People evacuated tsunami inundation zones and police closed access to coastlines.  In this photo, you can see an normally busy Kalanianaole Highway eerily empty. All access to Hawaii Kai was rerouted due to the tsunami threat.

Traffic cam at the corner of Kalanialaole Hwy and Laukahi

Thankfully we can all breathe a sigh of relief, the tsunami alert was canceled as of 1:45pm. I’m glad we have this warning system, and I’m thankful that we all take tsunamis seriously (which is a way of life for residents here).

1. Not checking your credit report and score
2. Not getting preapproved
3. Not creating a long-term budget
4. Forgetting about the hidden costs
5. Not using professional help
6. Picking your real estate agent and lender blindly
7. Thinking you’ll get everything on your “wish list”
8. Not keeping your feelings in check before hiring a home inspector
9. Not researching your neighborhood
10. Not considering the resale value of your home

If you avoid all these mistakes, you will be in much better shape. Your transaction will be smoother, your stress level will be lower, and your expectation level will be more in alignment with your results.

I think happiness is subjective and difficult to quantify, and it’s pretty silly when you think about actually ranking States by an emotional expression. I guess I’m happy that Hawaii came in #1, and got a little publicity, but I feel bad for the States that ranked low (especially when you consider how little the scores varied). The complete ranking can be found here.

Very fascinating stuff.

Here’s how the numbers stack up over a 3-year span:

I believe there is reason to be optimistic. There was a surge in home sales in December 2009, and Paul Brewbaker, principal of TZ Economics is calling January 2009 “the bottom of this cycle.”  People rushed to cash in on a federal $8,000 first-time homebuyers’ tax credit, and the November 30 deadline has been pushed back to April 30.

LOST The Final Season

This will be a huge loss for Hawaii as ABC filmed each episode almost exclusively in the Islands, and the series’ popularity put Hawaii front and center each week.

The lost virtual tour takes you on a photo tour of all the Hawaii locations.

I know the producers promised to reveal the answers all the mysteries in the series… but is there any way to extend the series a few more years?

I wonder what impact this will have on real estate values in that area?

This is a corner 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit on the ‘01′ stack with views from Diamond Head to the Leeward coast and great views of Honolulu Harbor.

４２５　サウス通り　マウカ　９０１号室のバーチャルツアーを載せました。　カカアコのウォーターフロントにあるツインタワーのひとつ。

２寝室２浴室タイプの０１号室は角部屋でダイヤモンドヘットよりリーワードの岸辺の辺りまで見渡せる。特にホノルルのハーバーは絶景。