Hawaii VA Loans and the Real Estate Process

The following are some of the steps that are followed for the Hawaii VA Loan and Real Estate Process to Owning Your Hawaii Home. There are definitely more than a few steps but you will at least have a guideline to follow for your Hawaii Military Relocation, your Hawaii VA Loan Process and owning your Hawaii Home. Read more here>>>http://actvra.in/dpl

•Speak to a Local Hawaii Lender to submit your information and get preapproved for a loan. (if you do not have a loan officer in mind, I can refer you to a few who are well qualified and licensed in the State of Hawaii) While talking to the Loan Officer make sure and let him/her know what kind of monthy mortgage payments you are comfortable with. After getting preapproved for your loan … ….your Realtor® will now know what price range to search for properties for you.

•Let your agent know what specifics and criteria you are interested in for properties. Giving your agent the specifics, location, # bedrooms/ # of baths, sq. ft. interior/land, parking, single family or condo/townhouse will make it easier to fine tune your property search. YOU CAN ALSO GET A HEAD START HERE>> HAWAII HOME SEARCH

•Make sure you have all your financial paperwork together to bring wiht you to Hawaii.(You carry on bags should have your bank statements, W-2’s, LES’s and important documents you will need to submit for your loan!) Your loan officer will give you a list of documents you will need. •Certificate of Eligibility can be obtained from the Veterans of Affairs office but our lenders order them online once you start your loan process. If anything is held up we have a VA office centrally located on Oahu for your convenience and it takes just minutes.

•Starting your loan process before you arrive so you will have everything at hand when you submit an offer for a property. The loan process is the lengthy and important part of the transaction so it is better to be proactive in your process. Your funding fee can be included with your loan but you will have some closing costs to close with. NOTE: If you are a Disabled Veteran make sure and let your loan officer know as you could be eligible to have the funding fee waived. You arrive on the island of Oahu! After getting rested you are ready to meet your Realtor®!

•Appointments were made prior to your arrival and we are ready to search for your new home! When you decide that you would like to put in an offer we will go through the whole 12 page (plus addendum’s) contract and submit it to the sellers agent to present to the seller. •After the offer is accepted the loan process begins. You will meet with your Loan Officer to submit your complete application and submit all documentation needed for your VA Loan process packet. Then it goes to Underwriting to process the initial packet and order the appraisal with their VA approved appraisers.

•The Home Inspection is the next step of the process. You definitely will want to have a professional home inspection done. You need to know the condition of the property and request for repairs from the seller if needed. •The Condominium and/or Subdivision Association Documents should be ordered immediately after acceptance of the offer and in the buyer’s hands within 10-14 days after acceptance. This agent will make copies of the Budget, last three Association minutes and the Property Information form (RR105C) and submit it to the lender. They need this for the VA Loan Guidelines and process for your loan. (these documents will show how the Association budgets their money in reserve. % of owner occupants, any pending concerns or litigation going on and so forth.

•Provided your loan process goes smoothly you should have a Conditional Loan Commitment Letter within the first three weeks in contract. This is an approval of your loan with Conditions. Maybe you need to submit a couple of more documents or the appraisal is not in yet or the survey and termite inspection are not done yet. These are the types of conditions that will be listed on this letter. •Within two weeks after the Conditional Loan Commitment letter is issued all the conditions should be complete and you will have your final loan approval. You and your Realtor® will attend the signing of escrow and loan documents. Not to worry! I attend all signings with you.

•After the signing, the loan officer takes the notarized and signed documents to go through processing and within 2.5 days the Lender should have funded the money for your loan to the escrow company.

•When escrow receives all monies then they will take the documents to the Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu. From that time it takes two business days and it will be recorded. At this time, the home is legally yours. Congratulations! Here are the keys to your new home! It’s not easy moving across the Pacific Ocean let alone to a totally different “world” of people… …. but you can do it with a little effort, motivation and a great Realtor!

