Closing Pandemic Projects in Coachella Valley

April 21, 2021 By Gayle Pietras Leave a Comment

Light is at the end of the tunnel!! Riverside County is finally in the orange tier and hopefully moving to the last tier, yellow, in the next week or so. At the same time, the vaccination rate is increasing! It is so nice to see people out and about at restaurants, stores and attractions. Last week we went to the Living Desert & Zoo and it was refreshing to see the giraffes, baby Big Horn sheep, zebras and the new Australian exhibit even with the required mask on! Afterwards, it was to Kitchen 86 on El Paseo for afternoon delights on the outdoor patio.

Wallaby in Living new Desert Australian exhibit

It feels good to be Closing Pandemic Projects in Coachella Valley. Our last pandemic project was bottling homemade limoncello with our personal labels. When life gives you Meyer lemons, you make limoncello!! During the lockdown, Zoom kept me in contact with my friends and family, and we made the best of the situation with special events like a Zoom Spa Day. It was not as good as being in the real spa, but it gave us laughs and put smiles on our faces.

Enjoying a Zoom Spa Day

Now that we’re moving away from puzzles (I’m so over them!!) and starting to socialize, I’m so looking forward to re-connecting with family, friends and clients. As Coachella Valley starts to feel safer, owners will feel more comfortable putting their home on the market and allowing buyers and agents to enter their home. Currently, home inventory is extremely low (at unprecedented levels), which has caused prices to increase. Even though prime season is coming to an end, the housing market should remain robust through the summer months as there will still be pent up demand for Coachella Valley. Mortgage rates have increased but are still at historical low levels. One big unknown is how long Wall Street’s bull market will continue.

If you need guidance in the ever changing real estate market, please contact me. My 20 years in the real estate business has spanned many different markets. As for the past year, I’m so glad to be Closing Pandemic Projects in Coachella Valley

Coachella Valley 2021 Housing Market Outlook

January 21, 2021 By Gayle Pietras Leave a Comment

Wow! What a wild ride the Coachella Valley housing market has been on for the last 8 months! Who knew that a pandemic would make the desert such a desirable place to live?? There’s no congestion, lots of open space, many outdoor activities and of course, blue skies and sunshine. I was glad the desert was my home during these unprecedented, crazy times. But what is the Coachella Valley 2021 Housing Market Outlook?

Currently, the desert is extremely low on inventory. According to the California Desert Association of Realtors, Coachella Valley listings were down 50% on January 1, 2021 compared to the same time in 2020. That seems implausible as we are in the height of the season. This is usually the time with the highest number of homes on the market as sellers want to take advantage of the largest buyer pool. Regardless of the fact that many Canadians cancelled their visit this season, there are still many snowbirds here enjoying the weather and amenities.

Beautiful desert views — Chilly mornings lead to beautiful afternoons

Despite the extra precautions for viewing homes, as well as risks, sellers sold homes over the summer and fall, buyers quickly purchased them, and the trend is continuing. Demand for desert homes remains high and multiple offers are the norm for many areas. With COVID-19, realtors are under strict guidelines when listing and showing homes. Realtors cannot have traditional open houses where anyone can walk in nor can they take buyers around in their cars. All visitors must sign a Property Entry Advisory and Declaration, wear masks, sanitize and not touch anything when inside the home.

Industry experts predict that mortgage interest rates will stay low for most of the year, which is great news for buyers creating high demand, as well as for sellers. With mortgage interest rates remaining low, a robust stock market and stimulus packages provided, the Coachella Valley 2021 Housing Market Outlook should remain hot for most of this year. If you are thinking of selling your home or purchasing one, please contact me. I can walk you through the new market realities and we can have some fun too! Stay safe and healthy!

Supporting Coachella Valley Restaurants

October 21, 2020 By Gayle Pietras Leave a Comment

What a crazy year it has been!! Everyone is constantly making adjustments for the reality of the moment. Businesses, including realtors like myself, had to alter the standard business model to stay afloat. With the openings then closings, small businesses owners have really been affected so supporting them is very important. Today I want to focus on supporting Coachella Valley restaurants that have gone from take out only, to outdoor dining in the summer heat, to indoor at 25% capacity, and just recently, back to outdoor only! At least the triple digit temperatures are gone!

