Trying for info again...also, any show dog people out there???? (Los Angeles: for sale, crime)

[doghandler]

Hey All,

I have scanned the archives but I do have some specific questions about living in the regiaon of Palm Desert....a couple of you have given me some insight...but I need more of your thoughts before I make a move across the country! I just can't seem to get folks to respond and I am not quite sure what that means! LOL!

So please....help!!! Thanks!!!

My husband had a job interview for a position in Palm Desert. If all goes as it seems he will be offered the job which will lock us into the area for at least five years. So, we plan to buy a home. I am tired of moving around and just want to settle down! I'm not so sure I am excited about moving to SoCal as I have never been a big fan of California. However, I do truly love the beauty of many areas of the state and the rugged beauty of the desert. I just never expected to be living there. And I am truly ignorant about the area!!

I posted here a couple of times asking about Palm Desert. Twinkle Toes gave me some good answers to my questions at the time. Since then I have scanned this forum's archives and tried to do some research of my own about Palm Desert and surrounding areas. In general, I have found a lot of negative comments from people about the Coachella Valley in general. My father-in- law, who is a former banker and is now a head-hunter, has told us California is NOT the place to be moving to. Frankly, all this negativity scares me.

My husband and I are in our mid-forties and have a just-turned-two-year-old child. We also always have 3 or 4 large (giant) dogs at any given time and a pair of very loud macaws. If we didn't have a child I would want to live where there is a lot of space between neighbors and peace and quiet. However, with a youngster I can't be too far away from 'civilization'. Is there a happy medium of being in the high desert yet close enough (say 20 minutes tops?) to food shopping, doctor's offices, pre-school (and other schools), churches, etc. Plus, not be too far a commute for my husband to go to work in Palm Desert (30 minutes tops)? Is there such a thing? Or am I being un-realistic? I am asking because I honestly do not know the area at all. Help!!

Looking at realtor.com (just to get ideas) I checked out homes in our price range (max for us would probably be $265,000) in Palm Desert, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage....which all seem like they would be good places for our child to grow up. However, there is NOTHING that I could find with a yard bigger than a postage stamp or filled up with an in-ground pool. Because we have dogs, they are not only our companions but also our hobby (we train & show but do not breed), we need a BIG yard....like close to a half acre if not more.

What about Moronogo and Yucca Valleys? I found properties in both places with huge yards, but I wonder truthfully if these towns would be good for our little kid. Are there any professional families there raising young children or is it all so-called 'hippies' as I seem to keep reading? It looks beautiful from what I can tell. I am a nature buff so the mountains really appeal to me. I like the idea of being more secluded but I do not want to isolate our child. How far and how easy a drive would it be for someone commuting daily to Palm Desert? What about Anza?

So I guess my questions this time are:

1. Where (what town or area in or around the Coachella Valley) should we look for a home which is in a safe town, with some yard space to have our animals, not too far from things for our child, good pre-schools and schools in general, not a huge commute to Palm Desert and at about a $235,000 budget for a home? I would LOVE to be in the high desert but not sure if that is realistic.

2. Please share both positives and negatives about the region.

3. What are the people generally like? Is there a decent population of full-time residents who are 35 - 50 years old, families, etc?

4. Would you consider the area, or SoCal in general, a good place to raise a child these days? If yes why and if no why?

5. And finally....how much is a gallon of 1% milk in the Coachella Valley? A gallon of regular gas? A loaf of bread? Sounds silly, but I am curious!

By the way, I am the person who asked if you ever see venomous snakes or feel the earth move regularly in the area. Since Palm Desert is located directly along a major fault line I was just wondering. I asked, because I have friends and family in other areas of California (Lodi, Tehachapi, Lemoore, San Diego) who have felt plenty of tremors in the years they have lived there. And about the reptiles, my friend's dog was bitten by a Western diamondback in her own yard where she lives west of San Fran. I'm not a snake phobic, as I have kept herps as pets. I was just curious if they are seen casually around the area. Especially venomous since I have a child and pets. When I lived in South Florida if anyone would have asked me if I had ever seen any venomous snakes around homes I would have said yes. I found a coral snake in the pool and another coral under a door mat. Also saw a pygmy rattler in a parking lot. NOT in the 'wilds'.

Also, do any of you know of any other forums or blogs I can go to to find more 'people's personal thoughts and knowledge' of this area?? Anything?

THANKS for ANY info, insights, thoughts and ideas you can give me!!!

[dogmom]

Gee, no one has answered you yet so I will take a stab at it. We do not live in Palm Desert, however we are very familiar with the lower desert, my parents have lived there for almost 40 years.

