honolulu real estate: Honolulu, HI - Tips for Selling in 2011 - 03/19/11 04:54 AM
Our real estate market will still be a challenge for sellers this year.  Hawaii has a large inventory of bank-owned and distressed properties, which will pressure valuations for sellers who just want to sell, rather than have to sell.  Oahu is so diverse, that many areas are not affected as much as others, such as Ewa Beach, so local advice and a market analysis by a Realtor experienced in your Oahu community is invaluable.If you hope to sell this year, you'll need to position your property to be competitive and position yourself to be flexible and negotiable.  Besides the normal recommendations … (0 comments)

honolulu real estate: Hawaii Kai Home Search - 03/08/11 01:53 PM
I'm pleased to report that I have upgraded the MLS search feature I offer visitors to my web sites.  You can now save searches, create searches using many filters, and receive updates by email.Try out the page on www.BarbarasHawaii.com or the MLS search page on www.MovetoHawaiiKai.com and let me know if it fits your needs.  I'd appreciate feedback so I can make the features exactly what you, the visitor to my web site, wants.  Aloha,
… (0 comments)

honolulu real estate: Oahu Real Estate Market Activity for February and Year-to-Date - 03/08/11 10:32 AM
The real estate market on Oahu posted very positive numbers for the month of February.Closed Sales, all properties, increased 13.1%Closed Sales, single family homes, increased 2.3%Closed Sales, condos, increased 20.9%Single Family Market Overview, February 2010 to February, 2011Closed Sales rose 2.3%, from 177 to 181Days on Market increased 52.6%, from 38 to 58Median Sales Price decreased 1%, from $575,500 to $570,000Average Sales Price increased 2%, from $685,249 to $699,034Housing Affordability Index rose 4.6%, from 65 to 67Inventory of Homes decreased 9.7%, from 1545 to 1,395Months Supply of Homes for Sale decreased 16.9%, from 6.5 months to 5.4
Single Family Market Overview, Year-to-Date 2010 … (0 comments)

honolulu real estate: Renting in Paradise - Oahu's Most & Least Expensive Neighborhoods - 01/21/11 12:14 PM
A recent blog post on Honolulu Magazine by Jenny Quill reported on Oahu's most expensive and affordable neighborhoods for renters.  If you are thinking of moving to Oahu and renting while you learn the different communities, this is a good resource.  Quill took numbers from the 2nd half of 2010, which vary by number of bedrooms (and, of course, location).  The further from town, the less expensive, generally (one exception would be our North Shore).
Here are her conclusions:"Two-Bedroom Apartments
Least-Expensive Areas:Waianae Coast                         $898Ewa                                         $900Waipahu                                  $950Wahiawa                                  $1,025Kalihi-Palama                           $1,095
Most-Expensive Areas:Diamond Head                        $3,150Kahala                                   $2,225Hawaii Kai-Portlock                  $2,150St. Louis Heights                     $2,000Downtown Honolulu                  $1,900
Three-Bedroom … (1 comments)

honolulu real estate: Honolulu Forecast to be One of 10 Best US Housing Markets in 2011 - 01/16/11 01:45 PM
According to Clear capital's U.S. Home Values report released Jan 7, US home prices are forecast to decline 3.7% this year.  However, Honolulu is one of the 10 markets scheduled to rise, in fact #3!10 Markets on The Rise In 2011:1. Washington, DC: 6.5% price increase 2. Houston, TX: 3.6% price increase 3. Honolulu, HI: 3.4% price increase 4. Memphis, TN: 3.2% price increase 5. Columbus, OH: 2.1% price increase 6. Dallas, TX: 1.4% price increase 7. New York, NY: 1.3% price increase 8. Birmingham, AL: 0.9% price increase 9. Pittsburgh, PA: 0.8% price increase 10. New Orleans, LA: 0.5% price … (1 comments)

honolulu real estate: Honolulu, HI - Real Estate Sales Statistics, 2010 & December - 01/11/11 10:28 AM
The real estate sales trend on Oahu is definitely back into positive territory.During December, 306 single-family homes and 341 condos sold island-wide on Oahu, an increase of 12.9% for single-family and decrease of 2.6% for condos, compared to December, 2009.The median prices paid for island properties in December were $587,000 for single-family homes, and $303,000 for condos.  These represented an increase of 0.2% for single-family and an increase of 5.8% for condos, over December, 2009.November 2010 numbers were 248 single-family sales and 309 condo sales.Looking at the year, 2010 saw a 3.1% rise in the median sale price of single-family homes … (0 comments)

