Unlike its Neighbor to the East (La Quinta), Indian Wells has not been able to sustain much growth or new Construction, as the Land was mostly developed years ago, so prices in Real Estate have not dropped as much as the rest of the Valley. Toscana, the newest Country Club is an exception to new construction, having been developed in the last ten years.

This Community has long been known for its fabulous Golf Courses, including the public, City- owned Indian Wells Club Courses. Residents can play this Course for just $35.00 with a yearly Residents Card, similar to La Quinta’s Resident Card for Silver Rock Golf Course.

In fact, there is not another community, that I am aware of, in the Coachella Valley that offers its Residents as many Community Discounts, with a Property ID Card, as Indian Wells. Along with Golf, a 20% discount is offered at all of the IW Resorts on Food and Spa Services, along with the free use of a fitness center, and a very active Senior Center.

Along with all of the above Town Amenities, there are also six private Country Clubs, all with renowned Golf Courses. The following is a brief description of the Courses in these gated Communities : The Eldorado Club, which is an 18 Hole Golf Course originally designed by Laurence Hughes in 1957 and recently redesigned by Tom Fazio, followed by the Vintage Club with two Tom Fazio 18 hole Courses on 712 acres; Indian Wells Country Club, a 36 hole Course which has been home to the Bob Hope Classic for over two decades; Desert Horizons, with a Ted Robinson designed Course; The Reserve, with an 18 hole Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrison Championship Course; and finally Toscana, the newest of he Group, with two Jack Nicklaus Courses.

Whew…..I think I,ve got them all in..!!..So, for all of you Golfers out there, you can,t go wrong with looking at Property in Indian Wells with a price point going from the low $400,000,s for a Condo to well over three Million…depending on taste and pocket book. If you go to my Website, you can conduct your own search of Properties in all of the Cities in the  Palm Springs area.

I have taken a break from my Blog for a few weeks but I,m back in the saddle again and hope to keep an informative stream of info going about our beautiful Coachella Valley.

With that, I am off to pick up my Labradoodle Charlie Rose who is having a “playdate” with his Brother and Mother. I thought that I was finished with that after raising three Kids…but who wants a Neurotic Dog…?!.

The La Quinta Resort and Club, established in 1926, soon began an affiliation with PGA West, offering their Guests play on what grew to nine champion golf courses, designed, as most Golfers know, by the following five Famous Golf Legends: Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Pete Dye,Greg Norman, and Jack Nicklaus. Today the combination of PGA West and The La Quinta Resort offer play on nine champion Golf Courses and is Home every year to the Bob Hope Classic, which this year will also include the La Quinta Country Club Course.

PGA has also been the site of The Grand Slam of Golf, NCAA intercollegiate Golf Championship, The Skins Game, Diners Club Matches, to name a few of the Tournaments throughout the Years. By far, the most well known is still the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic which is usually held in January of ever year.

From its early beginning,PGA has grown from the residential neighborhoods of the Stadium and Palmer Gates to many other different gated neighborhoods, offering a Price Point to fit any Budget…from the low of the $250,000. for a Condo….(and sometimes lower) to a high up to $3,000,000, there is a Property available to fit any budget. There are Golf and Social Memberships that are always available, and both a private and public Clubhouse. In fact, “Ernies“, a public Bar and Grill has become a favorite Place to stop after a round of Golf, for “Happy Hour”, or an early Dinner.

This is just a capsule look at one of the many lovely residential neighborhoods that exist in our charming town of La Quinta..which is called ” The Gem of the Desert” for good reason.

If any of you reading this Blog are interested in more specifics about Property in La Quinta, Indian Wells, or any of the Desert Cities, just e-mail me and I will be happy to send you specific information, or go to my Website,www.jackieboylanfinehomes and you will be able to do your own search.

As usual. Charlie Rose is under my Desk, laying on my feet, which he seems to always want to do. The only problem with this sweet show of affection is that He weighs 85 pounds, and, that is NOT what you want plopped on your feet for an hour or two. Of course he gets his black nose bent out of shape when I make him move, as I am doing right now!

The median home price state-wide was $249,000. last Month, the same as March, and down about 2.4% from a year ago. The median price reflects the point where half of the Homes sold, sold for less than that number, and half sold for more.. But its important to know that the number of distressed properties, which are foreclosures and short sales, add up to half of those sold  properties. Since these properties are often in need of repair and are sold at lower than market prices, this obviously skews the stats for towns and neighborhoods and States. Unfortunately, those numbers are not going to change much unil the inventory of distressed Properties is depleted.

