1SG (Ret) David and Tonya Kucic

Don't Hate Your House

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:46:43 -0600

Even though you may have purchased your home when the values were higher, don't let the declining prices cause you to hate your house. You bought it for a reason whether it was for retirement, a place to raise your family, an investment or a vacation home.

In our lives, we have all had the feeling that maybe we overpaid for something or another. Maybe it was a new car. You bought it and then a few months later, you see that the dealer is now offering a rebate or a lower interest rate. That didn't cause you to hate your car and stop taking care of it did it? Well then don't do that to your home.

If you bought your house as a place to retire or raise your family, continue to enjoy it and take care of it. Live your life without worrying about what the value of your house is. Dont get upset and start hating your house just because a similar one down the street sells for 100k less than what you paid for yours. You can't control the value of your home because it's the "other houses" in your neighborhood that determine what the value of "your house" is. Just live with it and stay positive.

Of course, the better you maintain your home, make improvements, keep up on maintenance etc... the better chance you have of being on the higher side of "range of value" for your home.

I understand that if you are someone that will need to sell either because you bought it for an investment or vacation home and now need to liquidate your asset or the current economy has cause you to lose your job or possibly have to relocate. In those cases, of course you need to be concerned with the value of your home.

This writing is geared towards those home owners that are able to stay in their homes and plan on being there for a while.

Keep your head held high as you continue to take care of your home and insure that it always has that great curb appeal, pride of ownership and comfortable feeling that you bought it for.

Aloha and Happy Holidays!

Ewa Beach and Mililani Area Short Sales and Lender Sales

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:25:01 -0600

The Mililani and Ewa Beach areas of Oahu, Hawaii have their fair share of Short Sales and Lender Sales.

EWA BEACH, KAPOLEI AND KOOLINA TOWNHOMES AND CONDOMINIUMS

As of Nov 27, 2009, there are 92 townhomes/condominiums for sale in Ewa Beach and Kapolei, Hawaii. This includes the Koolina Resort area as well. Of those 92 active townhomes and condomiums for sale, approximately 55 of them are short sales or lender sales or almost 60%.

EWA BEACH, KAPOLEI AND KOOLINA SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Also in Ewa Beach, Hawaii and Kapolei, Hawaii, there are currently 141 single family homes for sale. Of those 141 homes for sale, 61 of them are short sales or lender sales or just over 43%.

MILILANI AND WAIPAHU TOWNHOMES AND CONDOMIUMS

Of the 131 townhomes and condominiums for sale in the Mililani and Waipahu neighborhoods of Oahu, Hawaii, 45 of those properties are short sales or lender sales or just over 34%.

MILILANI AND WAIPAHU SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

In the Mililani and Waipahu neighborhoods, there are currently 120 single family, active listings for sale. Of those 120, there are 24 that are short sales or lender sales or 20%.

These figures were taken from the Honolulu Board of Realtors website that we, as Hawaii Real Estate Agents use to input our listings into the Hawaii MLS. There is no doubt some human error involved. I see some listings that describe the property as a "short sale" in the remarks area but when I look at the "Sale Conditions", it doesn't say anything about it being a short sale.

If you need assistance with Selling or Purchasing a Short Sale or Distressed Property in Hawaii, contact a "Certified Distressed Property Expert" or CDPE.

David Kucic, RA, CDPE, CRS, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, AHWE
Tonya Kucic, RA, CDPE, ABR, AHWD
RE/MAX Honolulu
Phone (808) 218-9338
Email: david@davidkucic.com

GREAT Hawaii Real Estate Agents!

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:35:42 -0600

From January 1, 2009 through Nov 27, 2009, Tonya and I have had the pleasure to close Hawaii Real Estate transactions with some super real estate agents from Oahu, Hawaii. With the assistance, persistence and dedication of these real estate professionals, they got the job done. I am proud to say that I am associated with them in the Hawaii Real Estate industry and look forward to working with them again.

THANKS FOR BRINGING WELL QUALIFIED BUYERS TO OUR LISTINGS AND THANKS FOR WORKING WITH YOUR SELLERS TO GET OUR BUYERS OFFERS ACCEPTED. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE!

If you are currently working with one of these agents then you are in GREAT hands!

Wai Kaloi at Makakilo $603,000...............................Susan Marn
Spinnaker Place in Ewa Beach $400,000...................Sheryl Chong
Montecito/Tuscany in Ewa Beach $390,000...............Cy Carnate
Ocean Pointe in Ewa Beach $425,000.......................Grant Kanoho DIFFICULT SHORT SALE!
Kamehameha Towers in Honoluu $290,000...............Wayne Nishida
Waialua Townhome $388,000..................................Vicki Hanby
Eden at Haiku Woods in Kaneohe $430,000...............Roy Rexroat
Ewa Gentry Prescott $599,999................................Tonya Kucic
Ka Makana at Hoakalei $385,000.............................Marlon Martell
Ewa Villages $390,000............................................Dwayne Morris
Hillsdale in Mililani $300,000....................................Scott Langford
Havens of Ii Vistas in Mililani $307,000.....................Moka Kondo   DIFFICULT SHORT SALE!
Ewa Gentry Prescott in Ewa Beach $458,000.............Georgia Roberson DIFFICULT LENDER SALE!
Fairways Edge in Ewa Beach $322,000......................Megazar Juntilla DIFFICULT SHORT SALE!
Montecito/Tuscany in Ewa Beach $435,000...............Kengo Ueno
Kekuilani in Kapolei $444,000..................................Tonya Kucic
Hampton Court in Mililani Mauku $465,000.................John Kagimoto
Palehua Villas in Makakilo $207,000.........................Mineko Endo   DIFFICULT SHORT SALE!
Kahiwelo at Makakilo $621,000................................Kendall Suga
Montecito/Tuscany in Ewa Beach $390,000...............Kathleen Ramos DIFFICULT SHORT SALE!
Ocean Pointe in Ewa Beach $642,000....................... Larry Saito
Ka Makana at Hoakalei $681,000............................. Marlon Martell
Mililani Homes $578,000.........................................Jim Mao
Ke Noho Kai Townhomes $309,300...........................Joseph Lau
Ka Makana at Hoakalei $385,000.............................Marlon Martell

