La Quinta Communities – Page 3 – Gallaudet Properties

November 24, 2014

All the Valley’s a Stage, and Golf Courses!

Throughout the year, there are events in the Coachella Valley that bring some of the world’s best athletes into our community. For those of us who sometimes make better spectators than we do participants, these are great times and I’ve mentioned them before on these pages.

However, if you like being in the audience there’s more than just sporting events to see here and I’m going to briefly touch on a couple of these today. I want to talk about live theater and a special project that has been getting a lot of attention recently.

The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert is a venue that offers the widest variety of performances imaginable. Broadway productions, ballet and concerts keep the facility hopping with activity all year long. Scanning through upcoming events, I see that Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes and Memphis are among the musicals scheduled over the next few months.

A great lineup of shows
Musical acts coming up include Vince Gill and The Time Jumpers, Neil Sedaka, the New Christy Minstrels and Patti Austin. There’s also comedy, dance and some great Christmas programs. As this line up demonstrates, renowned artists perform regularly, but I also wanted to mention a more of a local initiative.

It was recently announced that the McCallum Theatre is teaming up with David Gonzalez, a nationally known storyteller and poet, to preserve and present the stories that come from the eastern Coachella Valley. This will be a way of honoring and celebrating the heritage of this region.

Gonzalez will be going through neighborhoods in La Quinta and Indio – among other areas – to talk to locals and gather their stories. Eventually he’ll present these stories through different media, such as video and online, as well as in performance settings. It will be interesting to see how he is able to capture and highlight the local cultural heritage of our area.

‘Activate’ your lifestyle
All of these offerings add to the “active lifestyle” we’re able to enjoy in La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert and the greater Coachella Valley. But I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention some of the things that put “active” in the active lifestyle, especially golf. When you can live in communities like any of the 10 that are part of the La Quinta Resort, you begin to understand why the phrase “Golf Mecca” is often used to describe our area.

Those 10 gated communities span the La Quinta Resort’s three golf courses and include six communities that are actually within the gates of the resort. Among those six The Mountain Estates and The Enclave feature some truly magnificent custom homes. And to get a great idea of how all of these golf courses and golf course communities are situated, be sure to download our free golf resource guide.

It gives you a “bird’s eye” view of the Coachella Valley so you can see how the courses are located. It also serves as a country club membership guide by providing great information on membership fees and more.

Of course, if you call we can give you even more information than you can get from our guide as well as help you decide which communities would best meet your needs.

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November 3, 2014

La Quinta Real Estate Sales Analysis (Summer, 2014)

The City of La Quinta, year-to-date unit sales for 2014 are 18% lower than 2013. As you can see from the graph below, each month in 2014 has fallen behind the previous year. The second quarter of 2014 was the worst with 28% less sales than the second quarter of 2013. During 2014, we have had a very tight inventory of homes for sale which is a major contributor to the decrease in sales this year.

The summer of 2014, (3rd quarter – July, August and September), was the worst summer quarter for La Quinta since 2007. The quarter that just ended recorded La Quinta sales of 266 homes, a drop of 15% over the same quarter in 2013 (314). Just to keep this in perspective, 2013 was the best year since the “bubble” burst in 2005.

What we have noticed here in the Coachella Valley was that during the late fall of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014 there was a noticeable increase in the number of American buyers and a decrease in Canadian buyers. The number of buyers at that time, coupled with a very low inventory, caused prices to begin to rise substantially in many developments. Toward the beginning of the second quarter, there seemed to be a change in buyer attitude and prices leveled off and even declined slightly. This malaise which has been caused by the tight inventory, and the investors not liking the increase in pricing, has malingered for the rest of the year. We are hoping that after the election and as we enter the selling season, we will see more inventory and then sales again pick up.

