Local Story

What is the Desert Season anyway???

What is the Desert season anyway?  I originally arrived in the desert, Coachella Valley in the mid 80’s to play polo.  The polo season runs from November through April.  Then the players, grooms, families and horses move on to their next club, and jobs.  Real estate at the time was the same, very clear seasons.  High season was November through April, then it literally fell off the cliff because everyone left!  Local resident and agent, Kim Kelly 760-285-3578.

Over many years, the polo and Horseshow season has remained exactly the same, but the season for buying and selling local Coachella Valley real estate has changed dramatically.  The “season” now is definitely NOT seasonal.  Real estate season in the desert is year round now.  I often have clients that say they were looking for a winter home, and then they end up staying “just one more month”.  Then it’s just “another month.”  Pretty soon, they’re spending more time here than at their summer property.  Of course there are more people here at peak season, which is still November through April, but there are plenty of buyers in our HOT summers.

Buyers that come to the Coachella Valley in the summer to look at property are serious.  Sellers that choose to list in the summers are also serious about selling.  You may get a deal in your purchase price/sf, but you will not have the inventory available to choose between in the summers.   That’s pretty much it for our “season.”  The truth is you can buy or sell a property at ANY time in the Coachella Valley.  Remember that 98% of buyers now do their preliminary looking online.  Exposure for our Coachella Valley properties is enormous..if it’s listed here, it’ll be seen by eyeballs everywhere.  Google is a beautiful thing, so if you’re looking to buy or sell in the Coachella Valley, give me a call at 760-285-3578.  Take a tour of this gorgeous 9.8 acre date farm that just closed to one of my LA buyers.

Fraudsters are hitting real estate HARD. Be aware!

Fraud in Real Estate:  The FBI cyber crime unit says that real estate fraud to $275 million in 2025!  I personally have experienced two separate attempts at fraud in my own business last year, and I just received another scam “investor” call yesterday.  If it sounds too good to be true..it is!  This pertains to both realtors listening to a “potential buyer” explain about all their other properties, and on and on, and that they are looking to invest in the Coachella Valley.  If they keep talking about themselves and trying to get info from you, hang up and block them.  The local police are the next call.  They may already have a profile on the person.  Use a local, experienced agent and be aware.  Kim Kelly 760-285-3578.

Real Estate fraud comes in many forms.  Sometimes it looks like a scammer trying to get a realtor to falsely tie up properties.  Sometimes, they appear as sellers, who are not the real sellers.  There are all kinds of ways for scammers to falsify documents, especially if the seller is not local.  Financial loss from a real estate investment or fraud involving rental or timeshare property is also considered “real estate fraud.”  AI technology has enabled scammers to create high quality content, and then there is cryptocurrency.  Great.  IF you’re looking for a great investment, take a look at this date farm that may be purchased in total for 8 million, or one of the 3 parcels may be purchased separately. 

Vacant Land Fraud Alert

Vacant Land Fraud Alert:  So, this may be something that is happening in all locales that deal with vacant land, but here in the Coachella Valley for sure!  The CDAR (Calif. desert assn. of realtors), sent out an alert for agents to be aware that there is alot of fraud happening with a scam concerning vacant land sales.  If you are looking to buy or sell in the Coachella Valley, land ranches or residential, give local agent, Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

I’ve been involved with two of these land scams recently.  Last quarter of 2025, I was representing a group of sellers, who were not who they appeared to be.  The buyers cancelled in their due diligence period, and their earnest monies were returned by escrow, BUT it could’ve gone very bad.  Then just a couple weeks ago, another vacant land seller who was not the REAL seller.

Apparently, if a vacant piece of land, is owned by a seller of many years, not protected in a trust, or LLC, it is wide open for these scams.  In this last case, the buyers money had been deposited into escrow, when the list agent called to alert me that the notary seal on the grant deed was fraudulent!  Again, it was caught, buyers monies were returned, no harm, no foul.  I do wonder if the true seller ever did show up, or perhaps is dead???

So, buyers, sellers, agents, be aware!  It’s not that easy to tell you are dealing with the real owner, if your seller is out of state or out of the country.  This is a 9.8 acre date farm that I just closed.  I represented the seller, who was REAL! 

The beautiful Coachella Valley is a desert! Summers remind us of that.

How do you deal with the Heat??  Most of my clients come from out of town, so it’s probably the number one question I get from my clients.  “How do you deal with the Heat??”  Now that it’s REALLY hot here in the Coachella Valley, there’s not a single client that doesn’t ask me this question!  So, what DO I do in the heat, and what DO my friends do in the heat?  If you are looking to buy or sell here in the Coachella Valley, give me, Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

The thing that we all have to do when we move to a new locale, is accept the good with the bad.  I lived in Kauai and it is generally a paradise, BUT I had to adjust to the extreme humidity of the winter.  I mean paper wilts, clothes don’t dry, so many of us had skin rashes, so even in paradise, there are issues.  Here in the desert, it is gloriously warm.  People come here to get away from the cold on the East Coast, or the dampness of the beaches.  But it is still a desert!  During the summers, it’s always hot in the summers.  Usually it starts getting hot in May and June, but the evenings still cool down, so it’s pretty awesome.  Then July hits, and it’s triple digits during the days, and the evenings don’t cool down.  So, you have to adjust your life in every way you can.

Here in the desert, during the heat, you get up early.  Get out early in the mornings, work or do your workouts, be back in a cool space by 10 am if possible.  Stay inside, or do your shopping, go to a movie, somewhere cool from 12-4 pm.  Drink water constantly, you won’t pee very much either, and if you’re doing something hard, be sure to add electrolytes to your daily mineral intake.  Wear a broad brimmed hat, sunglasses, long sleeved, loose fitting, cotton shirt and lightweight pants.  Don’t over exert, and rest when you need to.  If you do these things your time in the desert will be hot, but a delight!

