Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers » Ilona Coffey, RS

Living in Hawaii – The Effects of Time

Ilona Coffey, RS — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:30:57 +0000

What does Princeville and Margaritaville have in common?

I’m not in Margaritaville, but I certainly know how Jimmy Buffet felt when he “blew out his flip flop!” This was a fairly expensive pair of sandals that had only been worn one other time, meanwhile, they were safely stored in the “crystal clear” shoe boxes in my custom closet. It was only after I put them on and walked 20 feet that they crumbled into what looked like black cake mix.

This exact thing has happened to me so many times I don’t even think about it anymore. The following day, I got ready for a Realtors Caravan and had on my green silk jacket and matching green silk shoes, which I had also lovingly stored in the same type of “crystal clear” shoe boxes in my custom closet. Was I surprised when half way through the day the bottom of the shoe opened up like a duck bill? No, I just I flapped my way right to the shoe store and bought a new pair of shoes.

After living on Kauai for over 15 years, this isn’t really all that unusual, however, because my sister from the mainland was here and was so thoroughly entertained by this, it got me thinking about all the other crazy stuff that happens here.

If you leave a rubber band anywhere for any amount of time it turns into a ball of goo. If it was holding anything together, forget about that, it’s gone. Paperclips rust in Hawaii, as does all kinds of other rust-proof stuff like stainless steel.

If you haven’t worn your swimsuit since last month (hardly ever happens here), you might feel elated to put it on and think you’ve lost weight because it’s falling off of you. Not so, the elastic has just disappeared. Do you know what a swimsuit looks like without elastic?

If you buy a box of envelopes and keep them for any length of time, you will be surprised to find they are all stuck together as if you have licked and sealed each and everyone of them by hand. These are all the things you have the joy of learning over the course of time as you live here.

The message is:

Only buy what you need (not a pair of shoes in every color)
Wear what you have (before it falls apart or disintegrates at an inappropriate time)
Buy envelopes with the tear-off glue strips (or pay your bills and correspond online)
Anything with metal of any kind will eventually rust (wood works pretty well here and is biodegradable)
Anything with rubber will eventually turn to goo (are you sensing a pattern here??)
Go to the beach more often

Hawaii is a wonderful place to live and play, but be sure you check out your running shoes before you leave the house…they may not carry you safely home. Still, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, it is my home and I love it!

Hawaii Tax Time Rolls Around Again

Ilona Coffey, RS — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:30:53 +0000

Tax timeâ€”it’s not all fun and games.

I have a love/hate relationship with the IRS and it’s that time of year again when I have to come face to face with “my year on paper!” I keep great records, and organize my data well, but over the years I have come to understand that there is much more to “keeping more of whatÂ I’ve earned”Â than simply compressing a pile of papers into a refined outline of my income and expenses for the year.

I have had a nice collection of Tax Preparers, CPAs, Accountants, and so on that have helped meÂ convert my data from the big pile to a digital return and ultimately, if IÂ plan well, to a refund check.

This year, I am trying something new. Before I take my prepared data to the Tax Preparer, I am going to be consulting with a Certified Tax Coach.Â They are going to help me develop an everÂ evolving strategy that changes along with me, my needs, and my earnings,Â to take advantage of every single tax advantage I possibly can, and I am going to listen.

A Certified TaxÂ Coach, such as Dominique Molina, whom I will be consulting with this year, will help me create a strategy not only for how to report and file my returns for last year, but how to adapt what I do this year, to deliver the best possible outcome when tax time rolls around again.

I met Dominique through a mutual friend and as most of us on Kauai believe, there are no accidents.Â She came along just when I needed her, and need her I do.

A few of the things that peaked my interest were in the following list:

The single most expensive tax mistake of all
How to slash your audit risk (fly under the IRS radar!)
How Warren Buffet pays less tax than his secretary!
Retirement savings strategies for every business
Can Obama really keep his promise to cut taxes?
Are higher taxes coming?
Write off your family medical bills as a business expense
How to deduct your kids private school and college tuition

I am looking forward to her coaching, and as someone who has been coachedÂ a lot, I plan to listen and learn, and maybe even make tax season more fun in the future!Â Well, maybe not more fun, but less painful!

Who knows, at some point it may become fun and games.Â Feel free to contact me and see how it goes, I’ll let you know next year around tax time how much fun I am having!

Rare Opportunity – Wailua Riverfront Home For Sale on Kauai

Ilona Coffey, RS — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:30:51 +0000

An island on an island!

