I have been a fan of dancing from the age of 19 when I finally worked up enough nerve to ask a girl to dance.  She said yes, much to my suprise, and the rest is history.  I danced my way through my time in the Navy and then my way through the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  I also worked at a wonderful restaurant and nightclub called Bobby McGee's in Waikiki which only fueled my love for dancing.

Well, that was the 80's and well over 100 pounds ago.  I just happened to watch a movie called "Can We Dance" with Shayanne and Vanessa Williams.  It was really great!  It inspired me to look for a place to get off my butt and jump back into Salsa again.  I found a dance school run by Greg "The Salsaman" Henry.  OK, I've been to one class, but I can see that Greg's students really enjoy his classes.  I bought Ten classes for $80.00 and will be attending every Tuesday and Thursday.  I am so excited to get dancing again I can't even put it into words.

If you would like to Salsa your way back into shape, love dance or would like to try Salsa, please call Greg at (808) 256-7556.  He is very good about returning calls.

I hope to see YOU in class very soon!

Cheers-Mike

Click here to search for homes to dance in!

$2,700,000 FS Manoa Valley Area, 4 Beds, 2.5 Baths, 4132 Interior Footage, Kyoto Inspired Home,

Area Price Range $650,000 to $6,900,000

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Uniquely designed home melding Japan and Honolulu together into one, Secluded, Private, Elegant with touches of Kyoto. Maximizing Split Level Design offers unlimited possibilities. This home was built and designed by a Contractor who is Artistic and Creative. Views of Mountains, it's Peaceful and Relaxing. Lots of extras: 24 panels of PV, Reflection Pool, Koa Flooring, 600sf Master wood working Workshop, 600sf Gym, Fireplace and much, much more.

Click here for full information

Search all listings in and around Manoa Valley

Some of the active listings appearing on this communication may be listed by other REALTORS®. If you are interested in those active listings, our company may represent you as the buyer's agent. This listing is courtesy of Prudential Locations LLC, Malia Siu. If the active listing you are interested in is our company's active listing, you may speak to one of our agents regarding your options for representation Click to search other options at http://www.BuyorSellinHawaii.com/search

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Talk to me about how you can find the Hawaii home of your dreams

Mike Ramsey Fujita RA SFR (808) 630-1828

http://GreatHawaiianHomes.com

 

DHHL (Department of Hawaiian Homelands) properties are for Hawaiians with at least 50% Hawaiian in them that is traceable through their genealogy.  An applicant to live in a DHHL Home or on DHHL Land must submit an application to the DHHL, along with proof of heritage and then be approved.  Once this is done you go on a waiting list.  This is a very simple explanation regarding this matter for a process that can take a lifetime to actually get a home.  In the past, parents have left their place in line to their children upon their passing. 

 

The website to go to for more information is http://www.hawaiianhomelands.org/applications/commonly-asked-questions-by-new-applicants/ this link will take you to the page FAQ (frequently asked question) page for applicants.  If this doesn’t help you go to http://www.hawaiianhomelands.org/applications/applying-for-hawaiian-home-lands/ hopefully this page will help as well. 

 

Why blog about this?  Well a client called yesterday with questions regarding refinancing and possibly taking advantage of the low interest rates and consolidating his debt.  Unfortunately, he spoke to some person at HomeStreet Bank and they told him that because he owns a DHHL home there was no such thing as equity and he couldn’t.  Something didn’t sound right to him so he called and inquired if we knew anything about this. 

 

Of course we didn’t but we spent the day trying to find out the answers for him and took it as an opportunity to learn ourselves about DHHL homes.  Here’s what we found out thanks to Tom Carmichael, http://tcarmichael-affinitylendinglo.mortgagewebcenter.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1 , at HomeStreet Bank. 

 

You can refinance “refi” your home if it is a DHHL home.  You can take equity out if there is any and you meet the loan to value and income to debt ratios. 

 

First off, if you are just going to refi in order to take advantage of the lower interest rates then you won’t need an appraisal and they can process your request.  If you qualify they will complete the refi for you and hopefully your monthly mortgage payment will go down or you can pay if off sooner.  

 

Secondly, if you want to take equity out then the process is a bit more complicated.  First an appraisal will need to be ordered and it is not completed using the Market Value assessment but with Cost Approach.  This is a little different and really only an appraiser can do this for you.  Once completed, some math will need to occur.  DHHL requires that 25% equity remains in your home.  This means that if the appraisal comes in at $200,000 then $50,000 of equity needs to remain debt free.  The difference is $150,000.  If your current mortgage balance is $100,000 then you would have about $50,000 to take out to pay off debts, etc…  However, if you current mortgage balance is $150,000 then you have no access to equity to take out. 

 

Say you fall into scenario one where you have access to $50,000 then you need to make sure your income to debt ratio allows you to qualify for the refi.  Something unique to DHHL properties is that even though your intention is to pay off your debt with the funds taken out they still require the lender to use the monthly debt in the income to debt ratio.  So this is a hurdle you will need to overcome. 

