Real Estate News You Can Use


Kauai 1st Quarter Property Sales - 4/10
Are we really in to April already? I don't know about you, but I'm wondering where March went! The stock market continues to climb, real estate sales activity is picking up, global and U.S. financial instability continues... continue »


Year End 2009 Kauai Real Estate Update - 1/10
For many of us, we are glad to see 2009 come and go. For property owners needing to sell, it was a frustrating experience often times resulting in selling for less than what they paid, especially if they purchased the property from 2004-2008. For opportunistic buyers the deals were plentiful... continue »


3rd Quarter 2009 Kauai Real Estate Update - 10/09
This update will be filled with facts and statistics, as I feel this tells the story best in today’s markets. With job losses at their worst rate in 28 years, increases in foreclosures and short sales... continue »


Are We On the Road to Normalization? - 8/09
While a lot of us have been on vacation, the housing market has been relatively busy compared to earlier this year and even last year at this time... continue »
By Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, NAR (National Association of Realtors) Research. Reprinted from realtor.org


2nd Quarter 2009 Kauai Real Estate Update - 8/09
We are now approaching 6 months in to the new Presidential administration. The 1st week of July Vice President Joe Biden stated that the Obama administration had misread the weakness of the economy. The Obama camp is now hinting that an additional economic stimulus package will be necessary... continue »


Economy Update - 6/09
Mortgage Bonds are down. The 200-Day Moving Average now appears to be a strong overhead resistance level. The 4.5% Mortgage Backed Security did test the 200-day Moving Average on Friday but was turned back lower... continue »


1st Quarter 2009 Kauai Real Estate Update - 4/09
3 months in 2009 has come and gone, and the deals just keep getting better here. Your chance to own a piece of paradise is looking better than ever. 30 year fixed rate loan programs below 5% on homes and prices at 2004 levels is a reality... continue »


2008 Kauai Real Estate and Economy Review - 1/09
O.K., is it safe to say that it will be nice to have 2008 behind us? Of course we all have much to be thankful for and let's not forget that. 2009 will be filled with a balance of opportunities and hardships... continue »


Unemployment Hits 7.2% - 1/09
With the recession in full swing, the nation's employers shed 524,000 jobs in December, the government reported Friday, and a rapidly deteriorating economy promised more significant losses in the months ahead... continue »


Tax Credit Changes Could Unleash Home Sales - 1/09
If all home buyers become eligible for a tax credit without a repayment feature, it could result in an additional 555,000 home sales, enough to meaningfully draw down excess housing inventory... continue »


December Real Estate Update - 12/08
O.K. you have seen all the Kauai statistics from my previous newsletters this year, so I won't bore you with more of the same. Sales are down, inventory is high and prices are still softening... continue »


Lower Your Monthly Payments with a Mortgage Buy Down - 12/08
It is often more beneficial to the buyer to obtain a "seller concession" towards the buyer's closing cost than a further sales price reduction in today's market. This is a very effective buyer's tool that is all too often forgotten and not used in the purchase negotiations.... continue »


November Real Estate Update - 11/08
Kauai's real estate market continues to favor the buyers and likely will well in to 2009. Single family residential unit sales are down 29.94% YTD compared to the same period in 2007... continue »


3rd Quarter Kauai Real Estate Update - 10/08
Needless to say, a lot has happened in our country over the last quarter, much of it coming to a head in September. As if a 3 year old receding real estate market wasn’t enough, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the largest backer of secondary market home loans valued at $5 trillion) were taken over by the federal government... continue »


2nd Quarter Kauai Real Estate Update - 7/08
2008 is half over and there is no better place to spend your summer than on the Garden Island. Those of us who call Kauai home know that we may be living in the most beautiful place in the world... continue »


Sell Faster When You Understand the Buyer’s Mindset - 7/08
When most sellers list their home for sale, the first thing they think about is how much will I get and that is usually followed by how soon will I get the money. It's certainly understandable that those two concerns are, most often, top of mind... continue »


Maximizing Your Home's Curb Appeal - 7/08
Curb appeal is the equivalent of charisma in a home. It's that quality that makes you say "wow" when you first see it. You feel good when you pull into the driveway... continue »


Direction of Housing Market Taking Shape - 6/08
Paying attention to mainstream media regarding the perils of the real estate market is certainly entertaining these days. There is a lot of doom and gloom being reported, some well founded and some not... continue »


The Housing Crisis is Over - 5/08
The dire headlines coming fast and furious in the financial and popular press suggest that the housing crisis is intensifying. Yet it is very likely that April 2008 will mark the bottom of the U.S. housing market. Yes, the housing market is bottoming right now... continue »


Second-Home Sales Accounted For One-Third of Transactions in 2007 - 5/08
The combined total of vacation- and investment-home sales declined with the overall market in 2007, but still accounted for 33 percent of all existing- and new-home sales, which is close to historic norms, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR)... continue »


Don't Overpay Property Taxes - 5/08
Over the last eight years, property taxes have actually outpaced even inflation. Those rising taxes combined with the recent plateau in home values in some areas mean you may be paying more than your fair share... continue »


1st Quarter Kauai Real Estate Update - 4/08
Spring is finally here which for many of you couldn’t be more encouraging. All is well here on the Garden Island. As the 1st quarter comes to a close, I want to update you on several things I think you will find interesting and useful... continue »


What Affects Your Credit Score - 4/08
It is common to assume that paying bills on time automatically means having a high credit score. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. There are many misperceptions about how scores are calculated -- and yours could be lower than you might expect... continue »


How to Stop Identity Theft - 4/08
ID theft can cost you time and money (averaging $691, according to the report) to correct the misdeed and it can ruin your credit enough to prevent you from making major purchases including buying a home... continue »


6 Signs It's Time To Buy a House - 3/08
If you're waiting for signs of a housing bottom, join the club. Nobody blows a whistle and say, "It's time to buy!" That's why market timing is an art, not a science, but you can improve your odds of buying wisely... continue »


Condos Pay Off as Second Homes - 3/08
Make a condo, townhome or other community association property your second home and, chances are, you'll be pretty happy with your choice. In Hawaii, condos provide a practical and easy to manage solution to owning a second home... continue »


Kauai's Buyer's Market Continues - 3/08
According to Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, Kauai’s visitor count was up 7% in 2007 while all the other islands were down compared to 2006. Kauai’s visitor count continues to increase over the other 4 major islands... continue »


Mortgage Tax Deductions - 2/08
If you refinanced your home recently, you're not alone. According to Plunkett Research, approximately $1.1 trillion dollars in mortgage loans was refinanced in the United States in 2006. But did you remember to take an increased mortgage interest deduction on your tax return if you were entitled to one?... continue »


Kauai leads the state in 2007 visitor arrivals - 1/08
Kaua'i bucked the state trend in visitor arrivals for 2007, recording an increase in all four major markets. The Garden Isle was the only island with increased visitor traffic... continue »


2007 Kauai Real Estate in review - 1/08
2007 continued to be a buyer's market island wide. Large project additions to inventory ranged from improved and unimproved parcels at Kukui Ula in Poipu Beach, to upscale ocean front condos at Waipouli Beach Resort in Kapaa... continue »


Mortgage Applications Rising - 1/08
Mortgage application volume during the second week of January posted a huge increase as interest rates continued to decline, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported today... continue »


U.S. Economic Outlook - 1/08