Aloha! This is David Buck with Harcourts Island Real Estate and today we're going to talk about the 99 things that Realtors do when working with Sellers. If you didn't catch our previous video about the 71 things Realtors do when working with Buyers, feel free to check that out. This all started with an article I was reading in Realtor Magazine and we covered the 71 things Realtors do with Buyers. Now, we're going to leave the office shortly, head on the road and we're going to cover the 99 things Realtors do with Sellers. Now, keep in mind as we go through this list, this is a general list based upon the National Association of Realtors and that article in Realtor Magazine. What we do in Hawaii is significantly more and you're going to want to stick around to the very end to check it out. 

Day 1: Pre-Listing

1. Confirm prospective seller’s needs and make an appointment for a listing presentation

2.Research comparable properties

3. Research sales activity from MLS and public records data

4. Research average days on market for property of this type, price range, and location

5. Download and review property tax roll/ assessor info

6. Prepare preliminary comparative market analysis to establish fair market value

7. Obtain a copy of subdivision plat/complex layout

8. Research property’s ownership, deed type, and public record information for lot size and dimensions

9. Research hand verify legal description

10. Research property’s land use coding, zoning, and deed restrictions

11. Verify legal names of owner(s) in county’s public property records

12. Prepare a listing presentation package with above materials

13. Perform exterior curb appeal assessment of subject property

14. Compile a formal file on property

15. Review Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA) report from township for all permitted records

That's a wrap on Day 1, where we covered the Pre-Listing and items 1-15 out of 99 on working with sellers. Tomorrow, we're going to cover Listing Management. If you enjoyed today's segment and recognize some of the areas we were filming at, feel free to drop the number along with the location in the comments below. 

Once again, tomorrow we're going to dive into Listing Management with item #16.

Day 2: Listing Management

16. Give overview of market conditions and projections

17. Tour property

18. Present preliminary CMA, including comparable properties, sold properties, and current and expired listings

19. Discuss marketing goals with seller

20.Explain market power and benefits of MLS marketplaces

21. Explain power of web marketing, IDX and realtor.com

22, Offer pricing strategy with updates to CMAQ based on tour of home, upgrades, professional judgment, and current market conditions

23. Explain your role in screening for qualified buyers and projecting seller from curiosity seekers

24. Explain transaction and agency brokerage relationship

25. Review and explain all clauses in listing contract and addendum and obtain seller’s signature once property is under listing agreement

26. Review current title information

27. Gather square footage and measure overfall and heated square footage

28. Note all unrecorded property liens, agreements, or easements

29. Discuss showing times with seller and prepare showing instructions for buyer’s agents

30. Review current appraisal if available

31. Verify homeowner association fees – mandatory or optional

32. Order copy of homeowner association bylaws

33. Research electricity supplier’s name and phone number

34. Have utility companies provide average utility usage from last 12 months

35. Research and verify city sewer/septic tank system/well status

36. Research/verify natural gas availability, supplier’s name and phone number

37. Verify security system and current terms of service

38. Verify if seller has transferable termite bond

39. Ascertain need for lead-based paint disclosure

40. Detail property amenities and assess market impact

41. Prepare a detailed list of property’s inclusions and conveyances

42. Compile list of completed repairs and maintenance items

43. Explain benefits of homeowner warranty

44. Assist sellers with completion and submission of homeowner warranty application

45. Have extra keys made for lockbox

46. Arrange for installation of yard sign

47.Provide suggestions on curb appeal and decor to improve salability

48. Prepare profile sheets for MLSs and enter property data into local MLS databases

49. Add property to company’s active listings list

50. Take additional photos for upload into MLS and use in marketing

51. Create print and internet marketing with seller’s input

52. Coordinate showing with owners, tenants, and other agents

53. Install and program electronic lockbox if authorized

54. Upload listing to company and agent internet site, if applicable

55. Mail out “just listed” notice to neighborhood residents

56. Advise network referral program

57. Send feedback emails to buyer’s agents after showings

58. Review weekly market study

59. Discuss showing feedback with sellers

60. Promptly enter price changes in MLS

Well, that's a wrap on Day 2 of working with Sellers and we've covered items 16-60 under Listing Management. So, you can kind of get an idea of what goes in working with Sellers here on Oahu and what Realtors do nationwide. Once again, that's 16-60 out of a list of 99 items in what Realtors do when working with Sellers. I hope you enjoyed some of the scenery we saw ini the background today. if you recognized some of the locations here on Oahu, feel free to drop the location along with the item number in the comments below. Tomorrow, we're going to dive into 61 out of 99. Mahalo.

