The last thing any homeowner or seller wants to do is scare away a buyer but many homeowners are staging their home with items, designs or materials that are just not practical and actually do more harm than good. I was recently in a home with one of my buyers and the wallpaper, which was brand-new and installed just for staging was so obnoxious and loud that we couldn't even stand to be in the room. This is something that buyers will immediately have to replace so as soon as buyers see "work" involved, they're already putting the property far down on the list. The last thing homeowners should do is create more work for their buyers so offering a neutral palette, updated home trends and practical layouts are really the best way to appeal to a wide range of buyers.Related: Luxury Home Tr... 04/13/2016

At some point in our lives we are faced with this question; is it better to rent or buy? And it all depends on the situation, the market and the timing. It can be a huge financial decision and one certainly not to take lightly. Sometimes it can be difficult to decipher the numbers on which makes more sense. Buying has more costs involved and can prove to be more complicated even though in many cases it can be far less to buy than rent. There are several factors to consider when on the fence between renting and buying. Here are just some of the major deciding factors between the two.Home Prices:Although not the sole factor, the home prices and market can determine if renting or buying makes more sense. By calculating initial cost of a home, potential rent for a similar home and the mortg... 03/25/2016

There are a large number of great luxury housing communities in the Palm Desert and Palm Springs area and you will find that many of them sit on some of the best golf courses in the country. Palm Springs California is a top golfing destination in America so it's no surprise that many luxury home buyers consider purchasing an estate in one of the area's top golfing communities. Here are some great tips for buying a home in a premier golf community.Consider Location- What are the most important traits you want your housing community to have? Do want a condo, town home, or sprawling single-family estate? Is the view surrounding the home most important or is it the best golfing package included in the home price? Maybe you are looking for a golf community with a full offering of social acti... 03/11/2016

Today’s luxury condo communities are offering more amenities than ever before in hopes of enticing and exciting buyers with a dreamy lifestyle full of grandeur, but when it comes to re-sale will these niceties really be important? Here are some things to focus on when purchasing a luxury condo property that will help to retain the most value and give you a better ROI should you want to sell in the future. Unobstructed Views and Natural LightA property that has a great view of the outdoors and large enough windows or an outdoor space to enjoy will hold its value. If you find a great view condo make sure that you know the zoning allowances for the land around the building to be sure that your view will not be obstructed by more land development. Natural light brightens and lifts the mood... 02/19/2016

02/12/2016

 Selling a home in Palm Desert is not the easiest of tasks but it also doesn’t have to be stressful either. The level of difficulty does increase when selling a luxury home, however. With increased difficulty, comes a need for increased knowledge.Many real estate agents simply don't know how to sell luxury homes. It's important that the proper steps are taken to ensure the home is sold in a timely fashion and for a fair, market value price!Helpful Tips for Selling Luxury Homes:Price it RightPricing a home correctly from the beginning, is essential whether selling a $100,000 home or a 1.5 million dollar luxury home! Don't make the mistake of pricing at the top end of the market. It’s important that a luxury home is priced competitively or aggressively from the beginning to attract buyers... 11/24/2015

In my opinion Palm Desert Country Club is the best kept secret of Coachella Valley. It's conveniently located in the center of the valley and is situated so there are views from every vantage point.Palm Desert Country Club is one of the first golf courses in the valley. The Cactus Club, the clubhouse restaurant, features a Happy Hour every evening from 3-6pm during season, with all food items at $7 and well cocktails, house wines and beers at $3.50.And that's not the only bargain... HOA dues for home owners are only $330 per year! Houses are affordable too!!!               Month # of homes sold Average Days on Market Average ORIGINAL Asking Price Average FINAL Selling Price AT Original Asking Price OVER Original Asking Price   October 2014   10   89   263,290   233,300   1   2     Novem... 11/01/2015

Searching the Palm Desert Zip Code for the Right Home Palm Desert carries four distinct ZIP Codes; 92211, 92255, 92260 and 92261. It has one area code is 760.Some basic information about Palm Desert: Population: 50,000 Average home value: $204,000 Average household income: $47,775 Cities within 10 miles of Palm Desert include Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Springs, in Rancho Mirage.ZIP Code 92211 Borders just south of Interstate 10, primarily the main downtown area. 92260 borders 92211 and stretches south along Highway 74. Surrounding ZIP Codes include that of Rancho Mirage at 92270 and Indian Wells which is 92210. The other two ZIP Codes, 92255 and 92261 overlap the predominantly 92211 and 92260 ZIP Codes. Search all homes and real estate for sale in 92211 Search all homes and re... 10/22/2015

