South Palm Desert Real Estate Market Report The Desert Sun recently reported that home sales and prices in Palm Desert increased from the same period a year ago. I decided to take a closer look at this market and really see what is happening. My report focuses on home sales in the south Palm Desert area (homes on the south side of Highway 111 and El Paseo) during the last six months. For purposes of this report, I focused only on south Palm Desert homes with private pools. This report does not include homes in gated communities such as Ironwood or Big Horn. South Palm Desert Homes With Private Pools Of the pool homes in south Palm Desert that SOLD during the last six months, 11 of the sales were bank owned homes or foreclosures. Eight of the homes were short sales, meaning third party a... 10/11/2011

I think the most challenging part of writing “Helpful Hints” each week is coming up with topics I feel YOU might be interested in. I’ve now written over 200 articles, and “writer’s block” is not uncommon. ……..so I am asking for your help. What topics of interest would you like to see me write about? Here are just a few areas that I have written about in the past: Home Buyers Mortgage Information Energy Savings and Tips Decorating Your Home Helpful Tips……on Just About Any Topic Holiday Messages Humorous Stories Tips for Sellers Government Information Foreign Investor Tips Refinancing Senior Information Real estate News in General Relocating Vacation Property Title Tips Scams Quality of life I also want to take a moment to thank you for YOUR COMMENTS which you leave at the end of each art... 10/04/2011

 Home sales in the 92211 Zip Code area of Palm Desert jumped nearly 17 per cent in August compared to the same months last year, and the median price rose 6.3% to $270,000 according to Data Quick. Since September 2010, prices in Palm Desert, California, have risen from a median price of $205,000 to $270,000. Supply is so far down in Palm Desert, we are definitely seeing prices hold stable. Palm Desert does so well as it is centrally located with close proximity to El Paseo shopping, restaurants, and entertainment as well as award winning schools. Homes along golf courses and in gated communities in Palm Desert, California, continue to draw interest from snowbirds and vacation home buyers who can easily qualify for financing or pay cash.                                                   ... 09/30/2011

Buyers across California May already be feeling the effect of pricier mortgages as the current loan limit expiration date of September 30, 2011, fast approaches and lenders prepare for the reduced loan limits! That is when the maximum FHA,FannieMaeandFreddieMacconforming loan limits are scheduled to drop to $625,500 from $729,750 limit, and the formula for determining an area’s median home price is reduced from the current 125 percent to 115 percent. Efforts are being made to persuade lawmakers to keep higher limits-enacted in 2008 as part of the economic stimulus package-in place. Understanding Mortgage Insurance. Some lenders, including Bank of America, stopped accepting applications for loan amounts that will exceed the October 1 maximum as early as July 1, 2011. The California Assoc... 09/27/2011

  GYMNASTICS FOR KIDS IN THE DESERT PowerKids Center in Palm Desert. Alison Vaughn and her business partner, Jeannette Frederick, have taken over the 14,000-square-foot space formerly known as Action Gymnastics and are already teaching classes. The PowerKids name is “about power within, the power of an athlete, the power of play,” she said.Things will really be hopping by the gym's grand opening Oct. 15, when Vaughn and Frederick unveil their in-floor trampoline and pit system. Kids will be able to bounce off the trampoline into one of two big foam-filled pits —  FUN AND SAFE!     For more information PowerKids Center: 77-962 Palapas Road, Palm Desert. Grand opening, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 15.  Information: (760) 346-4446 09/25/2011

The heart that gives………..gathers -Marrianne Moore Change Your Thoughts and Change Your Life -Norman Vincent Peale If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything.- Anonymous It is One of the Most Beautiful Compensations in Life…..That No Man Can Sincerely Help Another Without Helping Himself -Ralph Waldo Emerson Sometimes in the Winds of Change We Find Our True Direction - Anonymous The Only Things that Stand Between a Person and What They Want In Life are the Will to Try It, and the Faith to Believe it’s Possible - Rich Devos It’s Choice, not Chance, which Determines Your Destiny -Jean Nidetch Even if You are On the Right Track, You’ll get Run Over if You Just Sit There - WillRogers Don’t Die With Your Music Still In You - Nancy Hankin Wishing You a Beautiful Day Today!  Wha... 09/19/2011

