Desert Sun Retreats 1/20/23

Reviewing the Fourth Quarter Coachella Valley Real Estate Market

Coachella Valley Market Snapshot

4TH

$579,700

Median Sold Sale Price up 5.8% Compared to 2021

down 2.0% Compared to last quarter

up 28.2% Compared to 2021

Average Days on Market up 14.8% Compared to last quarter

44

up 5.0% Compared to 2021

2,611 Homes Listed down 0.5% Compared to last quarter

The final quarter of 2022 presented an interesting turn in the market. Deceleration is the key word, with a slowdown in activity happening across the desert region. Read on to see how the year finished, and what it could mean for the 2023 housing market. Keep in mind the below analysis and numbers are for the Coachella Valley’s primary resort cities. If you are interested in learning more about the market in a neighborhood, please reach out to your local Bennion Deville Homes real estate professional by visiting BDHomes.com.

The final quarter of the year solidified the direction that we have been observing over those months, with a slowdown fully emerging. Year-over-year, the quarterly figures reflect drastic drops in activity, massive gains in inventory, more homes coming on the market, an easing of the sale pace, and, despite it all, a modest gain in the median price of a home. These factors make sense when looking at the market’s shift in direction, with more homes staying on the market longer and a decline in sales activity. Evaluating the quarter-over-quarter figures, we see similar direction changes. The number of new listings coming on the market was slightly lower, while the number of homes sold dropped, inventory increased, the median sale price declined, the sale pace slowed, and the listing discount continued to increase.

There are a couple of key things to keep in mind with these numbers and the tale they tell. First, the feverish activity in 2021 was an anomaly, with an unheard-of sales pace sustaining until the middle of 2022. Second, home prices are still very healthy due to a below average availability of homes for. Finally, this shift has

1,328

4.2 Months of Inventory up 45.3% Compared to last quarter QUARTER 2022 COMPARED YEAR OVER YEAR AND QUARTER OVER QUARTER

down 46.3% Compared to 2021

up 363.0% Compared to 2021 DESERTSUN.COM | FRIDAY,JANUARY 20,2023 | 3RE

been expected for some time, and is viewed overall as a sign of the market finding balance. After two straight years of skyrocketing growth, it was inevitable that we would see the numbers cool.

The fourth quarter saw 1,328 homes change hands, a 46.3% year-over-year decline and a 17.5% drop quarter-over-quarter. That sales activity amounted to over $1.5 billion in sales volume, an 11.3% increase year-over-year but a slight 2.3% dip from the prior quarter. Over the 3-month stretch the market welcomed 2,611 homes, a 5% increase from the same period in 2021 but a 0.5% downward nudge from third quarter 2022. Additionally, 1,493 homes reached pending status over the quarter, a 40.5% plummet from last year and a 3.2% decline from the prior quarter. The median sale price of a Coachella Valley home finished at $579,700, a 5.8% increase over 2021 but a 2% drop from third quarter. Likewise, the average price per square foot ended the quarter at $389, an 8.7% increase year-over-year and a 1.4% dip from the prior quarter. The sale pace, noted as average days on market, clocked in at 44 days, a 28.2% increase (slower) from the same quarter last year and a 14.8% increase from the previous quarter. The listing discount, calculated by dividing the sale price by the list price, was 97.7%, indicating a 2.3% discount, a 2.3% decline from last year (which had no discount at all!) and a 0.7% drop from third quarter of this year. Overall, there is a 4.2-month supply of homes for sale on the market to meet demand, a 363% surge from the same period last year, and a 45.3% increase quarter-over-quarter. A balanced market is considered at around 6 months of inventory, which the market is inching toward due to the slowdown in activity.

OPEN: Sat 10:00am-1:00pm

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• PALM DESERT •

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4BD/3BA Sun City Palm Desert 78149 Kistler $695,000 Gayle Pietras 760-636-8527 Sat 12-3

3BD/3BA Sun City Palm Desert 38217 Grand Oaks $775,000 Gayle Pietras 760-636-8527 Sat 12-3/Sun 12:30-2:30

3BD/2.5BA Sun City Palm Desert 34743 Blake Drive $795,000 Gayle Pietras 760-636-8527Sat 12:30-2:30/Sun 1-3

3BD/3.5BA The Lakes 204 Green Mountain Drive $849,000 DW & Associates 760-776-7070 Sun 11-2

3BD/3.5BA Indian Ridge 270 Tomahawk Drive $1,185,000 DW & Associates 760-776-7070 Sun 1-3

