The movers are scheduled for tomorrow and you procrastinated until the last minute to set aside the things you need to take with you for your Honolulu Hawaii Relocation and purchasing your new Hawaii Home or Condo.

Screech! Halt! Reverse!

Okay, let's start over again. In order to have a smooth transition in your Honolulu Hawaii Move, Hawaii Job Transfer & Move or your Honolulu Hawaii Military Relocation you NEED to be proactive! Get your "To Do" list together so you will not be scrambling at the *last minute! Get educated on the Hawaii Market and Neighborhoods with The Art of Hawaii Relocations.

This will surely give you an insight into our diverse culture and pertinent information for important topics to consider in regards to our neighborhoods and sizes of our homes so you don't pack unnecessary items or forget important documents.

The following list will surely give you a guideline and help you in being proactive with your move.

*USPS (United States Postal Service) has all the tools online at http://www.usps.com/ to give notice of your 'Change of Address', to Hold your mail until you get to your new address, for shipping products, services and more. (Notify all your banks, credit card company and any other bill payees)
*Make sure and start preparing your pet for relocation long before! You can find more information as well as the Animal Quarantine's Hawaii Rabies Quarantine Brochure in the Honolulu-Hawaii Pet Quarantine: Prepare For Your Hawaii Move!
*Be sure to read Oahu and Surrounding Neighborhood Search: Relocations Hawaii and start your search for your new home with the online personal webpage I'll set up for you according to your special and specific criteria.
*Get all your documents together that you will need for your loan process (i.e. 2 mos. bank statements, last three paycheck stubs, two years W-2's, and if you're a Hawaii Military Relocation then read VA Loans & Hawaii Military Relocations: This Realtors® Process Know the process for your VA benefits and the VA loan process.)

*Your Important family documents: Your birth certificates, social security cards, marriage records, divorce or death records, your children's school records, ALL pet documents, medical records, shot records, car documents, and any other documents you may need before your household goods arrive.
*Pack necessities. Your household goods may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive so make sure you have basic important necessities and valuables packed. Remember, Hawaii is a tropical climate and you will NOT need snow clothing :)
*Have a garage sale with items you have not used for six months and longer or no longer need. Your Hawaii Home will most likely have less interior sq, ft. so be prepared for smaller. Washer/Dryers usually are included with the sale of a property.

*Book Airline Tickets ahead of time if you know your exact departure date. Two weeks or more and you'll get a big discount on airfare. Be sure to go to this website for items not allowed through checkpoints and basic tips for travelers http://www.tsatraveltips.us/

With our warm climate, tropical breezes and breathtaking scenery you can be assured the Hawaiian Islands are all you've heard...and then some. Helping you to make your transition and relocation a smooth one.

Be proactive for your Honolulu Hawaii Relocation and contact me to set you up with listings to view for your Hawaii Home Search or click on my Online Relocation Package link!

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

Stats: YR-YR. -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.

If you're Relocating to Hawaii (regardless if it's near future or just wanting to be proactive for the future) contact me for a Hawaii Relocation Packet or Military Relocation Hawaii Packet!

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, RA, e-PRO
Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, Hawaii

Another Hawaii Relocation tidbit of information that may come in handy if you're relocating to Hawaii and may be sightseeing along the Northwest Shore of Oahu.

Located right past Keeau Beach Park on the Waianae Coast of Oahu is Makua Cave. Long before it was "nicknamed" Makua Cave it was known as Kaneana(Ka knee ah na) or better known as the Cave of the Kane(Ka knee or man; male)

At 150,000 years old and once was underwater...carved by the sea.
Sanding 100 feet high and 450 feet deep we really didn't feel it necessary to walk into the depths of the darkness that enfolded us immediately after passing the mouth of the cave.

Okay. It was just plain spooky. I heard noises and thought it was bats but it was really little birds who made their nest in the little crevices. Then I smelled something dead. Okay. That was it..time to go!

To continue on with the "legend". For one: In ancient times it was forbidden to enter the Kaneana Cave because this was the home of the shark man of Kaneana.

Okay, so now what? I just read the plaque of the picture I took and am I safe now? I didn't go all the way in. Does that mean I should not have stepped foot in it at all? Oh, geez.

