steak, then (more…)

Where is the place to be every Thursday evening? In historic, downtown Palm Springs, where you can find some of the most eclectic, and amazing artisans anywhere. Only here can you immerse yourself in sensory delights that border on spectacular, and the lure of more to come keeps the weekly visitors returning every Thursday evening.

Offering a variety of sights, sounds, and smells ranging from familiar to unknown, the Palm Springs Villagefest promises to make your weekly expedition to downtown Palm Springs a delightful one. Visitors from all over are making this a must-see on their travel agenda, to experience some of the local culture as well as foreign. Finding so many different artisans in one organized setting can be a definite challenge, but here you get exactly that.

As an organized event that takes place weekly on Thursdays, the Palm Springs Villagefest is astounding in the familiar order of events, while offering the artisans that (more…)

So many people visit Palm Springs each year that it is hard to go anywhere in the world without people knowing about the city. Most of the people that come to Palm Springs to live or buy a second home or vacation home are merely tourists who visited and fell in love with it here. Who wouldn’t fall in love with Palm Springs, as there is so many activities here, but you probably already know that.

What you may not know is that the Palm Springs Air Museum, next door to the Palm Spring’s Corporate Jet Center and across the runway from the main completely remodeled air terminal is a flying museum. Nearly all the antique and WWII vintage aircraft fly. These aircraft fly often and there are frequent events going on all the time. The Air Museum also hosts traveling exhibits like the Leonardo DaVinci working model museum.

The Air Museum is staffed with volunteers, all local and they know their airplanes. There is an Aviation Library up stairs, as well as a working simulator for “friends of the museum” club members. The gift shop has every type of museum gift imaginable for the aviation, military and space enthusiast in your family.

Palm Springs Airport sits on a special Trade Zone designation, as it is an International Airport with connection daily flights to (more…)

For those of you who may not have a chance to get out and see the lights this year, I have put together a collection of computer Christmas Light Displays, done to music.

These were all found on www.youtube.com I hope you enjoy them and a Happy Holidays to
everyone!

Chipmunks Christmas Light Show

Dedicated in the memory of Jacqueline Miller Bennett. 25 years ago, this holiday, she lost her battle against cancer. Awareness of breast cancer through education and early detection can prevent the loss of another mother or daughter.

Over 120,000 lights in sync to the music of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This year the show is 10 minutes long. The location of the house is at the corner of Bob Mitchell and Paseo De Oro in El Paso, Texas.

Animated Christmas Light show done to a techno version of Jingle Bells by Ochre. House is located in Valencia, CA near Helmers School

Saks 5th Ave Snowflake Christmas Light Show New York City

The Biggest Little Light Show in Reno! Video of our Christmas Lights this year

House and lights in sync to Trans Siberian’s Wixards in Winter

This Poster Writes: This is my first year doing animated Christmas lights. This years songs are Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Sarajevo 12/24, Trans-Siberian Orchestra - A Mad Russian Christmas

Christmas light show at Macy’s in the old Wanamaker building on Market St. in Philadelphia, Pa

There is always something happening in Palm Springs, and it is happening every single day. Just looking at the local newspaper the number of events and activities going on can make you dizzy and in Palm Springs, there is never a dull moment. Just look at some of these events coming up on the Famous Palm Springs Events Calendar in January and February 2008: (more…)

There is no doubt that Palm Springs with all its hotels, spas, resorts, golf courses, restaurants and the Palm Springs International Airport, as well as the renowned World Class Convention Center is a vacation destination hot spot. In fact, a friend of mine who use to live in Hawaii has a daughter who is in the travel business and she jokes around a lot and says; “This is the only business you can send your customers away and still make money” and where does she most often send them? Palm Springs.

We often joke around about this - maybe this is why they both decided to move here. Of course, their cars looks kind of silly with Hawaiian Plates, I mean you really cannot drive here from Hawaii. They finally explained the simple process to have a car shipped back to the mainland and the move to Palm Springs was a lot easier than they thought. She explained to me that it was the best move they ever made - we get a lot of that around here.