3BD/3.5BA Indian Ridge 436 Tomahawk Drive $1,250,000 DW & Associates 760-776-7070 Sat 1-3

3BD/4BA Indian Ridge Country Club 508 Desert Holly $1,399,000 Barbara Merrill 760-668-5808 Sat 1-3

3BD/3.5BA Indian Ridge 870 Deer Haven Circle $1,565,000 DW & Associates 760-776-7070 Sat 1-3

3BD/3.5BA Indian Ridge 483 Tomahawk Drive $1,895,000 DW & Associates 760-776-7070 Sun 1-3 4BD/4.5BA Indian Ridge 931 Deer Haven Circle $2,450,000 DW & Associates 760-776-7070 Sat 1-3

• LA QUINTA •

2BD/2BA Trilogy La Quinta 81761 Ulrich Drive $539,000 Mark Miller 442-234-3325 Sun 12-3 3BD/4BA Trilogy La Quinta 60160 Desert Rose Drive $699,000 Abigail Miller 760-238-6402 Sun 12-3

The best blenders of 2023

A blender is more than it used to be. Shop around, and you’ll find that the once-simple appliance has transformed into a kitchen workhorse that moonlights as a food processor, ice cream maker, grain miller, ice cube crusher, and more. As the age-old saying goes, you get what you pay for, so what’s really worth your money? h We’ve tested the best blenders you can buy.

BEST OVERALL Cuisinart Hurricane CBT-1500P1

This is a powerful blender that works quickly and produces exceptionally smooth smoothies but doesn’t take up a lot of extra space on the countertop.

Pros

Makes smooth smoothies quickly

Evenly crushes ice

Intuitive controls

Blender jar and lid are dishwasher safe

Cons

Limited speed options and presets

BEST UPGRADE

Vitamix Ascent A3500

This smart blender offers laser-cut stainless steel blades, a high-performance motor, and a 64-ounce container.

Pros Blends exceptionally well Very fast and powerful Intuitive controls

Cons

More affordable when refurbished Loud

Breville BBL920 Super Q

From mixing liquids to finely milling almonds, this blender can do it all. It also adapts into a food processor, ice cream maker, and personal blender.

Pros

Very fast and powerful Adaptable and versatile Super quiet Cons Massive base

Cleanblend Classic

Made by chefs for chefs, this no-frills affordable blender is easy to use and has simple controls, but lacks any child safety features.

Pros

Easy to use Simple controls

Excellent at making nut milk Cons

No “lock” sound No child safety

Pitcher moves a bit during use

Vitamix Professional Series 750

The Vitamix 750 is essentially the same machine as the 780, but with manual controls and a lower price. We think it ultimately offers a greater level of control and feedback.

Pros

Blends very well Well-built Cons

Less sleek than similar models

Manual controls

To read more, go to: Reviewed.usatoday.com/cooking/best-right-now/the-best-blenders Reviewed’s mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend by testing them in our labs to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

Cassidy Olsen, Madison Trapkin and Danielle DeSiato Reviewed.com | USA TODAY NETWORK

CUISINART VITAMIX

BREVILLE CLEANBLEND VITAMIX

Here are some books to read while waiting to garden

Vicki Johnson Special to New Jersey Herald USA TODAY NETWORK - NEW JERSEY

Winter is when we have more time to delve into books focused on our passion for gardening. Here are a few of my favorites that I return to again and again.

At the top of my list is “A Natural History of North American Trees” by Donald Culross Peattie. One of the best nature books ever written, Peattie weaves eloquent, enlightening essays out of fact, folklore and science. From the publisher: “’A volume for a lifetime’ is how The New Yorker described the first of Donald Culross Peatie’s two books about American trees published in the 1950s. In this one-volume edition, modern readers are introduced to one of the best nature writers of the last century. As we read Peattie’s entertaining accounts of American trees, we catch glimpses of our country’s history and past daily life that no textbook could ever illuminate so vividly.”

If you want professional insights for growing flowering perennials, a modern classic remains the best on the topic. In her book, “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden,” Tracy DiSabato-Aust shares valuable details we can learn only from an experienced gardener. She helps us select which plants to grow and — this is what most plant labels, magazine articles and other books leave out — provides detailed information for “how and when to prune and shape perennials to produce more flowers, encourage lush growth, discourage pests, stagger bloom times, and maintain vigorous health.” DiSabato-Aust has created an encyclopedia with specific guidelines for nearly all the important perennials currently used in American gardens. The third and newest edition has been updated with popular perennials introduced in recent years.

