CLIENT TESTIMONIAL:

“We recently completed the purchase of a condo in Kona with your company. Cindi Morgan was our realtor and with her expertise and hard work we were able to purchase just what we were looking for. She spent a lot of time and energy “showing us homes” via the internet. Because of this, the actual time spent viewing homes and purchasing a home was easy. She even took care of the walk-thru and closed down the condo for us after our departure! We got to spend the rest of our time on the beach! The condo was perfect; the price was great and the experience a breeze!”

Bruce and Karen Noble
Sequim, WA

Holualoa is just such a place. Located at the 1,000 foot elevation, sometimes referred to as the “perfect” elevation, this area offers a village atmosphere with views of the ocean, Kailua-Kona town area and beyond.

The artisans that reside in and around Holualoa bring a very special feeling of retained Hawaiiana culture as well as the Asian influence of the early 1900’s. The buildings have been maintained and house thriving businesses that are well worth the three mile drive up Hualalai Road.

MLS 213384 – Quaint cottage in Holualoa with craftsman
touches and quality custom finishes… read more

The people are friendly and are happy to share their experiences of the Kona Coast with you. A cup of Kona coffee and meal and a stroll through town will provide a lovely afternoon that will be hard to beat.

And maybe this is where you would like to spend a little more time, unwinding, relaxing and enjoying the ambiance. A stay at one of the bed and breakfasts might just be what you were looking for.

I certainly hope you find the time, because it will be well spent.

Article contributed by
Georgia A. “Gae” Callaway, R, GRI – Broker-In-Charge
Clark Realty Corporation Keauhou Office

Residential sales volume for the entire Big Island increased by 94.31% over the previous month, during May 2009. Condo sales also increased by 27.44%, while we experienced a drop of 62.21% from April to May in vacant land sales.

According the the National Association of Realtors®, May’s increase nationally was the first back-to-back monthly gain since September, 2005.

April, 2009 and May, 2009 Sales Volume Numbers for the Big Island:

While still significantly lower than last year, median sales prices have increased from April, 2009 to May, 2009 in residential listings by 25.42%, and sales prices for condos have increased by 22.37%. Vacant land prices dropped by 24.05% over the same period.

Information provided by Hawaii Information Service

East Hawaii is a plant lover’s wonderland. The combination of rain, sun and warmth produces ideal climates from mountain tropics to lowland jungles and forests. Plant hobbyists have their pick of climates and elevations for cultivating their favorites. Enthusiastic plant societies in East Hawaii include: Orchid, Palm, Water Garden, Rare Tropical Fruit, and Bamboo to name a few. It seems almost everyone is willing to share stories and plants. Just driving around the town of Hilo, Hawaii, you never know when you might spot rare species!

Puna, South of Hilo, has inexpensive land (as little at $30,000 for 3 acres) and excellent rainfall – the perfect climate for such epiphytes (air plants) as Medinilla magnifica, shown below with Clark Realty agent Steve Matthews, R(S) in a photo taken by his client Lucille Chi. Note the size of the ferns and the intense lushness.

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL:

“We purchased a condo a couple of months ago through Clark Realty. Our agent was Cynthia Harrison. We have worked with many realtors over the years, including several on the Big Island, and Cindy is by far the best realtor we have ever worked with! We both though we were very fortunate to have Cindy representing us during the buying process.”

Randy and Emiko Freumd
Ames, IA

The DEADLINE is NOVEMBER 30th this year for the $8,000 give away to first time buyers. Buyers must have officially closed their transaction by this date and should remember that it typically takes 60 days to close a transaction after writing the sales contract. For many transactions this could take as long as 4 months or more where a seller’s short sale may be involved.

This means buyers should be actively looking at homes now, checking their credit scores and becoming prequalified as well as learning about their available options and how the process works. To find out more about this program follow this link.

So you are not a first time Buyer, what about your children or grandchildren? The federal deadline for this $8,000 bonus expires November 30th. Get the family involved. This program is also open to anyone who has not owned a home in the last 3 years.

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL:

“We wanted to write to say a big “Mahalo!” for all the work Marco did in order to find us our dream home here on the Big Island. From the beginning he was always professional and went out of his way to accommodate us.

Since we were new to the island, it really helped that Marco provided us with written information and was so well organized and informative about the different neighborhoods. Most of all, he spent a lot of time showing us all the different properties available to us and it felt as if he really put in a lot of research to show us what would fit our needs. He also gave great feedback on the pros and cons of each place, and we really felt that he was looking out for us.

Anybody looking to sell or buy property in Hawaii will be well served to have Marco Silva as their realtor. For us, it was great timing in getting the home we wanted, and he definitely had a lot to do with putting us in the right place at the right time. We really love our new home and hope to do business with Marco again in the future.”

Gina and David Bonn
Waikoloa, HI

Great news from our neighbors to the east. The California Association of Realtors recently reported that the state’s inventory of unsold homes dropped from a 16.6 month supply of remaining inventory to a 6.7 month supply of remaining inventory.

The unloading of excess inventory is welcome relief and inventory is now considered to be in the within normal range. Any amount significantly below this often leaves buyers with too little to choose from.

This dramatic shift follows substantial price reductions that have spurred buyers into the market place looking for value while historically low interest rates are available. Southern California was the epicenter of our current financial crises so it is indeed heartening to see such a strong rebound in activity that is equally likely to spread.

It is expected that the recently enacted $8,000 federal tax credit that will be available for only the next 8 months to first time home buyers will continue to drive this market. Check this program out; if not for you, perhaps for your children or grandchildren.

MLS# 220438

Or, enjoy PLANTATION CHARM in a newer home with hardwood floors, wainscoting and Craftsman trim. Your horses will love the lush grass on these 6.66 acres dotted with Ohi’a trees, at 2400 ft. elevation. To find out more about this listing, view MLS# 220836 property details now.

MLS# 220836

Article contributed by Karen B. Clarkson, R
Clark Realty Corporation Waimea (Kamuela) Office

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL:

“Thank you for helping us find our perfect Kona condo. Even though we weren’t sure exactly what we were looking for when we came to you, and had limited time to look around, your experience and knowledge of the area helped us narrow our search and find a place we fell in love with.

Your professionalism, efficiency and attention to detail were invaluable in guiding us through the purchase. You made the entire process go unbelievably smoothly and helped us close very quickly.

We will strongly recommend you to anyone looking for real estate in Hawaii.”

Bob and Denise Meeks
Tucson, AZ