 

From what I learned only the big banks do DHHL loans… not sure if this is true since I didn’t call all of them.  Central Pacific used to do them and no longer does.  Bank of Hawaii, First Hawaiian Bank might.  So far only HomeStreet seemed to have the best insight; however, call Tom since whoever my client spoke to earlier didn’t seem to know much and gave out wrong information. 

 

It is well known that the Real Estate fallout of 2008 did not impact Honolulu as hard as most of the United States.  There are many reasons for that.  Many of the areas of Oahu that did see a fall in value has experienced a recovery of value.  We know this because we track home prices.  We are not talking about Assessed Value, we are talking about Market Value and this is established by the prices that Sellers and Buyers agree upon in real hard dollars.

Over the years, interest rates have fallen to the lowest rates many of us have ever seen.  Home prices are also near their lows, even with the recovery that has taken place.  They are still far off their "Real Estate Boom Highs", but when combined with today's low interest rates, many home buyers are really getting their money's worth!

There are easily a couple of thousand properties for sale on Oahu, as of this writting.  They range in price from a couple of hundred thousand dollars to we over $32,000,000.  There are also well over 200 homes priced over $1,500,000.  These are real homes.  Many of them can be considered Estates complete with the electric gates and uncompromising quality and some are more of a simple Island Style with a View that will make you melt and think "I could live here". 

My partner and I would love to share these homes with you.  If you would like to see them, please call Gayle to set up a showing appointment at (808) 388-1485.  Let her know the areas and price range you are interested in.  You may also call me (Mike) directly at (808) 630-1828 anytime.

Happy House Hunting!

The PGA’s Sony Open in Hawaii is played at the Waialae Country Club on Oahu’s South Shore in the Kahala Area.  This year the event actually began on January 9^th but play started today under partly cloudy skies and cool Hawaiian breeze.  The Sony Open brings nearly $25,000,000 in revenue to the State and tons of television coverage, much of which is like a Postcard Video.  No doubt, people will want to come to Honolulu to golf after watching some of the play.

The Kahala Area of Oahu is one of the most prestigious areas to live in the State of Hawaii.  Homes range from pre 1960 Hawaiian Style Houses to Modern Classic Villas.  You can find everything in between as well.  Prices range from just under $1,200,000 for a well maintained contemporary home to $16,950,000 Contemporary Beach Front on Kahala Avenue with panoramic ocean views from East to West, designed for entertaining with a covered oceanfront lanai.

 

If you would like to call Kahala home,

we invite you to view all of the homes available today HERE.

We are Mike Ramsey Fujita RA SFR and Gayle Fujita Ramsey RA SFR with Hawaii Real Estate Online.  Please call upon us if you would like a personal tour of these wonderful homes.

 

It looks like the year saw a 10% decrease in closed transactions for all properties; 14.1% for Single Family and 6.5% for condos.

What does this mean? Well it could mean that there was less inventory for 2011, less Buyers in the market, Buyers sitting on the fence waiting to see what happens next, or that well things were just a little slow.

The good news is that single family median prices increased from November 2011 and December 2010. Condos on the other hand decreased in November 2011 and December 2010.

Days on Market "DOM"for December 2011 increased for Condos to 42 days vs. 43 in 2010 and for Single Family Homes it decreased by 3 days, in 2010 it was 38 days and in 2011 it was 35 days.

For the yearly DOM though for Single Family Homes increased by a day and Condos from 34 days to 41.

It appears that homes sold for 93.2 % to 94.6% of the list price for the year of 2011.

If you would like a copy of the report email Gayle and she will send it to you in its entirety. You can Reach Gayle at gfujita@hawaii.rr.com.

This is the perfect market for Buyers. Why are you still sitting on the fence watching opportunities pass you by? Are you waiting for someone to push? Are you waiting for interest rates to increase? Are you waiting for home values to increase? If you are, the market is going to eventually price you out of the market.

Is the unknown scary? Not sure which direction to turn and what steps to take? Guess what… we know the answers to these questions and we can get you moving in the right direction.

 Afraid to ask questions in fear of sounding stupid?...Don’t be. Mike and I enjoy educating buyers and helping them find their way into home ownership. It is extremely rewarding to assist in the process of owning a home versus renting a home.

Not sure where you stand in the process? Well we can help you figure this out. You may be in a position to make the move soon or maybe you’re not. Either way we can set you up with professionals who will guide you throughout the process.

Don’t sit on the fence any longer; find out where you stand in the process. The only wrong move is to put it off and later wish you had checked out buy a home now. Learn more at http://greathawaiianhomes.com/ or take a peek at real estate in Hawaii that is currently for sale http://www.buyorsellinhawaii.com/ . Or better yet call us, Mike Fujita Ramsey RA SFR 808.630.1828 or Gayle Ramsey Fujita RA SFR 808.388.1485.  We are a 2011 Aloha Aina Award Nominee 

Bank Owned Properties and Bank Owned Homes on Oahu seem to be dropping in numbers. There was a period that one Short Sale in a neighborhood would drastically reduce the value of the nearby homes because of it's reduced sale amount. For a period, many homes that came on the market used the sale price of the last Short Sale property that closed to help set their List Price. What this meant to buyers was, for the most part, Short Sales were not representing the big value they once did.

