Much of the valley's gains came as a result of a whopping 38 percent increase in desert condo sales. Some 274 condos sold across the valley during June. Unlike rising home prices, the rise in condo sales is attributed to a lower median price for condos of $192,500. The median price for valley home sales rose another 8.1% to $207,000 during June. The median represents the price at which half the homes sold for more and half sold for less.

Sales increases in June followed both sales and price increases in April and May when 2,050 homes were sold over the two-month period and median prices should double-digit increases.

It looks like the affordability factor for desert homes and condos is continuing to drive month-to-month increases in re-sales. Interest in bargain priced luxury properties also continues to grow from prospective buyers from around the globe.

La Quinta led the way with home sales  up 42% in April and 22% in May compared to the same months of ’09. La Quinta’s median sales price also rose 22% to $380,000 in April, up from $310,000 in April ’09. This is in marked contrast to the hard-hit foreclosure zones of Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Thermal and Thousand Palms, which saw sales contract over April and May of ‘08.

Luxury Market Continues Improve
Luxury home sales activity also picked up significantly compared to April and May, ’09. Seven sales were recorded in April, ranging from $1.2 million to  $6 million. In May the pace continued with a home in Palm Desert selling for $7.8 million.

Our salads were swimming in dressing and the signature lobster bisque was room temperature. We sent them back and the next attempt was an improvement. However, our main courses of four different pastas were not even Olive Garden quality. Sirocco may still make pastas in-house but they were not fresh. Further, each pasta dish was drenched in sauce that in all cases was not even average quality for a pricey upscale establishment. Our waiter was not trained in upscale cuisine and service and he swore the food was as good now as before. A real shame!

Sirocco is located within the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort, Indian Wells 

• 6,271 Square Feet
• 4 Bedrooms / 4.5 Baths

This $2 Million price reduction is offered by the owners for 90-days only. Seller financing is an available option.

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Sales in La Quinta were up 42% in April and 22% in May compared to the same period of '09. Buyers of resale homes continued to gravitate to the communities of La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage which all recorded sales gains.

The latest sales numbers seem to show that the expiration of the Federal home buyer tax credit in April has not effected our desert market as it apparently did in the national real estate market.  The second home market in the desert continues to be very active as buyers continue to take advantage of some great real estate opportunities while resale inventory at several key price points continues to shrink. 

People tend to be surprised by the fact that traditionally our summer sales activity remains quite busy. In fact, last August was one of our busiest months of the year. We are personally tracking about one completed sale per week and recently had 11 properties either in escrow or pending contingent sales. Long story short – buyers continue to be very active in investing in resort lifestyle properties here in the desert that seem to be great opportunities. 

For boomers looking for year-round sunshine and warm temperatures, the choices really narrow down to the Palm Springs area, southern Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii. The Coachella Valley offers a climate, amenities, and lifestyle many boomers are looking for, with resort lifestyle communities and properties in a wide variety of price ranges.

As the economy hopefully continues to recover, we expect the release of a pent up demand from boomers and others for resort lifestyle properties. 

From prime steaks to seafood, delicious salads to appetizers and, of course, their famous burgers and rings, Stuft Pizza’s extensive menu offers something for everyone. Families generally gravitate to the dining room, while locals and visitors generally congregate around the high-top community tables in the bar area or dine on one of the two patios (smoking and non-smoking).

Stuft Pizza has a full service bar, a variety of draft and micro brews and a good wine list. Large screen TV’s are located throughout the bar and dining room so sports fans won’t miss a thing. Happy Hour is featured from 3PM to 6PM each evening. Stuft Pizza is located at 78015 Main Street, La Quinta (760) 777-9989 

Porcupine Creek’s private golf course was listed by Golf Digest as a top-15 rated course in California. Don’t think about developing it though, because the original agreement for the development states “no commercial use shall occur on the property.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, the creators/owners of Porcupine Creek are the now-divorced Blixseths, Tim and Edra, who built Porcupine Creek together in the late ‘90’s. It was one of their many real estate investments, which also includes the highly exclusive Yellowstone Club in Montana. 

While our visitor and tourist count may be down during summer, we continue to see a steady flow of clients who enjoy the heat. Most of our summer clients look forward to enjoying their property by the coming fall. Summer buyers tend to be serious buyers, with many coming here specifically to find and invest in a vacation home, rental property, or new primary residence.

In reality, the perfect time to buy a home is when you’ve found the community and property that fits your lifestyle and needs.