Hi friends,
August has been a reset.
I took some time away and I’ve also been quieter here while some pretty significant changes have been happening behind the scenes.
I’m not quite ready to share all of them yet. I think I’m going to let this next chapter trickle into existence instead of making some big announcement about it.
What I can say is that there has been a lot of letting go. And even when you know something needs to change releasing it can still come with its own kind of grief. There’s excitement for what’s next, but there can also be sadness for what you’re leaving behind.
At the same time, August brought some really big wins. Projects that have been difficult to move through Planning and Public Works finally started breaking loose.
I’ve stepped further into project management on several new builds. Real estate kept moving. And some things I’ve been quietly working toward for a long time are starting to take shape.
Maybe the biggest shift, though, is that I’m saying no a lot more.
So August wasn’t really about doing more.
It was about clearing some space for what comes next.
Here’s a little of what happened while I was doing that.
Listings & Investment Updates
Featured Listing
72767 Mesquite Dunes Rd, Twentynine Palms, CA
Now Offered at $584,000
This isn't just a desert property, it's a fully operational short-term rental business that can continue generating income from day one after closing.
Set on 10 private acres in Desert Heights, this renovated 1957 homestead blends wabi-sabi design, curated antiques, and thoughtful indoor-outdoor living. Currently operating as a successful short-term rental with approximately $75,000 in gross revenue in 2025 (buyer to independently verify).
What makes this opportunity unique is the value beyond the real estate itself. Included is an established vacation rental with existing bookings, a recognizable hospitality brand, professionally curated furnishings (excluding select personal items), design-forward interiors, and press recognition that would take years and significant investment for a new owner to recreate.
Property Highlights:
• 10 private acres with 360° desert and mountain views
• Active short-term rental generating income today
• Turnkey furnishings included (excluding select personal items)
• Established hospitality brand and guest experience
• Press features and marketing assets included
• Cowboy pool, wood-burning hot tub, fire pit, bocce court & horseshoe pit
• Projector entertainment system plus A/C and heat in every room
• Convenient access to Joshua Tree National Park and downtown Twentynine Palms
For investors seeking a design-forward desert retreat with existing revenue, established visibility, and operational infrastructure already in place, this is a rare opportunity to step into a proven asset without starting from scratch.
4444 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, CA
Now Offered at $125,000
2.5-acre parcel in Panorama Heights with iconic boulder views. Includes working well, completed perc test, and full geodesic dome home plans (2-story, 2BD/2BA, 1,592 sq ft + 364 sq ft garage). Cash-only sale.
Highlights:
- Iconic desert scenery & boulder views
- Full set of architectural, MEP, structural, grading & septic plans
- Prime opportunity for STR, custom build, or long-term hold
- Minutes from Joshua Tree National Park & downtown amenities
1564 Luna Mesa Rd, Yucca Valley, CA
Offered at $498,000
Beautifully renovated 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom property on Yucca Mesa with sweeping 360-degree mountain views stretching from the Joshua Tree National Park ridgeline to snowcapped San Jacinto.
Currently operating as an active short-term rental generating approximately $77K gross income in 2025 (buyer to independently verify).
Designed with a clean modern desert aesthetic, the home features oversized black metal windows and doors, polished concrete floors, a fully renovated chef’s kitchen, updated bathrooms, and natural light pouring through every space while framing the surrounding desert landscape.
Outdoor amenities include:
• Fully decked above-ground pool
• Jacuzzi
• Outdoor BBQ kitchen area
• Shaded gazebo
• Multiple concrete patio + lounge areas
• Mature landscaping + numerous Joshua trees
• Fully fenced property for added privacy
Positioned approximately 15 minutes from Downtown Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Pioneertown, this property offers strong rental appeal while still feeling deeply private and connected to the landscape.
Ideal as a short-term rental investment, second home, or personal desert retreat.
0 East Dr, Morongo Valley, CA
Offered at $849,000
Rare land development opportunity positioned within one of the High Desert’s most scenic and protected corridors.
Set across 27.5 acres in Morongo Valley, the property is surrounded by the preserved landscapes of the Sand to Snow National Monument with expansive views stretching toward the San Jacinto Mountains from multiple areas throughout the site.
Just across Highway 62, the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve contributes to the area’s open-space character, protected wildlife habitat, and quiet desert setting.
What makes this opportunity especially significant is the amount of pre-development and due diligence work already completed by current ownership, including:
• Surveying + mapping
• Preliminary engineering
• Utility research
• Environmental + biological review work
• Fire hydrant flow testing
• Tentative Tract Map preparation + submission materials
The property is currently involved in ongoing county and CEQA-related review processes, offering potential buyers the opportunity to step into a project already moving through early-stage planning and evaluation.
Located approximately:
• 20 minutes from Palm Springs International Airport
• 20 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park
This is a rare combination of accessibility, scale, larger acreage surroundings, and protected desert character.
Ideal for investors, developers, or long-term land visionaries looking to explore opportunities within one of the High Desert’s most naturally significant landscape
63251 Chickasaw Rd | Rice Ave & Chickasaw Rd
Prime Joshua Tree land featuring iconic boulder formations, elevated terrain, and panoramic desert views with flexible parcel options ideal for investors and developers.
