Nov. 26 Daily Briefing: Housing report, perfect score, best of the valley results, and more

Happy Wednesday, everyone! We’re ending our week mid-week so we can take a few days to enjoy Thanksgiving. We hope you’re doing the same. That means there won’t be a Daily Briefing in your inbox until Monday, when it will already be December. We won’t be completely missing from your email, though: our weekly roundup of stories we cover across all three of our news outlets — The CV Reporter — will be delivered as usual on Saturday. Happy Thanksgiving!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Thanksgiving Theme” by Vince Guaraldi Trio

LEADING OFF

Home prices hitting seasonal lows ahead of next month’s Federal Reserve meeting

The latest Desert Housing Report reveals a slight drop in prices for homes in Palm Springs, in line with a valley-wide trend.

Driving the news: The median price of an average-sized detached home in Palm Springs last month was $1.08 million, down 4% from last year’s median price of $1.13 million. For an attached home in Palm Springs, the median price is $415,000, down 5% from last year.

Context: Only two valley cities – Cathedral City and Palm Desert – saw higher prices this year compared to last. Valley-wide, the median price of a detached home is down 1.6% year-over-year to $625,000. Attached home prices decreased 2.2% overall to $420,000.

By the numbers: Sales valley-wide are below average by about 28% compared to pre-pandemic norms. Palm Springs had the highest unit sales at 118 units, up from 95 in October 2024. 

What else: It’s taking homes in Palm Springs an average of 64 days to sell, 10 days longer than last year. That’s mostly in line with other valley cities who are all experiencing more days on the market.

• Homes in Palm Springs are selling for about 3.4% below list price, compared to 3% last year.

Bottom line: Add all that up and here’s what we’re looking at – A slight price decline with homes taking longer to sell and selling for a bigger discount, plus higher unit sales and an increase in inventory.  

What to watch for: Market observers note that further developments will depend on mortgage rate movements and broader economic conditions. All eyes are on the Federal Reserve’s meetings on Dec. 9 and 10 where hopes of a rate cut are diminishing.

BRIEFLY

🏳️‍🌈 Palm Springs earns perfect score on equality index

• Palm Springs received a perfect score of 100 points on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2025 Municipal Equality Index Scorecard, which evaluates more than 500 cities on how inclusive their laws, policies and services are for LGBTQ+ residents, visitors and employees.
  
• Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, municipal employment policies, city services, law enforcement practices and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. City Manager Scott Stiles said the city’s commitment is to ensure inclusivity is practiced daily across every service provided.
  
• Bottom line: The Municipal Equality Index provides a public snapshot of how dedicated a city is to advancing LGBTQ+ equality and fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all. See the Palm Springs report here.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Sunshine Sisters Breakfast
8 a.m. | Rick’s Restaurant
Start the day with other Palm Springs Sunshine Sisters with breakfast and conversation.

Acrisure Series
11 a.m. | Acrisure Arena
The Acrisure Series returns to the Coachella Valley for its third consecutive year. Set to take place from November 25–28, 2025, the tournament will showcase over 20 NCAA Division I men’s basketball programs competing at the highest level ($47)

Chinese Mah Jong Open Play
2 p.m. | Mizell Center
Practice your skills and play with others. This is a FREE library program; you do not have to be a member of Mizell Center to attend.

Over the Hump Flights with Tod Macofsky
6 p.m. | PS Air Bar
Join us every Wednesday at PS Air for our Over the Hump Flights, featuring live music by the incomparable Tod Macofsky. 

Funk Monks: Sly and the Family Stone
7 p.m. | Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs
Known for their powerhouse sound and electric stage presence, this b

See all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Palm Springs Wild Turkey Trot at 8 a.m. Thursday at the corner of Tahquitz and Palm Canyon.
  
• Community Thanksgiving Lunch Celebration at Christ Citadel International Church from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Thursday.
  
• Holiday Lighting of the Visitor Center with Charles Phoenix at 4:30 p.m. Friday at 2901 North Palm Canyon Dr.
  
• Art in the Park in the Dark on Saturday.
  
• AIDS Memorial ceremonial groundbreaking on Dec. 1 at Downtown Park.
  
• State of the City address on Dec. 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Submit your event here

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AND FINALLY …

The results are in for the 12th annual Best of the Coachella Valley awards, and they say a lot about Palm Springs: the city absolutely crushed it across dining, nightlife, and cultural categories.

Driving the news: The Coachella Valley Independent and KESQ News Channel 3 reader poll shows Palm Springs businesses claiming top honors in most hospitality categories, with several local favorites earning multiple wins.

• The Purple Room, Paul Bar/Food, Hunters Palm Springs, and Eight4Nine were the overachievers, appearing as winners or runners-up across everything from cocktails to brunch.

The standouts: Palm Springs shined brightest in specialty cuisine — Thai, Vietnamese, and vegan — while also proving it’s the valley’s cocktail capital, with six bars consistently placing in spirits-related categories.

• The city’s LGBTQ+ venues made their mark well beyond their specific categories, with Hunters taking both Best Nightclub and Best Gay/Lesbian Bar, while the LGBTQ Center’s Red Dress event won Best Charity Event.

Worth noting: While Palm Springs dominated food and nightlife, family-oriented categories like best playground and best hike saw more love spread across Palm Desert and other valley cities, showing each area has its own strengths.

Check out the full list of winners and runners-up here