Day 3: Offers

61. Receive and review all offer-to-purchase contracts

62. Explain merits and weaknesses of offers, being sure to factor out unconscious bias

63. Contact buyer’s agents to review buyer’s qualifications and discuss offer

64. Deliver seller’s disclosure upon request

65. Evaluate offer(s) and prepare net sheet for owner for comparison purposes

66. Confirm buyer is pre-qualified by calling loan officer

67. Negotiate all offers per seller’s direction on seller’s behalf, and set time limit for loan approval and closing

68. Prepare counteroffers and amendments; convey to buyer’s agent

69. Email or send contract and addendums to closing agent

70. When offer-to-purchase contract is accepted, deliver to buyer’s agent

Alrighty, that's a wrap on Day 3 of the 99 Thing Realtors Do when working with Sellers. Today, we covered items 61-70 of offers. Tomorrow, we're going to jump into item #71. 

Day 4: Contracts

71. Record and promptly deposit buyer’s earnest money in escrow account

72. Disseminate under-contract showing restrictions as seller requests

73. Deliver copies of fully signed offer-to-purchase contract to seller and lender

74. Advise seller of additional offers submitted between contract and closing

75. Change MLS status to sale pending

76. Coordinate with lender on discount points being locked in with dates

77. Confirm verifications of deposit and buyer’s employment have been returned

78. Follow loan processing through to the underwriter

79.Contact lender weekly to ensure processing is on track

80. Relay final approval of buyer’s loan application to seller

Now, that's a wrap on Day 4, where we covered items 71-80 of the 99 Things that Realtors Do for Sellers. I hope you liked some of the scenery today that we saw out and about on the road. So, if you happened to notice a location that we were at today, feel free to drop that location along with the item number we covered in the comments below. Stay tuned as we jump into item #81 tomorrow as we have a few more days to wrap up this list of the 99 Things that Realtors Do when working with Sellers.

Day 5: Home and Other Inspections

81. Coordinate with seller for buyer’s professional home inspection and review home inspector’s report

82. Ensure seller’s compliance with home inspection clause requirements

83. Help seller identify contractors to perform any required repairs

84. Oversee required repairs, if needed

85. Handle septic system and well flow reports and assess any possible impact on sale

86. Verify termite inspection ordered

Alright, now that's a wrap on Day 5 of Home and Other Inspections where we covered items 81-86. Stay tuned tomorrow as we dive into item #87 on our list of 99 items of what Realtors Do when Working with Sellers.

Day 6: (Part 1): Appraisal

Aloha! We're now on Day 6 and rather than dragging this out over 2 more days (because there are 2 more sections) we're going to just wrap this up today because there's only a few items left. We're starting with item #87 and then we'll be rounding up at #99.

87. Work with seller and lender to schedule appraisal

88. Provide appraiser any comparable sales used in market pricing

89. Assist seller in questioning appraisal report if it falls below the contract price

Day 6 (Part 2): Processing for Closing

90. Ensure contract is signed by all parties

91. Coordinate closing date and time with buyer’s agent and lender

92. Assist in solving title problems or obtaining death certificates

93. Work with buyer’s agent in scheduling buyer’s final walk-through prior to closing

94. Double-check all tax, homeowners association dues, utility, and applicable prorations

95. Request final closing figures from closing agent

96. Confirm buyer and buyer’s agent have received title insurance commitment

97. Provide homeowner warranty for availability at closing

98. Review documents with closing agent

99. Change status to sold MLS, entering sale date, price, selling broker, and any other required information.

Ok, that's a wrap on the 99 Things that we as Realtors Do when working with Sellers. Once again, this list is out of Realtor Magazine, where they had 99 items nationwide. Some of these pertain to Hawaii. The majority of them do. However, some of them may/may not apply, depending on the transaction.

Once again, this is a national list. What we do as Realtors here in Hawaii is actually significantly more than this. We brought up some of the talking points in the Buyers video we did awhile back, which we linked above. Here in Hawaii, we have leasehold property and making sure you provide a mandatory leasehold disclosure to any particular Buyer buying one of those properties. We have Hawaiian Homelands. We've got CPR's. We've got lava zones, VOG, coqui frogs, etc. The list goes on and on.. There's different vacation rental bills here on Oahu. A lot of these have to do with disclosures. As we represent Sellers, we want our Sellers to be able to sleep good at night when the deal is over so the Buyer isn't coming back for a lawsuit after the fact. So, we all want to apply the Code of Ethics to our real estate transactions here and representing our Sellers well and representing our Buyers (in that circumstance).

I appreciate you tuning in and if you have any questions specific about real estate here ini Hawaii, feel free to reach out and give us a shout. I can be reached at 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Aloha! This is David Buck and today we're going to take you on a walking tour of the Gold Coast. It's something I've done countless times with my clients here at the very end of Kalakaua Ave. at Diamond Head. What we have behind me is Sans Souci Beach Park and the Natatorium is directly behind me. We're going to start on Kalakaua and make our way down to Coconut Ave. 

