Welcome to Ralph Haverkate’s Real Estate Blog, Specializing in Mid-Century Modern Homes

Just Listed:  Architectural Gem in South Palm Desert by California Modern Inventor, Industrial Designer and Architect Walter White www.73271Buckboard.com

During the 1950s and 60s when many architects and developers first came to the desert, the area’s unique terrain, climate and rugged beauty provided exciting challenges as well as new vision for a generation of modernist thinkers.  Some gained fame and fortune in the desert; their many contributions are clearly visible in tract and custom developments, public and community projects throughout the area.

Others, such as California Modernist Walter S. White, created only a few precious gems that are still quietly tucked away in quality neighborhoods, just beginning to receive the recognition they deserve.

One of White’s unique homes, built in 1958 in the Silver Spur residential enclave at 73221 Buckboard Trail, overlooking Palm Desert, is now on the market for $535,500.00

Architectural block, glass walls that create a compelling indoor/outdoor relationship, interior floating walls and clerestory windows are a Walter White signature.  The home’s authentic mosaic bath tiles and pebble stone entry have been lovingly restored.  The newer pebble tech salt-water pool and spa are surrounded by spacious lawns, open patio areas and custom decorative block screen.

The two bedroom, two bath, 1,500 square foot home is situated on a generous 15,600 square foot lot with plenty of space to add on behind the double garage.

An architect, inventor and industrial designer, White was an innovator specializing in premium houses, passive solar energy and steel structures for more than 60 years in southern California and Colorado Springs, Colorado (http://findarticles.com).  His patented inventions include the hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure (1966), also known as the saddle roof (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle_roof) — it’s shaped like a Pringle potato chip –and the heat exchanger window, patented in 1975.

White’s inventions and architectural work are documented in the Architecture and Design Collection, University Art Museum at UC Santa Barbara(www.arthistory.ucsb.edu), with some 60 pieces documenting this beautiful south Palm Desert home now on the market.

During his lifetime, White’s work appeared in Arts and Architecture Magazine, the National Geographic, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Energy News Digest and more.

In his early years, he worked in the Los Angeles offices of Harwell Hamilton Harris and Rudolph Schindler, later with Leopold Fisher and briefly for desert iconoclast Albert Frey.  He was invited by Frank Lloyd Wright to intern at Taliesin West.

One home in Colorado Springs, known as the Ventanas House (ventanas is Spanish for windows), (www.huffingtonpost.com2010/06/16/ventanas-house), is attributed White as a protégé of Wright’s.  The house displays two of White’s innovations: pivotal windows capable of heat exchange, and the hyperbolic paraboloid roof system.

The outside perimeter of this house is all glass. Every spring and fall the windows are pivoted around their vertical axis to position the solar glass panes either toward the inside or outside, to heat or cool the house as necessary.  Ventanas House is also constructed of steel beams anchored in concrete.  The roof is carried by the steel beams so that there are no supporting interior walls on the upper level.

From the 1960s,White worked in Colorado developing various inventions and patents, passive solar designs and self-sufficient homes, returning to California in the 1980s. Known for his independence and lack of pretension, White refused to sit for his State of California architectural license examination until the early 1990s, then in his mid-seventies.  Up until that time, the State of California required he write “Not an Architect” on his plans and designs, one reason, perhaps, that White’s designs have gone  under-recognized in California.

Premium, self-sufficient, solar heated homes and buildings, steel construction, the environment and ecology were a driving passion for White all of his profession life, according to his obituary in the Colorado Springs Newspaper, April, 2002 (http://findarticles.com).  He was 85 when he passed away in East Lansing, Michigan, survived by his second wife Pamela Whitney Haines, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Several other White designed homes are in the South Palm Desert area and listed in the City of Palm Desert’s Art and Architecture City Guide Map (www.palm-desert.org/arts-culture).  Download for a self guided tour.  Or contact Ralph Haverkate Real Estate for information and a personal tour of the Walter White home and other Mid Century modern homes for sale in Palm Desert.

