About a year ago, I was made aware that Veterans who served in Active Duty could be eligible for benefits should they be in need of funds to help with home care during their senior years. Apparently, although funds have been set aside to assist these veterans, little is known about these services. As a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES),I am often asked to assist seniors when it comes time to sell their property. There are times seniors need to move into assisted living, or move to another state to be closer to their children. Memories need to be packed away or given to family members. This can be a frightening time for an elderly widow who has relied on her husband to make all these decisions. Sadly, I had one incidence where I received a call from a family member who suspected their... 03/27/2012

Despite sparse home inventory, the National Association of REALTORS® reports that 4.59 million existing homes were sold in February on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. An "existing home" is a home that cannot be classified as new construction. Last month's sales data represents a 9 percent improvement from the year prior. The market for home resales stays strong. There are now just 2.43 million homes for sale nationwide -- a 19% reduction versus a year ago. The complete home inventory would "sell out" in 6.4 months at the current sales pace. Some analysts believe that a 6-month home supply indicates a housing market in balance. The real estate trade group's report contained other noteworthy statistics, too : 32 percent of home sales were made to first-time buyers 33 percent of h... 03/22/2012

I received this notice from Linda Garrett with Property ID, an Independent Company who provides many of our clients with Disclosures regarding property matters.This Bill affects Homeowners in California. Senate Bill 183 Lowenthal (SB183) created the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 (Act). The Act requires carbon monoxide (CO) detectors to be installed in every dwelling unit intended for human occupancy. A CO detector is a device that detects the presence of CO and emits a loud noise to alert occupants that CO is present in order to prevent CO poisoning. Detection of CO in a home environment is impossible without a warning device because CO is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and invisible (unlike smoke from a fire). It is often referred to as the "silent killer" because ... 03/20/2012

‘Saturday Night Live’ alum Colin Quinn brings his one-man show to the McCallum Colin Quinn at the McCallum Theatre     McCallum Theatre will present “Saturday Night Live” and Comedy Central star Colin Quinn in his one-man show Colin Quinn: “Long Story Short,” directed by Jerry Seinfeld, on Wednesday, March 14, at 8 p.m.   If you loved the Mel Brooks comedies  History of the World Part I and Part II.... this could be the show for you! Comically channeling the demise of great world empires, Colin Quinn uses his “articulate brand of comedy” in taking audiences through an uproarious history of the world in 75 minutes. From his personification of Caesar as the original Italian mobster to his complaints about Ancient Greece and Antigone giving way to Costco and Snooki, Colin is at his satiric... 03/13/2012

This is a question I think every Buyer's Agent should ask their prospective Short Sale Buyer.  There are so many invisible obstacles in the path of a successful short sale closing, that educating your Buyer is absolutely critical! My area of Riverside County, the Palm Springs Valley, is seeing a huge decline in entry level inventory.  If you are looking at that price point, it is approaching the realm of "should I take the Short Sale or should I pay $5-$10/sf more and KNOW what I'm getting and when?" Even with an experienced List Agent, things can go very wrong.  So much is dependent upon which Lender or Lenders are involved.  The degree of default.  The willingness of the Seller to submit and re-submit docs and most of all...the Negotiator! THE SHORT SALE TRAIL CAN BE LONG AND ARDUOUS.... 02/26/2012

If you would like to see any of the properties listed below which are new listings this week for Palm Desert Real Estate , please call us at the numbers below. Were committed to helping you find the home of your dreams. Elaine Stewart has been a Real Estate Business for over 15 years and has extensive experience in the Palm Springs, and surrounding cities Real Estate market, Elaine truly enjoys helping people in the process of buying or selling a home. Elaine Stewart - Remax Real Estate Consultants Mobile: (760) 668-2399 - Office: (760) 391-4415 Email: desertrealestate1@yahoo.com 02/12/2012

WALKING FOOD TOUR OF EL PASEO! Sample the best of El Paseo while you stroll from restaurant to restaurant! Taste your way through Palm Desert’s upscale shopping and art district while enjoying an entertaining, cultural and educational journey. Walk away from your adventure with a newfound culinary perspective, a satisfied stomach and a local’s knowledge of this fun, interesting and beautiful destination. Tasting locations may include:  A popular Island themed restaurant  Genuine Italian Ristorante A spice & herb specialty shop Authentic Mediterranean restaurant Bistro and wine shop A bakery and dessert house Eating your way through the tour is just one of the tasty ingredients…add a dash of history, a cup of culture and a dollop of famous-resident name dropping…and you get a delicious d... 02/11/2012