By: David Kucic, RA
CDPE, CRS, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, AHWD
First Sergeant, USA (Ret)
RE/MAX Honolulu
Oahu, Hawaii
www.davidkucic.com
Email: david@davidkucic.com
Mobile: (808) 218-9338

Shades of Green Resort at Disneyworld

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:51:12 -0600

Shades of Green is great military facility located on the Walt Disneyworld Resort in Orlando Florida. The resort is operated by the Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) branch of the Armed Forces. Located right on the Disneyworl resort, it is within close proximity to all area attractions. Free bus transportation is provided for anyone staying at the hotel. About the only thing that is missing is a good quality restaurant with fine dining. Besides that, it has everything the service member could ask for. If you are a golfer, you will love the fact that the hotel sits adjacent to the Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses. These are the two courses that host the annual, year ending PGA event called the Childrens Miracle Network Classic. The tournament was just played in the middle of November 2009 where Stephen Ames won in a playoff. If you are active duty, retired, national guard, reserves, DOD Civilian or retiree, you will find that this is some of the best accomodations available at reasonable prices. Make your reservations a year in advance because the resort is sold out almost year round.

Ewa Beach and Oahu Real Estate ON FIRE!!!

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:13:34 -0600

Ewa Beach and Oahu Real Estate are on FIRE! A few weeks ago, I stood in line at 3:30 am, to try reserving a house for my clients to purchase. The home sales office didn't open until 10:00 am. This just happened in October 2009.....not 2005 or 2006. Hawaii real estate is still very much sought after and our sales on Oahu are still strong. When I arrived at 3:30 am, there were already 8 other people in line. Some of these people had been there for the whole night. My clients ended up arriving a few hours later, waited in line un

Ewa Beach, Hawaii has some of the newest, most affordable and nicest homes on the island of Oahu. There are two major home builders in Ewa Beach: Gentry Homes and Haseko. Both of these builders have been developing in Ewa Beach for numerous years.

The homes in Ewa by Gentry where Buyers were waiting overnight is called "The Tides". These are single family homes with 1,100-1,300 sf, 3 and 4 bedrooms, 2+ bathrooms and a 2 car garage. The starting prices for these homes is in the mid to high $300,000s. These homes come with warranties from the builder which makes it a little more attractive than a preowned home.

I asked some of the people waiting in line to find out why they were waiting overnight and why they would sleep in their cars. Most of them said they just wanted to buy a house. They knew that if they wanted to buy an affordable, quality piece of real estate on Oahu, they would have to sacrifice spending the night in their car. A few of these people had tried their luck with Hawaii Short Sale Properties but were having no success. They were finding that a very large percentage of the preowned homes for sale in Ewa Beach were short sales.

If you would like more information on Oahu Real Estate, Ewa Beach Real Estate or real estate in any other Oahu city, contact Team Kucic of RE/MAX Honolulu. Our office is locate in Kapolei, Hawaii above the Starbucks and Jamba Juice across the parking lot from the Kapolei Home Depot.

We service all cities on the island of Oahu to include: Honolulu, Ewa Beach, Kapolei, Mililani, Waipahu, Pearl City, Aiea, Haleiwa, Waianae, Hauula, Kaneohe, Kailua, Wahiawa, Waimanalo, Makaha, Punaluu and Waialua to name a few

Ko Olina Resort Sales Statistics

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:27:53 -0600

Sales at Ko olina Resort in Kapolei, Hawaii continue to be slow. Many of the properties that are listed for sale are either a short sale or lender sale.

For the past 6-8 months ending on Nov 25, 2009, the following charts show the statistics for the following neighborhoods:

Ko Olina Kai Golf Estates Single family homes. These are the only single family homes on the resort and are located within a gated community. The single family homes provide the perimeter of the neighborhood while the townhomes are on the interior.
Ko Olina Kai Golf Estates Townhomes. These are the townhomes located within the center of the Ko olina Kai Golf Estates single family homes.
Ko Olina Kai Lani Townhomes. This is some of the only ocean front/ocean view property on the Ko Olina Resort. Each building has 4 separte units. Two upstairs units are two bedroom, 2 full bathroom and the 2 ground floor units are 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom.
Ko Olina Fairways. The oldest neighborhood on the resort and located near the golf course. Some of the properties are golf course frontage. All of the townhomes in the Fairways have spacious 2 car garages.
Ko Olina Hillside Villas. This is one of the newer projects on the resort and is the place where almost every home is a short sale. Since these were built at the height of the market, the owners all paid premium prices. Now that these homes are not worth anywhere close to what they were purchased for new, this results in many short sales.
Ko Olina Coconut Plantation Townhomes. Located within a gated community, the Coconut Plantation neighborhood only has townhomes. This neighborhood is located within walking distance to the JW MARRIOTT IHILANI RESORT AND SPA, lagoons and the soon to open stores and shops on the Ko Olina Resort.

