It seems that almost every call and lead I take recently, is about a Short Sale.  They truly are the best "deal" to be had in the Coachella Valley in the current market.Education has always been a huge part of my real estate business.  When times were fabulous in 2004 to 2007, there was still a tremendous amount of information about our local municipalities, cities, lenders, demographics and builders that Buyers and Sellers had to be aware of.Now, it's Short Sales and REO's, and I believe this trend will continue through 2012 in my desert communities.  So, today we're going to look at the "perfect" Short Sale Buyer.."Short Sale Perfection: "Buyer"1.  NOT in a hurry to move in.  A Short Sale Buyer must realize that the reason the price is low is because the process is slow!2.  Cash.  Thi... 06/08/2010

    Art + Wine = Fun in Old Town La Quinta! 1st Tuesday of Each Month All Summer! Presented by La Quinta Arts Foundation come enjoy a series of artists at Old Town Cellar throughout the summer months while sipping your favorite wine! Tuesday, June 1st – 5pm to 7pm Artist: Rebecca Molayem, Painter Wine: Zaca Mesa Winery Nibbles: Old Town Cellar Tuesday, July 6th – 5pm to 7pm Artist: Robert Ferguson, Painter Wine: Ferrari Carano Winery Nibbles: Cool Options Gelato Tuesday, August 3rd – 5pm to 7pm Artists: Ric & Tim Vigallon, Metal Sculpture & Bart Aldrich, Photographer Wine: Bennett Lane Winery Nibbles: TKB Bakery & Deli Tuesday, September 7th – 5pm to 7pm Artists: Joanne Casey, Mixed Media & Leslee Adams, Painter Wine: Rutherford Ranch Winery Nibbles: Hogs Breath Inn For further informa... 06/07/2010

Make your Pet a King or Queen for the day! $10 entry fee per photo !  All money will be donated to K>A>S>E (Keeping Animals Safe EveryDay)  A non profit organization giving animals a chance at life and love right here in The Coachella Valley. PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: DOGS: 2 categories                         BEST PUREBRED DOG BEST MIXED BREED BEST COSTUME MOST CREATIVE PHOTO UGLIEST DOG CATS:   PUREBRED CAT UGLIEST CAT FATTEST CAT BEST MIXED BREED MOST CREATIVE PHOTO   PRIZES: 1ST PLACE TROPHIES 2ND PLACE METALS   ENTRIES ACCEPTED JUNE 15 THROUGH JULY 15, 2010 SEND PHOTOS TO: 78065 MAIN ST, SUITE 107 LA QUINTA, CA 92253 SPONSERED BY THE LORI BOWER GROUP PARADISE PROPERTIES PROCEEDS DONATED TO KASE (KEEPING ANIMALS SAFE EVERYDA Y) PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PA YABLE T... 05/27/2010

Best Old Town Happy Hour Specials     Devane's - Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, featuring half-off bar menu items, house wines and well drinks. 760-771-5330  www.devanesoldtown.comHog's Breath Inn­  -  Happy Hour in the bar runs from 3:30 p.m. to close daily featuring 50% off the bar menu food. Plus, enjoy $9.95 lunch entrees all summer long!  760-564-5556  www.hogsbreathinnlaquinta.com Old Town Cellar & Wine Bar - Happy Hour Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to close with 12 food and wine specials that are all $6 each. 760-771-8950  www.oldtowncellar.comViva! Cantina & Grill­   -   Happy Hour daily in the Cantina from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. featuring $1 off all bottled beer, half-price glasses of house wine, $2 off specialty cocktails and margaritas, $1.95 Carne Asada Tacos, $3.95... 05/25/2010

Renting a home in the Coachella Valley.  The following is from the LA Times Money & Co.  I like to see what they are saying about local real estate because LA is not local.  However, as far as rentals go, they are correct.  Rents have fallen in La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indio and Coachella.  So many people have strategically defaulted on their homes and decided to rent while repairing their credit.  There are still, however, many vacancies and that is causing prices to drop.  In the Eastern Coachella Valley, rents are not only for apartments, but many, many single family homes that have been purchased by investors are being rented.  The new Owners are figuring that a rent that covers all or most of the expenses of owning a home will mean profits in the near future (3-5 year... 05/23/2010