 

The following are some of the steps that are followed for the Hawaii VA Loan and Real Estate Process to Owning Your Hawaii Home. There are definitely more than a few steps but you will at least have a guideline to follow for your Hawaii Military Relocation, your Hawaii VA Loan Process and owning your Hawaii Home.
Read more here>>>http://actvra.in/dpl

• Speak to a Local Hawaii Lender to submit your information and get preapproved for a loan. (if you do not have a loan officer in mind,  I can refer you to a few who are well qualified and licensed in the State of Hawaii) While talking to the Loan Officer make sure and let him/her know what kind of monthy mortgage payments you are comfortable with.

After getting preapproved for your loan …

….your Realtor® will now know what price range to search for properties for you.

• Let your agent know what specifics and criteria you are interested in for properties. Giving your agent the specifics, location, # bedrooms/ # of baths, sq. ft. interior/land, parking, single family or condo/townhouse will make it easier to fine tune your property search. YOU CAN ALSO GET A HEAD START HERE>>  HAWAII HOME SEARCH
• Make sure you have all your financial paperwork together to bring wiht you to Hawaii.(You carry on bags should have your bank statements, W-2’s, LES’s and important documents you will need to submit for your loan!) Your loan officer will give you a list of documents you will need.
• Certificate of Eligibility can be obtained from the Veterans of Affairs office but our lenders order them online once you start your loan process. If anything is held up we have a VA office centrally located on Oahu for your convenience and it takes just minutes.
• Starting your loan process before you arrive so you will have everything at hand when you submit an offer for a property. The loan process is the lengthy and important part of the transaction so it is better to be proactive in your process. Your funding fee can be included with your loan but you will have some closing costs to close with. NOTE:  If you are a Disabled Veteran make sure and let your loan officer know as you could be eligible to have the funding fee waived.

You arrive on the island of Oahu!  After getting rested you are ready to meet your Realtor®! 

• Appointments were made prior to your arrival and we are ready to search for your new home!  When you decide that you would like to put in an offer we will go through the whole 12 page (plus addendum’s) contract and submit it to the sellers agent to present to the seller.
• After the offer is accepted the loan process begins. You will meet with your Loan Officer to submit your complete application and submit all documentation needed for your VA Loan process packet. Then it goes to Underwriting to process the initial packet and order the appraisal with their VA approved appraisers.
• The Home Inspection is the next step of the process. You definitely will want to have a professional home inspection done. You need to know the condition of the property and request for repairs from the seller if needed.
• The Condominium and/or Subdivision Association Documents should be ordered immediately after acceptance of the offer and in the buyer’s hands within 10-14 days after acceptance. This agent will make copies of the Budget, last three Association minutes and the Property Information form (RR105C) and submit it to the lender. They need this for the VA Loan Guidelines and process for your loan.  (these documents will show how the Association budgets their money in reserve. % of owner occupants, any pending concerns or litigation going on and so forth.
• Provided your loan process goes smoothly you should have a Conditional Loan Commitment Letter within the first three weeks in contract. This is an approval of your loan with Conditions. Maybe you need to submit a couple of more documents or the appraisal is not in yet or the survey and termite inspection are not done yet. These are the types of conditions that will be listed on this letter.
• Within two weeks after the Conditional  Loan Commitment letter is issued all the conditions should be complete and you will have your final loan approval. You and your Realtor® will attend the  signing of escrow and loan documents. Not to worry! I attend all signings with you.
• After the signing, the loan officer takes the notarized and signed documents to go through processing and within 2.5 days the Lender should have funded the money for your loan to the escrow company.
• When escrow receives all monies then they will take the documents to the Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu. From that time it takes two business days and it will be recorded.  At this time, the home is legally yours.

Congratulations!  Here are the keys to your new home!

It’s not easy moving across the Pacific Ocean let alone to a totally different “world” of people…

…. but you can do it with a little effort, motivation and a great Realtor

Hawaii VA Loans & Real Estate Transaction Process

About the Hawaii VA Loan Process- Your Realtor® can refer you to seasoned loan officers who know the Hawaii VA Loan Process. Beware of the loan officer that is advertising as if they are part of the Veterans Administration. They are part of a loan company but NOT part of the Veterans Administration based at Tripler Army Hospital.
Having experienced and straightforward professionals rather than ones who claim to be ‘experts’ or advertise as if they are part of the Veterans Administration is a better choice.