Coachella Valley homes, land, business opportunities for sale!

Good news for local businesses!  According to a survey done by B  of A, local small and mid size businesses as of May 1, are feeling optimistic about the future of their businesses.  That’s good news for local businesses here in the Coachella Valley.  If you are looking to buy or sell here in the Coachella Valley, choose an experienced, local resident and agent.  Kim Kelly 760-285-3578.

Business and Economic Outlook
When looking at attitudes concerning the national economy, business owners’ outlooks varied by the size of their business: 75% of mid-sized business owners expect the national economy to improve over the next 12 months, while just 33% of small business owners expect the same.

Mid-sized business owners (MSBOs) maintain a positive business outlook:

• 87% believe their revenue will increase over the next 12 months.
• 80% plan to expand their businesses in the year ahead.
• 69% plan to hire over the next 12 months.
• 84% said their revenues were higher in 2023 than in 2022.

Among small business owners (SBOs):

• 65% expect their revenue to increase in the year ahead (holding steady since last spring).
• 39% plan to expand their business over the next year.
• 30% plan to hire more employees over the next 12 months.
• 55% reported higher business revenues in 2023 than in 2022.

Top economic concerns for MSBOs include the U.S. political environment (68%), inflation (67%), supply chain (66%) and consumer spending (66%). SBOs share concern over the U.S. political environment (75%) and inflation (73%) but are also concerned about health care costs (69%) and interest rates (63%). 61% of MSBOs and 56% of SBOs noted concerns about recession, both down from 72% last spring. And while concerns over inflation have come down slightly since this time last year, 90% of MSBOs and 84% of SBOs still say that inflation is currently impacting their business.  Below is a walk tour of the 1.3 acre estate in Indio that is currently an STVR, and for sale for $3,800,000.  11 beds/8 baths. 

Ferris Wheel at the Coachella Music Festival!

Coachella Festival is ON!  When  you are a local, you dread the festival weekends, but you also LOVE the festival weekends.  Dread..well, the traffic, the grocery stores are jammed, lines everywhere, traffic circles that get stuck, just lots and lots of people and movement.  The great side is that most everyone is happy, or looking happy as they hang out with their friends in fantastic outfits, phones buzzing, singing and laughing, and I mean on the streets..not just festival grounds!  I also LOVE the energy created for our sleep little desert.  I always advise my real estate clients to skip looking at properties or open houses during the 2 festival weekends due to traffic, but it sure does generate feelings and desire to be in the Coachella valley.  If you are looking to buy or sell in any of the desert cities, give local realtor, Kim Kelly, a call at 760-285-3578.

For a recap of Day 1, (yesterday, Friday) at the festival, this is an entertaining and precise read on the musical acts.  The weather is always suspicious at this time of year.  The temperatures are usually lovely..normally not too much over 100, and that’s true this year, but the winds can be treacherous, and that seems true in 2024.  The Coachella Music Festival as everyone who knows anything at all about music knows, is held annually at the former Empire Polo Club.  There is no longer polo played on the fields..they are strictly for the festival and also events such as weddings, or corporate do’s.  The first weekend, there is actually grass underfoot, but by weekend 2 and then the Stagecoach Festival, forget it!  No grass anywhere, just dust.  What’s so amazing is that once the festivals wrap up, water and sand are dumped onto the fields and BAM..grass starts peeking back up in about 2 weeks.  It is incredible!

This incredible 2 acre estate with a ranch style 60’s pool home and a 6400 sf warehouse is offered for sale at $1,299,000.  Take the tour below..

This 6400 sf warehouse is chock FULL of unique and fascinating items for sale!

Estate Sale at 59105 Lincoln St., Thermal, CA.  What you might find at this 3 day estate sale is unbelievable!  Event Business dispersal, and the warehouse is full of interesting and eclectic things!  The Warehouse is 6400 sf and it’s FULL!  Family business in corporate events, so there are all kinds of fascinating items.  The Sale will begin on March 22 and run for 3 days from 9-3pm each day.  Come on out and find your treasure.  And by the way..this gorgeous home and warehouse on 2 acres is FOR SALE for just $1,299,000.  Click here for more information on the estate sale, and be sure to take the tour of the property below!

If you are looking to buy or sell your Coachella Valley property, give local realtor, Kim Kelly a call at 760-285-3578.

Land and farms are being developed here in the Coachella Valley.

Coachella Valley’s upcoming developments..quite a few new ideas and planned developments are hitting our quiet desert valley.  Progress is always a good thing, but just how BIG are we looking to become??  Part of the charm of our desert is the QUIET, less traffic, starry nights, a quieter lifestyle.  As a local resident for the past 35+ years, and realtor for over 20, I try to be open minded and hear both sides.  Looking to buy or sell..give me a call at 760-285-3578.

The Coachella Valley already has 3 wave parks, but apparently, there’s a new one on the way.  It’s not had final approval due to the surrounding residents push back, and it sure is hard to understand why we need more wave parks and huge water usage in our desert, but there you go.  On the 300+ acres on the Southwest corner of Madison and 58th, which is a spectacularly beautiful location, is where it is planned.  Let’s see if it goes in.

Then there’s the new private golf club, the Jeule Ranch Club, which is way East Valley on Van Buren and 70th Ave.  Very exclusive, very private, very chic.  I suppose players will fly into Jacqueline Cochran, perhaps stop at The Thermal Club to race a few laps, then head out to golf.  I think we have enough courses, and again, the water use.  Hmmm…but if you’re looking to buy land near this golf club, take a look at this 20 acre site.  A great value at $1,775,000.