east hawaii real estate: Seventh Grade Wisdom - 07/22/12 10:09 PM
It’s amazing the things one remembers. Mr. Stringer, my 7th grade math teacher, was full of down-home Will Rogers style advice. Much of it had little to do with math, but I remember it quite clearly, none-the-less. There’s one pearl, which made me particularly red-faced no matter how many times he repeated it. 
Every time I see a title report with multiple owners and a lien or judgment belong to just one owner, I can hear Mr. Stringer loudly and clearly telling us all to “be very careful who we swap slobber with.” Often the complications that show up on title … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Rewind and Moving Forward - 07/13/12 12:38 AM
Some will recall reading 10 years ago reading that my baby daughter, Mililani Browning, graduated from Kamehemeha Kapalama.  Boy does time fly!  Mililani went on to complete her degree in agro-ecology from UH-Hilo.   To be honest, I wondered how she intended to make a living.  Here’s the thing.  She has taught me so much.  She currently works with the Alala project which, along with her past work with Imi Pono Na Ka Aina and The Three Mountain Alliance, provides great motivation for her to educate not only her Mommy but members of the public and recently the Hawaii Island REALTORS® .  
Many … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: A Simple Concept? - 07/08/12 10:05 PM
Whether on-line or in print, real Estate ads are subject to a couple of sets of regulations. Disclosing the “value” of an estate is fairly unique to Hawaii. Until a few years ago, designation of an estate quality as either “fee simple” (FS) or “leasehold” (LH) was required on all forms of advertisement. While leasehold ownership must still be specifically noted, properties not so designated are now assumed to be fee simple. 
Because the concept of leasehold ownership is fairly unique, it should be no surprise that people always question the distinction between the two. In most basic terms, fee simple … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: This Old House - 06/28/12 11:43 PM
Getting old can be tough. Apparently the idea that 70 is the new 50 doesn’t apply to buildings. Let me explain. A couple of years ago, Act 228, aka The Historic Preservation Act created new requirements for owners seeking to alter or demolish any structure 50 or more years old. Passed in July 08, the law required that owners submit archival quality photos to the State Historic Division of the Dept of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) prior to the issuance of, for example a demolition permit. Without a demolition permit, a new building permit could not be obtained by an owner … (0 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Arnold the Pig will not Convey! - 06/21/12 09:30 PM
We love our pets. Pets help make a house a home. Pet issues require special considerations when selling your home. Cats, for instance, are a common source of allergens. Some people react violently to them. Buyers sometimes refuse to view a home with cats inside. Pet smells can be offensive. Litter boxes, cat spray, dog urine, bird cages, or guinea pig smells can be a real turn off to a buyer who might otherwise love your home. Dogs and geese make huge muddy messes in yards and on porches. It takes little encouragement to arouse every rooster and dog in the … (3 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Here today, gone tomorrow?? - 06/07/12 09:38 PM
In most real estate sales, there’s a buyer’s agent and a seller’s agent.  While there are circumstances in East Hawaii when a single agent represents both parties, such situations are not the norm.  REALTORS® subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics.  Our REALTOR® Code of Ethics is the value proposition that sets us apart from non-REALTOR® agents.  In fact, the public may not realize that agents who do not subscribe to this strict set of guidelines cannot even be called REALTORs®. One provision of the Code requires us to work under “written agreement” with those we represent. While we are conditioned to obtain a … (0 comments)

east hawaii real estate: What You Say Is What You Get???? - 05/26/12 04:02 AM
One of the places buyers and sellers go to find information regarding local real estate is www.trulia.com. Trulia aggregates a lot of great real estate information; crime rates, information regarding schools and to a lesser extent, comments from locals about the area. Truth is, it’s a great site that attempts make global real estate local. One thing I love about Trulia is a posting called “Real Estate Reality Check”.   A week or so ago, Tara- Nicholle Nelson posted an article entitled “What Sellers Say vs. What Buyers Hear”.  It was spot on in many ways.  The point of her posting was that well-intentioned but … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Know Your Landlord Before You Rent - 05/21/12 04:50 AM
Even though rentals can now be listed on our Multiple Listing Service and many are still listed in the local paper, Craig’s List is where most people begin their search to find new digs these days. While most postings are completely legitimate, unfortunately, Craig’s list is often a conduit for someone’s illegal profit center. It’s fairly common for REALTORS® to receive calls from prospective tenants inquiring if one of our listings is really for rent. With just a few clicks, imposter landlords are able to pull information and photos from our listings and re-post them as rentals.  This week, the “ … (0 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Furniture and Fixtures - 05/11/12 09:54 AM
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east hawaii real estate: Attracting Buyers! - 04/27/12 04:27 AM
There’s no denying that the housing market is still hugely competitive.  When there are more homes than buyers in a neighborhood, it is referred to as a “buyer’s market”.  This swings the bargaining pendulum squarely on the side of the buyer.  The challenge for sellers is to balance the pendulum.  
Pricing is critical.  Overpricing may cause the buyer to eliminate a home before they even see it.  An overpriced home may be automatically excluded from the buyer’s candidate list.  Curb appeal is another important issue.  The buyer should like what they see.  Current statistics indicate that a home is 2000 … (2 comments)