For more information on Ko Olina Resort Real Estate in Hawaii or anywhere else on the island of Oahu, visit us on the web at www.davidkucic.com or call us at (808) 218-9338.

KO OLINA KAI GOLF ESTATES SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Active Listings 2

Pending Sales 0

Sales 4 (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 4 sales)

Average Listing Price $811,785

Average Sales Price $797,500

Average Days on Market 90

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $378.86

KO OLINA KAI GOLF ESTATES TOWNHOMES

Active Listings 8

Pending Sales 7

Sales 5 (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 5 sales)

Average Listing Price $467,520

Average Sales Price $455,499

Average Days on Market 66

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $326.99

KO OLINA KAI LANI TOWNHOMES

Active Listings 3

Pending Sales 0

Sales 4 (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 4 sales)

Average Listing Price $770,000

Average Sales Price $673,750

Average Days on Market 96

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $525.55

KO OLINA FAIRWAYS TOWNHOMES

Active Listings 2

Pending Sales 0

Sales 3 (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 3 sales)

Average Listing Price $426,300

Average Sales Price $408,333

Average Days on Market 100

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $349.00

KO OLINA HILLSIDE VILLAS TOWNHOMES

Active Listings 5

Pending Sales 2

Sales 4 (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 4 sales)

Average Listing Price $374,725

Average Sales Price $368,500

Average Days on Market 135

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $358.11

KO OLINA COCONUT PLANTATION TOWNHOMES

Active Listings 6

Pending Sales 4

Sales 9 (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 9 sales)

Average Listing Price $640,766

Average Sales Price $614,933

Average Days on Market 74

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $423.22

Ewa by Gentry in Ewa Beach, Hawaii

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:49:35 -0600

Ewa by Gentry real estate statistics for the past 6 to 9 months can be found below for the following Ewa Beach neighborhoods in which you will find homes built by Gentry Homes.

Ewa Beach, Hawaii continues to be the most desireable area on the island of Oahu for people looking for a good quality, affordable, newer home in a great neighborhood with new amenities being built.

With its convenient location just a few miles away from the second city of Oahu, Kapolei, Ewa Beach is located in a prime area of the island and should be on the top of your list as you search for real estate in Hawaii.

Ewa by Gentry neighborhoods represented on these sales statistics:

Soda Creek
Woodbridge I and II
Sun Terra, Sun Terra South and Sun Terra on the Park
Montecito Tuscany
The Carriages
Haleakea and Cypress Point
Las Brisas, Terraza, Tiburon and Cortebella
Lombard Way
Summerhill
Meridian
Fiesta Del Verde
Kula Lei
Breakers
Alii Court, Alii Cove, the Lofts
Seabreeze
Latitudes

SODA CREEK (EWA BY GENTRY)

5 Active Listings

5 Pending Sales

12 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 12 sales)

Average Listing Price $420,916

Average Sales Price $416,625

Average Days on Market 66

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $282.08

WOODBRIDGE I AND II (EWA BY GENTRY )

5 Active Listings

1 Pending Sales

5 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 5 sales)

Average Listing Price $643,780

Average Sales Price $632,800

Average Days on Market 63

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $236.38

SUN TERRA, SUN TERRA SOUTH, SUN TERRA ON THE PARK

5 Active Listings

6 Pending Sales

13 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 13 sales)

Average Listing Price $395,203

Average Sales Price $395,552

Average Days on Market 47

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $292.78

MONTECITO AND TUSCANY (EWA BY GENTRY)

5 Active Listings

1 Pending Sales

11 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 11 sales)

Average Listing Price $386,440

Average Sales Price $387,545

Average Days on Market 77

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $276.03

THE CARRIAGES (EWA BY GENTRY)

2 Active Listings

3 Pending Sales

1 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of this 1 sale)

Average Listing Price $675,000

Average Sales Price $637,000

Average Days on Market 78

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $250.89

HALEAKEA AND CYPRESS POINT (EWA BY GENTRY)

9 Active Listings

4 Pending Sales

3 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 3 sales)

Average Listing Price $793,800

Average Sales Price $791,500

Average Days on Market 165

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $323.72

LAS BRISAS, TERRAZA, TIBURON, CORTEBELLA (EWA BY GENTRY)

8 Active Listings

8 Pending Sales

13 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 13 sales)

Average Listing Price $355,692

Average Sales Price $354,615

Average Days on Market 86

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $261.13

LOMBARD WAY (EWA BY GENTRY)

3 Active Listings

1 Pending Sales

3 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 3 sales)

Average Listing Price $314,333

Average Sales Price $308,833

Average Days on Market 106

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $282.04

SUMMERHILL (EWA BY GENTRY)

2 Active Listings

2 Pending Sales

3 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 3 sales)

Average Listing Price $457,966

Average Sales Price $448,666

Average Days on Market 48

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $304.39

MERIDIAN (EWA BY GENTRY)