Putting Up Barriers versus Selling Your Home

 

No matter where you are our United States of America…. it IS a BUYER’S market. That means buyers can negotiate for a better price, maybe a credit to go towards closing costs. Maybe they just transferred to Hawaii with the military and are staying in a hotel and need to close quickly.

It is NOT a seller’s market like it used to be. If sellers need to sell their home  or condo they need to change with the market in their local area. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.

It IS a BUYER’S market.

The following points listed should give sellers a clue that it is more of a buyer’s market when listing their home for sale:

• You are getting fewer showings than you would have two to three years ago.  In fact, it is REAL slow today.  (one showing every couple of days is a far cry from 5-10 a day and four contracts overbidding) As time goes on the showings decrease even more.
• Your Realtor® showed you comps from six months ago up to the present and the prices have declined a little in that timeframe. (3% for Hawaii)
• The number of sales declined drastically over the past year because the financial institutions cracked down big time on lending criteria. GOOD!  (had to throw that in) Buyer’s are also being very cautious.
• Buyers have a BIG inventory of homes and condos to choose from. It’s literally Christmas every day for them!  They can have their pick and most certainly will choose one they do not have to upgrade and all they have to do is…..MOVE IN.

Healthy Boundaries are good for any individual to have but when a seller tries to protect themselves by putting up big barriers (conditions and demands) and burns bridges along the way it becomes a losing battle for not just the seller; but the Realtor® who has invested a lot of time, hard work and effort to market a property. 

This Realtor® spends countless hours to prepare your home for marketing:

• Research and pull up tax records, building permits and documents pertaining to the property.
• Prepare the listing agreement & profile sheet and go through all of the contract with you before signing.
• Prepare the Sellers Real Property Disclosure Statement and answer any questions you may have while you fill it out. (we have a four page detailed itemized questionnaire and it does take time to go through the whole thing and then answer any yes questions in detail on the last page)
• Creating a specialized flyer and property portfolio to display in your home for potential buyers during regular showings (with their Buyer’s Agent) or during Open Houses. This is no couple of minute job because it can take me up to an hour to get the flyer “just right” and the portfolio up to three hours!
• Take pictures of your home for the listing sites.
• Advise you on what you can do to get your home ready for showing (so please don’t take it personal like I’m criticizing your home…I’m doing my job!)
• Enter the listing into our MLS system and Century 21 site and add photos and make slide shows. (Lots of time)
• Creating specialized Real Estate Shows and burn them to printable cover cd’s. (this take some time!)
• Entering your listing on countless sites that I subscribe to and post your photos. (this takes LOTS of time) and enhance your listing on Realtor.com (this takes some more time) 

And this is JUST THE BEGINNING! I set up showing appointments, do Open Houses, refresh and update all the listings I submitted to sites as time goes by, I present all offers to you and advise you on your options. I give you sound advice and remind you of the market conditions and the current comps.  I go through the whole transaction with you, order condo docs, surveys and termite inspections. I accompany you to signing and help you with anything to do with the sale of your home.

The only thing I am unable to do is MAKE someone to buy your home.

There are contingencies in our contract that protect the buyer if they need to back out of the contract. It could be that the buyer lost their job. (they are NO LONGER qualified for a loan) Maybe they didn’t like something they saw in the home inspection. There are contingencies to protect the buyer to NOT buy your home. There are also contingencies to protect the seller but the bottom line is that if the buyer has a valid reason it does not automatically entitle you to their deposit. 

Remember, when you signed that Exclusive Right to Sell Listing Agreement? It specifically states that the “Seller agrees to consider all offers presented by the Brokerage Firm and to act in good faith to sell the property”.

