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Friday, Sept. 25 | ☀️ 98°/75°
Welcome to Friday! Monday night, more than 1,200 Imperial Irrigation District customers lost power in an area stretching from Sweetwater Drive to 38th Avenue, including Avondale Golf Club and Palm Valley Country Club, with the outage first reported just after 6:50 p.m. and gone from IID's outage page by 9 p.m. That’s a good reminder that the next time the lights go out, you can check IID's outage map or report an outage here. Bookmark it now and hopefully you won't need it anytime soon!
🎶 Setting the mood: "Rockshow" by Paul McCartney and Wings
Leading Off
Palm Desert had 532 homes on the market at the start of September, down from 576 last year. (File photo)
City’s home prices dip slightly as valley market moves toward balance
Home prices in Palm Desert slipped slightly from a year ago, even as sales ticked up. Across the Coachella Valley, the housing market is shifting toward a balance between buyers and sellers.
Driving the news: The median price of an average-sized detached home in Palm Desert fell 2% to $689,000 compared to last year, according to the latest Greater Palm Springs Realtors (GPSR) Desert Housing Report. Attached home prices dipped 0.4% to $491,000.
By the numbers: Palm Desert recorded 114 sales during the three-month period ending in August, about seven more than last year and the second highest in the valley behind Palm Springs.
Homes in the city are selling slightly faster, spending 57 days on the market compared to 60 a year ago.
Inventory: Palm Desert had 532 homes on the market at the start of the month, down from 576 last year and the second-highest total in the valley.
The big picture: Valley-wide, the median price of an average-sized detached home last month was $635,000, down 2% from last year. Attached home prices fell 3% to $430,000.
Detached home prices rose in Indian Wells, Bermuda Dunes, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage and fell in the rest of the valley. Attached prices rose in just two cities, Indian Wells and Indio.
Why it matters: The report, which measures housing inventory against recent sales, found the valley is moving into a more balanced market that favors neither buyers nor sellers.
Valley-wide inventory is down almost 13% year-over-year to 2,441 units, while sales are about 33% below average.
What we're watching: The Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates to a range of 3.75% to 4%, and analysts say further increases could be ahead. Lenders use the benchmark rate as the basis for setting rates, including mortgage rates.
Briefly
The existing site (top) and early plans for the renovation (bottom).
🏡 Homekind expansion sent back for redesign
Palm Desert's Architectural Review Commission voted 6-0 Tuesday to delay a decision on expanding the Homekind assisted living home on Portola Avenue, sending the design back for changes to its roofline, equipment screening and overall appearance.
The facility for people over 65 would add five bedrooms so each of its 15 residents would have a private suite with a bathroom. One commissioner said the new flat-roof additions clash with the original sloped-roof house, while Commissioner Jorge Garcia said a 15-foot parapet around the entire building looks "a little institutional."
Details: Commissioners asked the applicant to show rooftop equipment on a roof plan with screening built into the architecture, study lower parapets and better integrate the existing building with the new design. The expansion also needs a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission, which will consider it at a date not yet set.
📅 Featured Events
TODAY
Turn the Page: A Fall Equinox + End of Summer Reset at a private residence at 5:30 p.m. ($88)
SATURDAY
Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen at McCallum Theatre at 8 p.m. (From $60)
SUNDAY
Intensive 3-Session Life Drawing with Laurel Goddard Thomas at the Artists Center at the Galen at 1 p.m. ($68–$183)
WEDNESDAY
Iyengar Yoga for Healthy Aging - A Gentle Yoga for Older Adults at Iyengar Yoga Center Coachella Valley at 10 a.m. (Free)
THURSDAY
Board Game Night at The Dragon Den at 5 p.m. ($10–$20)
Voices for Children: CASA Volunteer Information Session at RAP Foundation at 5:30 p.m.
Stand-Up Comedy Night at La Fe Wine Bar at 7:30 p.m. ($20)
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✨ And Finally …
Photo: City of Palm Desert
In less than a week, Palm Desert's Concerts in the Park series returns to Civic Center Park, with five weeks of free live music running through the month of October.
Driving the news: Every Thursday at 6 p.m., a different tribute act takes the stage:
Mirage plays Fleetwood Mac on Oct. 1
y2k2k! covers '90s and 2000s hits on Oct. 8
Franklin Wall brings country favorites on Oct. 15
The 80'z All-Stars throw an '80s dance party on Oct. 22
MJ Vibes closes the series with a Michael Jackson tribute on Oct. 29
Worth noting: Concertgoers can bring blankets, lawn chairs, or a picnic, and a food truck will be on-site each week, though alcohol and smoking are not allowed in the park.
The amphitheater sits at the northeast corner of San Pablo Avenue and Fred Waring Drive.
How to attend: Concerts are free, and more information is available at PalmDesert.gov/Concerts or by calling 760-568-1441.
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