I’m sure you’ve heard it time and time again, “Oh, I’m just going to wait until interest rates drop to buy that house.” Did I mention that this is quite possibly the worst thing you can do right now? Seriously! Would it shock you that the best time to actually invest in real estate is when rates are high? It’s true!

Let me say, as someone whose roots run deep in this land and whose family has been part of Palm Springs history for over 50 years, I’m here to tell you the truth: now is a powerful time to invest in real estate in the desert.

Here’s Why:

1. Motivated Sellers = Big Opportunities

We’re seeing homes sitting on the market longer than usual—many of which have experienced price drops of 10–20%. Why? A lot of listings were priced at inflated 2022 post-COVID levels, but we’ve since recalibrated to pre-pandemic pricing. Sellers who need to move are getting serious, which means you have room to negotiate.

2. High Interest Rates Mean Less Buyer Competition

Sounds counterintuitive, right? But when mortgage rates are high, most people sit on the sidelines. That’s your opportunity to step in while inventory is up and competition is down. You’ll have more options, more leverage, and more time to make a confident decision.

3. Date the Rate, Marry the Home

Yes, rates are higher right now—but they won’t be forever. You can always refinance later. And when you do? You’ll already be holding onto equity and a home that aligns with your vision. Remember: for every 1% drop in interest rates, an estimated 4 to 6 million new buyers enter the market. That means more competition, bidding wars, and fewer options. Why wait for that?

4. Enjoy the Desert Lifestyle Without the Hustle

From Palm Springs to Joshua Tree, the desert offers a slower pace, stunning scenery, and intentional living. As the snowbirds head home post-Easter and the summer quiets down, this is the best time to explore and settle in.

5. Sellers: Now’s the Time to Prep

If you’re thinking of listing your home, don’t wait. Start now. Fix the leaky faucets. Swap out light fixtures. Freshen up your space so you’re ready when demand picks up again. Buyers are already watching—and they’re looking for homes that are market-ready.

So, are you ready to make that move?

Whether you’re dreaming of downsizing, investing, or finally finding your perfect desert sanctuary, I’m here to walk with you every step of the way.

You deserve to move forward with clarity and ease. Get your copy of Guiding You Home now.

Inside, you’ll discover:
✨ What to expect from the homebuying journey
✨ Strategic insights to align with the right property for your lifestyle and legacy
✨ A soulful, step-by-step breakdown to help you move forward with clarity and support

Now, this isn’t just a checklist — it’s your compass for navigating the real estate process with grace and grounded strategy.

💫 Are you a Seller prepping to list your house? Download your free sellers guide, The SOLD Playbook — This isn’t just another generic guide—it’s the exact framework I use to help my clients in the Coachella Valley sell their homes quickly and for top dollar. And now, it’s yours—completely free.

📞 Reach out directly if you’re ready to begin the journey at 760.385.3529

Just know, I’m here to help you date the rate and build your legacy. Looking forward to connect with you soon!

📞 760.385.3529

💌 sabrina@sabrinariccio.com

🤳🏽 http://instagram.com/justsoldbysabrina

👩🏽‍💼 Coldwell Banker Realty

📜 dre #02239321

📰  https://sabrinariccio.myflodesk.com/desert-dweller

📍 Serving Indian Wells · Palm Desert · La Quinta · Joshua Tree · Palm Springs

Let’s turn luxury into legacy—together.

💌 Ready to make your move?

Visit or email sabrina@sabrinariccio.com to book your free strategy session.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more real estate insights, soulful strategy, and desert living tips.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

00:18 Current Real Estate Market Overview

02:50 Why Now is the Best Time to Invest

03:48 Advice for Buyers and Sellers

05:41 Preparing for Future Market Changes

08:12 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome. My name is Sabrina Riccio. I am the realtor of your dreams. That’s just what came out. But truly, I am your desert guide. I am so happy to be here with you. Thank you for tuning in. I just wanted to come on and make this video because as someone who has grown up in the Coachella Valley Desert, I wanted to share that.

As a, being a realtor and seeing what’s going on, I want you to realize that while it can look on like, oh, market rates are so high and I don’t know what to do, I mean, there’s such a crazy programming going on right now and so much fear and ah, it’s been tough to really navigate through what’s been going on, right?

There’s just a lot. But what I wanna share is that there’s genuinely no better [00:01:00] time than now to invest in real estate in the desert. Hear me out. Okay. So, like I said, I’m born and raised here. My family is part of Palm Springs, Coachella Valley. The desert history for over 50 years. I have very, very deep roots to this land, and as someone who has a degree in marketing, someone who studied real estate from a prestigious university at Chapman University, I’ve taught at this university like I have a lot of credibility to share with you.

I’m with one of the top brokerages here in the desert with Coldwell Banker. I just wanna share that. I, I know what I’m talking about when I say there’s no better time than now because we’ve had inventory that has been sitting for quite some time, and there’s been 40% of people that have dropped. Their rates and we’re finding that, you know, people aren’t really [00:02:00] selling their properties unless 10 to 20%.

There’s a 10 to 20% drop in their current listing price. I mean, that’s a drop. That is, that is a significance. But the problem was that we, that we found was that so many people were not paying attention to the market. They were still pricing their homes at 2022 prices, and it’s just not it right now.

