Honolulu

98719 Iho Place, Unit 5/1402, in the Colonnade on Greens, is now available.Visit my Open House Sunday, July 20, 2 - 5 PM.You won't find a home with the amenities and view at this price anywhere else on the island.Contact me for a private showing or more details.Barbara Abe, REALTORbarbara@barbarashawaii.comwww.movetohawaiikai.com808-226-2537

A new green project called the Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning (HSWAC) proposes to cool down buildings with seawater, rather than using fossil fuel-based air conditioning units, and it is getting some serious green to back it. Private investors have put up nearly $11 Million,completing the funding effort for the $152 Million project, with about half of the final funding coming from investors fr

The Waikiki Aquarium is one of the premier marine science institutions in the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii. Founded on March 19, 1904, this marine aquarium is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States. Since 1919, the Waikiki Aquarium has been an institution of the University of Hawaii [...]

While speaking with a potential client in California, I was surprised to discover that she was making plans to move to Honolulu. Apparently, Californians are being taxed at such a level that many are looking for states with a more bearable overall tax structure. I found it interesting that she would consider Hawaii a more

Even though this blog came from a Cleveland Ohio real estate company, most of the reasons not to own a home in Honolulu are applicable. None of these reasons may apply to you, however, read the entire list for a great laugh. ” # Your time line for living in your new home is the same

Generalities. In general they can be right and in specific they can be wrong. A prime example is the general condition of most real estate markets in the U.S. Most news reports and people espouse the idea that the housing market is not doing well. In general they may be right

The Honolulu City Council is moving towards tightening up beach camping laws, creating another blow for homeless people on Oahu.Officials say this will reduce the number of homeless people living in beach parks.Under current camping laws, authorities are finding enforcement difficult.The definitions of who and how long they can stay right now leaves many shades of gray.

A very interesting project is under construction next to Honolulu’s Lexus dealership. The developer is refitting the majority of the old National Cash Register Building at the corner of Cooke and Kapiolani. It is part of the growing “metropolitization” (my word) of Honolulu. The location puts your home within walking distance to

So you want to be central to everything in Honolulu. How about being walking distance to Straub Medical Center, Queens Medical Center, the Municipal Building (Honolulu Hale), Blaisdale Concert Hall, Safeway, the Ward Area and much, much more. The King Manor condominium offers all of this! This is a studio unit that has a

I am a Honolulu Realtor because I have seen how home ownership changes the lives of those who own them. Certainly, the financial aspect of potential long-term appreciation is enticing, but property rights are fundamental to the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. One of our great founders, James Madison, writes about our property rights. “In

We are our own worst enemy! Believe it or not we drive the economy! If we want it to change, then we need to move our attitude away from pessimism and toward optimism. Maybe I am showing my age, but I lived through recessions in the early 80’s and middle 1990’s and

Anyone is planning to have a sweet and romantic vacation to Honolulu, the capital and most populous place in the state of Hawaii? Irrespective of whether you are or you are not, I suggest you do take... Look 4 Dream Girls

More and more reports are coming out pondering significant economic inflation. As much as I don’t want to see the inflation of the late 70’s and early 80’s, I would be remiss to turn a blind eye to its possibility. Two recent articles at the Wall Street Journal’s website talk about signs that

Great Hawaiian ToursDay 1 Hometown - Honolulu Arrive at the world famous Honolulu-Capital of Hawaii, be met and transferred. Hotel:Waikiki West or similar Day 2 PEARL HARBOR - HONOLULU CITY TOUR Visit the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, where we watch a recorded film of the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. We then board the navy launch for a trip to the memorial itself. Tour continues to Iolani Palace,

Great news. Even though Honolulu seems safe, according to the Honolulu Advertiser, the crime rate has been declining over the last four (4) years. “Law enforcement officials and observers credit the declining crime rate to a focus on repeat offenders, especially drug traffickers and car thieves, as well as increased community vigilance.” As I have said

So you sold your house and now you’re a couple of weeks away from the close of escrow. The buyer’s lease has run out and they have to move. You get a call asking that the buyer be allowed to move in prior to the close of escrow. What to do?

