Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We are a straight, professional, childless couple in our early 30s who currently live in Salt Lake City and are considering moving to the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area.
Our reasons are: (1) we love the desert climate but hate Utah’s winters – we are all about hot and dry summer nights; (2) we love the mid-mod aesthetic and architecture; (3) we don’t fit in here socially because Utah is all about kids and family, so there are virtually no social options if you’re over the age of 25 and don’t have kids; (4) we aren’t the typical Utah ultra-outdoorsy types…I like *looking* at the mountains more than climbing them, and we prefer a more laid-back, lounge by the pool lifestyle.
I've read through the threads and have some more specific questions. Any candid advice is much appreciated!
My questions are:
1. How open is the social scene, and are people generally friendly and interested in meeting new people? We are looking for a place where we can meet good friends for frequent socializing, dinners, drinks, etc. I understand that it’s mostly a gay and retiree area, and I would be happy to have gay and/or older friends, but would they be interested in making friends with us?? I have seen wide variations in the level of sociability in different places I’ve lived, so I’m curious what the culture is like there.
2. We would want to buy an older mid-mod house. But are they a nightmare to deal with in such an extreme climate? My current house was built in the 50s and it’s horrible at keeping in either heat or air conditioning, so I would expect to find the same thing there, but it sounds as if electricity bills can be prohibitive. Are there good options for retro-fitting or “greening” an older home there? Does the heat cause any particular problems with maintenance/repairs? And what happens if, god forbid, the power goes out in the summer and your AC dies??
3. We would love to have a pool (NO ONE has pools in SLC). What are the monthly costs for filling/maintaining a pool, and how difficult is it? Do people generally use a service to come maintain their pools, or is something you can do yourself? I have no experience with actually having a pool, I just love the idea.
4. The threads here have scared me w/r/t giant bugs and scorpions. What are the true chances of encountering this? I have two indoor-only cats and I would imagine that a scorpion sting could kill them! Can you walk around barefoot in your house? Do pesticides keep scorpions away? Do the older homes have worse bug problems?
5. Politically, is this a predominantly liberal or conservative area? Also, are people generally religious? We have had enough of conservatism and religion in Utah and are hoping for a change.
Any other info you think we need to know? Thanks for your help -- and sorry for the long post.
The bugs! Yes, an older home will be more prone to bugs. But pest control (which is a MUST) generally keeps the bugs at bay. I don't think the kind of scorpions we have here will kill you or your pets, but I'm sure a sting wouldn't be very pleasant. Pest control kills the scorpions too.
The area is not primarily gay or retirees anymore. Lots of gays in Palm Springs for sure, but I think you'll find the desert has more families and younger people than it did in the past. The retirees pretty much flee the area during the summer. That's why they are called "snowbirds" - they come for the 8 or 9 months of gorgeous weather, then fly the coop when the heat is turned up.
This area is very social. I don't think you will have any problems whatsoever finding people to socialize and go to cocktails/dinner with. That's what we do!
I have to leave right now, but I'll be back and I'll answer more of your questions. Next topic: POOLS. Stay tuned!!!
And just to clarify vis a vis my questions regarding social life and culture: we certainly are not looking to live somewhere where no one has kids, is conservative, or is religious (in case my post gave that impression). We would just like some *diversity* since Utah is probably the most conservative, religious, family-oriented place in the whole country, and while I've enjoyed living here for several years, it's become a little oppressive. I would love someplace with a more diverse mix of people, where you don't feel like it's social suicide if you're not living a very narrow "expected" lifestyle.
Palm springs is perfect for you since you love the heat. I also have heard PS has plenty of swingers (couples of all ages) & a few nudists resorts. You only live once plus you have no kids (for now) so why the hell not ?
We are a straight, professional, childless couple in our early 30s who currently live in Salt Lake City and are considering moving to the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area. I've read through the threads and have some more specific questions. Any candid advice is much appreciated!
My questions are:
We would want to buy an older mid-mod house. But are they a nightmare to deal with in such an extreme climate? My current house was built in the 50s and it’s horrible at keeping in either heat or air conditioning, so I would expect to find the same thing there, but it sounds as if electricity bills can be prohibitive. Are there good options for retro-fitting or “greening” an older home there? Does the heat cause any particular problems with maintenance/repairs? And what happens if, god forbid, the power goes out in the summer and your AC dies??
The main thing one needs to be understand about mid-century homes in Palm Springs (and I have lived in a few) is that they were never designed to function as full time residences. They were meant to be winter/spring vacation homes. Thus they were built with minimal to zero insulation because day and night time temperatures during that period are relatively mild and one could usually get away with just having central heat and no A/C. When the weather began to turn hot, people would pack up and leave and not return until late fall.
Being able to retrofit a home to make it better suited for year round occupancy or energy efficient is completely dependent on the architectural style of the home. As an example, if it is an "Alexander" or built along those same lines, the house will have no attic space at all, making it impossible to insulate in that manner, so you would then have to do something involving the roof itself. The walls of the home will of course have cavities between the studs, so one would either have to take down all the interior drywall to insulate, or drill a hole to blow insulation in. If it is by chance an original owner home, or has only changed hands a few times, the likelihood this work has been done already is fairly slim. Installation of dual pane windows is an option and will help to a degree, but whether it will lead to significant energy savings is questionable. Beyond that, you're left with trying to make up the difference by installing the most energy efficient appliances and A/C unit you can find. In addition, if the house isn't already set up this way, installing an evaporative or "swamp" cooler is another option. That will cut down on cooling costs quite a bit and a swamp cooler can be used the majority of the summer, except during those times the humidity is on the high side. The only maintenance issue that you would likely experience that is heat related would be dry rotting of exterior wood surfaces.
