Aloha, This is a relatively short update this week with only one new listing, two units going into escrow, a couple of units back on the market and some price changes. Let's get right to it... Copyright 1/24/2010 by Hawaii Information Service NEW LISTINGS231228 T A 4 4-5-3-6-22-68 FS $995,000 Kaiulani Of Princeville #68 1,892 #68 2/2.5 BACK ON THE MARKET225686 T A 195 4-5-4-5-16-57 FS $475,000 Alii Kai At Hanalei #7202 886 #7202 2/2213606 T A 555 4-5-4-5-39-198 FS $875,000 Cliffs At Princeville #9302 1,231 #9-302 2/2 CONTINGENT SALES225622 T C 198 4-5-4-5-18-39 FS $365,000 Puamana #11B 1,673 #11B 3/3228145 T C 111 4-5-4-12-11-3 FS $999,000 Puu Poa #103 1,771 #103 2/2 PRICE CHANGES224335 T A 241 4-5-4-15-21-11 FS $240,000- Sandpiper Village I #111 1,042 #111 2/2225686 T A 195 4-5-4-5-16-... 01/24/2010

Aloha, As we work our way through the first month of 2010, it seems that real estate activity in the way of showings has definitely increased. I've had several agents tell me that their "snowbirds" are here looking for a part time or permanent place to thaw out. Maybe all those cold temps elsewhere thoughout the mainland will work to our advantage. We'll just have to wait and see if units start going into escrow as a result. On to your update: Copyright 1/17/2010 by Hawaii Information Service NEW LISTINGS231100 T A 3 4-5-4-5-16-50 FS $499,900 Alii Kai At Hanalei #6102 1,088 #6102 2/2230817 T A 6 4-5-4-12-9-9 FS $589,000 Pali Ke Kua Iii #13 1,135 #13 2/2 BACK ON THE MARKET204804 T A 584 4-5-4-5-39-33 FS $275,000 Cliffs At Princeville #2103 917 #2103 1/2225622 T A 191 4-5-4-5-18-39 FS $36... 01/17/2010

Aloha, It's been hard to concentrate on the computer since every time I look up there is yet another monster wave bigger than the one before. This weekend was the 4th or 5th time we've had a swell bringing these huge waves and I have to say, I'm getting pleasantly spoiled. Since I'm up here on the the bluff at the Cliffs condos, I'm accustomed to looking out on the ocean and even manage to occasionally look up just in time to see a whale spout, or a tail slap as I work. I'm still not used to seeing breaking waves as my building sits back a bit from the bluff but it's happenning with such regularity, I'm quickly becoming accustomed to it. One of the Honolulu newscasters was saying that they usually have 4 sets of huge waves a season and they're already up to 5. I say bring it on. It's tr... 01/12/2010

Hanalei District - North Shore- Kauai -Home Sales Statistics Let's look at the home sales statistics on the North Shore. The market was slow in 2009 and prices declined in Hanalei District (the North Shore of Kauai, Hawaii). Hanalei District includes Kilauea, Anini, Princeville, Hanalei,Wainiha and Haena. There were only 61 homes sold in 2009. The median sales price dropped to $777,800 - below the prices of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008. The least expensive home sold for $362,500 while the most expensive home sold for $13,500,000. Although I haven't included this in my home sales statistics charts, the number of sales in Hanalei District in 1996 was 57 with the median sales price of $250,000!! We saw about the same number of sales in 1996 as 2009 but the median sales price in 1996 was a... 01/09/2010

Hau-ole Makahiki Hou! (Happy New Year) 2010 - Did we set a record in Hanalei Princeville for condo sales in 2009? Here are the full year condo sales statistics for Hanalei District.  Hanalei District includes the North Shore of Kauai from Kilauea to Haena. Nearly all of the North Shore condos are located in Princeville.   Number of Sales Median Sales Price 1998 67 130,500 1999 133 140,000 2000 133 195,000 2001 109 235,000 2002 169 325,000 2003 194 427,500 2004 202 464,000 2005 230 555,000 2006 123 640,000 2007 120 798500 2008 73 799000 2009 54 490,000 If you look at the condo sales statistics, the median sales price fell 40% from 2008 to 2009 from $799,000 to $490,000 and we are back to 2004/2005 prices.    According to the condo sales statistics, the number os sales of condominiums on ... 01/06/2010

Aloha, And Hau'oli Makahiki Hou to each and every one of you. May 2010 bring you much happiness, health, prosperity, fun and lots of love - and a little bit of real estate if that is on your "to do" list this year. 2009 provided plenty of opportunity for buyers looking for great investment opportunities and I don't think it's over yet. On an annual basis, 2009 only fell behind 2008 sales by 14% going from 588 total sales in 08 to 500 sales for 09. Looking ahead, in Jan 09 there were 20 sales, down considerably from 08 when there were 50 sales. Let's see what Jan 2010 can produce as set off on a new decade. Theres 3 condos and 1 house that went into escrow this past week, but since the three condo escrows are all short sales, it's doubtful they'll close in time to be counted for this mon... 01/04/2010