1 Active Listings

1 Pending Sales

0 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 0 sales)

Average Listing Price $

Average Sales Price $

Average Days on Market

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $

FIESTA / DEL VERDE (EWA BY GENTRY)

2 Active Listings

2 Pending Sales

3 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 3 sales)

Average Listing Price $375,000

Average Sales Price $379,666

Average Days on Market 10

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $302.76

KULA LEI (EWA BY GENTRY)

1 Active Listings

1 Pending Sales

2 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 2 sales)

Average Listing Price $415,000

Average Sales Price $422,500

Average Days on Market 125

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $312.04

BREAKERS (EWA BY GENTRY)

0 Active Listings

0 Pending Sales

0 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 0 sales)

Average Listing Price

Average Sales Price

Average Days on Market

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot

ALII COURT, ALII COVE LOFTS (EWA BY GENTRY)

3 Active Listings

6 Pending Sales

5 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 5 sales)

Average Listing Price $328,835

Average Sales Price $334,000

Average Days on Market 62

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $256.33

SEA BREEZE (EWA BY GENTRY)

0 Active Listings

0 Pending Sales

2 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 2 sales)

Average Listing Price $463,500

Average Sales Price $455,950

Average Days on Market 72

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $371.29

LATITUDES (EWA BY GENTRY)

6 Active Listings

0 Pending Sales

0 Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 0 sales)

Average Listing Price $

Average Sales Price $

Average Days on Market

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $

Video: Flying Out of Honolulu International Airport

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:51:24 -0600

Flying out of Honolulu International Airport heading east.

My Personal Visit to the Former East Berlin

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:07:04 -0600

Twenty three years ago, I had a position set up in the "Fulda Gap" in West Germany to emplace my M109A3, 155MM Self Propelled Cannon capable of firing a 100 pound high explosive, rocket assisted projectile, approximately 18 miles. Positions were well documented where my .50 Caliber HB M2 Machine Guns would be placed. A diagram was drawn to let my Soldiers know what their left and right limits were so as to not shoot any friendly troops and insure interlocking fields of fire with the other howitzers to our left and right flanks. I had an Air Defense plan in the event that we would get attacked by air from the East German HIND-D helicopters or the fast moving MIG aircraft.

That was then.......

Today, we celebrate the fact that we do not live in a world like that in Germany. The country has become one and the city of Berlin is no longer divided by the wall.

I like it better the way it is now.

Sharing some pictures of my visit to East Berlin in 1985. Under the "Status of Forces Agreement" or SOFA, we as American Soldiers were free to cross the border into East Berlin after providing a stack of paperwork and checking in at Checkpoint Charlie which was manned by American Forces on the West Berlin side. I was fortunate enough to visit the divided city on several occassions and was even able to take my parents and sister there when they visited me in Germany.

1. Allied Checkpoint Charlie on the West Berlin side

2. Looking at Checkpoint Charlie from the East Berlin Side.

3. Brandenburg Gate can be seen on the other side of this building. This view was taken from the East Berlin side.

4. This was the "Changing of the Guards" for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. My fellow Army buddies and myself took turns posing next to these East German Soldiers that we could possibly be facing in war the very next day. When we were positioning for the "best photo", the Soldiers intentionally tried to exaggerate their "Duck Walk" and kick us.

5. This is the East Berlin side of Checkpoint Charlie. When i took my parents through here, they were taken into rooms and searched. They were only allowed to have a certain amount of money with them and were given a 1 for 1 exachange between East and West German Deutsch Marks. It was a total rip off because the value of the East German Mark was terrible compared to the thriving West German Mark. Because of the SOFA, I bought everything that they wanted and carried it back across the border without being checked. They had to go back through the chekcpoint on the East Berlin side and show receipts for whatever they purchased and were only allowed to purchase a certain amount or any overage would be confiscated.

Ewa Beach Hawaii and Fort Weaver Road Traffic

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:17:23 -0500

This video was taken on October 5, 2009 at approximately 10:00 am. The video starts att he intersection of Ft. Weaver Road and Geiger/Iroquois Pt. Road. Fort Weaver Road now has 3 lanes open going from Ewa Beach towards Honolulu and coming back into Ewa Beach as well.

Ewa Beach Hawaii and Fort Weaver Road

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:36:11 -0500

Fort Weaver Road traffic in and out of Ewa Beach is moving along extremely well as of October 5, 2009. Motorists are no longer complaining about the road. Sometimes, as the construction crews continue with their work, they might have to close down one or two lanes but they are doing that during the middle of the day and not in the morning or evening when traffic is the heaviest. This is a small sacrifice to make to finally have a wider road.

The addition of the third lane is about 80 percent complete from Kolowaka Drive going Ewa Beach bound and from Geiger Road going towards Honolulu. They still have to complete the concrete sidewalks, curbs and landscaping but the most important thing (the third lane) is now open.

In my opinion, home buyers are getting smarter on the situation with the new and improved Fort Weaver Road because I have noticed correctly priced homes in Ewa Beach are going under contract almost as soon as they come on the market. Also there are multiple offers on almost every short sale listing in Ewa Beach. Before the widening of Fort Weaver Road, these statistics were not like this. I must attribute some of the Ewa Beach real estate sales growth partly due to the first time home buyers tax credit but more than that, Ewa Beach homes offer quality construction, larger homes, larger lots, central AC standard in almost every home built since 1997 and most importantly, some of the MOST AFFORDABLE HOMES ON THE ENTIRE ISLAND.