Believe it or not, large 2 bedroom 2 bath apartments in Honolulu under $500,000 can be hard to find. Below are 5 that are located centrally to everything Honolulu has to offer. They are all over 1,000 square feet and are available to purchase now! Call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free

Hip, hip hooray! Monocle Magazine has just named Honolulu the USA’s most livable city. “Honolulu is no longer a far-flung destination for surfers and vacationers,” the London-based publication said at the time. “Bridging the oceanic gap between California and Asia, Honolulu now fits the definition of a global city — a palm-fringed metropolis with a

Flood insurance can increase the cost of owning your Honolulu home, so here is a new website that will allow you to determine your exposure. Be sure to check a property out BEFORE you buy. “A new tool offered by the State Department of Land and Natural Resources offers residents a chance to evaluate

Disclosures Before You Read This Blog. 1. The FHA may not allow the purchase of multiple properties. 2. Lender guidelines regularly change and loan programs may not be available in the future. Specific terms outlined herein could change too. 3. The interest rate of 6% is an example and may not be available when

This 3 bedroom 1.5 bathroom condominium is offered at $350,000 and it is in a Honolulu condominium called Terrace Towers.  At 918 square feet it comes with one open parking stall. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets were changed in 2006 and the unit would make an excellent home for a first time buyer or

* 1 pound mahi-mahi, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes * 1/4 cup pineapple juice * 1/4 cup oil * 2 tablespoons rum * 1 (1.2-ounce) packet Seasons Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix, Asian Sesame * 1/2 teaspoon [...]

Honolulu’s hurricane season is upon us. Sure we need to make sure to have the appropriate supplies on hand, batteries, water, food, radio’s, some cash, etc. The recent article at Fox News talks about the documents we should have on hand too. “All of your materials should be put in a little portable

How often do you go great distances to find things of beauty and interest? Consider looking in your own yard! These crotons can be found on the walkway up to my home. Here is an example of the “Acres Of Diamonds” that reside around all of our homes.

Given that I have school age children, over the last several years, I have had a chance to experience a wide variety of Honolulu’s youth sports programs. We have played Wai-Kahala flag football and baseball, Police Athletic Leagues, KAC Basketball, club volley ball, club swimming, ILH track and summer school wrestling. By far,

I attended the oldest High School west of the Rocky Mountains, Lahainaluna, on Maui. It was founded in 1831, but this is not the institution of which I write today. Punahou school, in Honolulu, was founded in 1841 and is considered one of the best schools in the country. It’s graduates include

Iolani Palace is situated in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It is the only royal palace used as an official residence by a reigning monarch in the United States and is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two monarchs governed from Iolani [...]

To be politically correct, I need to say “Twin Sisters of Different Fathers.” I know what you’re thinking, where is Keahi going today. During yesterday’s workout, I began pondering the differences between buyers and sellers of real estate and I came to the conclusion that, though they are on opposite sides of the

Here is another part of your Honolulu contract quiver. Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties uses an Addendum to the Purchase Contract and many firms mirror this document. CLICK HERE TO GET A COPY. For me, one needs to ask whether or not this is necessary and if it brings some additional language that

If you are planning on buying or selling real estate in Honolulu it is good idea to familiarize yourself with the Hawaii Association of Realtors Purchase Contract. Those of us who have been around for a long while, have had the term Deposit Receipt Offer and Acceptance (DROA) steeped into our memory, but the

Here is more on my ongoing series regarding arriving at an offering price for a potential purchase. It is good to consider various aspects of recent sales in the immediate area of the Honolulu home you are going to buy. This helps to build a case for the values in that particular neighborhood

By: Ken Smith Many people dream about leaving their mainland life to move to the tropical paradise of the Hawaiian Islands. With stunning scenery, beautiful beaches, friendly communities and a mild climate all year round, it's easy to understand why Hawaii is so attractive, both as a tourist destination and as a place to call home. One of the most popular locations for vacationers and house hunter

