An Affluent Resort Community | Coachella Valley, California
Once you enter the radius of Rancho Mirage, an affluent resort community nestled in California’s Coachella Valley, the map on your phone will very likely start rattling off the names of celebrities and presidents. This is normal. It’s just how the streets are named.
There’s Gerald Ford Drive. And Frank Sinatra Drive. There’s also Ginger Rogers Road and the impossible-to-miss Bob Hope Drive. Consider it a star-studded welcome wagon, if only by street sign.
Rancho Mirage, about 15 minutes southeast of Palm Springs, is a community that sprouted from the desert because of the attention it initially got from Hollywood and the ongoing cache it carried as leading architects of the time instilled desert modernism across the landscape. Celebrities built homes there, appreciating the exclusivity of the community and the privacy it offered.
Nicknamed the “Playground of the Presidents,” Rancho Mirage is also beloved by several former presidents who retired there, held informal diplomatic meetings there or just wanted to unwind there over a round of golf.
Just ask President Obama, who can regularly be found hitting the links in Rancho Mirage.
Today, Rancho Mirage is a community that boasts an eclectic blend of architecturally-significant homes from decades past and luxurious multi-million-dollar estates alongside new construction and condos. Exclusivity still reigns as does the appeal of the community’s world-class golf, its enviable winters and its premium, if more relaxed, lifestyle.
It all began with a few guys who had a vision.
Rancho Mirage: The Early Days
The very first investment into what is now Rancho Mirage happened in the 1930s when a couple of men involved in real estate purchased a swath of undeveloped desert. According to historical documentation, the first structure in Rancho Mirage was given the endearing name of Ranchito Chiquito. Once Hollywood took a bite in the mid-1940s, the community really began to take shape.
An 18-hole golf course caught the adoration of at-that-time headlining entertainers such as Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Thunderbird Country Club, a dude ranch offering horseback rides and chuckwagon meals, also attracted Hollywood elite and socialites looking to unwind.
Tamarisk Country Club, founded by the Marx Brothers, joined the ranks of Rancho Mirage’s exclusive lifestyle community, with founding members including Jack Benny and George Burns. The club’s first golf pro was Ben Hogan, one of the game’s greatest players.
The introduction of the clubs and the golf courses ushered in a desire for housing, which clearly needed to meet the level of exclusivity and luxury that club members had come to expect. In the postwar era, midcentury modernism flourished.
A Look At Notable Rancho Mirage Neighborhoods
Rancho Mirage incorporated in the early 1970s, which set off a building boom as thousands of homes, including many in gated communities, came online. The city itself remains quite quaint, with fewer than 17,000 full-time residents, no doubt a selling point for those looking to get away from the hustle of bigger cities — like Palm Springs proper or Los Angeles.
Across the city, a few notable neighborhoods stand out.
- Tamarisk Country Club: The iconic club features a variety of architecture designs, from midcentury modern classics to luxury estates to attached condos, beginning at just under $1 million. Celebrated architects such as E. Stewart Williams, William F. Cody and William Krisel have left their marks inside Tamarisk Country Club — including the affable Cody Court. The community also includes golf course-adjacent luxury estates, some of which exceed 14,000 square feet.
- Thunderbird Heights: A staple of Rancho Mirage, Thunderbird Heights also features a mix of midcentury classics featuring expansive glass and low-slung rooflines from architects that include William Cody and Howard Lapham. On the flipside, the neighborhood is also known for its remodeled or new-build luxury estates that sit on larger lots offering exceptional views and privacy.
- Mirada Estates: A 24-hour guard-gated luxury community, Mirada Estates includes custom single-family homes set at an elevation that affords dramatic views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and the Coachella Valley below. Home styles include Mediterranean and Tuscan villas and contemporary desert estates, all of which benefit from being cushioned by thousands of acres of protected wilderness. Notably, it is adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, which offers residents unique perks.
- Waterford: Also a gated and guarded community, Waterford has just 61 estate-sized custom homes within it. The community includes private tennis courts and a central lake, offering waterfront property to about half of the homes within it.
- Clancy Lane: With a mixed history of so-called “gentleman farmers” and celebrities — like Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Sammy Davis, Jr. — the Clancy Lane area is known as an exclusive enclave of luxury, custom estates. With views of both the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains, the original Clancy Lane has sprouted equally as prestigious communities around it where Spanish, Mediterranean, Ranch and contemporary styles blend.
Rancho Mirage Showpieces
Like parents with children, we at PS Properties try not to choose favorites among the properties we represent. But, let’s just say some of the homes we have the privilege of representing are standouts. The Swan House is one of those properties.
Built in 1961 on about a half-acre, the four-bedroom estate is an architectural gem designed by Jack McCallum. It was recently renovated, restoring the U-shaped, alabaster-washed Thunderbird Heights property to its glory. With sweeping mountain views, a private resort-style pool, expansive, retractable glass, and luxurious finishes — the Swan House is a showpiece of clean, elevated luxury.