This is a graph of the Real Estate “Bubble”. The red line represents the normal historical Real Estate appreciation rate of 4.5%
Here are some yearly sales figures (units) for the City of La Quinta from 2002:
Year – All LQ – Golf Course
2002 – 1,356 – 259
2003 – 1,572 – 640
2004 – 1,938 – 785
2005 – 1,563 – 638
2006 – 1,118 – 483
2007 – 942 – 444
2008 – 1,076 – 405
2009 – 1,202 – 409
2010 – 1,360 – 518
2011 – 1,446 – 510
2012 – 1,532 – 587
2013 – 1,537 – 567
2014 – 1,000 – 474
YTD (Sept)

For more information about the Coachella Valley Real Estate market,
Please call us at (760) 203-2621!

Source: DesertAreaMLS

October 24, 2014

Stretching Our Legs to Support Our Military and First Responder Heroes

They say that if you play a round of golf and walk, you’ll cover about five miles over the course of 18 holes. If you’re using a cart, you’ll walk about a mile.

So, if you really want to get some great exercise, in addition to the golf and tennis that you will be playing in our beautiful Desert, come to the Coachella Valley the week-end of Oct. 24 and sign up for the annual “Patriot Ride for Our Heroes” in La Quinta. In addition to a great workout, you will be supporting such a good cause.

The second annual event is set for Oct. 24-25 and at Gallaudet Properties we’re proud to have one of our own riding this year: Charles Baughman. October is the perfect month for the event. The weather should be ideal for participants.

Whatever your personal level of fitness might be, the fundraiser offers an event you can handle. Bicycle rides range from 100 miles to just five miles and there are fun walks of one, two and three miles.

It began with an American flag delivery
Patriot Ride for Our Heroes proceeds go to benefit charities that are related to the military, fire departments and police departments. The event got its start back in the fall of 2012 when Tim Esser took a personal ride to Twenty-Nine Palms with several wounded marines to deliver the American flag.

We send our best wishes to all those who participate with a special thank you to Charles who we know will do a great job and finish strong.

Of course, no matter where you ride a bicycle in La Quinta and what Bike Hint gear you use, you’re going to go past a golf course – and probably not just one, but several. And whether you walk the links or ride in a cart, it’s always good exercise and great to get outside.

While we don’t have the 100-mile Patriot Ride for Our Heroes route plotted on our free golf course resource guide, we have just about all the information folks want to know when they’re thinking about purchasing a home in La Quinta, Indian Wells, or the general Palm Springs area.

Membership and property information included
Not only is it a comprehensive map of courses in our area, it includes a detailed membership guide as well as information on the surrounding cities and neighborhoods in terms of relative real estate prices.

If you want to get excellent information on courses such as Mountain View Country Club, Rancho La Quinta, The Citrus Club, The Palms Golf Club, Painted Cove, PGA West, The Hideaway, The Tradition, The Quarry, along with the nearby properties, our guide is the place to start. Of course we’re here to answer any questions you have and set up some showings for you when you’re ready.

And if you’re truly in the mood to get some exercise and take a really close look at the area we call home, maybe we can talk Charles into taking you on a bike ride around La Quinta and the valley. His legs should have recovered by then…

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September 29, 2014

A Slice of San Antonio Coming to La Quinta?

It’s exciting to live in a community where things are happening and that’s the way it feels right now in La Quinta.

It was recently announced that plans for the SilverRock Resort could include a river walk lined with excellent restaurants and retail establishments, similar to the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas.

Developers presented their ideas to the city council here and the public got a chance to see what changes are in store for the home of the Arnold Palmer Classic Course at Silver Rock, which was the site of the Bob Hope Classic from 2008-2011.

For residents and visitors
Locals were pleased to see how the changes are being planned not only for the benefit of visitors, but for local residents as well. I mentioned the river walk above, but that’s just part of the trail system envisioned for the 500-plus acre property. People will be able to walk or ride bikes all throughout the area.

Along with developing the natural aspects of the property, the plans include a second luxury hotel, a conference center, homes, luxury camping facilities, gardens, recreational water activities and much more.

