My Outside Blog....WooHooo! - 06/30/08 04:28 PM

 
Okay...now that Jeremy Blanton wrote: How to Set Up Domain for Outside AR Blog I was able to follow the step by step instructions and set up my outside blog with all my public posts that I've written on ActiveRain.
It's just so time consuming to have MANY other outside blogs and then try and write different articles to each. I have great Google Juice from ActiveRain alone but it's nice to have my own domain name with all the hard work and effort that I put into writing my posts here.
The main thing I will use this for … (57 comments)

Hawaii Home Buyers and Answers to Your Questions - 06/29/08 01:28 PM



A Realtor® has eyes and ears open. Listening to a clients needs (or even wants) IS the most important part of my business. For instance, let's take the First Time Hawaii Home Buyer. As an example I'll use the First Time Hawaii Home Buyer who just Relocated to Hawaii and has no clue what the Hawaii Housing Market is like. It's a stressful and sometimes really scarey process for them and it is imperative that I keep a level head so I can be there for them and walk them through the whole process and relieve some of that … (42 comments)

Hawaii Real Estate and Housing Market Still Shifting? - 06/28/08 02:01 PM



My belief is that ALL housing markets differ and the circumstances are going to depend on the housing markets in each of the states &  local cities; and right down to each neighborhood which will show a significant difference in number of sales and of course the sales prices too.
I also believe that it is up to everyone in the Real Estate Industry to keep the market moving. With our professional attitudes shining through in all communication and contact with our clients and peers and being thorough in our process through each and every transaction are just a few points to … (16 comments)

WooHoo! Appreciation Gifts For Special Clients! - 06/27/08 03:19 PM

 
I certainly am not the most creative person when it comes to making a gift basket for a client but I do try. It just seems to make the gift more ...personal to receive something that required some level of ....thought?
I started making this basket a week ago trying to figure out what I can put it in that my clients would appreciate.
After looking at their current home I noticed that they didn't have a bunch of matched up bathroom items.  I started my project of buying items here and there for their NEW bathroom that I could … (39 comments)

It's the Quality of Relationships That THIS Professional is Worth - 06/26/08 11:55 AM

The most rewarding feeling is a repeat client who comes back for not twice ...but three times. This is the story:
This is one of the few most faithful, loyal and valued clients I've had. Why? Because my business is based on the quality of relationships I have with my clients. I'm not a dead door mat and I don't have a bunch of "lines".
Just straightforward talk ...no bones about it. This is what it is and this is what you have to look forward to. This gentleman and his wife bought, sold and now bought again through me.
He has … (40 comments)

GET Permission to Use Pictures, Video & Testimonials of Clients - 06/22/08 10:57 PM
So, you want to use your clients pictures, videos and their "testimonial?  How about the picture of your Hawaii Home Buyer standing in front of the home that just recorded?
How about a video testimonial of the Hawaii Home Seller saying what a great Realtor® you are? How about just having fun with your clients?
MAKE SURE you get a signed statement allowing you to use their pictures, videos and testimonials for any blogging, advertising and marketing.
While explaining how blogging is a great way to tell the stories "with a little bit of me in it" or how am involved on many Real Estate forums … (47 comments)

This Realtors® Perspective: Hawaii Military & the VA Loan - 06/20/08 11:43 PM
Honolulu County IS of the whole island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. With 50+ Hawaii Military Bases and Installations on our island alone, you can guaranty that the VA Guaranteed Loan is the way to go for the Hawaii Military Veteran purchasing their piece of Hawaii and paradise with a place they can call home.
(picture to left is the model of the USS Arizona Memorial depicting the ship under water and the memorial above at Pearl Harbor Hawaii)
Remember, VA Guarantees a percentage of the loan and you still have to go through a Lender that actually does do VA … (28 comments)

The Roadrunner Guy.....and "Shift" Happens - 06/20/08 11:23 PM
Scenario - Day 1:  I woke up yesterday morning and do the same routine like any other morning. Use the bathroom, brush my teek and take a shower. Ah...the aroma of fresh brewed coffee! I scurry about getting ready and of course remembering to make the bed before I prance out to my desk. Coffee already made and sitting on my desk, my computer is already up and running and I click on Outlook and take a sip. Ummmmm.  Wonderful! 
Until......... ERROR! Outlook can't detect...email server.
Frantic, I click on my internet and .....NOTHING. ERROR!
I drag out our Mac laptop and manage … (14 comments)

Panoramic Pictures or Distorted Fakes? - 06/18/08 03:10 PM
While making showing appointments this morning for my clients I started looking at all the listings my clients chose from their 'personal web page' that I set up through our MLS system. I looked at the profile page photo and then clicked to look at more pictures.
MANY of the listings had panoramic views of yards that looked ten times bigger than the sq./ft one would presume would have been smaller looking.  Especially with only 3,000 sq. ft. of land with a 1200 sq/ft home sitting on it.