– Pamela Bieri

In the Palm Springs area, the only homes that are selling are at 30-50% discounts.  Many would-be home buyers seem to be holding back in fear (or hope) that prices will fall some more.  If you believe in Buy Low you should be wary of trying to buy at the bottom – that is very hard to do.  It’s better to get most of the benefit of the low, than to miss it altogether.  Median prices were actually lower last year than now.

It does look as if prices may fall again, but I may be wrong .  In the opinion of some, we saw prices rise last year due to various government stimulus programs, and they could rise again if private investment increases.  We have seen unemployment increase and that will increase the number of foreclosures.  The impact of new foreclosures should be minimal because we have seen the banks meter them onto the market about as fast as they are selling, which has kept prices stable.

Could a meaningful drop of 20% or more still happen?  If a Mid-Century Modern home was $500,000 at the peak, it is possibly worth around $300,000 now (a 40% drop).  I don’t believe it can go down to $200,000 (down 60%).  Could it go down 15% from $300,000 to $255,000?  It is possible, but a slight market improvement could keep the price steady or slightly increase it, as happened over the last year.  Meanwhile the buyer is still looking and we are getting closer to the time when prices will definitely increase.

Some sellers are waiting too.  If they need to sell, there isn’t much point in waiting for the return to high prices.  That won’t happen for many years.  They are likely better off selling now to start a new financial or housing base rather than dealing with an uncertain future.

For both Buyers and Sellers, there is a financial risk of doing nothing, and you may miss the chance of finding that perfect Kreisel Alexander or Walter S. White.

- Wayne Longman

Plans are underway for the 10th Anniversary of the “Great Alexander Weekend” in Palm Springs, March 26-27, 2011. The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation (www.pspreservationfoundation.org ) is planning a full weekend of home tours, seminars, cocktail receptions and special tributes to one of Palm Springs’ most influential and innovative home builders.

The Great Alexander Weekends and PSPF’s tribute book, When Mod Went Mass, have garnered significant awareness of the Alexander-built tract homes by architect William Krisel, and helped leverage even more importance to the genre of Mid-Century Modern homes, commercial and public buildings which are prevalent throughout Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.

From as early as the 1920s and through the 1970s, an impressive roster of talented architects have been captivated by Palm Springs:  R.M. Schindler, Richard Neutra, and Lloyd Wright (Frank Lloyd Wright’s son); young Swiss architect Albert Frey whose work profoundly influenced desert architecture; and regional modernists William F. Cody, Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams and Krisel.

Each made their mark with “striking custom homes, impressive commercial complexes, hotels and motels, commanding civic and educational campuses … and created an architectural treasury of great consequence and innovation in and around Palm Springs,” writes Robert Imber  in his story on The Alexander Homes (www.eichlernetwork.com/desert_chron1.html. )

Imber noted that Palm Springs remained a sleepy seasonal village until postwar American affluence and growing families began to emerge with a demand for mass market housing.  Coupled with the fact that Palm Springs already was a discrete playground for Hollywood’s elite, a bevy of builders and architects grew to fill the increasing demand for year round residential and well as seasonal vacation homes.

The Alexander Company, founded by George Alexander and his son Robert, was a Palm Springs based residential development company that built more than 2,200 homes in the desert between 1947 and 1965 (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Construction_Company ).  The “Alexanders,” as these homes are now  known, doubled Palm Springs residential population, giving the city a whole new shape and direction.

Key to the Alexanders’ success was the talented young architect Krisel, partner in the Los Angeles firm Palmer and Krisel, Inc. (www.psmodcom.com/Architects%20Pages/PalmerKrisel ).  A close friend of Bob Alexander, Krisel came to Palm Springs at his request.

The Alexanders’ foray into desert tract homes began with Twin Palms Estates, named for two palm trees included in the front landscaping of each home.  Hallmarks were a single story, open floor plan with an indoor-outdoor feeling enhanced by skylights, sliding glass doors, and an interior atrium.

Actual Homes For Sale in Twin Palms

Three quarter walls divided the main room to provide abundant light, eliminating the need for full framed walls, molding and trim, so created a clean contemporary look.  Exposed tongue-and-groove planks and beamed ceilings also enhanced the room’s soaring architectural lines.  The same floor plan repeated within the housing development saved construction and materials costs.