Centered around the Arnold Palmer Classic Course, the project is being developed around a really strong core. The course was in Golf Magazine’s “Top 10 New Golf Courses You Can Play in America” in 2005 and is a consistent award winner, including Zagat America’s “Top Golf Courses Award” three times…so far.

Golf course information
When you download our free golf resource guide, you’ll see that it serves as a Palm Spring country club membership guide by detailing fees and additional information. You’ll find SilverRock in a kind of circle of great La Quinta courses that includes The Tradition, La Quinta Resort, the Citrus and Rancho La Quinta.

Mountain View Country Club Clubhouse — Mountain View Country Club

You’ll also see that this area is blessed with many great restaurants. Residents certainly don’t waste a lot of time in their vehicles when they live in La Quinta. The same is true for Indian Wells and Palm Springs real estate in general.

The good news is that you don’t have to wait to play the Arnold Palmer Classic Course. It’s open to the public and in beautiful shape right now. Just call for a tee time. In the same way, there are fantastic homes available in the area right now as well.

Flexible searches
Use the search feature on our site to begin your hunt. You can enter all kinds of search terms, such as the name of the golf course or community you’re most interested in. Try terms like Mountain View Country Club, PGA West, Rancho La Quinta, The Citrus Club, The Hideaway, The Tradition or others to get some good ideas.

When you need more information, we’re ready to help out. We can answer your questions, offer insights that you can’t get with online searches and get you out to see some properties.

Give us a call and share in the excitement!

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September 24, 2014

July, 2014 Sales Analysis

Here are the latest sales numbers for all homes sold within the City of La Quinta as well as all Golf Course homes in La Quinta from January, 2008 through July, 2014.

The inventory of “Active Listings” in the Coachella Valley decreased again from June to May which is usual as we enter the summer season. The number of Sold units decreased over the same period last year (July, 2013) which is the trend for the summer months. The main reason is that the inventory has decreased in June and July. The pace at which real estate prices increased in the October to January period seemed to slow to a more normal rate in February through July. The price rise slowed as did the home sales. The activity in the million dollar+ market seems to have picked up but prices have not increased as much as they have for the under a million dollar homes. The national real estate market been a little fluky over a leveling off in the late spring where the national sales actually dropped in August. Our market in the Desert usually slows during our hot summer months and the blogs and statisticians are still predicting a strong national 2015 market so we are looking forward to a great 2015 season.

Below is the chart depicting the “bubble” in sales versus the historical 4.5% annual appreciation. As predicted by the National Association of Realtors back in 2005. It will be interesting to see how close the actual sales prices stay to the “Normal Appreciation” line in the coming months. One of the reasons for the recent price increases is that we have seen more American buyers in the market than in the past few years which is a sign that our economic outlook seems to be improving.

Here are some yearly sales figures (units) for the City of La Quinta from 2002:
Year – All LQ – Golf Course
2002 – 1,356 – 259
2003 – 1,572 – 640
2004 – 1,938 – 785
2005 – 1,563 – 638
2006 – 1,118 – 483
2007 – 942 – 444
2008 – 1,076 – 405
2009 – 1,202 – 409
2010 – 1,360 – 518
2011 – 1,446 – 510
2012 – 1,532 – 587
2013 – 1,537 – 567
2014 – 924 – 450
YTD
* Remember that the sales numbers represent “Closed” escrows. Since the average escrow is between 45 and 60 days, the decision to purchase the homes that closed in June was probably made in March to early April.
For more information about the Coachella Valley Real Estate market, Please call us at (760) 203-2621!

Source: DesertAreaMLS

September 15, 2014

Golf Tournaments and Some Very Funny Men

Some funny things can happen on the golf course. If you’re a long-time golfer you’ve probably seen that little white ball take some crazy bounces.

But as well as funny things happening on the course, a lot of funny folks have been associated with the sport.

