You have to give Ellen Paris credit — at least an A+ for effort — for tackling an issue that many of us would rather not discuss: the state of the real estate market.
In January, when we began planning this annual real estate issue, I put calls out and met personally with several top-performing real estate agents, who — although conceding much to tough times — exuded a measure of optimism, even confidence, in the bullish nature of our local market. Their never-say-die attitude and well-reasoned answers to my unsettling questions triggered the idea to publish a story that examines the bright side of real estate in the desert.
The result was a phone call to Paris, a regular contributor to Palm Springs Life. I ran the idea by her and said that if she took on this story, we should not hide from the palpable difficulties in the market, but we should accentuate the positive. Bravo to Paris for her article, “Look at the Bright Sides” in which she demonstrates how buyers and sellers can claim successful house transactions in the Coachella Valley.
Our annual real estate issue also takes you to the amazing Crocker estate and inside houses selected for a new book about modern design in the desert. And our annual Home section, edited by Lisa Marie Rovito, serves up home improvement ideas for every room (and outside) your house.
• We are deeply saddened by the death of longtime Palm Springs Life Valley Observer columnist Hank Stokes. His razor-sharp wit and trenchant knowledge of the desert and its myriad issues added a meaningful dimension to the magazine — a voice impossible to replace. “He wrote about virtually everything and everybody who mattered in this desert,” says friend and colleague Kay Hazen. “His keen observations, love of language, and generosity of spirit will be greatly missed.” Mr. Stokes was also a major contributor to the successful City of Palm Desert retail marketing strategy and an owner of El Paseo’s Sandpiper Shoes in the early days. “He always remained a champion of Palm Desert,” Mayor Jean Benson says. A scholarship will be awarded in his name to a Palm Desert High School essayist focusing on the role local government plays in the Coachella Valley.
Which Came First?
Admiring the way this Canyon Country Club pool works with the house and the way the house works with the pool, one might wonder which one noted architect Stan Sackley designed first. Pool features include full-width steps serving as entry points on three sides, a separate spa, Pebble Tec finish, nearby fire pit, cantilevered deck, and a water feature with a double-spill fall. The historic home showcases multiple roof heights, expansive walls of glass, and a pass-through bar with a sliding window to the patio and pool — an artful interplay between pool and abode.
Photo Credit: Lance Gerber
Swimming With History
Designer Roy Sklarin’s home sits on nearly three-quarters of an acre in Old Las Palmas — plenty of room to devote a significant space to this multifunctional pool and its surrounding lounge area with outdoor kitchen. The covered patio allows for shady entertaining, but the 60-foot fiber-optic spa and pool with tanning shelf is the jaw-dropping highlight of this midcentury estate.
Photo Credit: David Blank
Something Boulder
One hundred tons of boulders were hauled in to build this show-stopping pool in The Estancias at Rancho La Quinta. Coachella-based Teserra won an Association of Pool and Spa Professionals gold award for this dramatic poolscape (the fourth it created for the homeowners) that incorporates three water features, a grotto, stream, bridge, and fire pit with a swim-up/walk-down option. More than 20 dimmable lights shine on the bends of the stream, fountains, and stacked-stone water features, while several pumps control their speed and flow.
Photo Credit: Teserra
Infinite Possibilities
Turning water into glass with a 100 percent zero-edge pool and two zero-edge spas fulfills an outdoor entertainer’s dream. This custom infinity-style masterpiece by Azure Pools & Spas has two spas: a small one off the master suite that heats up fast for a quick dip and another with seating for 12 and fantastic views of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Other amenities include seven colored lights, three lights in the infinity basin, a Quartzite stone tanning shelf with bubbler water feature, Japanese tile on the pool and spas’ edge, along with Quartzite stone veneers. The interior finish combines three types of glass bead mixed with pebble for a brilliant custom color that sparkles under the sun.
Photo Credit: Tom Brewster
Falling Waters
This stunning Bighorn Golf Club resort home designed by Graystone Construction of La Quinta has water at its heart, making an afternoon swim an experience filled with sight and sound. The multilevel waterfalls splash and flow into a stylish swimming pool surrounded by lush landscaping and mountain views.
