Nick Kawakami

Real Estate Service Powered by Innovation

Nick Kawakami

Summer’s Coming! Let’s Talk Coolers.

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With warmer weather on the horizon and summer beach days ahead, it’s a good time to take inventory of your gear. Today’s post focuses on one of the most important aspects of a good island adventure, keeping your food & drink nice and cool! I’ll break down three great modern coolers that will keep your cold cuts chilled, long after the sun has set.

How many of you are still using old coolers, passed down from generation to generation, as if a rare family heirloom that has withstood the test of time? Remember these old Gott brand coolers?

Strangely enough, there has been a real surge in cooler technology over the past couple of years that have left these old foam-filled coolers melting under the Hawaiian sun. Advancements in materials and manufacturing have allowed companies to bring industrial insulation methods to consumer coolers (think about how quickly Hydroflask took off once they were able to vacuum insulate a water bottle). Here are three of my favorite modern coolers, perfect for a day at the beach…

RTIC Cooler (RTIC 20 Tan) – $199.00

The smallest of their molded coolers, the RTIC 20 quart version is perfect for a picnic, boat ride, camping trip, or at home for the big game. Seemless molded construction and heavy rubber latches not only make it durable, but RTIC claims it can keep ice for up to 10 days! [Buy at Amazon.com]

Polar Bear Coolers H2O Cooler – $129.95-$219.95

Polar Bear has a great track record of making great soft coolers, and the H2O features a leakproof, sweatproof, DuraTemp liner. The Tarpaulin waterproof outer shell, along with the addition of Closed Cell Foam, makes the new Polar Bear H2O 100% waterproof. That means, if you take it on the boat, you can be sure that salt water will stay in the ocean and not get in your food. [Buy at Amazon.com]

AO Coolers Canvas Soft Cooler – $49.95-$89.95

The most “stylish” (kinda) and traditional-looking cooler in this list, the Canvas Soft Cooler from AO Coolers features double the insulation of most soft coolers. AO boasts a 24 hour ice age, and a $50 price tag for the 12-pack version makes this the most affordable choice in our list. [Buy at Amazon.com]

After all of this, some of you may be telling yourself, “200 bucks for a cooler?! I can just get a Coleman for $40 at Costco.” And while that is true, I can personally tell you that the value in a good cooler is well worth the added cost. I can’t tell you the number of camping trips I’ve been on, parties I’ve hosted, or picnics attended where someone needs to go get ice to refill the cooler. Yes, it is a big, somewhat-luxury investment, but our island lifestyle lives outdoors, and a good cooler will make it that much better.

Amazon.com Offers Home Services in Honolulu

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As a Realtor, I can definitely tell you the difficulties in finding quality contractors for home projects. For us, it’s a double-edged sword since the quality of the professionals can reflect on us. If a client is not happy with a person we’ve recommended, relationships can turn sour fast.

Amazon.com aims to fix that problem with verified home services, hiring professionals through their website. Whether you’re in need of a plumber to install a sink, or a handyman to assemble a bed, Amazon Home Services lists a wide-range of services available for hire. All their contractors are vetted and licensed, and they even go so far as to offer professionals whom they’ve hand-picked for the service.

Furthermore, they offer a “Happiness Guarantee” in case you are not satisfied with the service. Just file a claim, and Amazon will work as a middle man to make sure your job gets done correctly. This would be very helpful in the unfortunate event that a contractor damages your home or doesn’t finish the job. It sure beats chasing down people yourself!

Check out all the services they offer here on island. We all have our “go-to” guys, but it’s nice to know that there’s a place to go when you need something different.

Experts Still Say Year is Moving Strong! 💪

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Aloha Everyone, hope 2017 is moving along! It feels like the sun is finally starting to shine in Hawai‘i, and it’s a welcome respite after some torrential rains this Winter. On the Real Estate front, the market continues to have low inventory numbers, while median prices rise. Let’s take a look at some specifics and see what February looked like. [Read more…] about Experts Still Say Year is Moving Strong! 💪

Buyers: How to Make Open Houses a Little Less Awkward

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During the home shopping process, one of the biggest complaints I receive from Client is how awkward open houses can be. Between walking into someone’s house (and sometimes someone’s life), and helicopter-like hovering agents, it can be intimidating, awkward, and uncomfortable. Here is a quick tip that can make the process a little easier…

[section_title heading=”h1″ style=”1″ text_align=”center”]Take Cards with You (if Possible): [/section_title]
While the intent of an open house is to market the home, the Listing Agent is always on the lookout for potential clients. You’ll often hear questions like, “Do you have an agent?” or fill in a similar question on the sign-in sheet. These questions are meant to inquire if you already have an established relationship with another Agent, and signals whether the Listing Agent should pursue your business.

To mitigate this initial anxiety, ask your Agent for a few business cards to hand to the Listing Agents at Open House. This is a clear signal to the Listing Agent that you already have an agency relationship, and they should start telling you about the property. Plus, as a bonus, most Agents will not require you to sign-in if you give them an Agent’s business card!

