Palm Springs? (San Francisco, Sacramento, Brea: how much, house, job market)

[Beth56]

Originally Posted by Urban Boys

Thanks,

We are coming down in a couple of weeks to "experience the worst" and to look at some houses. I will not consider anything without a pool! We are looking forward to some sun and warmth (we have our heater on today-it is 56 degrees and foggy for the 3rd day in a row).

Well, if it's warmth you are looking for, it's 108 degrees there today!

[nightcrawler]

Originally Posted by Beth56

Well, if it's warmth you are looking for, it's 108 degrees there today!

Oh, that sounds just puuuurfect to me !!!!!!

Here in Brooklyn it is cloudy and damp.

[aquanimator]

(see my previous reply in this thread).....I lived in SF for 5 years & got sick of the cold & damp weather (cuz I am from LA & used to perfect weather). So I'm now in Long Beach & Palm Springs back & forth. It's the best of both worlds. LB is cool & breezy but sunny & warm- not hot or cold. PS is perfect 9 months of the year. Clear, sunny, warm, clean air. Wonderful. Jun - Aug or maybe Sept is bloody hot, yes. But you learn to get up early & enjoy the day before it heats up too much. Stay inside or in the pool during the hottest part & then come out again at night when it cools off again. Or leave town for days at a tiem to cool off at the beach or in the mountains. The beach is 2 hrs away & the mountains are as little as 45 minutes (Idyllwild) If you get desperate you can take th ePS aerial tramway up to the top of San Jacinto from downtown PS & be in 20-30 degree cooler weather in 15 minutes!

If you are going to lease (which I recommend doing before you buy to make sure where exactly you want to be and if you want to be there permanently) you should email me & I'll tell you about one of the best places you can get. If you are coming down in a coujp,e of weeks you must see this place. I have a home in a brand new neighborhood in the best part of PS, south end. Very close to everything, not windy, fantastic views, great architecture and...a neighborhood that is made up of transplants from other areas & is 90+% gay men. The house is mine. I bought it for my mom to retire in & she got Alzheimer's & couldn't move from the OC. So we used it on weekends & it got rented during the season a couplek of times. But now I need to rent it long term. I am open to going monthly or as long a lease as you want. The house is turnkey furnished, meaning you only need your clothes. It is professionally furnished (I'm a certified Interior Designer in CA). Has tasteful modern furnishings w/ some mid-century pieces liek Heywood Wakefield. It is perfect for 2 men. 2 bd/2.5 ba. Huge master suite w/ study, seating area looking out to a fab mountain view & 3 bubbling fountains. The bath has 2 lav areas, deep soaking tub, huige shower - all granite. Also 2 walk-in closets. The kitchen is huge w/ granite, stainless stl. appliances, island w/ seating, BBQ patiop, separate laundry room that leads to the 2 car garage. Guest casita across courtyard has a bedroom, bateh w/ shower & walk-in closet. The house is walled & gated for total privacy. Great for naked pool & jacuzzi parties. Views from everywhere. Very quiet w/ only one adjoining house whose owner lives in SF. great neighbors. Guys from all over. Friendly too. Anyway...I HAVE to get this place rented soon as we have just bought a new condo in LB. The rent is $2950 but I can be a bit negotiable on that depending on your credit, etc. So....you can email me at aquanimator@earthlink.net & I can send pics & meet you there whenyou come. I will be in PS the weekend of June 28 for my first gay wedding ceremony! Should be fun. You'll love how gay PS is. The mayor, most of the city council, etc.Lots of gay businesses & professionals there. I belomngto a wonderful Tuesday nite men's discussuion group. We get together * have dinner & talk about a pre-determined topic each week. Very stimulating & fun. I have met only really nice people since I have been going there 7 the lifestyle & gorgeous surroundings now have me hooked. Hope to hear from you. we can compare SF stories! Thanks. -Mike

[aquanimator]

Hey Urban boys...Sorry , I forgot that I lowered the rent to $2795 already!

[MAXXIMUZ]

The summers are horrible. I've lived here all my life and have seen it get to 126 degrees. Palm Springs is def a place to vacation during the winter. It gets just a little more crowded during the winter than the summer, with all the snowbirds in town. You can drive to riverside within an hour to an hour and a half. The traffic does tend to get bad heading that direction esp in the morning and evening.

[MR77]

I had a business transaction in Temecula today, so I decided to get a room in Palm Springs before heading back on Sunday to Las Vegas. I'll tell you, I'm pretty impressed with how well put together this city is. I never new it was so clean. And it is nice to see that they do not butcher the palms like they do in Las Vegas. Impeccable landscaping.

Sure it is hot outside right now, Id guess 110 and slightly humid too, but what a nice thing Palm Springs has going for it. I would love to spend more time here. I walked down palm canyon drive bar hopping and shopping. I was trying to figure out what bars were gay bars, but then I realized everything was gay! The entire town! It did seem a little slow, but I'm told by some of the bar tenders that this is the slowest time of year and some of the shops are closed for a few weeks.

I was amazed on the drive into town at how immense the wind farms are. I have been told about them, but did not realize just how much was invested in that energy project.

Very interesting and fun town.

[Valuator]

I first came to Palm Springs when dinosaurs were still walking Hollywood Hills - and said "One Day I will live here." I didn't want to retire here - just live here. 18 years ago my partner of now 32 years and I moved here and haven't regretted a moment. Just under 2 hours we can be at the beach, up the mountains or galavanting in Los Angeles and W Hollywood - but we find a lot to do here year round. Yes it gets for and humid late July, August and part of September - but that is a minor pain for the rest of the year being my idea of paradise weather and living.

I am a full time Certified Residential Appraiser and Broker here - so if you want to know about values and where some of the super bargains are - in this market - www.mypropertyisworth.com Aside from that - it is a very gay friendly town - and that segment of the community is putting a lot into the town with upgrading, retrofitting and just sprucing up the properties all over town - a mecca for Mid Century Modern design and living. Yes the real estate market is scary right now but there will be such super buys available over this next twelve months - they'll make your heads spin - and when the market turns back up - as it always does even after heavy hits on the economy - equity will again be comforting. Just don't get caught up in any too good to be true loan package for your mortgage - get a fixed 30 year, (still low) interest rate and don't believe anyone who says take this teaser rate for 3 to 5 years - you'll be sorry. Get into a house at a super price, fix it up - live, live,live and enjoy it - and enjoy Palm Springs.

[Urban Boys]

We bought our place and closed about a week ago. We were down there last weekend and I know we got a great price on this place. Somebody had clearly intended to "flip this house" and make all kinds of money and they got caught up when the market crashed. Most of the house has been renovated and much of the rest of the materials to complete the renovation were left behind (thank you whomever you are!).

My boyfriend (actually husband now) is down there managing the completion of the renovation. The house is actually in better shape that I ever imagined (I had anticipated all kinds of unpleasant "surprises).

We got a great price and a great interest rate in a great neighborhood.

Now I just have to get a job down there (this might be difficult with the current economy).

[1979]

Well, with positive posts like these, it won't be long before Palm Springs metro is flooded with people...prepare to be Los Angelized

[Jay100]

The weather and scenery can be nice but the desert is becoming more and more ghetto. I don't know whether the thugs go there to retire and raise thug kids or not but they are everywhere. Constant shootings and robberies. You can't go into some desert neighborhoods without being shot at. Spent this last summer there and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If I were you, I would not buy into the marketing campaigns. Furthermore, there are hardly any jobs. Could be ok if you are well off and/or retired but I wouldn't recommend it to anybody who doesn't have years of experience in the hospitality sector. Anyway, no thanks Palm Springs.