Part of our travel journey is to explore what options may be available in the area that we may wish to consider down the line when we want something for a home base. From research I found three resorts worth checking out while here. 1) Desert Shores Resort, 2) Motorcoach Country Club (MCC), and 3) Outdoor Resort Indio (ORI) Qualifications to make and then stay on our list include: desirable weather, social life, activities are plentiful, pickleball, safety of area, accessibility to medical center/hospital, accessibility to other things to see and do in the local area. My thoughts are that I’d like to have a casita that has a queen bed, living area/kitchen and full bathroom so that friends and family could come visit.
We went to Desert Shores Resort first. Oh, my! GORGEOUS! They have “full” casitas with beautiful views. Spacious lots with privacy. The landscaping throughout the resort is stunning with water features. Even many of the individual lots have their own water feature. LOVE the outdoor living space and the way it flows into the casitas! Each lot includes a 1200 sq ft Casita villa, which includes approximately 850 sq ft of living space and a garage (single or double – 350 -750 sq ft). I forgot to take pictures of the inside of the casitas! But you can get an idea from the ones for sale on this link. https://www.desertshoresresort.com/for-sale-properties
Most of the motorhomes we saw were Dutch\ Star and above in the Newmar line, Newell, Marathon, Prevost, etc. Definite $ here! These casita lots are not cheap. There were a couple under $300,000, but the majority were mid-$300k and up. But you own your lot. Unfortunately, the HOA dues are currently $650 a month! Included in the HOA fee is lawn maintenance and high-speed internet to each lot, common area landscaping and lake maintenance, all community and 24-hr security guards as well as a perimeter wall security system. Annual property taxes area approximately 1.4% of the PURCHASE price per year. You are able to lease your lot for a minimum of 31 nights with no maximum imposed. course, I really liked this place. Desert Shores even provides about 6 “buddy pads” that you could reserve if you had friends in RVs visiting! Hmm…forgot to check for pickleball courts.
Next, we went to Motorcoach Country Club. Another beautiful resort. Some with spectacular views. There is a 9-hole executive golf course that is well planned with cart paths within the resort. MCC has an approximate two mile navigable waterway that is planned with the golf course and resort layout. This would be so cool to use our inflatable kayaks or future standup paddle boards (SUP). Electric boats no greater than 18′ electric boats with up to 7 1/2 horsepower motors are permitted on the waterway. Lots that border the waterway often have a dock. There are lots that are more affordable than Desert Shores, and the HOA is currently $530 a month, which is also less than Desert Shores. Security is not to the level we saw at Desert Shores, but seems OK. MCC has an incredible restaurant “Top of the Falls”, that lot owners are required to put $1500 on account each year to keep the restaurant going and the food quality excellent. From the prices on the menu, owners receive 15% discount and the amount spent is signed for and deducted from money on account. It is a use it or lose it setup. There are two lighted tennis courts in view from the restaurant, but no pickleball permitted (yet). You are limited to the number of total days you can rent/lease your site. https://www.motorcoachcountryclub.com/gallery
Outdoor Resort Indio (ORI) was our third and final stop for the area. It was right across the street from Motorcoach Country Club. This resort is older and allows RVs other than Class A motorhomes, unlike the two previous resorts. ORI was definitely the most affordable of the three resorts, but it lacked the spaciousness, privacy and casitas that the other places had. ORI felt more like a really nice RV parks. Unfortunately, all sites were made for rigs to back-in and therefore, in a Class A you don’t get to face the nice view These sites were more limited from simple to elaborate outdoor kitchens. No full casita on any sites, but it could be a starting point for staying x amount of months in the area. Lots of activities! PICKLEBALL!!! HOA monthly fee here is currently $475. Could get a decent lot for low $100K -and there are some lots available well under $100K. Certainly more our price range! Perimeter lots are less expensive. Seemed like a friendly place. Unfortunately, we were given a VERY fast tour of the resort. https://orindio.com/diamond-level-private-perimeter-lots/
All three resorts were good to see. We would love a port-home style community with lots of activities, but doubt that we would want to be in California. We want it really nice, but affordability is key.