On a recent Friday, I loaded a new REO listing in MLS & by mid Saturday, we had 3 calls for showings! Since then, we've had multiple offers, several above asking price! REO or lender owned property can be a great source for purchasing a home. We at Hawaii Life represent lenders to help them sell their assets when they get them back from a foreclosure. In addition, we can help buyers looking for a great deal. Here's a gallery I've put together of some Oahu REO homes for sale. Stay tuned... we'll have more to come! 11/17/2009

Realty Trac came out with their latest Hawaii foreclosure stats that were published this week in the Star Bulletin. Lihue on Kauai led the state with the highest rate, however this was skewed due to Kauai Beach Resorts foreclosure, which accounted for 145 units.Although, Oahu accounts for the majority of the population in the Hawaii, 65% of the foreclosure activity was on the neighbor islands. Ewa Beach led Oahu with the most foreclosures on the island with 65 in the month of August. Honolulu ranked 150th in the nation out of 203 metro areas tracked, which isn't too bad.If you're looking for a great buy, Ewa Beach could be the place. In general, the construction is newer, the infrastructure is newer & Ewa Beach hardly lacks any sunshine The catch is the commute to Honolulu. Ewa resident... 11/17/2009

The Ocean Pointe neighborhood of Ewa Beach, Hawaii has 5 distinct town home neighborhoods, Ke Noho Kai, Ke Aina Kai, Mariners Place, Spinnaker Place, and Fairways Edge.  The units are all 2-3 bedrooms and bathrooms, starting at 823 square feet and going up to 1470 with prices starting at $199,000 up to $578,990.  The vast majority of the units have 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths, range in size from 1000 - just under 1200 square feet, with prices in the high $200,000 up to the mid $300,000 range (With the exception of Mariners Place which is priced in the low to mid $200,000's). To review the activity in the last few months (7/15/2009 - 10/15/2009), there was a total of 16 sales, 8 contracts pending which will be closed in the near future, 16 contracts currently in escrow, and 26 properties activ... 10/15/2009

They say that Hawaii is a year behind the ‘mainland' (continental U.S.) with the real estate market. With that in mind we are still have a high inventory for short sales especially in the Ewa Gentry and Ocean Pointe areas of Oahu (Honolulu County). This is still the hot area to get a great deal on a ‘newer' single family home. More bang for the buck! Ewa Gentry Single Family Home Market Report September 2009:  We had 44 Active Listings with 37 in contract and 12 sold.  The Ewa Gentry activity has been one of the best neighborhoods for a deal as there are still many short sales to choose from. Now that the Hawaii Home Buyer is wanting to take advantage of that first time home buyer credit we are seeing multiple offers on properties. Average Sales Prices were $448,471 and the DAYS ON MARK... 10/15/2009

This past Friday, the State Land Use Commission voted against DR Horton's proposal to build 12,000 new homes on the Ewa Plain between Waipahu and Kapolei. The project, named Ho'opili would be the largest project since Mililani in central Oahu by Castle and Cooke, which just completed last year after 40 years of development. It's also said to be similar size in scale to Hawaii Kai in east Oahu. There are two arguments to the development: Pros: It would be great for the island in that it would tie in to the Mayor's proposed rail project and spur the economy with job creation & keep or lower housing costs Cons: The proposed area would displace one of Oahu's largest farming areas.  This is a section that is zoned Agriculture and is vital to Oahu farmers.  There has been a lot of buzz lately... 08/30/2009

I recently did a transaction for a 22 yr old E-4 in the Army. He was fresh in from his last station. No sooner had he landed when he contacted me to see how much house he could qualify for. These calls get me very excited because at such a young age he gets it. Soon after we closed he deployed, however before leaving, he secured other military personnel to rent to. This has put him in such a great position in many ways. First, and most obvious he has an investment that was 100% leveraged, and a tax write off. Even better he has a rental at full capacity. While deployed he has nothing to spend money on. This means when he returns he will come home to $66,000 and he will only be 23 years old. The power of the va loan is life changing especially if executed at a young age. 07/19/2009

while lending keeps getting tighter with rules and regulations, The VA loan stands solid. True ratios have been cut, and credit requirements are stricter, however pound for pound if you are working with an experienced VA LO you should be fine. Recently I was given a lead on a VA client. No sooner had the lead been given to me when the referring agent frantically called me back and asked me not to contact the client as they had elected to use Navy Fed.  Several days passed and yesterday my phone rang. It was the same frantic Realtor asking me to once again call the client. Seems that Navy fed could not deliver what they had promised. `After speaking to the client I was able to get a DU approval on a 59% back end ratio. Her good credit and reserve definitely helped however I admit I was s... 07/14/2009

