​As you know from my last post, I ​spent last week in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage looking at homes for two clients (one client in the $450k to $600k range, and the other in the $1M to $2M range). ​

​But you might be asking yourself, where should I be looking to buy, Palm​ Springs or Rancho Mirage? What’s the difference?

Rancho Mirage generally offers bigger lots – basically, your money will go further than in south Palm Springs. In Rancho Mirage, you’re also surrounded by a lot of golf courses – so if that’s something you like, keep it that in mind. If you go out to eat a lot, then keep in mind that El Paseo offers many restaurants, but it’s in Palm Desert (a 10-15 minute drive). Or, you could go to Palm Springs, and that’s a 25-30 minute drive.

I looked at a house for $1.4M in Rancho Mirage, built in 2006, with high ceilings, a big pool, a sunken kitchen next to the pool, and beautiful views of the mountains. However, it wasn’t really close to anything – it was in a gated housing development, so if you go outside the gated community, you’re basically on a busy street. This is something to keep in mind should you like to walk your dogs or bike about town.

The Environment

I noticed a lot of planes overhead in Rancho Mirage, as well as the associated noise. While you may hear some plane noise in south Palm Springs, the planes are much higher in the air by the time they hit Palm Springs because of the adjacent San Jacinto mountains. In addition, in south Palm Springs, the planes fly over far less frequently – or perhaps they are so high that I did not notice them.

The north side of Palm Springs has a lot more wind, so if you don’t like wind and wind storms, be mindful of this in your search.

Whether you’re buying in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, or anywhere else in the Desert, make sure your home (your pool area especially) either faces the mountain, or south, or west, so that you get sun in your backyard/pool area. That’s the whole point of being in the desert! Even if you do buy a property with the pool/yard facing the mountains, the sun sets over them as early as 4pm, and if your pool is on the wrong side of the house, you could be covered in shade by 12 noon.

Since I spent a great deal of time in the desert for these two clients (and recently sold to another client), I noticed a lot of new developments that are coming up. If you’d like more information and you’re thinking about investing in a home in the Coachella Valley, please do give me a call.

Connie De Groot
Realtor / Broker
310 913-1184