As, I was thinking about this on my way to a local community meeting, I stopped in for a croissant deli breakfast sandwich, as I was running early again - the traffic here is nothing like the rest of California. Anyway, up pulls this beautiful car with a bumper sticker;

(more…)

So anyway, I turned on the TV nightly news, yes, I know, I know, its all negative isn’t it? In one part of the country people are flooded out, another people are caught in ice storms and the rest of the nation is in severe drought. I sure am thankful to live out here in the Palm Springs, Palm Desert Area, where the weather this time of year is so awesome, out door dinner on the patio of one of the “El Paseo’s Award Winning Restaurants” is a perfect end to a perfect day. The weather tonight was about 68 degrees and the food was terrific, it always is here, well all over the Valley really, it has to be, as all these top restaurants have to compete with all the 4 and 5-Star Golf Course Resorts. Sitting out on the patio is fun, it’s so neat to see all the Christmas Shoppers and the free-shuttle golf carts moving people around. I saw a couple driving an antique car and they waved, we gave them (more…)

The names of cities usually have a bit of trivia behind them, and the popular tourist and vacation home town of Palm Springs is no exception, and perhaps that is why our friends were talking about this the other day. When you think of the name Palm Springs, you think of palm trees and springs.

Yes, there are huge numbers of Palm Trees in Palm Springs, they are everywhere; in front of the resorts, restaurants, businesses, spas, airport terminal, movie theatres and hotels. In fact, they are everywhere you go, everywhere you look, it makes you feel, well just happy is the word I am looking for, just plain happy. The rates of depression in Palm Springs are next to nothing and many people who move here from Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah and even Wyoming say they were just so depressed until they moved here. The cure; maybe it is the Palm Trees - it makes everyone smile.

So we figured out the Palm part of Palm Springs, so what is with the Springs part of the city’s famous name? Well, the city got its name from (more…)

Many folks are worried about the weak dollar, some estimates say it is 13% undervalued currently and they know it has sunk nearly 30%, which sounds just horrible if you have money in the bank. Nevertheless, as savvy realtors out here in the Palm Desert and Palm Springs, we realize it means more foreign buyers coming to buy second and third homes. It also means many of the snowbirds from Canada who visit each year, can now afford that dream home here.

The Canadian dollar was about even with the US Dollar in September and it keeps getting stronger against the US Dollar and the snowbirds from Canada, particularly British Columbia are loving it. The United States currently has 80 billion dollar trade deficit with (more…)

The other day I was dealing with a young professional couple, who wanted to live in Palm Desert. One of them had transferred his corporate job to the area and the other was in a highly in demand job career and knew it would be no problem securing work in the medical field here. I showed them a few homes, a couple of condos and some gated community golf course properties without the age restriction.

They were so excited, but the big stickler for them was that they just do not trust the market with all the negative news on TV. The mass media sub-prime lending fallout, and the real estate bubble burst is all they could talk about, and yes as a Realtor all those things concern me as well. But, I know this market like the back of my hands from Palm Springs all the way through the Coachella Valley to La Quinta.

When you have a pulse on the community like I do, it is essential that you convey your confidence, break out the statistics, show them the homes that have sold, and the ones that had not. Tell them why. I sat down for two hours with them showing them (more…)

National Association of Realtors Headquarters

Perhaps you heard in the news about a Detroit Real Estate Company that also ran an on-line listing service and the discount real estate brokers in the area complained that their listings were give secondary treatment. Well the Federal Trade Commission took the case and tried to get a judgment against the company. A Federal Judge threw out the case and dismissed the whole thing. This was a big win for the National Association of Realtors.

Most MLS multi-listing services are owned by brokers anyway, and a ruling against this company would have had severe impacts across the nation for MLS’s everywhere. The Wall Street Journal had run a story on this on December 13, 2007. The FTC had sent out a huge number of press-releases when they filed the case and it hit the AP, with 1000s of newspapers running the story.

This is not the first time that the FTC has had a judge foreclose on a case, it is happening more and more each year. Generally, the FTC monitors classified ads with the help of local divisions in nearly all states. Since our industry does quite a bit of classified and newspaper advertising, there is no doubt that your ads have been gone over with a fine tooth comb and as they say, “no news is good news” and if you have not been contacted, well, you are like me.