Anyway, as the legend tells it it is a story of a period in ancient times about a "shark-man" that made his home in this cave under the ocean. Kaneana. He would disguise

himself as a man to bait humans into coming into the cave. And for what you ask? Duh. Dinner time!

The alternative story is it was a "shark-woman" Goddess who lured the human into the cave with her charm. And then ate them for .....lunch. (okay I made that part up)

There are smaller tunnels inside the cave that you can venture into but when the cold air from the depths and soul of this cave hit me I thought better of it. Right. If you read correctly earlier, I was afraid before I even got to the mouth of the cave. Remember now, these ancient Hawaiian legends and stuff are not to be messed with. I learned this early on in my life. :)

Gary took this picture with his camera and I tell you what ... I was really

spooked. Maybe it was just my imagination running wild....

Can you guys see anything or is it just me?

In any event, it's been years since I went near the cave and it was Gary's first time there. It proved to be an interesting spectacle to look at and just to show you the size of this massive cave here's a picture of the mouth of the cave taken from the inside out. Uh....that's little ant thing is me and beyond is the ocean and faintly you can see the end of the line on this side of the island: Kaena Point.

To get to the Northwest Coast of Oahu follow the H-1 freeway that turns into Farrington Highway. Keep following this highway all the way down the coastline from Nanakuli to Maili, Waianae, Makaha and to Makua Cave and Yokohama Beach.

Military personnel who have relocated (PCS'd) across the Pacific Ocean to Oahu, Hawaii are always astounded at the differences in homes once they arrive here. Okay, let's say stunned instead. I have had many military clients who were so shocked that they had no alternative but to store the majority of their household goods once they arrived because they brought it all. They also had a cultural shock as well as difference in weather conditions.

If it's one thing we all will agree on is that Hawaii, the island Paradise, is full of beautiful tropical island scenery that will captivate you to no end.

As a Hawaii Realtor Associate® and Relocations Specialist I guaranty that the following information will help you in your relocation across the Pacific Ocean to the Hawaiian Islands!

ENVIRONMENT: Expect a totally different environment. You will need an open mind for a brand new experience with Hawaii's diverse community full of ethnic groups and cultures from all over the world! Do not expect everything to be the same as the Continental United States because you will be disappointed!

JOBS: Hawaii has one of the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. The vast number of military stationed in Hawaii makes up the majority of the federal government employment although spouses surely have an advantage if they have been previously employed on a military installation and transferring to a new duty station. We also have many jobs in the tourist industry including but not limited to hotels, restaurants, historic and scenic sites and so forth.

HOUSE HUNTING: Make arrangements with this Realtor® to give you information, send you a relocations packet and start you out with your online search for your home purchase. Remember, Hawaii is not the same as the last time you were stationed here in back in 1975 and the change will shock you. We have many freeways, traffic, high rises and such. We may be more laid back but change is always inevitable with just so much buildable land.

MORTGAGE LENDER: Make sure to use a local lender as Hawaii lenders know the Hawaii real estate laws. There is no recourse (RED FLAG!) if something goes wrong with a mainland lender, negotiating the best price and time lines are a very important factor in a real estate transaction. Even if your cousin or uncle is a Loan Officer it is a given that they will not know about Hawaii mortgage funds. I guaranty that I can tell you some stories about the deals that fell through due to using lenders not familiar with our Real Estate Laws, Contracts and Contingencies. Also, make sure and hand carry your important financial papers as you will need them!

YOUR VA GUARANTEED LOAN: The most important thing to consider before utilizing your benefits is what you want to allot yourself for a monthly mortgage payment.

MEDIAN HOME PRICES: During our home search online you mayl see a home you may be interested in. I'll be sure to give you the median home price for that neighborhood. If it's way below the median price...well, it just may be too good to be true! If this is your first time to Hawaii we will cruise the different neighborhoods so you can get a feel of the kind of community you would prefer to reside. We will also need to choose between condos, town houses and single family homes according to your price range. (which is determined by your conversation with your local lender who prequalifies you)

HOUSEHOLD GOODS: Our homes are smaller so be prepared to bring half of what you currently have in your 3,000 sq. ft. interior home on the mainland. A 1,200 to 1800 sq. ft. for a single family 3 bedroom around the $500,000 to $600.000 in Central Oahu is about the median sq/ft for the price. Be flexible and open minded.