east hawaii real estate: “Ohana Means Family”…?? - 04/20/12 05:45 AM
It’s hard to imagine that it’s been over 8 years since Lilo and Stitch taught the world that “Ohana means family”.  That now famous line raises a different set of questions where real estate is involved.  
If you are purchasing or intend to develop a property with multiple living units, understanding Ohana permit issues could be important.  Each County implements and creates rules for administration of their Ohana permit requirements.  The requirements on the Big Island differ dramatically from other islands.  There is no requirement on the Big Island for a family member to inhabit an Ohana dwelling.  While previous implementations of Rule … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Update First Quarter 2012 Homes Sales - 04/16/12 06:13 AM
Even though  Hawaii Information Service is reporting a dip for Hawaii Island in the number of homes sold during the 1st quarter this year over last (2011=385/2012=370), RISMedia, the go-to source for many REALTORS®,  is reporting an uptick in both sales numbers and pricing nationwide (www.rismedia.com;  Mar 20,2012).  
A close look at East Hawaii neighborhoods shows that inventory is decreasing.  Sales are very steady or on the rebound. Price increases will likely follow.   My friends in the catchment business are extremely busy.  Catchment systems are being replaced in homes sold to investors who are purchasing to fix and re-sell.  … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Do Your Foreclosure Homework - 04/05/12 11:17 PM
Foreclosure auctions can be a terrific place to pick up bargains, right? Like my attorney friends always say, it depends. Only since 2008 or so have foreclosure notices become common in our Hilo newspaper. It’s a dubious honor to have gone from dead last in the number or foreclosures to currently nesting among the top third in the nation. 
Foreclosure notices designate dates when the property will be held “open” for inspection as well as a date for the scheduled auction. The lender’s representative will always attend the auction. The representative will overbid anyone who bids below a predetermined price. Most … (2 comments)

east hawaii real estate: A “Moving” Tax and Your Bottom Line! - 03/29/12 11:56 PM
The Federal government requires a withholding of 10% of the gross proceeds any time a foreign seller conveys property.  Escrow will also withhold an additional 5% because the foreigner is not a Hawaii resident.  The 5% withholding applies to all out-of-state owners.  Buyer and seller alike should be aware of nuances pertaining to the Foreign Investor Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) and the Hawaii Investor Real Property Tax Act (HARPTA).  As soon as an escrow is opened, an affidavit is forwarded to the seller. This normally comes from the escrow company.  A copy of the completed affidavit is provided to the … (0 comments)

east hawaii real estate: I've Got a Secret - 03/26/12 12:03 AM
It’s a small town. We once rented a home that developed a problem with the cesspool. While cesspools in East Hawaii are fairly maintenance free, this particular part of town has under ground springs which during periods of heavy rains are prone to back ups. Being an all round good guy, the property manager came as soon as he was called. One of the neighbors became disturbed by the “repair” noise and called the police. Two officers responded. My girls had friends sleeping over that night. One of the friends was the daughter of the first police officer and the step-daughter … (63 comments)

east hawaii real estate: In-Deed - 03/08/12 10:57 PM
Are all deeds created equal? It depends. There are basically 3 different types conveyance documents used in Hawaii. Here’s the basics. A regular warranty deed contains many covenants from the grantor. Among them, there’s a covenant that the owner really owns the property, that the property is being conveyed without undisclosed encumbrances but most importantly, that the grantor will “warrant and defend” title to the property forever. The language of the covenants implies that the grantor has had some level of personal involvement or relationship with the property. 
A special or limited warranty deed, on the other hand, only warrants that … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Breaking the Code - 03/01/12 10:38 PM
I need a new treadmill. Because we visit Costco pretty regularly, I’ve been looking at theirs seriously. I started taking notes when I noticed the little square QR code on the side of the box. A simple “snap” put all the specs right on my phone. For many, this is old stuff but for the few uninitiated, QR codes may seem a curious little blip on an ad. 
Much like a UPC code, Quick Response Codes encode digitized information. Unlike UPC codes which are commonly read by a commercial UPC scanner, QR codes can be read with any camera phone equipped … (1 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Market To Market!! - 02/23/12 11:44 PM
“You’ll wonder where the yellow went!” “See the USA in a Chevrolet!” “Double your pleasure, double your fun!” …… When that Chevy sat on top of that mountain every Sunday night, we remembered.  Those twins put Doublemint gum on the map and I’m not even sure Pepsodent is still in production but I certainly recall their slogan more than 40 years later! 
Messages repeated again and again, stick.  Studies tell us that it takes a minimum of 7 impressions to cause an impact.  With a direct mail campaign, for instance, we know that if we aren’t willing to mail at … (2 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Tenant Notice - 07/08/11 10:03 AM
The contract you received on your rental property looks good. The buyer does, however, need to get a loan in order to complete the purchase. There’s also a short sale that needs to be processed; lots of balls in the air. Your REALTOR® explains that tenants, by law, are entitled to a 45 day notice to vacate. Being the faithful reader that you are, you recall that appraisals take at least a month to 45 days to complete.  You do the mental math and realize that 60 days for loan approval and 45 days for tenant notice equal almost 4 months … (0 comments)

east hawaii real estate: Previewing Second Quarter 2011 Stats - 07/07/11 06:10 AM
With national reports still putting a negative spin on the housing market, I thought it might be interesting to look at sold activity in as broad a sampling of our local markets as possible. Once second quarter stats are out, additional detail and my own personal spin will be added for selected markets. One thing is clear, there’s a lot of activity in East Hawaii. In fact, our office which consistently ranks among the busiest in East Hawaii, is experiencing activity levels far above last year*. If you don’t see your neighborhood, let me know. I’m happy to provide information for … (0 comments)