Posts Tagged ‘Hawaii’
Friday, 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.
Tags: Chinese New Year, Chinese zodiak, dragon, good luck, Hawaii, lunar calendar, year of the dragon
Posted in A Day in the Life | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Neighborhood 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.
Tags: association, beach, Big Island, condos, golf, Hawaii, homes, Kumulani, Mauna Kea Resort, ocean view, single family, Sunset Ridge, tennis, Village, waikoloa beach resort, Waikoloa Village
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate | No Comments »
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Lots of people have been asking about how the Mauna Kea beach area weathered this month’s tsunami. Somehow we dodged the bullet. The ocean behaved strangely, but there was no loss of property, and everyone was smoothly evacuated.
Of course the tsunami didn’t treat Kona town so well. I hear the popular oceanfront lunch and sunset cocktail spot Huggo’s On the Rocks had to toss a few big rocks back into the water, and rescue some fish, but they were open by 1:30 PM the same day. Just north of the airport Kona Village took a fatal blow. 20 of the 24 thatch roof hut suites were destroyed, and the water and sewer system was wrecked. The latest word is the resort may be closed indefinitely. This could be one of the island’s biggest losses.
Tags: Hawaii, Kohala, tsunami
Posted in A Day in the Life | No Comments »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
A U.S. Travel Association poll taken in April shows a significant increase in perceived “money available for travel.” In October 2008 the Traveler Sentiment Index bottomed below 80, and in April 2010 it was measured at 90. This brighter number suggests consumers may be more confident about their finances, and may be more inclined to travel to Hawaii.
“Interest in travel,” “time available to travel,” and “money available for travel,” variables from which the index is derived, have risen. Unfortunately, the increased cost to travel, and lingering concern about job loss may keep people at home. However, financial factors that influence near-term leisure travel are mostly positive. For example, the percentage of U.S. adults citing a “high level of personal credit card debt” fell from 56% in April 2009 to 46% in April 2010.
Tags: Hawaii, Real Estate, travel, west hawaii
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate | No Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Selling a home in Kona or Kohala can be a very personal experience. After all, this is the place you’ve lived for years. Maybe you renovated the interior with your own two hands. Maybe you got married here. Maybe this is even where you raised your kids. No matter what it is that makes your home, well, home, the decision to sell isn’t one that comes lightly to everyone.
The personal attachment we all have to our homes is part of the reason it can be difficult to sell a Hawaii home.
Tags: Diana Woods, Hawaii, HI, Kohala, Kona, Mauna Kea Resort, Selling A Home, Staging
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Finding the right home in Kona isn’t always as easy as relying on a checklist of square footage, number of bathrooms, and the upkeep of the yard. Although these types of features are important when determining where you want to live and raise a family, another important consideration is the neighborhood where your dream house is situated.
Kona and Kohala homes for sale are noted for their family-friendly communities and idyllic backdrop, but that doesn’t mean that every home is ideally placed. Before you purchase a home in any Hawaii city, it’s important to research what the rest of the neighborhood has to offer.
Tags: Communities, Diana Woods, Dream Home, Hawaii, HI, Kohala, Kona, Mauna Kea Resort, Neighborhood
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate | No Comments »
Saturday, March 13th, 2010
If you’re getting ready to sell a home in Kona, you probably have a checklist of ideas for making your home more marketable. HI homes tend to sell better when they have more immediate appeal; for example, well-tended yards, impeccable siding, and a welcoming kitchen can go a long way in enticing homebuyers in the area. There are a number of ways you and your real estate agent can work together to make these things happen, and one of the best ideas is to ensure that you’re engaging all of the senses.
Sight
Tags: Diana Woods, Hawaii, HI, Kohala, Kona, Mauna Kea Resort, Selling A Home
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
These days, buying a home in Kona is about more than finding the right square footage, number of bedrooms, and price range. While these factors almost always make up the primary concerns for any home buyer in HI, the truth is that there is so much more to a home than the numbers and figures you see on an advertisement. In fact, Kona and Kohala are part of a growing trend of buying homes that are not only an investment in your future, but an investment in the future of the planet, as well.
What is an Eco-Friendly Home?
Tags: Diana Woods, Hawaii, HI, Kohala, Kona, Mauna Kea Resort
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate | No Comments »
Monday, August 31st, 2009
If you’re getting ready to sell your Kona, Kohala or Mauna Kea Resort home, you know that one of the most important things you can do to increase your sale price is to spend some time staging. After all, the better your home looks, the better the chances are that someone else will love it enough to buy it, too. However, many of the homes for sale in the Hawaii area are smaller in size than what’s currently hot on the market. While this doesn’t mean you can’t sell your home, it does mean that it might take a little extra work before you get that figure you’re aiming for.
Tags: Hawaii, HI, Home buyer, Kohala, Kona, Mauna Kea Resort, Square Footage
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate | No Comments »
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
These days, most of the listed homes for sale in Kona, Kohala, or Mauna Kea Resort are all about building a family future. Savvy buyers know that the market is theirs, and they can bargain for things like better school districts, home improvements, and other amenities that make owning real estate in Hawaii great. However, when the Kona real estate market boasts more homes than there are buyers, there’s another advantage: homes for investment opportunities are cheaper and have greater potential than ever before.
Tags: First Time Home Buyers, Hawaii, HI, Home Investment, Kohala, Kona, Mauna Kea Resort, Real Estate
Posted in Big Island Hawaii Real Estate, Luxury lifestyle | No Comments »