“I hate the word ‘flip’. It sounds like something cheap,” says Liz Coughlin who, together with her business partner, Andrea Thorlakson, is giving me a tour of their latest offering: An unusual, stunning 1964 Alexander Company build on the very southern end of Farrell Drive. “And with the care and attention that has gone into this innovation, this is anything but cheap.”
The saga of neighborhood building in Palm Springs by Bob Alexander and Company is well-known, local lore. Of the 2200 homes they built—many in collaboration with architect Bill Krisel—most are associated with neighborhoods such as Twin Palms, Sun-Mor, Vistas Las Palmas, and Racquet Club Estates. Though now known as Sonora Sunrise, Thorlakson’s research revealed that originally this South Palm Springs neighborhood was called Farrell Canyon Estates.
“What I found in my research was that for the 57 parcels, they offered 7 different models and six elevation designs,” says Thorlakson. “They were almost identical floor plans, but the architect tweaked them so they wouldn’t be repetitive.”
Among the architectural styles on offer were Mediterranean, Granada, Tiki, Spanish Ranchero, and Parisian.
With its mansard roof and Roman columns, 1177 South Farrell is an example of the latter. It’s not as odd as it may first appear. In the early days of neighborhood development, exercising whimsy was a virtue; it wasn’t all midcentury modern homes with clerestory windows and butterfly roofs. If you painted 1177 South Farrell pink and placed it on the grounds of the Marrakesh Country Club, it would fit right in.
“Our friends are the sellers; they’re two, very experienced interior designers who are in the process of relocating to the Valley,” says Liz. “They bought the house from the original owners. There was a tremendous amount of pride of ownership in that family. They kept everything up—the roof, the windows, and the HVAC. This house was in excellent shape. Still, our sellers probably put over $300,000 into the property, like all new floors, tile, and cabinetry. They used one of the best general contractors in the Valley: Arne Perthus. The building inspectors love him because he never cheats. The owners completely redid the pool: all new mechanical, plaster, tile, and all new pipes and plumbing. I can’t even guess how much that cost. It’s one of the reasons we went after this house. When most people buy a house this old, they have to skimp on interiors because they put so much money into updating the mechanicals. In the case, the owners were able to put money into the actual house.”
Andrea immediately jumps in. “I can give you one example of the sellers’ commitment to detail,” she says, pointing to the kitchen tiling above the counter. “Most flips are about speed because time is money. A typical flipper would just grab tiles out of the box and get them up on the wall. Unfortunately, that means that sometimes you’ll have areas with all dark tiles and other areas with lighter tiles. Our sellers took every tile out of the boxes, arranged each tile on the floor so that there was a balance of color, and then numbered each tile so that they would go up on the wall according to their design.”
Liz and Andrea’s shared enthusiasm for the property is infectious. Their conversation often jumps between three or four different subjects, with each taking turns to punctuate or end each other sentences. It’s a characteristic often found among friends who have known each other for decades, though for these two women, their personal and business relationship only dates back to the tail end of the pandemic.
Andrea is a California native and UCLA grad who started her career working for a small ad agency and only got into real estate in Orange County when her kids had grown and given her some empty nester options. She and her husband visited the Valley during the pandemic, were immediately hooked, and bought a place at PGA West. Bostonian Liz says her parents were into real estate and instilled the bug in her. She spent most of her career in marketing and for ten years was Yahoo’s GM for music, television, and movies. She also worked with other tech start ups, but “I hit my career limit, as women of a certain age often do. I was a baller, but I couldn’t go any further. My friends did an intervention and said, ‘You need to be in real estate.’ I’m really good at business math…I had a weekend house out here, so I came out here when COVID hit.”
Andrea attended one of Liz’s open houses and the two immediately hit it off. “I was so drawn to her because she’s just so forthcoming, so honest and likeable,” says Andrea. “We kept in touch. We started working loosely together and then closely together.” Liz points out that while they both have their own businesses, they get together when they have a project about which they’re both passionate.
Which brings us back to 1177 S. Farrell.
The Alexander Construction Company marketed this home as ‘The Regent’ (Elevation E) with a Parisian façade, containing 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with 1560 sq. ft of interior space on a 9583 sq. ft. lot. Those are the basic facts, but according to Liz and Andrea, the properties’ most unique attractions (aside from the stunning interior makeover) are not apparent at first glance.
“Look at that!” Liz exclaims, sliding back the rear glass door. ‘What don’t you see?”
Well, there is the minimalist, drought-resistant back yard with mature palm trees surrounding a pool that looks as if it were just finished. There is even an above-ground hot tub, but nothing appears to be missing.
“Wires!” exults Liz. “It’s a completely wireless neighborhood.”
In almost every neighborhood in the city (even the most toney), there are usually wires cris-crossing views of the mountains like a kid’s Etch-a-Sketch gone wild. At 1177, there are just palm trees, blue sky, and the mountains. Also, because the home backs into a cul-de-sac, there is a roomy, uncluttered feel, as if a couple small lots separate the home from its neighbors.
Liz and Andrea also point out one other feature missing at the property: Restrictions on short term rentals. They say that since the City of Palm Springs has imposed density restrictions in most neighborhoods, buyers and their realtors must be hyper aware of the current density numbers before investing post-pandemic. The Sonora Sunrise neighborhood is significantly under the threshold, a benefit for any buyer. An investor can secure a full permit to optimize revenue from the property. A seasonal or full-time owner can enjoy a home in a less active environment than some of the notable midcentury neighborhoods where 4 out of every 10 homes is an Airbnb.
In Sonora Sunrise, full STR permits are available, making it one of the few Palm Springs neighborhoods where the property can assure owners of a second source of income.
Finally, Liz says that in her experience, the reasons there can be too much inventory and little is selling is usually “because of location, STR restrictions, or the property needs a ton of work. That’s not the case here. This renovation is immaculate. And that’s a combination of having owners who are interior designers and a general contractor who knows what he’s doing. It’s honoring the original, but bringing it into the 21st century.”
