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Honolulu, HI Real Estate News

By Kimo Stowell, REALTOR Associate® RS-76763 - Honolulu Hawai'i
(HI Pro Realty LLC RB-21531 )
 This year’s festival will take place on April 27th from 10 am to 2 pm. This will be the 9th annual festival and will officially start after an opening ceremony by students of Ka Papa Lo‘i ‘o Kānewai. The day will follow with exciting guest speakers, ukulele performance, bird tours, spotting scopes, painting with Patrick Ching and much more.  Also making its first debut is a life size Manu o Kū, Ranger Rick, and Hina, the Monk Seal.  Grab a passport and participate in the exciting learning activitiesprovided by participating groups and agencies, all focused on native species, with the Manu o Kū as their ambassador for the day.The Manu O Kū Festival is an annual event usually held in May to coincide with theUS Migratory Bird Treaty Act.  The Festival takes place on the stately Coronation...
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By Kimo Stowell, REALTOR Associate® RS-76763 - Honolulu Hawai'i
(HI Pro Realty LLC RB-21531 )
  Local Market Update  Makiki & Moili'ili Honolulu, March 2024   Single Family Homes March Year to Date 2024 / 2023 Change% 2024 / 2023 Change% Closed Sales 9 / 14  -36%   20 / 23  -13%    Median Sales Price $1.35M / $1.5M  -10% $1.5444M / $1.5M  3% Percent of Original List Price Received 93.5% / 98.0%  -5% 97.2% / 95.7%  2% Median Days on Market Until Sale 43 / 14   207% 23 / 15   53% New Listings 19 / 11  73% 38 / 36  6% Pending Sales 7 / 10  -30% 24 / 31  -23% Active Inventory 43 / 24  79% ---    Condos March Year to Date 2024 / 2023 Change% 2024 / 2023 Change% Closed Sales 36 / 41  95% 102 / 86  19%  Median Sales Price $385,000 / $430,000  -10%   $405,000 / $404,500  0%  Percent of Original List Price Received 98.1% / 97.9%  0% 97.4% / 97.8%  0% Median Days on Market Until Sale 26 /...
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By Kimo Stowell, REALTOR Associate® RS-76763 - Honolulu Hawai'i
(HI Pro Realty LLC RB-21531 )
  Local Market Update  Ala Moana & Kaka'ako Honolulu, March 2024   Single Family Homes March Year to Date 2024 / 2023 Change% 2024 / 2023 Change% Closed Sales 1 / 0  0%  2 / 0  0%  Median Sales Price $1.1M/ $0   0%  $1M / $0   0% Percent of Original List Price Received 96.5% / 0.0%  0% 94.7% / 0.0%  0% Median Days on Market Until Sale 38 / 0  0% 38 / 0  0% New Listings 1 / 0  0% 2 / 1  100% Pending Sales 0 / 1  -100% 2 / 1  100% Active Inventory 4 / 0   0% ---    Condos March Year to Date 2024 / 2023 Change% 2024 / 2023 Change% Closed Sales 38 / 55  -31%  96 / 124  -23%  Median Sales Price $747,000 / $830,000  -10% $624,250 / $645,000  -3% Percent of Original List Price Received 95.5% / 95.9%  0% 96.2% / 96.6%  0%    Median Days on Market Until Sale 92 / 39  136% 45 / 41  10% New Listin...
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By Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman, (RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
(Liberty Homes)
A year ago my PC was ready for a clean wipe and reload BUT I wouldn't give my PC up for my husband to do it because I was TOO BUSY BLOGGING. WORKING. Two weeks ago my PC started to get a couple of quirks and we knew it was time to have a new one built. (I'd been just upgrading for the past two years) YAY! A wonderful business work station was built for me by PDC Systems two weeks ago and my husband (who works for PDC) brought it home and installed the rest. My new system is choice for what I need in a nice business machine (and my husband laughs because I'm writing about this and he's sitting there with a high end gaming machine he built. I told him his machine doesn't make us money... lol) and will definitely keep me happy for the next couple of years. So my business (blogging) machine...