Diamond Head's Gold Coast

In this particular video, we're going to be covering the Gold Coast to give you a perspective of these oceanfront buildings along the ocean at Diamond Head. Then, stay tuned as we'll do another segment on a later day and I'll put that link in the comments below regarding the condos across Kapiolani Park at Pualei Circle.

Kaimana Hotel

The first building we're passing is The Kaimana Beach Hotel, which was once known as the New Otani Hotel. It's now owned by BlackSand Capital. They did an awesome job with the remodel and there's an awesome restaurant on the inside called Hau Tree.

Sans Souci

Out the back, we've got Sans Souci condos. I did a little segment on that a few months back. What's exciting about that property is although they are leasehold condos, the land lease got extended for another 65 years. That's one of the hottest news items that's happened on the Gold Coast. At Sans Souci out the back, you have awesome ocean and Waikiki views from there.

Lotus Hotel

On the right here, we have The Lotus Hotel, which is owned by MacNaughton Hospitality. Upstairs to the right used to be Diamond Head Grill years ago. Then, TBD by Vikram Garg is an awesome restaurant at the Lotus Hotel. As we pass the Lotus, that's the restaurant space upstairs. This is an awesome boutique hotel here on the Gold Coast. 

Colony Surf and Colony Beach

Out the back, you've got the Colony Surf, which is going to be the tallest building on the Gold Coast. Straight back there iis a mini little building called Colony Beach, where it's just one unit per floor. That there is the Colony Beach.

Then, the ramp up here takes you to the Colony Surf, where you've got a world class famous restaurant there in Michel's. There's basically 9 units per floor. They're either roughly 500 sq. ft. studios or 900 - 1,000 sq. ft. one bedrooms (a lot of which have been converted to studios). There's a 30 day min. on the rentals there. There's no AC allowed, but pets are allowed. That's a great building there at the Colony Surf.

Outrigger Canoe Club

Coming up here, you have the Outrigger Canoe Club. There's a little bit of construction going on right now on the parking structure. Believe it or not, in this day and age, the weight of EV or electric vehicles and being on the ocean, there's been a lot of spalling work. So, there's some contractors in there opening up the flooring and the concrete, patching up the rebar and preparing it for another 50 + years.

Outrigger Canoe Club, here on the right is a private club here on the Gold Coast. It's one of two. It was designed by Vladimir Ossipoff. There's really cool architecture.

The Elks Club

As we come up here on the right, we're going to be hitting the Elks Club, which is also a private club here on the Gold Coast. The Elks Club, trust me from experience, they've got some of the best real estate across the country. I've been to the one recently in Aspen, CO and they always seem to have the prime real estate. 

The big difference is they have an open parking lot and the Outrigger next door has got a lot of parking. I've got some friends that just did a downhill foil-board run and they're loading up their trucks right now.

Castle Surf

As we come out of the Elks Club parking lot, we're coming upon Castle Surf. These are one bedroom condos on the interior of the building and then book-ended by either end, you've got 2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms. One is on the street side here and then again on the ocean side. We sold the Penthouse there last year. 

Across the street we have the fountain at Kapiolani Park and a beautiful shot of Diamond Head there. 

Tropic Seas

As we continue down, the next building we come across is Tropic Seas, which is also a co-op. There's two buildings. Not many people know, but there's one directly here on the street side and there's a taller one out the back. Tropic Seas is similar to the Diamond Head Ambassador in that it does not have a parking stall for every unit that is there. 

Diamond Head Beach Hotel

Next, we have the Diamond Head Beach Hotel, which is the only legal short term rental condo on the Gold Coast. However, these units are leasehold and that land lease is coming up for expiration in the year 2032. This will give you a perspective of Diamond Head Beach Hotel and this shot I just showed you is how it kind of tapers off at the top. The bottom floors are larger than the upper floors.

Diamond Head Ambassador

Now, we've got the Diamond Head Ambassador. It's a great building. We used to own a unit in here. There's not enough parking for all of the units here. You have a mix of studios, one and two bedrooms. Then, we come up to this nice fountain to the right. When the building was built in the 50's it was in the territory of Hawaii, before condo law (in 1961). That's why you see a lot of co-ops down here on the Gold Coast. The original name of the building was the Diamond Head Ambassador Hotel. So, the first five floors is where it originally stopped. When you see the penthouse, the penthouses were kind of like an afterthought that were added on later.

This is a great oceanfront building and one of just several on the strip (we're going to have 3 in a row) here that have an oceanfront swimming pool. So, the Ambassador has a swimming pool. 