Aloha, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa brought you everything you wanted. There was only one condo that went into escrow last week which means Santa had a light load when it comes to delivering Princeville real estate, especially since no condos closed escrow this past week either. There's more and more short sales and Bank REO's coming onto the market. Take a look at the update and you'll see what I mean: Copyright 12/27/2009 by Hawaii Information Service NEW LISTINGS230507 T A 3 4-5-4-5-16-56 FS $438,800 Alii Kai At Hanalei #7201 886 #7201 2/2229552 T A 6 4-5-4-5-12-27 FS $539,000 Sealodge Ii #H9 567 #H9 1/1229454 T A 6 4-5-4-5-24-76 FS $589,000 Nihilani At Princeville Resort #26A 1,874 #26A 3/2.5228953 T A 6 4-5-4-5-16-37 FS $649,000 Alii Kai At Hanalei #5101... 12/27/2009

Aloha, Merry Christmas to each and every one of you - or as we say on Island: Mele Kalikimaka. Try saying that fast 5 or 6 times! Mel Lee Caw Lee Key Maw Caw. Good luck with repeating that for all your mainland friends. We can practice Happy New Years next week. (Hau'ole Makahiki Hou- more on that later...) May this Christmas find you surrounded with friends and family, filled with peace, good health and much happiness and love. With much Aloha, Elaine Beautiful Bali Hai 12/23/2009

Are you looking for a place to Dine Out or Take Out in Princeville or on the North Shore?   I complied this list of Princeville Restaurants to help you choose where you may want to eat if you are staying (or living) on the North Shore.  Now, this is just a list.  It is not a review or recommendation from me as I haven't even dined at all these restaurants.  I've had a great Latte at Lei Petite Bakery and a I've heard great comments about Fredrico's.  Both of those eateries are located on the first floor under my office - Resort Properties of the Pacific - in the Princeville Shopping Center.  If you have experiences, reviews or comments to share, please comment on this blog about Princeville Restaurants.    PRINCEVILLE       Hanalei Bay Resort       Happy Talk Lounge Continental $ 8-35 8... 12/21/2009

Aloha, Here we are beginning one of the most frantic weeks of the year as everyone scrambles to finish Christmas shopping, get their gifts wrapped and finalize all the holiday travel plans. For me, it's a magical time as I sit here looking out over the bluff to the ocean, with the albatross soaring high above both. The skies are blue with several large fluffy clouds, the sun is shining yet the winter brings a refreshing cooling breeze. I've yet to see any whale but several others have so I know they're here. I'm hoping there'll be time to sit out on the bluff in the next week or two and just relax watching for whales. Now, on to your update. Don't miss the price reductions in Nihilani: Copyright 12/20/2009 by Hawaii Information Service NEW LISTINGS230011 T A 5 4-5-4-5-18-34 FS $325,000 ... 12/20/2009

Plantation at Princeville is a condominium development comprised of 68 condos. The original buyers closed on their units that were purchased from the developer in 2005 & 2006. The development offers two and three bedroom condos, a swimming pool and spa and a workout room. The Princeville condo sales statistics show that there there was only one condo sold in 2009,  Unit #422 was a bank-owned (REO) property and was purchased for $440,000 for the three bedroom unit. Yes, the buyers got it for a great price. In 2008, there were 5 units sold with an average sales price of $533,500 and a median sales price of $549,000. One of those sales was the three bedroom plan and the other four were the two bedroom units. In addition, one of the fractional shares for unit #621 sold for $150,000.   The P... 12/17/2009

Aloha, Last week was great with wonderfully high waves at the beginning ending with what I refer to as the "bathtub" ocean which is how it has been the last few days. Always changing, I never know what to expect when I look out across the bluff to the water. Obviously I'm not a surfer as anyone who is can readily tell you if surf is expected, when and how big the waves will be. Real Estate on the other hand, has remained relatively consistant, that is, an attractive buyer's market. While some buyers may be waiting to see if the market goes down any further the astute ones are taking the plunge, knowing that now is the time to take advantage of the historically low interest rates as a higher rate can offset the savings of a lower price. On to your weekly update: Copyright 12/13/2009 by H... 12/15/2009

This 2 bedrooom, 2bathroom Ali'i Kai furnished condo for rent is available immediately fo $1600 per month with a six month lease. This condo for rent has 1080 square feet of living area with a wrap-around lanai of 149 square feet.  The master bedroom has 2 queen beds and a master bath and the second guest bedroom has a queen bed. Linens, kitchenware and dishes, etc are included. The views of the beautiful blue pacific ocean are awesome.    The Ali'i Kai at Hanalei condos are a development of 59 condominiums and were built in 1974. The majority of the units are situated on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and offer fantastic views. Ali'i Kai is a low-rise development of seven buildings and are constructed of wood frame. In buildings 1-6, each condo is 1086 square feet plus lanai. ... 12/13/2009