This Market Report is for the entire Palm Desert Area....North, South and Central.  Palm Desert is conveniently located right between Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage..about 15 minutes Westerly drive to downtown Palm Springs and it boasts our most popular shopping street, El Paseo Drive.  El Paseo is our "desert Rodeo Drive", and is thick with stores, restaurants, dance spots and amazing medium sculptures.  At Christmas it lights up and gives us all a free light show..really a fun city.  Here we go.. Total Number of Single Family Residences CLOSED:  112 Lowest Price:  $75,715 which was an REO, (2bd/1ba built in 1948) in South Palm Desert Highest Price:  $2,127,000 another REO in Bighorn Country Club 4bd/5ba, 4645 sf buiilt in 2002 Total Sales over 1 mil:  4 Total Number of Condominiums ... 09/19/2011

                BEST MOJITO IN THE DESERT! Best Mojito: Announced - August 2, 2011Winner - Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café, Palm Desert2nd. The Tropicale Restaurant & Coral Seas Lounge, Palm Springs3rd. Azul Tapas Lounge, Palm Springs4th. Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse, Rancho Mirage5th. The Falls Prime Steakhouse, Palm Springs We really like Tommy Bahama's in Palm Desert-- but really the BEST mojito's are at Casa Schowe!    09/17/2011

In today's world, most people move every few years. If you are among the majority, you will probably purchase a different home every seven years. If you are looking for a retirement home, vacation home or relocating to a warmer, sunnier climate, you may start out with a smaller condo at first, then move up in a few years to a larger home now that you have discovered the joys of living in this beautiful Palm Springs Desert Area where you can “Enjoy Summer All Winter Long!” We all have features and amenities that are important to our comfort level. But you will need to weigh these when taking into consideration the resale value of your purchase. If you've paid top money for the biggest and best house in the neighborhood, you probably will not recover the cost unless you live there quite a... 09/13/2011

Ten years ago I sat down and wrote my first “Desert Happenings” Newsletter. Some of you knew it as the “Mission Hills Review.” That all began ten years ago, September 2001, the same month our World Trade Center and our Pentagon were viciously attacked by al-Qaeda.My newsletter was delivered the first few days in September, and on September 11, a few days later, many of us sat “glued” in-front of our television sets, not believing the sights before our very eyes! The only reason I mention these two events together is because they were both “firsts” for me. One was the birth of my Newsletter. The other was a first for hundreds of thousands of us who witnessed these unbelievable monstrosities together. Over 3000 people lost their lives in this tragedy. Some were victims of the attacks, and... 09/06/2011

  MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE CONSIGNMENT EVENTin Palm Desert, CA Next month on the weekend of  October 7-9 you will be able to consign and purchase children's clothing, maternity wear, toys, strollers, and more! The event is located at  44250 Town Center Way (next to Trader Joe’s and Michaels) will be the first of its kind in the desert!  If you are a mama or an expectant mama... you will not want to miss this event!   MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE CONSIGNMENT EVENT is a 3 day seasonal event held twice a year where you can consign your gently used children’s clothing (newborn to size 16), toys, furniture, bedding, strollers… and oh so much more. You can also consign gently used maternity items including clothing and diaper bags. As a consignor you determine the price of your items ranging from 25-40% ... 09/02/2011

Ping (Noiselessly) I don’t know who wrote this article, but this has been confirmed as a true story. This isn't a joke or cartoon; just something interesting to know...you may want to forward this on to others. I also checked this out on SNOPES before sending this to you. This is how the story goes: On Monday, I played the Disney, Lake Buena Vista course. As usual the starters matched me with three other players. After a few holes we began to get to know each other a bit. One fellow was rather young and had his wife riding along in the golf cart with him. I noticed that his golf bag had his name on it and after closer inspection; it also said "wounded war veterans". When I had my first chance to chat with him I asked him about the bag. His response was simply that it was a gift. I then ... 08/30/2011

HOW TO SELL YOUR HOUSE IN PALM DESERT CALIFORNIA – PALM DESERT CA REALTORS Q: What goes into a successful home or property sale in Palm Desert, California? A home sale can be simple, difficult or unsuccessful depending on the property, seller or agent. Careful consideration must be given when venturing into the competitive Palm Desert CA real estate market. A successful sale consists of a compelling listing, effective exposure and competent negotiations and completion. When a Palm Desert home is listed, it should first be analyzed and objectively compared to recent comparable sales and other competitive listings in the area, also known as a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis). Then the seller, under the advice of their savvy Realtor, should carefully digest and consider the CMA. Every de... 08/28/2011