If you REALLY want to sell your home:

• You make your home appealing to the buyer who is coming in to view your home
• You allow your Realtor® to do their job and give you their expert advice. You don’t take their suggestions as a personal attack on you but letting the Realtor® do what they are trained to do.
• You realize that when a Realtor® is working for you it involves giving you advice. Working for you does not mean you are telling the Realtor® to do it YOUR way even though the market, circumstances and comps say otherwise.
• You don’t assume your home is the best on the market and therefore should be priced as high as the others…… if you did NOT upgrade anything at all.
• You keep an open mind and allow your Realtor® to go through the CURRENT market conditions and current comparables in your immediate area and trust that they are NOT lying to you.
• Be willing to negotiate with the buyer to sell your home when it IS a buyer’s market. Maybe you could make demands a couple of years ago but the market has changed in favor of the buyer. There are MANY other homes and condos on the market to choose from.  (this does not mean give it away by all means. But fighting over a couple thousand will cost you more when months down the line your home is still sitting on the market.)
• That you, the seller, do not hold a Real Estate license and it is advisable to LISTEN to the direction, advice and opinions of your Realtor®.  A seasoned agent KNOWS what they’re talking about and is thinking in your best interests to get you a fair market price and get your home SOLD.

This Realtor® is going to tell you the truth and will NOT tell you just what YOU want to hear.

If you choose not to listen to your  Realtor® it could cost you the sale of your home.

  

 

© 2009 Celeste “Sally” Cheeseman, All rights reserved 

      

Royal Kunia Hawaii Home for Sale- Open House

Hawaii Military Relocation & Bases – Honolulu Oahu Neighborhoods

 

All branches of the military occupy a large portion of Oahu and I recently put together a Hawaii Military Relocation Package – Schofield Barracks & Wheeler Army Air Field for the Military Relocating & Transferring to Honolulu County Hawaii .

Many military personnel have not been to Hawaii before so they obviously do not know what neighborhood is closest to the Honolulu County Hawaii Military Base they will be stationed. So it is without question they do not know which neighborhood they should look for their next Hawaii Home purchase.

This map details just about all of the Military Bases on Oahu in Honolulu County (the island of Oahu IS Honolulu County) This map should prove very beneficial to start your search for your new home purchase in relation to the your next tranfer station at one of our Honolulu County Hawaii Military Bases.

The H-1 freeway extends from South Oahu to the Leeward side of Oahu, the H-2 freeway extends from the Pearl City cutoff to Wahiawa and the H-3 freeway extends from the Aiea cutoff to the Windward side of Oahu (Kailua/Kaneohe).

Aliamanu Bellows Air Force Station Camp Stover Dillingham Military Reservation ‘Ewa Drum Fill / Fuel Storage	Mauna Kapu Communications Station Mauna Kapu Outlying Facility                                          McGrew Point Housing Mokule’ia Mount Ka’ala Air Force Station
Fort DeRussy Fort Ruger Fort Shafter Helemano Military Reservation Hickam Air Force Base	Naval Communications Station, Radio Tower Facility, Wahiawa                                                           Nu’uanu Cemetery O’ahu Roads / Trails System Opana Communications Facility Palehua Air Force Solar Observatory Research Site
Hickam Petroleum Storage Annex Inactive Ship Maintenance Detachment Iriquois Point / Pu’uloa Housing Ka’ena Point Satellite Tracking Station Kahuku Training Area	Pearl City Annex                                                           Pearl City Peninsula Pearl Harbor Main Base Punamano Air Force Station Red Hill Fuel Storage Tanks
Kawailoa Training Area Kipapa Ammunition Storage Kunia Facility Makua Valley Military Reservation Manana Housing	Schofield Barracks                                                         Tripler Army Medical Center Wai’anae Kai Military Reservation Waiawa Gulch Waiawa Water Supply
Marine Corps Base Hawai’i Camp H.M. Smith Marine Corps Base Hawai’i Pu’uloa Training Facility Marine Corps Base Kane’ohe Bay	Waikane Valley

More info on Relocating to Hawaii, the VA Loan process for purchasing your Hawaii Home and a special Video and story on a Hawaii Military Relocation and Hawaii Home Purchase come true:

VA Loans & Hawaii Military Relocations: This Realtors® Process Know the process for your VA benefits and the VA loan process.
*Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* Don’t be shocked when you arrive…get the scoop on the environment, jobs, house hunting, BAH current rates and more!
Military Transfers & Relocations to Hawaii: A Geographical Shock How do I know? As a former military dependent I moved many times over the years from childhood and later on in adult life. Later on my son joined the military as well…..but moving to Hawaii can be more than just a transfer. Read on!
LIVE on VIDEO: A Hawaii Military Relocation Story Comes to Life Contacted by the fiance of an Active Duty Officer in the Army and subsequently relocating and purchasing their first home before getting married… this is a fairy tale come true of how they met this Realtor-Associate® on the internet.
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It’s not easy moving across the Pacific Ocean and purchasing your Hawaii Home;
let alone to a totally different “world” of people.
But you can do it with a little effort, motivation and a great Realtor®!

