Paul’s Palm Springs’ Restaurant Picks- Leon’s Bar & Grill

Posted on Apr 5, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Located at the Canyon Country Club Golf Course at 1100 Murray Canyon, in south Palm Springs, Leon’s is a favorite of many locals-  huge room with walls of glass overlooking the golf course and mountains, provides a gorgeous setting for brunch, lunch or dinner. Live music, and huge bar too.  Reasonable prices, great service too-  one of my Mom’s favorite places to eat!!

Sunday Champagne brunch for $15 is always packed with the local crowds…worth checking out!

 

Tags: Palm Springs Real Estate, Restaurants

Racquet Club Road Estates – Real Estate Update

Posted on Apr 2, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Below are the latest stats for the Racquet Club Road Estates neighborhood in Palm Springs.   The trend is showing increased inventory however, the prices have been going up over the past 6 months. 

(Median sales price from 10/09 to 1/10 was $280,000.  Median  sales price for the last 3 months was $302,000)

These stats show what’s been going on in the past 3 months:

Total sales:  8

Total active listings:  24

Months considered to take to absorb all the listings:  8.99

Median Sales Price:  $302,000

Median days listing are on the market:  56

Median sales price as a % of list price:  96.25%

For more detailed info, see the chart below.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!

How is this report calculated?

Inventory Analysis	Prior 7 – 12 Months (04/07/2009-10/03/2009)	Prior 4 – 6 Months (10/04/2009-01/01/2010)	Current – 3 Months (01/02/2010-04/02/2010)
Total # of Comparable Sales (Settled)	0	10	8
Absorption Rate (Total Sales/Months)	0.00	3.33	2.67
Total # of Comparable Active Listings ♦	11	22	24
Months of Housing Supply (Listings/Absorption Rate)	0.00	6.61	8.99
Median Comparable Sale Price	0	280,000	302,000
Median Comparable Sales Days on Market	0	29	56
Median Comparable List Price (All)	249,000	324,450	372,450
Median Comparable Listings Days on Market (All)	77	101	63
Median Sale Price / Median List Price %	0.00%	104.10%	96.36%

♦The total number of all Comparable Active Listings is based on listings that were On Market for all or part of one of the specified time periods above.

Click Here for a list of current listings available in the Racquet Club Road Estates neighborhood and vicinity.

Tags: Mid-Century Homes, Palm Springs Real Estate, paul kaplan realtor, Racquet Club Road Estates

John’s Restaurant- Palm Springs Diner!

Posted on Apr 1, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

One of my favorite casual restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  Inexpensive, quick, easy! 

Its not all greasy hamburgers (which I hear are amazing, by the way, although I don’t eat meat!)  Great salads-  and when you’re going off the diet?  Go for the fried onion rings and fried zucchini! 

Friday night is Fried Chicken night!  (We’re talking about food here still) , which is a locals’ favorite! 

Check it out when you’re hungry for some comfort food!

Tags: downtown palm springs, Restaurants

Palm Springs- did you say you wanted a fixer?

Posted on Mar 26, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

FORECLOSURE!  Located in the heart of Racquet Club Road Estates, is the ultimate opportunity to buy a true FIXER! This home was built by the Alexander Construction Company, around 1959, and designed by the design firm of Palmer & Krisel. Ready to bring your imagination and paint brush? Yours to enjoy for $129,900! (I sold the home next door about a year ago for $470,000 so there is potential here!)

Interested in taking on a project?  Give me a call!  760-285-8559

Despite the scary facade, this one will probably get multiple offers…

This is the house I sold next door, the “after” showing some potential.

This is the original Alexander floor plan…which this house could have been at one time, hard to say!

Beds: 4*

Baths: 2

Sq Ft: 1805*

Lot Sz: 10019sqft*

Listing courtesy of the Duncan Group.

Just needs a little TLC!

Palm Springs photos of Steve McQueen in his Alexander Home

Posted on Mar 25, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Life magazine just posted on their site, a photoshoot of Steve McQueen taken over a 3 week period in 1963.

(McQueen’s Alexander home in Racquet Club Road Estates-  featuring the original movable island kitchen)

  Included in the gallery of photos, are shots of Steve and his then wife, Nellie, in their  Palm Springs home, built by Alexander Construction Company, designed by William Krisel.

Notice the original mosaic William Krisel designed  fireplace!  (of course using it to hold your record player is an interesting use of the space I hadn’t thought of!)

McQueen and then wife Nellie, in the desert surrounding Palm Springs.