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By Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman, (RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
(Liberty Homes)
So, you say you want to be evironmentally aware? Well, there ARE water efficient toilets to conserve on water as well as cut down on the flushing noise. If there's one thing I am is a light sleeper and with a toilet flushing in the middle of the night is not what I call a good nights sleep. Especially when the darn thing keeps filling up with water slowly until the last part gives a gushing sound that it's finally done. That was the case with my last toilet. We decided to finish our bathroom with ceramic tile flooring and a water efficient toilet. Wow! I never dreamed I would 'get off' on a toilet before. But I am adamant on making my little townhouse an environmentally friendly place with energy efficient appliances down to this water saving toilet. This one is an American Standard Cha...
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By David Buck, Realtor-Broker
(Harcourts Island Real Estate)
Just 1 day after my previous post on Diamond Head Luxury homes, 3239 Noela St., which was asking $12.6 Million went into escrow! It was also over an acre & sold for $9 million back in 2000.  It would also have to be one of the trophy properties in Diamond Head at the end of a culdesac & also the highest priced listing in Diamond Head- as of now.... 3239 Noela St.
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By Kimo Stowell, REALTOR Associate® RS-76763 - Honolulu Hawai'i
(HI Pro Realty LLC RB-21531 )
Get Down and Boogie Oogie Oogie Board! World famous Waikiki has many outdoor attractions to indulge in from surfing to shopping, sunbathing to snorkeling. One of Honolulu's premier boogie boarding breaks is located in Waikiki, at the Kuhio Beach Park pier just before Kapiolani Park.   The Pier at Kuhio Beach Park, Waikiki Although, Oahu has some famous boogie boarding breaks like Sandy's, Makapu'u, and Pipeline to name few, these breaks can be very dangerous especially to tourists who are unfamiliar with the powerful rip tides and wave action that can pound Oahu's shoreline.   A view of Waikiki from the Pier The surf break at the pier at Kuhio Beach Park breaks slightly offshore to the left and right of the pier with a wide based pyramidal wave. Sandy's and Pipeline break on shore with ...
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By Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089, Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info
(Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers)
ING DIRECT is opening a Café in Waikiki soon. Have you heard about ingdirect.com?  It's an online banking and lending business that offers "not your ordinary mortgage".  They do residential loans and refinancing, without loan origination fees or points. NO fees NO minimums NO catches Their business model consists of a coffee shop atmosphere, where consumers can sit and have a cup of coffee while doing their banking.  ING DIRECT is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware with innovative ING DIRECT Cafés in multiple locations across the U.S. where you can experience what Electric Orange is all about!  They have Cafés for their stores.... LA, Chicago, New York, St. Cloud. I talked with a customer service rep today who told me they are opening a Cafe in Waikiki this month.  I think this will...
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By Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman, (RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
(Liberty Homes)
Yeah, who wants to talk about the dirt and the scum of the earth? I do! I do! Ah...our beautiful Hawaiian paradise and THE environmentally aware residents who keep it that way. Opala (oh pah la) means garbage in Hawaiian. So, of course we take care of our opala. The City & County of Honolulu's Department of Environmental Services, Refuse Division manages the collection, disposal and recycling operations take care of our 'solid waste' with a waste management system. We may have a great trash man and system but it's up to each individual to KNOW how to dispose or recyle the garbage they create in a responsible manner. Do you all know when your trash pick up days are? Do you know when the bulky item pickup comes to your area to pick up unwanted couches, appliances and so forth? Do you kno...