We just wrote and got accepted an offer to buy a home in the Mountain View development in Mission Lakes in NW Desert Hot Springs. I would not normally recommend Desert Hot Springs, however Mountain View is a gated community and not in the heart of DHS...its off Indian ave near highway 62 which is the road to Morongo and Yucca. The prices of homes there have dropped so much that you could get a good sized nearly new home with large yard for close to 200,000. The home we are purchasing is smaller,1400 sq feet but the lot is nearly 8,000 square feet. We have 3 active dogs so the yard size impressed me. There are several community pools in the development, and a lot of folks have put in their own pools. If you want any information you can dm me and I can send you some links.. Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Bermuda Dunes are all going to be a little more pricey. I doubt that you can buy what you are looking for at that price point. Do you have an agent there already? Ours has lived in the desert many years and knows the ins and outs.

If your hubby is working in Palm Desert, you don't want to go to the high desert, aka Victorville, Apple Valley...the commute would be horrendous..

Have you considered Beaumont or Banning..in south Banning there is a devlopment with minimum 1/2 acre homes..horse properties..lot of homes for sale there...the drive to PD would not be too bad from there..

I don't know anything about schools, pre schools would mostly be private, and there are good private schools in the desert...I know DHS is part of the Palm Springs Unified district..Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage would be Desert Sands...

La Quinta, in the cove, might be some homes there you are looking for, also..stay away from Indio and Coachella. Otherwise you will be perfectly fine in any of the other towns I mentioned...the lower desert used to be mostly a playgroud for folks, but the last 35 years or so its become more and more family oriented..

If I can help in any other way, let me know..

[doghandler]

Thanks a bunch, Dogmom!!! You gave me some other options to look into as well as answered some of my questions!!! Anyone else have some insight?

[dcashley]

My father-in- law, who is a former banker and is now a head-hunter, has told us California is NOT the place to be moving to. Frankly, all this negativity scares me.

California right now is at the (hope) bottom of a big recession. Housing prices are as low as they've been in years and years. So, now is a very good time to buy a house in California.

My husband and I are in our mid-forties and have a just-turned-two-year-old child. We also always have 3 or 4 large (giant) dogs at any given time and a pair of very loud macaws. If we didn't have a child I would want to live where there is a lot of space between neighbors and peace and quiet. However, with a youngster I can't be too far away from 'civilization'. Is there a happy medium of being in the high desert yet close enough (say 20 minutes tops?) to food shopping, doctor's offices, pre-school (and other schools), churches, etc. Plus, not be too far a commute for my husband to go to work in Palm Desert (30 minutes tops)? Is there such a thing? Or am I being un-realistic? I am asking because I honestly do not know the area at all. Help!!

Look at Desert Hot Springs. The Coachella valley tends to be quite expensive...I am probably wrong in my numbers, but I think a typical 2,000 sq ft ranch home with a 7,000 sq ft lot would cost upwards of $500,000. Very expensive--very upity. Also look in Palm Desert itself...its a pretty good area. Indio is fairly low cost--it is also a solid blue collar neighborhood. NOT a crime ridden neighborhood, but not one filled with bankers, lawyers etc.

Looking at realtor.com (just to get ideas) I checked out homes in our price range (max for us would probably be $265,000) in Palm Desert, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage....which all seem like they would be good places for our child to grow up. However, there is NOTHING that I could find with a yard bigger than a postage stamp or filled up with an in-ground pool. Because we have dogs, they are not only our companions but also our hobby (we train & show but do not breed), we need a BIG yard....like close to a half acre if not more.

Try www.zillow.com and phone up a couple of realtors. Also try bermuda dunes.

What about Moronogo and Yucca Valleys? I found properties in both places with huge yards, but I wonder truthfully if these towns would be good for our little kid. Are there any professional families there raising young children or is it all so-called 'hippies' as I seem to keep reading?

the word "hippies" isn't quite right. Stay away from these communities...they are WINDY....I mean like "It blew a dipsy dumpster over the wall!" kind of windy. Also the area is, in my opinion, just crummy.

It looks beautiful from what I can tell. I am a nature buff so the mountains really appeal to me. I like the idea of being more secluded but I do not want to isolate our child. How far and how easy a drive would it be for someone commuting daily to Palm Desert? What about Anza?

Anza is 97 miles from Palm Desert. I am guessing you didn't mean Anza...you meant someplace else. Try Thousand Palms area. If you like mountains and pine trees, you could try Pinyon Pines.

would LOVE to be in the high desert but not sure if that is realistic.