Palm Desert Real Estate The Palm Desert real estate market has been extremely volatile in the past few years, from foreclosures, short sales and standard sales as well. But Palm Desert real estate transactions are still happening in spite of the market crash and tough market conditions. While it is true that many unfortunate Palm Desert homeowners are losing their properties to foreclosure, foreclosing banks and lenders are not in any hurry to list their Palm Desert foreclosed assets for sale. Banks have slowed the resale of their Palm Desert foreclosures to a trickle to keep the real estate marketplace competitive for buyers and to not flood the supply. It is a great time to buy Palm Desert real estate if you have the resources to do so, but there are many buyers and investors buying ... 02/10/2012

If you would like to see property for sale in Sun City Palm Desert , please call us at the numbers below. Were committed to helping you find the home of your dreams. Homes for Sale at Sun City Palm Desert Sun City Palm Desert Foreclosures Elaine Stewart has been a Real Estate Business for over 15 years and has extensive experience in the Palm Springs, and surrounding cities Real Estate market, Elaine truly enjoys helping people in the process of buying or selling a home. Elaine Stewart - Remax Real Estate Consultants Mobile: (760) 668-2399 - Office: (760) 391-4415 Email: desertrealestate1@yahoo.com 02/07/2012

        Think you know when Mojave Maxine, a large female tortoise that lives at The Living Desert, will emerge for spring? Guess the right date in an online contest open to kids in kindergarten through 12th grade, and win a $50 gift certificate, a Federal Parks Lands Pass, a $100 gift certificate for the student's teacher, and a visit from a desert tortoise, plus Mojave Maxine T-shirts for the entire class. This season she has been in her den since on Nov. 26, waiting for the warm sun and the flowers to return. Information: www.livingdesert .org, www.mojavedata.gov/contest, orwww.mojavemax.com. The contest will remain open until Maxine emerges. 02/01/2012

My Gym Palm Desert Celebrates New Location Mayor Spiegel Attends Ribbon Cutting on February 3rd    Celebrating a new location after 15 years, My Gym Palm Desert plans to celebrate with a 3 day event this weekend.  “I am delighted that the Palm Desert community has been so welcoming and supportive of our mission to help children create a healthy self-image.”  We are excited for the opportunity to let the Coachella Valley know what My Gym is all about.  My Gym is more than a fitness facility for children—it’s a place to empower them by helping to develop the skills, confidence and positive self-image they need to become healthy young adults, said My Gym owner Nancy Scott.  “After 15 years in the south area of the city, we are now answering the needs of our residents by opening a new facil... 02/01/2012

Here’s an article I think you should pay attention to, and just another reason WHY Open Houses may not be the best way to get that home sold. This article recently appeared in the Orange County RegisterBusiness Pages. Wednesday, January 18, 2012— Realtors issued a warning to their members to be careful after two armed robbers held up a real estate agent and a prospective homebuyer at gunpoint at a Fullerton open house recently. No one was injured in the incident, but the bandits made off with a large amount of cash that the house shopper had with him. Although real estate agents often are victims of robberies, sexual assaults and slayings while working alone in vacant homes, police believe the home shopper was the target of the Jan. 8 crime. Police believe that the robbers had followed ... 01/31/2012

“It’s no surprise with rising energy prices and other costs draining the piggy bank that homeowners want to maximize home performance with green remodeling options,” said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Lonny Rutherford, CGR, CAPS, CGP, a professional remodeler from Farmington, N. M. “Professional remodelers provide the solution for making the 125 million existing single-family homes in the United States more energy-efficient.” The group responsible for compiling data about green energy systems is the National Green Building Standard,™. This organization includes the only consensus rating system for remodeling. This standard provides a roadmap for green remodeling and assures consumers that remodelers know how to plan and complete authentically green remodels. Remodelers have installed a numbe... 01/24/2012