Krisel was involved with every facet of design, planning, engineering and construction.  From site and landscape choices to interior colors and trim, each house was oriented and embellished differently , making the Alexanders look like a collection of individualized custom homes.

Other Palmer & Krisel projects included the Ocotillo Lodge, Las Palmas Estates (Vista Las Palmas) Racquet Club Estates, Sandpiper condominiums in Palm Desert, and the famous House of Tomorrow otherwise known as the “Honeymoon Hideaway” of Elvis and Priscilla Presley.  Robert Alexander and his wife lived in this house for a time, and were featured here in Look Magazine in September, 1962.

Actual Homes For Sale in Vista Las Palmas

Another well-known Alexander house in Las Palmas is the Lawford/Kennedy house, originally built for Peter Lawford, married to JFK’s sister Patricia Kennedy.  This house, in close proximity to Marilyn Monroe’s, is supposedly where JFK and Monroe rendezvoused.

The affordable Racquet Club Road Estates (www.racquetclubestates.com )  were built by the Alexander Construction Company between 1959 and 1962.  The 1,225 square foot homes were designed as weekend and vacation getaways on a concrete slab with single pane glass and without insulation.  Here, too, the post and beam construction allowed the soaring roofline, open floor plan, and indoor/outdoor relationship to generous quarter-acre lots.

“Space age” utilitarian kitchens were separated from the entry way with a five-foot high wall which held an oven, gas cook top and refrigerator.  Wall mounted cabinets with sliding pegboard doors above a  sink in a long Formica-topped counter balanced on iron hairpin legs.  A double deck island separated the kitchen from dining with a “floating” upper cabinet.

At the end of a hallway, large master bedrooms featured sliding glass doors to the outside.  Private master bathrooms had sunken shower/tubs and outside doors for swimmers’ use.  Off the hall were two bedrooms and another bathroom.  In each bedroom an entire wall of closets was enclosed by sliding doors, leaving open space above to the ceiling.

The Alexanders had five distinctive rooflines:  The classic butterfly;  a flat roof with side or front entry; narrow gabled roof with front or side entry; wide gable roof; and side gabled roof with clerestory windows.

While each house has the same floor plan, some bedrooms line up along the street front, while others are aligned along the side from front to back. The ceiling heights and use of clerestories and window arrangements change their appearance.

When new, the homes cost $19,000 plus additional options.  A fireplace could be added in three of the five roofline designs and an optional swimming pool complemented the circular concrete backyard pads for only $950. The total cost of house and pool was below $20,000, quite affordable for middle income families and celebrities.

Citywide, the collection of Alexanders range from 1,225 square feet in the Racquet Club Road Estates at the north end to over 2,500 square feet in the Vista Las Palmas, Golden Vista,  Mountain View, and Green Fairway Estates nearer to the center of town.  These were originally priced from $16,950 to $50,000.  Today, the Alexanders are highly sought after and refurbished sells from $400,000 to well over one million dollars.

While the majority of Alexander homes were designed by Palmer and Krisel, those with an A-frame facade, known  as “Swiss Misses” (www.jetsetmodern.com/issue5/swissmiss.htm )  in the Green Fairway Estates (www.desertmodernism.com/greenfairway.html ) tract in south Palm Springs, were designed by architect Donald Wexler, who designed the Palm Springs International Airport.

Alexander built Swiss Miss homes are an A-frame construction with lava rock facades, Aztec motifs and Asian or South Pacific styles that were influenced by experiences in the Pacific Theater brought home by World War II soldiers.  There were nine master floor plans that were repeated two or three times in the tract.

Only a limited number of Alexander homes were constructed at the Green Fairway Estates prior to 1965: tragically that year the Alexanders were killed in a private plane crash in the Little Chocolate Mountains while on a flight to Burbank.

The Great Alexander Weekend has fueled a revival of these treasures; don’t miss the 10th anniversary!

For a tour of Alexander homes currently for sale in the Palm Springs area, contact Ralph Haverkate at  www.haverkaterealestate.com

–  Pamela Bieri

Architect John Lautner’s Elrod House Now On the Market

Architect John Lautner’s iconic Arthur Elrod House (www.johnlautner.org) is back on the market with a  price tag of more than $13 million.

