The other day a girlfriend of mine and I, had sat down at a quaint little patio restaurant on El Paseo, Blvd. Nothing too pricy, just exceptional service and great food; if you have never been to the El Paseo shopping district in Palm Desert, then you need to see it. It is second to none and many say it is much nicer and better kept than even Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. Call me a Californian, but I like to eat healthy to stay in shape, as it allows me to enjoy this great clean living out here in the desert resort city. Anyway, as I am sipping on my ice tea, doing a little people watching, a favorite past time and eating my BLT. Yes a BLT and it was to die for, they sure make a killer sandwich, just what a girl needs. Oh, whoops, I started thinking about my BLT, and forgot to mak... 01/16/2008

If you ask people where they should live in the Coachella Valley, many will say Palm Springs, but the local residents know that the top zip code of choice is actually Palm Desert. The streets are not paved in gold, but almost, say local residents. The streets are however, definitely lined by palm trees and used by golf carts. The beautiful city of Palm Desert is located prominently in the center of the Coachella Valley, this rapidly growing city calls attention to its prosperous shopping centers and many well-known retail stores carrying names known nationwide. Coming in a close second to Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, El Paseo Drive lures patrons with the promise of exclusive shopping, memorable art galleries, and dining in style. Living arrangements and choices include residential locati... 01/13/2008

The other day, I was reading the news about the terrible Northern Mid-Western snow storms in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio and I felt really bad for the people there. Here in Palm Desert, we have perfect weather in the Wintertime and generally it is about 65 - 75 degrees and beautiful. You kind of get spoiled and being in the real-estate business, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people from those states where the weather is so horribly cold. In fact, our valley is filled with Mid-Western transplants, who have chosen to make either Palm Springs, Palm Desert or La Quinta their new home. You are more likely to meet someone who is from the Midwest than you are to meet someone from California here. They bring a more hometown attitude with them and make our city'... 12/10/2007

A true legend, and a memorable part of American history, puppeteer and puppet maker, Velma Wayne Dawson of Palm Desert, passed away on September 26, 2007. She was known for her love of puppets, that she was fascinated by at an early age after viewing the much praised team of Walton and O'Rourke. At this point, Velma was completely seduced by the magical quality of the puppets, and felt overwhelmed by a need to purchase some puppets, but found very few anywhere. Upon asking, she found that puppets were not common, and she made the decision to attempt to make puppets on her own, following the advice of the only book she was able to find, by Tony Sarg, about making puppets.As a result of her love for puppets, she attended art school and learned to sculpt and paint. Her first creation was b... 11/14/2007

                                 PGA West, LA Quinta CA Just a couple of years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd live to see the words "lease option" uttered again, at least not in regards to the Palm Springs Real Estate Market. But as I've said before, the only rule is there is no rule these days. And lease options are sprouting up all over the valley like mushrooms in a meadow after a thunderstorm.If you've never considered an option perhaps this is the time to ask your Palm Springs Real Estate Broker if it might be right for you. Typically the scenario is that you invest a non-refundable sum of perhaps ten thousand dollars or more, alongside lease monies, for a year or more while you prepare to finance the home. Some folks consider the surrendered payment a small price to pay if the ar... 11/07/2007

New updated and improved website. Please go to my website and see it, let me know what you think. I love to get any feedback!  www.claytonbaldwinrealestate.com -Clayton Baldwin  10/10/2007

Palm Desert, April 2007 MLS Data for Palm Desert, April 2007  Total new listings for April: 211Total Expired Listings during April, 2007: 131Total SFR & Condominiums Sold during April, 2007: 141Average Days on Market: 78Single Family Residence (Including Big Horn)Total SFR Sold: 69Median Price of Sold Single Family Residence: $489,000Total Dollar Amount Sold: $48,860,900 Average Days on Market: 77.72 Condominiums:Total Condominiums Sold: 72Median Price of Sold Condominiums: $391,500Total Dollar Amt Sold: $29,630,935   This data  is based on the data supplied by Desert Area Multiple Listing Service and its member Associations of Realtors, who are not responsible for its accuracy   06/17/2007