Escena Palm Springs, where panoramic mountain views, golf, dining and contemporary architecture combine to create a relaxed resort lifestyle.

Escena Palm Springs Grill Patio Dining

Beautiful Brunch on the Grill Patio at Escena Palm Springs

Not only does Escena offer beautiful homes, but it also offers; a popular restaurant, the Escena Grill with dramatic views and beautiful outdoor dining; a notable Niklaus designed gold course at the Escena Golf Club; low HOA fees and a Bark Park. Escena Palm Springs is where you create your own individual resort lifestyle.

We have an exciting home to share with you at Escena Palm Springs represented by Kris Rain at the Paul Kaplan Group. This home, built in 2011, has golf course and western mountain views and walls of glass that bring those views indoors. With a saltwater pool and spa, built-in barbecue and lots of living space, this home offers outdoor entertainment day and night.

It is a Plan 1 model on Spaulding Lane with private courtyard, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and has been lovingly cared for with nice upgrades.

Talk to Kris at 760-218-6079 for more information on this Escena Spaulding Lane home or to set-up a showing.

The Paul Kaplan Group can help you discover what type of home fits your needs and will guide you through the home-buying process whether its a new home, or resale. We sell more re-sale homes in Escena than any other group.

Escena Palm Springs Private Pool

Another Escena home that is being represented by the Paul Kaplan Group is this 2 story beauty with private pool. An entertainer’s dream with formal dining room, butler’s pantry, dry bar area and open plan living on the first floor and flexible space for a second floor great room or office with balcony overlooking the pool. Call Paul at 760-459-1396 with any questions on this home or for more information on Escena’s resort lifestyle.

Visit us online at PaulKaplanGroup.com

––Tracy Merrigan

For more information on resort living and new home construction at Escena Palm Springs check out these 2 articles, Escena Palm Springs where Living is Art with Mid-Century Style and Palm Springs Budding Signs of New Home Development

Photography by Chadwick Turner

Sunnylands, one of the Palm Springs area’s special gifts, welcomes President Obama and President Xi Jinping this weekend for a casual summit.

Sunnylands panoramic view in Rancho Mirage, Ca
©TMerrigan, UMP, 2013

President Obama is the first president to visit The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands. The estate was long a getaway for presidents during the Annenberg’s lifetime, where they created an atmosphere of relaxation, contemplation and camaraderie for their guests. Since the passing of the Annenbergs, Sunnylands has been restored and reopened as The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, a retreat center for leaders to meet, negotiate and make progress on the important issues of the day. Walter and Leonore Annenberg wanted the important work created in the intimacy of Sunnylands to endure and continue past their lifetimes and have given this desert gift to the American people.

A Sunnylands Field Trip

Where the Sun Shines Bright on Design even on the cloudiest of days.

Paul Kaplan Group Tour begins at the Sunnylands Center
©TMerrigan, UMP, 2013

This winter the Paul Kaplan Group and friends took a modernism field trip to Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage. Just opened this year for tours of the estate and grounds, our group had a wonderful day filled with architecture, art, history, gardens and a great lunch at the Center’s cafe.

It was a rare gray and cloudy day in our desert but Sunnylands’ mid-century design allowed the homes’ interiors to be bathed in natural light with panoramic views of the clouds hugging the mountains beyond.

Modernism at Sunnylands

Designed by architect A. Quincy Jones in the 1960′s Sunnylands was built as a vacation retreat for Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg. The home, a mid-century modern pink-roofed pavilion, hovers above the pool, golf course and landscape beyond. Its wide overhangs protect the home from direct sun and create large covered terraces for outdoor living. Long walls of glass frame the cactus and rose gardens. The home’s large open spaces, lava rock walls, high coffered ceilings, custom designed mid-century furniture, window treatments and upholstery all succeed in highlighting not only the incredible views but also the Annenberg’s art collection rather than competing with it. And what a collection it is from Impressionist and Post Impressionist paintings, to sculpture, to Chinese cloisonné, to Steuben glass and much more. This is an elegant but casual desert home.

Sunnylands’ pink-roofed pavilion, where modernism still shines on cloudy days
©TMerrigan, UMP, 2013

Visiting Sunnylands

The Paul Kaplan Group and friends on the way to the Sunnylands estate
©TMerrigan, UMP, 2013

The Sunnylands estate is open for tours of the home and its grounds. Tickets may be purchased online. The adjacent Sunnylands Center is free and open to the public Thursdays through Sundays, September through June. The Center has changing exhibits, a cafe, a beautiful 9 acre desert garden planted to resemble an Impressionist painting and is the location for the many events sponsored by the Sunnylands Center. Tickets for the home tour will go on sale again August 15. Check their website for upcoming events or like the Center’s Facebook page for more info on happenings at Sunnylands.

