Coachella Valley Real Estate By Kimberley, SFR, HAFA, GREEN
Residential, Equestrian, Land
I Do Real Estate The Same Way I Played Polo – To Win!
Contact Kimberley Today! Phone: 760-285-3578 Email: kjkpolo@gmail.com License # BRE01329387
Coachella Valley Properties By Kimberley, SFR, HAFA, GREEN
Residential, Equestrian, Land
I Do Real Estate The Same Way I Played Polo – To Win!

Coachella Valley Real Estate - Homes for sale in Coachella Valley

Equestrian Buyers, Coachella Valley

by

Equestrian Buyers

Equestrian Buyers; Welcome to the Eldorado Polo Club!

Equestrian Buyers, Coachella Valley.  The horse people are starting to think about coming back to our beautiful desert valley for the 2025 season.  I stay here year round and in the summer, I keep my horses at Forsythe Farms, off of Avenue 54/Monroe.  Been keeping my head down all summer looking at land, farms, potential equestrian developments.  The east valley has been discovered, so prices have gone up, but on the flip side because development and sales have picked up in the East Valley, odds are it’s a good investment!  Local agent/equestrian/resident, Kim Kelly 760-285-3578.

In the real estate world, it’s been a slow year, but I believe there is pent up demand just waiting for 2025.  Because developers are very interested in the East valley, in particular Thermal and Coachella, pickings have been slim.  Here’s are some ideas to look into if you’re thinking about buying an equestrian property in 2025.

  1.  Deer Creek Equestrian Center: Gated equestrian community offering 5 and 10 acre farms.  There is currently only one approx. 6 acre parcel available for sale, at approx. $1.2 mil, including a home, barn and grass turnout paddocks.  HOA is approx. $900/month.  Lock and leave equestrian living!
  2. 14.6 acres vacant land:  Avenue 62/Van Buren  GREAT deal at $624,900.  Build your own farm!
  3. 20 acre farm near HITS:  No home, RV spots, tack rooms, grass turnouts, great location, currently hosting events.  Offered at $3,500,000.
  4. 9 acre farm off of Filmore St.:  $2,500,000.  Grooms quarters, turnouts, 12 stall barn, lighted and irrigated arena, grass turnouts, track, great location!

Land is trading anywhere from $80,000 – $150,000/acre anywhere near the Festival grounds.  As you look at land further east, heading to the Thermal club, the airport and the showgrounds, vacant land trades at approx. $20-50,000/acre.  Remember that any improvements, (leveling, fencing, ag and or domestic water, buildings, turnouts, barns etc., will increase that price.  I did this short walk tour of a local farm, take a look..

Travertine, La Quinta update

by

Coachella valley

Travertine is coming to the Eastern Coachella Valley

Travertine, La Quinta update:  About a week ago, I did a post on the proposed development called Travertine.  I’ve been hearing about this proposed community for many years, so I wanted to follow up on the city council meeting that was held regarding the community.  Well, it’s been approved!  Call local agent and resident, Kim Kelly at 760-285-3578.

The council has approved the project!  The project would amend the adopted Travertine specific plan.  It is in a spectacular location, Avenue 60 to the north, Coral mountain on the northwest, and a reclamation dike on the East.  You can go to the link above to get the specifics, but here are some of them.

  • Approx. 855 acres, total.  Natural open space land uses on approx. 301 acres on the southern portion of the project.
  • Developer:  TRG land
  • Approx. 56 acres for a trail system, staging areas, conversation areas, and passive and active spaces.
  • Approx. 46 acre golf/resort facility with clubhouse, restaurant and golf academy.
  • The main developed areas will be on approx. 38 acres with a 45,000 sf boutique hotel, 175 seat restaurant, resort villas, and spa and wellness center, and Approx. 1200 homes.

Take a tour of this incredible farm located at Deer Creek Equestrian Center, which is approx. 10 minutes from the new Travertine community.  10 acres, home, barn, common areas..

 

7 top amenities for luxury homes

by

Coachella Valley 7 amenities for luxury homes

7 top amenities for luxury homes:  When you are reading this, remember that just because the home or property you are selling is not considered a “luxury property”..which usually means 2 million or above, take these ideas and apply them in any way possible to your own home.  It may help garner the highest return in YOUR price point!  Call local resident and agent, Kim Kelly if you are thinking of buying or sell your Coachella Valley property.