For more information on Ewa Beach real estate, contact your Ewa Beach real estate experts. We LIVE in Ewa Beach and we LOVE Ewa Beach!

David J. Kucic, RA
1SG, USA (Ret)
CRS, GRI, CDPE, ABR, e-PRO
Mobile: (808) 218-9338
Email: david@davidkucic.com
RE/MAX Honolulu, Kapolei, Hawaii Branch

Tonya Kucic, RA
CDPE, ABR
Mobile: (808) 221-3638
Email: tonya@davidkucic.com
RE/MAX Honolulu, Kapolei, Hawaii Branch

FREE VA Home Loan and First Time Buyers Q&A

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:24:54 -0500

FREE VA HOME LOAN AND FIRST TIME BUYERS Q&A

We will be hosting a FREE Question and Answer discussion for anyone interested in using their VA Home Loan Eligibility to purchase Hawaii Real Estate. YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND BY CALLING (808) 218-9338.

Location: Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Dates: September 4, 9 and 18th, 2009
Time: 1800-1900
Given By: David Kucic, US Army Retired, RE/MAX Honolulu and Jay Oku, VA Loan Specialist with Evergreen Mortgage Company

Directions to Hoakalei Country Club: Head south on Fort Weaver Road. Turn right on Keoneula Blvd. Go all the way to the end of the road and check in with the security guard who will have your name (this is why you must register). Proceed to the end of the road and walk to the members lounge.

FREE refreshments will be served. Come enjoy the beautiful views of the new Ernie Els designed golf course, watch the sunset and learn about VA Home Loans and Purchasing Hawaii Real Estate.

David Kucic, RE/MAX Honolulu Jay Oku, Evergreen Mortgage Company

An Email From a Short Sale Specialist at Bank of America

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:45:23 -0500

This was amazing.....a great email this morning from a short sale specialist at one of the largest lending institutions in the country, Bank of America. Maybe it is a form letter that was sent out to thousands of other real estate agents but it did requrire a person to read my email, enter a response and click "SEND". For those of you that have done short sales in the past, you know that this is a step in the right direction.

Here is the email...................

"Thank you for contacting me. I have been brought in to help with your short sale and to speed up the process. I will contact you as soon as I am available. I will be working each loan based on the age of the file and the foreclosure sale dates. Please be patient with me and the process. Your file has been assigned specifically to me in an effort to begin to move your file quickly.

I understand your buyers may be anxious if so, please advise them that the file has been placed in a special que in an effort to move the process along quicker.

I will be in contact with you as soon as I am able to, in the meantime please be as patient as you can with me.

Thank you for your understanding and your patience. My goal is to move your file to a successful closing as quickly as possible.

I know it has been a long journey for you but I have been brought on specifically to help you".

Name removed
Loan Services Specialist
Short Sale Closing
mailing address removed
email address removed

For more information on Short Sales in Hawaii and VA Short Sales in Hawaii, contact:

David Kucic, RE/MAX Honolulu (in the Kapolei office)

Phone: (808) 218-9338

Email: david@davidkucic.com

Get Off The Fence!

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:00:07 -0500

Are you still "sitting on the fence" and waiting to buy your piece of Hawaii Real Estate? Are you waiting for the prices to drop further?

I put these charts together to illustrate what could happen if you continue to wait on the prices to drop 10% but at the same time, interest rates increase 1%.

The first chart depicts purchasing a home now at an interest rate of 5% with 100% financing. With VA home loans in Hawaii for military, 100% financing is still possible.

The second chart shows what will happen if you wait on prices to drop 10% from the current price and the interest rate to go up to 6%.

Don't forget that the longer you wait to buy, you continue to pay rent which is money that is disappearing and will not find its way back into your wallet.

Purchase Price Monthly Payment (principal and interest only)

$300,000.00 @ 5%	$1,610.00
$400,000.00 @ 5%	$2,147.00
$500,000.00 @ 5%	$2,684.00
$600,000.00 @ 5%	$3,221.00

Purchase Price Monthly Payment (principal and interest only)

$270,000.00 @ 6%	$1,619.00
$360,000.00 @ 6%	$2,158.00
$450,000.00 @ 6%	$2,699.00
$540,000.00 @ 6%	$3,238.00

Fact #1: Interest rates for 30 year VA home loans in Hawaii are currently hovering around 5% to 5.5% as of the submission date of this post.

Fact #2: There is a large inventory of homes for sale right now.

Fact #3: Many Sellers are motivated to sell you their house and may be willing to negotiate.

Unknown #1: House prices. Are they going higher or lower?

Unknown #2: Interest rates. Are they going higher or lower?

Happy house hunting!

David Kucic, RE/MAX Honolulu located in the Kapolei, Hawaii branch.

Phone: (808) 218-9338

Search for Hawaii Homes For Sale: www.davidkucic.com

Email: david@davidkucic.com

VA Home Sales Expert in Hawaii

Honolulu County Property Tax Increase for Year 2010

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:38:25 -0500

Hawaii Property taxes are on the rise for the island of Oahu. The prior rate was $3.29 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The rate for 2010 is $3.42 per $1,000 of assessed value.