Morning! I know you know this is true. It happens each and every day. Sometimes it is more challenging to pay attention to it. Goodness is everywhere, in everyone. It's out there. All we have to do is LOOK FOR IT. Hope you have a successful and productively prosperous week! Yours, Todd   01/19/2012

Another Bank of America Short Sale APPROVED!  Had to battle my way through two Negotiators until I got the sane one I have now, but have received Approval Letter for a February Close. Gorgeous home in great condition. Primary Residence, documented hardship and very co-operative Seller.  As you can see from recent photo attached, it's gorgeous and Sellers are maintaining it per my Short Sale instructions. First Two Buyers walked when the Investors came back with a Counter offer that was more than $100,000 over the offers..which were solid and exactly the same amount. BPO came in too high.  They are good for 90 days and very hard to fight.  But..my third offer was just slightly higher, and when the Investors came back at the inflated Counter price, I got lucky.  My Negotiator this time we... 01/11/2012

Cooler weather means it's time to check out your home's heating system. And that includes the air ducts. With allergies and air pollution a growing concern, it might be time to take a look at what you can do to improve the quality of the air in your home. Your heating and cooling system is constantly circulating the air in your home. The air in your home can become contaminated with dust or mold, which could then jeopardize the system as well as the home's occupants. Those with compromised immune systems, allergies, heart or breathing problems are particularly susceptible to pollution whether indoors or out. For some, duct cleaning may be helpful. CLEAN AIR So, what is 'duct cleaning' and how is it done? Duct cleaning is a process that cleans the heating and cooling components along wit... 01/10/2012

Many buyers anxious to take advantage of today’s low interest rates and homes priced 30% to 40% lower than they were six years ago, are investing in real estate. After getting pre-approved for a loan, many buyers are also “shooting themselves in the foot” by destroying their credit beforethe sale finalizes. Unfortunately, they aren’t even aware they are doing this until it’s too late and they are turned down by their lender, sometimes within hours of expecting to close. I recently read an article written by a lender, warning buyers about things they should NEVERdo when they apply for a loan. I wanted to share this with you: 1. Do not quit your job. One of the worst mistakes a buyer makes is quitting their job before the loan funds. Lenders will call employers to verify employment up to ... 12/27/2011

We recently said “goodbye to Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple….another genius. How is it that a college dropout, who landed in his parents' garage… and who was once kicked out of his own company, became one of the world's foremost innovators? Here areSteve’s (7) Secrets to howSteveJobs triumphed in the face of daunting circumstances and how you can do the same. 1. Do What You Love, No Matter What It Happens to Be "Don't settle ... as with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." 2. 'Put a Dent in the Universe' "Put a dent in the universe simply means that you have to have a big, bold, clear, concise vision of what you want…and go for it! 3. 'Say No to 1,000 Things' Simplifying his business was key to Jobs' success. Reduce the Clutter in your life and you’ll be able to see wi... 12/13/2011

Ironwood Country Club, Palm Desert CA Condo Sales Ironwood Country Club is an exclusive golf course community located in south Palm Desert  and offers a wide range of condos for a variety of budgets and lifestyles. Condos vary in size from just over 1,000 square feet up to 2,000 or more square feet - Condos for Sale. During the past six months, real estate sales for condos in Inronwood have been strong. There have been 22 condo/townhome sales in Ironwood Country Club since June 2011. Only 3 of these sales were bank foreclosures and 2 were short sales. The lowest priced sale at $150,000 was at 73440 Dalea Lane. It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with 1,271 square feet. It was on the market 113 days. The highest priced sale was at 73447 Irontree Dr and sold for $565,000. It is 2 bedrooms, 2 ... 12/05/2011

Ironwood Country Club, Palm Desert CA Home Sales Ironwood Country Club located in the beautiful South Palm Desert area has seen strong real estate sales during the past six months. Ironwood Country Club is a guard gated community with a private golf club and consists of custom built homes, single family homes, and attached condos - Search Homes for Sale. Of the single family & custom homes, 8 homes sold during the last six months. Only one of these sales was a bank foreclosure. Five of the homes sold for over $1 million and one home sold for more than $2 million. Typical of Palm Desert homes sales, all of these transactions were cash sales. The bank foreclosure was the lowest priced sale at $520,088 and was at 73480 Agave Lane. It is a 4 bedroom, 4 bath home with 3,695 square feet. It w... 12/01/2011