Hawaii Real Estate News

Dec. 27, 2010

Boosting the value of your Hawaii real estate

There are many people today that are trying to get more money from their house when they decide to resell it but do not know to go about increasing the amount of equity they have in their home so that they can get a higher resale value.  Is not that hard to increase the value of your home as long as you stick to a few guidelines and do not start investing too much of your own money into the home that you’re trying to sell.  When you’re trying to boost the amount of equity that is in your home that you’re trying to sell here are few suggestions that you might want to take into consideration so that you are able to boost the amount of equity in your Hawaii home without you spending a lot of your own cash to a house that you’re no longer going to own.

One thing you can do to make sure that you’re going to get the best resale value for your home of is to make sure that the appearance of the outside of the house is well taken care of and well maintained.  Simple little things like a no rain gutters or torn shingles on the roof will definitely decrease the amount of money that you can get for your home.  You want to make sure that all of this is in proper working order so that you can get more money when you decide to resell your home.  Make sure that the rain gutters are properly hung and that they work properly because this could possibly bring down the resale value depending on the people that are buying your home.  You want to make sure that the overall outside appearance of your home is well taken care of as possible in order to persuade the buyers to purchase your home.

Another thing that will increase the equity of your home before you decide to sell it would be to have an inspection done.  A home inspector will come in and tell you exactly what you need to fix in order to sell your home.  This will give you a better idea of what you need to do in order to increase the amount of equity you have in your home so that you will get more money when you decide to sell it on the housing market.

Posted in Real Estate
Dec. 24, 2010

Planning Your Wedding in Hawaii

If you plan to celebrate your wedding somewhere far from home, you should consider Hawaii a perfect wedding destination and venue for this happy event of your life.

In fact Hawaii has many times been the preferred location of many wedding couples as well as honeymooners in search of more intimate destinations. When choosing Hawaii as your wedding venue, then you are certainly not very concerned about the crowd of invitees whom many wedding couples prefer to invite.
The best thing for you is to go for an intimate wedding since not everybody could afford paying for a Hawaii trip and as such you would count on those whom you know they would come by all means. To make sure that even the ones you consider inviting would come, then you should make the proposal in the right way and this is where you discover the Hawaii wedding vacation as the right characteristic to appeal to.
So, a Hawaii wedding vacation is the feature to describe Hawaii not only as a destination for your wedding, but also one that allows you enjoy your vacation. When you are supposed to write the wedding invitations, asking your guests to witness your happy event in Hawaii, you should consider also the dates.
There is no point in asking your guests to attend to your wedding celebration only for the sake of two days, but rather invite them to consider this as their Hawaii vacation combined with a wedding celebration. In this way you can be certain that at least they will try to come even if it were for one thing only - your wedding or their vacation!
When you will propose this 'deal' to your invitees, you could as well specify the attractions and the activities they can find inside their Hawaii wedding vacation. You could as well send with the wedding cards some indications displayed inside a Hawaiian free vacation guide. This sort of guide can be printed online helping you to emphasize the best to your guests the proposal of spending Hawaii wedding vacation.
You will sooner or later touch the money matter and as such you could let your guests know that there can be very affordable Hawaii vacations although many of them would think that this is beyond their financial reach. You can as well plan the wedding celebration to be organized for the season of winter when many of travel agencies offer on big discounts a trip to Hawaii.
Find the most available way to reach for discount prices regardless of the season you have your wedding set. The online discount travel sites you can find affordable Hawaii holiday packages that can encourage your guests to attend to your wedding event but also to spend their vacation in Hawaii.

 

 

Posted in Travel Hawaii
Dec. 22, 2010

Recently Sold Hawaii Kai Homes December 22, 2010

Save yourself time, by signing up for our automatic daily emails. Receive new listings each morning for Hawaii Kai Real estate.

Single Family

RES

MLS #

Status

 

 

Address

Nbrhd

Lnd SqFt

Liv SqFt

Beds

Baths

 

 

Price

 

1

1012473 

S 

 


965 Honokahua Pl 

KALAMA VAL 

5,918 

1,241 

2/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 585,000 

 

2

1010176 

S 

 


7236 Aipo Pl 

KOKO HEAD 

6,000 

1,032 

1/1 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 585,000 

 

3

1014054 

S 

 


6626 Hawaii Kai Dr 

WEST MARIN 

8,608 

1,120 

2/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 650,000 

 

4

1011316 

S 

 


359 Holokai Pl 

LAULIMA 

4,591 

1,718 

2/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 769,000 

 

5

1013627 

S 

 


