Snowbirds - Palm Springs, Palm Desert etc... (rental, violent crime)

[samnewt]

Hi there,

My parents are thinking about buying a place in the desert. They would live there for 3 months out of the year (Dec-Feb) and then hope to rent it out (either as a vacation rental or a short term rental) the rest of the year. Here are some of their requirements, in order of importance.

1. Walking distance to movie theatres, cafe's, restaurants, grocery stores and a community centre (preferably with a pool). My dad had a head injury a few years ago and is no longer able to drive. He is a voracious walker and loves to stroll around watch movies, drink his coffee, blab with people when he goes swimming etc...

2. Walking distance to an off leash dog park.

3. Preferably in a somewhat liberal/hip ('hip' for 70 year olds) part of town. My parents are definitely on the left side of the political spectrum.

They are interested in spending less than $300,000 and would prefer an area with older homes. They are not into golfing although if proximity to a golf course is important for a vacation rental they might consider it. They are not overly obsessed with property crime (they live in a relatively high property crime part of Vancouver, BC) but wouldn't be interested in living in an area where safety was a significant concern.

So my question is, where are the neighbourhoods in the desert that meet the criteria above?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Sam

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by samnewt

They are not overly obsessed with property crime (they live in a relatively high property crime part of Vancouver, BC) but wouldn't be interested in living in an area where safety was a significant concern.

I don't have any advice on neighborhoods, but I will say that if your parents intend to be snowbirds, and will leave their home unattended for months at a time, they probably should be at least a little concerned about property crime.

[samnewt]

Hi "Bouncethelight",

Thanks for the comment about the property crime. The intention would be to have the place rented, either managed locally as a vacation rental or as a short term rental, when they weren't living there. They wouldn't intend to abandon it for 9 months.

Regards,

Sam

[bouncethelight]

I understand that's their intention, but sometimes that's easier said than done, and many snowbirds do indeed leave homes empty for months at a time. It's just something to consider, when choosing an area, and a specific home. If the house does have to sit empty, how visible is it? How obvious is it to passersby, that it's empty? That kind of thing...

Over the years my family has known some snowbirds from Canada, and none of them rented out their homes. Maybe your parents will have better luck? But if they intend to be there during the prime season, that sort of rules out renting to vacationing tourists - who would likely be visiting at the same time as your parents - or to locals, looking for a long term place to live. If your parents are willing to rent it out for slightly below the market price, they may be able to attract locals who are looking for a short term place?

Cooling a place in Palms Springs down in summer can be very expensive - so if your parents do go forward with this plan - make sure they charge enough rent to cover the utilities. I've known people who paid more for electricity in summer, than they pay for their mortgage...

[Twinkle Toes]

Here's the website for our local MLS. Just click on 'Public Access' and when the next screen appears, put in the desired criteria.

Desert Area Multiple Listing Service

Also, you (or your parents) may want to keep apprised of what goes on in the area. It isn't the crime-free paradise a lot of people think it is. Your personal safety should always be priority #1, as crime - including violent crime - is increasing in this area at an alarming rate. Crimes against tourists, particularly those with out of state or Canadian plates, has escalated because they are seen as "easy targets" since they are, for the most part, unaware and/or oblivious to the increase in crime.

Last year a Canadian man thought he was valet parking his car at the Daily Grill on El Paseo in Palm Desert, but the person he handed his keys over to wasn't a valet - he was a thug who beat this man in the head with a hammer and carjacked him. Also, several ladies shopping on El Paseo, wearing expensive jewelry and carrying their purses were robbed and/or had their purses snatched from their bodies because they weren't on their guard by carrying their purses close to their body, but rather, just draped their purses over their shoulders. Several have been carjacked when they either entered or exited their vehicles which had a non-California license plate. These are just a few examples - not to discourage or scare, or make it sound like the area is rampant with crime, but to make people understand the need to always be mindful of their personal safety.

Here is the website to the local paper so that you can keep informed of what goes on around the area:

The Desert Sun | Palm Springs news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Palm Springs, California | MyDesert.com

[samnewt]

Thanks to both of you for the tips and I'll pass along this info to my folks.

[katnip kid]

Yes, I found Twinkle Toes advice very helpful in another post. Thank you again, TT, for those links, which led to other links. It was an eye opener.

[Twinkle Toes]

Awww ..... you're welcome, everybody! Glad I could help. I just hate to see people get hurt or ripped off or whatever. Just want you guys to be safe!