Feeling the summer blahs? Of course you can stay cool in the pool, at the mall and at nightclubs, casinos, restaurants and shops throughout the Coachella Valley. But here are a few other ways to enjoy summer in the valley:

Wednesdays and Saturdays, 4-10pm, Indio Evening/Night Market at the Riverside County Fairgrounds. Fresh produce under the stars and plenty of other stuff, including bargains.

Thursdays (thru Sept. 9), 5:30pm, Palm Springs Art Museum screens "Global Lens 2010," films from developing countries not typically known for their film industry. Free!

Thursdays, 7-10pm (summer hours), Palm Springs Villagefest turns Palm Canyon Drive into people-watching paradise.

Last Friday of July & August, 7-9:30pm, Bicycle Evening Fun Ride - A night-time bicycle ride for everyone. Dress up. Bring your camera. Front and rear lights required. Meet in the church parking lot behind Koffi Cafe, 155 N. Palm Cyn. Dr., Palm Springs. Info: 760-774-3583.

Saturdays & Sundays, 7am-noon (summer hours), College of the Desert Street Fair, 43-500 Monterey Ave., Palm Desert. Beat the heat and find a treat or a treasure at this huge weekend market.

Daily, (check website for hours), Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, One Tram Way, Palm Springs. It's often 30 degrees cooler at the top...you may even need a sweater!

Need more ideas about really enjoying desert living? Give us a call!

Summertime, sunshine and it's hot hot hot! If you're a long-time desert dweller, you probably have your stay-cool methods in place by now. But if you're a newcomer or a visitor, here are a few tips that might just save you a few bucks on air conditioning.

• Drink lots of water. Water cools you from the inside out. And if you're having cocktails or coffee, drink water along with; alcohol and coffee are diuretics.
• Cool your dogs. Stick your bare feet in a bucket, pool or bathtub of cool water. 
• Spritz and spray. Keep a spray bottle nearby and spray your face or wrists with cool water.
• Stay out of your car in the heat of the day. (And of course, do we need to remind you? Never, ever, leave your pet in the car when it's hot - even for a few minutes!)
• Sit in the shade. In our dry desert climate, shade can be 10 to 20 degrees cooler.
• Have your own wet t-shirt party.
• Do the fan-dango. A fan can create a cool jet of air even in a hot room. Even a hand-held fan can help!
• Close curtains and blinds. You'll spend less time trying to get the heat out if you don't let it in.
• Turn stuff off. Computers, lights and other electronic equipment generate heat. If you're not using them, turn them all the way off.
• Go to a movie...or the mall...or the grocery store.

While you're cooling off, learn more about the Desert Lifestyle, or give us a call and let us show you what's cool about Coachella Valley real estate!

Just when you were ready to plunk down some cash on that snazzy hybrid, the Wall Street Journal comes out with an article on the latest trend in housing: walkability. Apparently buyers at both ends of the spectrum - retiring baby-boomers and their first-time-homebuyer children - are looking for homes within walking distance of amenities. Walking is good for the health and good for the budget; if you have the time, you save on gas. Proximity to shops and schools is important. So are sidewalks, crosswalks and safe neighborhoods.

If you'd like to know more about walkable communities and neighborhoods in Palm Springs, Palm Desert or other parts of the Coachella Valley, we would be happy to show you around. Give us a call!

If Palm Springs living is about mid-century modern, this summer's exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum is about what you might call Century Modern. Modern Masters Celebrate Line and Form (June 26 through September 26) includes drawings, prints, sculptures and paintings by such renowned artists as Pierre Bonnard, Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Edgar Degas, Roger de la Fresnaye, Alberto Giacometti, Juan Gris, Marino Marini, Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin and many other Modern masters. It's a gorgeous and inspiring exhibition.

Get the details here, learn more about the Desert Lifestyle, or call and let us introduce you to the fine art of Coachella Valley real estate!

Join the La Quinta Arts Foundation on Tuesday of July 6, August 3 and September 7 as the Old Town Cellar features delicious art along with complimentary wine and treats. 5-7pm, 78015 Main Street, Suite 109 in Old Town La Quinta.

Interested in learning more about living in La Quinta? Visit our La Quinta page, or give us a call and we'd be happy to take you on a tour!

The super-luxury segment of the Coachella Valley market - estate properties priced $2.51-$9.0 million - is selling at exactly the same pace this year as last. The good news is that the price per square foot in this market segment has increased by 11% over the same period in 2009. Similar to luxury home sales, about 89% of super-luxury properties sell in all-cash transactions.

Our two favorite words in these all-cash deals? "Wire Transfer!"

Want to look at (or talk about) Palm Springs real estate? Call Scott + Jim at 760.567.1550.

The Coachella Valley - the low desert region around Palm Springs in Southern California - has a substantial luxury market comprised of homes priced between $1.5 and $2.5 million.

The Desert Area MLS reports that this segment of the market experienced a year-over-year 49% increase in sales Valley-wide, January-June. Some 87% of these luxury-segment properties sell in all-cash transactions!

To see printed reports from the Desert Area MLS, or to talk about selling or purchasing a luxury property, give us a call at 760.567.1550.

Are you ready for some good news? We have it! What we call "entry level" homes here in Southern California's Coachella Valley - those priced $500,000 and below - are selling at a brisk pace. Our Windermere office is processing about 500 escrows a month compared to 200-300 during the same period in 2009.

Foreclosures and Short Sales are down substantially year-over-year. While they continue to apply some downward pressure on prices, they're having less of an effect than last year and prices seem to have stabilized in the last two months. Some bank-owned properties - in better neighborhoods, well-maintained and presented - are selling quickly in multiple offers.

In some areas, especially in the most desirable country club developments, prices have begun to INCREASE a few percentage points in the last three months!

Homes that have quality finishes, make a good first impression and, most importantly, are priced correctly for their market are seeing faster offers and selling well.

Whether you're selling or buying, if you're looking for an edge on the competition, call us! We are the Coachella Valley real estate experts. 760.567.1550.

You look out the window and there's your sparkling swimming pool. It's an appealing part of the desert lifestyle, right? But did you know that without a pool cover, you might be throwing money away? Yes, the sun helps to heat the water in your pool, but, especially in our low-humidity desert environment, it also evaporates gallons and gallons of water every day - to say nothing of the sand, leaves, debris and lawn furniture that get carried pool-ward by the wind. Add up the cost of 30+ gallons of water daily, replacement chemicals and frequent cleaning and a pool cover starts to look like a really smart idea.

We have loads of ideas to help you make the most of the desert lifestyle in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and throughout the Coachella Valley. Give us a call! 760.567.1550

June 22 - 28: here comes the 16th Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest! Screening more than 300 short films from over 40 countries, ShortFest also attracts film buyers, industry representatives and the press, who come to check out 2,700 films at the ShortFest Film Market. There's an Opening Night Gala on June 22 and a Closing Awards Gala on June 27. Find more details and ticket information at Palm Springs International Film Society or 800.898.7256.

Want to look at (or talk about) Palm Springs real estate? Call Scott + Jim at 760.567.1550.