This is not the only issue involving real estate that the FTC is currently dealing with, (more…)

Apparently, the Senate is moving fast to get a bill to the President’s Desk to stave off the next wave of foreclosures, as it looks like about two million foreclosures are imminent in the next few quarters. The analysts predict some 460,000 additional homes will hit the market due to these foreclosures. Law Enforcement Agencies are worried that this will increase crime. It is said that a one-percent rate in foreclosures creates a 2.8% increase in crime within a community. Those areas, which had seen massive growth during the top of the real estate bubble in 2005 and 2006 will take the brunt of the problems, which will sink real estate prices in those areas another 25% or more.

Wow, those are some scary statistics and I am sure happy to be working and living here in Palm Springs, where, a few more homes on the market will not be significant, rather provide us with a bit more selection to choose from. For me personally, I would like to see more listings, so I can help my clients into the very best property of their choosing.

California Senator Barbara Boxer has sent around a memo stating: (more…)

Due to the strong real estate values in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and La Quinta, the housing authority and local governments of the Coachella Valley are working hard to find affordable housing in nearby areas such as Thousand Palms, Indio, Desert Hot Springs and in unincorporated areas.

Recently, there was a meeting of the minds in the Coachella Valley to determine how best to address this need. You see, the current average median housing price in many of the more elite cities such as Palm Desert, La Quinta and Indian Wells was approaching $400,000 and that made it tough for working families in the area to find suitable housing. Without that labor force, the cities would find themselves in trouble trying to service the local residences.

As you probably guessed the Indian Casinos nearby, the 5-Star Resorts, 200 Golf Courses, Restaurants, require a lot of labor, as do all the service companies, everything from auto detailers to pool maintenance people. It is a serious issue. Luckily, this are coming together fine and these critical issues are now being addressed; thanks to CVAG - Coachella Valley Association of Governments, which sponsored a huge get together, which included school administrators, hospitals, Realtors, Indian Tribe leaders, builders, developers and some 85 people in all.

The symposium took on the bigger picture as well with the sub-prime lending regulations (more…)

Palm Springs is famous for many things, such as it championship golf course, resorts, and world class restaurants. After all, many of the restaurants have all or part ownership with famous movie stars, actors and musicians. The Golf Courses, well those too, many top PGA players have designed the golf courses here, folks like Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to name a few. Of course, the promoters spared no expense in putting their name on them either.

Still, with all the celebrity status around here, it is refreshing to know that the wind above blows away any smog and keeps the sky clear. Meanwhile some green entrepreneurs many decades ago decided to use that wind to generate electricity. Thus, Palm Springs is known as the Wind Generator Capital of North America. The Wind Generators in Palm Springs are not little windmills at all, they are giant towering wind machines that are the most magnificent and majestic technologically advanced turbines you have ever seen.

How Much Energy Do the Palm Springs Wind Generators Make?

Well, I am told by the local energy district that there are several different types, the big ones (more…)

Palm Springs offers tremendous opportunity in residential real estate compared to other California real estate markets. If we look at Los Angeles and Orange County, we see there are not many foreclosures available. This is because those areas were pretty much built-out before 2005 and 2006 when the irrational exuberance took place at the top of the real estate bubble. Still, the prices are off from the 2006 highs by as much as 35% in some areas and it could be 8 or more years until they return to those highs again.

There are many good deals on the foreclosures in places like Riverside, Las Vegas and Phoenix real estate markets, but the worse there is still yet to come say bankers and real estate brokers in those markets. These were some of the fastest growing real estate markets during the top of the bubble and folks who bought into these areas in 2005 and 2006 are most likely $75,000 to $100,000 in negative equity, they are totally upside down.

Buying into these areas now where 10% or more of the homes are in foreclosure or soon to be would be a (more…)

Most buyers of real estate looking to invest in their home or secondary residence in the Coachella Valley do not understand that what they really need is not just a Real Estate Agent, rather they need a consultant who understands the Valley here. And believe me there is a lot to know and it is paramount to keep up on the changes in the local market.

Each city has its own dynamics, growth, way of living and within those cities are micro-communities. You can have whatever you want, its all here, but you need someone who knows the feel of these neighborhoods to attain that dream life you are looking for.

You see there is quite a mix of potential properties from high-end 15,000 square foot and up super mansions to condominium communities. There are up-scale snowbird Motor Coach communities, 55 and over gated communities and on the golf course single-family dwelling luxury homes. Indeed, there are also soccer family middle class homes with cul-de-sacs, nearby parks and some of the best schools in California.