Our office is located in Mililani Town in Central Oahu and 10 minutes from Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Air Field. We are also located about 20-25 minutes from Hickam AFB & Pearl Harbor Navy Base although I service all of the island of Oahu.

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 a great Realtor®!

http://www.hawaiihomesmarket.com/

Relocating to Hawaii? With our warm climate and breathtaking scenery it's no wonder why everyone (including locals) call it "Paradise"! Hawaii is the choice of many people who prefer a tropical setting to live out their retirement years. It also becomes everyones favorite Hawaii Relocations spot when transferring to the military bases in Hawaii including the Schofield Army Base, Wheeler Army Air Field, Pearl Harbor Navy Base, Hickam AFB, or Kaneohe Marine Corp Air Station.

Education, Information and a Good Realtor® is The Art of Hawaii Relocations.

Do your homework if you are contemplating a Hawaii Relocation. Check out employment options, schools, plan a trip (if you are not familiar with our islands) and do your budget! We are (by far) different than elsewhere in the world and our homes are one of the highest priced in the nation. Why?

Inventory/Demand: Very little buildable land is available on these small islands and with their steep mountains and canyons the prime land has already been developed. Much is owned by the Federal Government, the State of Hawaii, and private landowners and no place to build out into the outlying areas. This will be true whether you rent or purchase a home.

Neighborhood: Get to know your neighborhoods. Take into consideration the price ranges and how they are determined. Convenience to business districts, schools, quality of homes, character and street/curb appeal. Your island Realtor® will know the neighborhoods and give you alternatives to your criteria for neighborhoods.

Expensive areas (luxury estates): Diamond Head, Kahala, and East Honolulu towards Hawaii Kai. (Truly level land is in short supply so many homes are located on the steep hillsides)
Affordable areas: The Leeward area (Waipahu, Ewa, Waianae) are the more affordable neighborhoods on flat land and some newly developed areas and homes offer some of the best values. If you work downtown traffic may be an issue for you though.
Mid Range Areas: Central Oahu (including, Mililani, Waipio Gentry, Waikele, Wahiawa) and the Windward area offer a variety of "suburban" communities and homes.

Value and Price: Most of the value is in our land, Expect SMALLER and compare to other Hawaii homes...not other areas. Additional features and upgrades are not always what you may expect for a higher priced home. Be realistic and ask your Realtor® to make appointments in your price range. It's like going shopping for food without eating first. Wants vs. Needs!
Home Styles: As stated above Hawaii has JUST SO MUCH buildable land, therefore the percentage of condo/townhouse ownership is one of the highest in the nation so don't disregard the possibilities of owning a condo or townhouse. As far as heating and cooling go we don't have central heat (we have year round climate) and air conditioning is not mandatory with our trade winds cooling our air. Most homes here include most appliances so you may want to save on shipping costs of your appliances. Same goes for your auto; unless it's a collectible or you have an employer paid move.
Living Area: Most of our homes have less than 1500 sq. ft . roofed living area and very few have more than 2400 sq. ft. even in the higher priced ranges. Take into consideration the amount of furniture you have that may not coincide with the size of our island style homes.
Market on Oahu: Of course you will want a Realtor® to guide you through your home purchase and let you know what the current market is like. Your Realtor® will also be able to give you knowledge (pick an island wide knowledgeable agent) to help you find that right home.
As of October 2007 the inventory is higher than usual although the prices are holding in many of the neighborhoods. Just know that interest rates are still low and prices are not dropping drastically. Also, the rental market is very high so you might as well get those tax breaks on owning your own home.
Rentals on Oahu for a 3bdrm house will range anywhere from $2,000 to $3500 plus per month so regardless if you are renting or buying the town areas will be priced higher and the more distant (Central and Leeward area) will be lower. Just be aware that if you are working in Honolulu and live further away you will have to consider the rush hour traffic.

Oahu Single Family Homes Prices overall went down 2.3% for the third quarter of this year ending with a median sales price average of $649,000. Condos/townhouses went up 0.6% topping off at a median sales price average of $330,000 on our island of Oahu.

Be Part of the Solution For Your Market; Because "Shift" Always Happens is another article discussing the market shift and what the market looks like this year. If you are planning on moving to paradise please contact me for a Hawaii Relocations packet so you can get started!