Palm Desert CA Homes For Sale

Numbers Tell The Story Or Do They?

With a total of 247 homes for sale in Palm Desert California right now in  Mid August of 2014 - It 132 total homes for sale.  Still Sounds pretty good!

does not appear on the surface as if there is any kind of shortage.  However, if you look closer and tighten the search by size you will soon discover that in the 3 bed 2 bath single family home category there are

Finding The Bargains:

Now if you tighten the pricing and keep it under $300,000 you'll find just 28 homes for sale in this category.  Yes it is true. Just 28 homes!  Keep in mind that the average list price for a three bedroom in Palm Desert is currently $590,374. So finding a property in good condition for almost half price is a Bargain to be sure!

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Palm Springs Market Statistics 2014

Short sales and Foreclosures Drop - Equity Sales Increase

PRICES RISE year over year in the Coachella Valley

Market statistics for May 2014 have been compiled and published.  It shows some interesting facts and a decided change in the Real Estate market in Palm Springs. If displayed on a graph it would also show a steady line up. The trends we are about to discuss below have been steadily developing this entire year, with no retreat.

• First, the number of homes being sold as foreclosures or short sales has taken another big drop. This category is down 50% from May 2013 when 18% of homes were in this category.


• Secondly, the number of available homes is rising with about 90 more condos and 90 more homes on average – available each month. This is a wake- up call for sellers because the number of homes selling is dropping in each category and each city.


• Third and most important however is the marked increase in price. The median sales price for single family homes is now $455,100 whereas in 2013 it was $368,100 and for condos the median price is now at $232,222 VS. the 2013 figure of $182,000.

With these type numbers Pam Springs and the Coachella Valley are outpacing the Riverside County wide statistics, where a higher percentage of homes are still in foreclosure or short sale and the median price  remains over $100,000 less than Pam Springs.

Obviously, the number of properties selling will drop as prices rise.  The prices will rise as the supply of foreclosed and short sale homes drops.  Notwithstanding that obvious equation - there is no doubt that the market in Palm Springs has returned to a more stabilized mode.

See More Information about the Palm Springs Market Area

How Much Is MY Home Worth?

Find out with our 26 Point Max Home Value assessment...As a free service to you I will come to your home and complete my 26 point Maximum Home Value assessment. Just for letting me meet you and walk through your home I will leave you with a written report of what I think it will take to prepare your home for sale at the maximum current price.

You see, I work with so many buyers that, I can walk through any home and see it through the buyers eyes. I know what they will like and what will raise questions for them. Let me show you these things and you can have a more successful sale.

It will take about 30 minutes, depending on how many questions you have for me. No pressure no obligation - you receive free of charge the written plan to getting your home on the market and achieving top dollar in your sale.

How Do I Calculate How Much My Home is Worth?

The correct selling price of a home is the highest price that the market will bear. Many factors influence this price and those factors can change from month to month and year to year. It is important to talk with a Realtor who is actively working in your community to correctly determine the price of your home. Don't play guessing games with one of your largest assets. To assist you in determining the correct asking price we provide you with a comprehensive market analysis of comparable properties sold and offered for sale in your neighborhood. We educate you on the trends currently at play in the market and advise you on any special concerns in your area.

Simply email us, and we will provide you with a speedy response. There is no obligation, you have lots to gain and nothing to lose by contacting us soon.

Don't forget that knowing your homes current value is very

useful when it comes to insurance matters, tax issues and estate planning. With all the changes of the last five years it is time for you to take another look at this critical number.

Just one mundane example of this is the cost of installing a water heater. It has more than doubled to over $1200.  Just one example of the rising costs of replacement.

Interest Rates Lower Than Ever

[caption id="attachment_2256" align="aligncenter" width="170"] History Of Interest Rates[/caption]

With Shopping for good deals being the focus of the day I thought it was pertinent to bring up our historic low interest rates. Sure we have heard for some time now that interest rates are low, however, It is one thing to hear it but to see this chart it really brings it home.

The best way to take advantage of these great rates is to be pre-qualified with a a good lender. If you need a recommendation don't hesitate to call us at 760-408-5300 or visit our home loan page on our web site.