Kauai plan would revise property taxHonolulu Star-Bulletin, HI - 10 minutes agoA bill, sent to the County Council yesterday and based on a 2004 proposal, would not only transfer the tax burden onto resorts, hotels and vacation rentals, … Original post by nathaniel

In my previous post on negotiating the price of a property, I state that one of the important question to ask is “How long has it been on the market?” Ah yes! The old days on market question! Days on market, or DOM, are the number of days a home has been

Paradise. There is perhaps no other city on the planet to which the word "paradise" accurately can be used as a description of the community. In short, Honolulu truly is paradise on earth.One of the most compelling features of Honolulu is its magnificent climate. The year around, the average high temperature in Honolulu is in the mid-80s. Nearly 400,000 people call Honolulu home today.The performi

One of Honolulu’s great landmarks is closing soon. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel will have a seven month $85,000,000 make over. This is great to hear because the last time I was there it still had the feeling of grandeur, but there was the sense that the time had come for a little tender

Wednesday’s news reports regarding the Federal Reserve’s concerns over possible increases in inflation may be another sign that it is a very good time to buy real estate in Honolulu. Vice-chairman of the Federal Reserve, Donald Kohn tries to articulate the Fed’s concern. Let me know if you can make sense of this [...]

HONOLULU: Assistant curator John Johnston scaled steep cliffs for seven hours to reach a bronze sculpture of a Buddha at a small Himalayan monastery 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) above sea level. And where there was no trail, he and two companions grabbed trees to pull themselves up the mountain. The gilt bronze figure is now [...]

Wow! Honolulu was just selected by Best Life Magazine as the best place in the United States to raise a family. Even with the high cost of living, I have always believed this to be true. I have a 14 year old daughter and a 10 year old son, I find a [...]

Oh the value of a view. Over the years, I have noticed that a view brings an “X” factor to the sale of a property. An “X” factor is something that brings additional value to a sale. “X” factors may not be immediately measurable, yet they are real, and people are willing [...]

Color, color, color and more color! Color is in, in Honolulu! This home is full of color and it makes me proud to be an American because it shows our freedoms at work. There are parts of the world where a committee might visit this home for being out of the ordinary [...]

Time to revitalize yourself? Here is a Top 10 of Day Spas in the Honolulu, HI area. This list was compiled and ordered by how frequently the Day Spa's information is kept in people's digital address books. The Day Spas that are used more frequently are stored more frequently. The No.1 Day Spa on this list has been stored the most amount of times by Honolulu residents. Generally, people only store

The Honolulu chapter of Stussy just recently released 2 new tees which each come with a Bearbrick. The “Ghost Eye” which is shown on the right and “Ghost Surfman” which is shown on the left are both available in either white or black. Included with the “Ghost Eye” shirt is a pink Bearbrick while the [...]

Bobby Lee is on MadTV and he's mad funny.Since I don't live in the States, I only get to see clips from the show. However, I did post some of his skits a few months back when I blogged about the "average Asian" skit they do on MadTV. It's funny stuff...check it out if you haven't seen it.It looks like he had a Secret Standup Show in Honolulu with MySpace. MySpace.com has shows from time to time

Time to revitalize yourself? Here is a Top 10 of Day Spas in the Honolulu, HI area. This list was compiled and ordered by how frequently the Day Spa’s information is kept in people’s digital address books. The Day Spas that are used more frequently are stored more frequently. More: continued here addthis_url [...]

For me, I make the best latte in Honolulu. If you like your coffee extra hot and very strong, then you will like the way I make mine. Here’s the problem, I only make them for me or the guests in my home. If you’re forced to buy a latte in Honolulu, [...]

Blogging is great!  The more I write, the more I become aware of things that, until now, never really stood out to me.  The house in this picture is one that I have walked by many, many times!  And then yesterday as I was doing my walk (from the top of Wilhelmina Rise to the [...]

