The Obamas are moving into a nine-bedroom mansion in the Kalorama section of Washington — the posh neighborhood of diplomats and DC old money — while younger daughter Sasha finishes high school at Sidwell Friends. But they have apparently been buying real estate elsewhere, too.
According to sources, the Obamas have purchased a house in Rancho Mirage, Calif., not far from Sunnylands, the former Annenberg estate, which presidents use as a getaway and which is thought of as the unofficial West Coast Camp David.
Rancho Mirage, where Gerald Ford retired, is a top destination for golf — a favorite pastime of President Obama. The local daily newspaper, the Desert Sun, has reported rumors of such a sale for more than a year. But sources say now it’s a done deal.
The Obamas are also said to have bought a holiday getaway in Obama’s childhood home state of Hawaii.
Folks in the know believe that Los Angeles-based interior designer Michael S. Smith will be in charge of decorating both properties.
Smith has a home in Rancho Mirage that the Obamas have visited on several occasions; has decorated the White House for them; and his life partner, James Costos, is the current ambassador to Spain and Andorra.