April 2014 – Gallaudet Properties

April 28, 2014

Narrow Fairways, Broad Real Estate Options

The names Arnold Palmer gave the fifth through tenth holes on the course he designed at PGA West here in La Quinta, speak volumes. They start with “Intimidator” at number five and continue to “Monster” at the tenth.

They certainly present a challenge for most of us amateurs, but even more than that, they represent the wide variety of courses that are available to golfers in La Quinta and the surrounding communities.

You can dial in virtually any “degree of difficulty” that suits your playing level. This diversity gives the homeowner another advantage. If you’re planning to move here, you’ll probably discover fairly quickly that your home will be a popular destination for visitors—your family and close friends.

And if one weekend you have a newbie to the game visiting, you can head to a course that matches that skill level. Next, when you have scratch players come into town, you can set them loose on courses that will test exactly how long and accurate they are.

See your golf options
To get a very detailed overview of your golf options—including both public and private courses—be sure to download our free golf guide. It gives you all the critical information you need and even serves as a general Palm Springs country club membership guide. The link is at the bottom.

PGA West Property — Private Residence at PGA West Stadium

Now let’s tie two of our main interests together—golf and real estate. If you’re a golfer you want to see your numbers go down. If you’re a property owner, you like to see your numbers go up. Rising property values are good for owners and they reflect a healthy market.

Recent reports show a strong market for both new and existing homes in La Quinta, Indian Wells and the general Palm Springs area. Year-to-year figures show that new home sales were up 19 percent in the Coachella Valley in February and median prices rose by about 25 percent for homes and condos.

Explore the communities
Solid figures like these are always reassuring for a community and a positive sign for prospective buyers. Further, with the variety of communities in the La Quinta real estate market, you always have a lot of properties to choose from.

For example, within the gates of La Quinta Resort there are six communities, including The Mountain Estates and The Enclave, both of which feature large custom homes, as well as La Quinta Resort Spa Villas, which are condos near the spa. So, there are properties for virtually every budget and lifestyle.

And if living in a golf course community isn’t critical for you, you’ll want to check out luxury gated communities such as Painted Cove, Puerta Azul, Hidden Canyon, Talante and others.

So download our guide, look it over and give us a call. I think you’ll enjoy our positive and relaxed approach to helping you find the perfect property in La Quinta or the greater Palm Springs area.

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April 18, 2014

Music, Art and Golf, Oh My!

There’s no doubt that La Quinta and the surrounding desert communities are a paradise for people who enjoy sunshine, the outdoors and golf.

PGA West Stadium Course — Hole #17 @ PGA West – Stadium Course

It’s also paradise for folks who like to do a little people watching. If you’re at all familiar with the area, you know that it’s been a hangout for celebrities for generations. The show business glitterati still visit, but today we get a much more diverse group of global celebs.

Athletes, music and more
World class athletes make the pilgrimage here, especially golfers and tennis pros and now with the annual music and arts festival in Coachella, a wide range of top recording artists make the scene. The concert series which wraps up with “Stagecoach” April 27 makes for several great days of people watching. And if one of your favorite recording artists happened to be on the bill, you would have had the time of your life.

Of course, that’s only a couple of weekends a year and while the festival may come and go quickly, the golf and other attractions here are pretty much available 365 days a year. Further, real estate shoppers have a huge range of options.

It certainly ‘ain’t no hound dog’
By the way, Elvis’s Palm Spring “honeymoon house” is on the market. So if you have an extra $10 million dollars and want to buy a great property and piece of pop icon history at the same time, we’ll get the papers going for you.

However, for most of the home shoppers we work with, a great home either on or near one of our beautiful golf courses in La Quinta fits the bill perfectly. And just like concert goers had their choice of artists to see at the recent music festival, golfers here have just about as many choices when they head out to play a round.

The La Quinta Resort has three courses itself. PGA WEST has six courses and many more residential golf communities are just minutes away, including The Hideaway, Rancho La Quinta and Mountain View just to name a few.

There are great courses throughout the valley, as you’ll see when you drive through Palm Springs and over to La Quinta. And to make sorting them out a little easier, we’ve pulled together a very handy Golf Resource Guide. If you want the big picture—as well as a lot of specific details—about Palm Springs area golf clubs, don’t miss this free download.

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April 14, 2014

Desert and Home Sales Blooming!

Some newcomers to desert living are surprised by the varied pleasures each season brings with it. Over the last several weeks many of our neighbors have been keeping an eye out for the spring desert bloom.

A wide range of desert wildflowers, cacti, trees and shrubs burst into blossom each year and for the observant desert dweller, it provides a lot of beauty and adventure. The time to start looking is generally in March and the show can run through much of April. There are several websites that keep people posted on what’s blooming where.

Visit a local garden
Another way to learn about the plants you see as you cruise around the area, is to visit the gardens at The Living Desert. In one place you’ll discover the diversity of the native plants. Give them a call to see what’s blooming so you can time your trip to maximize the colorful show.

Of course, the weather that prompts our seasonal bloom encourages other activities in La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert and the greater Palm Springs area. To say that it’s perfect golfing weather would be something of an understatement. Further, the weather that makes it ideal for hitting the links also amps up the interest in owning property on or near one of the renowned courses that we have in our area.

Take a home tour
While the real estate professionals at Gallaudet Properties enjoy an occasional hike to explore the local wildflowers, more often you’ll find us exploring new home listings with our clients, trying to find the perfect property. At this time of year, the desert blossoms with both buyers and sellers, if you’ll excuse a fairly bad play on words. Also, unlike the wildflower display, the golf courses are here for us to enjoy virtually every day, all year long.

The La Quinta Resort membership, which includes the private Citrus Club, alone has 3 golf courses – 1 private and 2 semi-public. Along with that there are tennis courts and a spa for members and/or resort guests to enjoy. And for the home buyer, there are 10 gated communities in the area nestled around those golf courses. That provides a lot of selection. Buyers can always find exactly the kind of property they are looking for and be on or near their favorite courses.

Get the latest info
Above I mentioned that you can have the latest news regarding the spring wildflower bloom sent straight to your email. If you’re a big fan of flowers and gardening, that’s a resource you’ll want to use. Google: Coachella Valley Desert Plants.

In much the same way, Gallaudet Properties has pulled together a golf resource guide. It’s free and will get you up-to-date on all the local courses and golf communities. You can get an overview where they are all located as well as information on private course membership fees and monthly dues.

It’s must-have information for anyone considering a move to the La Quinta, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and Indio area. Download it today.

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