hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai Lifestyle Supports Aging in Place - 07/23/10 11:48 AM
Hawaii has one of the largest senior populations of any state, and no wonder, with its good weather, possibilities for an active lifestyle, and acceptance of multi-generational/supportive housing choices.  Those of us in the real estate field have worked to let seniors "age in place" for years, but the concept is only now becoming mainstream in the rest of the country.  Hawaii Kai, because of the variety of housing offered there, and the proximity of services from the library to Costco, offers a beautiful and comfortable community to age in place.The idea basically means that seniors modify their homes to make them … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Improving the Outdoor Appeal of your Hawaii Kai Home - 06/13/10 04:11 PM
We are lucky in Hawaii Kai and all the Islands to have the weather to enjoy outdoor living all year.  If you would like to make some minor improvements to your home to add to the value, but aren't sure which will bring the greatest return, consider outside remodeling.
One reason exterior improvements can bring value is their curb appeal.  They also will give you more enjoyment of your home while you wait to sell in the coming years.  The National Assn of Realtors (NAR) recently reported that a wood deck produces the 2nd highest return in home improvement projects, of any investment, … (2 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai Ideal for Multi-Generational Housing - 05/21/10 02:08 PM
The May Senior Resource eZine carried an article stating that the multi-generational family household is returning.  A recent report by the Pew Research Center shows that, as of 2008, a record 49 million Americans, or 16.1% of the total U.S. population, lived in such a household, up from 28 million, or 12.l% in 1980. Such households had been more common a century ago, then began to fall out of favor after World War II.  But major changes in family household living arrangements have unfolded over the past three decades and accelerated during our recent ongoing recession.  The report is based on the Pew Research Center's … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Consider Hawaii Kai for your 2nd Home - 04/11/10 09:49 AM
Vacation-home sales recovered in 2009 while investment sales fell sharply, according to the National Association of Realtors.  NAR's 2010 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, covering existing- and new-home transactions in 2009, shows vacation-home sales rose 7.9 percent to 553,000 last year from 513,000 in 2008.
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said, "The typical vacation-home buyer is making a lifestyle choice, with nine out of 10 saying they intend to use the property for vacations or as a family retreat," he said.  Only one in four vacation-home buyers plan to rent their properties to others, and 26 percent of vacation-home buyers … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Real Estate Market Statistics for Hawaii Kai, March 2010 - 04/11/10 07:35 AM
The Honolulu Board of Realtors is publishing new statistical data now for neighborhoods on Oahu, organized by TMK.  For Hawaii Kai, this is 1-3-9.  The new format comes with graphs, with single family homes and condos on the same page.  Shown are Year-to-Date (YTD) New Listings, Closed Sales, Median Sales Price, % of Original List Price Received, Days on Market, and Inventory.  If you would like a copy of the sheet, just let me know.  They have also published a Housing Outlook, Monthly Indicators, and Sales Data since 1985.  This new presentation is certainly easy to read, compared to the many pages of the … (1 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai Home for Sale in Koko Head Terrace - 02/26/10 12:09 PM
I have a new listing in the Hawai Kai community of Koko Head Terrace, one of the earliest subdivisions in Hawaii Kai.  Koko Head Terrace, with 692 homes, stretches on the mountain (mauka) side of Lunalilo Home Road from Kalanianaole Hwy to Hawaii Kai Drive and eastward to Koko Head Regional Park.  The subdivision is close to the Hawaii Kai Library and Koko Marina Shopping Center.  Koko Head, a lava tuff cone created about 10,000 years ago during Oahu's last period of volcanic activity, is the headland that defines the eastern side of Maunalua Bay.  This area is quite scenic and … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: So you wanted a reason to retire in Honolulu? - 02/12/10 12:21 PM
Realtor.Mag reported today that Honolulu ranks #10 as the most desirable places to retire, in a recent study by AARP.  Thursday, March 4, at 9 PM EST, Tom Brokaw on CNBC will visit the following retirement "hotspots" - and, I guess, explain what all of us who live in Hawaii already know...why it is a great place to retire:
1. Loveland/Fort Collins, Colo.2. Las Cruces, N.M3. Rehoboth Beach, Del.4. Portland, Ore.5. Greenville, S.C.6. Sarasota, Fla.7. Ann Arbor, Mich.8. Tucson, Ariz.9. Montpelier, Vt.10. Honolulu11. Santa Fe, N.M12. Atlanta13. Charleston, S.C14. Northampton, Mass.15. San Diego, Calif.
