La Quinta, California is a city to look out for in the years ahead!  These days, it is growing rapidly as the population expands each year by leaps and bounds.  It's not surprising that the area is enjoying so much growth as the desert city continues to attract more residents from some of the overcrowded surrounding communities.  Plus, this city has a lot to offer anyone looking to make their home in the California desert.  Riverside County is a big place, and La Quinta occupies just one small corner of it nestled in the Coachella Valley.  If you are not familiar with this part of Southern California, you are really missing out!  Often dismissed for its arid desert summers, La Quinta is actually much more exciting than most people think.  With a vibrant community of warm and inviting re... 09/12/2008

Nestled below the San Jacinto and the Santa Rosa mountains, the La Quinta Resort shines like a diamond amongst the beauty of the magnificent mountains. The natural splendor of the surroundings lends an air of surreal perfection to the awe inspiring resort spread over the desert in La Quinta, California.  Offering a number of accommodation options ranging from charming rooms, referred to as casitas, to legacy villas. All the choices are amazing with the offer of guest amenities and various resort services. The casitas or single rooms offer a homey feeling paired with a natural privacy to give the guest a feeling of seclusion without being far away from real life. The suites are more suited to executive meetings or hospitality services, as they contain more room with larger spaces, allow... 07/03/2008

"Things To Do When Selling a Home, Part 2". (See also  "Things To Do When Selling a Home, Part 1" previously posted.) The following tips will guide you step by step through the process of preparing your home for sale to achieve the highest possible sale price in the least amount of time. Your concentration will be in six areas: repairing, cleaning, neutralizing, space management, atmosphere, and staging.  None of these activities are fun to do, but all are an extremely important part of marketing your home Repairs 1.  The rule of thumb is, if something needs repair, fix it! There are probably many things in your home that you have simply become used to over time, things that you have been "promising yourself" you will attend to.  Well, now is the time.  The buyer will mentally add up th... 06/25/2008

I am having an open house this weekend in the cove of La Quinta Saturday and Sunday June 7-8th. Come and visit this amazing south west style home furnished,3bed 2 bath, water purification, spa, private wall around property for security and privacy. amazing view of the mountains. Don't miss this one! More indormation please e-mail  Scott@ScottRMurdock.com Or Visit @ www.scottrmurdock.com 06/07/2008

162 listings currently listed on Desert Area MLS in La Quinta Cove. 85 Listings and sales on MLS in the last month have had Notice of Defaults, Foreclosed or listed as Short Sales  This map is a combination of up and coming auctions, and notice of defaults and foreclosures on MLS.So many foreclosures just in the one area of La Quinta.   05/02/2008

  Located among some of the most awe inspiring mountains of California, the Coachella Valley is home to one of the most renowned golf course/resorts, the PGA West in La Quinta which lies amid a coral blazed valley, spread over more than 2,000 acres wide since 1984, reminiscent of a pearlescent underwater kingdom, a legacy has been established through the raves over the epic golf courses and the magnificent sports and health facilities offered by the club.  Their latest addition?  Another phenomenal golf course, the Greg Norman Course. Now boasting six golf courses and an unrivaled Health & Racquet Club, this resort/club is a popular location for those who share a passion for good health, golf, and tennis.  Members and their guests have the option of visiting three club houses as a means... 04/21/2008

Boasting over 7,500 yards of meticulously designed greens while offering a breath taking view of the Santa Rosa Mountains in the background, the Silver Rock Golf Course is an absolute must-play course to add to your list.  No exceptions accepted for this amazing layout bearing Arnold Palmer's signature of approval and the chance of a once in a lifetime play of a challenging yet enjoyable course. The course was voted among the "The Top Ten New Golf Courses That You Can Play" by Golf Magazine. Taking extreme pride in their exceptional service from tee and around the green, members and guests alike enjoy the atmosphere of relaxation and enjoyment while making their way around over 50 sand bunkers that form tight plays and demand exceptional skills of any golfing enthusiast.  Prominently r... 04/21/2008

Have we finally reached the bottom of the housing market? I wish I knew. I can say however, that here in La Quinta CA, buyers are coming out and picking off the cream of the crop. La Quinta may not be typical of the Southern California housing market in general, being largely second homes, retirement homes and vacation homes inside gated golfing communities, however recent activity sure does point to a housing market bottom or near bottom. Buyers right now, seem to be mostly interested in the "cream of the crop". They are not necessarily looking for the "best deal" but rather the most "desirable and attractive" home in terms of being totally designer, turn-key furnished right down to the silverware, having the most desirable views (usually being south or west views of the nearby Santa R... 04/20/2008

