If you’re in the market for Palm Springs homes for sale, the Indian Canyons is an absolute must-see. When it comes to rich history, exclusivity and championship golf, the Indian Canyons Golf resort is unrivalled. Since its original opening in 1961 as the Canyon Country Club, it has been considered a jewel of the Coachella Valley.
What started as an elite winter getaway for the likes of Hollywood celebrities and former United States presidents, from Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and Jackie Gleason to Ronald Reagan, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson, is now a popular place to live year round or have a vacation home.
Many buyers seek Palm Springs homes for sale for the incredible golf opportunities that the area affords its residents. Located at the base of the picturesque San Jacinto Mountains in South Palm Springs, the Indian Canyons boasts two spectacular golf courses where you can count on wind-free golf. This is due to the “Canyon” district’s location, which is surrounded on three sides by the San Jacinto Mountains.
Designed by William F. Bell, son of renowned golf course architect William P. Bell, the North Course is the longer of the two. Set on 550 acres of Native American tribal property, the par-72 course spans 6,943 yards and provides gorgeous views of the mountains and unique, mid-century modern homes, several of which were originally owned by Walt Disney. The course features six water hazards, the most notable of which is a lake located between the 9th and 18th holes. At the 18th hole is the famous Disney fountain, which shoots water over 100 feet into the air.
The South Course provides a distinctively different experience. Re-designed in 2004 by renowned architect Casey O’Callahan and player consultant, LPGA legend Amy Alcott, the 6,582-yard course is a favorite among female golfers. The course is absolutely stunning, with four ponds, 850 palm trees and 500 Washingtonia Filifera throughout the course to enhance the desert landscape.
Indian Canyons’ ideal location right in the heart of Palm Springs makes it even more appealing to residents and visitors. It’s in close proximity to the other desert cities, a bevy of recreational options and only 10 minutes from downtown Palm Springs.
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Custom wet bar with refrig at 53425 Avenida Villa
The La Quinta Cove is one of the best selling, and remaining best investment areas of La Quinta. The inventory of affordable entry level, or rental potential properties is dwindling..here’s a fantastic one! Just Listed yesterday and already showing it via appointment today, it will NOT last. 53425 Avenida Villa, La Quinta $227,000
The Cove is known for it’s Bohemian, relaxed, no HOA groove..and this home personifies it. Warm, welcoming and unique, this 3 bedroom/2bathroom, 1987 built home has approx. 1476 sf. That is, however, BEFORE you add the additional approx. 350 sf Media/Bonus room conversion. The back porch was enclosed, and adds to the living space. Custom tile floors, Stainless appliances, ceiling fans, great room open to kitchen flow AND a custom Wet Bar.
Give me a call today..this one will NOT last!
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In one of our recent blog posts, we laid out part one of our short sale roadmap (which, of course, emphasized the importance of working with a La Quinta short sale expert). If you followed the first part of our guidelines, now you should be ready to continue with the process. Read on for some more steps to take to make your prospects of completing a short sale transaction a reality.
1. Research all mortgages and liens on the property. You need to make sure the seller has given you all the information regarding any liens on the property and determine which lender is the primary lien holder.
2. Plan your financing. How you are going to pay for the property is one of the most important things to determine. As your La Quinta short sale expert will tell you, you need to be able to move fast with a short sale transaction as most lenders require closing as quickly as 20 days—so get all your ducks in a row. If you have good credit, the existing primary lienholder may be willing to give you a loan and even expedite the application process.
3. Contact the lender. Once you find a property that you’re interested in, you or the real estate professional you’re working with should contact the loss mitigation department or the resource recovery department of the mortgage bank and find the decision-maker. You’ll need to get a notarized letter from the owner that authorizes the lender to discuss the mortgage with you.
4. Complete the application. Once you speak with the lender, you will need to fill out their short-sale application.
5. Put the proposal together. Next you’ll need to put the proposal together, based on the lender’s guidelines. This typically consists of the authorization letter, completed application and a variety of other financial information.
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Whether you’re buying your dream piece of Palm Desert real estate or investing in a vacation home, there are many costs that you may not be aware of or forget about in the excitement of purchasing a new property. Here are a few things to remember so that the expenses of buying a home don’t shock you when they start adding up.
There are more costs associated with buying a home than your down payment, mortgage rates and tax payments. Once your loan is approved, there are other costs you will need to cover before you get the keys to your new abode. You’ll need to pay your agent or realtor fees and most likely want to hire an attorney to review and approve all the paperwork associated with the transaction. If your dream piece of Palm Desert real estate is a condominium or gated community, you’ll want to find out how much the Homeowners Association (HOA) fees will be so you can factor that into the equation.
Another important item to remember is Homeowner’s Insurance, which is necessary to obtain a mortgage. This type of insurance will cover your property and contents, though a standard policy won’t typically cover natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods,tornadoes and hurricanes. If you live in an area that is at risk for any of these type of disasters, you may want to take out an additional policy.