Now is the time to buy.

2. Please share both positives and negatives about the region.

Summers are hot. Air conditioning is an absolute requirement.

3. What are the people generally like? Is there a decent population of full-time residents who are 35 - 50 years old, families, etc?

The people are generally friendly...some are older. Lots of retirees. Lots of people who work in lots of industries. LOTS to do. Good place to raise kids.

4

. Would you consider the area, or SoCal in general, a good place to raise a child these days? If yes why and if no why?

I would not want to raise kids in the Los Angeles or San Francisco area. LA is too crowded with poor immigrants. AND way too much traffic. San Francisco is too expensive...fun to vacation in -- but it ain't cheap. I would not hesitate to raise kids in almost any city east of (but NOT including) San Bernardino.

5. And finally....how much is a gallon of 1% milk in the Coachella Valley? A gallon of regular gas? A loaf of bread? Sounds silly, but I am curious!

I have no idea on milk. Bread, the last time I think I paid $3.50...but I don't really remember. Gas today was $2.29 at the ARCO.

By the way, I am the person who asked if you ever see venomous snakes

I saw one once while on a picnic in the mountains about 25 years ago.

or feel the earth move regularly in the area

. Regularly???? Well, maybe two to four times a year....it's nothing big. We have the best earthquake building codes in the world. One building engineer that I was friends with once told me that the safest place to be in an earthquake is inside a Southern California residence.

Since Palm Desert is located directly along a major fault line I was just wondering. I asked, because I have friends and family in other areas of California (Lodi, Tehachapi, Lemoore, San Diego) who have felt plenty of tremors in the years they have lived there.

You can be afraid of anything if you want to be.

And about the reptiles, my friend's dog was bitten by a Western diamondback in her own yard where she lives west of San Fran. I'm not a snake phobic, as I have kept herps as pets. I was just curious if they are seen casually around the area. Especially venomous since I have a child and pets. When I lived in South Florida if anyone would have asked me if I had ever seen any venomous snakes around homes I would have said yes. I found a coral snake in the pool and another coral under a door mat. Also saw a pygmy rattler in a parking lot. NOT in the 'wilds'.

My wife is more worried about coyotes than snakes. She worries a little about hawks too--but mostly coyotes. Remember her dogs are tiny.

Also, do any of you know of any other forums or blogs I can go to to find more 'people's personal thoughts and knowledge' of this area?? Anything?

Sorry, no. I don't know. But: My wife and I show dogs. You can contact her through her web site www.houseofwags.com. She has little bitty dogs, so you wouldn't be interested in her dogs---it's just the easiest way to get ahold of her.

[Dove350]

Have you checked out the Banning, Beaumont, Cabazon area? They are all nice towns (especially Beaumont) and the towns are not so HOT.

To get a quick look at the area (schools, demographics...) check out Discover the Pass || Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Cherry Valley, Cabazon, Oak Valley, Oak Glen

[Desert_Rain_Spirit]

I posted a 'quick reply' and don't see it so maybe you didn't get it.

First -- in your 5th paragraph you mentioned "the HIGH desert". The Palm Springs area is actually the LOW desert, although you can get up into the mountains if you want! The actual HIGH desert is at the north end of the Mojave, from Death Valley west to the Antelope Valley which includes the city of Palmdale. (You could NOT live up there and commute to Palm Desert.)

Someone suggested Desert Hot Springs as a place to look for housing. My personal suggestion -- NOT! When I moved to So Cal 22 years ago, I happened to cross the Mojave the middle of August, in the middle of the day. (I had thought that since it was a 'dry heat' it wouldn't bother me.....ha ha). Nearly died going thru DHS, and fond out afterwards that's where the military, during WWII, trained the soldiers who would be fighting in Africa!

Someone answered a bit re dogs; my advice - look up American Kennel Club on the web and see what dog shows are held in that area. (Also, recall, you could drive into Orange County or Los Angeles County for dog shows if you wanted). CFA (Cat Fanciers' Assoc) has a SouthWest Region which includes the Palm Springs area, and there seem to be a fair amount of cat shows. Imagine it's the same for dogs.

Generally, housing prices are 30% less than a few years ago, due to housing crash.

Best of luck!

[Desert_Rain_Spirit]

The local newspaper is "The Desert Sun", although on the web it's something like "MyDesert.com". (Look it up.) That would be a good place to not only find out local news, but also probably see realtor ads etc. I was just on it earlier, and noticed they have "sub-links" to -- specifically -- PALM DESERT news and PALM SPRINGS news.