 Market reports may not be the most exciting thing to write about but if you're planning on buying or selling in a particular area they can come in handy so that you know how to price your home and how to make sure you're not spending too much if you're buying.This Palm Desert market report is for October, 2015 or heading into the fourth quarter of the year for homes, condominiums and townhouses throughout the Palm desert area. There are roughly 900 to 1200 properties for sale currently listed on the MLS. The difference is several may be pending, expired, or potential listings depending on where the property sits in the foreclosure status. The median list price is $360,000. The median list price per square foot is $201. The median sales price is between $300,000 and $315,000. The averag... 10/05/2015

Every home has a potential to grow mold and if left unattended it can become a big problem. The word mold is a huge deterrent to buyers even in  moist climates where mold is a very common occurrence. Mold can cause serious health problems when someone is exposed to significant amounts over a long period of time. So what is a homeowner to do if they have mold problems and want to sell their home? Selling a home where a mold problem has been discovered or is already known is not a small task and should be taken very seriously. If mold is not disclosed or paperwork is not  dealt with properly you could end up with a lawsuit on your hands and hefty costs to fix the situation. In an ideal situation you have found the mold before putting your home on the market. This is the time when you want... 09/21/2015

These painting classes seem to be all the rage these days. People are finding their inner Picasso and creating beautiful masterpieces from cute little owls to beautiful seascapes. There are plenty of these places popping up all over the country and several right here in the Palm Desert and Indian Wells area. Here are some of the latest painting classes in and around Palm Desert.Paint Sip & Inspire is a local company that travels to different places performing these painting classes. The classes are around $25 each and you choose the class on the date that you want to paint the picture described. They might be a landscape painting, beautiful flower or an animal. Classes have been at the Jackalope Ranch in Indio, Applebee's, local bars and grills, and several hotels in the area. You pick ... 07/27/2015

    Palm Desert CA is a pretty great place to live!With high quality public amenities, colleges, public art, parks and an aquatic center there is alot to like about this small city in the Desert. 120 miles from Los Angeles and  just 10 miles down the road from Palm Springs  which is experiencing its' very own renaissance. Between all the great  outdoor adventures, golf, shopping & dining you'll need a place to rest and recuperate. We have a great suggestion in our featured community today it is the neighborhoods of Amatista and Brenna at Capri.  These newer construction neighborhoods are located just off of Country Club drive near Washington street.  This makes it convenient to head out to other places in the valley but also puts you minutes away from world class Golf at Desert Willow. ... 07/19/2015

 Elaine Stewart Ranked 767th for 2014 Home Sales   Elaine Stewart with Palm Desert RE/MAX Consultants is among 2,090 RE/MAX agents and teams featured in the 2015 REAL Trends “America’s Best Real Estate Agents” report. The agents included in the survey represent less than 1 percent of all real estate practitioners in the United States. Elaine has more 20 years of experience in the Coachella Valley Real Estate market.  Elaine Stewart is a Palm Desert RE/MAX Real Estate agent who can provide you with the negotiating experience, knowledge and integrity to make sure your transaction goes smoothly. Elaine thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to help others in buying and selling their homes. Of the nearly 10,000 participating agents who qualified, 1 in 5 is affiliated with RE/MAX. The survey is o... 07/14/2015

4th of July Events and Activities for Palm Desert and Palm Springs 2015There's still time to schedule out you were weekend for this Independence Day, 2015 around Palm Springs and Palm Desert California. Here's what's happening this weekend. On Saturday, July 4 from 7:00 PM until 9:30 PM is the city of Palm Desert Independence Day Celebration. No need to buy all those expensive fireworks to simply let your own money burn up. Enjoy Palm Desert's annual celebration of America on Saturday kicking off at 7:30 PM with a concert by Swing Cats Big Band with a variety of swing and big band favorites. And 9:00 PM, there will be a 20 minute long firework display, so bring your blankets, picnic dinners and lawn chairs to enjoy the show. There will be drinks and snacks available for purchase at the ... 06/29/2015

