After a long period of decline in the real estate market since 2007, sales of residential property in the Coachella Valley are showing signs of life once again. But it doesn’t mean the marketplace is out of the woods just yet.

While there have been a respectable number of home sales during the last half of 2013 and well into the first quarter of 2014, those sales reflect a marketplace that remains in a state of flux. Buyers are certainly out there with dollars to spend but they are looking more strategically for good buys, the condition of the home and of course location, location, location.

Here is the good news and the not so good news.

The median sales price in the entire Valley rose more than 5 percent in the first three months of 2014, a sign that is encouraging. But that wasn’t the case for every desert city.  While prices increased in Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs and Indian Wells, home sales in Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage declined. 

Big Difference in High End And Low End Markets.

In data published by Market Watch, a real estate advisory firm, there are two distinct housing markets in the valley. No surprise there when locals who live, work and raise families here differ economically from those who come to the desert to retire full time or who are looking for second homes and leisure properties. 

As one example, the number of property sales above $700,000 rose more than 50 percent during this last season while homes under $300,000 stumbled along and in some areas even continued to decline. 

Other data clearly indicates that the higher-end market will continue to expand as people discover desert living, many who will use cash rather than loans to make their purchase.  Part of the reason for the decline in the number of lower-end homes sales is that investors are just no longer finding those bargain basement prices that were the result of short sales and foreclosures. In fact, only 10 percent of recent sales were for distressed properties. That market place seems to be drying up as the economy gets back on its feet.

While some of the housing market is being held back due to a lack of jobs and in general the slowly growing economy, Market Watch continues to indicate a stable housing market for the Valley in the months and few years ahead which is certainly better news than in the past 48 months.  

A Little Bit Of Advice From An Expert

So is this a good time to buy?  Much depends on one’s own goals.  If you want a home that is in great condition, has low maintenance and in an area that compliments your lifestyle, expect to shell out some dollars.  There continue to be many nice homes in the Coachella market that are move-in ready or can be with some simple and basic updates.  

But if you are willing to buy something that needs a little tender loving care, our advice to our clients is always clear. 

• Take your time. 
• Define your expectations. 
• Plan it all out on paper before making that commitment.

With two decades of experience and dozens of remodeling projects under our belt, we have seen remodeling costs get out of control without plans in place as a control.   And as a very general rule, projects can easily range from $40 to $225 per square foot depending on the scope of work. But when they exceed the top end of costs, the value can be hard to recoup at the time of resale. 

Our experience also reminds that it is far better to know what kind of dollars will be necessary up front long before you sign on that purchase offer and not “over-design” for the neighborhood. 

According to several sources, remodeling projects that provide the greatest returns on the dollars invested include not surprisingly, the master bathroom and kitchen since these can be disruptive undertakings yet return as much as 80% of those costs at the time of resale.

If the prospective home’s bone structure is in good shape and the layout is well designed, then something as basic as a new coat of paint or installing new floor, wall and window coverings will make the interior fresh and ready for your occupancy.

Finally, above all…. remember the old adage, location, location, and location. In other words, the area the property is located in is as important as almost anything else,… so important that everything else you could say about it hardly matters. So plan wisely now and for your future here in the desert.  

By Michael A. Thomas, FASID, CAPS, CASE
                                                                                          
Michael is a well known and established interior designer with more than 30 years in the profession.  He is a Certified Aging In Place Specialist, the co-author of "Residential Design For Aging In Place" and a former National President of ASID.  His work has been published and quoted in various media including Palm Springs Life, Houston Chronicle, Florida Home + Garden, Miami Herald, Dwell Magazine and extensively profiled in Interiors + Source magazine. He currently serves as the President of the Design Alliance for Accessible Sustainable Environments. From an office and studio in downtown Palm Springs, CA, his remodeling and new construction projects extend from southern California to Florida, from New York to Vancouver. Currently he is completing the design for the historic rehabilitation for the original Palm Springs library built in 1941, the Welwood Murray Memorial Library. 

By Michael A. Thomas, FASID, CAPS

I have to share something. Being creative usually isn't  the challenge when it comes to designing interiors. It is staying inspired that is the challenge. 