7 top amenities for luxury homes

  1.  Wellness spaces:  COVID really made buyer re-evaluate the value of home wellness rooms, areas or outdoor spaces.  Add a cold plunge, a small gym, pilates space!  Get creative.
  2. Home Gyms:  Buyers today really treasure their own personal spaces dedicated to fitness.  Weights, ballet bar, pilates.
  3. Spa like Bathrooms:  Soft lights, back lighting, stand alone soaking tubs, massage tables.  Buyers love this!
  4. Meditation spaces:  Easy to create often with ambiance and sound, these quiet spaces are very desirable.
  5. Water:  Pools, fountains, waterfall features and walls, cold plunges.  Get back to the water in small spaces!
  6. Eco friendly features:  Green also!  Green roofs, EV chargers, filtered water and air, and sustainable building materials.
  7. Smart Home Features:  Alarms, whole house hubs, auto lighting, mobile controls.  (courtesy of Inman)

Take a short tour of the indoor/outdoor feature of this farm for sale in Thermal, California.  Indoor/outdoor is ALWAYS popular!

 

Lenders and the new commission rules

by

land in the desert

Buyers need a good lender!

Lenders and the new commission rules:  The following information is courtesy of Kevin Budde with Monarch Coast Financial.  He’s always got good info to pass along!  Because many buyers may be unable to pay their buyers commission, it may be possible to roll that commission into the loan, via seller concessions.  Hire a GOOD lender, and listen to their advice! If you are looking to buy or sell in the Coachella Valley, give Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

Seller Concessions

Due to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) commission settlement agreement, I have been fielding a lot of phone calls from realtors asking how this is going to affect Interested Party Contributions (IPCs) also known as Seller Concessions.

Prior to the settlement agreement, Seller Concessions were only thought of as an agreement where the seller agreed to pay certain costs on behalf of the buyer. These costs include a variety of expenses such as discount points, appraisal fees, temporary interest rate buydowns, title insurance, escrow fees and even prepaid interest and insurance. Concessions cannot be used for the down payment.

Under the settlement agreement, rather than the listing broker paying the buyer agent’s commission, the seller has the choice to offer compensation to the buyer’s agent directly. Listing brokers are no longer showing buyer agent commissions in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and the term used in contracts is Seller Concessions. This has raised questions and created confusion in the real estate community.

Lenders in the federal financial sector like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Veterans Administration (VA) have limitations on the amount allowed as Seller Concessions. Fortunately, the agencies all agreed to exempt the buyer’s agent commission paid by the seller from the limits of what is allowed toward the paid buyer’s costs.

Conventional loans, depending on the down payment, allow 2 percent to 9 percent of the loan amounts to be Seller Concessions. FHA allows up to 6 percent and VA allows up to 4 percent. The total amount of Seller Concessions cannot exceed the total amount of all closing costs.

These limits and restrictions highlight the importance of working closely with a mortgage expert to navigate the Seller Concessions effectively in real estate transactions.  To contact Kevin directly, call him at 949-422-2075.

 

Buyers Agent: Do I need one?

by

Buyers Agent in Coachella Valley

What’s the use of a Buyers Agent????

Buyers Agent:  Do I need one?  With , and all the rumors swirling around about the lawsuit against the NAR (National Association of Realtors), I’m trying to keep on top of changes, new documents, and procedures.  I’ve been doing this for 23 years in the Coachella Valley, representing both buyers and sellers.  I pride myself on keeping on top of changes, understanding the consequences and performing to the highest level for my clients.  My thoughts are below.  If you are looking to buy or sell property in the Coachella Valley, give Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

Why would you use a Buyers Agent????

