Relocation
The relocation guide to moving to the desert.
La Quinta, Indian Wells, Palm Desert and the Greater Palm Springs area.
The sequence that saves the most time
Choose the life first. Compare the communities second. Evaluate individual properties third. Most people arrive doing the reverse, and it costs them weeks. The differences between communities here, membership structure, association obligations, rental eligibility and social culture, matter considerably more than the differences between two floor plans. And within a single community, two homes at the same asking price can live entirely differently depending on orientation, view corridor, course frontage and where the afternoon sun falls.
First, which city
Eight distinct places within about forty minutes of one another, and buyers routinely choose between them on impression rather than on how they will actually spend a week.
| La Quinta | The deepest concentration of private golf communities in the Valley, against the Santa Rosa Mountains, with a genuine town centre at Old Town and a wide range of property types. |
| Indian Wells | Smaller, quieter, more consistently resort oriented. The highest concentration of ultra private clubs and no downtown, which is closer to a design decision than an omission. |
| Palm Desert | The commercial heart. El Paseo, the widest range of price points, and the strongest concentration of shopping and dining. Along with Palm Springs, one of the two cities where a walkable life is realistically available. |
| Rancho Mirage | Quiet and largely residential, with Eisenhower Health, which matters more to relocating buyers than most marketing acknowledges. |
| Palm Springs | Architectural, walkable and the only one that reads as a town rather than a collection of communities. |
Our full comparison of all eight cities covers character, who each suits and what each costs you.
Second, what you are actually buying
Intended use changes the search more than budget does.
| Full time residence | Schools, services, everyday practicality, and a community that does not empty for six months |
| Seasonal home | What the house needs when it sits empty from May to October, and who looks after it |
| Lock and leave | What the association maintains against what you do. This is about management, not architecture |
| Private club home | Where membership will be a meaningful part of how you spend time, and the club selection matters as much as the house |
| Multi generational | Casitas, guest suites and separate circulation, which not every community allows or accommodates |
| Equestrian | Zoning, water, arena base, turnout and trailer access. A different market with different rules |
| Motorsport | Collector garages, lift capacity and circuit position. At The Thermal Club, membership and ownership are inseparable |
| Surf | DSRT Surf opens in Palm Desert this summer on the largest surf lagoon in North America, with 57 private villas planned in a later phase. Genuinely new, and nobody yet knows what proximity is worth |
| Occasional rental | Eligibility turns on the specific address rather than the community, and each city regulates differently |
Private clubs, and the assumption that costs most
Buying a home and joining a club are frequently separate decisions with separate costs, and the position differs considerably from one community to the next.
At PGA WEST the association tells its own owners directly that a home does not include membership or access to the three private courses. At Tradition and The Quarry, residency is not required to join at all. At BIGHORN, membership is restricted to property owners and described as non equity, non voting and non transferable. At Toscana, non resident membership is available.
Four communities, four structures. Before an offer, establish in writing whether membership is required or optional, which categories exist, whether a waiting list applies, whether the seller’s membership transfers, and what happens on resale.
We do not publish membership fees.
Published figures across third party sources are inconsistent and frequently out of date, and a number that is wrong by a year is worse than no number. Obtain current terms directly from each club.
Third, what decides value inside the gates
This is where an out of state buyer is most exposed, because almost none of it is visible in a listing.
Course position and whether the golf is experienced at eye level, below the property or barely at all. Mountain orientation, and whether the mountain is a distant view or the physical backdrop. Where the afternoon sun falls on the terrace, which decides whether the outdoor space is usable in season. Privacy from neighbouring patios. Road and cart path exposure. Interior against perimeter position. Renovation quality against original condition. Lot size, which varies more than buyers expect. And whether a view is protected or merely current.
Our ten community guides cover this community by community, with current MLS figures updated monthly. Two figures illustrate why it matters. At Toscana, across 22 sales in the six months to August 4, 2026, homes built from 2014 onward carried a 33 percent premium per square foot over the 2004 to 2010 stock and sold in half the time. At The Reserve over the same period, every home that traded was built between 1999 and 2011, and the highest figure per square foot was achieved by the oldest of them.
Source: GPS MLS and CRMLS, retrieved August 4, 2026. Figures are a snapshot rather than a valuation guide and are updated monthly in each guide.