963 Lunalilo Home Rd 

MARINERS V 

5,758 

1,814 

2/1 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 755,000 

 

6

1013476 

S 

 


315 Kipukai Pl 

LAULIMA 

4,854 

1,519 

2/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 790,000 

 

7

1012068 

S 

 


1072 Kaumoku St 

MARINERS R 

9,162 

2,618 

2/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,075,000 

 

8

1012030 

S 

 


798 Kumukahi Pl 

SPINNAKER 

9,798 

1,500 

2/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,075,000 

 

9

1013097 

S 

 


1061 Hilala St 

KAMILO NUI 

10,281 

2,984 

2/1 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,140,000 

 

10

1009064 

S 

 


1016 Koko Kai Pl 

KOKO VILLA 

6,954 

2,541 

3/1 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,165,000 

 

11

1011164 

S 

 


1050 Hanohano Wy 

NAPALI HAW 

10,104 

3,664 

3/1 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,188,888 

 

12

1009927 

S 

 


157 Nawiliwili St 

TRIANGLE 

11,649 

2,376 

3/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,285,000 

 

13

1014854 

S 

 


242 Lumahai Pl 

KOKO KAI 

10,960 

2,930 

3/1 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 2,150,000 

 

14

1012925 

S 

 


568 Portlock Rd 

PORTLOCK 

23,953 

2,200 

3/0 

 

 

'12/22/2008 00:00:00'"$ 2,200,000 

 

Posted in Hawaii Kai Homes
Dec. 19, 2010

Hawaii Real Estate Investing - Knowing the Market

Many TV shows have gained popularity due to the fact that they approach topics that are of a wide interest nationwide, such as shows to describe how to flip a house that have lately become very popular. But what these shows do not let us see is the fact that these real estate investors are actually experienced professionals.

This is the main thing that makes a real estate investor be successful in his business - being committed and experienced in the field and always going for the bite that he can chew on. But before the experience is built, needing for this at least 2 years of working in the industry, there is the need of learning the local market conditions.

The thing that you can focus on is to completely understand the environment as well as the market conditions, thus being able to get the chance of turning your investing into a glamorous success. Thus you should do your research every time you are into investing that will allow you to buy low and sell high.

The research should spread to many options - check the local newspaper, watch for the houses that are marked as 'for sale' in your neighborhood and look for the period of time they have been on the market before you found them. In this way you can gather a lot of information before venturing into the initial Hawaii real estate investment.

So, the places to look for are as follows:

* Local newspaper - in here there is always the section of 'real estate' - buying and selling that you can thoroughly check upon an d make a list with the availabilities.

* Inside the grocery store you can find the free magazines listing homes that are 'for sale' and you can pick them from there to introduce them in your personal list of real estate available.

* Go in the areas that you are interested in investing and see for the houses that are "for sale' and check upon the tine they last on the market.

* The internet is another good place. You can find real estate websites of your area that contain information on the market conditions of the real estate. Apart from this you can find pertinent advice that is displayed online for the potential buyers and sellers of houses.

Once you have done your homework you will have pretty good idea on what the real estate market is in your locality and what to expect from once you will make the real estate investing. Getting the proper information will enable you to search for those houses that have a great investment potential and as such being aware of the profit that you will get with the specific investment.

You should always stay focus on these market conditions as there is a single aspect to force you to do this on daily basis: the market constantly changes. So, stay updated with everything that changes in this market and in this way you will be able to run a successful real estate investing business.

Posted in Hawaii
Dec. 17, 2010

Aina Haina Latest Sold Properties

Aina Haina 12/17/2010

Single Family

RES

MLS #

Status

 

 

Address

Nbrhd

Lnd SqFt

Liv SqFt

Beds

Baths

 

LT

Price

 

1

1011458 

S 

10 

 

1808 Halekoa Dr 

WAIALAE NU 

8,132 

1,888 

3/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 880,000 

 

2

1012929 

S 

10 

 

1747 Halekoa Dr 

WAIALAE NU 

8,373 

1,560 

2/1 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 913,000 

 

3

1012957 

S 

10 

 

5607 Poola St A 

KAHALA KUA 

8,841 

1,856 

2/1 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,015,000 

 

4

1014046 

S 

10 

 

5524 Poola St 

KAHALA KUA 

21,646 

2,382 

2/1 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,150,000 

 

5

1011187 

S 

10 

 

1587 Kamole St 

WAIALAE IK 

7,652 

2,458 

3/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,200,000 

 

6

1006442 

S 

9 

 

2304 Halekoa Dr 

WAIALAE NU 

7,929 

2,334 

3/1 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,306,000 

 