Mountain Vista Golf Club and Sun City Palm Desert is about the only part of Palm Desert that is on the northern side of Interstate 10. Most of the city lies south of the interstate. The entire community stretches from Coyote Song Way in the north along Washington Street South to Varner Road and Interstate 10 and East along Adams Street. This is a gated community with several entrances along Adams Street and Washington Street. The primary entrance is on the west side of the community from Washington Street and is easily accessible by Interstate 10.Sun City Palm Desert is one of the most premier adult active communities in the Coachella Valley. There's over 1600 acres with 5000 homes and over 9000 residents. With numerous amenities, country club without membership fees, low homeowners due... 06/22/2015

Living in Cahuilla Hills CaliforniaThis small, unincorporated community is located in Riverside County about 3 miles southwest of Palm Desert. Cahuilla Hills offers several luxury homes on larger lots, more spread out then the dense population of Palm Desert or Palm Springs. Home prices for Cahuilla Hills are between $200,000 and $1.5 million. There are luxury homes over the $2 million mark and some smaller townhomes and single-family homes less than $200,000. But the majority of home prices lie between this range.Cahuilla Hills homes maintain a Palm Desert address. This community is located west of the Pines to Pal's highway on Canyon Road. It is located further up into the mountains with a top elevation of over 900 feet.Homebuyers choose Cahuilla Hills for the space and the view. Many... 06/08/2015

We all want to get the very most profit for the sale of our property but that's simply not the reality for many home sellers across the country. So how do you know when is a good time to lower the price on your home?It all depends on where you started. Many home sellers that are not in a rush to sell their home will overprice their home in the hopes that they might get the escalated price or lower it when they don't receive the full price. The problem with this tactic is that overpriced homes tend to saturate the market confusing the actual supply and demand causing motivated sellers frustration and confusion. If you are truly motivated in selling, meaning you have a time limit on relocation, you must be out of the house in a certain time frame or you've already put an offer on another ... 05/25/2015

Anyone Dealing With A Blighted Manufactured Home Having A Title Issue?   If you are a buyer, seller, RE professional, Lender, Escrow or Title Company or Attorney has been dealing with title issues on Manufactured Home's in resident owned park communities or on private lots/parcels please contact us.   Or if you have a Manufactured Home that has drainage, roof, foundation or structural issues and you don't want to forego the cost of repair please contact us ASAP. We will cash you out in days if your home meets our buying criteria.   We pay cash for distressed, foreclosed, title blighted, damaged , flooded, burn outs manufactured homes on in resident owned park communities.   We pay cash for condo conversions, sub divisions, Planned Unit Developments (PUDS) or on private lots/or parcels ... 05/06/2015

Whether you have lived here for years or you are planning a trip or are moving to the Palm Springs or Palm Desert area, here are some of my top things you have to experience. I realize that sometimes people spend years, even decades in a location and don't experience all of the benefits and unique adventures right here at home. Temecula Wineries -  This place has been rated by USA Today as one of the 10 best places in the area. Our Temecula Valley offers an ideal location for growing premium winery grapes. There are a total of 13 wineries with nearly 30 different varietals. There are shops, tasting rooms, tours and several wineries were you can build your own wine with your own label. You don't need to travel to Napa or Sonoma Valley when we have some of the top rated wines right here i... 03/11/2015

Corned Beef Hash and Cabbage, Green Beer and “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” is all the talk this next month. Here in Palm Desert and Palm Springs we are celebrating with events, parties and dinners. If you’re looking for something fun to do this St. Patrick’s Day in and around Palm Desert California, here’s what’s happening.    The Tilted Kilt - This place celebrates St. Patrick’s Day every day! There’s always fun drinks on tap, fun girls and great food. This is certainly the place to hang out on St. Patricks Day. They usually have a two-day block party with traditional Irish food, prizes and more. There may also be a $10 admission to benefit a local charity. This is a 21 and over establishment.    The Morongo Casino Resort is having giveaways in the Winner’s Circle and admission is free at Club ... 02/25/2015