This highly desirable pocket of Joshua Tree includes four parcels on both sides of Chickasaw Rd, offering multiple development or long-term investment strategies.
Unmatched Views Include:
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Little San Bernardino Mountains
• Seasonal snow-capped Mount San Gorgonio
• Expansive high-desert valleys
• Golden sunsets, city lights & world-class night skies
Purchase Options:
• APN 0604-051-40 | 5 Acres | $300,000
• APNs 0604-051-60 / 051-58 / 051-57 | ~6.5 Acres | $249,000
đź’ˇ Why investors love this:
The southern parcels deliver that true boulder-forward Joshua Tree aesthetic, ideal for a high-design custom build or retreat, while the northern parcel allows for separation, flexibility, or phased development.
Perfect for a custom desert home, STR strategy, or long-term land hold in one of Joshua Tree’s most sought-after settings.
3786 Alta Avenue, Yucca Valley
$175,000 | Yucca Mesa Development Opportunity
A rare opportunity in Yucca Mesa with significant pre-development work already completed.
Formerly a single 5-acre parcel, this property has been through the subdivision process and is now a recorded 4-parcel subdivision, creating four legal parcels ranging from approximately 1.1 to 1.43 acres.
Located in one of Yucca Valley’s desirable high desert areas, this offering provides investors and developers a unique opportunity with a major head start compared to purchasing raw land.
Completed groundwork includes:
• Recorded 4-parcel subdivision
• Parcel mapping and boundary surveying
• Topographic surveying
• Fire flow analysis
• Joshua Tree survey and report
• Percolation testing and septic investigations
• Staking and additional planning efforts
A residential development concept has also been prepared, providing a strong foundation for future development possibilities.
With approximately 5 acres, available utilities, and completed due diligence, this property offers flexibility for investors, builders, or anyone looking for a strategic land opportunity in the High Desert.
Get Interviewed | Tim Kuratek Photography
There are so many incredible people creating, building, and capturing the High Desert, and sometimes it takes seeing this place from a completely different perspective to appreciate just how much is happening here.
For this month’s Get Interviewed feature, I sat down with Tim Kuratek of Tim Kuratek Photography, a Joshua Tree-based photographer, videographer, editor, and licensed and insured drone pilot whose work brings a cinematic perspective to the people, places, and experiences shaping the desert.
After more than 15 years working in entertainment and advertising, including experience with CBS and Netflix, Tim brought his production background to Joshua Tree and began creating high-quality cinematic photography and drone work for hospitality, architecture, real estate, businesses, events, athletes, brands, and tourism.
His approach goes beyond simply getting a high, wide shot. He wants the drone to feel like a moving cinematic camera and uses movement to become part of the story.
One of my favorite details from our conversation was learning that his childhood experience with video games unexpectedly became useful training for flying FPV drones.
Now the controller is connected to a flying camera, and there isn’t exactly a reset button.
Summer at The Mandarin
Summer Hydration
One of the easiest ways to enjoy summer at The Mandarin is with something cold, fresh, and hydrating.
Try this cucumber lime mint mocktail:
3 cucumbers blended or juiced
1 extra cucumber for garnish
2 fresh-squeezed limes
A few sprigs of fresh mint
Ice
Water if blending
Perfect for a poolside afternoon at The Mandarin.
A Little Life + Business Update
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much my work has changed, or maybe more accurately, how long it has taken me to find the right words for the work I was already doing.
Designer never really covered it. Real estate agent definitely didn’t. Consultant somehow made it even more confusing.
Most of what I actually do is walk into a property or project with a lot of questions, moving parts, or problems and figure out what needs to happen next.
Sometimes that’s before someone buys, and sometimes it’s somewhere in the middle of permits, renovations, county comments, land use, contractors, and a plan that sounded much simpler before everyone got involved.
That’s why I’ve been leaning into Curated Real Estate Fixer as this next version of my brand. It gives me room for the things I don’t really want to separate anymore: real estate, design, development, permitting, project management, and the very specific problem solving that comes from doing all of them at once.
I’ve also joined JTTP Realty as a Founding Agent + Creative Director. I’m building more guides and educational resources from what I’ve learned doing this work, and I’m restructuring Cure Designs with clearer ways to work with me and clearer boundaries around how I want to work.
There’s been a lot happening behind the scenes, and I’m finally letting all the pieces belong to the same story.
And apparently that story still includes spending an unreasonable amount of time looking at houses, boulders, and really good stairs in Joshua Tree.
Looking Ahead to September
I have a feeling September is going to look a little different.
There are new projects beginning, others finally moving after a lot of behind-the-scenes problem solving, and some changes within Cure Designs and my work that I’m intentionally letting take shape before I put too many words around them.
You’ll probably start seeing pieces of it before I officially explain any of it.
For now, I’ll keep sharing the real estate, new builds, renovations, land use puzzles, local businesses, creative collaborations and all of the strange little problems that make working in the desert interesting.
Thank you for continuing to follow along through the projects, the problems, the wins, the pivots and whatever comes next.
Until next month,
Jessica
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xx
Jessica Cure
Planning Commissioner | Real Estate Consultant | STR Strategist
www.curedesigns.com | @cure.realestate
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