Diamond Head Apartments

Then, we come up to Diamond Head Apartments. That's their generator, in case the power goes out. This is my favorite building on the Gold Coast. It was designed by Vladimir Ossipoff, which is arguably like the Frank Lloyd Wright of Hawaii.  They've got two levels of parking, down below and up the ramp here. 

My grandma actually owned a penthouse here, so I've got fond memories of visiting this building when we were kids. It's a fantastic building here on the Gold Coast. It's 12 stories high and famous for its architecture. The building itself just did some work on the spalling and painting. So, after that was complete, they replanted all of this vegetation here. From what you can see, it's got some natural Hawaiian flora and fauna. Then, we have another perspective of the ramp going up here. As a reminder, this one does have a swimming pool as well. Fronting these buildings is a sea wall, so owners can come in off the seawall.

Coral Strand

Then, we've got the Coral Strand, also designed by Vladimir Ossipoff and also a co-op. It's a similar set up here where youu have a ramp that goes up for parking and another ramp below. The lobby is directly through here and I love the patriotism with some of these buildings with American Flags. There's a lot of love here on the Gold Coast. Here's another perspective on the backside of Coral Strand. A lot of these are going to be the '05 stacks that face the park. What's nice about those building is you have views of Kapiolani Park and the ocean in front. 

2987 Kalakaua

We're walking past some hau bush here and we're coming up to 2987 Kalakaua, which is formerly known as the Dad Center Apartments. There was a broker's open today and I got invited in. This is a view from the unit that was for sale (#404).

View from 2987 Kalakaua #404

Once again, we're back down at the street at 2987 Kalakaua, which is the Dad Center Apartments. 

The Tahitienne

Next up on the row, we have The Tahitienne at 2999 Kalakaua Ave. This one has an open parking lot, so none of the parking stalls are covered. That's one of the downsides. This is a direct oceanfront building, which obviously they all are (on this side of the road). The views out the back are awesome. They do have within their co-op rules, there's a rule where you can't rent it out for the first year of ownership. So, if someone is an investor, they just want to factor that in when investing at the Tahitienne.

3003 Kalakaua

3003 Kalakaua - these are probably some of the largest condominiums on the Gold Coast. There are two units per floor, units A & B. They're spacious and like 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms and close to 2,000 sq. ft. What's unique about this building is it's one of the rare buildings on the Gold Coast that actually has guest parking, which is right up this ramp. So, they have guest parking up this ramp here and that's the entrance there. There's parking down bellow as well. So, that's 3003 Kallakaua.

Oceanside Manor

Next on the right coming up is going to be Oceanside Manor. Similar to 3003 Kalakaua, this one also has two units per floor. Some of the owners have actually combined them. They're going to be in either an '01 or '02 stack. There's also an open parking lot, which is similar to the Tahitienne that we just walked by. It's very special with only two units per floor and they're two bedrooms, two bathrooms. 

3019 Kalakaua

The next one we come up to is another exclusive one. It's 3019 Kalakaua Ave. This one is going to be just one unit per floor and these are spacious units. They've typically been trading around $4 million per floor. There's a combined unit that recently sold for $7 million (units 9 & 10). 

View from 3019 Kalakaua #11

It was a real treat. I got invited up to this 11th floor unit at 3019 Kalakaua and this gives you a perspective of these incredible 180 panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. To your right, you're going to see 3003 Kalakaua and down the coast towards Waikiki, there's a little spit of sand there. That's on this side of The Elks Club at Castle Surf Apartments that we covered earlier. Once again, this is a great perspective of Tonggs, which is probably one of the most consistent waves here on the south shore of Oahu.  

Historic Gingerbread Houses

Next, we get into these historic homes. These "gingerbread houses" and what we like to call like a "6 pack" of them. You'll see there's three of them on the left and three of them on the right. One of the perks of these being on the historic registry is they have really low property taxes. They're a little smaller on the inside. They're like two bedrooms. Some of the older homes in the Diamond Head part of Honolulu are going to be in this area. You have several that are on the historic registry. This will give you another perspective here of one of the historic placards there on this one.

Beach Right of Way

Now, we're going to give you a perspective of walking down the beach access off Kalakaua Ave. You've got the gingerbread houses on the right. Then on the left, you've got another single family home. This is the beach access that spans several blocks. So, if you were to turn the camera around behind me, it stretches for owners in the neighborhood to get down to the beach access here. 

One of the great things about Tonggs is the waves are fairly consistent throughout the year. Almost every day of the year you can surf out there. It's not always going to be the best wave. Out the back there, you've got Seabreeze, which is also a special building, which we're going to come to shortly. Once again, we're panning out to a view of Tonggs and it's one of the most consistent waves on Oahu. Here's the seawall looking down towards Waikiki and the crystal clear blue water you have here. We're starting to see more and more foil boards out at Tonggs. It's a growing trend on Oahu and across the world for that matter, is foil-board surfing.

