Palm Springs (Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rodeo: real estate, lease, HOA fees)

[DarrenW]

We are a gay couple in our 40's who have a home in Florida, we are considering moving to Palm Springs, could anyone please give an idea of what the average utility bills are for say a small 2 bed condo, as well as such things as the cost of homeowners insurance, etc. We know that it is likely to be rather more expensive than Florida, and are wondering if it would be affordable for us. Is Palm Springs, a good place to be if we are not into the Bar/Party scene, we would just like some gay friends, they seem to be difficult to find in our part of Florida!

I have read several comments on here that the Electricity Bills are very high, in Palm Springs, and that it is not such a nice place to live anymore. I would appreciate any comments. Thanks.

[la quinta family]

Originally Posted by DarrenW

We are a gay couple in our 40's who have a home in Florida, we are considering moving to Palm Springs, could anyone please give an idea of what the average utility bills are for say a small 2 bed condo, as well as such things as the cost of homeowners insurance, etc. We know that it is likely to be rather more expensive than Florida, and are wondering if it would be affordable for us. Is Palm Springs, a good place to be if we are not into the Bar/Party scene, we would just like some gay friends, they seem to be difficult to find in our part of Florida!

I have read several comments on here that the Electricity Bills are very high, in Palm Springs, and that it is not such a nice place to live anymore. I would appreciate any comments. Thanks.

Well, I live a half hour away in La Quinta. There are four of us..
and we live in a 2000 square
foot home and starting in May we run the air 24/7 and also have
a pool that the pump runs for about 8 hours a day.. our worst EVER
bill was 460 but our utilities are supposed to be close to about half
of what Palm Springs is. Homeowners was like 650 for the year
I believe so both your costs would be alot lower. As for Palm Springs...
My husband and I were eating there a couple of weeks ago and
a gay couple said within our ear reach.. "wow, it's so straight this
weekend".. haha.. Palm Springs is full of gay people so I wouldn't
think you would have any trouble finding friends. It is a little
less beautiful than it used to be years ago, but still nice and just
a short drive away is El Paseo which is like a Rodeo Drive in Rancho
Mirage.. and "The River" which a a beautiful shopping area with
restaurants and a theatre. The housing market is also coming
down and bargains are starting to pop up.

[DarrenW]

Thanks, La Quinta family, we are going to take another look in the area in a couple of months, so will also check out the La Quinta area.

[la quinta family]

Originally Posted by DarrenW

Thanks, La Quinta family, we are going to take another look in the area in a couple of months, so will also check out the La Quinta area.

Actually, although North La Quinta is very nice... and south La Quinta
although spotty in area's in the cove has some of the most adorable
sante fe homes... I don't know if you'd like it. It's mostly a straight
family type of an area. I know of a gay couple (ladies) who bought
here in North La quinta and ended up selling and moving back to
Palm Springs. I was just trying to give you a comparrsion. If you
do check it out... you should go to the Cove area of La Quinta and
hit an open house of one of the Sante Fe's. They are so cute.
Good luck..

[GoodbyeCalifornia]

Hello Darren:

As a gay man that lived in Palm Springs for about 8 years, I can give you a little insight to the town. For one thing, you will find that you and your partner are on the younger side of the age spectrum. The average age for gay men in Palm Springs starts at about 65 plus.

If you are not into the bar/club scene you will be most decidedly in the minority. The bars (especially the sad collection of dives on Arenas Road) are very much the center of the gay scene in Palm Springs. If you don't drink, or don't want to spend time in the bars, you will have a difficult time meeting people. More importantly, finding quality people to spend time with is nearly impossible. Believe me, I never went into the bars or did the Sunday brunch thing at the gay restaurants and the end result was that the number of friends I collected in 8 years you could count on one hand.

Utility costs in Palm Springs are much higher than in the Palm Desert/La Quinta area. In fact I think it is safe to say that they are higher than in most areas of Southern California. And you're kind of stuck paying it because you really can't survive the summer months in Palm Springs without A/C. Depending on how cool you need to be, your electrical bill can run from as low as $200 a month to upwards of $400. I knew some people that paid closer to $600 during the hottest months.

I couldn't really tell you what homeowners insurance would run you on a condo. The reason being that those types of costs are usually built into whatever you pay in condo association fees. HOA fees are all over the map from as low as $200 a month to $600, $700, $800 a month.

Beware, beware, beware of purchasing a condo on Indian lease land! Don't let the lower price or a real estate agent con you into thinking you're getting a great deal. You're not! This land lease fee is something that you have no control over, will never end, and just adds on to your overall cost of living.

If you have any other questions about Palm Springs that I can help you with, just let me know.

[colluraringe]

Next to the house payment, the electric bill is the highest monthly expense. WATER...IN THE DESERT...is just 25/month. Out electric was 330!
That aside, Palm Springs is our favorite spot to live so far. We are from the Midwest originally but moved to LA in 81 and then here in 03. We are not into bar scene even though a friend bought a gay club this year himself. The weekends is when the young boyz from san diego and la come to town or for events, but the streets can rool up by 9pm during the week. You can find plenty outside of that if you want it but its a very small town where 1 out of three residents is part-time and 2out of5 is gay. Good luck, Thomas&Tony

[LucyI'mHome]

What about using a swamp cooler instead of A/C to lower the electric bill?

[sarahkate_m]

Originally Posted by LucyI'mHome

What about using a swamp cooler instead of A/C to lower the electric bill?

is there any such thing as a "quiet swamp cooler" ?

how about a heat pump? (can be noisy also but at least it isn't on the roof)

kate

[rah62]

Originally Posted by GoodbyeCalifornia

Believe me, I never went into the bars or did the Sunday brunch thing at the gay restaurants and the end result was that the number of friends I collected in 8 years you could count on one hand.

What's wrong with Sunday brunch? A guy's gotta eat...