Honolulu Real Estate Views

KU Realty, LLC Opens!

2009-07-01T20:15:37Z

I am happy to announce that I have opened Ku Realty. After 15 good years as an associate and owner in the RE/MAX franchise system, I will be continuing my business of the last 26 years, with more control and less complication, thereby freeing me to serve my clients even better.

My mission through Ku Realty is to deliver clients the highest level of ethical, professional and knowledgeable real estate service.

The Internet, my long experience in real estate and my many loyal clients have all made this dream a reality.

If you are wondering how the Hawaiian word Ku directs the philosophy of KU Realty, stay tuned for my next post at noon today.

I am looking forward to a bright and prosperous future with KU Realty.

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If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

Helping Your Kids Into Honolulu Real Estate!

2009-06-30T22:02:21Z

This Wall Street Journal article gives you a number of ways to help your family to get into Honolulu real estate.

“Low interest rates and depressed real estate prices have affluent parents asking their financial advisers if buying their children a house could accomplish a one-two punch of moving assets out of their estate while snagging a good deal on property.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE

SEARCH FOR YOUR HONOLULU HOME

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Eight-Neighbors

2009-06-30T22:39:09Z

This is my next post on getting ready to sell your home.
8. Check out your neighbor’s curb appeal and attempt to do something to clean it up. Neighbors, neighbors, neighbors you either love them or don’t. A major part of selling your home is not only the condition of your home, but also the look and feel of your neighbors. This can be a very, very touchy subject, but is it has to be discussed because the condition of your neighbors home can make or lose you money. Here is what to do.

1. Stand in front of your home and look at all of your neighbors on the street. Make note of the neighboring yards, trees, shrubs and clutter, etc. Look for things that a potential buyer may find negative and plan on approaching the owner of the home in an attempt to get the issue taken care of.
2. Before you contact the owner of the offending property, be sure to get in an upbeat, optimistic, solutions oriented attitude.
3. Be prepared to offer to pay for part of the improvement, coordinate the repair and in the worst-case scenario pay for the entire amount of a proposed solution. Before the meeting know how much you are willing to spend to get the job done.
4. Meet with the neighbor and ask for their help in taking care of the offense. If at all possible, meet with the neighbor face to face as I have found these meetings almost always lead to the best outcome.
5. Remember the old saying “Don’t ask, don’t get!” Even though speaking with a neighbor about the condition of their property may seem aggressive, if you don’t take it too seriously you may dramatically improve your neighborhood and your chances of selling. If you make no headway, at least you tried.

SEARCH FOR YOUR HONOLULU HOME

Feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093 if I can answer any questions.

More On Selling Your Honolulu Home
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part One
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Two-Survey
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Three-Disclosure
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Four-Dealing With Clutter
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Five-Cleaning
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Six-Windows
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Seven-Yard Prep

Honolulu Should Be Thankful For the Military!

2009-06-24T23:54:08Z

Without any hard numbers to back-up my assumptions, I have always known that the military in Honolulu has significant impact on the island economy. Mark Bratton, of the commercial real estate company Colliers Monroe and Freidlander, has a terrific blog post full of numbers that confirm the role the military plays as an economic engine in Hawaii.

“The military and Federal Government combined in our state is holding up the entire economy on the Island of Oahu. Military construction has not receded, it continues. They are in the process of building housing on Oahu, 10,000 homes by Actus and an additional 4,500 homes over the next few years as replacements for military personnel. There are 102,000 people with the military, mostly based on the Island of Oahu. The military has 18,000 direct jobs that we know of and spending approximately $1 billion/year.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE POST ON THE MILITARY IN HAWAII

A number not considered in the post is the impact of the Off Base Housing Allowances (BAH). Given the amounts available for covering monthly off base housing costs, there are many annual sales attributable to the military. This additional military buying power and demand adds fuel to the long-term strong Oahu real estate values.

SEARCH FOR YOUR HONOLULU HOME

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

OTHER HONOLULU REAL ESTATE POSTS WORTH READING
Honolulu Real Estate Vs. Stock
A Good Lesson
Answers To Your Questions About Keahi Pelayo
Honolulu Rental Rates
Loans For College Condos
The Value Of A Realtor
Realtor Code of Ethics
Determining Offering Prices
Pricing Your Home
Long Term Investment Makes Sense
Honolulu Schools
Off Base Housing Allowances-BAH

Honolulu Rated One Of World’s Most Livable Cities!

2009-06-23T17:30:18Z

Since I live here, I think Honolulu is one of the world’s most lovable cities, however, Pacific Business News posted an article today that Monocle Magazine placed Honolulu among the world’s most livable cities. It is great to know that we rate with the likes of Zurich, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Munich, Helsinki, Stockholm, Vienna, Paris, Melbourne and Berlin (other top ranking cities). Given the quality of Oahu’s lifestyle and limited land-mass, I believe that the most desirable parts of the island will remain very good long and short-term real estate investments.

“The magazine noted Honolulu is a “combination of big-city excitement and natural beauty.”
CLICK HERE TO GO TO HONOLULU’S PACIFIC BUSINESS NEWS

SEARCH FOR YOUR HONOLULU HOME

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

New Hawaii Law Is Electrifying!

2009-06-23T01:11:54Z

If you are thinking of selling your Honolulu house or condominium, please be aware that this years legislature passed a new law requiring a “good faith declaration of the electricity cost” associated with your primary residence. Here is a PDF of document put out by the Hawaii Association of Realtors that may answer your questions.

If you would like to speak with me regarding my understanding of your disclosure obligations, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093.