Do you have an extra room in your home or apartment being used to store dust or junk? Given Honolulu’s International Airport, your room could be turned into a cash flow cow. A recent article in the LA Times talks about the need for “crash pads” for aircrew (pilots, flight attendants, etc.). [...]

This past Mothers Day I had the chance to shop at the new Safeway on Kapahulu. As I drove to the convenient rooftop parking, I considered that this store is going to positively change the face of this desirable Honolulu neighborhood. Not only is this one of the nicest super markets I have [...]

Many local Honolulu real estate firms have their own “in house” lender, also known as an “affiliated” lender. When a buyer is making an offer through a firm that has one of these captive lenders there should be written disclosure of the relationship between the real estate company and lender. I have always [...]

Honolulu attractions are many indeed; the city serves as a base to explore Oahu’s many wonders – its white sand beaches, unique tropical vegetation, and exciting nightlife. For those who want to do Honolulu sightseeing, Waikiki Beach tops the list. There are also many historical landmarks, museums, and restaurants that specialize in Hawaiian dishes, and [...]

I was inspecting a house that fronts on the the mauka side of Kalanianaole Highway and I was able to take this picture of Paiko Lagoon. Paiko is located just beyond Niu Valley and has homes on the ocean and fronting on a lagoon. If you wanted to buy in this Honolulu neighborhood, [...]

Congratulations to Chef Ed Kinney for making the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List! He was the only Hawaii restaurant to make this year’s list. It is the second time he has been on the list. The first award came for his Kaimuki shop aptly named “Town”. Lucky for me, “Town” is [...]

If you have a vintage Honolulu home, you may qualify to have it put on the historic register. The Hawaii Historic Foundation is a non-profit that helps to identify and preserve historically significant buildings. The benefit to residential home owner is that you can reduce your property taxes. To determine if your [...]

This Manoa cottage closed at $800,000 on April 30th. I represented the buyer and it was originally listed for sale at $799,000. There are many great lessons that can be drawn for from this sale, but the most important lesson for sellers of Honolulu real estate is that pricing is the key to creating activity [...]

Paragraphs C-41, C-42 and C-43 of the Purchase Contract (PC) have to do with surveying a the corners and/or perimeters of the lot.  When the surveyor is complete with his work all of he corners should have pins or marks which locate the location of the particular corner.  This marks take the form of a [...]

There is a wonderful community at the foot of Diamond Head sandwiched between Kaimana Beach and the end of Kalakaua Avenue. This area has a few classic homes, but is better known for ocean front condos and cooperatives. Many locals call it the “Gold Coast”. The name may be a result of [...]

At the beginning of April, I joined the board of the Kapiolani Health Foundation.  This is the fundraising arm of the Kapiolani Medical Center.  The purpose of this blog is to inform, as well as ask you to make a donation to help sustain this valuable community asset (click here to make an online gift).  [...]

I received an email update from Cindy Naito, of First American Exchange Company, regarding the tax treatment of a second or vacation home. Goods news. Until now it was generally understood that a seller could not use an IRC Section 1031 Exchange to defer the capital gains tax on the sale. Based [...]

General Growth Management (the owner of Ala Moana Shopping Center and most of the land in the Ward area) offered more clarity on its 20 year master plan for Ward Center area. It includes nine residential high rise condos (4300 units), retail (as much as 7,00,00 square feet) and entertainment businesses. This bodes well for [...]

That is a definite maybe or maybe not! Let me start by saying that in Honolulu these are two methods of foreclosing on a mortgage. For years Hawaii was a judicial foreclosure State and in the late 1990’s a non-judicial foreclosure process was added by the legislature. If you are considering buying a foreclosure via [...]