2011 Final Sales Numbers IN!

  2011 Sales Statistics

       For The Coachella ValleyArea

9706 total unit sales  Homes/Condos

The year that just ended was a very busy year for Real Estate.  While Short sales and foreclosures made up close to 50% of the market there were still many traditional sales taking place

Counting the Cities from Palm Springs to Mecca we saw 7,338 single family homes sell in 2011.  Almost  a quater of those - 24.05% - sold in 30 days or less.  Another 34.98% - took between 30 and 90 days to sell.

The median sales price for single family homes was $190,750.  Not surprisingly the homes that sold in 30 days or less achieved 97% of their asking price, however the bigger surprise may be that homes on the market for 120 days or more still achieved 92% of their asking prices.

To contrast these numbers with 2010  the percentage of list price achieved went up year over year - in 2010 it was only 93%, so 4% beter in 2011.  The total number of homes sold was down but only by  25 units however, the median sales price was down 15K over 2010 when it was $205,000.

Looking at  Condo sales in 2011:  We saw 2368 total units sell The median price for those was $173,750. Asking price vs. actual sales price percentages were in a tight range between 92% and 94%. The most telling thing in this category was the days on market - or time it took to sell a condo. Almost half 48.3% of the units took over 120 days to sell. Buyer resistance to homeowners fees and more difficulty qualifying for a loan were the primary culprits here.

There were 5 homes sold in 2011 over 5 million dollars in the valley. One at the Hideaway one at Bighorn in Palm Desert and 2 at the Vintage.  The winner for top sales price was a 7.6 million dollar estate in The Madison.

See Luxury Properties In The Desert

With the vastly reduced inventory (only 4858 homes and condos valley wide) 2012 promises to be a very competitive year for home buyers in the Coachella Valley especially in the more popular price points.  Most well priced properties are once again seeing multiple offer situations.

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This Month In Real Estate

This Month In Real Estate October 2011

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmkm_tN7Zq0&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0]

What is A QRM?

It is a Qualified Residential Mortgage and is a proposal put forth by federal regulators to try and make sure that lenders cannot make risky loans just for a quick profit. Protecting the economy at large and consumers as well.

While the idea is a good one at heart the proposed restrictions would make it vastly more difficult for the average consumer to obtain financing for a home purchase. Many consumers would be shut out of the housing market all together.

An article on the rismedia site says:

RISMEDIA, August 3, 2011—A proposed rule by federal regulators to impose a minimum 20 percent down payment, stringent debt-to-income ratio requirements and rigid credit standards will deny millions of Americans access to safe, low-cost mortgages, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Read the whole article on RIS MEdia Site

There is no question that some regulations on risky and predatory lending need to be put in place. There is no question that there were big problems with the way things use to be. However, a middle ground needs to be found, in any new regulations , so that the very consumers the regulators are trying to protect are not shut out of the market to the extent that they don't need any protection since they can't participate anyway!

If you are considering a home purchase anytime in the future I would encourage you to pay attention to the political debate on this subject. Let your representatives know that access to financing for your dream of home ownership is important to you. This access to finance issue and the mortgage interest tax deduction are probably the two most important political issues you can't afford to ignore if you are interested in owning your own home.
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May Sales Stats In The Coachella Valley

As if low interest rates were not enough reason to get serious about buying look at these numbers! 

Exceeding all expectations the May 2011 real estate sales numbers reflect a growing trend. Over 900 homes sold - AGAIN!  This time 911. Once again a new  milestone - breaking the 900 mark for  homes sold in one month for only the third time in the last 2 years! You will also be surprised to learn that while 1274 homes came on the market in May 2011 another 1286 moved into escrow by going under contract.  Essentially wiping out the gains of the new homes listed.  Supply and demand seem to be leveling out.

More good news as the median price has risen 23% since May of 2009. While prices are still low and pockets of resistance still exist there is no question that exceptional values are becoming a little more scarce.  In general we can say that for homes in great condition prices are headed up not down on average.

Most importantly the months supply of inventory is dropping like a stone! Month supply of inventory is figured by assuming that the current sales rate continues and no other home is listed for sale. That would mean we only have 3.8 months inventory left!  Not only is that the lowest in more than two years but it represents a steady decline since December of 2010 when we had a 10 month supply. These are numbers that can't be ignored. A change is in the air. If you are looking to buy real estate it would be hard to beat the timing of this market.