If you love islands, then you are going to love this house (MLS# 236320). Not only is it on the beautiful island of Kauai, but you can actually dine on you own little island right off the banks of the famous Wailua River. It’s in a quiet neighborhood behind a beautiful bamboo gate, but centrally located on Kauai’s East side.

It is a rare opportunity to own one of 8 homes on the banks of Hawaii’s only navigable river.Â If you like to be front and center, and see everything that goes and comes, this is the place for you.

This home has it all, 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, and the sunsets that make you never want to leave. Listed atÂ $1,199,000, this property is just fun waiting for people to have it!

We can show you where to have some fun, but only you know how!

Beach Babies Love Baby Beach in Sunny Poipu

Ilona Coffey, RS — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:30:49 +0000

Poipu’s Baby Beach

I’m a great swimmer, but even I have a healthy respect for the ocean, its waves and currents, and all the critters that swim in it. I love looking at the waterÂ and living in Hawaii. I get to do aÂ lotÂ of that, but when it comes to getting in, I am a bit reserved.Â That was until I found Baby Beach on Kauai’s sunny south side, in Poipu.

This beach is in a naturally protected reef where there is barely a ripple, and the critters that come in here are tiny ones.Â That, coupled with the fact that if I see something that scares me, I can stand up and run back to shore! Being in the water at Baby Beach is more like floating in a swimming pool, and I love it!

Hawaii Life’s new vacation rental management company hasÂ a lovely vacation rental home located just 200 yards from this very sweet little beach,Â The Poipu Vista.Â Come and see for yourself!

5 Tips For an Unforgettable Whale Watching Adventure on Kauai

Ilona Coffey, RS — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 20:45:47 +0000

Whale watching off the Napali Coast

Each year Kohola, the Hawaiian Humpback whale, swim from Alaskan feeding grounds to the warm waters of Hawaii. The whales journey across vast oceans, navigating by instinct alone. Hawaii is their winter home, a place to play, to give birth, and to start new generations.

If you are in Hawaii during the months of December through April, donâ€™t miss out on an unforgettable Kauai whale watching experience.Â What a great place to see the whales in their natural environment. Each year, the great Humpback Whales migrate some 4,500 miles, from summer feeding grounds in Alaska, to mate in the warm waters of Hawaii.

Hawaii is a popular destination for whale watching because, during mating season, Humpback whales are more active resulting in elevated surface activity. This whale surface behavior, such as breaching and tail slaps, make for exciting whale watching in Hawaii.

5 Tips for an Unforgettable Whale Watching Adventure:

1. Plan your trip during peak months

Humpback whales begin arriving in Hawaii in November and head back to Alaska in late May.

2. Visit islands known for whale watching

Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island are the most popular islands for Hawaii whale watching, so plan to visit one of these islands on your vacation.

3. Plan a boat tour

Hawaii whale watching tours are ideal for seeing these spectacular animals in their natural habitat.

4. Respect their space

In Hawaii, whale watching is an avid activity, and like with most outdoors activities, there are rules.Â Observers may not approach by vessel, or by swimming within 100 yards of a whale (known as the 100-yard minimum rule).

5. Preserve the Humpback whale

Humpback whale preservation is vital because these magnificent creatures almost came to extinction in 1966 after mass commercial whaling during the early 20th century.

It is truly a remarkable experience, and one you will never forget.

$530K Immaculate Wailua Home For Sale on Kauai

Ilona Coffey, RS — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:10:08 +0000

The CEO of OCD, in a good way!

The majestic Mt. Waialeale

Looking out over the quiet little neighborhood, and up to the majestic Mt. Waialeale, it’s hard to imagine living anywhere else, but lucky for me, I don’t have to!

Kauai is home to a very diverse assortment of great people, one of which is the owner of this perfect little house, in a perfect little neighborhood, on what I think is the most perfect place on the planet! I call it the “perfect home owned by the CEO of OCD!”

Itâ€™s trueâ€”this home (MLS# 240621) is immaculate and perfect in every detail.Â If you donâ€™t believe me, come and check out this friendly neighborhood and home that is move in ready.Â All it needs is you!

This home is listed at $530,000, and located on Kauai’s east side in Wailua

This cute home offers sweeping views of Mt. Waialeale, privacy, and that relaxing environment that entices us to want to live here. Included to make move-in easy are all the appliances, including dishwasher, refrigerator, range/oven, and washer and dryer.

What makes it so attractive is that it is a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home that is priced lower than many condos. So, why sacrifice your privacy when you can have the freedom of your own home? And you also get a two car garage with electric door, so you donâ€™t have to worry about your car while you are away. Donâ€™t miss this hidden treasureâ€”paradise awaits you at an affordable price!

