The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership this summer took a survey of 1700 businesses in all Coachella Valley communities. They complied a long list of findings. Here are a few interesting facts compiled from the survey: Do you expect the business climate in the Coachella Valley to improve in the coming year? 50% expect the business climate to improve 38% stay the same 12% decline   For business owners who plan to move their operation, what is the desired area for future relocation? 45.6% stay in the current city 36.1% move to another city in the Coachella Valley 9.5% move to another area of California 8.3% move to another state 5.3% move to another area of Riverside County   It does look like the local businesses are committed to this area, even though the local economy is suffering. ... 11/01/2010

1. Floor time 2. Email 20 past clients and friends 3. Post 2 ads on Craigslist 4. Active Rain - a blog and 10 comments and 2 reblogs 5. 50 postcards address and sent through foreclosureradar.com to distressed homeowners 6. Attend Old Town La Quinta's Farmer's Market and talk to vendors 7. Plan tour for agents tomorrow after team meeting 8. Go to Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade  - visibility in the community does help 9. Manifest lots of money falling from the sky into my lap and sold signs n fromt of 5 homes over $2,000,000 each 10/31/2010

Coachella Valley real estate professionals share their thoughts on the market outlook for the region for 2011 with two months left to go in 2010. They agree there is uncertainty in the market, but the trend is for an 8-10% increase in sales for 2011. The real estate professionals say 2011 should be about reducing the foreclosure/short sale inventory as well as a leveling out of the average price. Historically low interest rates and low prices should motivate prospective buyers. Investors will be active as rents make investing an excellent return on investment in Coachella Valley. It looks like a slow improvement of the real estate market in Coachella Valley, California. 10/31/2010

Many home buyers and home sellers don't understand how the appraisal process works, or how the hundreds of dollars they're charged for an appraisal are being allocated. Here's a quick overview: In most cases, the appraisal fee isn't just going to the person who does the actual appraisal. It gets split up and sometimes your lender is getting a sizable chunk of the action. An estimated two-thirds of all home appraisals are produced by appraisal management companies, some of them owned in whole or part by big banks. While the overall appraisal fees have not come down, the amount being paid directly to the appraiser has slashed from what was traditionally $400 or $500, to $175 to $200. These appraisal management companies also require faster turnarounds, with complete appraisals delivered w... 10/29/2010

Creative ways to get buyers in our market - La Quinta, California 1. Floor time- Sit by front desk so you can see when people come up to office 2. Work the office in the evenings when people are out and about to restaurants 3. Go to local events 4. Have regular parties to connect with clients and friends 5. Join a group 6. Form your own group 7. Hold a Buyer and Investor Seminar 8. Client Appreciation Event at the Office 9. Door knock 20 nearby homes before open houses 10. Connect with your vendors and ask for referrals 11. Do an area tour 2 a week and sign up in front of office announcing it We are going to work these over the next few weeks and will report back how it goes. Any ideas or suggestions? 10/29/2010

                     TRICK-OR-TREAT OPEN HOUSE AT LA QUINTA COUNTRY CLUB Come by for some trick-or-treats at an Open House Saturday October, 30th 2010 at La Quinta Country Club!  1-3pm     Gorgeous views, views, views! Set on the La Quinta Country Club signature 7th hole, this home has golf course, lake, and mountain views from the living room, dining room, kitchen, and master bedroom! With a perfect setting on the par 3 hole you can watch the Bob Hope Classic from your patio. The original owners have maintained this comfortable 3 bedroom/3 bath desert retreat-- and it's ready for you to move in! Vaulted ceilings, fireplace, pavers, entry courtyard, rose garden in a hacienda style. A charming neighborhood near Old Town La Quinta and Just steps from the neighborhood pool, this freestandi... 10/28/2010

I have had a hard time the past 3 years to advise people to buy a home for investment in La Quinta, California, as the prices have been falling, falling, falling. In March and April 2010, the prices in La Quinta, California were still falling but we had many buyers. May, June, and July 2010, we had level prices and buyers were buying in La Quinta. In August and September, there were many fewer buyers, but the prices were the same. Now in October we are seeing more buyers and level prices still. Although no one has a crystal ball to predict the future,I can now recommend people to buy homes for investment in La Quinta. We have it all - a great place to live and work, low interest rates, great prices. Paradise is still on sale and it is a great time to buy. Lori Bowers The Lori Bowers Gro... 10/28/2010

