With Thanksgiving finished, and the Christmas season officially here, we are in full swing for the holidays! For those who are at any stage of the home buying process, the holidays present a unique set of challenges to the real estate market. Here are 5 tips to help you survive the holidays and put yourself in the best situation to succeed! [Read more…] about 5 Tips for Holiday Home Buyers
Real Estate
How The Federal Funds Rate Affects Mortgages
The question I get asked most often, whether I’m having a beer or sitting at an open house, is “do you think they’re going to raise rates anytime soon?” Of course most of them are talking about mortgage interest rates, trying to predict the future and get the best possible rate for their loan. But, I also wonder if it’s such a topic of interest because of confusion between the federal interest rate heard in the news and the mortgage rates you and I borrow money on? I’m here today to clear up the confusion, and explain the difference between the two.
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New Listing: 544 N. Judd St.
Located in Upper-Liliha/Lower-Nuuanu, my new listing at 544 N. Judd Street is a 4-bedroom/3-bath house on a 6,000 square-foot piece of flat land.
Walkabout: Southern Oceanside
Today’s walkabout took me to the south side of O’ahu and out towards Hawaii Kai! After a marathon month of preparing for my brother’s wedding, I decided to treat myself to something nice and go see some luxury properties! Here’s a quick rundown of some of the things I saw… [Read more…] about Walkabout: Southern Oceanside
How Much Will You Need To Retire?
The good folks over at SmartAsset have recently posted interesting infographics regarding the most & least expensive cities to retire in. Not surprisingly, high-end metropolis’ dominate the expensive list, while more urban cities dominate the least expensive list. Where does Honolulu rank? [Read more…] about How Much Will You Need To Retire?
Old Homes vs. Development
It’s the age-old argument: preservation or development? Is “sustainable development” possible on an island, with limited space? I came face-to-face with that problem once again, as I toured yet another historic Honolulu home destined for development. [Read more…] about Old Homes vs. Development
What if you had an Agent for all of life’s choices?
It’s frustrating when people call me a salesman, because the connotation that emerges is usually negative. “Swindler,” “crafty,” “sneaky,” “selfish;” these terms synonymous with salespeople, especially those who call at 6:00 pm to sell you the latest insurance over the phone. And while Realtors are not salespeople, I wondered why salesman is associated like this. Why do we all put up barriers and feel this way when we walk onto a car lot or shop for appliances? [Read more…] about What if you had an Agent for all of life’s choices?
How Much Does “Town” Affect the Market? – July 2015 Market Update
As is the standard for summer months, July saw another strong residential market. For today’s analysis, I take a look at the numbers overall for the island of O’ahu and answer the age-old question of “how much does being ‘in town’ matter for inventory?” [Read more…] about How Much Does “Town” Affect the Market? – July 2015 Market Update