When buying a Kailua home you want to makes sure that you are protecting your largest purchase. There are several things that you can do to make sure you are adequately protecting your investment. Here are a few things you are either required to have or need to consider. First, you need to have homeowner's insurance lined up before closing. This covers fire, theft and liability.   Lenders want to make sure that their investment is protected and will make it a requirement to close. Typically, buyers contact their current insurance carrier that they have automobile coverage through, but coverage can be obtained anywhere. Many times they will offer a multiple policy discount.   If you have specific items you would like to add you can talk to your insurer about customizing a plan. Along the... 05/02/2011

Happy Easter All !!!!! Just want to wish all out in cyberspace that reads this a Very Happy Easter!!!! God Bless, Kimi 04/23/2011

17th Annual "I Love Kailua" Town Party - today!!!!! This is a fantastic time for all - the weather is beautiful! So put on your sunscreen, and some walking shoes and come join us Kailua folk for some great food, live entertainment, art in the park, craft show, plant sale, free health screening, community information booth and fun times for the keiki with rides and activities. See what all the buzz is about in Kailua. I think you'll be glad you did! But remember, I don't think we could have asked for a more beautiful day today - so put on your sunscreen and a hat!!!!! I'll see you there!!!!   For more information, visit: www.lanikailuaoutdoorcircle.org 04/17/2011

Aloha from Hawaii! Happy Monday All!!!! I have had such a positive, great real estate weekend - and I know that my week will follow suit. I am so greatful for everything in my life, the good and the bad. Because if it weren't for all of it, I wouldn't be here today. I just wanted to wish everyone who happens to read this a wonderful week with me!!!!!! May we all be positive and have all good things come to us!!!! Aloha from Hawaii 04/11/2011

AIKAHI PARK NEIGHBORHOOD IN KAILUA This well-kept family neighborhood is in a relatively flat area of Kailua, located on the N. West side of Mokapu Road, bordered by Kaneohe Bay Drive to the Southwest (except for Ilikaa Place, which is West of K Bay Dr. ordinarily considered part of Kalaheo Hillside) and Marine Corps Base Hawaii (Kaneohe Bay) to the North. Known for its highly regarded public elementary school district (Honolulu Magazine Ranked it #1 in Kailua), this area has mostly single-family homes built in the 1960's, with a smattering of the later decades. Most are slab construction, ranch style, and square footage is all over the board, mostly from 1,200 to 2,000. Lot size varies widely from about 5,200 sq.ft. to over 11,000. Prices range from about $750K to just over $1M making ... 06/06/2010

ENCHANTED LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD IN KAILUA This family neighborhood lies in a mainly flat section of SW Kailua, and consists mostly of homes originally built in the early 1960's, as part of the Enchanted Lakes Estates subdivision. With a maze of curving streets all surrounding Kaelepulu Pond (aka Enchanted Lake), it is located mostly inside the loop formed by Keolu Drive, but also, North of the loop, bounded by Mid-Pacific Country Club Golf Course to the East, Auwina Street and Place to the North, and Hamakua Drive to the West. Most of the homes in the Enchanted Lakes subdivision are fairly similar, single-family, slab construction bungalows, unless renovated. There were originally only a handful of models sold -- all with vaulted ceilings, side entry carports and covered lanais. Within the ... 06/06/2010

Honolulu Magazine's 2010 Public Schools Report is out, in the May edition of the magazine, and I am pleased to report that several Windward Oahu public schools (public schools in Kailua and Kaneohe) did quite well, placing in the top 50 schools on Oahu. Several Kailua public schools and Kaneohe public schools even moved up in the rankings quite a bit, since the last public schools report in 2008. Particularly, Kailua Elementary jumped from #141 to #50 on Oahu! The Top rated Windward Schools in Kailua are Aikahi Elementary School and Enchanted Lake Elementary School. The top rated schools in Kaneohe are Heeia Elementary School and Kapunahala Elementary School. Also in the top tier of Oahu Public Schools are Maunawili Elementary School (in Kailua), Kaneohe Elementary School, Ahuimanu Elem... 05/13/2010