If you don’t have an Agent already, then either prepare a good answer to the question or create a “Buyer Card.” An example of a good answer would be: “No, we’re just casually browsing right now and aren’t ready for Agent representation yet.” If they’re persistent, they may push further but most good Agents should understand your intentions and move on.

[section_title heading=”h1″ style=”1″ text_align=”center”]What is a Buyer Card?[/section_title]
Much like a business card, this is a simple card with all your relevant information. List pertinent details about yourself (at least name and email), and ways you would like the Agent can get in contact with you. Using the following template, you can quickly print multiple disposable Buyer Cards at home or one reusable one to carry around.

A Buyer card gives you a quick and easy way to give the information the Listing Agent needs, and avoid awkwardly filling out sign-in sheets.

Koa Ridge Development Updates

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Koa Ridge, the development to be located north of Ka Uka Boulevard (across Costco) in Waipio, has updated their website with tons of new information! No change to the 2019 release timeline, but it seems that they are moving forward after long court battles. Here are some of the highlights from the new site: [Read more…] about Koa Ridge Development Updates

Proof of Concept: Raspberry Pi FM Talking House

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Manoa has always had its fair-share of decorations during the holidays. From haunted houses on Halloween, to winter wonderlands during Christmas, I’ve always enjoyed the time and effort that people put into the holiday spirit.

This year, while trick-or-treating around Manoa with my nephew, I had an idea to create a “talking house” that could give prospective Buyers a quick breakdown of the house, without actually going inside. My idea was to create a small FM radio broadcaster, and when people drove by the house, they could tune their car radio and listen to a 30 sec clip of me, describing the home. My hope was that it could be an added value to my clients, and allow more exposure to their homes.


(Jump to 7:54 for the good stuff)

Luckily for me, I had begun to explore a mini-computer called the “Raspberry Pi.” Using that tiny computer, paired with some nerdy programming and software found online, I got a prototype working and broadcasted one of my brother’s songs to an emergency radio I wound up! It was kind of exciting, and proof that my initial idea could work!

Unfortunately, this is the part of the story where reality sets in. In refining my transmitter, I discovered heaps of warnings about FCC regulations on “pirate broadcasting.” The government is very concerned about radio interference and strictly governs the use of radio frequencies. This meant that, while an interesting concept, it would have to stay a concept for now.

That’s not to say all is lost, as it was a valuable learning experience and inspires me to explore new technologies and strategies. I learned a lot about the capabilities of this small computer, and have already begun working on future (legal-er) uses for the device!

Real Estate Agent, Realtor, Broker. What’s The Difference?

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Nerd Alert: If you’re interested in details, like I am, then you may be wondering what is the difference between Real Estate Agent, Realtor, and Broker. While commonly interchanged in conversation, they each serve different legal roles in the Real Estate field. Here’s a brief breakdown between the three…

Real Estate Agent

Real Estate Agents refer to the people who have been awarded a Real Estate license by the State. Rules vary by state, but in Hawaii, you’re required to take a State-administered exam, pay a licensing fee, and continue your education each year.

Realtor®

Going a step further, most Real Estate Agents join the National Association of Realtors and become “Realtors.” Members must adhere to a “Code of Ethics,” governing their practice and upholding industry standards.

Real Estate Broker

Brokers are Real Estate Agents that have taken their education further and passed additional State licensing exams. This allows them the legal ability to hire other Agents to work for them or work alone.

The Realtor® Difference

Will the Rooster Bring New Changes in 2017?! 🐓

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Aloha Everyone, and Gong Xi Fa Cai/Gong Hey Fat Choy!

The Year of the Rooster is here, and 2017 is off to a rocket start! Agents in the office are beginning to settle back into their normal routines after the closing of 801 South Building B, and all of us recover from the seemingly-endless supply of parties over the holidays. It’s shaping up to be an interesting year, both inside and outside of the real estate market, so let’s take a look at how 2017 started…

The biggest news for the month was the record-low inventory in the marketplace. The statistic that we use is to figure out the health of the inventory supply is”Months of Inventory,” or how long it would take to sell every home available. In January, that number dropped to 2.4 months, meaning that if no new listings came on the market, we would be completely sold out in by mid-April. That’s a super-low number, and unhealthy for a balanced market. As the inventory stays low, Buyers will continue to compete over the few good listings out there, and Sellers with good properties will continue to see multiple offers.

As for sales numbers, the number of condos and homes sold in January were up over last year’s numbers, while median prices rose and dropped for condos and homes, respectively. Median condo prices are up to $380,000, while homes dropped slightly to $730,000. Nothing dramatic to write home about, but I will keep watching both of those numbers as they’ve seemed to slow slightly in their annual growth (realtive to last year’s big growth).

The overall financial market is still adjusting with President Trump now sworn in. Mortgage prices have bounced up above 4%, and the fed continues to keep an eye on inflation. Overall, it looks like people are going to be more cautious, and a Rooster in the zodiac supports that (if you believe in that sort of thing 😀 ).

Anyway,if you haven’t heard it enough already…

Happy Chinese New Year! Hopefully you all ate good dim sum and will have long lives! If you need anything, you know where to find me!

ALOHA!
Nick