7

1009942 

S 

10 

 

1455 Ehupua St 

WAIALAE IK 

9,612 

4,952 

4/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,700,000 

 

8

1008350 

S 

10 

 

959 Waiholo St 

WAIALAE G/ 

16,250 

3,162 

4/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 2,300,000 

 

9

1013055 

S 

10 

 

819 Kainoa Pl 

AINA HAINA 

8,411 

1,680 

3/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 778,000 

 

10

1011489 

S 

 

360 Hema Pl 

AINA HAINA 

9,964 

1,808 

2/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 750,000 

 

11

1012469 

S 

3 

 

5180 Nohu St 

AINA HAINA 

10,008 

1,632 

2/1 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 860,000 

 

12

1010617 

S 

10 

 

309 Anolani St 

NIU VALLEY 

8,640 

1,939 

3/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 980,000 

 

13

1012260 

S 

10 

 

173 Maono Lp 

HAWAII LOA 

7,914 

3,598 

3/1 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,620,000 

 

14

1002772 

S 

10 

 

821 Ikena Cir 

HAWAII LOA 

8,273 

4,033 

4/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,625,000 

 

15

2915266 

S 

8 

 

846 Moaniala St 

HAWAII LOA 

9,062 

4,387 

6/1 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,663,000 

 

16

1014954 

S 

2 

 

5531 Kalanianaole Hwy 

NIU BEACH 

6,949 

2,272 

2/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,950,000 

 

17

2913796 

S 

10 

 

5525 Kalanianaole Hwy 

NIU BEACH 

7,147 

2,217 

3/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 1,840,000 

 

18

1010479 

S 

10 

 

559 Maono Lp 

HAWAII LOA 

12,928 

5,254 

4/2 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 2,240,000 

 

19

1012869 

S 

5 

 

460 Lani St 

KULIOUOU 

10,858 

1,128 

1/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 500,000 

 

20

1009066 

S 

10 

 

256 Paiko Dr 

PAIKO LAGO 

9,531 

2,660 

3/0 

 

FS 

'12/17/2008 00:00:00'"$ 2,500,000 

 

 

Posted in Oahu
Dec. 16, 2010

Recently Sold Hawaii Kai Condos 12/16/2010

Save yourself time, by signing up for our automatic daily emails. Receive new listings each morning for Hawaii Kai Real estate.

Condo/Townhouse ML#: 1014658 Sold '12/16/2008 00:00:00'"List: $789,500
Sold: $789,500
FS - Fee Simple TMK: 1-3-9-008-031-0068 Sub-Type: Townhouse PR#: 1884 Bldg: Mawaena Kai 1/2/3 Mstr: 501118 Addr: 7007 Hawaii Kai Dr G/24 City: Honolulu HI Zip: 96825 Regn: HawaiiKai Neighborhood: WEST MARINA

CND

MLS #

Status

 

 

Address

Unit #

Nbrhd

Bld Name

Int SqFt

Lanai

Beds

Baths

 

LT

Price

 

1

1007136 

S 

7 

 

391 Opihikao Pl 301 

301 

WEST MARIN 

Kuapa Isle 

1,382 

380 

2/1 

 

LH 

'12/16/2008 00:00:00'"$ 390,000 

 

2

1009763 

S 

10 

 

531 Hahaione St 2/7D 

2/7D 

HAHAIONE-L 

Mauna Luan 

1,211 

 

2/0 

 

FS 

'12/16/2008 00:00:00'"$ 460,000 

 

3

1014658 

S 

10 

 

7007 Hawaii Kai Dr G/24 

G/24 

WEST MARIN 

Mawaena Kai 1/2/3 

1,464 

131 

2/0 

 

FS 

'12/16/2008 00:00:00'"$ 789,500 

 

 

Posted in Hawaii Kai Condos
Dec. 13, 2010

Can you Afford Real Estate in Hawaii?

This is a common question that many people ask when they are looking into retiring or just simply looking to move to the islands. Even if you do not have millions of dollars to spend, you can still find a home that you can purchase. However, the process of approaching the situation is a bit differently than what you would do in other parts of the US.

 

Your first step is to find a good banker that can help you determine what you can really afford. You will need to talk about those bills and payments that you already make that are not negotiable, such as car payments. You also need to consider just how much you will feel comfortable in spending. Since most people do not want to spend everything extra that they have on a home, as they want that little extra available in case of an emergency.

 

Find a Hawaii Realtor, and be prepared to look. The Realtor should show you properties that are affordable and in your price budget, as well as meeting your other standards such as the number of rooms and parking that is available. However, be a bit open minded about the area, as you could find the perfect home for you that may not be your idea of what is perfect.

