Tripler Army Medical Center on the island of Oahu in Hawaii will soon service civilian trauma patients in approximately the next 6 months.  Currently, Tripler Army Medical Center is only used to service Military and Department of Defense (DOD) employees.  The new plan will have Tripler Army Medical Center stabilize trauma patients from Waianae to Aiea until they can be transported to Queens Hospital in Honolulu.  This new service at Tripler Army Medical Center will be a great help after the closing of Hawaii Medical Center West in Ewa Beach in Dec 2011.

A lot of the doctors, nurses and support staff from Tripler have experience in combat from Iraq and Afghanistan and will be a great asset to serving the civilians on Oahu who require life or death emergency treatment.

The Kapolei United States Post Office and Barbers Point United States Post Office located on the old Barbers Point Naval Base are merging into one office.

A few months ago, the USPS announced that the Kapolei United States Post Office would close its doors.  It is located in leased space across the road from the Kapolei Library and Island Pacific Academy which is a private school in Kapolei.  The post office is located in an inconvenient building where there is not much street parking.  There is free parking in the garage underneath the post office but customers want convenience and don't want to deal with parking in an underground garage and having to walk back up to the post office.

The post office at Barbers Point Naval Base is a building that is owned by the United States Postal Service.  It is a small post office but they are adding a few more teller windows to serve clients and they are also adding room for relocating the Kapolei Post Office Boxes from the Kapolei branch.  The Barbers Point Post Office will have PO Boxes for Ewa Beach and Kapolei.

The Barbers Point Post Office is located veery close to the old Barbers Point Commissary which has reopened as Tamuras Market after the closing of the commissary.  The Post Office is also locatedd near the indoor race track, Podium Raceway.

You know that you can use funds from a Hawaii VA Loan to pay off consumer debt, student loans and/or credit cards.  It is not a secret but many Military Veteran Home Buyers in Hawaii don't know how to benefit from this and many Buyers Agents in Hawaii don't know how to write the specific terminology in the contract in order for you to benefit from this.

You can receive a credit from a Seller of a house in Hawaii or a credit from a developer of a new construction home in Hawaii and use it to pay off your credit cards or other consumer debt.   This can only be done with a Hawaii VA Loan and not other programs such as USDA and FHA Loans.  As an example, if you buy a $350,000 single family house in Hawaii and the Seller credits you $10,000, you can use some of that money to pay off credit cards and/or other consumer debt in conjunction with your Hawaii VA Loan and that is in addition to using the money to pay off your closing costs and prepaids.  Buyers that I have represented in the past have paid off car loans, student loans and credit cards in conjunction with the purchase of their homes in Hawaii.

Call or email me if you would like any more information.  To search the Hawaii MLS for  homesfor sale on Oahu, visit my homepage at www.davidkucic.com and click on the link to search for homes.  My website is linked directly into the Hawaii MLS and you will be able to see ALL properties for sale on Oahu.

The 2012 Military BAH Rates for Honolulu County are now published and approved.  For most ranks, the amount of Hawaii Housing Allowance decreased from the rates of 2011.  Here are the ranks, amount of increase (+) or decrease (-) and the difference between 2012 and 2011.

These rates apply to servicemembers stationed at Schofield Barracks, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe, Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Barbers Point, Tripler Army Medical Center, Camp H.M. Smith and Wheeler Army Airfield.

For more information on Military BAH rates in Hawaii, Oahu Real Estate and VA Loans in Hawaii, contact Hawaii Military Realty, Inc., your Hawaii Military Relocation Experts and members of the Hawaii Military Family.

E-1 , E-2, E-3 and E-4:  - $156  ($2016 down to $1860)
E-5:  - $141  ($2040 down to $1899)
E-6:  + $102 ($2385 up to $2487)
E-7:  + $57  ($2580 up to $2637)
E-8:  + $9  ($2793 up to $2802)
E-9:  - $36  ($3015 down to $2979)

O-1E:  + $45  ($2625 up to $2670)
O-2E:  - $12  ($2889 down to $2877)
O-3E:  - $48  ($3072 down to $3024)
O-1:  - $114  ($2079 down to $1965)
O-2:  + $96  ($2379 up to $2475)
O-3:  - $18  ($2916 down to $2898)
O-4:  - $78  ($3246 down to $3168)
O-5:  - $120  ($3477 down to $3357)
O-6:  - $123  ($3513 down to $3390)
O-7:  - $126  ($3549 down to $3423)

W1:  + $99  ($2391 up to $2490)
W2:  + $36  ($2667 up to $2703)
W3:  - $21  ($2928 down to $2907)
W4:  - $42  ($3048 down to $3006)
W5:  - $69  ($3192 down to $3123)

The Oahu, Hawaii annual real estate REALTOR awards, "Aloha Aina Awards" were presented at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki on Dec 9, 2011.  For the 3rd time in 4 years, David Kucic of Hawaii Military Realty, Inc. has been awarded this prestigious honor.  He also received it in 2008 and 2010.  Congratulations to all of the winners.

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Honolulu Board of REALTORS 1136 12th Avenue, Suite 200 Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 USA Phone: 808-732-3000 Fax: 808-732-8732 Email: hbradmin@hicentral.com 1995-2011 Honolulu Board of REALTORS®. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Note: Honolulu Board of REALTORS® receives inquiries seeking professional advice; however the Honolulu Board of REALTORS® staff is not qualified, nor licensed, by the state of Hawaii to properly address real estate or legal issues. For questions concerning these issues, consult with either the Hawaii Real Estate Commission, your Principal Broker, or an Attorney.