Since we are all trying to limit the use of chemical warfare in our environments, it is a good idea to get to know the insects that live and visit our gardens. I highly recommend three books that will help you identify and, when necessary, deal with insects that harm your plants: “The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control” by Barbara Ellis and Fern Bradley; the charming “Good Bugs for

your Garden” written and illustrated by Allison Mia Starcher; and the Princeton field guide “Garden Insects of North America” by Whitney Bradshaw.

If you wish to improve your vegetable growing skills, “The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible” by Edward C. Smith continues to be the best how-to book on the subject. Smith details how growing vegetables organically in wide, raised beds yields a better and more abundant harvest and explains why the first step is to create good soil. “Good soil is the keystone in the arch that connects the seed’s promise to the harvest’s fulfillment,” writes Smith. Improving your garden’s soil is an investment not only in this year’s harvest but also…the harvests of numberless years to come”. Given that he gardens in Vermont, the A-Z encyclopedia of advice for growing specific vegetables is very helpful to us in northern New Jersey where we enjoy a little longer growing season.

“The Garden Tourist; 120 Destination Gardens and Nurseries in the Northeast” by Jana Milbocker is perfect for planning your 2023 excursions from northern New England to the Hudson River Valley, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. All the practical concerns are covered with garden location details, website and contact information, and key symbols indicating whether there are public restrooms, dining on the premises, a children’s garden, gift shop or guided tours. This excellent guide was published in 2018 so it’s best to check with each location for updated hours. Milbocker has two additional garden tourist guides, one for New England specifically and a guide to garden visits in Florida. All the books are available on the author’s website, enchantedgardensdesignDOTcom or Amazon.

If you are looking for someone to commiserate with, I adore the oftenprickly Eleanor Perényi (1918 - 2009)

even though I know her only through her book, “Green Thoughts.” Eleanor did not suffer fools gladly and is by turn grouchy then tender. With years of experience in the garden, Perényi spoke honestly, never sentimentally, and with humor. Not every essay is useful for my garden, but hers is one of the most entertaining garden books on my shelves.

When published in 1986, Brooke Astor wrote in the New York Times: “‘Green Thoughts’ is quite unlike any other gardening book I know, with its Old World charm, its down-to-earth practicality, its whimsy and sophistication. It is a book to keep by the bedside to read when one is tired of the problems of the day.” The volume makes no secret of its author’s dislikes (rock gardens, chemical pesticides and petunias, which she called “as hopelessly impractical as a chiffon ball dress”), as well as the things she held dear (compost, earthworms, defiant dahlias).

A beautiful red Asiatic lily grows in a well-tended garden. In her book, “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden,” Tracy DiSabato-Aust shares valuable details we can learn only from an experienced gardener. GETTY IMAGES

Don’t let heat escape through your windows

Jean Levasseur Reviewed.com USA TODAY NETWORK

Drafty windows are more than just annoying and uncomfortable – poorly insulated windows can cost you hundreds of dollars every year in unnecessary heating.

With a few quick fixes, you can seal up your drafty windows and doors, which can subsequently save you up to 15% on your annual heating costs.

Here’s how to fix drafty windows to keep the cold out and the heat in.

Understand what the problem is

Wondering how to fix drafty windows?

Your first step is to take a look at your windows and try to figure out where the air is actually leaking in. It could be that the seal between the glass and the window sash is cracked, allowing cold air to seep in this way.

Another possible failure point is the window sash not fitting tightly on the window sill. And, a third possibility is that there is missing insulation around the frame of the window.

Different points of air entry may require different solutions, so making sure that you understand the problem is an important first step.

Seal your windows with plastic covering

One of the easiest and most affordable ways is to use a window insulator kit.

For only a few dollars per window, these sheets of plastic attach to your window casing, trapping a layer of air to serve as insulation and blocking any breeze coming into your home. Most attach with included tape and can be easily removed when winter is over.

$14 at Amazon

Plastic insulation kits also come in indoor types, like the Duck Brand Shrink Film Insulator Kit.

$20 at Amazon

The biggest drawback of this simple solution is aesthetics – many people find plastic window coverings ugly. They also tear easily, so you need to make sure that children or pets aren’t clawing at them throughout the season, or you’ll have to put up new ones.

Weatherstrip your windows

Another simple and affordable way to fix leaking windows is to install weather sealing tape or weatherstripping. These two methods can be a great solution for windows with cracks around the edges of the glass, or if the window sash isn’t closing all the way.

Weatherstripping is also an excellent solution for dealing with drafty doors. Like plastic sheeting, it can be a bit ugly depending on where you need the weather stripping or tape, but it does the job to fix specific problem areas.