 

In order to make sure that you are getting the best deal, take advantage of the economy. Right now the housing market is a buyers market. Which means that if you make an offer that is below the asking price, you could still get the home, simply because they want to sell. Meaning that you could find a home that is not really in your budget, but still affordable. However, you have to be sure that you really afford the property. Though the idea of living in Hawaii, may have been a pipe dream, it is completely possible. All you need to do is do a little research.

Posted in Hawaii
Dec. 12, 2010

Oahu Real Estate: Fun in the Sun

The island of Oahu in Hawaii is home to some of the most well-known destinations to visit when you come to Hawaii. For example, Oahu is home to Honolulu, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, and Ewa Beach, all of which are considered the go to places when on vacation in Hawaii. Oahu is literally the paradise that many people are looking for, such as feeling the breeze of the ocean on their face while watching the palm trees sway in the breeze walking along white sandy beaches. There are also many sports sot watch, such as surfing.

 

Because of the desire of the place, owning a home in the area is definitely something that many people consider. Just imagine if you could have a home that overlooks one of these areas that tourists flock to, seeing the sights that people yearn to see everyday, it is a dream that many people have. The truth is that it does not have to remain a dream, as the reality of owning a home in one of these areas is completely realistic. While the housing market throughout the country is a downward spiral, this is not the case in Hawaii. For example, look at the number of foreclosures in popular states like California, then look at Hawaii. The statistics are alarming in how different that that are. Oahu real estate markets do not follow suit like the rest of the United States, simply because the citizens in Hawaii are more conservative, meaning that they hold onto their properties, and do not risk their money in ways that other US citizens do. Plus, Hawaii citizens are more prone to use mortgages that are more conventional, whereas other US citizens are intrigues by lower rates for a specified period of time that increase dramatically later, and gets a lot of people in trouble.

 

Those who are thinking about real estate in the Oahu area, then they can be assured that the housing market is much more stable when compared with other areas in the United States. There are tons of properties available for potential investors to look into, all of which have views that are extraordinary, such as the ocean, mountains, as well as the beautiful sunsets that only Hawaii can deliver.

 

For those that are considering investing in real estate in the Oahu area, there are a few things to consider that could sway your decision if you are eon the fence as to whether to invest or not. For starters, the island if the most heavily populated island in Hawaii, which means that it is the destination that many tourists visit, and many people fall in love with. Because of this, there is always a stream of those looking to live in the area, which means that if you are into buying and selling homes that you should have no trouble finding a buyer. Those who are seriously considering the route of investing in the Oahu area, consider that this is the place to be if you are looking to move to Hawaii. With the market stable and the number of potential buyers steady, it seems to be a no brainier decision.

Posted in Oahu
Dec. 11, 2010

Hawaii Real Estate and Life in Kahala

Kahala is located within Honolulu and has some of the most high priced real estate that can be found in Hawaii. The area rose to popularity in the 1960s as more and more Hollywood elite were visiting the area and commenting on how enjoyable it was, turning it into a prime tourist location. The Hilton established a resort hotel in the area during this time which helped spur the popularity of the area. The Kahala Hilton featured beaches that were exclusive for guests to utilize, a private golf course for members only that were staying at the hotel. Frequent Hollywood elites that visited the area was John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra and Eva Gabor, all of which commented that it was the go to place for privacy and relaxation.

 

Kahala: A Luxury Resort

 

Kahala is known worldwide as having the most luxurious and well-known resorts. Many famous and influential people have visited the area including Queen Elizabeth, the Dalai Lama and Princess Grace. Those who have visited the area have helped the reputation of the area, as well as, spurn the interest that others have in visiting the area. Kahala is much similar to the Waikiki area. There are beaches to go to that are considered less crowded and a bit more secluded than beaches that are found in other areas of Hawaii. The whole area has gorgeous views that are considered some of the most beautiful in the world. Those who visit the area often comment that they enjoy themselves immensely because they do not have to fight the crowds of visitors to enjoy the beach, and have a completely unique experience than others who visit the Hawaii islands.

 

The two largest hotels in Kahala is the Kahala Resort and Hotel and the Kahala Mandarin Oriental. These two hotels have really helped the reputation of Kahala become one of luxury due to what these hotels offer guests. Many of those famous celebrities that have come to the area have stayed in these two hotels. Other celebrities that have stayed in the area are Liza Minelli, Burt Reynolds, Johnny Carson and Toney Bennett. Even the beloved Princess Diana with Prince Charles enjoyed staying in the area.