Owning and living in a mid-century home can be great, but I found that you basically have to make a choice. Either you appreciate and respect the aesthetic and enjoy it as it stands, or you dump a considerable amount of money into it trying to make it into something it was never meant to be. In my case, I chose the first route.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kryptogal
We would love to have a pool (NO ONE has pools in SLC). What are the monthly costs for filling/maintaining a pool, and how difficult is it? Do people generally use a service to come maintain their pools, or is something you can do yourself? I have no experience with actually having a pool, I just love the idea.
It's been about six years since I owned my home that had a pool so I can't speak to what the cost of maintaining one today would be. I did have a pool service for a brief period of time. After about a year of watching the pool man spend all of ten minutes cleaning my pool then dumping random amounts of chlorine into it every time he visited, and still having an algae problem that he couldn't seem to correct, I got rid of him. A visit to the local pool store convinced me that it wasn't that difficult a task to maintain it myself, which is what I did for about 3 years until I sold my house. Brushing it down every day took me all of fifteen minutes and I believe vacuuming, which I did one to two times a week, took about the same amount of time. The chemicals aren't overly expensive and all you really need is a decent testing kit to make sure the various chemical levels are where they should be.
The two biggest cost impacts you will find with a pool are in water and electricity. Once the temperatures went up over 100 degrees consistently, I found that I was having to add water to the pool every two days. I didn't have a huge pool by any means, but I still saw at least a $40 a month increase in my water bill. Most pool people recommend you run your pool equipment at least 8 hours a day which can really sock it to your wallet in the summer. I found that following this "guideline" tacked on at least $100 per month to my already $200 a month summer electric bill. I cut the run time down to 4 hours a day, saw no degradation in my pool water quality and got nearly three quarters of that $100 back.
My recommendation if you buy a home with a pool is to try and maintain it yourself first. If you find that it's too much of a hassle, then go the pool service route, but be careful. There are a lot of people in the desert that call themselves a pool service but aren't anything more than a bunch of clowns carrying around chlorine jugs.
We have pool service, but I too wonder about maintaining the pool ourselves, as the guys are only here for a few minutes each week. I think it would be a relatively simple task. Our pump is on during the day and is off at night. It's on a timer. Our pool is pretty large, so I don't notice any evaporation of water. However, because it is large, it is freezing cold in winter, fall, and spring, unless we spend a ton of money to heat it. During those three months we primarily use the spa.
I am not originally from Ca but had a pool in NY growing up as a kid. My Dad maintained the pool until I was old enough for him to show me how to do it. (I think it was like at 12 or something) I can't believe how many people here in CA have a pool service. Its really a simple task. As Goodbye has said, buy a good testing kit and check the pH and chlorine levels a few times a week and add accordingly. Once you have done this a few months I am sure you will be able to figure out how much chemical is needed to keep your pool clear and algae free. You can also buy one of those automatic vacuums if you dont want to do it yourself. Vacuuming is what would take me the longest. If a 12 year old can do it, anyone can.
The other day I saw my neighbors pool guy pull up to the house, grab a cup of granular chlorine (I am assuming it was Chlorine) and walk back to the pool and add it, then come back to the truck and leave. Really?? People pay someone to do this?
I feel the same about lawn services.. useless to me.
The reason we have services for different things is because we are very busy, and when we have free time, we don't want to spend it doing tasks and chores. Plus, let's face it ... we are helping the economy by employing a few people.
The reason we have services for different things is because we are very busy, and when we have free time, we don't want to spend it doing tasks and chores. Plus, let's face it ... we are helping the economy by employing a few people.
I am sure some people are to busy and I get that, but most I think are either 1. Lazy or B. afraid they will screw it up, or III. Both.
I am sure being a Lawyer keeps you pretty busy, working from home for me gives me lots of time to check pool water pH, if we had one. Oh and I am to cheap to pay someone to do things that I am perfectly capable of doing.
Hi kryptogal,
You have gotten some great advice! Here is the MLS "lite" site I recommend people use for house shopping. MRMLS on-line
Like much of Southern California, the Palm Springs area is diverse! Are there challenges? Yes! Could something unusual or uncomfortable happen? Yes! Is it a great place to live? From what you are looking for in your OP; yes!
I am a property inspector and I love doing desert inspections! I do love the older homes and you have gotten some great insight as to some possible challenges.
You can add energy efficient features as stated above; it just costs money.
In general the newer the house; the more likely it will have energy efficient features; makes sense , right?
SOME older homes have has substantial upgrades to the end and those are typically part of the listing information.
I like newer homes and newer pools. If you like mountain gazing, rather than mountain climbing;then rehabbing/updating an older home and pool may not be something you want to put on your plate!
Getting a newer home will give you the energy efficient features and insulation quality that will save you $$$$.
If you like to swim; an 8 foot pool will be something to look for. Pool equipment has also come along way efficiency-wise. The newer; the more efficient.
Pool maintenance is actually pretty easy to learn and execute. There are always experts to help if you need them. I have a brush, a net and I manually vacuum every other day. It takes about a half hour.
There is a world of education about pools on the net.
I'm sorry to say that I cannot recommend an inspector in the Desert area. There are a lot of them that do cheapie inspections and I have not met ANY that I have confidence in at any price. I can send you some names and numbers of some great inspectors( not just me) that service the Desert area though if you PM me.
It is important to make sure that you are able to attend your inspection and that the inspector is proficient in pool inspections. That is a great time to check the house and pool and learn about its general features! A pool and/or spa inspection typically has an additional charge ,but, is worth it!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
