Canadians Retire in Palm Springs or Palm Desert (Indio, Cathedral City: for sale, foreclosure)

[Enbiex]

We're a couple in our 50's planning to buy a vacation home in either Palm Springs or Palm Desert area within the next 12 months. Which is the preferred town or is there neighboring towns which are nicer? Where are the best buys for either homes or condos? Is this area safe with lower crime rates. We're from a small town and like this type of lifestyle. Thanks for any impute and info

[Twinkle Toes]

Personally, I like Palm Desert better than Palm Springs, but it really depends on what YOU are looking for. La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, and Rancho Mirage are areas I would recommend. But your post doesn't give a lot of specifics.

Here's the link to our local MLS. Check it out and see what looks interesting to you.

Desert Area Multiple Listing Service

[Enbiex]

Thanks for the info. Were just starting our search and trying to get some info on the general area before heading south for a look around. If we come down for a look around time will be very tight so I need to do as much research prior to any trips south. What were looking for is a house or condo with at least 2 beds and 2 baths. It doesn't matter if it's a gated community or not. If it is gated I want something with lower fees. We will be using the property about 5-6 months per year so we are concerned with costs. Like everyone else I'm looking for a great deal on a place. I don't mind purchasing a foreclosure or short sale. Some work on a place is ok cosmetic is better but nothing requiring major construction. No or few steps are better, but for the right deal some steps are ok.

[Twinkle Toes]

Okay, look around the MLS using your criteria. You should find a lot of stuff. As far as energy costs go, if you stay within the IID (Imperial Irrigation District) your costs will be much less than Edison. La Quinta is in the IID.

[retiredjournalist]

I am 63, retired, and have visited the desert all of my life -- always on vacation for a couple of weeks at a time -- starting in the 1950s as a child with my family. A year ago, I purchased a home in Palm Desert, after deciding against purchasing in Palm Springs, CC, Rancho Mirage, and La Quinta.

The desert has changed and the experience was absolutely ghastly. I had no idea. Crime is rampant. Large scale gang raids (one was staged at the Tennis Garden in Indian Wells and involved hundreds of law enforcement personnel and tanks and armored vehicles that moved out from there to other locations!). Just this past week, a live hand grenade was found on El Paseo in Palm Desert, and a 2-year-old girl and her father were shot and killed by a 49-year-old neighbor after a complaint about noise. Gang shootings occur nearly every week in Indio, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. A man was shot in the parking lot of The River in Rancho Mirage. Palm Springs is full of homeless folks and drunken drivers, not to mention constant charges of police discrimination by the gay community (after arrests were made for sex in public).

I have never been around such miserable, unhappy people as I found in the desert. Everywhere I went (including Eisenhower Medical Center), I was met with either indifference or hostility. I purchased my home in 2010 for 50 percent off the peak prices, and the price has dropped significantly since. The house is now for sale and I have moved to Oregon. My life has improved significantly. It is such a relief to be away from the dreadful Coachella Valley and the fire ants, house crickets, rats on the roof during fruit season, and generally nasty, uncaring people. The only positive experience was my neighbors from Alberta, who had owned their home for many years and decided this year would be their last. They, too, have decided the valley has become unpleasant and a bad investment.

Perhaps some people like living there half-time or full-time, but if you are looking for a friendly, small-town atmosphere, this is not the place to be, unless you rent a place for a few weeks in the winter to enjoy the sunshine. I strongly urge you not to buy.

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by retiredjournalist

I am 63, retired, and have visited the desert all of my life -- always on vacation for a couple of weeks at a time -- starting in the 1950s as a child with my family. A year ago, I purchased a home in Palm Desert, after deciding against purchasing in Palm Springs, CC, Rancho Mirage, and La Quinta.

The desert has changed and the experience was absolutely ghastly. I had no idea. Crime is rampant. Large scale gang raids (one was staged at the Tennis Garden in Indian Wells and involved hundreds of law enforcement personnel and tanks and armored vehicles that moved out from there to other locations!). Just this past week, a live hand grenade was found on El Paseo in Palm Desert, and a 2-year-old girl and her father were shot and killed by a 49-year-old neighbor after a complaint about noise. Gang shootings occur nearly every week in Indio, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. A man was shot in the parking lot of The River in Rancho Mirage. Palm Springs is full of homeless folks and drunken drivers, not to mention constant charges of police discrimination by the gay community (after arrests were made for sex in public).

I have never been around such miserable, unhappy people as I found in the desert. Everywhere I went (including Eisenhower Medical Center), I was met with either indifference or hostility. I purchased my home in 2010 for 50 percent off the peak prices, and the price has dropped significantly since. The house is now for sale and I have moved to Oregon. My life has improved significantly. It is such a relief to be away from the dreadful Coachella Valley and the fire ants, house crickets, rats on the roof during fruit season, and generally nasty, uncaring people. The only positive experience was my neighbors from Alberta, who had owned their home for many years and decided this year would be their last. They, too, have decided the valley has become unpleasant and a bad investment.

Perhaps some people like living there half-time or full-time, but if you are looking for a friendly, small-town atmosphere, this is not the place to be, unless you rent a place for a few weeks in the winter to enjoy the sunshine. I strongly urge you not to buy.

But other than that ...... it's a really nice place!

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by retiredjournalist

Perhaps some people like living there half-time or full-time, but if you are looking for a friendly, small-town atmosphere, this is not the place to be

Anyone looking for "a friendly, small-town atmosphere" in the CV (population ~400k) needs to have their head examined. That would be you.

[murfslaw]

I have been coming to the Coachella Valley for 50 years and have owned homes here for 41 years.

Is there another evil empire Coachella Valley that I'm not aware of and have never visited?

BTW this guy must work as Chamber of Commerce writer someplace!

[abstravel]

I'm house hunting in Palm Desert just a few blocks south of Paseo. I've researched and taken many trips to the area. Schools are graded 7 by greatschools.org (middle and high school) for the area. Nice walking community, with many of the necessities nearby. La Quinta was my other option, but it was a bit too "drive to the nearest shopping center" related. ie. Drive to the 7-11, market, shopping, etc. The only walking is around your block within the HOA.
Coming from LAX, this is a small community, but compared to most Oregon city-towns, this area would be a metropolis. Hey, you move where you like and feel better. For me, this is a slower pace compared to LAX, and seems like a nicer place to raise a family. Others, may like the boonies, or can't be anywhere but a 7+ million population city.
There is crime in the area, but we still don't have terrorist like they do in Oregon. Hint, hint, latest bomb, Al-Quaeda, freak was from the Oregon community.

[TBCasino]

Oh please, everybody knows the most dangerous place in Palm Desert is in the Trader Joe's parking lot, on a late Saturday morning ( on Fred Waring ).

Listen, I like Bentley's, high end Porsche's and Aston Martin's, but I really don't want to get hit by one.