 

Real Estate and Living in Kahala

 

Since the popularity of the Kahala area has increased in recent years, this also means that the desire to live in the area has also become more popular. Because of this most of the real estate that is owned in Kahala is considered some of the most expensive and most beautiful real estate to own in the entire United States. Most of the residential homes are large in size and have features that most people dream of having, such as pools and large lawns. Many of the homes that are in the area are beachfront properties, such as those found in the communities of Black Point and Diamond Head. However, there are also those properties that are on the hillside such as Waialelki, which homes have views of the ocean and are considered very relaxing.

 

Those who live in the Kahala area are a mixture of people. There are the older inhabitants that live in the older and most historical homes. While those new residents to the area live in eh much larger homes that are newly built, all of which offer various levels such as a mansion, a simple condo or anything else that are considered luxurious.

 

Another popular form of residential property is vacation homes, which are available at all different levels of luxury, including those mansions and condos. Because of the various residential properties that are available in the area the area has become a popular area for investors. Many of these investors have made a career out of the investments that they have made in the area. For example, they may purchase complete neighborhoods and restore the area in order to sell the homes for a bigger profit. One of the most popular investments that people are making that continues to grow in popularity is the idea of tearing down old houses and replacing them with new more up-to-date homes. This has helped the area to become even more luxurious and is slowly spreading out to include the whole area.

 

Become a Member of the Kahala Community

 

No matter what your standards and options that are you are interested in, a real estate agent in the Kahala area can find some type of property that fits your needs. Most people who come to the area decide to live in one of the many resorts that are in the area, simply because they have everything that most people want in a home. However, there are those that choose to purchase a separate vacation home that is not affiliated with any resort. Those who purchase a separate vacation home in the area eventually mingle with all the residents of the area after a certain time period, which means that no matter where you live you become part of the neighborhood and everything that entails being part of a neighborhood.

 

In the area, most people use their own personal vehicle to travel, however for those that are more interested in utilizing public transportation will not be disappointed in the Kahala community. There are many public transportation vehicles available, as well as having numerous amenities that are more pone to be found in a larger city, this includes shopping and all the conveniences.

 

Opportunities for Investment in Kahala

 

Kahala real estate is probably the most popular investment option that is available in the Kahala area. For more than half a century, the neighborhoods in the area have been growing and becoming more luxurious. For those that are interested in investing in real estate, they should realize that most of the real estate in the area are sold on the higher end of the market. Even those properties that are considered to be tear down properties and then later replaced with higher end homes sell for more than a million dollars.

 

Those who work in the investment world will often commend that Kahala is a great place to invest in because of the popularity of the area, as well as the economy being mainly tourist fueled, means that those who invest in homes find it very easy to turn these investments into vacation homes to sell or rent to people. Plus, since the area is desired by many people it is fairly easy to find someone to purchase the home, which means that there are always prospective buyers. Most of the statistics that are available concerning the real estate market in the area shows that over the years the market has done nothing but increase. Because of the desire of the location, coupled with the tourist economy still thriving in the area, the real estate market will continue to thrive for years to come.

Posted in Hawaii
Dec. 11, 2010

Recently Sold Hawaii Kai Condos 12/10/2010

Save yourself time, by signing up for our automatic daily emails. Receive new listings each morning for Hawaii Kai Real estate

CND

MLS #

 

 

 

Address

Unit #

Nbrhd

Bld Name

Int SqFt

Lanai

Beds

Baths

Yr Blt

LT

Price

 

1

1011946 



 

1 Keahole Pl 1611 

1611 

WEST MARIN 

Kalele Kai 

1,427 

265 

2/0 

1993 

FS 

'$ 655,000 

 

2

1007136 



 

391 Opihikao Pl 301 

301 

WEST MARIN 

Kuapa Isle 

1,382 

380 

2/1 

1970 

LH 

'$ 390,000 

 

3

1011717 




440 Opihikao Pl 572 

572 

WEST MARIN 

Kuapa Isle 

1,518 

510 

2/1 

1970 

FS 

$ 720,000 

 

4

1011754 




6236 Kawaihae Pl 104 

104 

WEST MARIN 

Marina Palms 

888 

45 

1/0 

1966 

FS 

$ 437,500 

 

5

1006383 




580 Lunalilo Home Rd CO B/355 

CO B/355 

WEST MARIN 

Peninsula At Hawaii Kai Ii 

1,648 

 

2/1 

2004 

FS 

$ 780,000 

 

 

Posted in Hawaii Kai Condos