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Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Seven-Yard Prep

2009-06-19T18:48:23Z

Here is the next post in my ongoing series on things to do before you put your Honolulu property on the market for sale.

7. Clean up the yard. Plant some flowers. Trim the trees and shrubs. Positive momentum toward a sale and maximizing the price to a seller begins with the curb appeal (a buyer’s first impression as they drive up to the home). To get the most impact from preparing your yard, it is best to start the process at least thirty days before going to market. By starting early, trimmed trees and freshly planted shrubs and flowers will look better if given additional time to gain strength. Here is a list of possible yard improvements.

a. Plant flowers in front of the home and along the path leading to the front door.
b. Fertilize all plants and grass.
c. Trim hedges and shrubs, so they look crisp and clean.
d. Look out all windows and look for view planes that are obscured by trees or hedges. Consider trimming them to open the view. During this process you may discover a window that could have more privacy added by planting a small tree or shrub. Just remember you want your home to feel private while taking advantage of all potential views.
e. Trim any plant that looks out of control.
f. Try to determine the types of trees and shrubs (mango, avocado, lychee, etc.), as certain plants might be selling points. Also, determine if there any plants that could be liabilities (thorny, smelly, or ugly) as you may want to have them removed or trimmed significantly.
g. Set sprinklers so they aren’t running during showing times (normally 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.)

Just remember, your yard will be the first thing seen by a buyer, therefore, be sure it presents your home in the best light. If you need a referral to a good landscaper, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free 877-737-2093.

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More On Selling Your Honolulu Home
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part One
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Two-Survey
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Three-Disclosure
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Four-Dealing With Clutter
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Five-Cleaning
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Six-Windows

Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Six-Windows

2009-06-18T20:09:38Z

Here is the next post in my ongoing series on things to do before you put your Honolulu property on the market for sale.
6. Hire a professional window cleaner. Michael Yon is a self funded war correspondent that embeds with our military in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has a hard and fast rule; he will not ride in a Humvee that has dirty windows! Here’s the point, your windows are one of the simple keys to unlocking the most from the sale of your Honolulu home or condominium. Your windows should be crystal clear! I have found that someone who cleans windows on a regular basis has tricks for doing a great job and are skilled at getting to hard to reach panes of glass. With all of the other things you are doing to get your home ready for sale, a professional window cleaner will make the house sparkle. Don’t think about it, just do it!

If you need a referral to a window cleaner, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093.

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Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Five-Cleaning

2009-06-30T22:40:09Z

There is no substitute for a clean home and this is why number five of my ongoing series has to do with having the home cleaned.
5. Hire a professional cleaner. I know that most people are more than capable of cleaning their home. Many of you probably take great pride in the fact that you clean your house every week or two. When it comes to selling a Honolulu home or condominium, I have found that most professional cleaners will provide a level of cleaning that will help your home sell for more money. Because a cleaner will see things that you cannot, they will address issues that may have been seen by a buyer, thus eliminating negative details that might turn off a potential buyer.

Once you have removed the clutter from the house (point #4), it is a good idea to call two or three referred cleaning companies to arrange for them to do an interior inspection and provide a cleaning bid. Bids are important because I have found that prices can vary widely and as long as a cleaning company is referred and reputable, it is okay to go with the best price. Cleaning should be done shortly before the first showing and you may want to contract for regular cleaning updates during the marketing period. This way the home will look its best while you are looking for the buyer that will pay the highest price.

If you need a referral to cleaners that we have worked with in the past, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093.

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Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Four-Dealing With Clutter

2009-06-30T22:40:47Z

This is my fourth installment for preparing your home for sale.
4. Remove clutter. In Honolulu, if there are sins committed when selling a home, too much clutter has to be at the top of the list. I see many houses and condominiums that would otherwise show very well, show poorly simply because they have so much “stuff” taking up space. Here are a few rules to apply when taking clutter out of a home.

a. When in doubt take it out! Realize that when a buyer buys a house they want to turn into their home. The more the home reflects your personal tastes and desires, the more imagination a buyer is going to have to have in order to imagine their things in the home. By taking all excessive furniture, pictures, magazines, books, art and the like out of the home, you make it easier for a potential buyer to see the home meeting their needs, thus making it easier to sell.

b. If you can’t take it out, hide it! As mentioned above in a perfect world you get it out of your house, however, if you don’t have the storage space, then use your closets and cabinets as the storage area to hide all of the extra stuff. Be careful because if your closets are stuffed to over-flowing, buyers can believe that there is not enough storage in the condo or house.

c. Consider renting a storage locker. Need I say more? There are many storage areas that would be more than happy to rent you the space to keep all of your excess.

d. Give it away or throw it away! A move is always wonderful opportunity to take a look at the things in your life. For most people, we keep things out of some psychological need to hang onto the past. If we haven’t used a thing in six months, let alone six years, moving may be the perfect time to let it go.

e. Bring in a brutally honest third party! After you think you have all of the clutter, out hidden and organized, then bring in someone with the courage to tell you the truth about how much more may or may not need to be removed. Be sure to check your ego at the door and whatever this person might say do it! After they are done thank them profusely because not many people have the strength to tell you what you need to hear.

In summary, if you have to ask if something is needed or might be clutter, it probably is and you should get it out of the home prior to showings. If you are thinking of selling and would like me to take a look at your home, I would be happy to do so. Feel free to call me at 808-737-2093.

PLANNING TO SELL YOUR HONOLU HOME RELATED POSTS
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part One
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Two-Survey
Planning To Sell Your Honolulu Home Part Three-Disclosure