Palm Desert Sales Stats

February numbers for Palm Desert have been posted on my website and you can see them here

Inventory decreased somewhat and more homes and condos went into escrow than in January. Big time sales activity at Big Horn Country Club with two sales topping 10 million combined. This follows on the heels of Januarys sale of an 8 million dollar plus estate in this luxury country club.

It was announced earlier this month that the Stone Eagle golf course off of Highway 74 in South Palm Desert was closing. This beautiful course took great advantage of it's setting in the foothills of the mountians. They offered memberships in the $200,000 plus range and that surely was part of the problem. Homes in the community (which number just 48) are said to be unaffected by the closure of the golf course.

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LPGA - Kraft Nabisco Golf Tournament March 29- April 4 2010

Formally known as the Dinah Shore, this is one of four major ladies golf events and was founded by Dinah Shore herself in 1972. Now in its' 39th year this is the first major event of the womens golf season.

Truly an international event the tournament will bring thousands of people to the beautiful Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage for this televised event. (search for homes in Rancho Mirage)

In addition to be lots of fun the tournament raises money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. A-list celebrities and the biggest names in womens golf, great golf and lets not forget the weather - what a great bunch of reasons to come to Rancho Mirage for the weekend!

There are tickets available and volunteer opportunities and you can get more information on their website

Keller Williams Donates To Haiti Relief Efforts

Keller Williams is much more than a Real Estate Company. The company continually strives to educate and help both agents and consumers. Giving back to the communities they serve through unique programs like Red Day (May 13, 2010 ) Beyond that they also operate a Charity called KW Cares. While this charity primarily helps Keller Williams agents in times of crisis special grants are also made outside of the Keller Williams family. In February 2010, KW Cares donated $229,000 to the Salvation Army for relief efforts in Haiti.

Donations come mainly from Keller Williams agents who donate each time they close a sale or participate in one of the many KW Cares events held throughout the year.

A generosity of spirit that makes Keller Williams a very special place to be.

Hiking Trails in the Palm Springs / Palm Desert Area

One of the Best ways to enjy all the natural beauty in the Coachella Valley is to take a hike.  It has always been a little difficult for visitors and people new to the valley to find a source for all the trail heads and other information. That is not the case anymore with the Friends of the Mountain and Desert Website.  Great information, iking tips and suggestions for excursions are just a few clicks away.

Best of all in their online store - for under ten bucks - there is a comprehensive map that you can order. 

So get outside and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us!!

March - Main Event - BPN - Paribas Open tennis Tournament

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March 8-21, 2010 The city of Indian Wells will play host to one of the worlds best attended Tennis Events. It is estimated that some 325,000 plus people attended last years events. The top tennis players in the world will compete in this world class Tennis event. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden was opened in 2000 and is the second largest tennis stadium in the world and has hosted major names in Music when not being used for tennis.

A world class event for the Coachella Valley.

The Tipping Point

The low levels of inventory is really starting to be felt across the valley. I have several buyers now and we are having a hard time finding properties to consider. The number of properties going into escrow is growing. If you are seriously looking or considering purchasing property now is the time to get your cards on the table. We went through something like this back in 04/05 as things started to climb all of a sudden everyone wanted homes in the under 300K category and there was nothing left. Shifts in the market are usually six months in the making. By the time the media reports this it will already be too late.

Additionally the short sale market is changing. These homes are going to start selling faster as the banks get fully up to speed on how to process them. Already they are asking for more money on these properties and the banks have a plan to raise the value of the foreclosed homes as well. I will write more on that in the coming week.

If you are not ready to buy there is nothing here for you. However, if you are close to a decision now is the time to get in the game as the inventory keeps dropping and it is going to be much harder to get homes in the lower price ranges soon.