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 27TH:                    Annual Palm Desert Library Halloween Party, 6:30 pm,  with performance by Heebie and Jeebie Musical Comedy Show.  Wear a costume!  Palm Desert Public Library , 730300 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert ;  FREE ! 760-346-6552 Fifth Annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest, 4 pm, Forest Lawn, 69-885 E. Ramon Road, Cathedral City, FREE! 760-328-3471 THURSDAY OCTOBER 28TH: Palm Springs VillageFest Halloween Spook-Takular, 6-9:30 pm Hey all you spooks and goblins get in the Halloween spirit at the VillageFest in Palm Springs this Thursday night.   There will be plenty of spooky events for kids and adults, and VillageFest is dog-friendly so bring your pooch! FRIDAY OCTOBER 29TH: Annual Halloween Carnival, 3 pm; featuring  games, activities and prizes.  Presiden... 10/27/2010

The economy will not improve in La Quinta, California until the housing situation improves. The Coachella Valley recorded 42,607 homes sales transactions from 2004 -2007. That represented 43.7 of the valley's 97,471 total inventory of homes. Of those transactions, 76.5 percent or 74,562 homes are problem hones where the owners owe more than the present market value of homes. As it stands now, there may still be 39,816 homes that have yet to move through the foreclosure process. The existing home sales are focused largely on short sale and foreclosure activity. 10/27/2010

The Coachella Valley's economic recovery will look like a checkmark - steep down and long climb back up. This is according to John Husig, longtime Inland Empire economist. With Riverside County's unemployment rate hodling steady at 15.3%, worse than Detroit, and a loss of 10.1% percent of the Coachella Valley's jobs, there's alot to do to repair the damage in this economy. "It has been a slow comeback since the second quarter of this year. You heard that the recessions was over and you probably thought economists were smoking something. Baut all that meant was that we stopped digging the hole. We are going to have a long climb out, a long and slow recovery out." When will normal return? He said," Not 2011 0r 2012. It will be 2012 if you fix the mortgage issue. If you don't it is 2014-20... 10/27/2010

Here are the Coachella Valley industries in which residents work as of 2008. Most people work in hospitality, and education/healthcare. These statistics were recently presented at the Coachella Valley Partnership 2010 Summit on Frida October 22 at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells, California. Real Estate     6% Construction    11.1% Professional    11.7% Retail             12.7% Education/health  16.4% Hotel/recreation  18% Wholesale         1.8% Information      2.5% Public              3.4% Manufacturing   3.4% Transportation/ Communication  3.5% Agriculture       3.9% Other service   5.8% The economists at the presentation also siad that unemployment is stuck 15.3% and is not likely to change soon.     10/27/2010

The Coachella Valley- Palm Springs area - will need construction to pick up before any serious recovery takes place. Here are the basics on home building over the last 2 decades in Coachella Valley, California. Year     Units 1990     4,063 1991     3,118 1992     3,514 1993     3,128 1994     3,709 1995     3,250 1996     3,194 1997     3,358 1998     4,477 1999     4,601 2000     5,009 2001     4,434 2002     3,427 2003     5,630 2004     7,808 2005     7,072 2006     5,483 2007     1,737 2008     685 2009     598 2010     409 ( 1st 6 mos.) With building down more than 90% , there is a long way to go for a better housing market in our area. 10/26/2010

Halloween Golf Cart Parade - Oct. 31 on El PAseo in Palm Desert  Through Jan. 30, 2011 - Palm Springs Art Museum - Richard Avedon - Fashion, Stage, Screen Exhibit Nov. 6-7 - Palm Springs Pride Festival wityh food, dancing, vendors, and parade. Nov. 24-27. Dec. 17-23 and 26- Jan. 1, 2011 - Living Desert Wildlights Holiday Festival. Dec. 4 - Palm Springs Festival of LIghts Parade Dec. 4-5 - Indio International Tamale Festival Fun times at a low cost - Mark down these dates now. See you there!   10/26/2010

