Rancho Mirage is the location for one of those magical neighborhoods in the valley that has everything going for it . . . and that neighborhood is Magnesia Falls Cove. This eclectic collection of homes with an assortment of architectural styles have Location, Location, Location as their first and foremost attribute, as this neighborhood is situated in the heart of Rancho Mirage within walking distance of The River, Rancho Las Palmas and other nearby shopping centers.
Magnesia Falls Cove is nestled in a beautiful cove, surrounded by spectacular mountain views and popular hiking trails. Located at the top of the cove is Porcupine Ranch, a 240 acre private estate with its very own 18-hole golf course owned by billionaire Larry Ellison.
Also, the Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood is just minutes away from the Rancho Mirage Library, Eisenhower Medical Center, McCallum Theatre . . . and fabulous El Paseo Shopping District. It is also perfectly situated just off of the major valley commuter route of Highway 111 and is a 20 minute drive away from The Palm Springs International Airport and the I-10 freeway. How is that for a convenient lifestyle?
The homes in idyllic Magnesia Falls Cove are varied, with Mid-Century homes built in the 50s and other styles built until present day – ranging from Contemporary to Mediterranean, to Bungalow to Adobe. Some of the homes sit on oversized lots, some upt to 24,000sf and more. This serene and mystical cove setting surely gives residents the best of both worlds. As The Cove is not a gated community, HOAs are practically nonexistent at a whopping $25 per year.
So, whether you’re an artist looking for serenity and views that inspire . . . or someone looking for one of the most coveted and convenient locations in the whole Coachella Valley, then Magnesia Falls Cove may very well be for you.
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Palm Springs – Maybe you’ve done it . . .
or you know someone who has – that is, paid a contractor up-front for work to be done on their home . . . and then it didn’t get finished or was done poorly or the contractor skipped town.
California consumers are now being alerted by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) about what the law is regarding down payments paid to contractors – painters, landscapers, or any other type of construction contractor. It is illegal for a contractor to ask for or accept a down payment of more than 10% of the total home improvement contract price . . . or $1,000, whichever amount is less.
Consumers who were victimized and have filed complaints with the CSLB tell investigators they were unaware of a legal limit for down payments. And there are many unlicensed operators out there who also don’t know about this California law. If that is the case, this should be a red flag for you if you are looking to have work done by them.
If you are asked for a large amount of money up front before beginning work at your home, the worker may not be licensed or have the skills necessary to perform the work satisfactorily. There have been many cases where unlicensed operators have taken a substantial down payment from a homeowner and never start the project. It is virtually impossible at that point to recoup your money.
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Indian Wells – Colony Cove is a small guard-gated community discreetly tucked off of the south side of Fred Waring Drive, just west of Cook Street and right in the heart of prestigious Indian Wells.
This cozy and quaint neighborhood is made up of only 97 homes built from 1999 to 2001. These homes range in size from 2,000 sf to 2,900 sf, with lot sizes starting at 6,700 sf all the way up to approx. 12,500 sf . . . and offer wide-open floor plans, smooth stucco exteriors in a neutral color pallet and with front courtyards.
Residents who live in Colony Cove love the seclusion and peacefulness the community provides, as well as the convenience of a central location close to shopping, entertainment, spas, schools, hospitals, golf courses and major commuter routes.
Those who live in Colony Cove take pride in their manicured landscaping and beautifully-maintained homes. The homes are all single-family residences and there are no community swimming pools, golf courses, tennis courts or recreational areas maintained by the Homeowners’ Association, which helps to keep the dues low.Though this gated community doesn’t offer country club amenities, it does have low and affordable HOAs and is within close proximity to any number of country clubs where golf and tennis is available.
Because of the small size of Colony Cove, the residents are close and tight-knit . . . with informal neighborhood gatherings happening twice a year. And as a resident of Colony Cove, you enjoy all of the privileges of an Indian Wells resident.
If you’re interested in Colony Cove and would like to find out more about properties for sale there, call Kim Kelly with HK Lane Real Estate. She’ll be happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have.
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Front of this meticulously kept home
Palm Desert – Looking for a superior location in Palm Desert, central to all 3 schools, the McCallum, Civic park, PD Aquatic Center, College of the Desert and with privacy and VIEWS??? Then this 3bedroom/2.5 bath home with approx. 2500 sq. ft. located on a cul-de-sac with wide open views and a Southern backyard is for YOU !