Ruth Hardy Park Sales Statistics for first half of 2011

Ruth Hardy Park is a large and diverse neighborhood in Central Palm Springs.  Just minutes from everything in town and yet full of quiet residential streets with everything from grand estates to mid-century bungalows.  There is also a large park and the Kathryn Finchy Elementary school on the edge of it.

Sales Activity in the neighborhood has been very brisk this year with 21 homes already sold and another 12 in escrow.  Notably 3 of the homes in escrow were originally priced at over one million dollars.
Be sure to see and search for homes in Ruth Hardy Park on our webpage devoted to the neighborhood.

New Statistics on Short Sales, Foreclosures and Regular Sales

The California Association of Realtors has released new data on the percentage of sales that are short, bank owned or traditional.  In a two year study - January 2009 to January 2011 what they found was this:

In January of 2009 the break down was:

Bank Owned: 51%  Short Sale: 10% Traditional Sale: 39%

Bank owned sales began declining in April of 09 and continued that trend with only a small uptick in June of 2010
Short Sales during the same time period began a steady climb that has not stopped while traditional sales actually surged above 50% for most of 2010.

According to the study January of 2011 saw the numbers at:

Bank Owned: 34%  Short Sale 24% Traditional 42%

It is clear that short sales are going to continue to be a big part of the inventory of homes for sale.  With foreclosure rates falling off it seems as though bank owned home sales will continue to level off. The main thing that could change that is if the banks have large inventories of unsold homes that they have not released yet.

For more information on Short Sales be sure to visit that page on my website PSagent.com

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March 2011 Real Estate Sales Stats - Palm Springs, CA

Raising the roof on real estate sales. 

We have reached a milestone - the most homes sold in one month in the last 2 years!  A total of 954 properties closed escrow in the month of March 2011. This statistic combined with an approximately 9% drop in year over year supply of inventory has starting to change the face of the Real Estate market in the Coachella Valley.

The median Sold price has steadily climbed an average of $214,495 up 21.9% change from March of 2009. Lastly the Months Supply of Inventory - meaning how many months existing inventory would last if no new homes came on the market - is now at 5.9 months - again this represents a new two year low.

Mortgages rates are still very competitive hovering around 5% though all industry buzz is that these are going to rise and soon. If you are in the market now is a decidedly good time to strike. If you are thinking of selling now is a good time to explore your options.

A Real Estate Shortage?

As unimaginable as it might sound, a record low inventory of available properties is starting to show up in dozens of areas around the country. Right here in the Coachella Valley - Palm Springs - there is a pent up demand for homes in certain price ranges. With the big banks involved in so much of the potential inventory reaction times are slow and don't always match the needs of the market. This month in Real Estate talks about this issue in a a little more detail.

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Developing Trends In Real Estate Buying

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A Recent article in US World and News Report breaks down the different demographic groups and analyzes the unique choices and challenges each group has in the current real estate market.

The two most interesting points to me, revolved around 1) GenY (late teen to early 30's age group) losing faith in the value of owning a home and coupled with their interest in living in more urban areas becoming a class of permanent renters and 2) The Baby Boomers in the 45-55 age group unable to sell their homes in the suburbs to downsize. Negative equity and a much smaller pool of buyers to sell to make these homes harder to unload.

My thoughts on the Gen Y group is that if they lock themselves into renting now - later in life they may find that the market has passed them by. As the economy changes, interest rates rise and costs continue to escalate they may be unable to buy or at least unable to buy in the areas they most want to live in.  Not only will this create a permanent class of renters but I wonder about the long term economic impact of,  say 20%, of the population not buying property?

As far as the baby boomers being unable to sell their properties at what they paid for them - this is bound to have a negative effect on the retirement plans of these homeowners.  Perhaps fewer vacation home purchases and a delay of retirement all together will be the result. The article mentions a drop in the interest for retirement centers as people live longer and healthier lives. I wonder what will happen to the suburbs as these properties eventually sell for much less or are abandoned all together.