 
This is a "panoramic view" (stitching three pictures together) of a current listing of mine. It looks distorted and gives the … (47 comments)

GAME...ON!!! - 06/18/08 12:44 AM
While commenting on other members posts this evening my husband is behind me on his PC playing ShadowRun. What a Gamer. Shoot 'em up and knock em dead!  Bang! Pow! KaBoom!  Rat a Tat Tat! And then it switches to another level or something and the voice says, "GAME ON"!
Right then and there an idea for a post came to mind!
MANY of us have written about the importance of writing for our niche market. The Consumer. The Public. The Real Estate Industry Readers. The Peers.....and hoping we make some kind of connection with all.
We're not talking ads....we're talking REAL … (44 comments)

The BEST THINGS to Do While Visiting the Hawaiian Islands!! - 06/17/08 01:07 PM
ALOHA! Welcome to Our World..... A PARADISE awaits you!
Seems like everyone wants to visit Honolulu, Hawaii at one point in their life. Why? Ahhhhh...the tropical breezes in balmy weather looking up at sunny blue skies in a land of paradise. Typically, the imagery in a ones mind who has not ever stepped foot on our fine grains of sand splattered on beaches lining the edges of our islands is one of a continuous 'ancient era'.
Running barefoot on the beaches where my grass shack residence surely lay, I have endless days of sipping Mai Tai drinks with the little umbrellas poked … (59 comments)

Roll With the Changes! Marketing & Advertising for Business & Balance - 06/16/08 11:04 AM
Marketing for my business has to match with the amount of business I desire & the budget I have for that amount of business. It took careful planning and strategy to get this going after years of doing not much but floor time and relying on referrals.
Strategic Planning for the Balanced Realtor® is the book I'm writing about how to enjoy your  get a life and also have a successful career and business too.  Okay, I'm not really writing a book but I might as well after all the blogging about balance I've done :)
On top of everything else, blogging became my first and foremost marketing tool … (54 comments)

Kaiser Permanente Clinics.....and Farmer's Markets??? - 06/15/08 05:32 PM

 
Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers and Clinics are located in Honolulu, Moanalua and most recently in Waipio Gentry.
About a month ago our family transferred over to the Kaiser Plan and we picked the Waipio Clinic to be our home of record as it is just blocks from home.
I wanted to just let you all know that during my first visit with my doctor I was pleased with the technology they have upgraded to since I was last with them in 2003.
The doctor went through all my history within the first hour of that first meeting.  All tests, referrals and specialist appointments … (9 comments)

Beckoning to Enter: The Journey of LIFE - 06/15/08 12:16 AM

 

Tall statuesque Palm trees line the driveway; suggestive of grace, dignity and ever so stately.
Basking in the sun and swaying with the light tradewinds they adorn the forefront of the sky as if a picture awaiting a frame.
Shading my eyes from the sun I peer upwards..upwards.... to be amazed at the height of these guards of the driveway standing at attention.
I wonder how small I must have seemed to them...if they only had eyes.
Beckoning me to enter, I slowly walk towards the entrance of this vast property. I am sure that they are still watching me long and hard as I pass … (27 comments)

Would You Have Turned "IT" Down? - 06/12/08 07:34 PM
After receiving a call for a possible listing I gathered all that was needed for my listing appointment. With my Seller's Presentation Booklet (now so full I fear I will have to move on to a bigger portfolio or weed out unnecessary documents), the listing agreement and profile sheet typed out, the Seller's Real Property Disclosure form ready, the tax records, building permit from the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting site showing that an addition and alteration was done...but no detailed info, tax payments and so forth. Quite a bit of info and documents that I managed to get together … (71 comments)

POSITIVE Group ONE YEAR Birthday CONTEST: Your Most Positive Experience (UPDATE) - 06/12/08 11:10 AM
The POSITIVE ATTITUDE FOR THE WEARY SOUL group (PAWS) was founded almost One Year ago on June 18, 2007. In just a few short days we will be celebrating our ONE YEAR Birthday and I am so proud of all of you 1229 members who have contributed 7,180 posts at the time of this writing.
The introduction to the PAWS group is this:
For the NEW OR OLD MEMBER: Lift up your weary souls & Look at your cup half full instead of half empty! This is surely a place for members to come when their souls get weary and you … (59 comments)

Waikele Real Estate | Waikele Housing Market (Video & Pictures) - 06/10/08 01:22 PM
It's kind of hard to get a clear video while driving along (and driving) in a neighborhood....unless someone else is driving. Then again, you get a side view of the neighborhood if someone else is driving and you're the passenger. Maybe I just need to get a car with a sun roof so I can stand up and take a video. Then again, I think that's illegal.
Click It Or Ticket!  The Honolulu Police Department commercials scream....stressing that everyone needs to be buckled in the car for their safety or else you get a hefty ticket.
So....Baby You Can Drive My Car is the … (23 comments)

Ewa Gentry- Market and Area Report - Honolulu County Hawaii - 06/07/08 12:09 PM

 
The Ewa (pronounced with a short e and va) area on the island of Oahu was a highly populated in the late 1800's and early 1900's because of the sugar cane industry.
The 'Ewa Mill" was the main center for employment and they also set up residential villages but has long since closed.
 The Ewa Gentry Community is located on the Southeastern shore of the Island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and right before old Ewa Beach town. Developers have been building homes in the Ewa Gentry area since the 1990's and they are still building to this day.