  • I think the number 1 reason is to capitalize on their knowledge of the local market.  I’ve lived in the Coachella Valley for 40 years, and been in real estate here for 23 years.  I KNOW this valley.  I have represented buyers and sellers from the West side cities of Palm Springs and Cathedral City, central valley cites of Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Palm Desert and La Quinta to the Eastern cities of Indio, Bermuda Dunes, Coachella and Thermal.  It is critical as a successful local agent to KNOW the inventory!  Golf course, non golf course homes, 55+ options, multi acre options, investment opportunities, land opportunities.  My experience is a HUGE reason my buyers turn to me for advice.
  • The second reason is because a local agent with experience should be really good at negotiating.  If you give the sellers this, what do you as the buyer receive?  What is the most important thing you cannot live without in the property search?  What is the least important?  I save my buyers hours of computer work, and questions about locations, cities and communities, and that’s BEFORE we even write a contract!
  • How much do I cost?  That’s negotiable.  It used to be negotiable when I met the sellers in a listing agreement.  The sellers are no longer able to offer buy side compensation.  But I don’t work for free, do you?  Remember that EVERYTHING is negotiable.  The price, how agents get paid, repairs, seller credits at close, furniture, I’ve even negotiated farm animals into deals!
  • Can you skip the buyers agent and go directly to the seller?  Of course you can, as you’ve always been able to in the past. Remember:  The sellers agent works for the SELLER.  The buyers agent works for the BUYER.  Their allegiance is to you, the buyer.  The List price is a starting point.  It’s your agents job to negotiate and get you the best deal on the Sales price, close costs, commission, and repairs..everything you can think of is negotiable.  Think on that.  The tour below is of a 2 acre farm that I have in escrow.  My listing, but we did indeed negotiate the buyers commission in the final sales price..it was just ONE of our negotiable points to get it done!

 

 

Mortgage Updates

by

coachella valley realtor

Coachella Valley mortgage updates.

Mortgage Updates:    Here’s to hoping for an Interest rate cut in September, but mortgage rates have come down so that’s good news!  From everything I’m reading and what I’m seeing here on the streets in the Coachella Valley, inventory is still low and prices are hanging firm.  We always have less numbers of listings in the summers, but we should have new listings hitting about mid October.  If you are looking to buy or sell in the Coachella Valley, give local resident and agent, Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

Home Price Gains are still strong:  Core logic and other major indexes such as Case-Shiller and the Federal Housing Finance Agency are seeing home price gains.  These reports still show that housing is a good investment for wealth creation.

Rising Housing Inventory vs. the Media:  Listings are up 37% from a year ago.  These increases are from very low levels as active listings are still down approx. 30% from pre pandemic levels.  This build up is very concentrated as there are only 4 states, Texas, Idaho, Florida and Tennessee, with higher inventory levels than 5 years ago.  In some parts of the Northeast, listings are down 65-75% since 2019.  Here in the desert, inventory is still tight, and demand will probably rise as I rates come down further, meaning home prices probably will not drop.

Unemployment Claims remain elevated:  Both Initial and Continuing Claims have trended higher this summer when compared to the start of the year, with Continuing Claims topping 1.8 million each week since the start of June. This shows that the pace of layoffs over the last two months has picked up at the same time employers have slowed down hiring. This weakening labor market suggests the I rate may very well be lowered.  (courtesy of Walter Neil of Franklin Loan Center, Palm Desert, CA.)

Polo Clinic coming in December

by

The Linfoot Polo Clinic can sharpen your skills!

Polo Clinic coming in December:  The annual Linfoot Polo Clinic is returning to the Eldorado Polo Club from December 13-15.  Corky and Kathy Linfoot do a fabulous job and their limited number of students come away with a wealth of knowledge!  Our local equestrians are returning to the desert in preparation for the 2025 polo season, and the clinic is a way to start the season prepared.  Call local equestrian and resident, Kim Kelly if you are looking to buy or sell in the Coachella Valley at 760-285-3578.

The Linfoot Polo Clinic is an annual tradition at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, CA.  The clinic is designed to pride participants with information and skills to help you meet your polo goals.  The clinic is limited to 20 participants, so sign up early to secure your spot.  The husband and wife team have done polo clinics for 35 years on four continents. Kathy has been teaching riding since age 14 and some of you may know her 1st ever student–Tom Goodspeed!

Former 7-goaler, Corky, has won two U.S. Opens, 4 Pacific Coast Opens and multiple tournaments abroad. He coached the Canaian team in the FIP in Australia and has coached the successful Casa Blanca Polo Team in Indio, California for 9 years.

Early bird pricing before 10/15 is $800.   Regular pricing is $1,000.  $400 deposit required at registration.  For more information, head to polobylinfoot.com.

