It's Open House Sunday! Something to think about...

Real Estate agents and brokers have long used the Open House as a marketing tool. In the age of the Internet and virtual tours, is this still a smart tool? Two recent instances of thefts at Open Houses have placed agents on alert so let’s consider the value of this traditional tool.

Here on Oahu, Open Houses are customarily held on Sunday from 2-5PM. Agents may post an ad in the newspaper and place directional signs on corners leading to the featured property. They open up their clients’ property for any and all to view. Anyone can walk in: curious neighbors, folks just getting started in the buying process and gaining knowledge, even serious buyers or criminals… everyone! Who knows? The home is “Open” with no pre-screening of the visitor. Is this wise?

If the property is occupied, can the hosting agent monitor all of the “guests” and insure that none of the owners’ valuables disappear? If the property is vacant, can the hosting agent insure that their own valuables are secure or if it is even safe to be in a vacant property alone?Recent events raise these questions.

Do you remember the movie, "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" where the homeless character played by Nick Nolte figured out how to stay in a luxury home in Beverly Hills? Yes, that home was occupied, but what if it had been vacant?     

National statistics reveal that more than 80% of potential home buyers start their search on the Internet and they want to see photos and virtual tours. Serious buyers (we call them REAL BUYERS) have been pre-qualified or pre-approved for their home purchase and are working with a real estate professional to help them locate a home. If your home meets their guidelines,

their agent will call for an appointment to view it. Fact: less than 2% locate their home via Open House.

Unfortunately and for far too long, agents have helped perpetuate the myth that Open Houses help sell homes. In truth, they act as a method of acquiring buyers for the hosting agent while using the sellers’ home as an office for three hours on Sunday. We confess we have hosted many Open Houses and have sold some as a result; we probably have more “Open House” signs than many companies. Nevertheless, if you are a home seller, wouldn’t you prefer thatyour home be shown by appointment, to REAL BUYERS and not to your nosey neighbors, or

just anyone wandering in off the street??

Question of the day: Have you ever visited an open house because you were curious, and had no intention of buying?



Marina Lifestyle

Aloha!  Greetings from Oahu!

Today, while driving to the office, I just had to park on Hawaii Kai Drive, get out of my truck and take a few snapshots depicting the marina lifestyle in Hawaii Kai.

If you are unfamiliar with Hawaii Kai, it is a planned community developed in the 1970's by Henry Kaiser. Yes, the same Kaiser that built the pink hospital on the hill above Pearl Harbor.  Henry decided that a marina community would be just perfect for this area, only 12 miles from downtown Honolulu. He was right.

Looking at the Multiple Listing Service today, there are 21 marina front properties available. They are priced from $380,000 - $1,150.00.

Got Kayak?

Helping Hands

Sometimes a little helping hand during the holidays is appreciated.  Many folks struggle financially during the Christmas season, even in the best of times.  Due to the financial meltdown that started in 2006, some homeowners are currently attempting to sell their homes, or negotiate a loan modification. Some are facing a looming foreclosure.

Freddie Mac, one of the lenders that holds the bulk of the mortgages across America has shown today that it does have empathy during the holiday season for homeowners.  Today they issued the following press release:

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today announced it has ordered all evictions involving foreclosed occupied single family and 2-4 unit properties that had Freddie Mac mortgages to be suspended from December 20, 2010 to January 3, 2011.

"If the property is occupied, our foreclosure attorneys will suspend the eviction to provide a greater measure of certainty to families during the holidays," said Anthony Renzi, Executive Vice President of Single Family Portfolio Management at Freddie Mac.

It is my opinion that this action affords a degree of comfort and certainty to families so that they may celebrate with peace and dignity during the Christmas and Hanukkah season, and I applaud Freddie Mac.
What do you think? Do you agree?

Only 25 days until Christmas!

Aloha! With only 25 days until Christmas, I stopped into Kahala Mall to check out a few gift ideas and have a quick lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.

One of the questions friends and clients always ask me is, "What is Christmas like in Hawaii?"  What I think they really mean is, "What is it like to have a warm weather Christmas?"

Well, yes, it is different in some ways.  Sipping hot chocolate and snuggling in a blanket in front of a fireplace are not the usual fall leading into winter activities on Oahu. We are more likely to set down a beach blanket and watch the surf while sipping an iced mocha. A white sandy beach is a good substitution for a field of snow.

Yes, we have Christmas decorations, Hanukkah decorations, wreaths, Santa Claus and other festive decorations celebrating the season.

If Christmas in Hawaii appeals to you there are homes of every description to fit your lifestyle needs. Looking at properties today I noted a Diamond Head 2 bedroom ocean front condo for $1,249,000. Imagine sitting on your lanai with the gentle surf directly below, and falling asleep to the melody of the ocean.

If you want something more modest, there is a great studio condo available in energetic Waikiki with a 180 degree ocean view available for $110,000. 

Ahhh....something to think about...Christmas in Hawaii, in your own home.

Socks in Honolulu?

Okay..so, braddah & sistah you no speak Hawaiian Pidgin English?  Well..I don't either, at least not so well.  :) Slipphas is the Pidgin term for Slippers.  No, not those warm cozy slippers that you snuggle into on the mainland on a chilly evening. You know, the ones lined with fleece and ohhh so warming to your tootsies.

Slipphas here are what you think of as flip-flops or flat sandals. In other words, cheap (affordable) beach shoes. They come in all colors and styles. You can find simple black, blue and local style rubber slippers at Long's and the Waikiki International Market Place to "Bling-e" ones at the Payless Shoe Store or Nordstrom's. Whateva', there are plenty of slipphas to choose from.

In Honolulu, the summer days are slipping into fall.  Current temp posted on my EVO 4G phone is: 74 degrees at 7:43 PM HST. The low was 69 degrees and the high was 81 degrees.

That may be a shocking number to the folks in Vermont where the current temp is 36 degrees with a clear forecast. Here in Honolulu, in Hawaii Kai where I live, a temp of 69 to 74 is downright cold...well maybe I've exaggerated a little bit, downright cooler is a better term.

So, what do I do when when it is colder?  When sleeping I either add a light terry cloth blanket or put on socks. For my husband Walt, I knitted a pair of cammo socks.

Beware!  If you buy a home in Hawaii, we don't have heaters in our homes.  Betta' bring a pair of socks wit u braddah or sistah.

Yummm

One of the best reasons to own a home in Hawaii is the abundance of fresh food available all year.

This morning for breakfast we enjoyed a papaya-blueberry smoothie made with soy milk for an extra boost of protein. 

We are blessed to live in Hawaii so I set a few grocery items out for a quick photo. The pineapple is from Maui as well as the hydroponic red, green and butter lettuce, grown on the slopes of Haleakala.  The papaya and coconut are from the local farmer's market held at Kaiser High School in Hawaii Kai.

Yum!