If you’re Relocating to Hawaii (regardless if it’s near future or just wanting to be proactive for the future) contact me to get started with your search for Hawaii Homes for Sale.

Celeste “Sally” Cheeseman, RA, e-PRO / Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, Hawaii

 

 

 

 

 

 

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*All pictures, content, map and information are the property of Celeste “Sally Cheeseman.

 

 

The Market DEPENDS on the Circumstances Doesn’t It?

Diamond Head

The National News surely depicts an overall picture (so does NAR) of the housing market that is unrealistic.

Why? How can anyone believe that this nationwide report will be the same for every state, county, city and neighborhood? It is unrealistic to report that ‘nationwide’ it is a beautiful market to buy or sell just as it is unrealistic to report that ‘nationwide’ it is a bad time to buy or sell. It depends on a wide variety of points doesn’t it?

How about this?

• Your Realtor ® will give you a clearer picture of the current market conditions in your specific area. Bad choice to have your loan officer, friends and family pretending they are the Realtor®. Might as well just watch the news right?
• It depends on your circumstances if you are considering selling your home. Relocation to another state? Downsizing? Tragedy in the family?
• It depends on your circumstances if you are considering buying a home. Relocation to Hawaii? Benefits of ownership vs. renting? Retiring? Downsizing?
• It depends on the county, the city & the neighborhood for better market conditions to sell. Your Realtor ® will provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis for these specifics.
• It depends on the county, the city & the neighborhood for room for negotiations for the buyer. Your Realtor® can give you a breakdown of the areas that you are considering.

 

As of February of 2008 the Oahu Housing Market has slowed down 40% in NUMBER of sales.The Oahu Housing Market has increased in prices since last year BUT ARE NOW STABLE. The table below will show you an increase/decrease in sales and prices to give you a better idea of our market on our Island of Oahu in HONOLULU COUNTY.  (These statistics DO NOT include new home sales)

 

 

MONTH, YEAR	SINGLE FAMILY / #	CONDO / #
February 2008	$599,000 / 163	$335,000 / 321
January 2008	$600,000 / 228	$324,000 / 324
December 2007	$610,000 / 240	$320,000 / 353
November 2007	$610,000 / 245	$315,000 / 379
October 2007	$655,000 / 265	$322,500 / 423
September 2007	$650,000 / 255	$335,000 / 414
August 2007	$650,000 / 381	$325,000 / 495
July 2007	$640,500 / 339	$335,000 / 457
June 2007	$685,000 / 338	$334,000 / 547
May  2007	$650,000 / 357	$325,000 / 543
April 2007	$665,000 / 342	$325,000 / 527
March 2007	$643,500 / 330	$321,000 / 541
February 2007	$614,500 / 272	$320,000 / 402
Statistics: Year-to-Year	-2.5% / -40.1%	4.7%  / -20.1%

Our inventory on OAHU is still modest due to fewer homes/condos being listed on the market.  For this reason it gives us a positive outlook because the inventory has NOT ballooned as in previous post-boom periods.

Just keep in mind that this too is an overall picture of our market in Honolulu County. (Which is the island of Oahu) and neighborhoods differ as well. For example, the prices for homes/condos in Mililani are stable whereas the prices in Ewa Beach have decreased a little and have a higher inventory overall. The number of Short Sales in Ewa are high whereas there are very few in Mililani. Newer, Older, Sq. Ft., Land Area and so forth are also to be considered.

                                                                                             IT JUST DEPENDS.