Coachella Valley Farms For Sale

by

Farms for sale

Coachella Valley Farms For Sale

Coachella Valley Farms For Sale:  I wish I had more farms to offer my buyers who are looking.  I’m spending the summer months LOOKING as much as possible with my buyers on my mind.  The Eastern Coachella Valley does have some beautiful date farms for sale, and some wonderful vacant land parcels, but if you’re looking for equestrian property that’s ready to go, or for a small farm with a small home on it, the pickings are slim.  We’ll have more inventory as we get closer to the season, same as residential.  If you are looking to buy or sell your property in the Coachella Valley, give local resident and agent, Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

Here’s what I’ve got in inventory today:

  1.  7.8 acres with a 3 bed/2 bath older home in Coachella.  Corner parcel.  No barns.  Ag water, shared well  $2,350,000
  2. 19 acres in Coachella with a 1968 ranch style home and approx. 1000 date trees.  $3,600,000
  3. 9.7 acre organic date farm with reservoir and approx. 400 trees, fenced with power.  $795,000
  4.   14.6 acre vacant land parcel.  Raw desert land, good location  $624,900
  5. 10 acre fully fenced equestrian farm w/10 horse barn near the HITS show and Thermal Club $2,800,000.
  6. 20 acre equestrian farm with multiple turnouts, tack rooms, exercise field near HITS  $3,300,000

Take a tour of this gorgeous slice of the Coachella Valley with the spectacular mountains!

Polo Season 2025

by

Polo season, 2025

Polo season, 2025

Polo Season, 2025. The equestrians are coming, the equestrians are coming!  Yep, here we go. Season 2025 is almost here!  The horses and the humans that accompany them are heading back to the desert for the winter season.  There have been some changes in the horsey landscape here in the Coachella Valley.  If you’re looking to buy or sell in the Coachella Valley, give local equestrian and agent, Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

Eldorado Polo Club opens it’s stabling on November 13.  The stick and ball field opens on December 13, and practices begin on December 20.  The 2025 polo season officially begins with the USPA Women’s Pacific Coast Open and Women’s Challenge Tournaments on December 27, 2024.

January and February will feature the 4 and 8 goal leagues, and in February and March, the 12 goal league kicks in.  Polo games are open to the public with playoff games played at 10, 12 and 2 on Saturdays and Sundays.  Take this short walkthrough farm video for an example of the Coachella Valley Eastern farm land that exists. 

HITS Thermal for 2025

by

HITS Thermal is preparing for 2025

Searching for an Equestrian Realtor?

HITS Thermal for 2025.  The horseshow grounds are being prepared and spruced up in preparation for a spectacular 2025 season for our equestrian contingent, who will be on their way back in November and December.  The site is the same as in the past although it sounds like the new HITS grounds are moving forward!  Local equestrian, resident and realtor, Kim Kelly, is available to show you properties!  760-285-3578.

Each year, HITS Thermal adds more equitation highlights and enhance the classes we’re most proud of, which we are excited to share that we have done again. There is a $100,000 equitation class in the Grand Prix Arena! Many of the weekly equitation offerings take place in one of the prettiest rings there is, the THIS Grand Equitation Ring!

There are always tons of gorgeous horses and talented riders are every level.  Surrounding farms often offer turnouts for the visiting horses, and I always show land and farms during the season.  It’s a ton of fun!  Come out and watch the classes, a very minimal fee is needed at the gates.  You can spend the day at the showgrounds looking at the horses, classes, schooling arenas are full with endless practice rounds for the horses, riders and trainers.  There is food available, restrooms, and best yet, vendors offering equestrian treats all over the grounds.  It’s a fund day even if you aren’t a rider.  I have two incredible farms near the showgrounds for sale.

  1.  A 10 acre parcel with a barn, turnouts, lovely lighted arena, track, grooms quarters:  $2,700,000
  2. A 20 acre farm with multiple turnouts, open grass practice area, tackrooms, RV hookups, outdoor bathrooms, a pool.  Drop in your pre fab home and a barn and you are ready!  Offered at $3,200,000

Featured Post

About

Follow Kimberley Kelly

  • Google+
  • facebook
  • youtube
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Zillow
  • Desert Sands Realty
78100 Main St #202, La Quinta, CA 92253

Contact Kim

Call Kimberley at
760-285-3578
or email her at
kjkpolo@gmail.com.