In that same neighborhood is another breathtaking example of midcentury modernism at its peak. The home known as the White Shadows residence has staying power for the PS Properties team, in part for its unique Moroccan influence. The details stitched into the home’s shape and its finishes — from soft archways to the marbled fountain that anchors its interior courtyard to the walnut screen doors and carved wooden gate — evoke a certain mystery and charm.
Both homes offer a taste of what’s possible when luxury blends with midcentury modern mainstays.
Rancho Mirage Today And Beyond
Rancho Mirage is still evolving. At PS Properties, we’ve represented a number of new-build projects, from Wren Court to Desert Lark, that showcase a desert modern architectural aesthetic while embracing an elevated, luxurious lifestyle. While both Wren Court and Desert Lark are complete and sold, the latest new-build project within Rancho Mirage that our team is working on is called Vista Court.
Other new communities are coming online as well, offering their own unique takes on desert living. Cotino, a Disney community being built by DMB, is already offering move-in ready homes. The community includes a walkable town center, a turquoise lagoon and a voluntary club. On a more niche scale, the boutique design-build firm S2 Development is building minimalist retreats within Rancho Mirage, adding to the area’s portfolio of desert modernism
PS Properties: Rancho Mirage Experts
While the market has settled from the mania of demand we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is always able to shift. At PS Properties, our experience in the Coachella Valley as a whole and Rancho Mirage specifically, spans about 20 years. So, we’ve seen the market rise and fall and shift and squirm and our experience in the community has allowed us to navigate those changes without difficulty.
In fact, within Rancho Mirage, our team at PS Properties is among the top producers. Over the last three years, we closed 18 transactions worth more than $3 million. That was more than any other team in the market. One of the transactions included the White Shadows home, which sold for $5.3 million.
Another was the Swan Home, which sold for $4.8 million.
Of course, at PS Properties, we don’t view purchases or sales as simply transactions. The industry categorizes them that way, so that reference is somewhat inescapable. But, as a matter of practice, we do things a bit differently than most real estate professionals in the market.
We don’t just add a personal touch to the homes we represent. We believe that the home buying and home selling journey itself is personal. So, we treat it that way, from the way we market a home to our presence at open houses to offering guidance on the search for a home that checks every last box.
After all, it’s your life. We’re just here to help you live it exactly where you want to. And if that just so happens to be in Rancho Mirage — be it in a midcentury modern architectural gem or inside a hillside estate with views of the Coachella Valley — our team very likely has suggestions at the ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rancho Mirage, California?
Rancho Mirage is an affluent resort community in California’s Coachella Valley, about 15 minutes southeast of Palm Springs. It is a small city with fewer than 17,000 full-time residents, which is part of its appeal for buyers who want distance from the pace of larger cities.
Why is Rancho Mirage called the Playground of the Presidents?
Several former presidents retired to Rancho Mirage, held informal diplomatic meetings there or simply unwound over a round of golf. The influence shows up in the street names, including Gerald Ford Drive, Frank Sinatra Drive, Ginger Rogers Road and Bob Hope Drive. President Obama can regularly be found on the golf courses there.
What are the best neighborhoods in Rancho Mirage?
Notable communities include Tamarisk Country Club, with work by E. Stewart Williams, William F. Cody and William Krisel; Thunderbird Heights, known for midcentury classics and remodeled luxury estates; Mirada Estates, a 24-hour guard-gated community adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton; Waterford, with just 61 estate-sized homes around a central lake; and Clancy Lane, an enclave once home to Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Sammy Davis, Jr.
What kind of homes are for sale in Rancho Mirage?
The market blends architecturally significant midcentury homes with luxury multimillion-dollar estates, new construction and condominiums. Attached condos at Tamarisk begin at just under $1 million, while golf-course-adjacent estates can exceed 14,000 square feet. New communities continue to come online, including Cotino and boutique projects such as Vista Court.
Does Rancho Mirage have historic homes?
Yes. Rancho Mirage administers its own historic designations through a Historic Preservation Commission and offers Mills Act contracts. Unlike Palm Springs, it does not use a tiered system, and its historic register is almost exclusively single-family homes.
PS Properties, also known as Patrick Stewart Properties, has been serving the Palm Springs and Coachella Valley area for more than 20 years. Principals Patrick Jordan and Stewart Smith guide a team of experts who specialize in offering clients guidance when buying or selling distinctive modern, luxury, architecturally-significant or historically-significant homes. In a rare class of Palm Springs area realtors, PS Properties has been included in the $100 million club for three years running and has accrued more than $1 billion in real estate transactions. Learn more at https://www.patrickstewartproperties.com/.
