A Second Childhood in an Active Adult Community

Can't believe you are a senior? I can't believe I am either! My mind and heart still feel like I'm in my 20's. Well... maybe my 30's. That is the same story I hear everyday from the nearly 9,000 residents of wonderful Sun City Palm Desert (SCPD). We all came here for various reasons; sun, golf, tennis, single story homes, gated community, lots of swimming pools, over 75 clubs of various interests, the many casinos, restaurants and fabulous shopping in the Palm Springs area, and yet close enough to Los Angeles for a day trip. Once here, we all found out the same thing; that we found paradise!

One would have to work really hard not to make a lot of friends or to find the perfect club to match their interests. There is a club for everyone and everything, and perhaps two or three. Besides the two championship golf courses SCPD offers a 18 hole putting course that meanders around a lovely lake, a softball league, a yacht club (electronically controlled), cyclists, tennis (10 courts), bocce, bowling league, gourmet club, wine club, acting club (and lots of plays), gardeners club, card clubs, mah jongg club, hiking club, pet lovers, RV club and many other crafts clubs such as wood workers, stained glass, paper arts, oil and water color, model railroad club, quilting and sewing clubs.

In addition to the arts and crafts and physical activity clubs there are heritage clubs, solos club (for singles), rainbow club, forum club (thought provoking speakers), outside entertainers who bring us joy a couple times a week, karaoke, 3 restaurants, 2 state-of-the-art fitness centers, a terrific lending library and on-site post office. Let's not forget about the fishing pond that is stocked for catch and release. Does it get any better than this?

The best part of all are the people we get to meet. Many come from around the world and bring wonderful diversity to our community. Most have marvelous talents to share such as retired actors, writers, musicians, songwriters, etc. A large number of our residents still work either full or part time and some have developed different career paths and are doing something they love.

Sun City is not for everyone (I actually know one couple who moved away because it was too busy). However, if you want to do all the things that you couldn't, or didn't do during your working years, then this is the place for you. If all you want to do is drive around in your golf cart and drink-in the beauty, then this is the place for you. If all you want to do is walk, jog or bicycle the trails and behold the mountain, lakes and golf course views, then this is the place for you. If all you want to do is make more friends than you have had in your entire lifetime, then this is the place for you.

January at Sun City Palm Desert by Linda Novick

January is such a laid-back month here in Sun City Palm Desert (SCPD). After November and December; months filled with partys, dances, dinners and visits to and from family and friends; January becomes the month of restoration of mind and body, and reconnecting with our extended family here in SCPD. That means getting back into our areas of interest, whether it be meeting up at the fitness center, riding short or long distances with the biking club, hiking trails with the hiking club, striking that little white dimpled ball while playing a game of golf with one of our golf clubs (mens, ladies, couples, niners, putting), striking that fuzzy ball on the court with one of our tennis club friends, bowling, or any of the other many activities here in SCPD. Those who prefer playing cards are getting together for a game of Bridge (Social or Duplicate), Pan, Pinochle, Gin Rummy, Cribbage, Hearts, or tile games such as Rummy Q and Mah Jongg. Other indoor activities and clubs that will get your creative juices running are ceramics, art (pastels or oils), billiards, needlecrafts, jewelry making, quilters, camera, astronomy, car, computer, hand made crafts, wood crafts, dancing, model railroaders, music buffs, performing arts, and the writers circle. Then there are the clubs for those that prefer a little something different, i.e. financial, food and wine connoisseurs, discussion groups, garden, genealogy, travel, line dancing, pet lovers, solos, veterans, yacht and wine tasters clubs. And if you don't see something here that 'floats your boat', then start a club yourself. I was instrumental in starting the jewelry club because I always had an interest in beading. Sun City Palm Desert is a place for you to come and experience all the best in life. And, similar to a scout camp, you can do it all, or nothing at all.

Come to SCPD (an active adult golf and tennis community) for a visit and you will stay for a lifetime. That is what we did 9 years ago. My husband and I moved here from Orange County, California, where I had been in the real estate business since 1972. This is truly like living in paradise. Check out the videos on my website to get a taste of what it would be like living here in the beautiful Coachella Valley. We are in the heart of the Valley along with the cities of Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta. The Valley is known as the golf capital of the world with over 120 golf courses. Of course there is plenty of upscale shopping (El Paseo) and the some of the best restaurants in Southern California.

For more information please check my website at http://lindanovick.com/, email me at lindanovick@windermere.com for a free copy of my e-newsletter, or call me direct at 760-397-3652. I look forward to assisting you in your search for the perfect full or part time dream home.

Linda Novick, Broker Associate

Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley

We are into October now and and weather is right on cue, down into the 90's during the day and the low 70's at night. I'm excited to start walking outdoors again and playing golf on Tuesdays with the ladies. I have missed that this summer as I have worked almost daily. This has been one of the most active real estate summers here in the Coachella Valley in many a year. In May we had over 8,000 properties for sale in the Valley and now we are below 5,000. Of course many were foreclosures, and that brought the investors in from all over, primarily Los Angeles County. According to the National Association of Realtors there are still over 7 million foreclosures to be released over the next couple of years.

We have seen between 1.2 and 1.4 million buyers using the $8,000 tax credit to buy their first home (or first within three years). All sales using the tax credit have to close by December 1, 2009. There are, however, 12 more bills in Congress to make money available for home buyers, and not all of them are for first time buyers. The bill that is creating the most buzz is one for a $15,000 tax credit to anyone (not just first time buyers) who plans to occupy the home. We should see the results of those bills within the next month or so.

