Mele Kalikimaka!

Enjoy the day Hawaiian Style!

Question of the day: What is your favorite Christmas Day Tradition?

A Postcard from Santa

Mahalo Ron Martin for sharing:

A Little Humor is Good for the Soul 

Why does Santa's sled get such good mileage?

Because it has long-distance runners on each side.

Why does Scrooge love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

Because every buck is dear to him.

Merry Christmas

She's on Santa's Naughty List!

 A California woman who promised investors up to 20 percent returns on their money has pleaded guilty in a nearly $7 million real estate and small business Ponzi scheme.

Guadalupe Valencia pleaded guilty Monday to six federal fraud charges claiming she bilked more than 150 victims who invested in her Downey-based Real Estate & Loan Consultants and R.E. Equity Group investment pools.

The 46-year-old West Covina woman, who was immediately taken into custody, faces 86 years in federal prison and fines totaling $1.5 million when she’s sentenced May 23.

From 2001 to 2009, prosecutors say Valencia promised investors high rates of interest from 8 percent to 20 percent in as little as 45 days.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!  Always check with your accountant, attorney, real estate professional and other professionals before giving any money over to someone who professes to help you "get rich quick" or "solve your mortgage problems" if you pay upfront, or sign over your property deed to them.

It's up to you to report misbehavior of this type to your local regulatory board.  It's easy, forms are online and you can remain anonymous.  Working together we can get folks like Ms. Valencia on Santa's naughty list for a long, long time.

Your question of the day: Have you ever been promised something too good to be true?

Photos of Life in Hawaii

Aloha!

Christmas Greetings!  Even in laid back Hawaii we don't miss out on the hectic pace of Christmas. Fitting in work, shopping, holiday parties, and full parking lots into an already full schedule can add to the stress of everyday living.

So this week I took a few snapshots to share.

1.  It rained, and rained and rained!  Question:  "What do tourists do when it rains?"  Answer:  "Enjoy the beach!" 

2.  What do locals do when it rains?

Make a warm, comforting meal.  It's a rare occasion that we choose to turn on the oven and heat up the house.  Having daytime temperatures hovering around 70 degrees gives us a chance to prepare our favorite winter time comfort food.  The lasagna looks good doesn't it?

3.  It's a good time to cuddle. 

The kittys can't curl up by the fireplace, but they can cuddle together near cool glass top table.

4.  Then, it was off to discover exactly where that Christmas music was coming from!

5. 

And we all thought back to last week when we went to Blowhole to look for the whales.

  6.  We didn't see any whales, so instead, we enjoyed the scenery overlooking Sandy Beach


The question of the day is, " What is your favorite photo? " 

All Real Estate is Local

"All Real Estate is Local"  is a phrase that we often hear when we listen to experts. Last week we attended a session hosted by Realtor.com. Realtor.com is the largest search engine for finding listed property all across the nation.

At this time of year a lot of people are looking at property in Honolulu. Even though it rained today, the temperature was 72 degrees. I got to wear my jeans instead of shorts!

Maybe some of you are thinking,  "72 degrees looks pretty good right now."

So what's it like to buy a home in Honolulu?  What can you expect?  There is something for everyone, condos, high rise towers, and single family homes.  Some have ocean views, some are on secluded treed lots that give you a lot of privacy, some are on on the marina in Hawaii Kai, and some are oceanfront.

If you are getting a mortgage, it usually takes about 45-60 days to complete the loan process and close escrow. Other items to consider are: a home inspection, termite inspection report, homeowner documentation, survey, Home Warranty Programs, Governmental disclosures such as mold, or "Megan's Law", encroachments, insurance, oceanfront issues, etc. Of course, you will want to discuss these and many other issues with your Realtor before signing on the dotted line for your dream home.

Last Thursday, we viewed an oceanfront property for an out of town buyer that is interested in moving to Honolulu.

Here is a picture that I snapped with my cell phone from the lanai.

If you think you are interested in a place in Paradise, Honolulu, Hawaii...a good place to start your search is http://www.realtor.com/.  Happy house hunting!

Your question of the day...can you guess on what part of the island this condo is located?