And while you are considering if Kauai is the place for you, just sit back, relax, and let the music of Hawaii talk to your heart.

Keali’i Reichel sings Kawaipunahele

Hawaii Five-0 Returns to Prime Time After 42 Years

Ilona Coffey, RS — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:34:25 +0000

A crowd gathered for the Hawaii Five-0 Premier

The streets were abuzz for the premier of the all-new Hawaii Five-0 television series. 42 years to the day, this program returns to Prime Time.

It got me thinking about all the great movies and TV shows that have used Hawaii as the backdrop to the stories they told the world, and how, in the scenes, they brought the romance of Hawaii into the living rooms of people that had never even dreamed of coming here.

I did a little research, and found a recent poll that rated the top 5 TV shows ever filmed in Hawaii, and of course Hawaii 50 was on this list, butÂ in the #2 spot.

At the top of the list was a long running series staring the fantastic Tom Selleckâ€”yes, you guessed it, Magnum PI. If you’ve ever been to Hawaii you will see this same photo all over the shops that sell “Aloha Shirts” and yes, this shirt is still being made, and as you might guess continues to be a best seller.

Other TV programs that made the top 5 were Dog the Bounty Hunter, Byrds of Paradise, and of course Lost.

The top 5 movies chosen were:

South Pacific
Donovan’s Reef
Blue Hawaii (all three of which were filmed on Kauai)
Blue Crush
50 1st Dates

The poll was conducted via Facebook fans, and you can check out other polls that focus on Hawaii’s favorites at Hawaii Magazine.

So, let the romance continue, and don’t hesitate to catch the next episode of the new Hawaii 50, and if you’ve been to Hawaii, you will have the pleasure of identifying places you’ve been to and seenâ€”don’t lie, you know you’re doing it!

Aloha for now!

Kauai Short Sale Luxury Vacation Home in Poipu

Ilona Coffey, RS — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:15:51 +0000

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a vacation home on Kauai, I found one the other day that is a gem!

It is a stunningly furnished and decorated 5 bedroom/5 full-bath home, with over 3,300 sq. ft. of luxurious living space so close to the ocean that you can hear the waves crashing, and smell the salt in the air!

This home, (MLS# 210975), is currently being offered fully furnished in turn-key condition, and the seller is highly motivated. Check out the beautiful gourmet kitchen, luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms, and the two completely separate living areas with AV equipment, and all the comforts you could ever want!

I especially love the candy apple red washer and dryer in the downstairs master bathroom. (Not to be outdone by the metallic midnight blue set in the upstairs portion of the house! Wow, what a statement!)

This house is a short sale, so all offers are subject to the banks approval, but it could represent an incredible opportunity to someone who might be patient enough to wait for that approval.

For now, take a 3-minute break, and join me as we escape to the sound of the waves in front of this Poipu Beach house.

Andy Irons Honorary Paddle Out this Sunday on Kauai

Ilona Coffey, RS — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:41:25 +0000

Andy Irons, Kauai surfing legend, is honored around the world, and right here on Kauai, this Sunday November 14, 2010 as family and friends participate in the traditional “paddle out” ceremony.

For those of you that know surfing, you have no doubt been a fan of our own Andy Irons, Kauai raised World Champion Surfer, and for those of us that knew Andy, we are grateful for having had that pleasure.

Last week in Puerto Rico, they had a similar memorial service, and it is very touching to see how much he was loved and respected by his peers, and how much he will be missed by all.

Please enjoy this wonderful video depicting this Memorial Paddle-Out at the Rip Curl Pro Search in Puerto Rico on November 3rd, 2010.

Rest in Peace Andy, you were loved by many, and our prayers go out to your family

Kauai Infinity Pools in Paradise!

Ilona Coffey, RS — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:58:25 +0000

Infinity Pools are particularly fascinating and Kauai is certain home to a few great ones.

The above photo is located at a great house in Poipu (Custom website, MLS# 237027). The negative edge allows the water to cascade down the front side of the pool, which also warms the water, and creates a pleasant sound.Â They are most effective with a water/ocean backdrop, but can beÂ veryÂ dramatic on a canyon, or cliff, as is the case in the next photo.

This pool is located on Kauai’s east side and overlooks the Wailua River.

One of the other great things about Infinity Pools is that, very often at sunset, you get a seamless, “double vision” that is just stunning, as you can see in the photo below.

If you are looking for the perfect pool in paradise, and a home to go with it, you can do it and we can help!