This is the time of year here in the Valley and at Sun City Palm Desert, where I specialize in real estate, that the golf courses are scalped and reseeded for the coming year. It is amazing to watch as one day the course is beige from the scalping, and within 3 weeks is green and plush. The trees are getting their haircuts and the planting of the winter and spring flowers is beginning. Snowbirds are starting to return and pretty soon the place will be buzzing about summer adventures and travel as friends reunite and begin a new season.

The Clubs here at Sun City Palm Desert are planning their schedules and agendas for season. Schedules for ladies, mens and couples golf will be posted online. Tennis courts are ready for you. Flyers describing hikes, bicycling trips, travel trips and other outings will be posted. The softball season will soon begin and teams will be at the ball diamond practicing. The 2 fitness centers will be full again, artists will be spinning and firing and painting their ceramics, taking classes in oils and pastels, how to make jewelry, create stained glass projects, wood projects, sewing, knitting and all other crafts. The creativity of residents here is quite amazing, as you can see for yourself at our bi-annual craft fairs. And don't forget about the billiard club, the bocce club, pet club, card clubs, writers club, drama, singing clubs and games in general. It is all here, and in abundance at Sun City Palm Desert.

If you are an active senior (55+) and would like to live in one of the most desired gated golf communities in the nation, then give me a call. I will help you find your dream home.

Linda Novick, Associate Broker, Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley

Direct: 760/397-3952 Email: lindanovick@windermere.com

Website: www.lindanovick.mywindermere.com Blog: www.suncityrealestate.blogpost.com

Sun City Palm Desert Amenities

Welcome to my #2 blog. And now I know what 'real' writers go through when they sit down to write an article, a book or perhaps a poem. It is 9:30 at night and I'm sitting at my desk trying to catch up after being on Jury Duty for the last 2 days. So this is writers block? I've been wanting to interview officers of the many clubs we have here at Sun City Palm Desert, but my flip video has not arrived yet. Yes, I'm going to be posting some video pictures and comments from many of the people who call this paradise. So until my video arrives I think I'm just going to do a quick review of what we have here.

We have slightly less than 5,000 homes within our beautiful guard-gated community. We have two beautiful full size golf courses plus a much loved 18 hole putting course. Visitors, children and grandchildren love the putting course. We are graced with two full size fitness centers, 4 pools (one inside), tennis courts, handball courts, billiard room, bocce courts, softball diamond, 3 restaurants, a full library, onsite post office, a ballroom for dances and concerts, a dance studio utilized for aerobics, yoga, dancing and step classes and a large computer lab where you can learn to use a computer, learn new programs, transfer your pictures to cd's, or just have fun. We also have a model railroad room, an art studio, a ceramics room, sewing room, stained glass room and any number of meeting rooms that can be reserved for clubs and personal events.

In addition to the facilities mentioned above we have clubs that meet almost every need. There is the art club where you can take lessons or just do your thing; all kinds of card and game clubs (bridge, bocce club, canasta, ceramics club (you can even throw your own pots), cribbage, computer club, gin rummy, mah jongg, pan and pinochle; needlecrafts club; crafty ladies club; jewelry making club; square dance club; biking club, hiking club, volunteer club, line dancing club, drama club; financial club; forum club; model railroad club, yacht club, bowling club; gourmet club; travel club; music buffs club; New York club; pet lover's club; quilters club; racquet club; RV owners club; singles club; water aerobics club; stained glass club; genealogy club, veterans club, video club, camera club, many book clubs, wine tasters club and the rainbow club.

Our golf clubs include the ladies golf club, the ladies 9-hole golf club, ladies putters club, mens golf club, mens 9-hole golf club, mens putters club and the couples golf club. Golf is extremely affordable here at Sun City Palm Desert as you pay to play. Golf packages are offered on an annual basis.

I have no doubt left something, and more like many things out, but you get the idea. We truly have it all here. Don't settle for just ok when you could have it all plus the cherry on top.

Linda Novick, Associate Broker Making 'real estate dreams' come true for over 37 years
Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley
Direct: 760-397-3652
Blog: www.suncityrealestate.blogspot.com
Email: lindanovick@windermere.com
Website: www.lindanovick.mywindermere.com

Living in Paradise

It is absolutely true; we do live in Paradise Toto. I remember when we still lived in Orange County, and our son, who lived in the Coachella Valley where the wonderful cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and La Quinta are located, would come to visit and cry the whole time he was with us about how cold it was, that the traffic is terrible, and that I lived in a concrete jungle. Was he ever surprised; more like shocked and scared; when I said that we (my husband and I) were moving to Palm Desert and were going to share his little corner of Paradise. What he had done, and not intentionally I must say, is to convince us that this was the place to be. And he was right! We couldn't be happier.

I had sold two friends, from Orange County, homes in Sun City Palm Desert prior to deciding to move here myself, and I still was not convinced that this was where I wanted to be. As a real estate broker I treated myself like a client and previewed all of the communities where I thought we might enjoy living. I had three criteria: 1. The home had to be single story. No more stairs for me. 2 & 3. The community had to have a golf course and be a gated community. After spending many months of viewing properties I knew that Sun City Palm Desert was the place for us. My gosh, the amenities are amazing. We got our gates, our single story, and not just one golf course, but two! In addition to that we have 2 complete fitness centers, 3 clubhouses, 4 pools, a gigantic library, post office, billiard room, 3 restaurants, softball diamonds, tennis courts, driving range, dance studio and over 70 clubs to meet anyone's interests.

Yes indeed! If you are a 55+ active adult and want to live life to the fullest, then this is the place to be. More later....

Linda Novick, Associate Broker Making real estate dreams come true for over 37 years
Windermere Real Estate Coachella Valley
Direct: 760-397-3652
Blog: www.suncityrealestate.blogpost.com
Email: lindanovick@windermere.com
Website: www.lindanovick.mywindermere.com