My impression (I've never lived there, live in L.A. but have relatives who used to live in that area) is that Palm Desert is a very well-run city.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by doghandler

Hey All,

I have scanned the archives but I do have some specific questions about living in the regiaon of Palm Desert....a couple of you have given me some insight...but I need more of your thoughts before I make a move across the country! I just can't seem to get folks to respond and I am not quite sure what that means! LOL!

So please....help!!! Thanks!!!

My husband had a job interview for a position in Palm Desert. If all goes as it seems he will be offered the job which will lock us into the area for at least five years. So, we plan to buy a home. I am tired of moving around and just want to settle down! I'm not so sure I am excited about moving to SoCal as I have never been a big fan of California. However, I do truly love the beauty of many areas of the state and the rugged beauty of the desert. I just never expected to be living there. And I am truly ignorant about the area!!

I posted here a couple of times asking about Palm Desert. Twinkle Toes gave me some good answers to my questions at the time. Since then I have scanned this forum's archives and tried to do some research of my own about Palm Desert and surrounding areas. In general, I have found a lot of negative comments from people about the Coachella Valley in general. My father-in- law, who is a former banker and is now a head-hunter, has told us California is NOT the place to be moving to. Frankly, all this negativity scares me.

My husband and I are in our mid-forties and have a just-turned-two-year-old child. We also always have 3 or 4 large (giant) dogs at any given time and a pair of very loud macaws. If we didn't have a child I would want to live where there is a lot of space between neighbors and peace and quiet. However, with a youngster I can't be too far away from 'civilization'. Is there a happy medium of being in the high desert yet close enough (say 20 minutes tops?) to food shopping, doctor's offices, pre-school (and other schools), churches, etc. Plus, not be too far a commute for my husband to go to work in Palm Desert (30 minutes tops)? Is there such a thing? Or am I being un-realistic? I am asking because I honestly do not know the area at all. Help!!

Looking at realtor.com (just to get ideas) I checked out homes in our price range (max for us would probably be $265,000) in Palm Desert, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage....which all seem like they would be good places for our child to grow up. However, there is NOTHING that I could find with a yard bigger than a postage stamp or filled up with an in-ground pool. Because we have dogs, they are not only our companions but also our hobby (we train & show but do not breed), we need a BIG yard....like close to a half acre if not more.

What about Moronogo and Yucca Valleys? I found properties in both places with huge yards, but I wonder truthfully if these towns would be good for our little kid. Are there any professional families there raising young children or is it all so-called 'hippies' as I seem to keep reading? It looks beautiful from what I can tell. I am a nature buff so the mountains really appeal to me. I like the idea of being more secluded but I do not want to isolate our child. How far and how easy a drive would it be for someone commuting daily to Palm Desert? What about Anza?

So I guess my questions this time are:

1. Where (what town or area in or around the Coachella Valley) should we look for a home which is in a safe town, with some yard space to have our animals, not too far from things for our child, good pre-schools and schools in general, not a huge commute to Palm Desert and at about a $235,000 budget for a home? I would LOVE to be in the high desert but not sure if that is realistic.

2. Please share both positives and negatives about the region.

3. What are the people generally like? Is there a decent population of full-time residents who are 35 - 50 years old, families, etc?

4. Would you consider the area, or SoCal in general, a good place to raise a child these days? If yes why and if no why?

5. And finally....how much is a gallon of 1% milk in the Coachella Valley? A gallon of regular gas? A loaf of bread? Sounds silly, but I am curious!

By the way, I am the person who asked if you ever see venomous snakes or feel the earth move regularly in the area. Since Palm Desert is located directly along a major fault line I was just wondering. I asked, because I have friends and family in other areas of California (Lodi, Tehachapi, Lemoore, San Diego) who have felt plenty of tremors in the years they have lived there. And about the reptiles, my friend's dog was bitten by a Western diamondback in her own yard where she lives west of San Fran. I'm not a snake phobic, as I have kept herps as pets. I was just curious if they are seen casually around the area. Especially venomous since I have a child and pets. When I lived in South Florida if anyone would have asked me if I had ever seen any venomous snakes around homes I would have said yes. I found a coral snake in the pool and another coral under a door mat. Also saw a pygmy rattler in a parking lot. NOT in the 'wilds'.

Also, do any of you know of any other forums or blogs I can go to to find more 'people's personal thoughts and knowledge' of this area?? Anything?

THANKS for ANY info, insights, thoughts and ideas you can give me!!!

Probably some side winders and diamond backs, so yes, you will need to be careful.

Oh, I just noticed this tread is 6 months old, guess our advise isn't needed anymore.
Nita