Here in the Palm Springs area, Bob Hope hosted his “Bob Hope Chrysler Classic” from the 1960s through to his death in 2003 and then another funny man, George Lopez took over the helm.

There are days when it seems like every time you flip on the television you see George Lopez in a new sitcom or talk show. He’s one of many celebrities who’s a huge fan of golf and that probably explains why he purchased a home in La Quinta about two years ago.

Lopez loves it here
He told the local paper here not long ago that he found himself staying at La Quinta Resort and playing the courses there so often that he should probably find a house. It’s pretty good testimony to La Quinta Resort and the courses in our area when a man like George Lopez – who could live and play anywhere – buys a home here.

Not too “dis” any other golfing mecca, but Lopez said that he bought in La Quinta after selling a home in Pebble Beach. I hear they have some nice courses there as well…

By the way, although Lopez is no longer hosting the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic – now the Humana Challenge – he is still very active in the celebrity golf tournament scene. He has his own tournament, which is held each year in the Los Angeles area. He gets a lot of big names and the money raised goes to support recovery programs.

Keep Lopez in mind when you come to La Quinta to play a few rounds and look at property. Who knows, you might run into him as you wait to tee off. And if you want to see exactly how the various courses and communities here are spread out along the floor of the Coachella Valley, be sure to download our free golf resource guide.

Guide gives great details
It’s the ideal place to begin your search for the perfect location. We’ve color-coded the various types of courses: private clubs, public clubs, public courses, resort clubs, and private courses. You can use the map to tell which courses have homes and which don’t offer real estate. We also include estimates of home prices as well as deposits and dues for golf club memberships.

The first thing that impresses most people is the sheer number of great courses and real estate options they have. Courses like the Citrus Club, Mountain View Country Club, Rancho La Quinta and several others are always at the top of home buyers’ lists. Another good option is the Painted Cove neighborhood here. It’s close to Old Town La Quinta and just a short golf cart drive to Silver Rock Golf Resort.

There’s never enough space in these articles to outline all the places we’ve come to love so much and that’s one reason we encourage you to give us a call. We can answer your questions and help you locate some homes that would be perfect for your family and lifestyle.

And hey, you might discover that George Lopez is a neighbor. No joke!

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August 29, 2014

Enjoying the Desert’s Past and Present

I’ve written about desert architecture, hotels and celebrities here before. This time out I want to combine all three in a brief note about a very special place in Palm Springs: the Movie Colony Hotel.

This little 16-room gem was designed by Albert Frey in 1935. Frey studied with the internationally famous and influential Le Corbusier in Paris and the Movie Colony Hotel was one of Frey’s first projects in the states. It it the epitome of desert style Mid-Century Modern architecture.

Relive a Classic Era
Sadly, many classic examples of Mid-Century Modern have been lost throughout the Southwest over the years. The Movie Colony Hotel is a notable, and welcome, exception to this. Its owners, in fact, have lovingly restored the property.

As its name implies, the hotel’s historic guest register boasts celebrity names such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and even Jim Morrison. The hotel rocks on today and when you come to the Coachella Valley to look at real estate, maybe you’d like to add your name to its guest list.

After a day of checking out properties, relaxing by the pool with your favorite refreshing beverage would be an ideal way to watch the sun go down. Not only will it restore your energy, the period architecture and decor will transport you back to an era when one of Hollywood’s glamor girls might have been the next guest to round the corner.

Today is ‘The Good Old Days’
But as much as I love iconic properties like the Movie Colony Hotel and reminiscing about the early days here, I have to admit that today’s Palm Springs, La Quinta, Indian Wells and neighboring communities offer some real advantages.

First, the overall quality of real estate here today is vastly superior to the “old days.” Communities in and around golf course developments, boast homes to suit virtually every aesthetic. Spend an day with us exploring the La Quinta Resort as well as the homes around country clubs such as The Hideaway Country Club, Indian Ridge Country Club, The Reserve Country Club, Eldorado Country Club, Indian Wells Country Club and La Quinta Country Club and you’ll get a deep appreciation for the quality and selection in the real estate market here.