Stewart Penn - Penn Properties - Condo Specialist Los Angeles: 8033 W. Sunset Blvd., Suite 608, Los Angeles, CA 90046 Direct: 310-844-6515   Cell: 310-866-1818 Palm Springs: 1775 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Suite 110-360, Palm Springs, CA 92264 Direct: 760-992-5788   Cell: 310-866-1818 Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes and condos in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, The Sunset Strip and throughout the greater LA area. Now also selling mid-century modern homes and condos in Palm Springs. 08/24/2011

I don’t know how you feel, but I’m fed up with all the Junk Mail solicitationshitting my mailbox and Inbox on a daily basis. Every time I send a contribution to a non-profit agency, I am soon barraged with mail from similar agencies asking me to contribute to them as well. Or better yet, all I have to do is send them a check, and within three weeks they are asking me to send them a little more! I know times are tough, and having been a director of a non-profit agency myself, I know how these agencies rely heavily on donations, but the way our mailing lists are being sold to all these agencies is upsetting. Here’s how it works: You send a check to an organization to support Cancer research, orParkinson’s research, or perhaps Alzheimer’s research. Within weeks your mailbox is flooded with... 08/23/2011

I came across an article from my insurance company, Jewelers Mutual, that could apply to anyone buying or selling anything over the Internet and I wanted to “pass this on” to you. There are so many scams nowadays, and so many folks getting scammed because they just don’t realize how dangerous the Internet can be when it comes to Buying or Selling ANYTHING to people you do not personally know. Here’s what the article said, and as you read it, keep in mind that this applies to ANYTHING YOU MIGHT BUY OR SELLover the Internet. As summer comes to its peak, so is rummage sale season. It’s the time of year when my addiction to bargain hunting kicks into high gear as I set my sights on the best deals. You can also find me looking for ways to sell unwanted items to make room for my newfound trea... 08/16/2011

  I’m often asked if it’s better to rent or to purchase a home. Unfortunately, there are quite a few factors to take into consideration, so there is no “one” answer that covers all these areas. In our area, Palm Springs California, we have both renters and buyers….and in many cases; the renter will eventually become a buyer! If the market is going down, then renting may be best until the market hits bottom and begins to climb upwards, which it will always do. If you are suffering ill health and you are unable to sustain a home, then rent may be a better option. But in most cases, BUYING a HOME still has many more attractive advantages over renting.     Here are just a few of the tax benefits to home ownership. Home owners can take an itemized deduction on interest paid on a mortgage or ... 08/09/2011

Venezia, Palm Desert CA Located in the heart of Palm Desert, Venezia is a lavish community built by GHA Communities between 2003 and 2006. Positioned central to schools, shopping, restaurants, golf and so much more, Venezia offers homeowners serenity and convenience along with a premier Palm Desert address. Homes for sale in Venezia.  Upon entering the exquisite gates of Venezia, residents find tranquil privacy of 94 homes. The distinctive homes range in size from 2474 square feet to 3425 square feet with Italian, Spanish or Tuscan charm. Most plans feature open floor plans with formal spaces, gourmet kitchens, slab granite counters, prep Islands, grottos with gas stove tops, family rooms, and coffered ceilings. Some floor plans offer casitas and courtyard fireplaces. Original new home ... 08/09/2011

A day doesn’t go by when I am not contacted by a “Lead Generating Company”trying to sell me leads from buyers or sellers. I must get about 3-4 calls or emails a day from these companies. Here’s how it works: A buyer or seller goes on the computer in search of a reputable Realtor they can contact, however, what they actually locate is a smooth operating company that collects the names of these buyers and sellers, then tries to sell these leads to whichever Realtor is willing to pay for the lead. When this happens, Mr. and Mrs.Buyeror Seller gets contacted by the Realtor who has paid the Lead Generating Company for this contact. Most Realtors who are worthy, don’t need to rely on getting leads from these companies. Realtors, like myself, get most of our business from Referrals……from past ... 08/02/2011

Here are just few of today’s headlines: Housing and Economic Forecasts Points to Rising Activity Housing Starts up 14% in June 2011 to 629,000 Home Ownership Rates Could Drop Further Builder Confidence Rises in July California Pending Home Sales Rise in June Building Permits and Housing Starts Rise inJune Foreclosure Activity Off 29% for First Half of 2011 If you are thinking about purchasing a property, NOW is an excellent time to give me a call or email me. The Palm Springs California Desert has some fantastic homes “ripe for the picking!” Don’t be the one to look back in three years and say I “Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda,”but I didn’t listen toNancy and now I regret not acting when the market and interest rates were at their lowest! I hope to hear from you, and if you know others interes... 07/26/2011