As we walk back in towards Kalakaua Ave., this will give yo ua perspective of this right of way. On the right, obviously you can't build a home this close to the setback these days, but that house there on the right sold during COVID for about $6 million bucks. I'm sure it would go for a lot more today. Then, directly across the street you can kind of make out that other right of way, with another gingerbread house and Diamond Head out the back. 

Oceanfront Homes on the Gold Coast

As we continue on towards the very end of Kalakaua Ave., we'll see on the right a few more single family homes, which are very rare. Tonggs, the surf break was actually named after the Tongg family because their property was there. There are some existing single family homes here. This one here on the right was built by Homeworks Construction and I think it last traded a few years ago for about $10 million bucks. Then, you've got another single family home here on the right. Then, another gingerbread single family home across the street and Diamond Head out the back.

You've got another historic single family home on the right. Then, you have a couple more modern ones coming up as well. One of these on the right last traded about 10 years or so ago for about $7 million bucks. That would go for significantly more today. 

3056 Kalakaua

Then, you've got 3056 Kalakaua Ave. That is the only non-waterfront condo on the Gold Coast, with also two units per floor, that are either east or west that they call them. 

Seabreeze

Then, we've got the Seabreeze which is one unit per floor. It's very impressive and the last one of those traded for about $4 million bucks for 1,200-1,300 sq. ft.  So, about $3,000 a foot. Then, you've got Diamond Head out the back.

Kainalu

The final one here is the only one on the Gold Coast with a Coconut Ave. address, which is the Kainalu. Then Coconut Ave. curves right back up towards Diamond Head.

Summary

That rounds up my tour of the Gold Coast here at Diamond Head. You can see Diamond Head out the back here. We're at the very end of Kalakaua Ave. here at the intersection of Kalakaua and Coconut, where you have both the Seabreeze and Kainallu and directly behind me once again you have 3056 Kalakaua, which is the only non-waterfront building here on the Gold Coast. 

If you're looking to buy a condo or co-op here on the Gold Coast, or if you're just kind of curious of what's going on in the area, we sell condos here and all over Oahu. Feel free to reach out and give us a shout @ 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Aloha! I'm going to give you a quick walk through of my listing here at 204 Poipu Drive in Koko Kai. We put this one in escrow pretty quick. It's a very special property. I'm going to give you a quick walk around and then show you a little bit of the professional video.

Entry

As you enter through a private gate, immediately you're taken away from the ocean views you can see right through the home. This is an over 19,000 sq. ft. lot that is meticulously manicured and you've got beautiful grounds throughout. It's a single level home that's 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Then, you've got a casita or separate cottage, which is a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom.

Exterior Tour

I'll give you a tour around the property. There is a lot of foliage. There's some incredible landscaping as well as some great fruit trees. You have 3 bins for green waste. Then, you've got a mango tree and plumerias. There's a mix of central and split air conditioning in the home. The plumerias are incredible. They're in full bloom. You also have banana trees, solar PV up on the roof as well as solar hot water. There's also a standing seam metal roof that got put on in the last year or two. There's also the PV equipment on the side of the home and you get aromas off the gardenias.

When you come around to the front of the property (ocean side), what you're paying for is the view. Check out the view of Diamond Head on the horizon.  You're going to get incredible sunset views from this location. You can see down towards "Pillars", which is a surf break here in Hawaii Kai. China Walls is going to be off to the left. Then, this gives you a great perspective of Maunalua Bay and the main part of Hawaii Kai. 

We have this covered terrace here on the outside. Like I said, we did put this one under contract really quick. We did have a bunch of interest. In addition to the mango and banana trees, there's passion fruit on the property. These are just forever views...There's a beautiful tiled pool. 

Since the detached cottage was more of a recent build, it has a shake roof on it. There used to be a shake roof on the main house, which is now standing seam. We're going to come full circle and this gives you a great view of Koko Head out the back. On the backside of that would be Hanauma Bay, which is a world famous snorkeling location. Although we're miid way through the month of June, everything is still looking green up there. We then come back around to the front.

Interior Tour

As you come in through the front door (my clients have recently moved out), this gives you a perspective of a beautiful dining area here off to the right. Once again, you have captivating views out the back of Maunalua Bay. Off to the left, you're going to have 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, split air conditioning, a view of outside and once again, captivating views of Hawaii Kai and out towards Diamond Head. 

As we come back across the main living area, you have a nice open beam ceiling where you do have central air up above. You've got this nice kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and you've got another full bedroom and bathroom back here . You also have beautiful hardwood floors. You have lots of storage off the kitchen as well as along the side. You've got a spacious garage with solar hot water as I mentioned and storage up above. 