The late architect, renowned for his organic structures, composed  this amazing home carved into the rugged Southridge foothills overlooking  Palm Springs in 1968.  The house has been featured extensively in lifestyle, architecture and design magazine articles (www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-Springs-Life/February-2009/Daring-Design) and is best known  as the James Bond bachelor pad in Diamonds are Forever. It is one of three buildings in Palm Springs by Lautner:  Bob and Dolores Hope’s “space ship” domed home also on Southridge (1979) and the Desert Hot Springs Motel (1947).

The Elrod  house contains many Lautner hallmarks:  a difficult site, harsh environment, modest entrance that conceals soaring space, and rooms that conversely move between indoors and out.  The 8,901-square foot house possesses a daring Mid-Century design and breathtaking vistas.

Designed to shield dwellers from the intense desert sun, its enormous domed concrete roof rests on curved walls providing an interior pavilion with a wraparound view of the mountains, city and desert below.  Wedge-like sections in the roof lift to accommodate skylights and provide indirect light.  Retractable glass walls open the room to the elements.

Natural boulders are exposed in the living room while the tip of an indoor-outdoor swimming pool emanates from the interior to nearly fill a massive curved deck. The pool provides a cooling, ever changing reflection of sky and nearly “disappears” over the side of the deck.  Lautner, in fact, is credited for creating Los Angeles’ first “vanishing edge” or infinity pool, built for a private residence in the Silver Lake area in 1957 (www.poolandpatio.about.com).

The main floor includes a kitchen hidden from the circular living room by a long, curved wall. On the same level, the master bedroom features a bar and refrigerator tucked behind walls of exotic wood with carefully matched grains.  A sunken master bath tub is exposed to the outside with only a glass wall in between boulders and row of bamboo shoots, adding privacy to the already remote site.

A guest house and servants quarters, added after the main house was built, are reached via a spiral staircase from the pool deck.

The house is being sold along with two other properties in the Southridge development, owned and cared for by a real estate investor who admired the house a year before buying it in 2003.

The current owner bought the house from supermarket magnet Ron Burkle, who had poured millions into the house during the years he owned it, according to a Palm Springs Life feature by Allison Engle (February, 2009).

“I give Burkle full marks,” said the owner in the 2009 PSL article.  “He did all the thankless stuff you never see, basically renovating all the mechanical systems and furnishing it in a manner that’s true to the space.”

“You’ll never find this site again. You’ll never get the approvals again.  And you had true simpatico between the client (Eldrod), architect (Lautner) and contractor — something impossible count on and critical to the best results,” he said.

The owner’s two other properties create an unusual portfolio of architecturally significant homes:  the former Steve McQueen house designed by Hugh Kaptur and the “Boat House” designed by Michael P. Johnson for race-car driver James Jeffords (www.la.curbed.com/tags/elrod-house).

In keeping with their intent as unique dwelling places, the properties have been made available to friends, family, business associates and special occasions over the years.  Most recently they are for rent only to members of the Southridge Club; membership is $100,000 annually (www.la.curbed.com/tags/elrod-house).

Palm Springs is a virtual treasure trove of Mid-Century Modern architecture with one of the largest and best preserved examples of elegant homes and landmark buildings constructed during the 1940s through 1960s (www.architecture.about.com).  While Lautner’s style is considered Desert Modernism and Googie (his iconic Googie coffee shop on LA’s Sunset Boulevard), other architectural styles from that era in Palm Springs include Art Moderne, Spanish Eclectic, and Tiki.

An apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, Lautner’s subsequent fascination with new shapes and structures may have caused him to be overlooked or miscast as an Atomic Age futurist or celebrating Hollywood excess during his lifetime.  After he died in 1994, his original designs began to receive serious attention and recognition.

In a foreword to a book that accompanied a retrospective exhibition of Lautner’s work at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles in July, 2008, Museum Director Ann Philbin wrote that Lautner’s vision “came from his determination to humanize the spaces of the built world and create an endlessly varied organic poetry.  This was a profoundly serious agenda.”

The Hammer Museum’s John Lautner retrospective was at the Palm Springs Desert Museum this past spring.