Aloha, It is all to often that our troops go unnoticed unless we are personally touched. As we complain about the drive into work they are under fire. Please take time to think of the men and women that give so much for us. Should any one of those men and women wish to own a piece of the land they are willing to defend please have them contact me, and I will be more then glad to walk them through the process. Mahalo That's all folks. For Va Lending questions please feel free to contact me at (808) 382-7444 Dave White VA Loan Hero (808) 382-7444 06/27/2009

    Here is a report of the active single family listings in Ocean Pointe, Hawaii.  Hope that this is helpful to those of you that are searching in the Ocean Pointe area of Ewa Beach.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.   There are a total of 33 homes for sale that are available as of today (4/22/2009).  The prices range from $387k - $650k.  The smallest home has a square footage of 1275 and the largest 2357, the smallest home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms where the largest is a 5 bedroom 3.5 bath home.  On average you are looking at a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath home with a square footage of 1672 at $297/square foot.  For the lot size it ranges from 3851 square feet to 6503 square feet with an average of 4640 square feet. As you can see from the picture there are b... 04/21/2009

I recently had a client that I represented as the buyers agent...we looked at properties for months, put in offers and finally got one under contract.  Luckily it was the best one that we had looked and an absolute steal.  Everything went well through the transaction except when we got the appraised value (VA Loan), which ended up being $10k short.  At first I thought it wasn't a big deal and $10k didn't seem like much when the property is valued at more then $500k, but it sure is ending up to be a HUGE headache.  The main problem is that the property is one of the nicest in the neighborhood and there are a number of back up offers in place behind ours...That $10k is the credit that we were getting from the sellers for closing costs and the buyers don't want to dish out any more cash.  ... 04/21/2009

Woodbridge is a neighborhood at Ewa by Gentry.  This is an upscale area, where homes typically have 3-5 bedrooms and 3 baths, 2,600+ square feet interior and 5,000+ square foot lots. Ewa by Gentry Woodbridge homes were built from 2002 to 2006 - they're comparatively new for a Hawaii neighborhood.  Woodbridge is an ideal choice of neighborhood for large families looking for an affordable, upscale home. Home prices have fallen in the past couple of years and deals can be found at Woodbridge.  A quick check reveals that the majority of listings on the market now are priced below what the owners paid a couple of years ago.  The difference between the current market prices and prices paid by owners sometimes goes beyond $100,000.  Now's the time to "buy low" so we can "sell high" later! Vie... 04/03/2009

Ka Makana at Hoakalei is Ewa Beach's newest neighborhood.  The development is being built as a resort that has an 18 hole championship golf course designed by PGA Professional Ernie Els, a marina, hotel, restaurants and shops.  The single family homes come in 5 different sets of models: Hala Series priced from the low 500s Kukui Series priced from the mid 500s Milo Series priced from the mid 600s Banyan Series priced from the mid 700s Koa Series priced from the low 900s to over 1 million dollars if you would like a golf course view Koa Series Homes are top of the line and range in size from 2,901 square feet to 3,552 square feet. Model 6010 of the Koa Series This photo is of the 6010 Model at Ka Makana that has 2,901 interior sf of living space, 4 bedrooms + a den, 3.5 bathrooms, a cove... 03/16/2009

A wise man learns from his own mistakes and a happy man learns from the mistakes of others.  Here are some helpful tips to make you a happy buyer's agent instead of a wise one.  All the information I am providing is not theoretical or dated but comes from actual short sale transactions that our team has closed in the last 12 months (26) and are currently involved with (40+).   Buyers/ Buyer's Agent -  Should know... Expect to pay for closing costs that are traditionally paid for by the seller.  For example surveys, termite reports, condo documents.  We do try and get the lender to allow that these be paid for out of the purchase price but sometimes they just cut them from the approval. Commissions maybe reduced so don't expect to be able to follow through on buying that new refrigerator... 02/13/2009

As of January 4, 2009, there are approximately 83 short sales and bank owned properties for sale in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Prices on these properties range from $180,000 for a condo to $699,000 for a single family home.  This map below of Ewa Beach, Hawaii shows the locations of 79 of the 83 available short sale and bank owned properties.  The other 4 have not been mapped. Opportunity is knocking with some of these short sales and bank owned properties which can possibly be purchased for considerably less than fair market value.  To see the full search capability and explore further options for Hawaii Short Sales and Bank Owned Properties/Foreclosures, log on to www.Relocate808.com and use the FREE Hawaii Short Sale and Foreclosure Search Function. CURRENT SHORT SALES AND BANK OWNED PROPERT... 01/04/2009