There is a new dog park in Ewa Beach, Hawaii thanks to Gentry Homes and the Ewa by Gentry Community Association.

The park is called "Hoalauna Park" and it is located on Keaunui Drive between Ft. Weaver Road and Iriquois Point Road.

At the current time, the park features the following:

1.  Two separate dog parks. One for small dogs and one for large dogs.

2.  Two sets of playground equipment for small children and for slightly older children. 

3.  "Par Course" equipment or exercise equipment.  You can do your sit ups, dips, pull ups and whatever else you can manage to dream up on the benches, bars and poles.

4.  Bathrooms with running water.

5.  Large, grassy field for soccer, football, baseball softball and more.

6.  Parking lot with handicapped parking.

Please use the park and help to take care of it.  Talk to your children and counsel them to not destroy or vandalize the park.  This park is owned by the Ewa by Gentry Community Association; not the City and County of Honolulu.  Whatever repairs and upkeep need to be made are coming out of the pockets of the Ewa by Gentry residents.

For more information about Hoalauna Park or real estate in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, contact your Ewa Beach experts at Hawaii Military Realty, Inc.

The new VA Loan limits in Hawaii for 2012 have been published.  These are the maximum loan amounts under the Hawaii VA Loan program.  You must take into consideration that these amounts also include the VA funding fee so your actual loan amount might be less than these published figures.

• Honolulu County which includes the island of Oahu  $695,750
• Hawaii County  $625,500
• Kalawao County $625,500
• Kauai County  $625,500
• Maui County  $625,500

For more information on purchasing real estate in Hawaii or for more information on VA Loans in Hawaii, contact me and I will be honored to help you.

David J. Kucic, REALTOR(R)
First Sergeant, USA (Retired)
Broker/Owner
Hawaii Military Realty, Inc.
Phone (808) 218-9338
Email: david@davidkucic.com

or visit me on the web at www.himre.com

Looking for a "great deal" on a bank owned condo in Waikiki?  This unit is located on the 34th floor of the Island Colony building on Seaside Ave in the heart of Waikiki and within walking distance to world famous beaches, shopping and plenty of restaurants.  Beautiful views of Waikiki, Diamond Head, Ala Wai Golf Course and the canal.

No need to wait on short sale approval with this one because it is a bank owned property and ready for you to contract NOW!

For your private showing, contact David Kucic at (808) 218-9338 or email to david@davidkucic.com

Condo/Townhouse
ML#: 1001793	Active		List: $124,900	FS - Fee Simple
TMK: 1-2-6-021-026-0541	Sub-Type: Condo	PR#: 1037
Bldg: Island Colony	Mstr: 500008
Addr: 445 Seaside Ave 3417
City: Honolulu	HI	Zip: 96815
Regn: Metro	Neighborhood: WAIKIKI
Inter Liv Ar: 305	New Dev/Const: No	Bedrms: 0
Open Lanai: 116	Yr Built: 1979	Baths: 1 / 0
Land SqFt: 49,823	Conversn Yr:	Land Acres: 1.083
Total Area: 421	Remod Yr:	Furnished: None
#Pk: 0	Fractional: No	Developer:	Mon Maint: $376
Stall#s: NA	Flood Zone: A	Model Open Days:
Floor: 34	Mon Rental Inc: $	Model Site Contact:	Mon Assn: $
Elevators:	Site Contact Ph#:	Other Mon Fees: $401
	Total Mon Fees: $777

Team Kucic is proud to announce another new listing.  This single family home is located in Ewa Beach, Hawaii in the Prescott subdivision of Ewa by Gentry.  Within walking distance to Foodland Grocery Store, Longs Drugs, Starbucks, Subway, Blockbuster and several other stores.  Located in the Holomua Elementary School district.

With many short sales in Ewa Beach, this non short sale property is ready to go under contract now!

Ewa by Gentry homes are approved for VA Loan Buyers in Hawaii so if you are a military veteran and relocating to Hawaii (Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Pearl Harbor, Hickam AFB, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe, Tripler Army Medical Center, Camp Smith or any other military base in Hawaii), you can use your VA Loan Eligibility to purchase this property.

For your private showing, contact David Kucic of RE/MAX Honolulu at (808) 218-9338.  Team Kucic operates out of the RE/MAX Honolulu's Kapolei office for your convenience on the West Side of the island.

To see additional photographs of this listing, visit us on the web at www.davidkucic.com

Single Family
ML#: 1001717	Active		List: $498,000	FS - Fee Simple
TMK: 1-9-1-103-051-0000
Addr: 911055 Kailike St
City: Ewa Beach	HI	Zip: 96706
Regn: Ewaplain	Neighborhood: EWA GEN PRESCOTT
Roofd Liv Ar: 1,530	New Dev/Const: No	Bedrms: 3
Roofd Oth Ar: 72	Yr Built: 2002	Baths: 2 / 1
Opn Lanai Ar:	Remod Yr:	Furnished:
Garage SF: 456		Mon Maint Fees: $
Land SF: 4,125	Fractional: No	Mon Assn Fees: $35
Acres: 0.095	Flood: D	Other Mon Fees: $
Zoning: 05 - R-5 Residential District	Mon Rental Inc: $	Total Mon Fees: $35

CNN Money is reporting that FORECLOSURES ARE ON THE RISE IN HONOLULU.  While I agree that foreclosure filings are on the rise, I think that the actual number of homes that actually make it into foreclosure are much less than the amount of filings.

Home owners are doing either a modification of their mortgage, selling their home as a Hawaii Short Sale or opting for a deed in lieu of foreclosure.

For more information on Hawaii Real Estate and Hawaii Short Sales, visit us on the web at www.davidkucic.com