Then, we'll give you a view of the primary suite off to the right. In the primary suite you have a ceiling fan, central air conditioning, and another great view of Diamond Head. We then walk through the primary closet and all the storage. In the bathroom, you have a separate tub, shower stall, dual vanity sinks and mirrors. 

You're going to love this house in Koko Kai, however it's already been spoken for (very fast). To make a long story short, the buyer that's buying it regrets missing it the last time it was on the market. Their Realtor is happy, they're happy and my sellers are happy.

Cottage Tour

Now, let's give you a quick run through of the cottage. As I mentioned earlier, you have a detached cottage that's off the side. As you come through the sliders, it's got one big open living area with views of outside. Could you imagine of waking up to this view out the back?  It's got 2 ceiling fans, a kitchen set up, split air conditioning, a separate bedroom and its own bathroom as well. This is 204 Poipu Drive and definitely a special place. 

Aloha! This is David Buck with Harcourts Island Real Estate and I just spent the past 5 days out and about on Oahu talking about the 71 things us as Realtors do when working with Buyers. I had to edit this video a little bit because I started off talking about the 99 things that Realtors do. It turns out, there's A LOT more. 

Spring 2024 REALTOR Magazine

This all started off with a magazine that I was reading. As some Realtors do, they don't always read and when I skipped to the end, I saw there were 99 things Realtors do when helping their clients. Well, it turns out he first 71 were Working with Buyers. Then, the listed starts all over again with 1-99 in Working with Sellers. So, on today's video, we're just going to cover the 71 items Realtors do when working with Buyers here on Oahu. We're going to put together later a completely different video ini working with Sellers. Now, keep in mind, this is from the National Association of Realtors.

This is just a general overview of what we do. What we do here in Hawaii is significantly more than just the basic standards. So, keep that in mind when we're going over these 71 items. This is just "scratching the surface" in a sense.

First off, we're going to break these out into 5 days and the first category we're going to talk about when Working with Buyers is Building a Relationship. As we start this journey, we're going to run a fun little game to see if you recognize the neighborhoods that we're shooting the video in. If you happen to recognize a neighborhood, condo complex or what have you, feel free to comment that item number and the location in the comments below. Enjoy!

Day 1 - Building a Relationship

1. Inform the buyer of working relationship options based on state law, the REALTOR Code of Ethics, MLS requirements and the broker's business policies.

2. Learn buyer's wants and non-negotiable needs.

3. Understand buyer's budget and financial concerns.

4. Provide quality lender resources.

5. Match buyer's needs with available property.

6. Explain how compensation is paid, who pays it and what buyer's options are.

7. Explain federal and state fair housing laws.

8. After ensuring Buyer understands what is done for them, how it is done, and the benefit to them, obtain signatures on the buyer representation agreement.

9. Explain what to look for in applicable property disclosures.

10. Reassure buyer that personal information will remain confidential.

11. Inform buyer that you will always disclose all known material facts.

12. In accordance with state law, provide information on checking the sex-offender registry and crime statistics for the neighborhood.

That wrapped up items 1-12 today of what Realtors to for their clients. You may have noticed some of the cool footage in the backdrop today. If you recognize any of those neighborhoods, feel free to drop them in the comments below. We're going to call it a wrap today because just like buying a home doesn't happen in 1 day, we're going to break this up over several days to cover the 71 items that Realtors do for their clients. Today was 1-12 and tomorrow we're going to start at item #13.

Day 2 - Preparing the Buyer

Today, we're going to cover our next segment, which is Preparing the Buyer.

13. Explain timeline for house hunting, mortgage approval and closing. 

14. Explain local market and how it impacts the buyer.

15. Show statistics on what percentage of list price sellers in the area are currently receiving.

16. Inform buyer of what home features are popular. 

17. Identify current average days on market

18. Share dangers of using price-per-square-foot to determine home values. 

19. Explain the concept of absorption rate and how it impacts the buying process

20. Indicate current listing month of market inventory

21. Sharer estimated out-of-pocket costs to complete the transaction. 

22. Verify buyer's ability to purchase by ensuring they're prequalified

23. Help buyer account for the complete costs of homeownership

24. Prepare lender for listing agent calls.

25. Help buyer select for viewing only those homes that fit their needs. 

26. Review sample sales contract so buyer is prepared when it comes time to make an offer. 

Today, we wrapped up the section on Preparing the Buyer. Those were items 13-26 on what Realtors do to help their clients. Tomorrow, we're going to start with item #27 in Showing Properties. What you probably saw today, were some areas if you're familiar with Oahu that you may have recognized. It may kind of give you a feel of what Realtors do on a daily basis. We can be traveling all over the island in a given day. If you recognize any of those locations that you saw today, feel free to drop the item number along with the location in the comments section below. Stay tuned as we jump into item #27 tomorrow.

