What the house actually is
50831 Cereza sits inside The Citrus, a guard-gated community of around 625 homes in La Quinta. The lot is in a community where most homes have their own private pools, which is exactly why this one stands out.
The home is nearly 3,500 square feet. All the main living is on the ground floor. Upstairs is a separate guest accommodation with a generous floor plan of its own. Three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms. Listed at $1,225,000.
"This house is a deal. It's nearly 3,500 sq ft. It's two levels, so all the living is on the main level, and then you've got a guest accommodation upstairs."
That layout works well for owners who bring family or friends out for the winter season. Guests have their own space, and you keep yours.
Why steel-frame construction matters
Most homes in The Citrus are not built this way. Steel framing costs more than timber, and it cost more even when this house was built. The builder spent the money anyway.
Steel has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any structural framing material. According to BuildSteel.org, steel can absorb and dissipate seismic energy rather than crack or fail suddenly, which is what makes it stand out in an earthquake. Walk through this house and you will not find a crack anywhere.
"They don't build like this anymore. I don't know why they built this out of steel because even back then it was more expensive. But in an earthquake, very much more strong construction. There's no cracks in this place."
That kind of build quality is hard to find at this price in The Citrus. It's one of the reasons I'd been watching for this property to come to market.
The no-pool equation
Here is where the numbers get interesting. Most buyers see "no pool" and move on. That reaction is exactly why the listing price took a hit, and it's exactly where the opportunity sits.
I quoted $60,000 to put in a quality spool out the back, or $90,000 if you want a larger pool. California pool costs have moved up recently, partly because 2025 tariffs pushed prices higher on equipment like pumps, valves and rebar. A California pool cost guide puts a small plunge pool at $25,000 to $40,000 and a standard gunite pool at $70,000 to $105,000, so the $90,000 figure for a full pool is consistent with what builders are quoting in Southern California right now.
Even if you add the top end of that to your purchase price, you come in below what recent sales on Cereza have achieved per square foot. You are buying room to add value, not paying for it twice.
"It only costs $60,000 to do a nice spool, $90,000 if you want to do a larger pool out the back. And even if you do that, once you add that to your acquisition cost, you're still well below the square foot price of recent comps on the street."
That gap is what I mean when I say you're walking into equity here. You design the backyard you actually want, and the math still works in your favour.
What The Citrus offers
Membership at The Citrus is optional, not required. If you do join, the club runs three Pete Dye-designed courses: The Citrus course, the Mountain course and the Dunes course. The Citrus private course has been ranked among the top courses in the country by Golf Digest. Members get unlimited play on all three.
Beyond golf, the club includes a 15,000 square foot fitness centre, 23 tennis courts, 8 pickleball courts, 42 pools and a 20,000 square foot clubhouse with a full-service spa. The community started on a working citrus grove in 1998 and the last homes were completed in 2013. It is smaller and more intimate than communities like PGA West. People get to know their neighbours here.
The community runs quiet in summer. That suits most of my buyers at The Citrus, who come out for the season from late autumn through spring.
What to do if you want to see it
This one will not sit for long. The open house drew serious buyers, and the question I kept answering was the pool question. Now you have that answer.
If you want to walk through 50831 Cereza, give me a call this week and I'll get you in. I also have a couple of other listings coming that are worth knowing about, so if you're looking at The Citrus more broadly, it's worth a conversation now rather than later.