This home is so warm and inviting that you won’t want to leave. The custom entry door opens to a great room, then to kitchen and then flows to the outdoors and is bathed in natural light. There is a HUGE kitchen island, stainless appliances & tons of counter and cupboard space.
Lovely backyard patio with pool and spa
A split floorplan with the Master Suite and ENORMOUS walk-in closet is on one side of the house . . . and 2 bedrooms and a bath on the other. The backyard has a covered cook/entertainment area and over-sized sideyards on both sides. The West side features extra parking and the East yard has citrus trees and a small gated dog run. The location will lure you in, but the home itself will capture you!
Don’t miss the OPEN HOUSE this Saturday at 74551 Columbine Drive in Palm Desert from 12 to 3pm. You’ll want to see this incredible buy priced at $425,000. MLS Listing #21459894
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Indian Wells – Desert Horizons Country Club is an ultra exclusive country club in Indian Wells due to its small membership. Its private 18-hole championship golf course is available only to members and hosts no outside tournaments or offers reciprocal arrangements with other golf courses.
Desert Horizons is a traditional equity club committed to providing a superb golf environment with outstanding facilities in an unsurpassed community where relationships matter. The golf course at Desert Horizons was designed by Ted Robinson and is challenging for players of every level. Membership is limited to only 250 members and member tournaments and special golf events are scheduled throughout the year for added enjoyment.
Many amenities are available at Desert Horizons – it offers five night-lit tennis courts, a brand new state-of-the-art fitness center and a variety of social events that are held in its 40,000sf Clubhouse. The Dining Facility there prides itself on offering fabulous cuisine in a serene atmosphere with impeccable service.
Real estate opportunities at Desert Horizons include a wide array of choices, everything from 22 custom Estate homes, 200 single family homes to a choice of 288 “paired” condos. The condos are available in 23 floor plans ranging in size from 2,365 to 3,649sf. Beautiful views of the golf course and the Santa Rosa Mountains make this one of the most popular communities in Indian Wells.
Desert Horizons Country Club is centrally located in the Palm Springs Valley with easy access to the other Desert Cities, Interstate 10 and the Palm Springs International Airport. Palm Desert El Paseo is only a ten minute drive, offering its own version of “Rodeo Drive” with fine dining, upscale shopping, galleries and world class entertainment. To the East is La Quinta and a visit to Old Town La Quinta for its Old World flavor, cafes, boutique shopping, farmers market and more make it well worth the drive.
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Duna La Quinta, located adjacent to the La Quinta Resort and Club, is a gated community which offers luxury single family homes and condo living.
This idyllic community is located just off of 50th Avenue, making it convenient to so many local amenities such as Old Town, hiking & biking in La Quinta Cove and much more.
Owners at Duna La Quinta have access to both the Resort’s Pete Dye designed public courses, the Mountain Course and the Dunes course. The Dunes Golf Course runs right through the community and many of the homes are ideally located right on the Fairway with spectacular views of the Santa Rosa Mountains.
Duna La Quinta owners also have the option of joining the Golf Club for special member access – in addition to resort dining, shopping, tennis and the La Quinta Resort’s world famous spa facilities.
This peaceful community also offers a tennis court, community pools and spas. The development is oriented so that when walking and bike riding, you are offered rolling Southwest fairway and mountain range views. A very desirable place to call home !!!
If your interest in this desirable and affordable golfer’s community has been piqued, then don’t hesitate to call Kim Kelly, Realtor with HK Lane Real Estate in La Quinta. She will be happy to tour you around and show you properties for sale there.
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Number of foreclosures across the Palm Springs Valley fell significantly in July at a rate of 24.5% from July 2011. A new report shows that this marks 12 months of double-digit declines. The 753 bank repossessions, notices of default and trustee sale notifications that were issued in July were down from 1,096 issued in July of 2011.
A more limited inventory is available because of this drop in foreclosures for sale. Prospective buyers are not finding the availability of foreclosures to choose from that they once did.
The sustained drop in repos, trustee sales and default notices doesn’t translate to a drying up of available foreclosures for sale any time soon, according to real estate experts.
The valley here experienced a slight decline of initial default notices last month- there were 335 compared to 344 in July of 2011.