Neighborhoods:La Quinta North Acacia At La Quinta Aliso Bella Vista Cactus Flower Desert Pride Esplanade La Quinta Del Oro La Quinta Del Rey La Quinta Highlands La Quinta Palms La Quinta Villas La Quinta Vistas Marbella Monticello Palm Royale Quinterra Rancho Ocotillo Sonrisa Starlight Dunes Sunflower Topaz Westward Isle Westward ShadowsLa Quinta South Althea Andalusia at CM Bajada Estates Capistrano at LQ Carmela Casitas Las Rosas Codorniz Desert Club Estates Desert Cove Duna La Quinta Enclave Mountain Est Fiore Flores Montanas Griffin Ranch Haciendas at La Quinta Hidden Canyon Highland Palms La Cantera La Quinta Cove La Quinta Fairways LQ Hotel Tennis Vill La Quinta Polo Est LQ Resort Spa Villas Laguna De La Paz Lake La Quinta Legacy Villas Lions Gate Los Estados LQ Cntry Clb Estates ... 04/08/2008

PGA Residential Sales, March 2007 vs. March 2008  PGA Legends,  PGA Nicklaus Private,  PGA Nicklaus Trnamnt,  PGA Palmer Private,  PGA Stadium,  PGA Weiskopf Home Sales for the month of March 2007 vs. Home sales for the month of March 2008. Average Sales Price and Median Price is up from 2007. Total Dollar amount sold is down 2.4%  PGA March '07 vs March '08  2007 2008 Change Average Sold Price 1,062,653 1,084,818 2.1% Median Price 1,015,000 1,050,000 3.4% Total Dollar Amt Sold 24,441,012 23,866,000 -2.4% Total Sold 23 22 -4.3%    This data in this is based on the data supplied by Desert Area Multiple Listing Service and its member Associations of Realtors, who are not responsible for its accuracy   04/07/2008

La Quinta Residential Sales, March 2008 vs. March 2007   La Quinta March '07 vs March '08  20072008ChangeAverage Sold Price840,818730,555-13.1%Median Price610,000525,500-13.9%Total Dollar Amt Sold100,898,11268,672,200-31.9%Total Sold12094-21.7%Total Foreclosure/REO's Sold012  La Quinta Homes sold During March 2008 vs. Homes Sold During March 2007Median Price, Average Sold Price during March This data in this is based on the data supplied by Desert Area Multiple Listing Service and its member Associations of Realtors, who are not responsible for its accuracy 04/07/2008

Coachella Valley - Golf Communities and Second Home Residence. "A Luxury,  Not a Necessity"Seasonal Population of Cathedral City, City of Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Unincorporated areas of Riverside CountySource: Wheeler's www.coachella-valley.comTo find second home residents, title can produce reports on investment property owners, mostly golf communities have the highest 2nd home populations. When the weather hits 115+ degrees here in the desert, the golf communities become ghost towns. Still a lot of events during the summer, including the Coachella Valley Music Fest   Source: Wheeler's www.coachella-valley.com 04/05/2008

The Madison Club golf course is adjacent to The Hideaway in La Quinta at the southeast corner of Madison Street and Avenue 52. The golf course opened in November last year. This exclusively private 18-hole, par 72 course was designed by Tom Fazio. The residential portion of the development has been billed s ultra high end custom homes on large and expensive lots that are sold separately. Construction of the first homes at the site has just begun recently. At the City of La Quinta's SilverRock Resort, a second 18-hole course, designed by Jacobsen and Hardy, could be added to the current course and planned resort project as soon as 2008. Recently, the current SilverRock course was added to the rotation for the 2008 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic after a couple years of negotiations with the to... 04/05/2008