Abundant Golf Course Options
And I’m not going out on a limb by saying that your golf course options are much greater and even superior to the courses the Rat Pack had at their disposal back in the day. No matter what your handicap is, or style of golf you prefer, you’ll find several courses here that meet your needs.

If “seeing is believing,” then take a moment to download our golf course resource guide. It maps out all the courses in La Quinta and the surrounding area and gives you information regarding membership rates and more. You can get an overview of the communities that surround the various courses as well.

Thanks for taking a few moments to read this post. I hope it has given you a little taste for what life is like here. Of course, there’s no substitute for experiencing it yourself. Give us a call so we can introduce you to the area.

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August 22, 2014

June, 2014 Sales Analysis

Here are the latest sales numbers for all homes sold within the City of La Quinta as well as all Golf Course homes in La Quinta from January, 2008 through June, 2014.

The inventory of “Active Listings” in the Coachella Valley decreased again from May to June which is usual as we enter the summer season. The number of Sold units decreased significantly over the same period last year (June, 2013) which was the best month since 2008. The main reason is that the inventory has decreased in May and June. The pace at which real estate prices increased in the October to January period seemed to slow to a more normal rate in February through June. The price rise slowed as did the home sales. The activity in the million dollar+ market seems to have picked up but prices have not increased as much as they have for the under a million homes. The national real estate market continues to improve over a leveling off in the late spring. This is good news as the Desert usually follows somewhat behind the national market so we are looking forward to a great 2015 season.

Here are some yearly sales figures (units) for the City of La Quinta from 2002:
Year All LQ Golf Course
2002 1,356 259
2003 1,572 640
2004 1,938 785
2005 1,563 638
2006 1,118 483
2007 942 444
2008 1,076 405
2009 1,202 409
2010 1,360 518
2011 1,446 510
2012 1,532 587
2013 1,537 567
2014YTD 739 380

* Remember that the sales numbers represent “Closed” escrows. Since the average escrow is between 45 and 60 days, the decision to purchase the homes that closed in June was probably made in March to early April.
For more information about the Coachella Valley Real Estate market, Please call us at (760) 203-2621!
Source: DesertAreaMLS

August 18, 2014

Restaurants To Satisfy Everyone’s Tastes

It doesn’t seem that long ago when the majority of restaurants served “American Cuisine.” It might be a little hard to define, but if you’re like me, you know it when you see it.

Today, folks who pay any attention to diet and nutrition trends in our country knows that there are many streams in contemporary eating, nutrition and restauranteering, and no matter what dietary road you’re traveling, you’ll be able to find great food in the Coachella Valley whenever you decide it’s time to eat out.

I suspect that this is true because of our intimate connection with Southern California’s trend setters. If it’s popular in Hollywood or Beverley Hills, it’s going to make its way to Palm Springs, La Quinta, Indian Wells and the greater desert area very quickly.

Let’s visit some favorites. The menus in these restaurants aren’t always entirely reflective of the diets listed, but have enough excellent items to satisfy diners trying to stick to their preferred foods.

Paleo
The Paleo diet features foods that were available to our ancient ancestors and is rich in lean proteins – including grass-red meat; fruits; vegetables; fats from seeds, nuts and avocados; olive oil; and fish oil. Restaurants that meet the needs of this diet often have close relationships with local growers and ranchers.

Some restaurants preferred by the Paleo crowd include, Workshop Kitchen + Bar, The Tropicale, Jiao and Birba, all in Palm Springs.

Vegan and Vegetarian
La Quinta Souplantation and Zpizza are popular choices for vegan and vegetarian cuisine in La Quinta. Zpizza also caters to those sticking to a gluten-free diet.

In Palm Springs, vegetarians and vegans enjoy the Palm Greens Cafe, Nature’s Health Food and Cafe, and Native Foods Cafe.