The profession of design isn’t always easy. To be organized, run a sound  and profitable business, work with a variety of people, assemble unique solutions for client projects and ensuring the work will get done promptly requires a source of inspiration on a continuing basis. And then there is just getting around to see new products, learning about new technologies and understanding new ways to produce solutions are necessary in order to produce inspired spaces.

Thanks to a variety of trade events and conferences, there is little excuse for design professionals in search of inspiration.

• For those of us designers who create office and corporate interiors, The NeoCon trade show brings together 40,000 trade over three very hectic days and scatters them about in highly styled showrooms in the world’s largest building, the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago.

This annual event showcases the finest in workplace environments. Big office furniture vendors such as Steelcase, Herman Miller and Haworth spend huge bucks to provide inspiration for interior designers. After all, one main objective of the design process to create an effective workspace is crafting solutions to raise the performance and productivity of employees.  Locating and specifying just the right staff chair – when there can be 200 or 2000 of them – can have a direct and sometimes dramatic impact on a client’s bottom line.

Trends at last week’s NeoCon continued to highlight open collaborative workspaces over individual offices and cubicles, a direction that has continued for the last few years. 

What did we see?

Colors were clear, bold and in-your-face. Styles were decidedly contemporary over the stuffy 18th Century styles typically seen in traditional law offices. And the talk among the members of the design community is that things are looking up.  Not great yet... but certainly better than in the past few years.  About time, eh?

• Another show of note is the International Contemporary Furniture Fair held at the Jacob Javitz in New York held each May. Being at this show – and of course in the heart of Manhattan – provides a wealth of inspiration.  This event showcases the creativity of emerging vendors, small manufacturers and individual craftspeople. One of the benefits of this show is that it gives “little people” a chance to present their work to a large number of design professionals.

What did we see?

Products at this year’s event featured natural, organic and sustainable themes.  Metal tables, unglazed ceramics, natural wood cabinets, hand made fabrics and woven floor coverings, each made from unbleached, raw and unrefined materials filled the nearly 250 booths.

This lounge chair was eye catching, a one of a kind piece by Marie Khouri.  Made in maple with a clear stain, it was as comfortable as it was great looking. 

• Upcoming is one of my favorite shows and one produced by Dwell Magazine.  This conference and event, Dwell On Design, located at the LA Convention Center starting on June 20th is a premier event for contemporary interior design, furnishings and fixtures, architecture and landscape. This year, the show will feature both green “sustainable” concepts and  “aging-in-place designs.  Innovative products, educational workshops, home tours and design lectures will attract the attention of an estimated 50,000 design professionals, clients and consumers.      

For a second year in a row, I am pleased to be a workshop presenter along with colleague and interior designer, Kerrie Kelly.  

This Saturday, we will be speaking about the upcoming trend of designing homes that last a lifetime and how by making an interior free of architectural barriers, one can increase personal safety and security.

I’m excited to offer two case studies of client projects that blend both sustainable designs and “aging in place” solutions into one singular solution.  And on Sunday afternoon, I will be volunteering for my professional society, ASID, and offer free design consultations.  Stop by the ASID booth to sign up for a free one-on-one design consultation.  

Dwell On Design continues to expand and this year is no exception with nearly 85,000 feet of design displays, modular homes, and innovative products.  In my opinion, this three-day event will have endless inspiration for design professionals and consumers.

For more information on the show or to sign up for the lectures and tours, here is the link:  www.DwellOnDesign.com 

• So as you can see, there are plenty ways to become and stay inspired. There are no less than two dozen other venues and conferences… like the International Builder Show, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, the Hospitality Design Conference, the twice-a-year High Point Furniture Market, the American Crafts Council Show and the summer and winter markets at both the Dallas Market Center and the World Market Center in Las Vegas.   

The quandary it seems for me is to select venues that will have the products, technologies and thinking in line with the projects one is working on at the time.  It is a challenge to know what shows to register for since each are a major investment of travel, time and dollars.  

Oh and one more thing… another challenge is just finding the time to be away from the office for several days at a time.  Clients sometimes get pesky.  And our subs do to 

• But its what we must do to stay inspired.  
• Its what we do for our clients.  
• We inspire them with new ways to live.