At this point you are probably wondering, (as I am). why anyone in their right mind would be selling .Real Estate !!  Actually,since People need to live somewhere, and prices and interest rates are incredibly low, there are Buyers who continue to want to acquire Property. And don,t forget the Investors….Those Guys with Money to spend that are betting that a state like California will eventually rebound big-time.

So is La Quinta, and the Desert Cities of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley affected by all of this? Of course, but since this is a Resort and Retirement area we have had People from all over the Country and World, buying Property here. And those Baby-Boomers who can afford to retire, find that the Lifesyle..and prices, to be very atractive. We can also thank our Canadian Friends for the bump-up in Sales that we in La Quinta experienced this Season.

As far as satistics go, they can be boring and must be broken down by each region to reflect accuracy, with many different nuances involved. Since many of you reading this probably have your head on your Computer by now, it is time to wind this down.

 It is Saturday afternoon, and had I been a diligent,ambitious Agent, I would have done an Open House with my Partner today..The reason I did not is that  Charlie Rose pleaded with me to stay home and keep Him Company…(.I know …. it really was. the other way around! )  He is a great Buddy, this Labradoodle of mine, and never questions my judgement on anything..Also, when I don,t feel like doing something, “I have to walk my Dog” cimes in very handy. And, lastly….some big news from the “Family”..Charlie Rose just became an Uncle with eight new Nieces and Nephews of various colors and temprement.. !

This Club is maintained by the City of La Quina and has become highly thought of by local and visiting Golfers. Since I am not a Golfer, I go there to drink in the incredible beauty of the Mountains, Lakes, Waterfalls and Greens. And, if one is alert ,there may be a glimpse of Bighorn Sheep high above on the Rocks. The Property is slated for grand plans with a formal Clubhouse, second Golf Course, and small Hotel to be built in the probably-not-near future. But it is definitely on the “Map” as part of the Bob Hope Classic annual Tournament has been held there the past few years..

One of the perks for the local Residents is the La Quinta Resident Card that can be picked up at the Civic Center, and entitles Residents to play at a much-reduced rate. Continuing thru the month of June,Card holders and their Guests can play SilverRock for $45. Up to three guests can play wih each La Quinta Resident. Tee times are advised to be made three days in advance. Of course, La Quinta and all points surrounding it are loaded with private and public Golf Courses, but SilverRock, in its relatively new beginning, is something special. The beauty alone, with or without your Dog , or Golf Clubs, makes it a relaxing spot for Bkfst, Lunch, or an afternoon glass of Wine.

Now that I have done my part to promote Golf in our City, I promise those of you that aren,t Golfers that I will move on to something else. But,knowing what makes living here Special is as important as talking about the price of Homes, and available properties..  And if all fails in my efforts in Real Estate, I can always Blog about Labradoodles..!

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But in all fairness, it does start to get a bit hot here by the end of June..think triple digits….and that does last unil the end of September. Fortunately, there is almost always a Pool in site and Residents go about their life a little earlier in the am, and later in the evening. So, maybe Paradise does get a bit warm in the Summer Months but the Mountains (think Beg Bear and Arrowhead), along with the Beaches are all two hours by Car..

If you have heard that it can get Windy here, especially on the North side of he Valley, that is very true. Since I live in La Quinta, very close to the Mountains, I thought that I would be protected from the Wind Storms that occasionally sweep across the Valley. Not so, since I found my Barbecue floating in my Pool over the weekend!

Oh well, even Paradise has a few glitches now and then. Having finished my Weather Report from the Coachella Valley, Charlie Rose and I are off to the Desert for a Hike before Office time. For those that don,t know,and probably don,t care, Charlie Rose is my 80lb Labradoodle Buddy  laying patiently at my feet,sighing rather loudly from time to time to make sure I know He,s ready to go!

Part of the reason for this is not just the sluggish Economy or increased Inventory of unsold homes but the number of Bank-owned or short-sale homes which dominate some areas of the Coachella Valley. These Properties are especially hard to move fast because of the bureaucracy involved and the refusal of most Banks to negotiate on price.

This actually gives individual homeowners an advantage,especially when they are able to reduce their Properties below that of the competition .Homes that are aggresively priced and well-maintained are still selling very quickly. The best chance for sucess in Marketing a Sellers property can come in the first 30 days, IF, it is priced as aggresively as possible,

Unfortunately for many property owners that means” biting the bullet ” so to speak, and giving up what they think their property is worth…..and going for the reality of where the price point currently is in their neighborhoods.

So, is a short-sale of Bank-owned propert the best deal you can get today?. If time is a factor …No. The Bank can sit on your Offer for Months and then come back and Counter the Price that you hoped to obtain it at. Meanwhile,anoher property that may have been as good, or, a better deal, came and went, 

The bottom line, as always, is what works for you, as a Buyer, and how realistic and motivated you are as a Seller,including Bank-owned property.. In this complicated real estate Market, especially in California, making sure that your Realtor is competant and well-educated is imperative.