Take out food has been part of my survival plan as it adds variety to everyday home cooked or partially home cooked meals. Plus, eating is one of the highlights of the day, as most of us know with the Covid extra pounds. Take out also has been a major part of the survival plan for our local restaurants.

Take out from Okura Sushi — Japanese take out from Okura in La Quinta

Okura in La Quinta expanded to a bigger location and designed a beautiful restaurant right before the lock down. Okura has delicious Japanese food and super fresh sushi. One of my favs is the Serrano Hamachi Carpaccio as well as the seaweed salad. And you can’t go wrong with the specialty rolls that are so imaginative and yummy! Once home, it’s fun to get creative with the take out by replating and creating a festive selection that is pleasing to the eyes and palate.

When craving a pizza, it’s either Pierro’s PizzaVino in Palm Desert or Enzo’s Bistro and Bar in La Quinta. We’ll get salads to make it well balanced meal, and there is usually leftover pizza for the next day! At Pierro’s, we switch between the Calabrese and Caprese with Proscuitto pizza! At Enzo’s, it’s the Constantina pizza. Both restaurants have great Italian food!

When craving Mexican, it’s either traditional at Pueblo Viejo or unique at Tu Madres Cantina and Grill. Tu Madres in Indio is Mexican food with a flair and the chef uses local ingredients. Their enchiladas with green sauce are amazing and you can pick 2 side dishes! It is so yummy! The other favorite item is the short rib barbacoa burrito! And top it off with the El Diablo margarita! It’s all available to go.

Supporting Coachella Valley Restaurants at Tu Madras — Margaritas, enchiladas and burrito from Tu Madres

Next door to Tu Madres is Heirloom Craft Kitchen, which specializes in comfort food. If you want some good Asian food, check out City Wok in Palm Desert. And for breakfast, there’s Goody’s Café in multiple locations. Supporting Coachella Valley restaurants is very easy as there are so many to choices. What restaurant is your go to?

When I’m not eating, it’s all about real estate. Coachella Valley has been a popular relocation area during this pandemic. Contact me and I can tell you all about the valley!

Coachella Valley Puzzling Times

July 10, 2020 By Gayle Pietras Leave a Comment

Shelter in place, social distancing, protective face covering, flattening the curve, contact tracing…phrases that were not part of our vocabulary 4 months ago are now everyday conversation. The coronavirus curve did start to flatten so some restrictions were loosened, but now COVID-19 is on the rise! We are starting to hunker down again and bringing back those puzzles and games, but what else is there to do? Surprising as it may sound, people are still purchasing homes during Coachella Valley Puzzling Times!

Real estate was deemed an essential business but with state added guidelines to keep people safe. First, buyers are encouraged to view homes virtually via still photos and video/virtual tours. Those tools help buyers weed out homes but buyers generally, as the next step, want to tour the home in person because buying a home is an emotional process. For the in-person viewing, buyers and agents must wear masks, practice social distancing, avoid touching surfaces and items in the house and wash or sanitize hands. Homes need to be disinfected before and after showing. Buyers and agents sign a Property Entry Advisory and Declaration where the person signing declares they are not aware that they have COVID-19 and agree to follow the proper sanitation procedures.

Despite the additional steps in the home buying process, serious buyers are venturing out in this uncertain environment and following the rules! As a result, inventory is low in Coachella Valley and prices are steady and in some cases, slightly rising. With the effects of coronavirus in densely populated areas, the desert is very desirable as there is less crowding, more space and secure gated communities. Many homes have backyards and pools, the perfect living space to shelter in place.

Start living the desert dream in a refreshing pool home

The Coachella Valley housing market continues to be healthy even in the face of this pandemic. Hopefully the coronavirus curve will start to flatten again soon as people become diligent about protecting themselves and others. To get to healthy times, its back to indoor activities and pastimes conducive to staying at home for these Coachella Valley Puzzling times. If you need information on the local desert real estate market, please contact me. I’m here with face mask, hand sanitizer, bacterial wipes and booties.

Closing Pandemic Projects in Coachella Valley

Coachella Valley 2021 Housing Market Outlook

Supporting Coachella Valley Restaurants

Coachella Valley Puzzling Times

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