Now is the time to be making your plans to lease for the winter season!  This 2BR-2BA home is ready for you to move in-- under $1500 in the Montero Estates neighborhood, close to Old Town La Quinta!  As a La Quinta resident enjoy golf at the Silver Rock Resort  and take advantage of your resident discount! Montero Estates is gated community adjacent to the La Quinta Country Club. Residents enjoy a community pool, spa and sport court.  Check out the La Quinta Library nearby, or stroll the shops in Old Town La Quinta... stop for a glass of wine at Old Town Cellar, a gelato at Cool Options, or have a wonderul dining experience at Desert Sage, Stuft Pizza, Devane's, The Crab Pot, or the Hog's Breath Inn ... to name a few. With the hiking and biking trails in La Quinta Cove nearby... you can... 10/19/2010

These are the market statistics taken off the California Desert Association of Realtors for the week of October 11-18,2010. Market statistics this past week in La Quinta, California: Homes Listed 50 Homes Contingent Other 14 Pending 16 Sold 17 The homes contingent, pending, sold just about balance the listings activated during the past week. These homes are in all price points and the highest was $5,990,000. It shows a good balance in the market to have 50 homes listed in a week where 47 were pending or sold. This is a good sign that we will have a storng season coming soon as this is historically our slowest time of the year for listings and sales. 10/18/2010

Want to declutter your garage? Here are 5 tips from Leanne Potts of HGTV.com. 1. Zones of function - Decide how the space should work for you and what to store there. Make a place for laundry, tools, and your car. 2. Go vertical - Use your walls for storage> Install shelves and cabinets to put items out of sight. 3. Use the ceiling - you can store bikes and other items overhead with the help of a lift mechanism. 4. Make 'tool kit' - Put all items you need for a task in a bin or bucket and label it. Make a 'garden kit', 'oil change kit', a 'dog wash kit', etc. 5. Keep toys within reach. If it's easy for kids to put the bike away, they are more likely to do it. A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN IT'S PLACE How to Reclaim Space in you garage in La Quinta, California   10/17/2010

We answer and return our calls We advertise and market properties aggressively We work with ALL price ranges and ALL markets- first time buyers, move up sellers and buyers, investors, second/vacation homes and high end homes We offer our clients top notch full service that includes our own team transaction coordinator, house taging, home repair, home maintenance and much more We are great with creative deal making and financing We continuously train and improve our skills We are not afraid to think outside the box and try new approaches and techniques As the market continues to change, so does The Lori Bowers Group. We continue to "sharpen our saws" by actively participating in seminars and workshops that help us help you to buy or sell your properties. Always striving for perfection, e... 10/15/2010

The Lori Bowers Group works 365 days a year. We answer our phones and return calls! We market and advertise our properties aggressively. We work with all price ranges all markets. We offer top notch full service that includes our transaction coordinator, home staging, home repair, maintenance and much more. Creative in making deals happen. Continously educate ourselves to stay current with the market, laws, and financing options. We are not afraid to think 'outside the box" and try new approaches and techniques. BUYING - SELLING - LEASING CALL US TODAY ! WE GET RESULTS1 PH: 760-831-1595 www.loribowers.com 10/14/2010

The Grand Opening and Dedication of the La Quinta Fire Station #32 and Phase I of the Corporate Yard will be on Saturday October 23 at 11 AM and the Fire Station located at Avenue 52 and Desert Club Drive. The LaQuinta Fire Station #32 is a new 7500 square foor facility that replaces a nearly 50 year old structure. the new facility with speed response time to the La Quinta Cove and central La Quinta. The project was completed by 13 local . The building is energy efficient with insulated skylights, photo voltaic solar panels, low water use landscaping, and recycled content finish materials. Improvements to the La Quinta city yard will increase efficiency for maintenance services. Check out this beautiful new building near Old Town La Quinta. 10/14/2010

Each year in October, the reseeding of the grass is done on homes, common areas, and golf courses. Unlike many areas of the United States, where the grass is dormant and brown for several months, here in the green desert we reseed twice a year. It is amazing to watch the change from dull and drab to lush green and lots of color with flowers. It looks like springtime within a few weeks. November is our springtime and so beautiful here. Our area comes alive with lots of snowbirds and seasonal residents, the golf courses reopen, and activities and events are everywhere. It is truly paradise in so many ways. 10/13/2010