Real Property in Australia

U.S. real estate prices, particularly Southern California, have adjusted much lower than global real estate prices. I had the opportunity to travel to Australia for the Holidays and - wow, what a great experience. The plane ride was, well let's just say long but hey 15 hours non-stop San Francisco to Sydney was fun? The best part of any long trip is the fact that the destination feels exotic and far from home. Landing in Sydney was no exception and definitely worth the effort.

Southern California has some of the highest priced real estate in the U.S., and I was looking forward to comparing values in a foreign market. Although flying through Sydney, it was not my destination, Port Douglas, Queensland was. The arrival airport for Port Douglas is Cairns - and the landing, scenery, weather, and small town feeling was wonderful. I had a great time exploring and enjoying the tropical location. For anyone who loves the desert like I do, this type of getaway is really appreciated, and the grass really is greener in the rain forest than in the Colorado Desert (Palm Springs). In addition to being the jumping off point for the Northern Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas was clean, beautiful, and oh what a surprise - expensive!

The real estate prices all over Australia (for the most part) are currently experiencing large amounts of appreciation. Some of the Real Estate in Port Douglas was more expensive than here in beautiful Southern California. Palm Springs real estate is on average $350/ sq ft - with the range being $100 to $1,000 sq ft. Port Douglas seemed to be a bit more expensive than this - I was very surprised, but on the other hand, what a beautiful spot. My experience tells me that there might be an adjustment for our Australian friends, based on the global credit contraction. I would recommend anyone interested in weather, fitness, food, exotic locales and real estate - visit Australia, Port Douglas in particular. My choice as a sister city to the beautiful desert here in Palm Springs - oh and don't forget to buy Real Estate.

Sunshine, Low Density, Great Air

Now that you are so clever to have identified the Palm Springs area as a place to live, invest and enjoy, you should know where you are going to be...

Palm Springs is sheltered by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, and the San Jacinto Mountains to the west. This geography gives Palm Springs its famed warm, dry climate, with 354 days of sunshine and less than 6 inches of rain annually. Winter temperatures average in the 70s with nights in the low-to-mid 40s, but the dry desert heat of summer pushes daytime temperatures well above 100, with overnight temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s. In general, very high temperatures in the summer are made bearable by the dryness of the desert heat. Summer evenings and nights are very pleasant.
Average seasonal temperatures:
January: Daytime highs of 72 °F, with overnight lows of 40°F
April: Daytime highs of 87 °F, with overnight lows of 52°F
July: Daytime highs of 108 °F, with overnight lows of 73°F
October: Daytime highs of 91 °F, with overnight lows of 57°F

Next Time we will go over Air Quality - which is an incredible advantage that the Palm Springs area offers over other southern calif locals....

Measure C fails as more than 60 percent of voters choose "No

We appreciate the sensitivity to views and environmental issues and density - but property rights must trump oversensitivity. This measure failing ads costs to the development group, the city, and the people who want to "save" this land. Just buy the land - and do as you wish.....

A five star resort in Palm Springs?

The Saga Unfolds - from The Press Enterprise...

The roots of today's struggle over building in Chino Canyon started with one man's dream. Mark Bragg, the original developer, couldn't find a five-star resort in Palm Springs. In 1984, Bragg began assembling land for an upscale tennis resort. But his plans changed, turning to a golf resort.

Today, Bragg isn't involved in day-to-day activities with Shadowrock, but he retains a financial interest in the project, Castleton said. In 1993, Palm Springs initially approved Bragg's plans for Shadowrock. Over the next decade, the developer and his project faced tough times. Bragg encountered regulatory issues with state and federal agencies and faced lawsuits from environmentalists.

Outcome Pending

With the election nearing, the dueling campaigns are in a battle for every vote.
Both sides plan on winning at the ballot box. But even with a final tally, Shadowrock's fate could end up in court, depending on which side prevails, because of two pending lawsuits, said City Attorney Doug Holland.
"There are loose ends that may need to be resolved in court," he said.

The Ending - isn't coming soon - but we hope that private property, zoning, and land use laws are observed...M1 Properties

Time for better weather and activity

At M1 Properties, we have celebrated the cooler weather by participating in the the tram road challenge. The tram road is a challenging 6k race in beautiful Palm Springs, CA that feels straight up, and attracts runners and fit minded people from all over southern CA to out beautiful desert. After finishing the race our entire office stayed for the awards ceremony, and watched the first recipient, an 89 year old man receive his division award. It was very inspiring and impressive - he was soo fit, and jumped up cheerfully for his award - Kudos! The real estate market feels like running uphill right now, it's a little more difficult than a flat track, but the view is incredible when you get there. We are recovering from the road and the hill and looking forward to the cooler crisper weather.

Palm Springs Area Real Estate

The beautiful warm fall weather is upon us - and we hope that you are able to join us in the desert soon. Property sales have been challenging - but still happening with much effort from your hard working agents and broker. The credit market freeze-up has hit the desert along with other real estate markets, but we are a growth community - and once we are able to reduce inventory numbers - we will regain a healthier balance between buyers and sellers motivation. M1 Properties website is a transparent search tool designed to aid buyers - with a quick and efficient way to view - either in the list format - or the live search method - to get great information and a birds-eye view of our desert and real estate market. Send us your comments - and we will be blogging you with news, updates, and thoughts...