Mineko Kawamura Hawaii Real Estate Blog

Relief is on the way?

Mineko — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:40:21 +0000

Great news for Bank of America home loan holders. As part of a deal the U.S Government made with the major lenders, BofA will make an effort to reduce the financial hardship of their borrowers who are caught in an “upside down” situation (where the balance of their loan exceeds the value of their home). BofA has already started mailing out notification of payment reduction to qualified customers–an average of 30 % in contractual payment will be forgiven. According to this Forbes article, qualified borrowers would be someone who are at least 60 days behind on their payments since the beginning of this year. I understand this is a part of the “foreclosure” settlement, but I wonder how other borrowers who were almost qualified for this program would feel about this news. Especially those whose home payments are more than 25% of their gross household income, and their loan amount exceeds the value of their home today. These borrowers are struggling to make their payments on time, but their diligence disqualifies them this “rescue.”

I would like to hope that help will be on the way for them as well.

Oprah moving to Maui to start an organic farm?

Mineko — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:58:18 +0000

According to the Pacific Business News, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network recently registered a business, “Oprah’s Farm LLC” with the Hawaii Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs.

In January, several websites quoted a National Enquirer article that reported that Oprah is considering a move to Hawaii. A source told National Enquirer magazine: “It’s always been a dream of Oprah’s to operate a farm in Maui if her life were ever to slow down.”

“Oprah’s in for the long haul to make OWN a success. But if it doesn’t work out she’s ready to slap on the overalls and start a new life as a farmer in Hawaii.”

Maybe Oprah can host a Hawaii-based talk show in between her farm work?

Hawaii among 10 “Hot Spots” for global homebuyers

Mineko — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:38:23 +0000

According to this report by Inman News, Hawaii ranks #8 among 10 U.S. hot spots for global home-buyers. The majority of the markets are recognized as tourist destinations.

The markets in this report were chosen based on the percentage of all homes sold in the area from May 2011 through January 2012 for which a foreign mailing address was listed for the buyer on the property deed.

Canada, the largest source of foreign buyers in the U.S., is experiencing their own real estate boom fueled by foreign investment.

Happy New Year!　謹賀新年！

Mineko — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:33:38 +0000

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2012!

明けましておめでとうございます。

今年もどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。皆様にとって良い年でありますように。

ビザ付きの家？

Mineko — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:47:27 +0000

アメリカ経済回復に向けて試行錯誤で出された法案で、外国人がアメリカで住宅用の不動産購入に５０万ドル以上現金で費やすと　アメリカで住居できるビザがもらえるというものだ。　条件の一つとして　一年を通して６ヶ月以上の滞在が記されている。　アメリカで売れ悩んでいる不動産事情を経済的に余裕のある外国人の手を借りるという作戦だ。　必然的に住むとなると地域の経済も潤うし、固定資産税などの税プラスにもなる。　住居のためのビザなので就業はできないので、国内で外国人に仕事を取られるという心配もない。

５０万ドルの内訳としては２５万ドルは自分が住む住宅用、後の半分は賃貸用の住宅でも構わないそうだ。　オアフ島は一戸建て住宅の中央価格が６０万ドル弱なので、最低限の５０万ドルは十分に上回れる。

この法案は提案の段階だか、これが通れば憧れのハワイで生活をしたい人には　とても良いニュースだ。

Virtual tour of 3084 La Pietra Circle #16 　バーチャルツアー３０８４　ラ　ピエトラサークル１６号室

Mineko — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:25:25 +0000

Here’s a virtual tour of a property near Diamond Head, 3084 La Pietra Circle, #16.