As the Island's Real Estate Market has settled down, we are seeing values on the rise again. With the lower amount of Bank Owned Properties or "REOs" on the market, we are seeing more of a gap between the sold price of near by Short Sale and REO homes and homes that were a conventional sale. This can be good news to buyers of Bank Owned Properties and Bank Owned Homes.

It is still a little like the Wild Wild West for buyers of Bank Owned Homes because there is very little negotiating with the banks. They approve their price that they will sell it for and it pretty much takes an act of the All Mighty to get them to lower it for a buyer that had written the approved offer.

The really great news for buyers of these Bank Owned Homes is that there are still some, not all, very good deals to be had by buying one and dealing with all of the..."Stuff"...the bank throws at you.

Gayle and I are Short Sale and REO experts. We know what the banks will expect and will give up in one of these transactions. That means we can get YOU into one of these homes with as little stress to you as possible. You will know what to expect as we move through the transaction.

Here is a list of REO and Short Sale Links for all around Oahu. They will take you to our Real Time Property Search that has been preset for you. Happy House Hunting!

Hawaii Kai to Mililani (Honolulu)

Ewa Beach, Kapolei and Makakilo

The West Side (Waianae, Nanakuli, Maile)

Windward to The North Shore and Central Oahu (Waimanalo, Kailua, Kaneohe to Waialua)

Bank Owned Properties and Bank Owned Homes on Oahu seem to be dropping in numbers. There was a period that one Short Sale in a neighborhood would drastically reduce the value of the nearby homes because of it's reduced sale amount. For a period, many homes that came on the market used the sale price of the last Short Sale property that closed to help set their List Price. What this meant to buyers was, for the most part, Short Sales were not representing the big value they once did.

As the Island's Real Estate Market has settled down, we are seeing values on the rise again. With the lower amount of Bank Owned Properties or "REOs" on the market, we are seeing more of a gap between the sold price of near by Short Sale and REO homes and homes that were a conventional sale. This can be good news to buyers of Bank Owned Properties and Bank Owned Homes.

It is still a little like the Wild Wild West for buyers of Bank Owned Homes because there is very little negotiating with the banks. They approve their price that they will sell it for and it pretty much takes an act of the All Mighty to get them to lower it for a buyer that had written the approved offer.

The really great news for buyers of these Bank Owned Homes is that there are still some, not all, very good deals to be had by buying one and dealing with all of the..."Stuff"...the bank throws at you.

Gayle and I are Short Sale and REO experts. We know what the banks will expect and will give up in one of these transactions. That means we can get YOU into one of these homes with as little stress to you as possible. You will know what to expect as we move through the transaction.

Here is a list of REO and Short Sale Links for all around Oahu. They will take you to our Real Time Property Search that has been preset for you. Happy House Hunting!

Hawaii Kai to Mililani (Honolulu)

Ewa Beach, Kapolei and Makakilo

The West Side (Waianae, Nanakuli, Maile)

Windward to The North Shore and Central Oahu (Waimanalo, Kailua, Kaneohe to Waialua)

Bank Owned Properties and Bank Owned Homes on Oahu seem to be dropping in numbers. There was a period that one Short Sale in a neighborhood would drastically reduce the value of the nearby homes because of it's reduced sale amount. For a period, many homes that came on the market used the sale price of the last Short Sale property that closed to help set their List Price. What this meant to buyers was, for the most part, Short Sales were not representing the big value they once did.

As the Island's Real Estate Market has settled down, we are seeing values on the rise again. With the lower amount of Bank Owned Properties or "REOs" on the market, we are seeing more of a gap between the sold price of near by Short Sale and REO homes and homes that were a conventional sale. This can be good news to buyers of Bank Owned Properties and Bank Owned Homes.

It is still a little like the Wild Wild West for buyers of Bank Owned Homes because there is very little negotiating with the banks. They approve their price that they will sell it for and it pretty much takes an act of the All Mighty to get them to lower it for a buyer that had written the approved offer.

The really great news for buyers of these Bank Owned Homes is that there are still some, not all, very good deals to be had by buying one and dealing with all of the..."Stuff"...the bank throws at you.

Gayle and I are Short Sale and REO experts. We know what the banks will expect and will give up in one of these transactions. That means we can get YOU into one of these homes with as little stress to you as possible. You will know what to expect as we move through the transaction.

Here is a list of REO and Short Sale Links for all around Oahu. They will take you to our Real Time Property Search that has been preset for you. Happy House Hunting!

Hawaii Kai to Mililani (Honolulu)

Ewa Beach, Kapolei and Makakilo

The West Side (Waianae, Nanakuli, Maile)

Windward to The North Shore and Central Oahu (Waimanalo, Kailua, Kaneohe to Waialua)