Juices
Juices are a great choice for a meal or snack and there are lots of places in the Coachella Valley to quench your thirst and sate your appetite.

The Fresh Juice Bar in Palm Desert always gets high marks. Also in Palm Desert is Luscious Lorraine’s Organic Juice & Food Bar. Vegetarians will also find a good menu at Lorraine’s. In La Quinta we really like Juice It Up!

I apologize to the great places that I haven’t mentioned here. I just wanted to give readers a quick overview and perhaps a few places to visit when they come to look at property.

Convenience
Because the the compact size of our area, whether you buy La Quinta real estate, Indian Wells real estate or frankly real estate anywhere in the greater Palm Springs area, you’re going to be close to excellent eating, even if you’re trying to stick to a more specialized diet.

This means you can enjoy an afternoon of golf on one of the courses at the La Quinta Resort, The Tradition Country Club La Quinta, PGA West La Quinta or at the Mountain View Country Club La Quinta for example and be only minutes away from meeting friends and family at a great local restaurant.

To offer you a little extra help, if you download our free Palm Springs Golf Guide, you’ll find that we also give you the locations for many excellent local restaurants. Download it today and start planning your visit.

Of course, we’re just a phone call away to answer any questions you have and fill you in on current real estate market offerings.

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August 7, 2014

Looking for a Great Golf Course? So Is the Humana Challenge.

“Like a kid in a candy store.”

In a way, that must be how the organizers of the Humana Challenge must be feeling right now. They are looking for two new courses for the tournament after 2015. Of course, changing venues involves a lot of work and officials tasked with the job have many details that must be taken care of. Yet with so many excellent contenders, I think one of the biggest challenges is narrowing down their options.

Bob Marra, CEO and tournament chairman for the Humana Challenge, seemed to echo that thought when he recently said, “As you know, if any area has options for a PGA Tour event, it’s the Coachella Valley.” Of course, all of those great golf course options also translate into a lot of great options for golf course real estate.

La Quinta CC
The tournament plays three courses each year and replacements for two of those need to be found for the 2016 event. The two PGA West courses that have been often used in recent years – the Jack Nicklaus Private Course and Arnold Palmer Private Course – won’t be available. La Quinta Country Club is still on the 2016 schedule.

The tournament has been associated with PGA West in La Quinta since 1988 and the Palmer Private Course has seen a lot of play over those ears. Golfers who are also fans of the sport’s heritage will remember David Duvall’s final-round 59 on that course back in 1999 that led him to victory.

The Jack Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West has also been the site of many Humana Challenge rounds over the years. The tournament used to be the Bob Hope Classic and today it works with the Clinton Foundation. Continuing an important legacy of the Bob Hope Classic, the Humana Challenge offers unique Pro-Am playing opportunities.

Environmental friendly
As we get ready to say “goodbye” to the PGA West Palmer and Nicklaus courses after the 2015 event, I want to mention one more thing about them. Both of these courses are certified Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuaries. That program is designed to greatly help the environment by protecting natural areas and wildlife habitat. Environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, water conservation and quality management, along with education and outreach are major parts of the certification.

It’s a great program.

Here’s an idea for your next visit to our area: Think of yourself as having been tasked with finding two courses for the Humana Challenge in 2016 and make your own personal rating as you enjoy a few rounds of golf in the La Quinta area.

Get a TPC tee time
SilverRock is one course that locals have said may be in the running. And while PGA West has taken its private courses off the board for the Humana Challenge, some are speculating that the TPC Stadium Course will be called into action. That course will test your skill when you take an afternoon off from scouting real estate.

Finally, while there are a lot of details still to be set for the 2016 event, in La Quinta one fact remains certain: We’re still looking forward to a great tournament in our backyard. And if you want an “up close and personal” look at the courses and real estate that make up our “backyard,” download our golf resource guide and give us a call. We can introduce you to all the best places to live in La Quinta and Indian Wells as well as show you all the finest Palm Springs area real estate.

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