Experts say that many people are continuing to be challenged with getting banks to offer them loan modifications that would work for them – so they just aren’t paying. When that happens, the banks issue notices of default, but don’t complete the foreclosure process. Experts say that the banks are trying to get people to short sale their home rather than go through a full foreclosure.
Short sales and bank-owneds have recently accounted for far fewer of overall home sales than a year or two ago. Local experts expect more short sales and fewer foreclosures in the coming few years. They are seeing homeowners who are 20 to 30% underwater receiving loan modifications including principal reductions – but they say homeowners who are 50% or more underwater will short sell, as they will never get enough principal reduction to make keeping their home a viable option.
Contemplating short selling your home? Then consider using an agent who is knowledgeable and experienced in Short Sales and has a good track record of closing the deals. Contact Kim Kelly with HK Lane Real Estate – she Lists, Negotiates and CLOSES her deals. Call her now for a free consultation. You’ll be glad you did !
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Have you always wanted to learn more about wine? Are you a serious wine drinker looking for something more than just tasting wines . . . a real wine education?
Then check out the wine classes that are now being offered by The Wine Bar at Old Town La Quinta as a brainchild of its owner Robert Mott. Their wine classes, which are in addition to their weekly Saturday wine tastings, are designed to provide context for wine lovers who know what they want, but need a vocabulary to communicate about their wine experience and why they like what they like.
Wine educator and sommelier Kevin Sharkey leads classes through wine appreciations which include clarity, intensity, color, nose, condition of the wine, whether it smells like a young or well-developed wine, whether it was sweet or dry-fruity or earthy, alcohol content and body, and character of the taste of wine. The final part is determining the quality of the wine, its drinkability and cost.
So far, six classes have been presented since November, including tours of different wine regions and the correct glass to use with the wine. Future classes are being planned and Sharkey and Mott are thinking they’d like to do at least one or maybe two classes a month. Right now, the classes are being held about every 6 to 8 weeks.
The Wine Bar is located in Old Town La Quinta at 78015 Main St., Suite 109.
For more info about the wine classes, Saturday wine tastings, wine club, etc. – call 760-564-2201 or go to www.thewinebaratoldtown.com
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And why is La Quinta Polo Estates so appealing to equestrians? For starters, this private enclave of elegant “ranchettes” is located directly across from the El Dorado Polo Club entrance. How’s that for convenience? It is also just a short drive away from the nationally recognized Desert Circuit Horse Show in Thermal. This private enclave within the entry gates off of Madison Avenue is made up of unique custom homes zoned for 2 horses per acre, giving the community appeal to a broad range of equestrian lovers.
But La Quinta Polo Estates’ appeal goes beyond the equestrian factor. These estate home sites are approximately 2 acres and most of the existing homes are upscale, featuring large private drives, spacious outdoor entertaining areas complete with large pools/spas . . . and some even with tennis courts. And there are several area country clubs nearby for golfing and club amenities.
Right around the corner from La Quinta Polo Estates on Jefferson St. is a shopping center, restaurants and golf shop. You’ve got the feel of living in the country, but with all of the conveniences of city living.
The custom homes at La Quinta Polo Estates range from 4,500 to 9,200 square feet. This community is a well kept secret in the area – because here you can have a private estate property built in an elegant setting. There are still home sites available for you to create your own dream estate – and have horses if you wish.
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Palm Springs – Every year – runners, walkers, joggers flock to the Palm Springs Tram Road Challenge 6K race. This year it will be held on October 27 and there will be something new about the race!
Each of the Palm Springs Valley’s nine cities is invited to compete with one another for the highest number of registrants in the race. The city that gets the greatest turnout of people signed up for the race will receive acknowledgement in The Desert Sun . . . and also receive a plaque giving special recognition celebrating the city’s dedication to its residents’ health and the community’s spirit of volunteerism.
The Desert Sun’s designers are working with all of the cities to help promote the competition by creating fliers and helping with promotional outreach. The fliers will include information about the challenge such as the schedule of events leading up to the race and the link to register. Each city will have fliers posted on its website and they will be distributed around to businesses and neighborhood associations.
You can visit the main informational link to get more info on the Tram Road Challenge or to sign up at www.facebook.com/PSMakeADifferenceDay.
So, come on out everybody and support your city while you are supporting your own healthy lifestyle. It will be one fun party you won’t want to miss!
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