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Senate Bill SB2602, HD1 (PDF), has passed through final committee review in the Hawaii State legislature and will go to Governor Lingle for her signature. In a previous conversation between Governor Lingle and the Hawaii Association of REALTORS (HAR), Governor Lingle indicated that she would support the bill. This is a proactive bill supported and lobbied for by HAR Government Affairs Committee with the support of the Hawaii Real Estate Commission. Read entire post →

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From your farmer, the president.

My fish pond is suffering, the taro is wilting and tangerines are not getting picked. It has been a busy, but very fast first two months. My term officially started Jan. 1 and I actually got 4 days off before we had our first executive board meeting. Since then, I have traveled to Hilo, Lihue, Palm Springs, Washington DC, and to Honolulu 8 times. Additional, I opened a new real estate office on Maui as BIC. In my spare time, my son Jeremy and I closed 6 escrows and took 8 new listings. Now you know why my chickens don’t get fed unless my wife Laura or my daughters Chloe and Brianna do it. Read entire post →

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Assuming he can get the Congressional Motley Crew to go along, Obama’s “Homestar” program would offer a rebate of $1,000 or more to people who purchase energy saving equipment.

The details are not spelled out yet but there have been several proposals. Read entire post →

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Why Are You Heating Your House In Hawaii?

You are probably wondering, “what in the world does an Easy Bake Oven have to do with heating a house?” Lots, actually.

If a teeny tiny light bulb can bake a cake, imagine how much heat it can add to an already warm room.

Incandescent lighting is not your friend. Read entire post →

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I had a feeling our numbers were strong in January when I wrote a post about Oahu’s home sales recently. However, I didn’t realize how strong they were.

A recent Associated Press article in the Star Bulletin titled Isle home sale surge leads nation said that Honolulu had the highest precentage change in number of transactions in the nation!
Read entire post →

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Valuable info provided by NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

The threat of a tsunami wreaking havoc on the people and infrastructure of Hawaiian island shores has passed! We dodged a bullet!!

Authorities confirmed that a tsunami generated by the 8.8 earthquake off Chile did indeed hit the Hawaiian island chain, reaching the Big Island first with diminished effects as it headed N/NW.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s “Pacific Tsunami Warning Center” is fully prepared for this type of event, (even though the last state-wide tsunami warning was over 25 years ago). Read entire post →

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If you were like me a few years ago and someone asked me to get a Hawaii home energy audit, I would have called my CPA to schedule one!

Home Energy Audit

While we see Hawaii becoming more energy conscious, this term has not been familiar….until now.  A Home Energy Audit, in a nutshell, is an evaluation of the energy consumption of your home and of your energy usage patterns.

We in Hawaii have different comfort issues to deal with…hot rooms that don’t cool down quick enough,  air conditioned spaces that are either too cold or not cold enough.  We need to understand these issues as it relates to a “Hawaiian Style” home. Read entire post →

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Dual Agency

Source = The Notorious R.O.B., read their article on Dual Agency by clicking on the image above.

Avoiding Dual Agency

For those of you who have worked with Hawaii Life Real Estate Services before, you are probably aware of our stance on dual agency. If not, here is what we have to say on the matter (taken from our Sellers Services page):

“You’re our client, and we take that very seriously. We actively avoid representing both buyer and seller in the same transaction. We’re committed to our fiduciary responsibilities of loyalty and obedience to you, so we avoid what’s called a “Dual Agency” transaction in which we “represent” both parties. Read entire post →

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12 percent of Hawaii homes are in foreclosure or threatened by foreclosure.

One of yesterday’s front page stories in Honolulu’s Advertiser was a new report on foreclosures in the country and where Hawaii is ranked.

As reported, a new mortgage industry report shows that more homeowners in Hawai’i fell behind on their loan payments last year, suggesting that foreclosures will continue to rise this year. At the end of last year, 4.5 percent of the loans statewide were in foreclosure, and an additional 12,182 mortgages, representing 7.3 percent of the market, were delinquent but not yet in foreclosure.

A sweet REO house listed for $179,700

A sweet REO house (MLS# 230165) listed for $179,700
Read entire post →

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Honolulu Prices Coming Down, Just Not Too Fast...

According to an article in the Star Bulletin titled Real Estate in Honolulu sees fewer and smaller price drops, Honolulu is now ranked 41st out of 50 major cities for price reductions.

19% of Honolulu listings on the market over the last year have dropped their price at least once. Why so little? Listings that are priced well don’t require reductions. Two of my last three listings I sold were previously listed by another brokerage firm. When they relisted with Hawaii Life’s Smart Marketing and Solid Representation at the right price, we sold them fast. Read entire post →

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