Notice, no state is listed after Honolulu because, … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai and Honolulu Foreclosure Rates - 01/30/10 04:08 AM
For 2009, Honolulu had fewer foreclosures per household than the national average, but the trend is not good.  During the last 12 months, the city's foreclosures increased at more than 6 times the national average, and is expected to get worse. 
Last year, 3,985 properties, or one in every 84 Honolulu households, was in foreclosure, according to a report released today by RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure market. The activity represented a 142 percent increase from 2008 and a 672 percent rise from 2007.  Nationally, 1 in every 45 households experienced foreclosure, an increase of 21% over 2008 and 120% over 2007.  Honolulu … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: You have Choices in Hawaii Kai Real Estate - 01/22/10 10:27 AM
Most communities have a range of prices and housing amentities to offer residents, but Hawaii Kai is unique on the island of Oahu - not just because of its location at the head of Maunalua Bay and the base of the Koolau Mountains, built as a water paradise - but because this location gives so many choices in view, proximity to the water, size of lot, and - adding those together - price.
As examples of the diversity in Hawaii Kai housing, here are the highest sale and the lowest sale in 2009.
This gorgeous home in Koko Kai sold for … (1 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Wrap Up of Honolulu Real Estate for 2009 - 01/07/10 10:25 AM
O'ahu's housing market has recorded its second consecutive full-year decline in the median sale price of previously owned single-family homes. 
The median price - a point at which half the sales were higher and half lower - ended the year down 7.9 percent at $575,000, according to the Honolulu Board of Realtors.
A year earlier, the median had slipped 3 percent to $624,000 from the 2007 peak of $643,500.
Transactions were down 5.7 percent to 2,585 last year, from 2,741 a year earlier, though sales activity has been on an upswing since September.
Last month, the median sales price for single-family … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai Real Estate Market Review for 2009 - 01/04/10 11:40 AM
2009 was a very positive year for the Hawaii Kai home market.  Not only did December show increased sales over last year, both in single family homes and condos, but the year-end totals were also above those in 2008.
Single Family Homes
18 homes sold in Hawaii Kai in December, compared to 13 last year.  Median sales price was $784,500, vs. $885,000 in 2008.
For the year, 182 homes sold, compared to 161 last year.  Median sales price was $795,000 vs. $850,000 in 2008.
A very encouraging sign for the market is that Inventory has decreased to 64 active listings, down … (1 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: November Sales Statistics for Oahu and Hawaii Kai - 12/02/09 12:45 PM
November statistics for Oahu are provided by our Honolulu Board of Realtors.  They produce a detailed, highly valuable 19-page report monthly.  Contact me for the complete copy of island-wide real estate activity.
Year-to-Date Activity, Single Family HomesIsland-wide, 2,318 sales have closed vs. 2,547 last year, a 9.0% decrease.  The median sales price this year through November has been $580,000 vs. $623,500 in 2008.The North Shore has seen the sharpest decline, down 22.2% in number of sales, and 12.5% in median price.  All 5 areas broken down in this analysis (Metro, East, Windward, and Leeward Oahu, and North Shore) have declined in … (2 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai and Oahu Economic Recovery Forecast - 11/20/09 12:34 PM
A new forecast released by the University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization says some smaller Asian economies are leading a rebound, but that larger nations, notably the U.S. and Japan, will have less growth.
"The anticipated slow pace of global growth will likely mean a sub-par recovery for Hawai'i," said the report being released today. The forecast concentrates on global economics and is a predecessor to one focusing solely on Hawai'i that will be released next month.  One positive is the stronger yen against the dollar, which might result in higher Japanese tourist spending.
Experts agree that Hawaii's rebound from the … (1 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai, Honolulu, HI Sales for October, 2009 - 11/01/09 11:50 AM

 
View from Plaza Hawaii Kai                         Plaza Hawaii Kai
The condo market in Hawaii Kai adjusted downward slightly in October, from 21 sales to 16.  Low sale was $365,000 for a 1 bedroom/1 bath in the Heritage House on the 10th floor, and high sale, $615,000 for a 2 bedroom/2 bath in Plaza Hawaii Kai on the 9th floor.