Depending on the size of the down payment you made on the property, you may have to obtain Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) and Title Insurance. PMI is required when your down payment is less than 20 percent of the purchase price and is designed to protect your lender in case you default on your loan. Title Insurance protects you and the lender in the case of an unusual circumstance where another party tries to lay claim to the title and your property.
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The Living Desert
This weekend has a lot of cool things in store for Palm Springs residents, tourists and those in town to look at homes for sale in La Quinta, Rancho Mirage or one of the other desert cities.
On Saturday, July 19 from 10 am to 5 pm, the Palm Desert High School will host the Nine Cities Challenge Blood Drive. The desert community will be out in full force to show support and donate blood in this second annual event, during which the nine desert cities will compete to see which community can obtain the most donations. Donors receive refreshments and a t-shirt recognizing their participation. The event takes place in the gymnasium at the Palm Desert High School, which is located at 74910 Aztec Road, off Cook Street in Palm Desert. For more information, please call Desert Blood Services at 760.777.8844 ext. 263.
On Saturday night from 7:45 to 9:15 pm, the National Monument Visitor Center will host a very unique event: Night Adventures in the National Monument. Participants will be led though the dark by the National Monument’s biologists to see some of the desert’s amazing creatures of the night, such as bats, owls, lizards, geckos, scorpions, spiders tarantulas and jackrabbits, using black lights and bat detecting equipment. Those who attend will learn interesting facts about bat facts and other local species. This family event is limited to 25 participants. RSVP by calling 760.862.9984.
On Sunday, July 20, bring the whole family to cool down at National Ice Cream Day at The Living Desert. This unique desert zoo and botanical garden is a must-see for anyone considering homes for sale in La Quinta or the other desert cities—and what better to enjoy it than with ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s in celebration of National Ice Cream Day. The event takes place from 8 am to 1:30 pm.
On Sunday from 2 to 4 pm, the Arthur Newman Theatre will feature European singer and actress Maria Elena Infantino in From Piaf To Mambo Italiano. Joel Baker is the Music Director of this incredible one-woman show.
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Summer is in full swing—and that means lots of fun ways to cool down in the Palm Springs Valley. Whether you live here year round, are on vacation or are in town checking our homes for sale in Palm Desert, there are some great ways for the whole family to cool off here in the Coachella Valley.
On Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13, the Indio Performing Arts Center will host the 1st Annual Coachella Valley Comedy/Improv Festival. This celebration and competition of comedy and improv is the perfect way to unwind after a long day of hunting for homes for sale in Palm Desert and the surrounding desert cities. The Indio Performing Arts Center is located at 45175 Fargo Street in Indio.
On Friday at 7 pm there will be an awesome event that children and adults alike will enjoy—the Dive-In Movie at Wet ‘n Wild Palm Springs. The featured movie this week will be Frozen, starring Kristin Bell and Idina Menzel. The Dive-In Movies are free with park admission and intended to be family-friendly. Wet ‘n Wild Palm Springs is located at 1500 S. Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs.
On Saturday, July 12 at 8 pm, Intocable will perform at the Spotlight 29 Casino. Translated as “untouchable,” the Tejano/Norteño musical group from Zapata, Texas was started in the early 1990s by René Martínez and Ricky Muñoz. Some of their hit singles include “Prometi,” “Arrepientete” and “Robarte Un Beso.”
On Saturday and Sunday, the Idyllwild Nature Center will feature the Idyllwild Lemon Lily Festival and Blue Grass Music festival. This annual festival celebrates the special local wildflower that is such an important part of the San Jacinto Mountains’ ecosystem. There will be educational exhibits, speakers, a native plant sales, arts & crafts, Pioneer Town and more. The event starts both days at 9 am and is perfect for the whole family to enjoy.
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Navigating a short sale can be complex and confusing, which is why it’s imperative to have a professional in your corner. If you’re looking for property in the desert cities, be sure to seek a Palm Springs area short sale expert so that you can benefit from their local expertise. They will have information about comparables in the area and can help prepare you for the intricacies of such a transaction.
Here is our part one of our basic roadmap series for preparing yourself to buy a short sale property. Good luck!
1. Identify potential properties. Start by researching pre-foreclosures in the area and letting your Palm Springs area short sale expert know what you’re looking for. You can also search online, peruse courthouse listings and look for legal advertisements.
2. Identify candidates. Once you’ve identified some properties that you’re interested in, try to figure out how much debt exists and what the actual value of the property is. If the debt is high, it could be a good candidate for a short sell. On the flip side, if the owner has a lot of equity, the lender may prefer to foreclose on the property and try to sell it for a price closer to the actual value.
3. Schedule viewings. Find out when the properties are being shown and start looking. Check the property thoroughly and try to gauge its condition as best as possible so that you can get an idea of what repairs and renovations may costs. Be realistic—if there is too much to fix, it might not be a good fit for you.