Aloha, We had huge surf the other day which delighted the tow in surfers and those of us like myself who love to just watch the surf roll in. It's quieted down a bit now but more is said to be on the way. On the real estate front, the Treasury Department recently set new guidelines for short sales and other loan modifications. The major point of the guideline is that banks have 10 days to approve or disapprove a request for short sale, and when done the transaction must fully release the borrower from the debt. This is great news for sellers who were fearful of having to pay capital gains tax on the amount forgiven. In addition, once a seller receives an offer on a short sale, they have 3 days to submit the offer, accompanied by a Request for Short Sale to the lender. At this point, the... 12/06/2009

Aloha, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We celebrated Thanksgiving with a hike on the Powerline trail which runs from Princeville to the Kapaa Arboretum following the powerline towers. In hindsight, I would not recommend doing it when it is wet, rutted, overgrown and slippery all of which were conditions that existed this past week. It's bad enough that the trail is so overgrown in places that you can't even see the trail and / or that it has numerous wet areas where if you "fall" off the trail into a tire rut filled with water, you can and often will find yourself in 2 to 3 foot of water, as I did. Yes, I had the pleasure of taking a mis-step or two and ended up in water halfway up my legs as I tried to extricate myself from the morass. It was also difficult taking bab... 11/30/2009

Ali'i Kai at Hanalei Princeville Condo Sales Statistics. The Ali'i Kai at Hanalei condos are a development of 59 condominiums and were built in 1974. The majority of the units are situated on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and offer fantastic views. Ali'i Kai is a low-rise development of seven buildings and are constructed of wood frame. In buildings 1-6, each condo is 1086 square feet plus lanai.  In building 7, the units are smaller, offering 886 square feet plus lanai. Ali' Kai at Hanalei has a swimming pool (no spa) and a full time manager. Currently there are 15 of the condos offered for sale. The best buy is a foreclosed (REO) unit offered at $558,900.  It is a two bedroom, two bathroom of 1086 square feet plus lanai in Building 5.    In 2009 there were 3 units that were ... 11/28/2009

Aloha, It's been another quiet week with minimal activity which is normal for this time of the year as everyone gears up for Thanksgiving. Here is your update for this past week: Copyright 11/21/2009 by Hawaii Information Service NEW LISTINGS229452 T A 4 4-5-3-11-1-30 FS $599,000 Villas On The Prince #30 1,732 #30 3/3229521 T A 2 4-5-4-15-21-15 FS $249,900 Sandpiper Village I #115 1,042 #115 2/2229489 T A 4 4-5-4-5-16-45 FS $558,900 Alii Kai At Hanalei #5301 1,086 #5301 2/2229454 T A 4 4-5-4-5-24-76 FS $589,000 Nihilani At Princeville Resort #26A 1,874 #26A 3/2.5 CONTINGENT SALES226086 SH C 911 4-5-4-6-1-42 FS $199,000 Villas Of Kamalii #42 1,825 #42 3/3 WITHDRAWN223402 T W 210 4-5-3-11-1-30 FS $679,000 Villas On The Prince #30 1,732 #30 3/3224825 T W 160 4-5-4-12-8-1 LH $359,000 Pali K... 11/21/2009

Makai Golf Course Clubhouse is finally coming down in Princeville, Kauai.  They have finally begun demolition of that eyesore in Princeville - the Makai Golf Course Clubhouse.  I won't miss that dilapidated building with the mold and"moss" growing from its roof. The course is scheduled to re-open in January.  According to my sources, they will be using that old tennis shop as the temporary clubhouse.  No date for starting construction of the new clubhouse has been set. Adjacent to the Makai Golf Course is the development of Villas of Kamali'i.  If you are looking to buy a three bedroom/three bathroom condo in Princeville, there are some great opportunities for you at Villas of Kamali'i. Click here for more information on the updated golf course: makai golf   contact me   11/17/2009

Aloha, This past week brought with it our first major winter storm. When all was said and done, both the Hanalei Bridge and the road between Princeville and Kilauea by Kalihiwai were closed for a period of time on Saturday. If you live in Princeville, Hanalei or Kilauea, you quickly learn that it's best to stay close to home when these types of storms appear, for fear of being "on the wrong side of the fence" when a road or bridge is closed. I've heard of visitors and locals alike being stuck on the wrong side of the tracks, unable to make a flight or get home.....It's pretty clear that Mother Nature rules the roost here. Along with all the rain, we had a pretty quiet week in terms of real estate activity, as evidenced by this very brief update: Copyright 11/15/2009 by Hawaii Informatio... 11/15/2009

Aloha, It was a relatively quiet week with periods of pouring rain. Activity remains relatively slow as you'll see from this weeks update. The renovation of the timeshare units at the Cliffs is almost complete which means we'll have guests returning to buildings 7, 8 and 9 which will eliminate the favorable parking spots I've become accustomed to during the renovation. For those of you unfamiliar with the Cliffs, in addition to whole ownership, there are two timeshare associations that are also here. I have a second floor unit and am happy to have timeshare above and below me. The reasons I like timeshare neighbors are 1) They seldom have big family fights as they are here on vacation; 2) They aren't dragging a bunch of other people into the unit because they don't know anyone else and ... 11/08/2009