rancho mirage

Boom! Will A New Gay Retirement Community Bring Life To Southern California Desert Real Estate?

Real estate in Palm Springs, California has taken it on the chin in recent years and some planned projects in the Southern California desert have stalled out. But a new, very ambitious project is betting that Palm Springs, which has always found support from two main groups, retirees and the gay community, can boom by putting those two groups together. Architect Matthias Hollwich, the principal of Hollwich Kushner, has created BOOM, a $250 million development planned for the Palm Springs area. The development will be in Rancho Mirage, the golf community that is also where Larry Ellison's new home, Porcupine Creek, is located.

Fast Company Design reports that Hollwich's firm is one of ten architectural firms including Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Juergen Mayer H., and Lot-Ek who are working on this 100-acre project to be developed by Los Angeles-based Boom Communities, Inc. Each firm was given a piece of the community to design. There will be a total of 300 residences set to break ground in 2012 with a planned second phase that will be at least as large.

Tags: boom, gay community, palm desert, palm springs, rancho mirage, retirement community

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Bing Crosby's Palm Springs Home, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

It's the time of year when we hear Bing Crosby crooning "White Christmas" You could celebrate your own Christmas inside Bing Crosby's estate in Rancho Mirage, California.

The home is on more than an acre of land in the Thunderbird Heights community. The five-bedroom home combines an Asian theme with a dose of with Hollywood memorabilia. Legend has it that President John Kennedy met with Marilyn Monroe here back in 1962 and one two-bedroom suite in the house is named the Kennedy Suite and decorated with images of the young president and Marilyn Monroe. The Kennedy suite has a full-sized living area and a private entrance. The master suite has a fireplace and a spa. Much of the home opens to an outdoor swimming pool and spa with fireplaces and a custom-designed putting green. This estate is on the market for $3.495 million dollars. The home is also available as a vacation rental. More images are available on the estate's photo website.

Gallery: Bing Crosby's Estate Thunderbird Estates Palm Springs

Tags: bing crosby, california real estate, estate of the day, palm springs, rancho mirage

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Porcupine Creek Gets A Major Price Cut

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

When Porcupine Creek, the 249-acre estate in Rancho Mirage, California that used to be owned by Yellowstone Club founders Tim and Edra Blixseth, hit the market in February, I knew it was only a matter of time before the price came tumbling down. The Wall Street Journal reports that the property is getting a price cut into slightly more realistic territory, down to $55 million from $75 million.

Even at that price it's a highly unwieldy property, more suited to being a retreat or a resort than a private home. The estate includes a golf club and 19-hole golf course, a huge 18,400 square-foot main residence, eight guest houses, a pool, spa, gym and an amphitheater. The WSJ says that the Montage Hotel and Resorts has restored the golf course, irrigation system and water features; a good thing as things change quickly out in the desert and an untended course could quickly go dusty. The property is being sold for creditors of the bankrupt Yellowstone project and its holding company. Jeff Hyland of Hilton & Hyland and Tyler Morgan of Pacific Union GMAC Real Estate in Palm Springs have the listing and any potential sale would be subject to bankruptcy court approval in Montana. New pictures in the MLS give more of a view of the interior of the main home, including the many antiques in the home and details like ceiling murals and ornate woodwork. I suspect that when this home sells there will be a another huge estate sale of all the furniture in the home.

Gallery: Porcupine Creek

Tags: blixseths, california real estate, edra blixseth, porcupine creek, rancho mirage, tim blixseth, yellowstone club

Anne Rice In Rancho Mirage, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

We've chronicled author Anne Rice's residences several times before. Now Rice, who has switched from writing vampire and witchcraft novels to working on books on Christianity and penning a spiritual memoir, has put her Rancho Mirage, California home on the market.

The LA Times Hot Properties reports that Rice wrote her last three books in the house which was built in 1995. The home is in a gated community and is on more than an acre that includes a pool, waterfall and a detached two-bedroom guest house with a kitchen and living room. The main house has six bedrooms and maid's quarters. The listing says that Rice did her writing in the multi-room master wing. Listing pictures reveal many colorful paintings, perhaps some painted by Rice's late husband, Stan. Images also show Rice's doll collection and plenty of bookshelves. This home is listed at $3.3 million.

Gallery: Anne Rice in Rancho Mirage

Tags: anne rice, california real estate, celebrity real estate, estate of the day, rancho mirage

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Thunderbird Heights, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home in Ranch Mirage, California seems geared for the person who embraces a rather healthy lifestyle. This hilltop estate in Thunderbird Heights sits on around 3.29 acres with gorgeous vistas all around. The main house has three bedrooms and an an elevator, living room, formal dining room, large kitchen and an office. The lifestyle rooms include a gym and a tanning/massage room. The main house and guest house patios each have a mist system for comfort in the dessert heat. The guest house also has three bedrooms, an elevator, a kitchen w/great room. Pocket doors open to 20 feet to connect the indoors with the outdoors and a private spa and a rock waterfall and lagoon. An expansive virtual tour is here. This home is listed at $11 million, a drop from $12.5 million, the previous list price. Zillow's zestimate is $4,622,178 but my far less analytical guesstimate is that is sells in the $8 to $9 million range.

Gallery: Thunderbird Heights

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Tags: california, estate of the day, rancho mirage, RanchoMirage, thunderbird heights

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Villa Roberge, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's home earns extra points for its eclectic style. Villa Roberge in Rancho Mirage, California has a little bit of everything. Old world, new world it's all here. The property include a 9500 square foot home, a couch house with a bedroom and a full kitchen, a garage apartment which is a one bedroom and a studio with a loft bedroom all on 1.5 acres. The main house is completely idiosyncratic with huge ultra high beamed ceilings and custom leaded stained glass windows. The master suite has his and her baths and a view to the lagoon pool. It is listed at $12 million. After the jump, I'm a bit in love with the oven hoods in the kitchen.

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Tags: estate of the day, luxury real estate, rancho mirage, villa roberge, VillaRoberge

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Brangelina's Retro Fantasy House for Sale

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

While Brad and Angelina don't own (and to my knowledge never have) this beautiful 1957 Rancho Mirage property, it was the site of a memorable photo shoot featured in W magazine shortly after the pair got together. The glam, retro shoot had a perfect backdrop in the Kenaston Residence, which is a landmark residence designed by architect E. Stewart Williams. It has been completely restored, staying true to its mid-century modernist roots, with natural rock, wood and frosted glass. It has a large swimming pool, partially surrounded by the U-shaped house and lots of floor-to-ceiling windows. All the retro-chic furnishings, including Eames chairs and Nelson lamps, are included.

In terms of details, the house is 5,000-sq. ft. with 4 bedrooms (2 master suites) and 3/5 baths. It is on a 1/2 acre lot with 50 palm trees. The asking price is $2,875,000 and there is a property tax discount due to its landmark status. Lots of photos of the house after the jump.

[via Curbed LA]

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Tags: angelina, brad pitt, brangelina, E. Stewart Williams, E.StewartWilliams, landmark, photo shoot, rancho mirage, real estate, w magazine

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