FYI:  Honolulu Board of REALTORS® was established in 1922 and is one of the largest of 1,600 boards of REALTORS®.  With over 6,000 members on our island alone the Honolulu Board of Realtors ® is the largest trade organization on Oahu. The above statistics are from the Honolulu Board of Realtors ® and are taken from our Multiple Listing Service site.

 

 

© 2008 Celeste “Sally” Cheeseman’s Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog. All rights reserved.

 

 

Is the Hawaii Real Estate Housing Market Still Shifting?

My belief is that ALL housing markets differ and the circumstances are going to depend on the housing markets in each of the states &  local cities; and right down to each neighborhood which will show a significant difference in number of sales and of course the sales prices too.

I also believe that it is up to everyone in the Real Estate Industry to keep the market moving. With our professional attitudes shining through in all communication and contact with our clients and peers and being thorough in our process through each and every transaction are just a few points to always be aware of.

How well we all perform will determine the level of service “they” will rate us as well.

The most important factor to consider regarding our housing market in the United States is that it is truly NOT a NATIONWIDE bunch of statistics to clump all in one percentage or sales price to air on the national news every night like it is the ‘written word’. Nope. I rely on what I SEE going on in each neighborhood of Honolulu County and the surrounding neighborhoods.

The big difference with the Housing Market in Hawaii is the fact that we have just so little buildable and usable land.  Our land is valuable and there are areas that you will see a newer home in Central Oahu that has about 1500 sq. ft. interior on 3,000 sq. ft. of land. And you ask, “What is an approximate price for a home on such a small lot?”  Upper $600,000’s ….easy.  And what might a home like this be priced at when it is closer to the Honolulu city area? You’re looking at OLDER and HIGHER priced homes priced at about $700,000 up …in ‘good’ condition.  One thing that I make sure and let my Hawaii Home Buying and Relocation clients know is: DO NOT EXPECT the same sq/ft interior and land area homes like you had back in the Continental United States. 

There are a few neighborhoods on Oahu where they are experiencing a “slightly declining market” such as the Ewa. Diamond Head, Hawaii Kai, Waipahu and West Oahu areas. Even Central Oahu is fluctuating up and down. The whole housing market in Honolulu County has shifted to the point where I will let the Hawaii Home Buyer know that there is a little room for ‘negotiating’ for either a little reduction in price or closing costs credit from the seller to buyer. I let the Hawaii Home Seller know that THIS is how the market is NOW.

So…Is the Honolulu, Hawaii Housing Market Still Shifting?  Look at the following statistics from the Honolulu Board of Realtors® and you decide:

Single Family:   Median Sales Price   

• 2003-    $380,000                                
• 2004-    $460,000
• 2005-    $590,000
• 2006-    $630,000
• 2007-    $625,300
• 2008-     $620,000 (first quarter)

Condos:    Median Sales Price   

• 2003-    $175,000                              
• 2004-    $180,000
• 2005-    $269,000
• 2006-    $310,000
• 2007-    $320,000
• 2008-     $330,000 (first quarter)

For those of you who believe that we make a difference for our Real Estate Industry then keep on striving to be the best you can be; ALWAYS support each other and work as a team and ALWAYS think in the best interests of your clients.

And if you need current and up to date information on statistics, a Hawaii Relocations packet or you just have questions please don’t hesitate to contact Celeste “Sally” Cheeseman, Realtor Associate ® , Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, HI @ (808) 375-1404.

Alive in Honolulu County, Oahu, Hawaii!

 

 

© 2008 Celeste “Sally” Cheeseman’s Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog. All rights reserved.

Guide to Hawaii Open Houses

By:  Celeste “Sally” Cheeseman, (RA), e-PRO

Open Houses in Hawaii are a given.  We market the property through advertising in the newspaper for our Open Houses and everyone (from buyer’s to neighbors  to people who are thinking of selling their home in the same area) attend these Sunday events! Yup…Sunday events!

