For Sellers | Honolulu Real Estate Views

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years

Are Realtors Paid Too Much?

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Magic! Debt Becomes Income & YOU PAY TAXES!

May 12th, 2010 categories: For Sellers

If you are thinking about selling your Honolulu home or condo via a short sale, be sure to determine how much money your bank is forgiving. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article the reports the following.

“Now, she’s bracing for the next blow: an Internal Revenue Service form detailing as much as $150,000 in debt canceled by the bank when it took control of the house. The canceled debt is a form of income, says the IRS—meaning she’ll owe taxes on it. “ CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.

There aren’t any magic bullets to help you avoid this, but be sure you understand exactly how much you owe in taxes. In the example quoted above, the taxes on $150,000 of income at a rate of 35% are $52,500! If you find yourself considering a short sale, make a point to consult an accountant and attorney…before you commit to the sale.

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years

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Get Ready For The Best Time Of The Year To Sell!

May 6th, 2010 categories: For Sellers, The Market

Like most areas, the Honolulu real estate market is cyclical and it is going into the best cycle of the year to sell. If you are thinking about selling your Honolulu house or condo, now (did I write NOW?) is the time to start signing the listing paperwork and taking care of the details to have your home showing its best. The Honolulu summer market begins in mid-May and runs through early August, so if you can have your home on the market in May, you will to take advantage of the best time of the year to sell. Here are a seven low cost things you can do to improve the looks of your living unit. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hawaii Bankruptcies Up

May 4th, 2010 categories: For Buyers, For Sellers, The Market

The Honolulu Advertiser is reporting that Hawaii’s bankruptcies have risen.

“Bankruptcies have risen for three consecutive months as people continue to experience economic problems brought on by unemployment, fewer work hours and problem mortgages. The April number was 56 percent more than a year earlier.” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE HONOLULU ADVERTISER ARTICLE

I do some work with a few of the local bankruptcy trustees and they have been sending me more properties to evaluate. Even though the increase in filings looks negative, I believe it is part of the recovery process. People that are over extended can hang on for only so long and once they come to the conclusion that they can’t make it through to the good times, they either let their home go into foreclosure or file bankruptcy. Don’t despair, because toward the end of the article the author leaves us with some good news.

“Hawai’i’s bankruptcy filings per capita traditionally have been one of the lowest in the country but have been rising. Federal court numbers show Hawai’i’s rate last year was fifth lowest, at 2.41 cases per 1,000 population.”

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years

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Honolulu Foreclosures Up & We’re Still Better Off

May 3rd, 2010 categories: For Buyers, For Sellers, The Market

Pacific Business News is reporting that Honolulu’s foreclosure rate increased by 123% year on year! Nice headline, but read further and you will find that our foreclosure rate is in the bottom half of the 206 surveyed metro areas.

“There were foreclosure filings on 1,564 properties, or one in every 216 households, according to the latest survey by Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. The number of foreclosures jumped 14.8 percent from the previous quarter.

Honolulu ranked No. 110 for its foreclosure rate in the survey of 206 metropolitan markets in the United States.

Nationally, foreclosure filings grew 16 percent year over year to 932,234, or one in every 138 households. Filings were up 7.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009.” CLICK HERE TO READ THE PACIFIC BUSINESS NEWS ARTICLE.

I would rather see the number of foreclosed properties at a much lower level, but my nose tells me we are better off than most places.

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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More Good News For The Honolulu Market

April 30th, 2010 categories: For Buyers, For Sellers, The Market

“The Honolulu residential real estate market was again among the U.S. markets with the fewest and smallest real estate price drops in April, according to the latest research from real estate search engine Trulia.com.” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE STAR BULLETIN ARTICLE

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years

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Is The Honolulu Real Estate Market On The Rise?

April 26th, 2010 categories: For Buyers, For Sellers, The Market

We Realtors feel moves in the market before they are reported and it was good to see confirmation of increased sales activity in an article written at the New York Times on-line.

“Over all, the sales of new single-family houses in March were up nearly 27 percent at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000 units, the Commerce Department reported. The increase, which was against a revised rate of 324,000 for February, exceeded expectations.” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

Based on the activity in the market and on my listings, I believe the April statistics are going to show an increase in sales in Honolulu homes and condos. It seems to be focused in market segments that are of interest to local buyers, however, I am seeing more interest from off island buyers too. Have we seen increasing prices? The short answer is yes…in most cases, however, there are some areas and buildings that have yet to seen incremental appreciation. Overall, I think the market has bottomed and heading toward higher prices.

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years

http://www.vimeo.com/11094175

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Don’t Get Caught Off Guard By HARPTA!

April 21st, 2010 categories: For Sellers, Video For Sellers

For non-resident owners of Honolulu homes and condos, if you are not aware there could be a surprise lurking around the corner when you sell your property. HARPTA is a law that requires the withholding of 5% of the sales price for sellers that are not residents of Hawaii. If you have a profit on the sale of your real estate, I am not aware of a way to avoid the withholding (talk to your accountant), but what do you do if you have a loss? In today’s video blog, I discuss the process of applying for an exemption from the 5% withholding.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EXEMPTION APPLICATION

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HARPTA

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years

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Sellers: To Repair Or Not?

April 20th, 2010 categories: For Sellers, Video For Sellers

Under Hawaii Law, in the sale of a house or condominium a seller is required to provide a buyer a Seller’s Real Property Disclosure Statement (SRPDS). Many times the SRPDS will show items that may be broken or not work properly. In today’s video blog, I discuss whether or not a seller should expect to repair these issues as part of the sale.

http://www.vimeo.com/11087905

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

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Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years

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Is Number One, Really Number One?

April 19th, 2010 categories: For Buyers, For Sellers, Video For Buyers, Video For Sellers

Even though I sell real estate in Honolulu, no matter where I am (Oahu included), it always seems that there is more than one agent that claims to be the “number 1” agent or top producer in a given market. So how can this be? If you could identify the top Realtor in your area of interest should you work with them? In today’s video blog, I discuss how it is that more than one real estate agent can claim to be number one in a market and how every Realtor making the assertion could be technically correct. I finish by sharing a few simple guidelines that will help you pick the agent that is going to work out best for you.

If you would like to discuss your real estate needs, feel free to call me at 808-737-2093 or toll free at 877-737-2093. You can email me at keahi@lava.net.

More Video Blogs

Honolulu real estate makes a lot of sense over 10 years