Styles do change and new things become desirable leaving previous "hot ticket items" in the dust. I remember in the early 1980's I was living in the "suburbs" in a nice home that was built in 1973.  It has 4 bedrooms and 4 baths along with a cavernous living room and a small formal dining room plus an eat in kitchen.  I was pretty comfortable and I thought the house was pretty upscale.  One night in the early summer I decided that I would take a walk through the woods to a new home development that was being built.  In those days homes under construction could be left unlocked and I decided to walk through a few of them.  I recall being completely flabbergasted at what I saw.  There were master "suites" with huge walk in closets and bathrooms as big as my entire bedroom and bathroom put together.  Kitchens were big and roomy not little after thoughts off the dining room. Building styles had begun to change and as we would all soon see this was just my first glimpse of  the new style of home for the 1980's. These days no one would look twice at a home like that,  it is standard issue in the American suburbs.

I believe we are the cusp of another major change in how Americans live and what they want in their homes.  My best take, on the trends cited in this interesting article, are that midsized urban centers with a high quality of life are going to be the "hot" properties in the very near future.  Large suburbs far from amenities and work places will suffer as the next generation of home buyer no longer considers them desirable or in fashion.

Look at all homes for sale in Palm Springs California:

This Month In Real Estate

Housing Market Affected By Things Other Than Foreclosures

With all of the focus on the foreclosure and short sale market most people assume that the main reason for excess home inventory people losing their homes.

While this of course contributes to the problem recent statistics released by the Census bureau show another trend.  There has been a significant drop in the number of new households that are being created.  The study showed that during the five year period of 2002- 2007 almost 1.3 million new households were being formed each year.  Starting in 2008 the number dropped to just under 400,000 and decreased even more in 2009 to just over 350,000.  That is an astounding drop of 900,000 fewer households started.

In tough economic times people tend to downsize, move in together, delay home purchases and younger people will stay at home longer. In the worst case scenario of course some poeple actually become homeless.  Other factors contributing to the downward trend is a reduction in immigration and marriage rates.  In fact some studies cite immigrants that have actually moved back out of the United States.

These are interesting statistics and show a much broader cause and effect cycle to the housing situation.  As always real estate is local and in the Palm Springs market we are not seeing an oversupply of homes. Our inventory is at a two year low and sales remain very respectable. Further, as so much of the market here is second and vacation home based our numbers and statistics won't line up with more year round markets.

You can see all homes and condos currently available here. If you would like a custom created property search just let us know.

October Sales Stats For The Valley

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Market statistics are in for October and they show that the numbers of homes that were sold in October (433) dipped somewhat from the previous months. The number of properties going into escrow (under contract) in October 2010 increased to 738.

Market activity continues to be strong most importantly the total number of homes listed for sale continues to drop.  Currently a new two year low has been set with fewer than 5,000 homes on the market in the entire Coachella Valley.

See more information Sales statistics for the Palm Springs area.

 

 

Palm Desert Sales Statistics

Palm Springs Sales Statistics

Search For Homes anywhere in the Coachella Valley here:

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Real Estate Flippers Become Landlords

In the market today serious real estate investors are changing their strategies and many are buying real estate as a longer term investment. More flippers are moving into the rental market for the foreseeable future. This great article from CNN/Money is very accurate and I thought you would enjoy seeing it.



NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- These are the glory days of the residential real estate investor. Low prices, rock-bottom interest rates and stable rental markets have created huge buying opportunities.

"It's awesome right now. I don't think we'll ever see another time like this," said Tanya Marchiol of Team Investments, which has operations in about 10 states but focuses mostly on the Phoenix market.

Read More at CNN MOney

This Month In Real Estate Aug 2010

Sales Statistics

July Sales Statistics are in and they are impressive. In the 7 major cities of the Coachella Valley 714 homes and condos sold and another 865 went into escrow! While both of these numbers were just a little lower than the June numbers they are very respectable for our "off season" in the valley. Prices seem to be firming up just a little bit strengthened by steadily dropping inventory levels. Currently this is 21% drop in year to year supply of inventory and a 44% increase in sales.

Palm Springs Market Stats

Palm Desert Market Stats

If you have questions about the market or sales trending up or down feel free to call us. Real Estate is always local and conditions can change based on many variables.