Buyer’s can use Open House’s as part of their home search (along with the private appointments your realtor sets up) so following are some guidelines (I call these the lucky seven) for buyer’s while at an Open House:

1) Look at properties in your price range! Make sure you are pre-qualified with a local lender (your agent most likely already made sure you have) and look at properties 10 -20 % above and below your price range. Looking at properties way above your price range (that you can’t live without) will no doubt stick in your mind forever so be realistic. (or keep reading those Fine Homes and Estates magazines)

2) Remember, the agent who is holding the Open House has the Seller’s best interests at heart.  A lot of home buyer’s “believe” that they are going to “get a better deal” if they deal with the seller’s agent directly.  The truth is that you are best represented by having your own agent (buyer’s representative or buyer’s agent) and the agent who is hosting the Open House has one thing in mind.  To get the best terms and deal for the seller…..NOT YOU.

3) Remove your shoes!  Wear slip on/off shoes. We all remove our shoes before entering a home here anyway but for those of you who just came from the Continental U.S. who are not used to this please have the courtesy to remove your shoes.  The seller may have already had their carpet professionally cleaned and would like to keep it clean for not only this first open house but for future ones as well. (and we may have just had a rainy season and they may not want mud tracks throughout their home)

4) Keep ahold of your children. Instruct them to not touch anything or wander around the yard by themselves. And all real estate agents tie up unruley kids (just kidding)

5) Register in the guest book. But give your agent’s card, phone number and email address. Otherwise, you will have every agent in the world calling and clogging up your email (unless you like a bunch of spam)

6)  Make a list of wants and needs.  And then compare it to the property.  Make notes! You’ll know when you walk into “your” home if you use your head (needs) and heart (wants).

7) Call your own realtor if you see a property you like and want to put in an offer!  Your agent will be able to speak to the seller’s agent and get any special terms and addendums before writing up the offer. Resist the urge to talk to the seller’s realtor and worse yet…the owner! Your own agent is the most valuable negotiating tool and bargaining power for your transaction.

8) Loan Officers on site. Though there are “honest” loan officers/lenders that are “helping” with any questions regarding loans at an Open House, remember that the Open House is so you can view and get more information on the property and “feel” if this is the right home for you. If you already have a realtor then you most likely were already pre-qualified or pre-approved. If you tell the agent and loan officer you already have an agent and loan officer and they become pushy this is a red flag.

If you are Relocating to Hawaii go to this website:  

www.hawaiirelocation.blogspot.com for your free Online Hawaii Relocation Package.

Military Transfers & Relocations to Hawaii: A Geographical Shock

Transferring to a new duty station is never an easy task for the Active Duty Personnel, spouse and their dependents. Relocating to a “new land” out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is definitely going to be a geographical change. Okay, more of a geographical shock. I know. I’ve been in the same position many times throughout my life.

My father was in the US Navy and we traveled all over the Continental United States, then to Yokohama, Japan, onward to Subic Bay, Phillippines and finally came to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1967 where my father was stationed at CINPACFLT, Pearl Harbor. Honolulu, Hawaii. He finally retired two years later and Hawaii became my permanent home. Our permanent duty station so to speak. And my mom was born and raised on Kauai…so she finally made it back home to the islands.

Until,….. I married a US Air Force man and we moved 7 times in 7 years. From here to Minot, North Dakota; Biloxi, Mississippi; Sacramento, California; Izmir, Turkey; back to Hawaii, Plattsburgh, New York; and back here to stay ….permanently. 

The Military Veteran makes up approximately 10% (or 34,000) of our population on Oahu and they are a driving force in our community. The knowing what it feels like to be moving to a new home gave me more of a purpose with my military clientele. I care and I know what it’s like to have the family uprooted. Friends made and sadness when friends have to part. I can vividly remember each time as a child that I had to say goodbye to the few friends I had made; then as an adult saying goodbye to other military wives who had become wonderful friends….and the tug on the heart strings that are remembered to this day.

It’s not easy moving across the Pacific Ocean let alone to a totally different “world” of people but you can do it with effort, motivation and someone who understands.  