You can see all the properties for sale in Southridge here

– Pamela Bieri

Vista Las Palmas is a quiet neighborhood west and within walking distance of downtown Palm Springs.  Situated by the San Jacinto Mountains it is cooler in the summer and warmer in winter.  Those lucky enough, have a full view of the mountainside.  Architect William Krisel is responsible for the design of most of the Alexander homes found here,  built by  Alexander Construction in the 50’s and 60’s in response to the growing demand for Modern Architecture.  Although many homeowners strive to keep their homes as close as possible to the originals,  others have progressively changed them to match contemporary tastes.

We have a new Alexander listing at 953 N Rose Avenue that will appeal to those who don’t feel bound to the past.  Along with a great location it has been expanded with a new master bedroom, bath, closets, den and more kitchen area.  Updates include roof, HVAC, windows and sliders, kitchen, ceramic tile floor, custom shutters, built-ins and appliances, many still under warranty.  The well separated Masters have private entrances. The new  wing has a Den that could be a fifth bedroom and an office uses one of the other  four bedrooms.  It has an area that could be a formal dining room, and the kitchen has enough room for both a breakfast area and a family room.

Fruit trees and a very private pool make good use of the large lot.  The west-facing mountain-side pool and patio area is off the kitchen, living/family room and new Master.   The shady patio overhang has fans and there is a raised sunning deck on two sides of the pool.  Except for a single grassy area, the home is desert-landscaped.

Vista Las Palmas is a quiet neighborhood west and within walking distance of downtown Palm Springs. Situated by the San Jacinto Mountains it is cooler in the summer and warmer in winter. Those lucky enough, have a full view of the mountainside. Architect William Krisel is responsible for the design of most of the Alexander homes found here, built by Alexander Construction in the 50’s and 60’s in response to the growing demand for Modern Architecture. Although many homeowners strive to keep their homes as close as possible to the originals, others have progressively changed them to match contemporary tastes.

We have a new Mid-Century-Modern “Alexander” listing at 953 N Rose that will appeal to those who don’t feel bound to the past. Along with a great location it has been expanded with a new master bedroom, bath, closets, den and more kitchen area. Updates include roof, HVAC, windows and sliders, kitchen, ceramic tile floor, custom shutters, built-ins and appliances, many still under warranty. The well separated Masters have private entrances. The new wing has a Den that could be a fifth bedroom and an office uses one of the other four bedrooms. It has an area that could be a formal dining room, and the kitchen has enough room for both a breakfast area and a family room.

Fruit trees and a very private pool make good use of the large lot. The west-facing mountain-side pool and patio area is off the kitchen, living/family room and new Master. The shady patio overhang has fans and there is a raised sunning deck on two sides of the pool. Except for a single grassy area, the home is desert-landscaped.

71388 Country Club Dr in Rancho Mirage

We just listed this historically significant “Cody” Mid-Century Modern in Rancho Mirage. This timeless, captivating Cody mid-century modern has been thoroughly updated without loss of its original style and integrity. The angular walls and roofline; open floor plan with generous amounts of glass, are in his classic style. Although believed to be by William F Cody, this has not been confirmed, but the City has designated this home as historically significant. Wonderful news for golfers the new owners are eligible for nomination for membership in Thunderbird Country Club!

Well located in central Rancho Mirage, on an eye-catching, private (approx.) 1/3 acre desert-landscaped corner lot, it has two solid steel gates that open to the circular driveway with a large parking area and double garage. Stonework (Palm Springs Gold) on the house looks the same as that Cody used on his awarding winning Del Marcos Hotel in Palm Springs.

Visitors are greeted with panoramic view of the pool and patio through eight glass panels. To your right is the dining area with patio access, and the kitchen, which has been completely renovated with Caesarstone Quartz countertops, hardwood maple cabinets and new appliances including a Bosch dishwasher. Find cork flooring in these areas, while the rest of the house boasts laminate wood floors, except for the bathrooms. The kitchen has direct access to the garage and laundry area.

The airy living room has the same glowing stonework surrounding the fireplace as found on the front of the house. South facing, it opens to the pool and patio, as do the first master and the third bedroom with a large closet, which has been opened for use as a den. The living room has double sliders that extend this area to the outdoors.

