“I love this location!” declares realtor Chase Owens of Chase Owens & Associates. He’s talking about the $1,289,000 home at 550 E. Miraleste Court in Palm Springs’ El Mirador neighborhood. “It’s a short walk to Ruth Hardy Park and very close to downtown. The views of the mountains are amazing, and it’s an incredible neighborhood.”
Owens’ company motto is, “If you don’t like where you’re living, move. You’re not a tree.” He’s sold property in the desert for nearly eight years, specializing in high-end residential and commercial real estate in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and Indian Wells. The Texas native got his start as a luxury real estate specialist in his home state before branching out in Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles area. It doesn’t seem possible that the youthful-looking Owens could possibly have that much experience under his belt. “I told a friend of mine that I grew a mustache and did a combover so that people didn’t think I was 12,” he says.
In addition to location, the house at Miraleste Court should appeal to buyers who like the elements of a Krisel/Alexander home but don’t want to pay several hundred thousand dollars more for the actual pedigree, according to Owens. “This home looks like an Alexander,” he says. “It has the amazing butterfly roof line, the breezeway, and the wood-slat ceiling in the interior.”
The two-bedroom, two-bath home is move-in ready. The open floor plan for the kitchen, living, and dining areas is spacious, and the bedrooms are large and sun-drenched. The landscaping and pool area on the over-10,000-square-foot lot have been meticulously maintained. With prices the way they are (especially in less desirable neighborhoods), it seems like buyers would get their money’s worth out of this home.
However, there is more – a lot more – as in land. The property covers over 20,000 square feet. A large lot to the north was never developed. The present owner had plans drawn up to expand the home with the addition of two bedrooms, according to Owens. The plans would extend the property north and create a second contiguous, enclosed backyard. Of course, there are a number of interesting possibilities. The property could easily accommodate a large Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), which could complement the main house architecturally. Or an ambitious new owner might be motivated to enclose the entire corner property on two sides and create a compound. “Having that much property, allowing you to expand, is really unusual these days,” Owens says.
Though the cost of the home at Miraleste Court represents the average home price in Palm Springs, this property – potentially – is anything but average.