Buying remotely
A meaningful share of our clients buy without seeing a property in person until closing. It works when someone on the ground is reporting what a photograph cannot.
| 1 · Strategy | How you will use the property, how many nights a year, and whether golf, horses or rental income are part of the plan |
| 2 · Narrow the field | City, then community, before touring anything. This is the step that saves weeks |
| 3 · Curated selection | Including pre market and off market opportunities where they exist |
| 4 · Live video tours | Walked at the hour that matters, with the questions you would ask if you were standing there |
| 5 · What photographs hide | Orientation, afternoon sun, noise, what sits beyond the property line, cart path proximity |
| 6 · Offer and negotiation | Comparable sales for that specific address rather than the community median |
| 7 · Due diligence | Inspections, association documents, club documents, and the desert specific checks below |
| 8 · Escrow and walkthrough | Coordinated remotely, with a final walkthrough on your behalf if you cannot travel |
| 9 · After closing | The part most agents skip. See below |
Relocating for a healthcare position
This is a specialty rather than a sideline, and the reason is personal. Laurie’s husband practised as an orthopedic surgeon in the Coachella Valley and her son is actively involved in the medical community here.
Where you work changes where you should live. Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage is central. Desert Regional Medical Center is at the west end in Palm Springs. JFK Memorial is at the east end in Indio. A commute that looks trivial on a map is not trivial at seven in the morning, and a permanent appointment raises different questions from a thirteen week assignment.
Full detail in our guide to relocating to the Coachella Valley for a healthcare position.
Desert specific due diligence
Beyond a standard inspection, these are the items that matter here and are easy to miss from another state.
| HVAC | Age, service history and whether there is redundancy. These systems work harder here than almost anywhere |
| Pool and spa | Equipment age, and whether a chiller exists. In August a pool without one is not always usable |
| Roof | Condition under sustained sun, which ages materials faster than most climates |
| Solar | Owned or leased. A lease transfers differently and affects the sale |
| Water and irrigation | Source, cost, and how landscaping is maintained when nobody is there |
| Association | Documents, dues, what they actually cover, and any pending assessments |
| Insurance | Availability and cost, which have both changed in California |
| Land | Fee simple against leasehold, which exists in parts of the Valley and materially affects value |
| Rental restrictions | City ordinance and association rules, which frequently differ and both have to permit the use |
| Furnishings | What is included, in writing. Furnishings are personal property and treated differently in an appraisal |
This is a starting point for due diligence rather than a substitute for it. Buyers should retain qualified legal, tax, insurance and financial professionals. We are not attorneys, accountants or insurance advisers.
And something the desert did not have five years ago
If you are moving here from a coast, this may be the least expected thing on the page. Palm Springs Surf Club has been operating since 2024, and DSRT Surf opens in Palm Desert this summer on what Surfer magazine calls the largest surf lagoon in North America, beside the Desert Willow golf courses.
It matters to a relocation for a reason that has little to do with surfing. Someone moving from California, Australia or the UK who assumed they were giving up the ocean entirely may not be. And for a family where one person surfs and nobody else does, an amenity teenagers will actually use is not a small consideration.
More in the desert has waves now.
The season, honestly
Enjoying a property in January and maintaining one in August are different exercises, and most relocation disappointment traces to underestimating the second.
Summer heat is genuine and it affects equipment, roofing, stored materials, water systems and the hours in which anything outdoors is comfortable. Orientation matters more than it does in a temperate climate: a west facing terrace produces extraordinary sunsets and considerably more afternoon heat, while north and east facing outdoor space stays usable later into the season.
Visit in July if you can. You will see where the sun actually lands, whether the shade structures work, and how the pool area feels at four in the afternoon. Those are the conditions the house faces for four months a year, and most buyers never see them before they own.
More in when to buy in the Coachella Valley.
Getting here
Palm Springs International Airport is roughly thirty minutes from most of these communities, traffic dependent, with direct service from a number of US and Canadian cities. Los Angeles and San Diego are within driving distance for a wider route network, and the Valley has private aviation facilities.
Travel pattern matters more to a second home buyer than to a full time resident. Someone visiting for four months a year cares about one direct flight. Someone visiting for four days at a time, six times a year, cares about frequency, and that changes which airport and sometimes which community makes sense.
Relocating with someone local long after closing
The transaction is the easy part. What follows is where an out of state agent cannot help.
Introductions to the people you will need: contractors, landscapers, pool service, property managers, someone to check the house when you are not in it. Which club to look at if you did not buy into one. What the association bill that arrives in November actually covers. Where to find the things you assumed meant driving to Palm Springs.
Laurie McLennan has lived here through twenty five years of it, and her family since 1960. A significant share of her relocation business arrives by referral from previous clients, which is the only real evidence that part of the work is done properly.
For Sotheby’s advisors and trusted professionals
When your client is considering La Quinta or the Greater Palm Springs area, introduce them directly to Laurie and Cailin McLennan.