Come back often and we’ll share other Paul Kaplan Group field trips.

–Tracy Merrigan

For more homes by A. Quincy Jones’ in Palm Springs, see Stylish Mid-Century Palm Springs Condo, a Treasure by A. Quincy Jones and this gorgeous home too.

For more information on architectural properties in the Palm Springs area call Paul at 760-459-1396 or visit us online at PaulKaplanGroup.com

Snow Creek is the first pearl on the “String of Pearls” of natural beauties that make up the Coachella Valley

Snow Creek/’s view of the north face of San Jacinto

From the moment you turn off Highway 111 onto Snow Creek Road you are drawn to the dramatic snow-covered north face of San Jacinto. But nestled into the base of the mountains amidst a grove of olive trees is your destination, Snow Creek, about 10 minutes outside of Palm Springs.

A private village of 39 homes nestled into the base of the San Jacinto mountains, Snow Creek commands sweeping vistas of the valley beyond and the untouched native landscape.

The Wanikik band of the Cahuilla Indians spent hundreds of years fishing for trout around the village and a cave above it is believed to have been used for shaman rituals. Natural springs and snow-melt ensure the waterfalls above the village run year-round.

Snow Creek was also a stop on the Wells Fargo Pony Express in the early 1800′s, used to rest and water the horses and passengers. Early railroad workers also used Snow Creek as a water source and get-a-way from the summer heat on the valley floor.

By 1920 Sicilian sheep farmers planted the olive grove in Snow Creek that is lovingly cared for today. Today’s village began as a fishing camp, homes were built along the creek and generations of families have used the village as a second home set amidst the cottonwoods and desert williows. The creek was diverted by the Desert Water Agency in the 60′s but the village is just as charming today.

Snow Creek has also been a haven for artists, outdoor enthusiasts and seekers of privacy and quiet throughout the years. This is most notable in the vernacular design of some of the homes in town from the storybook style home Van Pelt built for his bride made of native rock, concrete and driftwood to the mid-century modern D’Angelo rotating polygonal home, made from his company’s aluminum, the Beatles are thought to have spent time there.

Sculptural entrance to home

Today there are artists like Chris Neil, a valley native, who has made Snow Creek his home. His love of the area is evident in the sculpture around his house and in the new home he has built in the village.

Located on 15926 Cottonwood Rd this new custom home has been built around an original rock chimney. It’s a contemporary home that gives homage to the village’s past with the material used in its construction. Set amidst the boulders, an artistic cor-ten steel screen flanks the entrance to the home. Step through the steel and glass front door into the great room and kitchen beyond. The house is light and bright with clerestory windows and windows framing your view of the north face of San Jacinto beyond. The steel roof is suspended high above on long wood and metal trusses giving the space a lofty open feeling.

There is a wood-buring fireplace/stove in the great room with lots of built-ins and polished concrete floors throughout the home. Carrara marble counters, high-end appliances, fixtures and cabinets round out the kitchen with mountain views and a slider to the outdoor patio.

Starry nights can be enjoyed from the bedroom suite clerestory windows. The spa-like bath has floor-to-ceiling tile and built-in storage.

Nighttime in Snow Creek

Roll out a yoga mat, pull out a book by the fire or gaze out the windows at the amazing view beyond. This is a home for anyone seeking beauty and easy living in an unique desert community.

For any questions on this special home please call Kris Rain at 760-218-6079 or paulkaplangroup.com

Chris Neil is president of P.S.I. General Contractors, a family valley business since 1954. Chris specializes in both new build, renovations and restorations on mid-century modern and southwestern style homes. He has done full restorations on both Donald Welxer and William Cody properties. Chris lives up the road in Snow Creek, you’ll know it when you see it.

For more on the story of Snow Creek and its people watch Huell Howser’s 2002 story on Snow Creek from his archive at Chapman University and check out Palm Springs Life’s online archive for stories on Snow Creek.

–Tracy Merrigan

Photography by Chadwick Turner

Palm Springs 75, today is the birthday celebration for our beloved city of Palm Springs. 75 years of a sun-filled and fun lifestyle that is a hallmark of our city. We love all of Palm Springs’ history but here at the Paul Kaplan Group we celebrate our mid-century past and the architecture that has made Palm Springs famous.

The Alexanders by James R. Harlan

Join us for the free city birthday party at the O’Donnell Golf Course from 3 to 9 pm today for food, fireworks and festivities. We are celebrating all the decades of our history and the Paul Kaplan Group is helping celebrate the Alexanders. Look for the Alexander banners and come by to say hello.

 

Enjoy the Palm Springs 75 celebration and don’t miss the fireworks!!

