What Happens to Palm Desert Short-Term Rentals on December 31, 2026?
If you own a home in Palm Desert’s Hillside Planned Residential zone and you rent it out short term without living there, your permit stops working on December 31, 2026. Not paused. Not grandfathered. Terminated. Palm Desert Municipal Code Chapter 5.10 says existing off-site short-term rental perm
Is the Coachella Valley Running Out of Water? What the New Colorado River Cuts Mean if You're Buying Here in 2026
California just gave up 440,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water a year. That happened Friday, August 21, when the Department of the Interior published a new two-year operating plan for the river. If you are looking at homes in La Quinta or Palm Desert from Orange County or San Diego, you probably
What Buyers and Sellers Are Asking AI Before They Call an Agent
A research report released in January 2026 confirmed something I've been watching happen in the background of nearly every client conversation. 45% of buyers and sellers who used AI during their real estate transaction asked it a question they were too uncomfortable to ask their agent directly. No
Absentee Seller Checklist: Managing Your Desert Second Home From the Coast During Monsoon Season
August means monsoon season in the Coachella Valley, and if your desert property is sitting empty while you’re on the coast, this is the month it can bite you. I’m Laura Lake, DRE #01455311, 21 years in the Coachella Valley, and I help absentee owners manage exactly this from a distance. What does
Why Condos Are Getting Harder to Sell in La Quinta and Palm Desert in 2026
That is the part most sellers do not see coming. You can price correctly, stage well, and still watch offers fall apart at the lender, because of a rule written in Washington about your HOA’s balance sheet. Steven Thomas devoted his entire August Riverside County housing report to condos this month.
What Do HOA Fees Actually Cost in La Quinta and Palm Desert in 2026?
A buyer finds a La Quinta home at $875,000, runs a mortgage calculator, and decides it works. Then they find out the HOA is $1,175 a month and golf membership is mandatory. That is a $14,100 a year surprise, and it is the single most common one I see with buyers coming from the coast. I am Laura Lak
Is the Housing Market Crashing in La Quinta and Palm Desert in 2026?
If you’ve scrolled past a headline this year warning that California’s housing market is about to crash, you’re not alone in wondering what that actually means for your street. I’m Laura Lake, and I’ve sold real estate in the Coachella Valley for 21 years, licensed as DRE #01455311, specializing i
Will the Capital Gains Exclusion Double? What the More Homes on the Market Act Means for Coastal Sellers Moving to the Desert
If you bought a house in Orange County or San Diego in 1998 and you are thinking about selling it to move to La Quinta or Palm Desert, there is a good chance a tax rule written before the iPhone existed is the biggest single line item in your move. Here is the rule. When you sell a primary residence
How to Sell a Second Home in La Quinta Without Being There: An Absentee Seller's August Guide
Selling a La Quinta second home from out of state feels harder than it needs to be. I’m Laura Lake, DRE #01455311, 21 years in the Coachella Valley, and remote listings are a normal part of my business, not a special case. Can I really sell without flying in constantly? Yes. Between video walkthroug