Studies have shown that we have recalibrated back to pre covid prices. Because in the desert during Covid, everything, the prices just soared because so many people wanted to get away from the major cities and people were working from home, and it was just a different time. But now that we are recalibrating back into some sense of normalcy, but right now there’s so many questions and up, there’s so much uproar happening.

The biggest thing that you have to understand is that the reason why now is the best time. When market rates are high and we’re about to approach [00:03:00] summer is because market rates are high and we’re about to approach summer. When market rates are higher, there is less competition for the buyer to to purchase.

Think of it this way, when you have a great deal, everyone’s trying to capture that great deal, right? The thing is, is a lot of these houses that have been sitting here for a while, you are finding more and more motivated sellers. And because we’re finding more and more motivated sellers, they’re, they will be willing to drop the price, especially if their home has been on the market since pre-election.

There’s a lot of properties that have been on the market for some time because they weren’t priced right. Houses weren’t priced right. I can promise you, and if you’re a seller listening to this. If you want to sell your house, reach out to me because I will look at the comps and I will price the house, right, so that your house can sell.

And if you are a [00:04:00] buyer. Just know that I am here to fight for you as we negotiate that price, because like I said, there’s a lot of people that want to simplify. I literally just got out of a, finished a walk with my, my dog bud and my parents’ neighborhood, and I ran into a neighbor. Who was saying that he doesn’t know if he wants to even have a house anymore, if he wants to go into a condo, and people wanna downsize as well, especially in a place like the desert where there’s, you know, people are getting older and you know, there’s just reevaluating and whatnot.

The thing that I really want you to understand is that now is the best time to price when market rates are high, because one, there’s no competition. And two, you have a better selection when you have a better selection of. What’s happening or what, what’s out there I should say? You can also negotiate more because we’re really seeing that it’s a buyer’s market while the, they haven’t really shared that yet, especially [00:05:00] here in the Coachella Valley.

It is 100% a buyer’s market, and so I invite you as we approach the summer as well. If you’ve wanted to make that investment and experience the desert lifestyle of a slower pace and going with the flow and enjoying nature and not the commotion of big city life, now is the time to buy. We have stagecoach coming this weekend, and then after that we’re gonna start seeing well, well, it’s always after Easter, the snowbirds leave and it gets even quieter.

And it’s a great time to, to, to look again. There’s not a lot of competition. There is a lot of inventory that has been sitting with a lot of motivated sellers, and because of what’s going on, it’s inevitable that rates are gonna drop. But here’s the thing, when you purchase, now, when the rates are higher, you [00:06:00] can date this rate just for a little bit, just date, you know, just.

Dating. That’s it. And then when the time comes that interest rates drop, refinance, you’ll have equity on your property. Because here’s a fun fact. We have seen that when rates drop, for every 1% that we see mortgage rates drop, we see four to 6 million new buyers. You know what that means? More competition.

Ain’t nobody wants that. No one wants to have more competition. You wanna be able to negotiate a deal. You wanna be able to get it while it’s hot, literally, and figuratively. Right? We’re approaching the summer months here in the desert, but again, this is the best time to get it because. You can purchase now and then enjoy the summer of preparing your home.

And that when the season gets beautiful again, you can enjoy the house. [00:07:00] And for sellers, now is the best time to prepare to sell your house, right? So fix those leaky faucets and you know, change out those. Light switches and change the doorknobs. Just those simple little features and little gestures just to bring more pizazz to your property because you know there will be people that are gonna wait for those rates to drop.

And when those rates drop, there’s also gonna be a demand. Like I said, there’ll be a higher demand. We we’re seeing four to 6 million new buyers when a rate drops every 1%, and we’re expecting that it’s gonna happen sooner than later. So with that said, while the rate is higher while we’re creeping into the summer months, and we are preparing for what’s in store, invest.

Now, why wouldn’t [00:08:00] you? Why wouldn’t you wanna negotiate that price? Why wouldn’t she want that great deal? Why wouldn’t she wanna get in when there’s less competition? That’s just a no brainer. So if you are on the hunt, I invite you to first download, visit the link in the description to download Guiding You Home, which is this beautiful buyer’s guide that I’ve created that talks about all things about home buying.

And if you wanna reach out and if you’re looking to move to the Coachella Valley, to Joshua Tree High Desert. Let me know again, I’m born and raised out here. I am part of the desert legacy out here, and my whole mission in real estate is to really recognize that it’s time for luxury to meet legacy, and this is what it’s all about.

And so if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Again, all my contact information, is in the [00:09:00] description. I wanna know in the comments how you are feeling about the current market. Are the rates scaring you? Are they exciting? Are you looking forward to investing? I wanna know in the comments how you’re feeling about what’s going on.

And let me know again, if you’re looking to move to the Coachella Valley, to Joshua Tree. I got you. But Anyw who, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I’m excited to see and help you find this house date, the rate. Refinance once the rates drop. So that, and, and experience that equity that you have.

But I’m excited to be here. Thank you again for joining me. My name’s Sabrina Riccio, again with Coldwell Banker in Indian Wells La Quinta, Palm Desert area, and I’m excited to guide you home. Have a good one. Take care.