ラピエトラサークル１６号室のバーチャルツアーです。

円ハワイ不動産為替　The Yen (¥) to Hawaii real estate conversion

Mineko — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:51:21 +0000

１ドル７６円という円高は過去を振り返っても全然覚えがない。それもそのはず戦後初めての記録的円高だそうだ。１６年前に初めて渡米したときは確か１２５円程でした。１２５円の数字は長い間続き　一般的に通常値と見なされていました。１２５円を切り始めた頃は、アメリカでの買い物はお得感があったと思います。そのコンセプトを大きな買い物に当てはめると　円高メリットも大きい。

金利が低い今の日本の銀行にお金を眠らしておくより、ハワイで不動産購入。通常値の時代ではまだまだ手が届かなかった物件も円高メリットで実現できる範囲になるのではないでしょうか？　ハワイに来る楽しみが増えるだけではなしに、為替だけの目で見れば　ドルの巻き返が始まると投資価値は使った日本円以上に上昇します。ハワイに来る時に特に家がなくても、と言う人は賃貸物件の購入はいかがでしょうか？　月々の見込める賃貸収入は銀行からもらう低い利子に比べて高い可能性があります。

ご興味がある方は　一度貴社の税理士にご相談されたの上　詳しくをこちらまでお伝えください。

The Japanese yen (¥) to U.S. dollar ($) conversion has been the lowest ever as far as I remember. At ¥76 to a dollar range, the yen is at it’s highest level since WWII. When I first came to U.S. 16 years ago, the exchange rate was ¥125 to the dollar. The ¥125 range had been considered the norm for a long time. When the yen dropped below ¥125, Japanese buyers felt like they were getting discounts in U.S. stores. If you apply this same concept to a much larger purchase like real estate, your savings can be pretty considerable. Instead of keeping your yen in a low-interest yielding bank account in Japan, it may be worth investigating investing your yen in Hawaii real estate instead. Not only will you enjoy your Hawaii visit more, the value of your investment will increase as the dollar increases in strength. Or if you choose to purchase a rental property, your net rental income might be better than the interest that you get from your bank in Japan.

Talk to your accountant to see if this opportunity is right for you. Then talk to me.

Virtual tour of 1649 Leilehua Lane

Mineko — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 01:59:13 +0000

This is a tour of my listing near Downtown Honolulu on Leilehua Lane. It’s 682 square feet, but feels much larger.

ダウンタウン近郊にある売り出し物件のツアーです。土地約５６坪　屋根下約１９坪の大きさですが、実際もっと大きく感じます。

House for sale at a condo price

Mineko — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:32:37 +0000

Buying a new home can be a stressful time in your life, especially when finding the perfect home that fits your budget seems next to impossible. If you’re like most first time home buyers, you probably think you need to purchase a condominium because houses here are too expensive.

Well there’s a very charming single family house in Honolulu that’s available at a condo price. It’s not a CPR so there are no condo maintenance fees. In addition, the entire house has been recently renovated and includes a new kitchen and bathroom. All kitchen appliances and washer are brand new. And there’s also yard space for gardening.

If you’re interested in learning more about this little gem near downtown Honolulu, please contact me.

人生において家の購入は大きな事でストレスの元、特に予算内に完璧なものを見つけるのはほとんど不可能に近いものがある。同感している不動産購入初心者の多くは経済的理由で一戸建てをあきらめコンドミニアムに焦点を絞っている。

実は、ホノルルの中心でとてもチャーミングな一戸建ての家がコンドミニアムしか買えない値段で売りに出されている。　コンドミニアムのように共同使用区間がないので管理を毎月支払わなくていい。それに、真新しいキッチン、浴室を含め　この家は最近プロに手直しされている。台所家電や洗濯機も新品である。

ホノルルダウンタウン近郊にあるこの小さな宝石箱のような家、ご興味がある方はこちらまでお問い合わせください。

Waterspouts outside of Honolulu Harbor

Mineko — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:57:39 +0000

We had some really freaky weather today. Heavy showers, lightning and thunder, and two waterspouts that formed a few hundred yards off of Honolulu Harbor. I managed to photograph one of them (that’s Sand Island in the foreground). These waterspouts were very tall, and lasted several minutes.

Waterspouts are rare in Hawaii. I don’t recall ever hearing about two of them forming at the same time.