As you search on the internet for Hawaii Property For Sale, you may run across something like this or similar to this:

Assd Val Land: $317,800	Tax Year: 2008
Assd Val Imprv: $382,500	Mon Taxes: $160
Assd Val Total: $700,300	Home Exemp: 0

A simple way to figure out the taxes is to look at the "Assessed Value Total"....in the example above, it is $700,300. Get rid of the last two zeros and substitute the comma with a decimal point so that your new figure is 700.3. Now multiply that by $3.42 which will give you the yearly Oahu Property Tax of $2,395. Divide that number by 12 and you get $199.59 which would be your monthly tax. Pretty easy isn't it?

In the example above, you notice that the item titled "Home Exemp" is 0. If you are an owner occupant of your home, you may be entitled to a Honolulu County Property Tax Exemption of either $80,000 (up to age 65) or $120,000 (for age 65 and older). To view eligibility requirements, visit this website Honolulu Property Tax. Don't forget to file your exemption if you determine you are eligible! The deadline for applications is September 30^th, 2009.

If you are quailed for the exemption, you can deduct the appropriate amount from the "Assessed Value Total".

Assume that you are under age 65 and are qualified for an $80,000 exemption. Subtract $80,000 from $700,300 and you get $620,300. Using the simple math formula that I described above, your multiplier is 620.3. Multiply by $3.42 and your Oahu Property Tax for one year would be $2,121, a savings of approximately $274 per year.

For more information on purchasing Hawaii real estate, contact David and Tonya Kucic of RE/MAX Honolulu.

Phone: (808) 218-9338

Email: david@davidkucic.com

Hawaii Short Sale Listings Deserve Photos Too

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:32:04 -0500

If traditional real estate sales in Hawaii without photos don't get a lot of attention when viewed on the internet, what makes you think a Hawaii short sale listing will be any different?

Regardless of the fact that it is a short sale, you owe it to your Seller to publish some photos of the property.

It is bad enough seeing non-Hawaii Short Sale listings on the Honolulu Board of Realtors MLS that don't have any photos and I just wonder each time I see it if the Seller is aware that there are no photos. Granted, it may take a few days to take the photos, photoshop them and get them published but there is no excuse after that to not have photos unless your Seller directs you to not have any photos taken.

The listings that really get me laughing are the ones that say such things as "280 Days on Market", " Seller Motivated", " This is a must see property" etc....... Maybe if there were some photos, the property might really sell!

Short sales in Hawaii are no different. Even if you are looking at an extended listing period as the Sellers agent, a lot of additional work and telephone calls, a possible reduced commission, those are not excuses to not have photos. I wouldn't recommend spending hundreds of dollars on a professional photographer but at least you can grab a digital camera, take as many pictures as possible and get them published on the internet in order to be a better representative for your Seller. You wanted the listing, now do your job!

For more information on Hawaii real estate, Hawaii Short Sales and purchasing Hawaii homes with a VA Loan, visit us on the web at www.davidkucic.com.

Should You Buy Hawaii Real Estate (Military Buyers)?

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:11:02 -0500

As you prepare for your PCS move to Hawaii, you are probably overwhelmed with things to do. Two of the biggest headaches I remembered were Clearing CIF and dealing with transportation to get packed and moved out.

Dealing with transportation means that you will need a new home to place all of your personal belongings.

If you are making plans to purchase a home in Hawaii, you might want to consider some things that may save you some serious grief after your tour in Hawaii is over.

Your BAH rate will probably increase when you get here unless you are coming from another high cost area such as DC, San Francisco or Alaska. You will also be entitled to COLA whether you are single or married.

Should you really buy a home in Hawaii even if you can afford it with your BAH and COLA?

What are you going to do with that property after your 3 year tour is over? What if the value decreased or maybe stayed the same? Will you be able to afford the costs of selling of it at a loss? Maybe you will keep it and use it as an investment/rental property but are you prepared to pay 10% of the rent collected each month to a property manager? Will you have enough liquid assets to make your mortgage payment in between tenants? What about necessary repairs......do you have cash available to pay for those items?

Buying real estate is a great way to build wealth but it is not for everyone.

For more information on purchasing real estate in Hawaii, contact me anytime via email or telephone.

Good luck with your move to paradise!

VIDEO: Hawaii VA Loan Basics by 1SG David Kucic, USA (Retired)

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:03:13 -0500

Aloha and congratulations on your upcoming military relocation to Hawaii. Whether you will be stationed at Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Pearl Harbor, Hickam AFB, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe, Camp H.M. Smith or Tripler Army Medical Center, all of these installations are on the island of Oahu and this information will be useful to you.

This short video highlights the following topics about VA Loans in Hawaii:

Who is eligible for a VA Home Loan in Hawaii
How to obtain your VA Certificate of Eligibility to purchase Hawaii Real Estate
A brief overview of the procedures for purchasing a home in Hawaii.

For further information and personal consultation, contact me anytime via email to david@davidkucic.com or phone at (808) 218-9338. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you once you arrive in Hawaii.

Ready to start your search for Hawaii Real Estate? Visti me on the web at www.davidkucic.com where you can use my easy to navigate search feature that lists the homes for sale and also includes Hawaii Short Sales, Hawaii VA Short Sales, Foreclosures in Hawaii, Bank Owned Properties in Hawaii and also Lender Sales in Hawaii.