Laurie holds the Board of Regents territory for Palm Springs and Riverside County within Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, and The McLennan Team is at Desert Sotheby’s International Realty in La Quinta. She works with advisors across the United States and internationally.
| The relationship is respected | Your client remains your client. We represent them here and say so |
| The referral is documented | Referral agreements and compensation follow the applicable brokerage requirements on both sides |
| You are told it landed | Confirmation of the introduction, then meaningful updates at each milestone rather than silence until closing |
| They work with Laurie and Cailin | Directly. Not an assistant, and not a general intake queue |
| Two market transactions | We can work alongside you where a client is buying here and selling with you elsewhere, or the reverse |
What we would rather you did not do is send a client into a general enquiry form.
A direct introduction means your client is expected, briefed and looked after from the first conversation, and it means you hear what happened.
Frequently asked questions
Is La Quinta suitable for full time living?
Yes, and a substantial number of residents do. The city has the schools, services and everyday infrastructure to support it. But a large share of the private club housing stock is seasonal, occupied roughly October through April, and that shapes the character of some communities considerably. A street that feels lively in February can be very quiet in August. Worth understanding before you buy rather than after.
Can I buy a La Quinta home remotely?
Regularly, and it happens more than most people expect. What matters is having someone on the ground reporting what a photograph will not show: orientation, where the afternoon sun falls, what sits beyond the property line, noise, and how the outdoor space feels at the hour you would actually use it. We provide live video tours, detailed reporting, and can write and negotiate an offer before you travel.
Do all country club homes include membership?
No, and this is the most expensive assumption buyers make here. In Discovery Land Company communities such as The Madison Club and The Hideaway, ownership and membership are separate components. At PGA WEST the association tells its own owners directly that a home does not include membership or access to the three private courses. At Tradition and The Quarry, residency is not required to join at all. Confirm the position with each club in writing before you offer.
What should I inspect in a desert home that I would not elsewhere?
HVAC age and service history, because the systems work harder here than almost anywhere. Pool and spa equipment. Roof condition under sustained sun. Whether solar is owned or leased, which affects the sale. Irrigation and landscaping obligations. And how the house handles a July afternoon, which you cannot assess in January.
What makes a good lock and leave property?
Less about the house than about who looks after it. What the association maintains against what you do. Whether systems can be monitored remotely. How irrigation runs when nobody is there. Whether a property manager is available and what it costs. A large custom estate offers privacy and space and needs oversight. A villa or condominium simplifies ownership considerably at the cost of individuality.
I am relocating for a medical appointment. Where should I look?
It depends first on which hospital. Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage is central and works from Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and much of the mid Valley. Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs favours the west end. JFK Memorial in Indio favours Indio, La Quinta and Bermuda Dunes. After that it depends on whether the appointment is permanent or a shorter assignment, and whether you need a neighborhood occupied year round rather than one that empties in May. Laurie's husband practised as an orthopedic surgeon in the Valley and her son is active in the medical community here, so this is familiar territory.
Should I buy furnished or unfurnished?
A meaningful share of desert properties trade furnished, which is unusual and can be genuinely convenient for a seasonal owner. It also complicates valuation, because furnishings are personal property rather than real property and the two are treated differently in an appraisal. Establish what is included in writing, and do not assume a furnished price is comparable to an unfurnished one.
Can Laurie coordinate with my current Sotheby's advisor?
Yes, and we would prefer it. Laurie holds the Board of Regents territory for Palm Springs and Riverside County within Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate and works with Sotheby's International Realty advisors across the United States and internationally. Referral documentation and compensation follow the applicable brokerage requirements, and the originating relationship is respected throughout.
How does La Quinta differ from Indian Wells?
Variety against consistency. La Quinta contains genuinely different neighborhoods, price points and property types within one city, from the Cove against the mountains to six private clubs in the southeastern corridor. Indian Wells is smaller, quieter and more consistently resort oriented, with an established club inventory and no downtown. Differences between communities within either city are frequently larger than the differences between the cities themselves.
Already own here and live somewhere else?
Selling a desert property from another state is a different exercise, and one most of this page does not address. Access, preparation, a vacant or seasonal house, furnishings, association documents and a process managed without repeated flights. See selling a desert home when you live somewhere else.
Start with a conversation
Tell us how you want to spend a week here and we will tell you which cities and communities to look at, and which to rule out. That conversation usually saves more time than a weekend of touring.
Last updated: August 10, 2026
Laurie McLennan and Cailin McLennan, The McLennan Team at Desert Sotheby’s International Realty
California DRE #01424382 and #02121998
This page is informational and is not legal, tax, financial, insurance or medical advice. Club terms, association rules, rental regulations and insurance availability are set by third parties, change without notice and should be confirmed directly.