honolulu real estate: Honolulu, HI Demographics - 11/13/10 05:26 AM
Recently I finished work on a new web site for folks looking for information on Honolulu real estate, http://barbaraabe.gmragent.com/ (I hope you take a look).  While researching photos and trying to condense the information into a "brief introduction" on the major city of Oahu, I was impressed, as always, with the diversity found on our island.  There are so many choices in housing, recreation, scenery, education - really all facets of our lifestyle - and our population reflects these complementary options which make up Hawaii.
As reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, here are some interesting facts on Honolulu County.
Population estimate, 2009 - 907,574Under … (0 comments)

honolulu real estate: Oahu Sales Statistics for October, 2010 - 11/09/10 04:37 AM
My last blog was on the positive real estate trends in Hawaii Kai, and I'm pleased to post equally good signs for Oahu.
Oahu
Single Family - October2010 - 241 sales; median sales price $595,750; median days on market 35; inventory at month end 1,4722009 - 290 sales; median sales price $604,500; median days on market 52; inventory at month end 1,660
Single Family - Year to Date2010 - 2,496 sales; median sales price $598,000; median days on market 332009 - 2,160 sales; median sales price $580,000; median days on market 52
Condos - October2010 - 310 sales; median sales price … (1 comments)

honolulu real estate: Honolulu, HI - Bishop Gardens - SOLD - 10/16/10 02:25 PM
This condo in Bishop Gardens is a well-maintained unit in a great location that is close to a shopping center, schools & bus line.  The comfortable home is ideal for a starter home or investor.  If you are in the military, you still have a 1st time buyer tax credit you can use and stop paying rent.  The unit has a full-size washer/dryer, eating area in the kitchen, and the flooring has been upgraded to wood laminate. There's a wonderful outdoor recreation area, and Bishop Gardens has a reasonable maintenance fee of $300 that covers hot water, gas, water, and sewer.  … (1 comments)

honolulu real estate: Hawaii Kai and Oahu September 2010 Real Estate Market News - 10/08/10 08:17 AM
Oahu Single Family Real Estate Sales, September, 2010
According to data released by the Honolulu Board of Realtors, September marked five straight months of median price gains for single-family homes on Oahu when compared with prices in the same months last year. The number of sales also continued an upward trend.  The median price for previously owned single-family homes sold in September was $622,450, up 2.9% from $605,000 in September 2009.  For the first nine months of the year, the median price was $599,000, a 4.2% increase from 2009.
Island-wide, there were 274 single-family homes purchased in September, up 8.3% from 253 a year earlier.  For the … (0 comments)

honolulu real estate: Honolulu, HI - August Real Estate Sales for Oahu and Hawaii Kai - 09/11/10 04:55 AM
According to data released by the Honolulu Board of Realtors for the Oahu real estate market, there are signs that the pendulum is beginning to swing back in favor of sellers.  Rising prices, a shrinking inventory of unsold homes, and sellers receiving multiple offers in some areas of the island all point to a recovery in the market this year. In addition, an increase in "pending sales" -- where a buyer has accepted a contract but the sale has not yet closed -- is a positive sign.  The number of pending sales rose 45% in August over numbers in 2009.
The … (1 comments)

honolulu real estate: Hawaii Kai Green Homes - 07/17/10 11:24 AM
The Green Home Market is getting a lot of publicity, and our Hawaii state government is trying hard to make Hawaii a friendly place to build green and live green. We have pockets of Oahu which are offer more new construction that others, but the trend to make your home Green is island-wide. Here's an update from RISMedia, about the current state of the green housing market.
"Availability of loans, interest rates, tax credits, home affordability, and general economic conditions all influence housing trends. However, the primary factor affecting growth of green homes in any given area depends on where local … (0 comments)

honolulu 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)

honolulu real estate: Honolulu , HI and Oahu Real Estate Market Update for January 2010 - 02/03/10 05:43 AM
The real estate numbers are positive for January on Oahu and most communities, including Hawaii Kai.  For the island, the median price of single family homes rose 10.8% to $597,500 from $539,500 in January, 2009.  While this doesn't mean prices will rise from now on, the market since mid-2009 has been more active.  January was the 5th consecutive month to see an increase in single family home sales, up 32.8% to 162 from 122 a year earlier.  Obviously, a large part of the activity can be attributed to the 1st time buyer tax credit, which definitely has stimulated sales.
The median … (0 comments)

honolulu 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)