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By Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman, (RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
(Liberty Homes)
   With Jazz on Wednesday nights and a live local band every Friday night this is the added pleasures of dining at Tsukiji's Fish Market & Restaurant. We went a little early on Saturday to stand in line (we were first) and by time the doors opened 15 minutes later the line was snaking around the side of another restaurant! Known for it's lunch and dinner buffet Tsukiji's Fish Market & Restaurant is huge! My husband, Gary, didn't even sit down....just headed off to the sushi bar! I headed down to the Yakitori Bar and then down to the tempura and udon section. Loaded with plates piled highwe sat down with my clients for an hour and a half of .....eating and great conversation. (okay...we were cutting up and laughing out loud.....my mom surely would have called me boisterous lol) And afte...
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September 2nd, 2008 categories: Rants & Riffs The current Federal capital gains tax rate reaches a maximum of 15%. Add this to the State of Hawaii’s capital gain rate and the combined rate becomes 22.25%. Tax professionals have told me that this is a 70-year low! George Bush lowered it from the 28% Federal rate (a total of 35.25% combined) under Bill Clinton. I know what you are thinking, “Why is Keahi going here?” Here is the answer. A funny thing happened to me this week as I watched coverage of the Democratic Convention. As I watched George Bush get blamed for everything from acne to global warming, I decided to start looking into the policies of each presidential candidate to determine, in my own way, how Obama and McCain might affect Honolulu real estate and our country. You may fi...
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By David Buck, Realtor-Broker
(Harcourts Island Real Estate)
There's no question the market is "slower" than it has been.  However one segment that has recently picked up steam over the past week is high end real estate in Diamond Head.  On Thursday, August 28th, 3063 Diamond Head Road sold for $9.5 Million Cash! Just two days prior, 3944 Noela Place, which is asking $8.2 million went into escrow.  On top of that 3692 Diamond Head Circle closed for $9.7 Million on July 28th... Keep in mind, these are all "Trophy" properties, however only the Diamond Head Road sale had a sliver of the property that went down to the water.  As a whole, these are all non-oceanfront... Amazing! In my opinion, some better ones are still on market! I've been in all 3 of the homes mentioned.  If you're looking for your own "Trophy" property, you know who to call :) 3063...
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August 29th, 2008 categories: Rants & Riffs Sir John Templeton died on July 8, 2008. For the uninitiated, he was arguably one of the greatest stock investors of all time. According to the New York Times, “The flagship Templeton Growth Fund reported a 14.5 percent average annual return from 1954 to 1992; a $10,000 investment, with dividends reinvested, would have grown to $2 million.” Let’s assume he know something about risk. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.
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By Keahi Pelayo
(KU Realty)
August 29th, 2008 categories: Rants & Riffs I am always looking for good news and yesterday’s report on durable goods orders was great to hear. A Honolulu Advertiser Article states the following.   CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE POST.
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By Keahi Pelayo
(KU Realty)
August 28th, 2008 categories: Honolulu Real Estate 101, Rants & Riffs I was surprised to read that the LA Times has done away with its Sunday Real Estate Section! I have heard that the Times has been bleeding red ink, but this was shocking. A recent Blog post by LA Realtors, Merrie Kung & Noelle Hettlinger, summarizes the shift away from newspapers in the marketing of real estate.   CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE POST.
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The Brooking Institution recently released the report, Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America, ranking the carbon footprints of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas based on total metric tons of carbon emissions per capita in 2005.  And...Honolulu topped the list for the smallest footprint!  Factors contributing to Honolulu's #1 spot are high-density living, a well-used public transportation system, and the favorable weather.  According to the September issue of Sierra, residents of metropolitan areas have smaller carbon footprints than the average American.  Areas that ranked on the bottom of the Brookings list generally depend on cars for transportation and coal for energy.This is one more reason to move to healthy Hawaii!  Contact me for my extensive Relocation...
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By Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman, (RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
(Liberty Homes)
                    Leeward Community College is located at 96-045 Ala Ike - Pearl City, HI 96782 in Honolulu County on the island of Oahu. Hawaii is so diverse in culture so you can expect the same on college campuses too. With a caring faculty and affordability Leeward Community College has given high quality education since 1968.   Leeward Community College sits on 49 acres with over 6,000 students regularly enrolled every semeter to make it the largest community college in the state of Hawaii. With liberal arts and career and technical educational programs offered on campus, at off-campus locations in the community, and through distance education courses it is no wonder that students flock from the Central Oahu area to attend the college. (Both my son and daughter are starting up a...
