Lucas Schelkens says of relocating from L.A. to Palm Springs: “There is so much to do in our little town and in the rest of the Coachella Valley. It’s not just a vacation; it’s a lifestyle.”
PHOTOGRAPH AND VIDEO BY ETHAN KAMINSKY PRODUCTIONS
Lucas Schelkens began his love affair with real estate early, growing up in Antwerp, Belgium, in a midcentury home — the mid-17th century.
“I grew up in a house built in 1667,” he says. “That immediately set my interest in everything to do with real estate.”
Schelkens, now a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Palm Springs, first visited the Coachella Valley in November 1997 before relocating to Los Angeles to run an art gallery/antique store and work as an interior designer. That background influences everything he does today. “Real estate is really a people business. I can walk into a house and say, ‘With a few adjustments, this could be your dream home,’” whether it’s an Alexander midcentury modern or a Spanish-style contemporary.
Now Schelkens has relocated to the desert from L.A. with his husband, a writer who happens to be a contributor to Palm Springs Life. Together they take full advantage of the valley’s offerings, from visiting the museums to dining and shopping. “There is so much to do in our little town and in the rest of the Coachella Valley. It’s not just a vacation; it’s a lifestyle.”
He predicts that the local real estate market will remain hot as more people transition to permanent work from home, and he expects younger buyers as music festivals and other events return post-pandemic.
“More of our friends are buying their second home, still thinking, ‘Oh, it’s only going to be a second home,’” he says, “but sooner or later, we’re going to reel them in and they’re going to be full-timers here.”
VIDEO: Lucas Schelkens chats about how he works to find people their dream home in the desert.