Hula practitioners say the Merrie Monarch Festival is the most prestigious hula competition in the world. The three day festival is held each spring in Hilo town on Hawaii Island. Hundreds of dancers from all over the world compete for titles in two dance styles: kahiko (ancient) and auana (free or modern). Hula, indigenous dance and storytelling, has been reborn twice. First by King David Kalakaua in the late 1800s and again when tourism spiked in the mid-1900s.
Merrie Monarch Festival April 12-14, 2012
March 28th, 2012South Kohala Single Family Home Sales
February 26th, 2012In South Kohala, single family home sale prices range from entry level $200,000 homes to multimillion dollar homes in exclusive resort neighborhoods. I do not usually lump them all together, but because I wanted to look at the past three years, I thought it would be interesting to see the average sale price of all homes.
South Kohala Condo Sales 2009 through 2011
February 24th, 2012The question I am asked most often “is this the bottom of the real estate market?” I reply we can only look at the past to try to answer that question. It also helps to pay attention to what economists are saying and what the hopes and fears are about the stock market. In our South Kohala luxury real estate market here on Hawaii Island, the stock market is a big factor in the decision making process as that is where most of the cash comes from.
Koi
February 16th, 2012In Hawaii, Koi ponds are often designed into a home’s garden. In Mauna Kea Resort, there is a home currently on the market where the house was designed around a large center garden. The focus of the garden is a beautiful Koi pond. It’s an older house, and the Koi are stout.
Koi fish have been selectively bred using the common brown Asian carp and the German carp species. It is believed selective breeding for color mutations began in China thousands of years ago. It is generally believed Koi were bred for specific colors circa 1800 in Japan.
Ka Milo Open Houses
February 15th, 2012I will hold an open house at the Ka Milo condos at least once a week, for a couple hours mid-afternoon. Please call me for dates and times. Hope to see you there! Location: Ka Milo, Mauna Lani Resort, Kohala Coast, Big Island Hawaii. Asking price: $1.495M.
Ka Milo, open house, Mauna Lani, Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii
Lion Dance at Hilo’s Chinese New Year 2012
February 12th, 2012Lion dance is a traditional Chinese dance where dancers perform inside an elaborate lion costume. The dance dates back about a thousand years. The first recorded lion dance occurred during the Ch’in and Han Dynasties, around the third century A.D.
The lions express joy and happiness. The dance is a featured attraction of Chinese New Year’s festivities and other celebrations, including the consecration of temples, business openings, spring planting, harvest, official and religious celebrations.
Lion-Dog Dance at Hilo’s Chinese New Year celebration 2012
February 12th, 2012Shishi or guardian lions, traditionally stood in front of palaces, government offices, temples, and wealthy homes in premodern China. The lions are believed to offer powerful protection. Pairs of these stone lions still decorate opposite sides of building entrances today, especially in China towns. Typically, the male lion rests his paws on the world, and the female is accompanied by a cub. These lions can have different face and decoration details, depending on whether they are representing the Qing or earlier Ming era.
Chinese New Year – Year of the Dragon
January 27th, 2012
While on a recent visit to Honolulu, I was happy to come across the Waikiki dragon canoe! The canoe is used during Chinese New Year celebrations. Chinese New Year is a major holiday for Chinese families. It’s all about bringing good luck. Big family gatherings, festive decorations, gift giving, and sharing symbolic foods ensure good luck in the new year. The start of Chinese New Year is dictated by the lunar calendar. It is a different day each year, usually falling between late January and February. In 2012 the new year began January 23rd. In Hawaii, Chinese New Year events run through most of January and February.
Sunset Ridge, Waikoloa Village
January 24th, 2012Neighborhood Profile
Most weekday mornings I can be found at my desk in the beautiful Mauna Kea Resort working away. When hotel guests stop by to say hello and talk real estate, they are typically surprised to find two bedroom condos, some on the fairway, all with ocean views, well under $1M. Today the asking prices for those Kumulani condos start at $550,000. Located within Mauna Kea Resort, Kumulani is an amazing value for tennis, golf and beach buffs.
Kona-Kohala Coast Real Estate Update
November 28th, 2011November 2011
January through October 2011 Kohala Coast condo sales are up 36.6% and prices are down 7.7% over January through October 2010.
Third quarter 2011 Kohala Coast condo sales are up 25.5% and prices are down 9.1% over third quarter 2010.*
October 2011 Kohala Coast condo sales are down 36.4% and prices are down 29.8% over October 2010.
January through October 2011 Kona condo sales are up 9.4% and prices are down 21.8% over January through October 2010.
Third quarter 2011 Kona condo sales are up 5.5% and prices are down 9.1% over third quarter 2010.*