For single family in Hawaii Kai, 26 sales closed both in September and October.  This past month, the low sale was a 3/2 zero lot line detached home in Kalama Valley, and the high sale a $2,500,000 sale of a view home … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai and Oahu Real Estate Sales Statistics for September, 2009 - 10/05/09 11:23 AM
The Honolulu Board of Realtors has released sales figures for September, which show a positive trend upward.
Total number of single family sales for the island were 244, compared to 215 in Sept. 2008. Median sales price was $600,000, vs. 590,000 a year ago.  Total sales for the first nine months on Oahu were 1,788, a decrease of 16.2% over 2008.  Median price year-to-date was $575,000 for single family, a decrease of 8%.
For the condo market, 345 sales recorded in Sept., compared to 305 last year.  Median sales price for the condos was $305,000, vs $296,000 a year ago.  Total … (1 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Oahu Real Estate Market Report for August - 09/16/09 01:15 PM
For those of you buyers who want to use your tax credit before it expires Nov. 30, now is the time to start looking!  After 2 months of gains in numbers sold, single family home sales on Oahu decreased in August, by just a small percentage.  The median home price, which is the point at which half the sales were for more and half for less, fell 10.9 percent to $566,000 in August from $635,000 a year earlier.  As of August this year, the median single-family home price is down 9.4 percent, to $570,000.
In the Oahu condominium market, sales were up … (3 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Honolulu Ranks in Top 10 Cities to Find a New Job - Hawaii Kai is an Easy Commute! - 08/28/09 09:54 AM
US News & World Report just released a recent study of national job markets.  While Hawaii has certainly been affected by the economic downturn, our unemployment rate is lower than that of many states, and now we learn that Honolulu is one of the Top Cities for New Jobs.
As reported by Realtor.org, "The underlying strengths of the top cities vary considerably. Some of the stronger cities are state capitals and have lots of government jobs. Others have abundant natural resources, stable housing markets, growing health care sectors, or are in close proximity to military bases. "But overall, what separates these … (1 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Economic Outlook for Hawaii and Hawaii Kai - 08/27/09 12:09 PM
The state just released a revised economic forecast, predicting that the slump may not be as bad as originally forecast. The improved outlook is due to inflation being more subdued than state economists had anticipated, while Hawai'i's biggest economic stimulus - tourism - is expected to be worse than before and result in increased job losses.
As reported by the Honolulu Advertiser, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism's new report projects that gross state product adjusted for inflation will decline 1.1 percent this year. That's an improvement from the 1.6 percent decline forecast in their May report.
A report released earlier this … (1 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Walkability Helps Hawaii Kai's Home Market - 08/20/09 12:56 PM
In June, 2008, I wrote a post about the Walk Score, and how high Honolulu scored.  A new study, Walking the Walk, compared home sale prices with Walk Scores, and found that homes in more walkable neighborhoods, especially in densely-populated cities, sold from $4,000-$34,000 higher.  The data included 90,000 recent home sales in 15 markets.
What is a Walk Score?  From the source,  "Walk Score measures the number of typical consumer destinations within walking distance of a house, with scores ranging from 0 (car dependent) to 100 (most walkable).   By the Walk Score measure, walkability is a direct function of how … (0 comments)

hawaii kai real estate: Hawaii Kai Relocation Packages Now Available for mid-year sales - 07/15/09 12:18 PM
I've finished the Complete Hawaii Kai Relocation Package and the Hawaii Kai Condo Relocation Package with sales data through June, 2009, and updates on new waterfront condo complexes that have sold this year.
Request your free copy at my web site, MovetoHawaiiKai.com, or for condos only, the Condo Page. Or just call/email for your free copies.
If you want additional information on real estate throughout Oahu, but specifically on Hawaii Kai, just let me know. It's my home, and I've been a Realtor here for more than 20 years.
Aloha,
Barbara Abe, Realtor
808-226-2537
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
www.movetohawaiikai.com
www.barbarashawaii.com
(0 comments)