 With a high … (14 comments)

A Sunset for Remembering - 06/06/08 03:32 PM

 
 
 
 
Picturesque is the scene; falling into a trance,
Reminiscing on memories that are fading in the back of my mind.

 
 

 
 
Struggling to hold on to a vivid image; reminding me
Cherishing the memories; to remember and hold dear
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
Beauty just a step away; the sunset at dusk
Of peace, tranquility and silence
And all that is....my father.
 
 
 
 
 
Dedicated to my father:   October 10, 1929 to February 25, 2004
 
* It's just getting close to Father's Day and started thinking … (43 comments)

Are WE Flawless? Or Humanly Flawed? - 06/05/08 04:15 PM
A Realtor® who follows through from beginning to end and dotting all their i's and crossing all their t's surely are the ones who are considered ....flawless?
Uh, we are human and no matter how much we go over details we are bound to make mistakes. Now, this is a far cry from scooting around and doing the minimal a Realtor® is required to do or cutting corners and omitting certain information that could possibly bit us in the behind later. I'm talking about making a humanly human mistake versus making a costly mistake we're aware of.
Last night we watched … (29 comments)

Camera's & Video: Emergencies & Pleasure - 06/05/08 01:36 PM
I love my Flip Video! I love my Kodak  v705!  In case of emergencies....it sure comes in handy! Long story short....have your camera and video handy for all emergencies as well as for blogging eye appealing pictures.
Here's the Kodak...a beautiful day. A shot taken from Pupukea Road down to Shark's Cove on the North Shore of Oahu.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And here's the Video from May 28 when the water came through my ceiling from the above unit. Watch until the end....My Flip Video caught the water drops....dripping.
 



… (25 comments)

A Hawaii Code of Ethics for TENANTS? - 06/03/08 02:00 PM
Century 21 Liberty Homes is known for not just our outstanding agents in the Mililani area but for it's Property Management of over 100 rental units (single family, townhouses, condos).  I am a Realtor -Associate® with Century 21 Liberty Homes and I also work in our office part time as support for our agents, property management and administration section.
I have seen the worst of the worst as far as the devastation a tenant can cause and leave behind so I thought that a Code of Ethics would be great not just for Buyers and Sellers but for TENANTS too.
At the very least … (24 comments)

From Past...to Present to Future....WE SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT - 06/03/08 12:32 AM

Back in November of 2007 I wrote about my meeting with Kathy McGraw  and it was called "Traveling the Road of Aloha....The ActiveRain MEETING with Peers"
She came to Hawaii with her daughter and five grandchildren, we spent time on the North Shore and sightseeing and well....we just clicked.
Since then we have kept in contact as if the friendship transpired many years ago and something to continue cherishing.
There are always instances when two paths cross...never to meet again. This is not one of those times.
There are times when people come into our life for a reason. This is … (40 comments)

One Is the Loneliest Number - 06/01/08 02:09 PM


This ActiveRain blogger arises each day and repeats the same routine EVERY morning since March of 2007. She gets up and showers and gets ready to start the day. Bright eyed, bushy tailed and energized she trots to her desk.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee is in the air. Ah, her husband has already made the coffee and has her pc up and ready to go. She logs in and takes her first sip of coffee and checks her email. Nope...the automatic emails from ActiveRain are still not on....but hey, she's thinking about turning it off anyway.
She focuses … (65 comments)

 
Celeste Ambassador_large

Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman RA CRS HAWAII Mililani Oahu Real Estate

Mililani, HI

More about me…

Century 21 Liberty Homes

Address: 95-221 Kipapa Drive Ste. E-3, Mililani, HI, 96789

Office Phone: (808) 625-1776

Cell Phone: (808) 375-1404

Email Me

Reading my blog will give you the human side of this Real Estate Industry Professional as well as allowing you to walk beside me through my writing about Hawaii Real Estate & our Local Area. As a resident of Honolulu County Hawaii for 42 years you will get a tour of a lifetime. Specializing in Hawaii Relocation Military VA Home Buyers you can be rest assured you will be in good hands. I LISTEN to YOUR needs and give you sound advice. Hawaii Relocations, Hawaii Military Relocations, Mililani Hawaii Real Estate, Living in Hawaii, Army Navy Air Force Marines in Hawaii. Read more at www.cheesemanhomes.com


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