There are big differences between communities such as Palm Desert, La Quinta and Indian Wells compared (more…)

It is just amazing the number of well-known business personalities that live here in Palm Springs and La Quinta.It seems everyone you meet is someone, and with all the celebrity status around here and in Palm Springs just a few miles away, it is neat that everyone just treats everyone else like regular folks. We do not have the paparazzi out trying to get pictures of everyone or anything like that here. When the big PGA golf tournament is in town, there are more famous people out cruising around town than one can count.

Still, it is just another day in Palm Springs - that is just the way things are around here. Folks are so very respectful, polite and the service is great, at all the businesses in town, as they never know who they might be waiting on. More Corporate Executives retire here than almost any other city in California, (more…)

The real estate in Coachella Valley has some pretty well-known zip codes, but the one which is in the most demand is of course Palm Springs 92262. Amazingly, the market after a few hiccups is doing surprisingly well, although in reality, it should be all that surprising considering demand. Many real estate analysts cite Palm Springs as a great value during these turbulent times. The history of the Palm Springs Real Estate Market shows it is generally the last hit and the first to recover, and with the net gain in population out of shear demand for the bragging rights to say that one lives in Palm Springs, that trend is expected to continue. Speaking of bragging many real estate agents have bragged that they cannot keep inventory very long and once a home is listed; you can expect action on it.

Still, with the fluctuations in the over-all real estate market due to the subprime lending fall-out many of the less than top tier real estate agents have departed the scene. Today, the remaining real estate professionals act more as consultants keeping their clients and customers from being burned or paying too much during this buyers market.

What Does the Future Look Like for Prime Residential Real Estate in the Palm Springs Area?

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The other day, I was reading the news about the terrible Northern Mid-Western snow storms in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio and I felt really bad for the people there. Here in Palm Desert, we have perfect weather in the Wintertime and generally it is about 65 - 75 degrees and beautiful. You kind of get spoiled and being in the real-estate business, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people from those states where the weather is so horribly cold.

In fact, our valley is filled with Mid-Western transplants, who have chosen to make either Palm Springs, Palm Desert or La Quinta their new home. You are more likely to meet someone who is from the Midwest than you are to meet someone from California here. They bring a more hometown attitude with them and make our city’s ambiance just plain relaxing.

So, while I was cruising to the local Starbucks with my friend in her new golf cart, get this, it looks like a Hummer, only it is smaller and it is pollution free, it’s electric! Yes, we were humming along. And she said to me;

“You Know What I Really Really Like About the Palm Springs, Palm Desert CA Area?”

And just then we looked at each other and smiled and said simultaneously;

“Everything!”

But besides, everything, what I really like about Palm Springs and Palm Desert Area (more…)

Be careful about Delhi Palace! Because every time you go there, the food just might get better. At least that’s the way it looks since the latest wave of new management took over.

When I visit - and I visit somewhat frequently, usually for lunch- the Nan seems to get flakier, yet softer. Real Indian tea appears suddenly on the buffet (It used to be a la carte). Suddenly, there’s this scrumptious but utterly subtle Indian lentil soup, flavored, just slightly, with little tidbits of carrots and soft yellow kernels of corn.

And then, there’s the buffet itself - The vegetable section has Aloo Gobhi with its slightly spicy cauliflower with counterbalancing potatoes; Daal Maharani, lentils thickened to a thick soup and flavored with Indian herbs; Palak Paneer- a fresh spinach with home made cheese, cooked curry-style with aromatic herb seasoning. Nice!� All this is complemented with the soft Basmati rice and the wonderfully delicately fried Pakoras or Vegetable fritters.

The meat items are generally segregated from the vegetables. For vegetarians, the Delhi Palace is a place of power- and perhaps they deserve a portion of the buffet for their own. On the meat side, the buffet has lamb dishes like small flavor-filled kabobs of lamb placed right next to the curried chicken. One of the regular meat dishes, of course, is the Tandoori chicken marinated in yogurt and roasted in the tandoori clay oven to a reddish brown. (Tandoori ovens are a strong component of a Northern Indian kitchen and you can get, particularly at nights, other tandoori specialties- sheesh kabab and lamb tikka.).

Good Indian condiments come with the buffet, mango and tamarind chutneys, North Indian pickles, yogurt dressing- even some fennel to take a pinch of before you go. (more…)