Coachella Valley Sales Numbers per Realty Trac...Here they are City by City.  Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cat City, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Indio & Coachella.    Remember that every yearly round up is an average, but these numbers appear to be pretty sharp to me.  Take a look and see what you think..http://tinyurl.com/27xnwv9Heading into a great year here in the Coachella Valley!  Hang on!Kimberley Kelly,  SFR, Land, Ranches & Residential760-285-3578   kjkpolo@earthlink.net 05/20/2010

La Quinta's BeerHunter Charity Golf Classic a Huge Success!           The Beerhunter in La Quinta, CA is the best sports bar in the area! Sports fans and alumni groups, come and root for your favorite teams while watching a few of their 46+ TV's including featured games on their large screens. Keep up with all your teams from back home without missing a beat. But they have more than just non-stop sports action. They also have pool tables, trivia games, shuffleboard and other games for both you and your family's enjoyment. Be sure to check out their jukebox to listen to all your favorite songs when all the games are over. Enjoy 75 of their nearly 200 beers from around the world and you can become a member of The Beer Hunter's "Hall of Foam". As a member you will have your name engraved o... 05/12/2010

  Home Sales are up! 20% increase in sales in La Quinta  compared to 2009! In February 102 homes sold in La Quinta alone! Overall there is a 9.4% increase in home sales throughout the Coachella Valley, which is better then a decrease.  Other Coachella Cities are also showing more sales for the month of February.  La Quinta                    102 homes sold Desert Hot Springs    89  homes sold Indian Wells                 19 homes sold Rancho Mirage            42 homes sold Although the numbers are not off the chart, we are showing signs the worm is turning!     I love this kind of news dont you? 05/05/2010

Homeowners and Goldman Sachs.  Were YOU affected?  This is a link to a Wall Street Journel article that breaks down the Goldman Sachs mortgage industry "scam".  It sorts out how a home buyer that gets under written for a loan they do not qualify for, or can only qualify for over the short term..literally fall off the home owner cliff..http://tinyurl.com/24wkess   04/22/2010

Have you been down Blackhawk Way in La Quinta?  Well do not feel left out, no one has yet. The La Quinta City Council  approved  changing Westward Ho Drive to Blackhawk Way between Adams Street and Dune Palms Road in La Quinta.  The reason why you ask?  Because the graduating class of 2010 at La Quinta High School has taken pride in their school and wanted to leave behind a lasting legacy for all students. So no longer will students go to school on Westward Ho Drive, They will soon travel down Blackhawk Way.  La Quinta High School is known as The Blackhawks and I am proud in these youth for taking pride in their school. The senior class of La Quinta High will be paying the approx $5,000 for the signs and installation.    Go Blackhawks! 04/21/2010

La Quinta Boys & Girls Club is making world news, The Karate Way! Congratulations to Sensei Siah Nix, club director and to the 5 kids whose hard work has paid off.  On July 22 to 30 these kids will be traveling to the  USKA World Championships in Dallas, Texas to compete. This is such an honor for these kids and a lesson that diligence, persistence and dreams do pay off.  What an amazing experience for them to be able to compete with others from as far away as China and Australia. This is the first time the La Quinta Boy & Girls Club group has qualified for the tournament. Congratulations La Quinta Boys and Girls Club as well as the kids, it is your time to shine! You have already made us proud!   04/21/2010

                                                          Come Build Your Dream Home in La Quinta!                                                Searchstories on you-tube are so much fun to make!  Check out mine about building your dream home in La Quinta's private, gated Hideaway Golf Club !  Makes it look easy to live the desert life with Google, The Lori Bowers Group, & Kathy Schowe! 04/20/2010

  HIDEAWAY LOT IN LA QUINTA FOR SALE The Hideaway in La Quinta is an incredible place to live!  This west facing lot in the Hideaway Golf Club is surrounded by the Santa Rosa Mountains and has amazing views.  If you love the luxury lifestyle of the Southern California desert, then you will find your paradise here at The Hideaway!  The Hideaway's 36-holes of golf,  designed by Clive Clark and Pete Dye, are surrounded by a private gated community, combining the amenities of a fine resort with all of the comforts of home.  From the carriage house entrance to the wildflower graced landscaping... the experience at The Hideaway is unforgettable!                     Call or e-mail me for more info on the Hideaway and this Lot!  It is priced to sell! 04/20/2010

Real Estate Buyers are out there. They are moving from the sidelines into buying. They are begging us to close, close, close. We had 30 people at an open house in a 2 hour period last weekend in PGA West in Close, close, close!. They all were interested in interest rates, how homes were selling, how long it took to close escrow, how many homes had sold recently in PGA West, what they will take for the house.I sat one gentleman down and figured out his financial condition, had him do a loan application, and got our lender on the phone with him right on site.We also got 3 other people who told us what exactly they wanted and signed a buyer to broker to work with us to find it.  We are in communication with them daily to be sure they stay with us and they do find the perfect house.The key ... 04/20/2010