Ka Makana at Hoakalei I wanted to see how things were coming along in the first Village being developed at Hoakalei in Ewa Beach and I'm glad to report that things are coming along swimmingly! The biggest change I noticed since the last time I had stopped by was the change in the Ernie Ells' signature golf course. The second thing I noticed was great incentives that are being offered:                      Credit of $15,000*                       No Loan Points and No Non-recurring Closing Costs**                      Backyard Landscaping***                     (This program is subject to revocation or change without notice)In Hawaiian, Ka Makana means "the gift". In traditional Hawaiian culture, the giving of gifts is the way that we show our welcome. At Ka Makana, the gift is life rew... 12/17/2008

Oahu New Luxury Resort Community: Oahu, Ewa Beach, Hawaii Homes that excite the senses and satisfy the soul.... Ka Makana at HOAKALEI is a new luxury resort community in Ewa Beach. It's the newest master-planned development by Haseko Homes, Inc. Ka Makana means "the gift" in Hawaiian. It offers a spectacular collection of beautifully crafted resort single family residences. Ka Mahana is the first village of Hoakalei. The centerpiece of Hoakalei is the new premier marina resort destination in Ewa Beach. The development offers one-, two- story single family residences & features fifteen distinct floor plans with living area ranging from 1,212 to 3,552 sq. ft. Ka Makana at HOAKALEI offers many exciting resort style amenities, including Ernie Els' first signature golf course in Hawaii, a pr... 10/15/2008

This West Loch sales report covers both Westloch Estates and Westloch Fairway (part of zip code of 96706) in Ewa beach, Hawaii. West Loch has seen an increase of inventory and some slippage in sales volume and average sales price.  Sellers will find a lot of competition, while buyers will find some really good values in West Loch.  Currently Active for Sale (10/3/08):  29 Single Family Homes Currently in Escrow (10/3/08):   1 Single Family Home For the Month of  September - Sold Resale Homes                 Single Family Homes   Number of Sales   Average Sales Price Area 2008 2007 % Change   2008 2007 % Change Westloch 3 2 +50.00%   $514,966 $464,500 +10.86%                                 Year to Date - Sold Resale Homes                 Single Family Homes   Number of Sales   Average S... 10/03/2008

  About a week and a half ago I was at the office and  I get a call on my cellular.Hmm...long distance. Bet it's a telemarketer. Hit ignore. The office phone rings and she asks for ... ME. Wouldn't you know it was her calling on my cellular hahaha!  Her husband came back from Iraq and saw my sites all over the internet so they called me. They are Military Relocating to Hawaii in December. Talk about PRO ACTIVE in their search for a home! We now have an accepted contract (today) and they are flying in from California for their home inspection scheduled for Saturday. (and they get to see Hawaii for the first time in their lives!) In communities such as the one my clients chose there are maintenance fees.It is a single family home but within a condo ownership association. I spoke with the ... 08/27/2008

Ocean Pointe a planned community in Ewa Beach, Hawaii (makes up part of tax map key 191). The following report reflects resale's of homes that were reported through the MLS system.  New homes sales are not part of this report.  Ocean Pointe has the new marina going in and the new North/ South road, which will improve traffic in the area. Single Family homes: Average sales prices of single family homes in Ocean Pointe have shown slippage of just under 5% over the same period last year.  Sales volume has seen a large drop during the same time frame.  There is a lot of new home construction in the area which has had an impact on the resale homes.  Buyers will find some really nice properties at wonderful values in Ocean Pointe. Condo and townhouse sales are another story.  Sales volume is ... 08/02/2008

Las Brisas is a development within the planned community of Ewa Gentry in Ewa Beach, Hawaii (makes up part of tax map key 191). Single Family homes: The numbers in Las Brisas.  Resale activity in Las Brisas has been soft.  There is a lot of new homes development in the area competing with the resale market, along with a large amount of resale inventory in the neighboring communities.  It is a good time for buyers to find good deals on fairly new homes. Currently Active for Sale (August 2, 2008):   11 Single Family Homes Currently in Escrow (August 2, 2008):    4 Single Family Homes For the Month of  July - Sold Resale Homes                 Single Family Homes   Number of Sales   Average Sales Price Area 2008 2007 % Change   2008 2007 % Change Las Brisas 1 1 ---   $400,000 $425,000 -5.88... 08/02/2008