
Wow, the ACS % rate continues to be high which now tells us that 79% of available inventory for sale is in escrow with Just Accepted Offers. Demand is high and the inventory is slim. This is what drives up the ACS % rate. More »
Posted by Matt Beall, R on June 24th, 2009 |
Tags: Big Island, Haena, Hawaii, Kapaa, Kauai, Kilauea, Maui, Oahu, Waialae, Waikaloa
A list of the most viewed real estate listings in Hawaii is precious information, like a barometer of Hawaii’s real estate market. It shows our fantasies, and the reality. Some of these listings are already under contract pending a sale, and some have offers pending. The list of properties that get the most traffic, if you know what to look for, can almost predict what’s going to sell next.
I have the Top 10 saved as Favorites in My Hawaii Life account. I’ll share the current list here. You can view the listing by just clicking on the address. Feel free to comment… I’m not familiar with all of them, so I’m always curious what their appeal is, etc.
Most Viewed Listings:
#10) 2500 Ana Aina Place, Waialae, Oahu $18,000,000
#9) 766176 Plumeria Rd., Holuloa, Big Island $199,000
#8) 681070 Honokapaope Way, Waikaloa, Big Island $24,000,000
#7) 4701 Kawaihau Rd., Kapaa, Kauai $189,000
#6) 5800192 Kuhio Hwy, Ha’ena, Kauai $12,000,000
#5) 152762 Opae St., Hawaiian Beaches, Big Island $217,000
#4) Anini Vista Dr., Kilauea, Kauai $10,800,000
#3) 4999 Kahala Ave, Waialae, Oahu $99,000 LH
#2) 6695 Olohena Rd., Kapaa, Kauai $875,000
And, the #1 Most Viewed Hawaii Listing…
Papa’a Bay, Aliomanu-Moloa’a, Kauai $38,500,000
Posted by Beth Thoma Robinson, R(S) on June 16th, 2009 |
Tags: Hawaii, Press
Our Hawaii Life Principal Broker Matt Beall has written an excellent article about whether real estate agents provide value, especially given how technology has changed the real estate industry to the benefit of the consumer. As Matt has previous explained, before the advent of the Internet, your local MLS (multiple listing service) compiled listings into a fat book which it sold to participating agents. You the consumer could only get access to the information via an agent. Was that providing value? In a sense it was, but there was a strong element of control, as there was in most consumer markets.
Remember the Clue Train Manifesto? When that website (and subsequent bestselling book) appeared in 1999, the authors reminded us that markets are fundamentally conversations about value. Markets were getting smarter and faster thanks to real people entering into conversation with one another via the Internet. And consumers were getting smarter about using online networks to obtain real information real fast; the companies that served them were slow in waking up to the new reality as an opportunity rather than a threat. Ten years later, real estate is still struggling to catch on. Most real estate company websites are essentially monologues, blatant advertising, anything but a vehicle for conversations. They push information and their sales pitch at the consumer. No wonder consumers turn to Zillow, Trulia, and other websites that give them information AND a chance to participate in market conversation. No wonder smart agents are out having genuine conversations with consumers on Zillow, Trulia, ActiveRain, their blogs, Facebook and Twitter!
Of course, one problem with MLS data, whether you are searching it via an individual real estate company’s website or on the official MLS site or Trulia or Realtor.com, is that each listing agent is responsible for the descriptive and photographic content associated with their listing. And many have not figured out that their audience is no longer another local agent! Maybe you’ve seen listings where agents pitch other agents in the public remarks ( ‘Bonus to selling agent!”) which I would think is a pretty big red flag to a prospective buyer. Many listing agents haven’t figured out that the better the information they provide, the better they are marketing their Seller’s property (marketing means assisting the right prospective buyer to identify him or herself). How often have you seen a listing where the description just repeats property data (”Beautiful 3BR/2BA home with over 1400 sq ft of living area…”) or where it says the property has “wonderful ocean views” and fails to include even one photo of the view?
More »
Posted by Matt Beall, R on May 21st, 2009 |
Tags: Foreclosures, Hawaii, News
Yesterday, Hawaii’s Governor Linda Lingle signed Senate Bill 34 into law. This long awaited amendment to Hawaii’s Mortgage Rescue Fraud Prevention Act (Act 137), provides an exemption for licensed real estate brokers and salespersons from being defined as “distressed property consultants” under Act 137. Most buyers and sellers were (and are) completely unaware of the havoc that Act 137 caused in the market… until they attempted to buy or sell a property that was defined as a “Distressed Property”. In short, a “Distressed Property” is defined as any property where the owner/borrower was 2 months or more behind in payments to ANY lien holder. Originally, Act 137 prohibited Realtors from communicating directly with lien holders on behalf of their clients OR from coaching their clients on how to communicate and deliver information to their lien holders about the sale of their property!
People who had legitimate hardships, who could no longer pay their mortgages, were left completely ‘unrepresentable’ by Realtors under Act 137. For example (just one of MANY), we’ve represented clients who suffered debilitating illnesses which cost them their jobs and their ability to pay their mortgages… but once they were 2 months behind on their payments, we, their licensed agents and fiduciaries, were no longer allowed to speak with their creditors or even coach our clients on how to proceed with the sale of the property that they hired us to sell!
So, the end result was that people in Hawaii who needed the assistance of a Realtor the most were prevented from getting it… and this has undoubtedly contributed to the State’s growing number of foreclosures.
This new law will be Act 66 of the 2009 Legislative Session, and is effective immediately. Finally, Hawaii’s property owners who are faced with financial hardship, and perhaps foreclosure, will be able to have the guidance and expertise of Realtors who are trained in Short Sales and foreclosures.
Posted by Beth Thoma Robinson, R(S) on May 16th, 2009 |
Tags: Big Island, Hawaii, News
Today was the long-awaited first meeting of the West Hawaii Planning Commission. Until this year, all decisions regarding issues such as zoning variances and subdivision applications were handled by a single commission. If you’ve spent a day driving the circumference of the Big Island, you realize that the East (Hilo) side of the island has a very different character from the West (Kona/Kohala) side with its high end resorts and the rapid growth of Kailua Kona from sleepy town into population center. Voters last year approved the idea of splitting the commission so that commissioners could be appointed who were more familiar with the nuances of the districts, communities and planning issues on each half of the Island.
If you are buying a Big Island resort condominium property, or an in-town residence, the county code and zoning and planning regulations probably are not of particular interest. Here, however, are some situations I’ve recently encountered with clients that would require thorough understanding and investigation of zoning and planning rules and processes:
Some online resources include the County of Hawaii Zoning Code, Subdivision, and Planning Rules and the County Property Tax website where you can not only find current property tax rates on any property, you can also look up the status of building permits associated with the address.
It is extremely important for buyers to do their own due diligence with respect to a property they purchase. A knowledgeable agent can assist you in understanding what you should be looking for and where to find answers to your questions.

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