These are the best schools in the desert according to a recent survey in the Desert Sun: Best High School 1. La Quinta High School, La Quinta. Besides boasting the valley's only high school International Baccalaureate (IB) program and top test scores, La Quinta has also shined in arenas ranging from culinary arts to CIF. 79-255 Westward Ho Dr., La Quinta (760) 772-4150; dsusd.k12.ca.us/schools/lqhs. 2. Palm Desert High School, Palm Desert 3. Palm Springs High School, Palm Springs Best of the Rest: Xavier College Prep, Palm Desert; Marywood-Palm Valley, Rancho Mirage; Cathedral City High School, Cathedral City; Indio High School, Indio; Coachella Valley High School, Coachella; Desert Hot Springs High School, Desert Hot Springs; Desert Mirage High School, Thermal   Best Private School 1.... 04/16/2010

Short Sale Tips:  Thinking of Short Selling your home?  Wonder if a Short Sale is better than a Foreclosure?  Here are some things to think about.. The State of California has just passed their Debt Forgiveness Act, which means that the State is now on the same page as the Federal Government when it comes to taxation of deficiencies in Short Sales and Foreclosures. IF your home is a PRIMARY RESIDENCE, you will be forgiven the tax difference and NOT be hit with Income Tax.  However, if the Short Sale or Foreclosure is NOT a primary residence, you could still be 1099′d for the difference between your Loan Balance and the amount of the sale.  GO SEE YOUR TAX CONSULTANT!  Only your tax professional knows your particular situation.  Realtors CANNOT give tax advice..period! Did you get a "No-... 04/15/2010

Short Sale Question and Answer:  Interesting to note that in our California required Short Sale Addendum, there is a termination date.  However, I have not seen it matter one bit unless the Short Sale is accepted, demand letter is received from the Lender with a close date, and at that time, the date on the Short Sale Addendum is extended to cover that close date... Q: When I bid on a short sale, why does it take months to hear back from the seller's lender, even though the offer is close to the broker's price opinion? Would it speed things up if I added a provision that the offer becomes invalid after three months, or some other time period? -Mountain View, Calif. A: You won't need Zen-like patience to wait for a lender to approve your short sale bid any longer. That's because this wee... 04/13/2010

La Quinta and Coachella Valley home Sales prices on the rise..I have definately seen this trend as reported below in the Desert Sun.  The Low end in particular has found it's bottom and appears to be climbing up slightly in sales and also prices.  Buyers are purchasing homes from Sellers..not just banks, and Sellers are pricing their homes at competitive Sales Prices, they are linking to each other!  Inventory numbers are decreasing in the low range, but the mid to high range is still teetering.. Prices and sales in the Coachella Valley's real estate market are rising, a new report from MDA DataQuick shows.     The median sales price of new and single-family homes rose 11 percent to about $200,000, about $20,000 higher than in February 2009. Home sales also rose 9.4 percent compared to ... 04/12/2010

                                                                                             We are so lucky to live in La Quinta California!  With amazing views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, some still snow capped, and our balmy 80* weather... who would not want to live here?  I took this photo last week while playing the 18th hole at La Quinta Country Club.  Nestled in front of the purple-blue mountains is the new 37,000 square ft. Clubhouse.  With over 400 homes surrounding the course, the La Quinta Country Club neighborhood is one of the premier locations in the Coachella Valley.  Homes range in price from $250,000 condos to luxury estates over $2Million.  The eclectic mix in sizes and styles-- include Haciendas with casitas, modern masterpieces, and cozy pool-sice condos. The home a... 04/11/2010

Flipping.  Buying a property for one price and turning it for a profit in a very short amount of time for a greater sales price.  That's my own definition and we see plenty of this going on in La Quinta and the Coachella Valley where the devastation of housing prices of the past 3 years has been insane.I am not adverse to investors flipping properties.  Whether an investor is a handy man trying to fix and flip, a young couple trying to make some fast cash, a single person trying their hand at real estate investing, or a LLC formed by a bunch of business people pooling their money to flip higher numbers of these homes.  The reason I support it in La Quinta is that although first timers cannot compete with these investors as they usually buy with cash, the sheer numbers of distressed prop... 04/08/2010