The Honolulu that greeted Captain Hackfeld and his wife was not much more than an overgrown village with narrow, unlighted streets and unpaved alleys. Shops were dark and forbidding and the streets were deep with dust. All water was pumped by hand, or by windmills from wells sunk in the coral rock. Here and there among the prevailing grass huts and adobe houses was a wooden house of two stories, which belonged to some prosperous family. The harbor of Honolulu was small and comparatively shallow. The wharves were crude -- hardly more than landing places. A slaughter house and meat market projected out over the water; opposite them was a long row of shanties that filled the air with strong odors of fish and vegetables. Despite the unkempt appearance of the town and the harbor, trade was boom

Who would have guessed? Read the entire Honolulu Advertiser Article. “Honolulu is tied with the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area for having the sixth-highest percentage of households in the nation with high-speed Internet connections, the report by Scarborough Research shows.”

Before you consider an IRC Section 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange you will want to seek counsel from your financial advisor, CPA, accountant, attorney and qualified experts in 1031 Exchanges. After all of my chatter about the value of owning Honolulu real estate, I’ll bet you’re wondering, “Why should anyone ever sell something they own in Honolulu?” [...]

Review article on General Growths plan. “As part of the overall 20-year master plan, most, if not all, of the existing buildings in the Ward neighborhood would be replaced to make way for the new vision. A grand, central plaza two and a half football fields long will connect Queen Street to Kewalo Basin in the first [...]

Once a price and Purchase Contract (PC) are agreed to by the Seller and Buyer in the sale of Honolulu real estate, the next major hurdle to get over is the inspection of the property. This can be performed by a professional inspector (I highly recommend the use of a professional inspector) or the [...]

Almost all of the major medical care available in Hawaii is located in the core of Honolulu. Not only is there a great deal available in Honolulu’s center, but I am told that we have very good health care (thankfully, I haven’t had to personally discover how good it is). Kapiolani Medical Center Queens Medical Center Straub [...]

In some states closing a real estate transaction is very different from closing a sale in Honolulu.  I am told that in other areas closing is when the buyer and their attorney and seller and their attorney meet to finalize the sale.  At the end of this meeting, the buyer walks away with a deed [...]

If a termite could eat wood, how much wood could a termite eat? Well, it depends whether or not the termite is of the ground variety or from the tribe of the dry wood termites. The latter can still eat you out of house and home, but it will take a lot [...]

HONOLULU, (Cisco Partner Summit 2008), April 7, 2008 - Highlighting the value of improved communication and collaboration, Cisco today announced that Cisco channel partners enVision Networked Solutions and Hawaiian Telcom, have worked with the city of Honolulu to help deploy a gigabit fiber network and 3,500 Cisco Unified IP phones. This citywide network overhaul, part of a multi-year project to transform Honolulu's communication and collaboration capabilities, includes the delivery of Cisco Unified Communications capabilities to Mayor Mufi Hanneman's office.The city of Honolulu's revitalization efforts were plagued with a severely outdated public branch exchange (PBX) system that featured 14 separate PBX and key systems, including the main PBX system that was 30 years old and costing the

This is a photo of the jellyfish tank at the Waikiki Aquarium. It went horribly wrong, yet somehow, I kind of like it. Please vote for Everything Everywhere Travel Blog at [...]

Even so, Hawaii appears to be holding up under the economic uncertainty. In January, Oahu's median single-family home price of $623,536 — meaning half sold for more, half for less — was above July's median, according to the Bank of Hawaii.The bank asserts that Hawaii's mortgage-delinquency and loan-default rates are the lowest in the U.S.

It's Monday and our new Hawaii photo is posted. As you may recognize immediately, Jennifer selected a very famous photo from her Hawaii stock photography, well known not only to Oahu visitors, but closely connected to the American history: It's a Pearl Harbor memorial photo of the USS Arizona memorial! A few weeks ago, Joanne from California wrote a guest post about their Oahu vacation, the things they did on Oahu and the sights she and her husband had visited.She told us that they spent nearly an entire day at Pearl Habor Memorial. Like everybody else who visited the Pearl Harbor memorial on Oahu, she believes anyone traveling to Hawaii should not miss this historic memorial.There is no denying that this will be a very emotional and moving visit. It brings back the history of World War I

2888 Ala Ilima St #2307Five Regents BuildingSalt Lake Neighborhood1 parking, long lease to 2078Low mx fee $213New paint, carpet, ceramic tileSecure building with pool,community laundry, tennis court$155,000 leaseholdOPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 11/182 - 5 PM

Honolulu ranks among the priciest college towns in a new study that scores home prices in the nation's college markets.The study, released Tuesday by Coldwell Banker Real Estate, looked at markets that are home to 119 schools that are eligible to play in football bowl games.With an average home price of $843,750, Honolulu, home to the University of Hawaii-Manoa, ranked seventh on the list of the 10 most expensive college markets.