 I,m off to do an open house in Sun City , Palm Desert. Please visit my Web site.www.jackieboylanfinehomes.com for more information about what is going on in La Quinta and all of the Coachella Valley, via my monthly Newsletter, or conduct a search of your own using the tools I have provided on that site.

That being said, for those of you that may be sitting on a Home that is paid for, or, have a ton of equity and just can,t get it sold in this Real Estate Market,then Seller financing may be an option for you. Here in La Quinta we have a lot of high-end Country Clubs, with lots of high-end Homes for sale…just sitting there waiting for a Buyer.

It might be worthwhile to consider Financing the Buyer yourself for a period of say three to five years. Obviously the Buyer has to come up with some cash but many Buyers today just don,t have that 20% that most Banks require, or they have credit scores that need improving.

By offering Financing for a period of time, the Seller has a Monthly Income, the Buyer has time to improve his Credit,and/or come up wih more cash,and everybody is happy with a sold property. Of course, there are many variables and the Buyer certainly has to qualify as a legitimate Purchaser…and it is done with all the usual paperwork going through a credible Escrow Company.  The risk to the Seller is that if the Buyer defaults, Seller can foreclose and take the Property back.  Not much of a risk. On the oher hand, the Buyer will lose his Downpayment and the House, if He can,t make his payments, or still can,t find financing once the agreed upon time period has ended.

Another Option is called a “Wrap”, where the Buyer assumes a Loan that is in Place…..but that is another Blog, and its time to pick up my Labradoodle Charlie Rose , who has a play-date with his Brother.(Charlie Rose is 80lbs of pure black Doodle fun!)  I also have a black Cat named Oliver…….Hmmmmmm..I need to think about the “black” thing!

But end it did, and unfortunately for those of us who bought at the top of the ”Bubble”, we must wait it out until time and the Economy get together again. In the meantime home ownership has never been more affordable in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. This  includes the Townes of Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta.  And lets not forget the Sun City Retirement area where prices have plummeted, yet demand from the Retiring Baby Boomers for affordable, “fun” housing remains high.

Up until the past few years, California was on the List of being utterly unaffordable for many coming from other parts of the Country and our Canadian Friends. Not so now as this wonderful Resort area is as affordable as most areas and has a climate that is unbeatable most of the Year. There is a home here to fit every Budget and there is easy access to the Beach Cities, Mountains, and Mexico (if you are brave) all two hours away. So, where are you?, live the Dream and come on out !

I hate to sound “shallow” but as a former Resident of New York, Conn, Penn, Iowa and Chicago, I never take for granted our absolutely beautiful Weather. I had Breakfast the other Day with my Dog Charlie Rose, at the Silver Rock Golf Course in La Quinta….no Crowds, reasonable rates, and a drop-dead view of that incrdible Golf Course. Not being a Golfer myself, I hang out occasionaly just to have Coffee and drink in the view of the Mountains,( no pun intended) and watch the Course in Play. Of course, it is only when I am not out selling Property to the latest wave of Investors and Canadians that seem to be dominating our Sales this Season, that I have time to do that.

Wih the Season winding down, we are still expecting a busy Market this Summer. And both La Quinta and Indian Wells offer so much to their Community. Indian Wells with its IWC which is a Public Club, Golf Course, and Restaurant with special rates to Home Owners in that Town. As does La Quinta, with the Silver Rock Public Course mentioned above, along with the new state-of-the-art Gym that is opening this Summer at the Community Center. 

So, a great quality of Life goes on in the Coachella Valley, not just in Season, but all year long. And I haven,t yet mentioned our other Communities, such as Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indio, Sun City Palm Desert, Palm Desert, and Sun City Shadow Hills. Please contact me if you have any questions about any of these Communities.

As a full time Realtor living in the beautiful California Desert, I am watching the Snow Birds reluctantly leave, and the rest of Us settling down to a smaller Population.  One of the Benefits of being here in the Summer is the slower pace, warm Pools, uncrowded Restaurants….and practically empty Golf Courses.

Surprisingly many People welcome the change of  Pace and adjust quite well to the Summer Heat. Many of our part-time Residents from the Cities that are close, continue to pop in and out for a wonderfully relaxing Weekend.

  There does seem to be a magical Vibe that surrounds La Quinta and Indian Wells. Perhaps it is the closeness of the Mountains that surround both of these Communities. Others think it emanates from the Rituals the Ancient Indians performed thruout these Mountains, which were Sacred to them.