Weather stripping is not a realistic solution if your window is simply allaround drafty, or if you have singlepane windows that just radiate cold air from the outside.

$8 at Amazon $14 at Amazon

Repair the window’s seal (and maybe call in a pro)

Along with replacing or adding weatherstripping, resealing your windows may make a big difference. This process is a bit more involved than some of the others, and it may be worth hiring a professional to take care of it if you don’t feel comfortable. In a nutshell, to reseal a window is to replace the insulation and gaskets around the window frame itself, as well as along the glass.

Depending on the type of windows that you have, there are different steps involved to repair the window seal. The first is to remove the window casing, and then spray expanding foam around the exterior of the window frame, sealing up any holes.

From there, either remove or scrape away the window seal gasket connecting the glass to the window sash, and then install a new gasket or run a bead of silicone caulking around the seam, between the pane and the sash.

As the process is different depending on the types of windows that you have, check with your window manufacturer for the proper procedures and materials.

$17 at Amazon

Protection can be pretty, too

If aesthetics are important to you, and you have more budget to spend, think about investing in black out curtains or window treatments.

Thermal curtains provide insulation for both temperature and sound, and they can be purchased to match your own personal design style.

Curtains also offer protection year round by keeping cold air out in the winter and the hot sun out in the summer. Make sure that you are searching for curtains with insulating capabilities as not all are designed with insulation in mind.

$39 at Bed Bath & Beyond

Consider whether it’s time to replace your windows

The best way for how to fix drafty windows is to replace them. Overtime, windows wear out and need to be replaced. When no amount of weatherstripping or caulk will stop the drafts, it’s time to get new windows.

While replacing your windows is a costly proposal—running in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars depending on your home and the types of windows you choose—replacing your windows is a sure way to seal up those annoying drafts and conserve heat.

New windows look great,and they add value to your home if a sale is on the horizon. Just make sure when you are choosing new windows that the installers address your insulation concerns. And as with any contractor job, get multiple quotes from different vendors to ensure that you’re getting both the best deal and the best product for you.

No matter what level of fix you decide to take on, there’s no reason to watch movies with a breeze on your neck or accept those higher heating costs.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change.

Another simple and affordable way to fix leaking windows is to install weather sealing tape or weatherstripping if your windows have cracks around the edges of the glass, or if the window sash isn’t closing all the way. GETTY IMAGE

Funko Pop Collection dolls celebrate Dolly Parton

Marcus K. Dowling Nashville Tennessean USA TODAY Network – Tennessee

Country music icon and new Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dolly Parton turned 77 on Jan. 19. Among the numerous celebrations for the “Coat of Many Colors” singer, figurine maker Funko Pop has announced that she will be honored with new “Funko Pop Rocks!” dolls.

The dolls are available for $12 each and can be preordered at funko.com/search?term=dolly%20parton.

“Striking a heartfelt chord with her fans all over the world, Dolly Parton inspires happiness and goodwill towards all,” the company said in a press release.

Two vinyl figurines will be available. One depicts Parton wearing her 2014 Glastonbury Festival white, rhinestone-studded pantsuit and holding a rhinestone-studded guitar. The other depicts her in an orange-fringed glitter jumpsuit with a silver banjo.

“Through her heartfelt music, genuine soul and authenticity, Dolly Parton continues to inspire generations across the globe, including the team at Funko,” Ryann Meikle, Funko concept lead, said in a statement. “Known for her unforgettable performances and dazzling attire, Funko wanted to pay homage to the

music icon by leaning into the outfits fans will never forget.”

Performing in front of over 180,000 people at 2014’s Glastonbury Festival in England, Parton noted: “I’m just a country girl, and now I feel like a rock star.”

Parton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November.

“I guess I’m a rock star now,” Parton said in Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater.

Parton joined Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Bill Monroe and Brenda Lee as country stars who have earned a place in both the Rock & Roll and Country Music halls of fame. Despite initially rejecting her Rock Hall nomination because she didn’t feel deserving, she eventually accepted her place among the 2022 class.

“At Funko, we are always looking for innovative ways to not only surprise our devoted fanbase but grow our audience through new collections and exciting pop culture collaborations,” Emily Sly, Funko’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement.

“We understand that everyone is a fan of something, and we pride ourselves in the ability to authentically provide something for everyone.”

For more information on Funko Pop’s collections, visit funko.com.

Dolly Parton’s 2014 Glastonbury Festival performance is highlighted via a new Funko Pop doll.

FUNKO POP