Price: $388,000 FIZBER.com ID 15545581 Condo/Townhome/Co-op with 3 bed, 2.0 bath, in 14644 Noke St 1004 Kailua, HI, 96734 http://www.fizber.com/15545581/ 14644 Noke St 1004 - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Condo/Townhome/Co-op Address: 14644 Noke St 1004, Kailua, HI, 96734 Sq footage: 1357.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.0 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 1971 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Hawaii homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Large 3 bedroom condo in desirable Kailua. Corner end unit with spacious open lanai for those beautiful Hawaiian nights. Close to restaurant, shopping, and some of the most beautiful beaches on the island. This is a Short Sale. DIAL 808-227-2703 FOR MORE INFORMATION. Additional info about the property including ho... 04/21/2010

A lovely home at 822 Mokulua Drive in Lanikai just closed on Friday, November 20th.  Built in 2003 and on the water, it's a very desireable property. The house is gorgeous.  It's on the water, with a rock wall and stairway leading down to the ocean.  Hardwood floors and walls, a nice yard with swimming pool and a garage are some of the features. Five bedrooms, three and a half baths, 3,900+ square feet interior and an 11,000 square foot yard.  MLS 2911713.  If you'd like to see the MLS info for this sold house send me an e-mail. When it was first listed in May 2008 the price was $7,895,000.  In July 2008 the price was reduced to $7,395,000, then $6,995,000 in February 2009, $6,395,000 in March 2009 and $5,995,000 in August 2009.  The home sold last week for $5,500,000, which was $445,00... 11/23/2009

Hawai’i’s Animal Quarantine Law 5 Day or Less Program Hawaii is rabies-free. Hawaii’s quarantine law is designed to protect residents and pets from potentially serious health problems associated with the introduction and spread of rabies. All dogs and cats, regardless of age (puppies and kittens included) or purpose, must comply with Hawaii’s dog and cat import requirements. Chapter 4-29 Hawaii Administrative Rules, governs the importation of dogs, cats and other carnivores into Hawaii. This law states that dogs and cats meeting specific pre- and post-arrival requirements may qualify for 5-day–or-less quarantine program, which has a provision for direct release at Honolulu International Airport after inspection. (See “Checklist For 5-Day-Or-Less Program” for details.) Furthermore, the l... 11/22/2009

Last week, the latest and most expensive to date Kerr Michaels project was listed in Kailua Beach. 210 Kalaheo Ave. has it all. This exclusive beach-side estate is nearly 1.5 acres on the ocean and has 8 bedrooms and 8 + bathrooms and was recently completed in 2009. If they achieve their goal in selling near the price of asking of $36 million, it would be a record setting sale for Windward Oahu.Two homes sold over the last few years at $22 and $24 million on Oahu, however they were older homes whereas this is new construction...It will be interesting to monitor the traffic this home receives.  At $36m, this estate is now the 2nd highest-priced residential offering the State of Hawaii.  The top spot belongs to the Tara Plantation at Papaa Bay on Kauai, which is rumored to be in negotiati... 11/17/2009

LANIKAI, KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD LUXURY & BEACHFRONT HOMES FOR SALE IN KAILUA, OAHU 10/06/2009 [2009 SALES DATA] [PAST SALES DATA]ABOUT LANIKAI, KAILUA, OAHU Lanikai means "heavenly seas" and is one of the most desired and expensive areas of Kailua. Lanikai is where you will find many of the luxury homes for sale in Kailua and has some of the best beacfront luxury homes on Oahu, and certainly the best beach. Lanikai is the home or vacation spot to many local and national celebrities, such as the beloved late Don Ho. Elvis once had a home here too. Now, faces from the TV series "Lost," filmed on Oahu are often seen living and playing in Lanikai. If you are looking for Lanikai real estate, you will find multi-million dollar mansions and modern architechtural masterpieces mingled with plantati... 10/06/2009

BEACHSIDE, KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD LUXURY & BEACHFRONT HOME FOR SALE IN KAILUA, OAHU 9/28/2009 [2009 SALES DATA] [PAST SALES DATA] ABOUT BEACHSIDE, KAILUA, OAHUThe Beachside Neighborhood in Kailua is one of Kailua's and Oahu's most prolific luxury home and beachfront home neighborhoods. All of the homes in the Beachside area of Kailua are located beachfront or within a short walking distance to the beach. Many homes, even some of those with a busy street address like Kalaheo Avenue, are down quiet streets and off private lanes. There are several mini-neighborhoods and HOA's, in these charming beachside lanes, with amenities not usually seen in Kailua, like underground utilitites, and most having a private beach access path for residents. There are also several public beach access points in ... 09/28/2009