Click here for the full posting of Steve McQueens Never Before Seen Photos, by Life

Palm Springs noted Architect- William Cody

Posted on Mar 15, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Ran across this in the March Palm Springs Life’s site- (Republished from the August 1964 Issue of Palm Springs Life Magazine),  a series of interviews with architect, William Cody- 

These are some of my favorite “timeless” quotes noted in the article:

“”It is sickening,” he said, “that we are plagued with pseudo  Roman medal-stamp columns, large imitation wine jugs and Grecian villas and neo (and sub-neo)  classic design better fitted for a Hollywood back-lot ‘B’ picture.”

“Architecture must guide the future of our culture, a three-dimensional sculptured concept  conditioned by proportion, the secret of great building. Father to the arts, it embraces man’s  finest endeavors and, since the inception of time, has inspired progress and served to formulate  a better way of life”

 ”Fine architecture is not a product of automation. Great talent in any field is limited to the  very few. Therefore, some of today’s buildings are bad examples of contemporary design. The  demand for talent exceeds the supply. This is unfortunate because it has bred mediocrity. It is  appalling that 80 percent of the buildings constructed in this country are designed without  benefit of architects. The construction industry, largest in the nation, is lagging for behind  the advances in other fields.”

“Good contemporary architecture is a world wide expression, conditioned by the geographic  location, politics and economics of the various countries throughout the world. Here, on the  desert, it should flourish.”

Click here to read the full article on William Cody.

Tags: Architecture, Historic Preservation, Mid-Century Homes, Palm Springs Real Estate, paul kaplan real estate

Palm Springs Mid-Century Neighborhood Tour – Sunmor Estates

Posted on Mar 13, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Sunmor Estates Home Tour

Saturday April 17, 2010 10 AM to 1PM

The Sunmor neighborhood consists of a collection of modernist atomic ranch style homes constructed in the late 50′s & 60′s, by the Alexander Construction Company and local builder, Robert Higgins. 

For more Sumor information, click here.

Tags: Alexander Construction Co., Historic Preservation, Mid-Century Homes, Palm Springs Real Estate, paul kaplan real estate, paul kaplan realtor

Living off grid – Desert Pre-fab Pied-a-terre in Joshua Tree

Posted on Mar 13, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Not far from Palm Springs, can be found the latest design by prefab pioneer,  Jennifer Siegal of the Office of Mobile Design  whohas ventured inland to install its latest design, the Prefab Showhouse. Formerly located in Venice, CA where it served as OMD’s showroom for inquisitive clients, the diminutive modular maison was just recently moved from its coastal location to be installed in the desert community of Joshua Tree where it will be the new home to Hollywood film producer Chris Hanley.

The 720 sf, 1 bedroom home is located on a generous Joshua Tree-sized lot of 80 acres. Besides solitude, tranquility, and expansive views of the surrounding desert, the home offers the very best in new technologies and luxurious details. The central kitchen/bath core divides and separates the sleeping space from the public eating/living space in a compact assemblage of form and function. The steel frame structure was trucked into the site and simply set on a temporary foundation.

With this desert pied-a-terre, OMD proves that ideas of prefabrication, flexibility, portability and compact spaciousness can be combined to make off-the-grid living perfectly comfortable

See the full post.

Tags: Architecture, paul kaplan real estate, paul kaplan realtor

Rare chance to see The Palm Springs’ Bob Hope House- by John Lautner

Posted on Mar 11, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Just got my tickets today!!  I’ve been wanting to see this house since I was a kid, visiting Palm Springs.  Here’s a great opportunity to check it out, and to join the Palm Springs Museum and the Arts and Design Council. 

The Arts and Design Council is holding its anual ADC Fundraiser – (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Saturday, March 20)

This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the spectacular Hope House at a cocktail reception with fellow ADC members. The enormous roof, which echoes the surrounding hills of Southridge, hovers over an expansive patio and garden area where Lautner’s dramatic architecture can be experienced. Invitations will be mailed to ADC members.

Fundraiser
ADC Fundraiser at the Bob & Dolores Hope House, designed by John Lautner
$200 per person (ADC members only)

To make reservations, please call Brooke Devenney at 760.322.4818 or email bdevenney@psmuseum.org

SEE YOU THERE!

Tags: Entertainment, Historic Preservation, mid-century, Mid-Century Homes, Palm Springs Real Estate, paul kaplan real estate, paul kaplan realtor

Palm Springs- a bigger bolder beautiful Palm Springs!

Posted on Mar 11, 2010 by Paul Kaplan

Palm Springs : Better, Bolder, Beautiful from Palm Springs Tourism on Vimeo.

Cool video on improvements going on in Palm Springs!

Tags: downtown palm springs, Entertainment, Palm Springs Real Estate, paul kaplan real estate, paul kaplan realtor