Day 3 - Showing Properties

Here we are on Day 3 of what Realtors do for their clients. We're going to be starting off with a segment called Showing Properties with number 27.

27. Schedule showings and provide access to all MLS listed properties.

28. Collaborate with buyer on properties they may have learned about through their sphere of contacts.

29. Preview properties prior to showing if needed.

30. Network with other agents to source properties not yet in MLS.

31. Set up automated email alert system through MLS that notifies buyer of potential properties.

32. Arrange tour of targeted market areas.

33. Provide resources containing neighborhood information on municipal services, schools and other local services.

34. Check applicable zoning and building restrictions.

35. Help buyer decipher public property and tax information.

36. Collect and share pertinent data on values, taxes, utility costs and other carrying costs.

37. Help buyer identify top choices.

That's a wrap on Day 3 on working with Buyers and we covered items 27-37 on Showing Properties. As we wrap up the day, a Realtor's day is never over. I got on the road early this morning and I just got back to the office. I covered a lot of the island and the sun has set behind me. Tomorrow, we're going to dive into items number 38 with Negotiating Offers.

Day 4 - Negotiating Offers

Here we are on Day 4, Negotiating Offers. We'll start off with number 38.

38. Prepare buyer to have the most attractive offer in the current marketplace.

39. Prepare a comparative market analysis in advance of making an offer.

40. Explain common contract contingencies, and include approved protective clauses in the purchase offer.

41. Ensure buyer receives and understands all state and federally required disclosure forms.  

42. Prioritize contract negotiation goals with the buyer.

43. Prepare buyer for multiple offer situation.

44. Write offer that has a reasonable chance of being accepted. 

45. When approved by buyer, use strategies such as an escalation clause to maintain a competitive offer.

46. Recommend optional contingencies and explain the pros and cons of using them.

47. Negotiate buyer's offers to arrive at the best price and terms.

Alright, now that was a wrap on Day 4 of Working with Buyers in the subsection of Negotiating Offers. We covered items 38-47, so it really goes to show you in just scratching the surface in what we do as Realtors in helping our clients. Hang in there. Tomorrow we're going to jump into item number 48 as we progress through this list.

Day 5 - Facilitating Close

Aloha! We're now on Day 5 in Working with Buyers and this final segment is called Facilitating Close. Rather than being cooped up in the office, let's head back on the road to get some beautiful scenery. So much has changed in our industry over the last several years. After COVID, we're seeing more and more mobile notaries vs. being in a real estate office or a title company. 

48. Provide options for home inspector, title company, appraiser and mortgage lender.

49. Review and discuss home inspection concerns, and negotiate repair requests.

50. Guide buyer on meeting all contract deadlines.

51. Advise buyer to review the settlement statement. 

52. Inform buyer of need to transfer utilities to the new residence.

53. Schedule final walk through and accompany buyer.

54. Ensure appraisal has been ordered and notify buyer of date.

55. Assist buyer in reviewing appraisal report.

56. Confirm clear to close with lender.

57. Ensure all parties have all forms and information needed to close the sale.

58. Confirm the closing date and time. 

59. Explain flood and and insurance to the buyer.

60. Order any surveys needed.

61. Order title search.

62. Confirm status of loan funding.

63. Check addendums and alterations for agreed terms.

64. Review buyer's closing statement to ensure accuracy.

65. Explain wire fraud risks and remind clients to verify all wiring instructions before transferring funds.

66. Double-check property tax , home owner association dues, utility and applicable prorations if relevant.

67. Request final closing figures from closing agent. 

68. Receive and carefully review title insurance commitment with buyer.

69. Advise buyer on re-keying locks or installing smart locks.

70. Review documents with closing agent (attorney).

We're now back in the office to cover the final item, which is:

71. Support buyer in final closing activities.

Wasn't it nice to get outside and outdoors a bit? As we talked about all 5 days, it was a fun little guessing game to see what neighborhood we were in today. Spoiler Alert - it's near our office here. It was good to get outside and that's a recap of the 71 things that Realtors do in helping their clients in Working with Buyers. However, this is just a national list. As far as what we do in Hawaii, that list compounds. You could probably double or triple the length of it. There's so much that we didn't cover today. Some teasers would be Fee Simple vs. Leasehold, Buying on Hawaiian Home Lands or what areas are zoned for legal vacation rentals, etc. That list goes on and on.... school districts, etc. 

Contact a Local Expert

If you're looking for a local expert here on Oahu, feel free to reach out and give us a shout @ 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Well, it's a beautiful day here in Hawaii Kai and what we have directly behind me is what locals consider Portlock. I've now been in the real estate business for over 20 years. When I first got into the business, I myself and a lot of people I grew up with considered that entire area out there Portlock. Low and behold, I was practicing real estate for about a year and I was showing a client some homes. He had his appraiser's license and he's like "there's actually 3 neighborhoods there." This was back in like 2001(ish).