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By Keahi Pelayo
(KU Realty)
August 21st, 2008 categories: Honolulu Real Estate 101, Rants & Riffs Find your courage. If you are a long-term investor, now may be one of the best times to buy real estate. A recent Wall Street Journal article talked about an investment bank in San Diego that sees opportunity amidst the town’s slow real estate market.   CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE POST.
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By Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman, (RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
(Liberty Homes)
Last Wednesday we met our clients at Kahala - Title Guaranty Escrow to sign documents for the Honolulu Condo we had listed. I entered the listing into our MLS on July 6th and by that evening I already had an offer in hand. By Tuesday morning we were in contract and opened escrow. IN CONTRACT IN TWO DAYS! Can't beat that! On August 1st, I closed the listing in Mililani that had a few bumps along the way but in the end it all worked out. (torn down unpermitted back storage and all) From contract to keys it closed in 38 days!  Mililani Single Family Home (4 bdrm/2 bath) SOLD AT $520,000! On August 14th I closed a sale with another agent in my office for a Hawaii Home Buyer that relocated here from Germany. We opened escrow after two days of showings and closed within 50 days.  Mililani Si...
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August 20th, 2008 categories: Honolulu Real Estate 101 Hip-hip-hooray! The Honolulu Board of Realtors has finally adopted a lockbox system that is consistent with the technological age in which we find ourselves.   CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE POST.
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By Kimo Stowell, REALTOR Associate® RS-76763 - Honolulu Hawai'i
(HI Pro Realty LLC RB-21531 )
Tips for Staging a Studio: defining a small space  When it comes to staging a studio defining a livable area within a limited space can be a challenge. Empty studios often seem smaller and hard to define, leaving potential buyers with an unsettling feeling that there just isn't enough room. Occupied studios can feel cramped and cluttered. Maximizing functional square footage should be a priority. Defining basic living areas that are typically found in larger homes is essential to show buyers how the studio space can function for them.    Aside from being cluttered and disheveled this studio lacks clear definition making it difficult for buyers to picture themselves living in the space.Maximize Functionality. There are four basic living areas in most homes: living, eating, working, sleep...
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By Barbara Abe
(East Oahu Realty)
Those of us who live in Honolulu have always known this is a healthy place to live - the air is clean, water good, life expectancy longer.  The latest issue of AARP confirms the benefits, placing Honolulu #2 in the list of Healthiest Hometowns in the country. The weather makes outdoor exercise easy, and the scenery of beautiful Hawaii adds motivation (ever seen the sunset over Diamond Head?).  In fact, AARP said "residents of Honolulu spend more time exercising than people in almost any other city surveyed."   Any where you go on the island, you'll find folks walking, jogging, swimming, surfing, biking, or just enjoying the many parks along the water.  Oahu has a wide range of recreational facilities from Haunauma Bay to North Shore.  Honolulu County is committed to preserving the beaut...
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By Kelly Mitchell, TheWineSiren.com Food | Wine | Fab *Napa Valley
(The Wine Siren & Agent Caffeine)
I've always tried to live a healthier way of life, both for my family and for the environment.  Unfortunately, the novelty of making my son's organic baby food wore off after 3 months. It was time consuming and tideous and he would usually end up screaming by the time this working mother could get food grinder out.   I retreated to purchasing organic baby food from the grocery store because I wanted the best for him.  The  environmental issues we are faced with have never been more significant and making changes can be overwhelming.  Remember everything you put in a drain, whether it be in the tub, the toilet or the sink ends up one day in the ocean and ultimately in our drinking water.  We have to reduce the amount of toxins we are putting in our water.     My first venture began with ...
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