Hawaii Movers Advantage Program USA

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:14:39 -0500

Movers Advantage Program in Hawaii?

Are you in the military, getting ready to PCS to Hawaii to be stationed at Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Pearl Harbor, Hickam AFB, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe, Camp H.M. Smith or Tripler Army Medical Center or any of the other military installations in Hawaii?

Are you thinking about purchasing a home in Hawaii? If so, there is a chance that you are a member of this company and you have discovered their "Movers Advantage Program" by either finding it on-line or hearing about if from a friend.

From the outside looking in, it looks like a great program. You get "cash back at closing" and even get additional money if you buy AND sell a home. The more you spend, the more you get back.

Let me say this: I am a proud member of this company and have been since the early mid 1990's. This company provides me with automobile insurance for all of my vehicles and I have been very happy with their services for many years.

Getting back to the "Movers Advantage Program".......... How does it work?

The first thing you need to understand is that this company is NOT giving you the money to purchase a piece of real estate in Hawaii. If you use the Movers Advantage Program, your personal information will be given to a mortgage company that is not part of this company. This is not a bad thing and happens very often whether you go with this company or some other mortgage company in Hawaii. I find that many first time home buyers in Hawaii dont realize this just like they dont realize that a Hawaii VA loan does not come from the VA.

Once you contact them and inquire about the Movers Advantage Program, you will be set up with a real estate agent in Hawaii that is part of their referral network. Who is this agent you are getting? Are they professional? Do they have any idea about the military in Hawaii? Do they know what they are doing? Are you being guaranteed that they will take the time to look out for your best interest since THEY ARE WORKING FOR A REDUCED COMMISSION?

Thats right: The agent that you get set up with is working for a discount because they have agreed to reduce their fee in order for YOU to get cash back with the Movers Advantage Program.

This probably still sounds pretty good right? You get cash back and thats what its all about right? I sure hope thats not what you are thinking because as you get ready to spend several hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home, you should not be too concerned with getting 1, 2 or 3k back from the Movers Advantage Program.

WHAT YOU SHOULD REALLY BE CONCERNED WITH IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE GETTING SUPERIOR SERVICE, A GREAT NEGOTIATOR, A FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL HAWAII REAL ESTATE AGENT AND SOMEONE THAT IS WILLING TO WORK THEIR BUTT OFF FOR YOU.

Have any questions? Call or email me anytime.

Kapolei, Hawaii and RE/MAX Honolulu Sales Statistics (May 2009)

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:37:03 -0500

The growing city of Kapolei, Hawaii, home to RE/MAX Honolulu, continues to thrive as the new metropolis of Oahu. Construction is still on-going daily as new shopping centers, judicial center and urban core roads are built to make the city of Kapolei as user friendly as possible.

As an expert in Kapolei and Ewa Beach real estate activity for RE/MAX Honolulu, I have compiled the statistics below that show the most recent activity for the area.

The first set of statistics is for Kapolei, Hawaii single family homes only and th esecondd set of statistics is for condos and townhomes in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Another important note to consider is that the neighborhoods of Makakilo and Koolina Resort ARE NOT included in these statistics. If you would like more personalized statistics to include any other area of Kapolei, Makakilo or Koolina Resort, just ask me for one and I will gladly take care of that.

Aloha, enjoy and contact Team Kucic of RE/MAX Honolulu in Kapolei, Hawaii for all of your Hawaii Real Estate needs.

Visit www.davidkucic.com to view listings of available homes on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

KAPOLEI, HAWAII ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU (SINGLE FAMILY HOMES)

Active Listings 31

Pending Sales 28

Sales 26 (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 26 sales)

Average Listing Price $539,838

Average Sales Price $527,711

Average Days on Market 91

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $300.01

KAPOLEI, HAWAII ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU (TOWNHOMES AND CONDOS)

Active Listings 16

Pending Sales 6

Sales (numbers below are reflective ONLY of these 6 sales)

Average Listing Price $406,000

Average Sales Price $423,500

Average Days on Market 100

Average Price Per Interior Square Foot $346.28

Loans From the VA in Hawaii

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:49:24 -0500

Do Hawaii VA Loans come from the VA? NO. These VA Loans in Hawaii come from a variety of financial institutions such as a bank or credit union.

Are you on orders to: Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Pearl Harbor, Hickam AFB, Marine Corps Base Kaneohe, Camp H.M. Smith or Tripler Army Medical Center ?

As you begin to explore VA Loans in Hawaii, you will probably start your search on the internet. Many of the websites you will visit use the letters "VA" as part of their website address. THESE SITES ARE NOT BACKED BY THE VA, THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE VA, THEY ARE NOT ANY SORT OF GOVERNMENT AGENCY AND THEY ARE CERTAINLY NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY BRANCH OF THE ARMED FORCES IN HAWAII.

Many of these mortgage companies that advertise names such as VA Loans Oahu, VA Loans Hawaii, VA Government Loans, Hawaii Military VA Loans etc... are actually great businesses that have honest brokers but THAT IS NOT TRUE FOR ALL OF THEM.

If you are thinking about utilizing your VA Loan eligibility in Hawaii and want an "HONEST BROKER" to assist you with your Hawaii VA Loan, contact my Hawaii VA Loan Expert, Jay Oku at (808) 393-0707 or email him at jay@mortgage 808.com.

Jay Oku has helped active duty military and numerous veteran home buyers and has received 5 star reviews from all of his past clients.