All the bathrooms have been updated. There is salt and pepper terrazzo for the floor and sunken tub in the first master, and Italian tile in the second master- and third bathrooms. The well-separated second master suite has a walk-in shower and private patio.

All the windows and sliders have been replaced by Low-E double-paned glass with invisible V-Kool film, and most have Mecho mesh window shades. The original 2 x 6 construction has other updates that include two tank-less water heaters, dual-zone air conditioning, newer pool equipment and crushed stone roof.

If pictures are worth a thousand words, please visit www.71388countryclub.com to read this best seller. It also shares the same block as the famed Kenaston Residence, used by many Hollywood stars. An outstanding home at a very reasonable price.

Please click here to see other Mid-Century Modern properties for sale in Rancho Mirage: Mid-Century Modern for Sale in Rancho Mirage

Ralph W Haverkate, Broker Associate Tarbell Realtors

Bank-owned properties (aka REO’s) are known to affect surrounding property prices.  This effect might be seen in past sale prices in the well-defined Palm Springs community of Vista Las Palmas.  This graph shows a decrease in the long term price trend of Non-REO homes at about the time the REO homes were sold.  The effect isn’t that great because REO’s are generally priced low, but close to the market.  There may even be early signs of price strengthening as they fade into the past.  As always though, prices are determined by Buyers.  – Wayne Longman

When it comes to mid-century modern architecture, there’s no better place than Palm Springs to view some of the very best homes ever built in this iconic style. Mid-century modern homes in Palm Springs have, in fact, become a significant tourist draw in recent years, attracting just as much attention as the city’s famed resorts, golf courses and spectacular natural setting.

Due to its extensive and well-preserved collection of mid-century modern homes, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the city to its prestigious annual list of “America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations” in 2006. “Palm Springs,” said the Trust’s president, Richard More, “is not a city of architectural re-creations or approximations of previous eras. Instead, it is a remarkably intact and authentic expression of its architectural heritage.”

Mid-century modern homes in Palm Springs were built by many of the movement’s most renowned names – Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, William F. Cody, John Lautner, Donald Wexler, and the builders/developers George and Robert Alexander, among others. What is arguably the most famous piece of residential real estate in the city, the Neutra-designed Kaufmann Desert House, is a premier example of the streamlined, light and airy designs that are characteristic of mid-century modern architecture.

If you’re interested in mid-century modern homes in Palm Springs, it’s best to work with  Palm Springs real estate agents who understand this particular niche of the Palm Springs, California real estate market. Passionate about real estate and mid-century modern architecture both, Ralph Haverkate and Wayne Longman are your guides to architecturally distinctive Palm Springs mid-century homes. Contact them today for more information.

Authentic and architecturally significant 1957 Mid-Century Modern Alexander “Executive”, located in the heart of “Vista Las Palmas” – a sanctuary for Modernism and a premier Million dollar neighborhood also called the “Beverly Hills” of Palm Springs.

Vista Las Palmas embodies Mid-Century Modern design, much sought after by style-conscious buyers who are also seeking the desert lifestyle close to downtown. Most of these homes were built by Alexander and designed by famous modernist architect William Krisel.  Many have been restored or modernized, demanding higher prices.

You will find it extremely well maintained with post and beam construction on a large corner lot, high exposed vaulted beam ceilings and wide expanses of glass and clerestory windows; in near-original condition.  Also discover a circular driveway with an original 50’s carport, low maintenance landscaping and a very private pool.

The generously sized living room is dominated by the original natural rock fireplace. It and the dining area have gallery-size walls for your largest pieces of art. The extensive use of glass throughout the house provides a natural light for your art and views of the pool and mountains.

The master bedroom suite, overlooking the pool, contains a wet bar, a dressing area with teak cabinetry, and direct access to a large den, office, exercise room or artist’s studio.  The two guest bedrooms are spacious and have direct mountain views. All the baths have retained their original tile, countertops and sinks.

The large kitchen with a large pantry still has the Formica countertops and vintage appliances next to the maid’s quarters and laundry. The roof was redone in 2008 and the plumbing replaced with copper.  The current owners have been in possession of this home since 1978.

Click here for: Mid-Century Modern Homes in the Vista Las Palmas Area For Sale