The following articles will help you in your Relocation to Hawaii with things you need to consider in your move and purchasing real property:  

• *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii*
• Oahu, Hawaii Relocations: The Waipio Gentry Community, Oahu, Hawaii
• Hawaii Relocations: The Mililani Community on Oahu, Hawaii
• The Art of Hawaii Relocations
• The Cost of Living Factor in Considering A Hawaii Relocation
• VA Loans & Hawaii Military Relocations: This Realtors® Process
• Oahu and Surrounding Neighborhood Search: Relocations Hawaii

Preservation & Conservation: Military Land Use on Oahu Hawaii’s West Coast

Military Relocating to Hawaii rotate in and out of Oahu year round and they surely play a big part in many of our communities. The military & veterans make up about 10% of our population in Hawaii (add in: with 3.5% active duty) and following is some interesting info on military land use on the Waianae Side of Oahu.

The Military Land Use in Waianae:

 Lualualei Valley:  Navy owned land consisting of 14.4 sq. miles and has 255 above ground storage capable of storing 78,000 tons of ammunition. Kolekole Pass (closed to the public) extends from the Waianae Coast to Schofield Barracks going up and over the Waianae Mountains. The public has to drive around the range to get to other areas of the island.

Makua Valley: US Army uses about 6.5 sq. miles for live fire training programs since World War II. The leased land of 1.2 sq. miles from the state is up in 2029 and the ceded land of 5 sq. miles is also leased from the state. The entire training area extends from the Waianae Ridge Line to Kaena Point (partial view in picture above). After a lawsuit was brought against the military they now allow the Hawaiian people to travel through the area due to the cultural and historical heiaus found in the area. Because of the concern over the preservation of the natural and cultural resources in the valley the Army is now taking measures to develop an ecosystem management plan.

Brief history of ‘ceded lands’.

•  Ceded land is the land taken shortly after the overthrow of the Republic of Hawaii by the United States  in 1893
• In 1898 Hawaii ‘cedes’ land to the U.S. and it is to be held in trust (education and other public purposes.) and include Crown land  (formerly known as Government land)
• 1959– The State of Hawaii becomes trustee for 1.4 million acres when Hawaii is admitted into the union as a state.
• 1978– The Office of Hawaiian Affairs was created by way of voters and funded with a share of some of the money that came from the use of ceded lands.
• 1980– The share was set at 20% by the State Legislature.

As of January 31, 2008– The Supreme Court ruled that the state is not allowed to sell or transfer the Hawaiian Monarchy lands (known as ceded lands) until the Native Hawaiian claims for the land have been resolved.

More News Here…….

Kaena Satellite Space Station is the Air Force Space Station on the West Coast of Oahu and is a remote tracking station for tracking satellites in orbit. This tracking station opened in 1959 for a satellite program (called Corona) and they say that the presence of the satellite may have sped up the statehood of Hawaii. Hmmm.

The ‘randomes’ atop the 1500 foot ridge are radar domes that are big weatherproof enclosures to protect the antenna inside. At first sight it looked to us to be a big golf ball. The picture to the right shows this big randome sitting on the ridge with a background of beautiful blue Hawaiian sky.

At the base of the ridge is the Yokohama Bay State Parkand a hiking trail around Kaena Point to the north side of the ridge to the Mokuleiea Beach on the North Shore of Oahu.

On the Kaena Point Satellite Station grounds there are many hunting trails and Peacock Flats camping site that is inland about 10 miles and of course you need a permits to hunt, hike or camp on the station.

Obtain Permits at:   The Department of Land and Natural Resources in downtown Honolulu. Address is Kalanimoku Bldg., 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 325, Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: (808) 587-0400

To sum up this story on Military Land Use:  It is this writers opinion that the military play a big part in protecting our Hawaiian Islands out here in the Pacific Ocean and their presence is a great comfort to many. The military does understand the importance of the preservation and conservation of our land and taking precautions to care for the land while they are using it. We can work together to protect and serve as well as preserve and conserve.

Other stories of interest:

• The Legend of Makua Cave: Northwest Coast of Oahu, Hawaii
• Preservation of Hawaiian Culture, Land and History
• HAWAIIAN LEGENDS: Kaena Point, Waimea Valley, and Two Heiau’s
• Waimea Valley: History Uncovered, Preserved and Protected

Need more info on Military Relocations to Hawaii? Would you like a Hawaii Relocation packet?

          

                    Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, Hawaii