Here are some recent statistics on Single Family Home Sales that may give some insight into what is going on in the East Oahu real estate market. Over the past 6 mo, we have seen many more properties getting into bidding wars and/or selling over the list price at the time of sale, especially in Kailua. Many first time homebuyers have finally decided that they want to get in the market and some, who may qualify, are eager to take advantage of the $8K First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit for 2009. Others see this as a very good time to trade up, with interest rates still so low. I expect the market will get a little more crazy in the next few months as the end of year approaches, particularly, in the lower price points and condo market. KailuaPrice Point- Under 700K, 47 sold, with 17 (36%) AT ... 08/29/2009

Good news in paradise!  It appears that the activity level has been picking up steam.  We are getting a lot more buyers that are looking here on Oahu. They are actually making offers and feel it is a great time to buy with the low interest rates. It may not be the bottom, but they feel with the low interest rates and the price adjustments over the past 2 years it may be a great opportunity to get a piece of Hawaii.I have been speaking to few agents I know on Kauai and Maui. They are tell me that the are experiencing the same thing as well. Hopefully this is a start to a recovery. 05/14/2009

One of the things I look forward to the most with my annual subscription to Honolulu Magazine is the Kailua edition that comes out every April. Last year, I was fortunate enough to be interviewed for the magazine's article, "Wanted: Kailua" by Catherine Toth, on Kailua real estate. They even featured a home that I sold and my clients in the article. This year, the Kailua section featured the history of three very different Kailua families and 13 fun new things to do in Kailua. In the article "Kailua Generations," by Jenny Quill told stories of the Kanentake, Rodrigues-Pope and Peters families of Kailua. I found intriguing the historic photos, including a 1952 picture of Mount Olomana, and wonder what it must have been like here, in the "old days." In the article on new things to do in K... 04/22/2009

This 17th Annual Event, hosted by the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle, Kaneohe Ranch and the Castle Foundation, promises to be a great time for residents from all parts of the island and visitors too. Held in the center of Kailua town, on Sunday, April 27 from 11 am to 4 pm, this event is Kailua's biggest party of the year. Kailua Road, from Kuulei Road to Hahani Street, will be closed off to automobiles for the event. Thousands are expected to attend, enjoying food, music, live entertainment, and handmade arts and crafts of local artists. You can also buy plants and learn more about many local businesses. The event benefits the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle. This organization, founded in 1948,  focuses on keeping Kailua beautiful, green and clean, and is dedicated to planting trees, shrubs and... 04/21/2009

For those of you that don't know, Maunawili is the first neighborhood you come to after going over the Pali to Kailua. What's great about it, is you're minutes from the pristine white beaches of Kailua, yet also minutes away from Downtown Honolulu. Many doctors, attorneys & business professionals choose to reside here due to its close proximity to town. It's also just about a 20 minute drive to some of the best private schools in town. Or, if you don't want the commute, Le Jardin Academy is right there. Other attractions are gorgeous Mount Olomana and the lush greenery of the Windward side of Oahu.Maunawili has also been a hot real estate market as of late. Although there's only been 4 sales in the past 6 months (1 of which was $2 million), there are currently 4 under contract with an a... 04/18/2009

The Oahu community of Kailua will be celebrating Earth Day at the Kawai Nui Neighborhood Park on Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Various organizations and environmental agencies will be participating in the event to bring environmental awareness to the residents of our beautiful island of Oahu.  The event will include a tour of Queen Lili'uoklani's retreat.  Those who wish to take part in the tour must be checked in at the information booth by 10:30 a.m.  Educational exhibits will offering interactive activities for children.  Exhibits will also present information on the work currently being done to on the island of Oahu.  The importance of Oahu's Kawai Nui Marsh, Hawaii's largest wetland, will be a featured topic of the day.  Opportunities to be a vital part of the Earth Da... 04/02/2009

Here's a tip to avoid getting ripped off.  NEVER send money to Nigeria.  OK?  A local family just lost approximately $2,500 when they contacted someone advertising a rental for an Aikahi Gardens townhome in Kailua.  The true owner of the property had advertised the unit for rent on a couple of websites.  The scammers copied the photos and description, placed them on craigslist with a lower rental amount and BINGO! somebody took the bait. It's kind of hard to believe that a renter would fall for this, but it does happen.  The prospective renters were looking for a low priced rental and this unit seemed like everything they wanted and for much less than comparable rentals in Kailua. The prospective renters sent their payment to Nigeria.  The alleged owners then claimed that the keys were ... 02/14/2009