Honolulu's credit strength rests in the sound fundamentals of its tourism-based economy, good financial operations and reserves, low debt burden, and strong fiscal management. The island's tourism base has adapted to a shift to more domestic-based visitors, while the area's role as the commercial center and state capital and a sizable military presence add stability. Tourism on the island is highly developed and has strong underpinnings, providing continual demand and industry investment. Recent very strong tax-base growth has eased financial operations and enabled reserves to increase. The low debt burden reflects the state's sizable role in financing education facilities. Credit concerns reflect rising labor costs including pensions and retiree health care and vulnerability to decline in the housing market given the recent run-up in residential prices and the declines the county experienced earlier this decade.

1:Limpie las costillas y dividalas en porciones grandes. <br>2:Prepare la marinada mezclando salsa de soja,vinagre,la miel,el azucar,las especias para parrilladas,la pimienta y la cayena.Ponga las co ...

Here are popular things to do when visiting Hawaii. These top activities are located on the island of Oahu which hosts the capital of Honolulu. Over 80% of visitors to Hawaii visit or stay in Honolulu. The list is in no particular order. Continued…Read the rest of this article >

Oahu real estate is growing only in price, not in geography. 200,000 to 300,000 people commute from here to there each day in cars and trucks and clog the highways and city streets. Add a little rain, mix in pedestrians and a minor fender bender, and the whole grid comes to a grinding halt. Including the busses. The grinding halt occurs more frequently these days. 60,000 new cars a year make parking the most unpopular participant sport in Honolulu. A rail system is the only way to solve the problem says city councilman Gary Okino, “Honolulu needs to move, I would say, 200 to 300-thousand people a day and only one kind of system would do it and that’s a high-speed, high-capacity rail system and that is why I am so in favor of it.”

A&B Properties, Inc., the real estate subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALEX), has sold its fee simple interest in a four-acre commercial parcel in Honolulu, close to Ala Moana Shopping Center, for $45.5 million. The buyer and previous ground lease holder, Don Quijote (USA), closed the transaction today, September 14, and will continue to operate its U.S. flagship store at the location. A&B Properties CEO Stanley M. Kuriyama said, "Don Quijote’s unsolicited offer allowed us to capture the property’s embedded intrinsic value well ahead of our original schedule.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann has joined other mayors in asking top government leaders for more marketing dollars and reforms that will make it more appealing and more convenient for overseas tourists to visit the United States.Hawaii, along with many other U.S. destinations, has continued to struggle in recent years with a declining base of international visitors. Overseas travel to the United States has fallen 17 percent since its peak in 2000, with a cumulative cost of more than $100 billion in lost visitor spending.

Although a hotel near the airport is probably not the first (or the second or even third) place you’d think about staying in Hawaii, the recently renovated OHANA Honolulu Airport Hotel has been garnering excellent online reviews .

Downtown Honolulu has the third-most expensive daily parking rate among 51 U.S. markets, according to a new survey. Honolulu's median cost was $32 a day, or just behind the $34 median cost in downtown New York City and $33 in Boston. The survey conducted by Colliers International, a commercial real estate company, also found parking cost $42 a day in the Manhattan portion of New York City.

A family of four -- two adults and two children -- can expect to pay an average of $650 per day when vacationing in Hawaii, according to the survey released this week. Other costly destinations include the District of Columbia ($611 per day), Rhode Island ($345) and New York ($326).