4. Perform your research. Have your real estate professional find out what the property is truly worth and try to figure out what your potential for profit would be if you resell it later on. Get estimates from local contractors and vendors to determine how much any repairs and renovations you want to make will cost so that you can factor that into your budget as well as your potential profit margin.
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The first half of 2014 has seen a lot of real estate sales—and according to our local Palm Springs area short sale expert, the valley has seen many as well. What’s happening throughout the country is that a lot of buyers are purchasing homes at depressed price levels. According to the National Association of Realtors, short sale transactions made up between 45 and 50 percent of all home sales during February of this year.
While it sounds exciting and like something you can’t afford to miss, it’s important to be very careful while navigating a short sale, as they can be trickier than a normal home purchase. Often times, due to the common occurrence of complications, short sales can take longer than other transactions to close. If you are looking for homes in the Coachella Valley, a Palm Springs area short sale expert will be instrumental in the process and can make it much less stressful.
A short sale is when a home is sold for less than the amount of money owed on it. It’s often confused with a foreclosure, which is when you buy a property that is owned by the bank. As you can imagine, this can be an amazing deal for buyers. It can also help sellers avoid having a full foreclosure on their record. It can be tricky, however, as the lenders involved will need to approve the deal—and they will be taking less than the total amount that the owner needs to pay off their mortgage. In the flip side, if they don’t agree, they may receive no payment at all. Yet many times short sales move slower than molasses and can fall through altogether.
Finding a great short sale deal can take a lot of patience, luck and the help of a real estate professional with expertise in short sales. For best results, do your research and keep your eyes wide open.
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If you’ve been looking at equestrian properties in the Coachella Valley, you’ve probably been focused on finding enough acreage for your horse, a barn and stables. Yet there are many other factors to consider that are often overlooked until too late—appropriate access for vehicles and horses is one of the most crucial.
Access roads for the property surrounding equestrian homes should be wide enough to accommodate your vehicles and trailers, as well as those for larger trailers—you never know when you may need a visit from a veterinarian who specializes in large animals. Plus, down the line you may purchase another horse or two, and would need to accept delivery from a much larger trailer than the one you own. Or you may sell a horse, which again, may require another trailer to access your stables.
Whether you’re searching for La Quinta real estate or are thinking about other areas of the valley, another important factor to consider is if the road provides enough room for the trailers to turn around safely and comfortably. Also, will there be enough parking for one or more trailers, while also leaving space for turning around? You don’t want a traffic jam to occur on your own property.
You’ll also want to consider the road’s actual surface. If you’re looking at graveled roads, keep in mind that maintenance will include filling in potholes and replenishing the gravel that diminishes over time. While those searching for La Quinta real estate properties will enjoy the warmer desert climate overall, there will be some times that area experiences a little bit of rain—in that case, keep in mind that gravel roads can produce a messy brand of mud when wet. If that’s an issue for you, you may want to consider resurfacing the road.
There’s a lot of thought that goes into purchasing equestrian properties in the Coachella Valley —the road into them requires thoughtful consideration. Once that you’ve found the perfect match, the experience is beyond rewarding!
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When it comes to rich tradition and luxe living, Mission Hills Country Club is unparalleled. If you’re looking for Rancho Mirage homes for sale, you won’t want to miss visiting this prestigious club. It offers exclusivity and world class amenities coupled with the exquisite beauty of the desert landscape.
Set against the mountains of the Coachella Valley, the Mission Hills Country club has received an array of accolades that attest to its many attributes. It has been voted the number Private Country Club in the Coachella Valley several times, and its golf course has been voted the number one private course in the Coachella Valley. It was deemed the 2009 USTA Tennis Facility of the Year, 2012 USCA Croquet Facility of the Year in the United States, and most recently, the number one USTA tennis facility in the nation.
Many search for Rancho Mirage homes for sale to enjoy the incredible golf this town has to offer—and the Mission Hills Country Club features 54 holes of challenging golf amidst a lush backdrop of picturesque beauty. Opened in 1972, the Mission Hills Country Club’s first golf course was designed by the renowned Desmond Muirhead. The course has been the site of many championship tournaments, including the Dinah Shore Tournament and the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Golf icon Arnold Palmer designed the second course, which opened in 1979. In 1988, a third course was added, the Pete Dye Challenge Course. There is also a 17 acre practice facility that includes an all-grass driving range, four putting greens and a short game area. The Tennis facility features 34 tennis courts on three different playing surfaces, including clay, grass and hard.
In addition to the bevy of incredible golf options available, there are unrivalled first class facilities that provide the premier club experience to anyone who spends time at the Mission Hills Country Club. To complement the tennis and golf offerings, there is croquet available on 10 impeccably manicured lawns, a 17,000-square-foot state of the art fitness facilities with a full class schedule and a Kinesis wall, a 21 meter lane pool complex, two championship bocce courts and a spa that features world class services. The Club is also renowned for its exceptional and welcoming Member service.
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