Patrick Stewart Properties has luxurious Palm Springs homes for sale.

The last couple months of 2010 were great months for home sales in the Palm Springs area. An increase in homes sales was seen in November with 527, compared to sales in October at 459 according to The Desert Real Estate Report. We saw this trend continue into a busy December, and now that we are settling into January we believe it will keep on growing as the year progresses.

As of now we are seeing the market humming along. The $500k and below homes for sale continue to move at a brisk rate, while homes in the $500k-$1M range are picking up steam with the higher end after that. We have been helping our clients search for homes in all of these ranges, and have many Palm Springs homes for sale in these ranges that we have personally listed ourselves.

The greater Palm Springs area has a great selection of mid century homes, golf course homes, Ranch homes, country club homes and more to suit any lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for a full time residence or a vacation home Patrick Stewart Properties is here to help you find a valuable home. We also offer an exclusive client care program.

Patrick Stewart Properties has had one of our busiest years since 2005 and although we have been getting through tough economic times we feel that we have still found value in homes for our clients. We feel good about 2011 and the opportunity that it holds as the consumer begins to put their toes back in the water of real estate, if they haven’t already. We believe a boom in the market is near and it’s sure to hit the Coachella Valley real estate market in 2011.

Palm Springs is home to 25 unique neighborhoods organized through the city’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement — including “Little Araby” in Araby Cove, a neighborhood of about 81 homes in South Palm Springs bordered by the Araby Wash at its northern border and more famously the “rock houses” to the south.

Palm Springs offers amazing views, like this one from the Little Araby neighborhood. Little Araby photograph: mydesert.com.

Little Araby is flanked to the west by what is known as the Landsdale House built by publisher William Landsdale and to the east by the modernist El Mirador House built by George and Adele Norton.

There has been much folklore about Little Araby, most notably about the rock houses. As some would believe, and it’s absolutely a falsehood, the rock houses are not and were never built for the “Wizard of Oz” Munchkins, though the homes have been referred to as “Munchkinville.” The homes, which were built in the late 1920s by architect Lee Miller, are owned and occupied by private individuals who appreciate when would-be gawkers respect their privacy.

A large parcel of land comprising about 17 acres recently was donated to the city by a longtime Palm Springs homeowner in Little Araby who was an heiress from a pharmaceutical family. The land was donated to be used as open space and not developed.

The oldest home in Little Araby is the home known as “El Dumpo Adobe,” on Araby Drive, which was built in 1926. Just like the residents in Araby who make up a diverse and interesting neighborhood so do the many different architectural styles, which are part of the area’s charm.

Every time we give someone directions to our home in Araby Cove they undoubtedly say, “I had no idea that this ever existed up here,” and we just smile and say that’s part of the charm of our little oasis, and we like it that way.

As a hillside community, we get our fair share of critters: birds galore, bobcat families that like to take dips in some of the residents’ pools, packs of coyotes that can sometimes be heard at dusk and dawn traversing the wash areas, snakes of all kinds and of course plenty of rabbits.

“Little Araby” is a diverse community of residents, architectural styles, wildlife and stories — some true and some not.

For more information about organizing your neighborhood through the city’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement, call Lee Husfeldt, director of neighborhoods and community relations, at (760) 323-8255 or visit www.palmspringsneighborhoods.com.

The Preserve America program was put in place in order to help local governments finance preservation projects they may not be able to afford otherwise. With the honor of the award, Palm Springs can now apply for matching preservation grants from $20,000 to as much as $250,000. These grants can help fund a variety of projects from historic resources surveys to signage programs.

Since architectural tourism plays an increasingly larger role in the city’s economic life, organized preservation efforts are only expected to increase in dedication and sophistication in the future. We’d like to say a special thanks to our local citizens, leaders and businesspeople that have helped to preserve our beautiful historic resources.

Interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Springs area? Contact Patrick Stewart Properties today.

1. Do not blindly trust the person who comes out to appraise your home.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to make sure your Palm Springs home is not valued below your sale price or loan limit. Many banks have recently been put under scrutiny for pressuring appraisers to inflate property values. As a result, banks are now required to work with independent appraisers in an effort to stop buyers from overpaying. However, some appraisal-management companies hire employees who get the job done quickly and cheaply. You want to have an appraiser who knows the area best and takes their time to do a quality inspection.

Photo by Karol

2. Prepare your home the same way as you would for an open house.

Remember, it’s the appraiser’s job to look at your house through the eyes of a buyer. Keeping that in mind, take a step back and see if your house has that curb appeal to attract buyers, and tidy up inside so it is presentable.

3. Do your research.

A main factor in your house’s appraisal is the recent sales prices for houses comparable to yours. Appraisers may not know if there are any unusual circumstances behind those numbers however, so it’s important to investigate yourself and see if you can provide additional information. Ask your neighbors about the circumstances of the recent sales. Also, ask a Palm Springs Realtor to help you identify the latest comparable sales in your neighborhood.

4. Write a “house resume” to give to the appraiser.

Appraisers are busy and usually on a time schedule, so they may overlook some of the best features your home has to offer. Before he begins his inspection, hand him some information on its best characteristics, including:

• any recent upgrades (new windows, any custom work)
• property perks (views and landscaping)
• neighborhood benefits (schools, shopping, public transport)

5. Follow up and double check the report for any errors.

Lenders are required to give you a copy of the finished report. Make sure you request a copy, check for errors and make sure comments accurately describe your property. If you do happen to find a mistake, contact the appraiser directly and politely ask him to recheck his work. If he is not willing, file your complaint with the California real estate appraisal board. While your lender cannot meddle with the appraisal directly, it’s worth letting them know about your complaint as well.

Interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Springs or Coachella Valley area? Contact Patrick Stewart Properties today.