Here are a few Alexander Construction Co. homes to get you in the mood to celebrate, for more call Paul at 760-459-1396 or visit our website www.PaulKaplanGroup.com

–Tracy Merrigan

For the past few years the sounds of new home development in Palm Springs have been silent, the plaques of home builders along the entrance to our desert towns disappeared.  For example,  parking spaces at the South Palm Springs Oceo development remained empty while the Koffi next door was booming.  The Port Lawrence sign disappeared to be replaced with a nicely landscaped parking area.  Escena lots remained virtually vacant with no activity other then golfer and diners enjoying the clubhouse.

Escena Skylar Lane home sold by the Paul Kaplan Group

Palm Springs Budding Signs of New Home Development

Over that last months the signs of new home development have been budding: Oceo’s new parking lot looks busy;  residential developers signs, like  Escena’s Alta Verde and Lennar, are popping up on the entrance to town; plans have been approved to start the new downtown development and a final tour of the Fashion Plaza took place this Tuesday before they demolish the building.

Developers have been responding to what they see as pent-up demand in the market by purchasing land and finished lots. While mortgage lending is still tight and appraisals are still low, building homes on finished lots allows the developer to save on upfront costs. Look for homes to be built in phases; developers to specialize in a specific design; certain builders, like Lennar, to include upgraded items in the base price as an enticement and developers to focus on creating an enhanced lifestyle experience, Sol a new project in central Palm Springs will be centered around a communal dog park.

Incredible view from the Escena Wilson Lane home represented by Kris Rain at the Paul Kaplan Group

Mid-Century Modern for New Home Design Read the rest of this entry »

The Paul Kaplan Group is excited to sponsor Leisure Life Weekend for the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation (PSPF),  a celebration of south Palm Springs’ unique collection of midcentury “lifestyle” condominiums. This weekend and tour will also bring attention to the little known Canyon Country Club Colony, Canyon View Estates, and other communities that the general public is unfamiliar with. 

Included in the weekend is the publication of a PSPF tribute journal (authored by board member Erik Rosenow) which places these fascinating condominiums in their respective social, historical and architectural contexts. Through rarely-seen vintage photographs and advertisements, the tribute journal captures the allure of the “leisure lifestyle” and the glamor it promised to middle-class home buyers.

The celebratory weekend kicks-off with a swanky Friday evening cocktail party. The Saturday house tour focuses on the Canyon View Estates condominium complex (designed by architect William Krisel) but features the best of other notable south Palm Springs condominium developments. The Sunday house tour of the Kings Point condominium complex shows how the lifestyle condominium phenomenon matured into modernist designs bordering on the “lavish.”

Schedule and Tickets

“Leisure Life” Weekend Multi-pass includes one ticket to
all events below (a $25 savings)

Friday, March 22

5-8PM Opening Night Cocktail Party

Join us for an enjoyable evening at one of the largest golf course-adjacent units in the Kings Point condominium complex. This stunning modernist home, designed by architect William Krisel in 1967, has been recently renovated and features beautiful interior design by Luis Ortega (principal of Luis Ortega Interiors). Upon arrival guests will be greeted with a “country club cocktail” specially created to celebrate the weekend. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and champagne will be served.

Saturday, March 23

10AM-4PM House Tour

Take a fascinating tour of more than a dozen condominium units in south Palm Springs’ that capture the midcentury “leisure lifestyle.” Included are units found in Canyon View Estates (1962) and Villa Roma (1964), among others. Refreshments will be served at the last tour house in Canyon View Estates. “Leisure Life” tribute journal author Erik Rosenow will be available to sign journals and answer questions. Price includes a copy of the 32-page journal and a collectible tour map. A one-hour lunch break is scheduled.

Sunday, March 24

9AM-12:30PM Champagne Breakfast & House Tour

To complete your “Leisure Life” Weekend experience, join us for a champagne breakfast at The Indian Canyons Golf Resort (formerly the Canyon Country Club) designed by midcentury architect Donald Wexler in 1962. After breakfast enjoy a tour of several condominium homes in the nearby Kings Point condominium complex designed by architect William Krisel in 1967. Price includes a copy of the 32-page journal and a collectible tour map.

Click here to purchase tickets and for more information on Leisure Life Weekend.

The Paul Kaplan Group represents homes in all of the neighborhoods featured on the Leisure Life Weekend tour.  For a highlight of various listings, click here.  Or call us at 760-459-1396.  The Paul Kaplan Group is a boutique real estate firm in the heart of Palm Springs, specializing on mid-century and modern homes.

Modernism Week Meet-Up

It’s been a busy week for the Paul Kaplan Group in Palm Springs at Modernism Week. We love modernism, supporting our community & taking care of our clients. So we’ve been busy entertaining, volunteering, participating and of course showing property.

