Palm Desert – Our desert has gained notoriety from Palm Springs’ annual event of Modernism Week. People flock to our area from all over the country and the world to participate. Palm Desert has at least two local entities that will be tying into Modernism Week, so it may for the first time become a sponsor of the event to the tune of $5,000.
Marrakesh Country Club, Sandpiper and the Palm Springs Art Museum – Palm Desert branch all have plans to be involved in next year’s 8th annual Modernism Week scheduled for Feb. 14-23. Marrakesh has scheduled its inaugural Designer Showcase, showing off its Hollywood Regency-style homes designed by renowned architect John Elgin Woolf. The Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert is also planning activities tied into the event and Sandpiper will be hosting home tours and possibly an El Paseo event involving art galleries.
As some of Palm Desert’s hotels and resorts see an increase in bookings during Modernism Week, involvement of these Palm Desert entities can only serve to bring more people in to Palm Desert and increase its visibility during this typically Palm Springs focused event.
Perhaps one day, all of the Desert Cities will have some type of involvement in this increasingly popular event. And it’s all good.
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Short Sales could slow down if principles are reset..a good thing!
I’ve been saying this for the past 3 years or so..why not reset mortgage principles to say…Fair Market Value + 20%? When I ask my underwater homeowners if they’d stay in their homes if THEY could get the Short Sale value I’ve proposed to them, they always respond “Yes!”
This article from New York Times today hits on this idea in San Bernardino County..which has just declared bankruptcy by the way, so might be a good place to test this eminent domain idea.
The stumbling block is always the same…the bankers get their skirts blown up “even thinking about letting the governement step in to take control of our mortgages.” Well..somebody has to! If the Banksters want to continue to set their own mortgages, why not work out a program with the current homeowners to keep them in their homes? Turn a non-performing asset into a performing one??? The reason could be that the Banksters do not want to report the TRUE VALUE of their assets to their prized shareholders until they are good and ready. Hey..a little coloring outside the lines for the Banksters is nothing new, right???
Until Mortgage values are reset, if you are underwater, give me a call for your free Short Sale consultation..760-285-3578.
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It’s Friday the 13th in Palm Springs and everywhere else, such a funny superstition. And there’s always good and not so good news about real estate, foreclosures, short sales, market conditions, etc. to report . . . but let’s lighten up and talk about something fun that will be occurring in the night sky this weekend.
Three of the brightest objects in the night sky will appear close together just before dawn Sunday, a Palm Springs astronomer reports . A grouping of the crescent moon, Jupiter and Venus will be visible together at about 4am in our Palm Springs Valley.
Venus will appear below and to the right of the moon and will be the brightest . . . look low in the east-northeast sky. Jupiter will be visible close above the moon and Venus.
Our skies in the Palm Springs Valley have been filled with clouds over the past few days, but the National Weather Service is predicting the these cloudy conditions will mostly clear up on Saturday night.
If you don’t mind getting up early on Sunday morning (remember, you can go back to bed after you’ve checked out the sky), these celestial sightings should be quite interesting to see . . . so set your alarm for early Sunday morning, stumble outside and take in the glory of our heavens here in this desert paradise.
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Seems that tourists are keeping in step with Global Warming . . . as Palm Springs hotel operators have noted elevated growth for the months of May and June, when tourism typically tapers off. What used to considered “off-season” around here is looking more and more like “on-season.”
The city has worked on creating partnerships with Germany and the UK . . . and it’s paid off, as more and more tourists from those two countries have been visiting Palm Springs during the summer months.
A Viceroy Hotel representative has commented that weekend traffic has been strong at their hotel, especially drive-in traffic. Also, a strong international representation has been noticed, particularly from the UK.
Recent data released from the city of Palm Springs shows that the number of visitors to Palm Springs last summer was up 25% from the previous year 2010. Since last year at this time, tourists have spent $15.1 million in Palm Springs and are projected to spend about $3 million more than that in this next year. And that’s no small potatoes!
These tourism dollars are being spent in the obvious places such as restaurants, resorts and hotels . . . and also at one of Palm Springs’ most iconic destinations – the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which sees a lot of activity from locals trying to escape the heat (at this moment, it’s 80.8 degrees at the top and it’s 113 degrees in Palm Springs).
Besides being popular with Europeans, Palm Springs is also attracting tourists from south of the equator, such as Australia, where it is winter right now.
It’s a beautiful thing, that the summer heat we locals complain about and dread is another man’s paradise. Go figure.
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It’s darned HOT
in the Palm Springs Valley this time of year . . . as the temperatures rise, hikers need to take extra precautions on the trail to avoid illness and injury.
And it happens every summer, as ill-prepared hikers head into the heat without a proper understanding of the effects of heat-related illnesses. These include dehydration, heat cramps, heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat rash. Long-term health complications can result by ignoring these symptoms . . . and in some cases, it can even lead to death.
First of all, make sure that you know the symptoms of heat-related illnesses: Red, hot, dry skin; no sweating (sign of heat stroke); heavy sweating (sign of heat exhaustion); rapid, strong pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; paleness; muscle cramps; fainting.
You must make preparations for preventing these symptoms, as it also helps to make the hike much more enjoyable and hikers will receive greater physical benefits from the exercise.
Hiking in the Palm Springs Valley offers a wide variety of scenic adventures. From the desert valley to the highland pines, there are hikes to suit every mood. When hiking in the heat, you must be sure to be prepared:
- Let someone know where you are going, what time you will be starting and approximately when you will complete your hike.
- Know the route ahead of time and familiarize yourself with the surroundings
- Use good judgment. Hike in the early morning hours or late evening
- Stay on the trail and do not cut switchbacks
- Hike with a friend or group as cell phone coverage may be spotty.
- Carry plenty of water (and food if the hike is long) and drink a lot before and often during the hike.
- Watch out for rattlesnakes.
- Take rests in the shade
- Cover up most of your skin – wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes
- Wear a sun block with at least 15 SPF – reapply every one to two hours
- Always wear a hat when you hike, preferably one with a brim or back flap
- Always wear sunglasses to avoid sunburn to your retina
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