As a retired military veteran and Hawaii Real Estate Professional with RE/MAX Honolulu in Kapolei, I am proud to recommend Jay to everyone that wants to insure they are not going to screwed by some unscrupulous lenders.

For more information on Hawaii Real Estate and VA Loans in Hawaii, contact First Sergeant Retired David Kucic at (808) 218-9338 or email to david@davidkucic.com.

Short Sales in Ewa Beach and Kapolei, Hawaii

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:54:43 -0500

Short sales in Hawaii are growing more and more each day. At times, it appears that there are more short sales than regular, old fashioned real estate sales.

One of the areas on the island of Oahu that is exploding with short sales is Ewa Beach. This is your "diamond in the rough". The growing popularity of Ewa Beach, Kapolei and the Leeward Coast of Oahu has many home buyers looking for short sales in Ewa Beach and Kapolei.

Why do short sales occur? Several reasons but most commonly it is due to these two reasons:

1) The home owners purchased the home sometime between late 2005 to approximately 2007 and are now trying to sell that home. Because prorperty values in Hawaii have decreased since this time, there is no way for them to sell at a high enough price to pay off their mortgage(s) unless they made a large enough down payment.

2) Homeowners that owned a home and then did a "cash out refinance" during the real estate boom. These owners also are in a short sale situation if they are thinking about selling their home in Hawaii.

Whether you are a Buyer or Seller interested in pursuing a short sale in Hawaii, make sure you look for a Certified Distressed Property Expert.

David Kucic, RA
Certified Distressed Property Expert
Accredited Buyers Representative
www.davidkucic.com
RE/MAX Honolulu

Exclusive Mililani Mauka Townhome For Sale in Hampton Court

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:12:19 -0500

The new home construction has been completed in Mililani Mauka. Your only choice is to look in a different city or to find yourself a quality built re-sale property. If you select the latter then this is a home you should not pass up. Located in Central Oahu and within short commuting distance to Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Pearl Harbor, Hickam AFB, Camp H.M. Smith and Tripler Army Medical Center

This rarely available executive townhome for sale in Mililani, Hawaii. The property is in excellent condition and has been well maintained by the owners.

This 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, ground floor unit also has a 1 car garage, driveway parking and an additional, assigned parking stall.

Enjoy the covered lanai and the fenced, private yard while you take in the view of the greenbelt and trees directly behind the home. Amenities also include washer, dryer, range, range hood, refrigerator, split air conditioning units and a FIREPLACE for those cool, Mililani Mauka nights.

Appropriately listed at $500,000

To schedule a private showing, contact David Kucic, RE/MAX Honolulu at (808) 218-9338 or email to: davidkucic@remax.net. Visit us on the web at www.relocate808.com

Photos courtesy of CPK Photography

Ka Makana at Hoakalei in Ewa Beach, Hawaii

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:43:44 -0500

Ka Makana at Hoakalei is Ewa Beach's newest neighborhood. The development is being built as a resort that has an 18 hole championship golf course designed by PGA Professional Ernie Els, a marina, hotel, restaurants and shops.

The single family homes come in 5 different sets of models:

Hala Series priced from the low 500s
Kukui Series priced from the mid 500s
Milo Series priced from the mid 600s
Banyan Series priced from the mid 700s
Koa Series priced from the low 900s to over 1 million dollars if you would like a golf course view

Koa Series Homes are top of the line and range in size from 2,901 square feet to 3,552 square feet.

Model 6010 of the Koa Series

This photo is of the 6010 Model at Ka Makana that has 2,901 interior sf of living space, 4 bedrooms + a den, 3.5 bathrooms, a covered balcony, a 478 sf two car garage and a covered lanai.

If you are interested in Ewa Beach, Hawaii real estate or would like more information about Hoakalei Resort and Country Club, contact us anytime.

Aloha from Team Kucic!

Hawaii Short Sales and Effect on Your Credit

1SG (Ret) David Kucic (RE/MAX Honolulu of Kapolei Hawaii) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:49:59 -0500

How badly will a short sale in Hawaii hurt your credit score? This is one of the first questions that my Sellers ask me when I counsel them on the sale of their home.

I assisted one of my sellers from Mililani, Hawaii several months ago on the sale of their VA Short Sale Home and now they are purchasing a short sale in the mainland. Funny how things happen sometimes!

When they visited their lender in the mainland to get preapproved for a mortgage, they were pleased to find out that their credit score was 709 even after the short sale in Hawaii. Prior to the short sale, they think it was around 780 but were not positive.

Below are a few distinct facts about this particular transaction:

•· The only thing that showed up on the credit report was a single late payment because that was really all that the Sellers were ever late on. His mortgage company told him that he needed to be late on a payment in order to qualify for a "deed in lieu of foreclosure" in case he decided to go that route.

•· Besides the report of that one late payment, the only other information that was on their credit report was that the mortgage had been setlled but did not mention it being a short sale or how much it sold for.

This information is not meant to say that your situation will be exactly the same. For more precise information, I suggest that you contact your mortgage company and request information about how your short sale will be reported to the credit bureaus.

David Kucic, RA
First Sergeant, USA (Ret)
RE/MAX Honolulu
338 Kamokila Blvd. Suite 206
Kapolei, HI 96707

www.davidkucic.com

mailto: david@davidkucic.com