This is some of what our group has been up to during Modernism Week.

Modernism Week at the Paul Kaplan Group in Palm Springs

Check out the Desert Sun article on our Modernism Yard Sale.

www.PaulKaplanGroup.com

Call us at 760-459-1396

Visit us at 1701 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA  92262

––Tracy Merrigan

Food, Fun and Fabulous Shopping!!

Celebrate with the Paul Kaplan Group at our Modernism Week Yard Sale

Sunday, February 24  8am to 1pm

hosted by the Paul Kaplan Group and Modern Bear

Paul Kaplan Group Modernism Week Yard Sale

Tasty Treats and maybe some Tall Tales to share with friends

Want to sell stuff at our Modernism Week Yard Sale?

For Booth Info, Email Chris Bale at: chris@paulkaplangroup.com
We’ll see you there!

Check out the Modernism Week site for information on all the week’s events.

We have some exciting new mid-century modern listings at the Paul Kaplan Group. See them here at www.PaulKaplanGroup.com

Palm Springs and Southern California, as well as the entire country, is in the process of a real estate recovery from multiple foreclosures and short sales.  At The Paul Kaplan Group, we have many clients that for various reasons, foreclosed on a property that they once owned during the recession, and asked if they would ever be able to get a mortgage again.

A very informative article published by the LA Times for anyone wondering if they’ll every be able to buy a house after foreclosing or short selling their previous residence.

From the article,

“If you lost your home during the housing recession — and have not completely soured on homeownership — your ability to qualify for another mortgage may not be as compromised as you think.

It used to be that a bankruptcy, foreclosure or other major black mark on your credit record meant you could not hope to obtain financing to buy another house for seven years. Now, for the most part, the rules say you must wait just three years. Depending on the reason you lost your house, the wait could be even shorter.

You can qualify for a mortgage as soon as 24 months after the fact if your issues were the result of “extenuating circumstances” over which you had no control.”

To read the whole article, click here. 

If you’re looking to buy a new home, we’re here to help.  We can refer you to a lender that can evaluate your credit and income, to determine if you will be able to qualify for a home.  Feel free to contact us at 760-459-1396 or email us at Paul@PaulKaplanGroup.com.

Paul Kaplan Open Houses Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage

Sat.-Sun., Jan. 26-27, 2013

These homes are architectural stunners!

This week’s Paul Kaplan Open Houses Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage feature a Magnesia Falls Cove mid-century home with great modern style and a co-op in Da Vall Estates designed by Val Powelson in Rancho Mirage. A gorgeous town home in South Palm Springs Country Club Estates by A. Quincy Jones and a newly built home that is an ode to Cliff May, the father of the Mid-Century ranch home, and has fantastic Palm Springs’ views.

It’s a great group of homes and we hope to see you there. Call Paul at 760-459-1396 for more information or additional listings.

For all the open houses Palm Springs this weekend, click here or visit www.paulkaplangroup.com

Open Houses Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage – Architecture with Style

Open House: SAT., JANUARY 26 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM SUN,, JANUARY 27 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM 2789 N Junipero Ave, Palm Springs, CA $ Call for Price Newly constructed in the style of Cliff May, the father of the Ranch House, this stunning home pays homage to mid-century era design with the … Click for more information or to schedule a private viewing Click for Directions!

Open House: SAT., JANUARY 26 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM 37800 Da Vall Dr #32, Rancho Mirage, CA $238000 Own a piece of Mid-century modern history at Da Vall Estates in the Tamarisk Country Club area. This fabulous 20 unit co-op in Rancho Mirage … Click for more information or to schedule a private viewing Click for Directions!

Open House: SAT., JANUARY 26 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM 71382 Biskra Road, Rancho Mirage $499000 Single Family, Mid Century – Rancho Mirage, CA 71382 Biskra Rd A modern twist on Mid-century- In an enclave of other super cool homes, you`ll … Click for more information or to schedule a private viewing Click for Directions!

Open House: SAT., JANUARY 26 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM SUN., JANUARY 27 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM 750 La Verne Way, Palm Springs, CA $389000 Iconic Mid Century Modern Architecture in South Palm Springs on FEE SIMPLE Land. A. Quincy Jones Country Club Estates. Slick & Sexy with mountain and … Click for more information or to schedule a private viewing Click for Directions!

Palm Springs Mid-Century Homes over $500,000Palm Springs Mid-Century Homes under $500,000Palm Springs Condos for SalePalm Springs Hot ListingsSearch All Homes For SalePalm Springs Homes For SaleWhat is your home worth? Paul Kaplan Paul Kaplan Group, Inc 760-459-1396 Paul@PaulKaplanGroup.com