Mountain View Country Club Golf Course Descrpition Hole 1 · Par 4 • 385 Yards An elevated set of tees gives you a grand view of the seductively elegant opening hole. The best line here is just inside the fairway bunker down the left side of this generous fairway and away from the winding arroyo down the right side. Tee shots on the left half of the fairway will have the best angle onto the large subtle green protected front and back by deep grass swales.Hole 2 · Par 3 • 163 yards This gem of a par three features a slightly elevated tee shot down to a beautifully contoured green surrounded by lush grass swales to help catch any wayward shots. A short accurate shot provides the average golfer an ample opportunity for a well-earned birdie.Hole 3 · Par 4 • 435 Yards The preferred line of pl... 03/24/2008

As REALTORS, we are inundated with industry news and articles on "how to convince a potential home buyer that "now is the time to buy". It has been my experience that home buyers, at least in the La Quinta, CA area, are very much in tune with local market conditions. Many have friends that own homes in the various surrounding golf and gated communities in this area, or they are accessing the Internet to view available listings. In most cases, the last thing they need or want from me, as a Realtor is to give them a sales pitch on why now is the time to buy. They already fully understand the rather unique market conditions that exist right now in terms of low interest rates, low prices and a huge inventory of available homes to select from. What they most often want from me, as a Realtor ... 03/05/2008

Mirroring the economic and population growth of Palm Desert, La Quinta, is the latest addition to the string of desired cities located in the Coachella Valley. There are many gated communities, gold courses, wonderful restaurants and entertainment nestled along the majestic mountains of La Quinta. There should be no surprise with these beautiful surroundings that art lovers of all types will find peace and happiness here. By being a member of one of the many best rated residential communities here, there are all sorts of entertainment and exciting activities. The La Quinta Arts Foundation, which sponsors an arts festival annually each Spring is attended by the entire community and boasts some of the top artists in all of California, with artists from around the world often in attendance... 01/14/2008

Welcome to 2008, the year of the turnaround in the housing market. Here's your local situation report:Local Job Market - is healthy and growing. Unlike past housing downturns, which were accompanied with severe job cuts, the local economy continues to add jobs. Since the peak of the housing market two years ago, 98,000 new jobs (net) have been added. Last year, there were 51,300 new jobs added, an increase of 13.8% vs. 5.0% national average.  Inflation - is contained. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is currently around 2.1%. Compare this to a rate of 3.5% in 2000, dropping to around 1% in 2002, and increasing to nearly 4% in late 2006. Mortgage Rates - near historic lows. Although not (yet) producing buyers due to continuing uncertainly and lack of confidence, this will change as uncerta... 12/30/2007

Now is the time to buy Homes at PGA West golf community in La Quinta CA. Like most Realtors, I have been keeping an eye on the selling price of homes sold at PGA West, La Quinta CA and surrounding communities in the Palm Springs area for the last several years. In watching the average selling price as measured by the sales price per sq. ft., it looked like prices were actually holding fairly steady until the last half of 2007, so I decided to do further research. Based on an analysis of data from the local MLS, there were 432homes sold in PGA West, La Quinta CA., from 1/1/05 through 12-21-07. The "yearly" average selling price (as measured on a price per sq. ft. basis) was $285 in 2005, increasing to $293in 2006 and dropping back to an average of $285 for 2007 year-to-date. Thinking sel... 12/21/2007

Things are falling into place for the fabulous 2008 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. In fact,  the PGA has just announced its entire tour. Golfing venues have been chosen for this year's rotation, the 2008 Classic Girls have been chosen and George Lopez will be the official host. As usual, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation in the Desert Cities of La Quinta and Palm Desert as the world famous charity event moves to its opening on January 17th.  But, for some, the excitement is not just based on being spectators watching a popular sport, but on participating in an event that launch their careers and change their lives.  The young ladies chosen to act as goodwill ambassadors for an event that has become a tradition in this area are Emily Harrison now called "Hope", Colie Cullen, ne... 12/10/2007

Free Thanksgiving meal to be served at senior centerThere will be a free Thanksgiving Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the La Quinta Senior Center at 78-450 Avenida La Fonda. Entertainment and food for the event are being donated by Desert Cities Catering. Reservations are required. Information: 760-564-0096.St. Francis church sponsoring blood driveSt. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church youth ministry and senior adult ministry will sponsor a community blood drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 25 in Bluett Hall. Appointments can be made by visiting or calling the parish office at 760-564-1255.Henry's collecting food for Father Joe'sHenry's Farmers Market at 79-050 Highway 111 is collecting food as part of the Grab 'n' Give food drive. Food can be dropped off in bins in front ... 11/13/2007