Portlock, Triangle and Koko Kai

What we're going to cover today are the 3 main neighborhoods out here, which are going to be Portlock, which is everything along the ocean behind me. Then, Triangle, which is above it to the left. Then, Koko Kai is going to be the 3rd MLS neighborhood. I'm going to walk you through all 3, talk about the ins and outs of them and why it's a great spot to live here in Hawaii Kai.

Before we get on the road, I wanted to give you a little bit of perspective. This jetty went in over the last 5 years or so and what would happen is all the sand would collect during storms and clog the channel for boats to get out. Now, it's preventing sand from coming in the channel and they don't have to dredge the private marina as much. It's creating a much larger beach there. That was the former Rosa Estate and there used to be a pier out in front of there. I've got a picture somewhere of myself there when I was a kid (toddler). However, starting at the Rosa property, all along the water here, that's all going to be considered Portlock, up until what was considered the old Kaiser Estate. The big green grass lawn, the miid century modern house on the ocean and then to the right where those pillars are, that's the old boat house of the Kaiser Estate.

I just want to give you some perspective, that's going to be Portlock, which we're going to cover. Then, there's Triangle, which is up above to the left. Then Koko Kai, which is above to the right. Portlock saw most of the homes being developed there in the early 1940's. Whereas Koko Kai and Triangle, they didn't start developing and building houses until the 60's. I did an article on this a few months back. If you want to take a look at that article, it talks about the history of this area. When Henry Kaiser (hence the "Kaiser Estate") teamed up with Bishop Estate at the time (now Kamehameha Schools), they owned all of this land out here in Hawaii Kai. Over the years, they've made the fee or land interest available, so pretty much everything you see out here right is going to be considered Fee Simple. 

Kaiser Estate Largest Residential Salle in Hawaii - 34 Years Later

A little bit of history, we're going to drive by it later, but the Kaiser Estate, still to this day, when it traded in 1990 was the highest residential real estate sale here in Hawaii. At that time, when Genshiro Kawamoto purchased the Kaiser Estate, it was still Leasehold. It just shows you some of the history here in Hawaii Kai and the value of properties here. Some of the bigger trades on the island have actually taken place out here in Portlock.

Portlock Road Tour

The first neighborhood we're going to hit is Portlock (of the 3). Portlock is going to be the oldest neighborhood in Hawaii Kai. Homes here were built in the early 40's, which is actually several decades before homes started getting built up in Koko Kai and Triangle. As you'll see, there's a lot of overhead utilities. As we go along, all throughout Portlock, you've got public beach/coastal accesses. It is a narrow road, it's probably one of the most narrow roads in Hawaii Kai. You have these overhead power lines. Like I talk about in a lot of my videos and when I'm showing property to my clients, I always say "a lot of the best properties were taken first". 

Here in Portlock, everything is zoned R-10, so you're going to have at least 10,000 sq. ft. min on the lots. There's been a lot of gentrification over the years. You have newer "McMansions" as well as traditional older Hawaiian style homes. It is a narrower street compared to Koko Kai and Triangle. 

Portlock Homes in MLS

As far as Portlock goes in our MLS, it's literally a one street neighborhood. All of the homes on the left or mauka side of the street are going to have even numbers. Then, everything along the ocean is going to have odd numbers. There's no parking on the ocean side of the street on Portlock Road. Over time, everyone kind of walls up their property for privacy. In the old days, everything was opened up. Similar things happened in Kahala. 

As I mentioned earlier, with R-10 zoning, you have 10,000 sq. ft. min. on the lots. However, some of these are triple or quadruple lots which stretch all the way through the ocean. Driving along, you have awesome views of Koko Head out the back, which is the backside of Hanauma Bay. The addresses on Portlock Road run between the 200 block when you come off Kalanianaole Hwy. (where we started) and they're going to round out at the 500 block near the top here. 

There's a really cool Alfred Preis Mid Century Home off to the left here. It has a tennis court. I've blogged about it over the years. As we get up here into the 500 block of Portlock Road, we start to get into what was part of the old Kaiser Estate. This was several acres on the ocean in Hawaii Kai. Still, to this day, it's the highest trade for a residential real estate transaction on Oahu. It's been chopped up since (into smaller lots). It's something that's very special. It was owned and developed by Henry Kaiser, who basically developed all of Hawaii Kai. He was an industrialist and he's also the same "Kaiser" like Kaiser healthcare. Then, you have some cool mid century homes on the other side of the street. 

We then come up to the old boat house of the Kaiser Estate at the very end. This gives you a perspective of how long I've been driving and how vast the Kaiser Estate is. The old boat house is under construction. We're going to hit a beach park  a little bit later around the corner. This is a walking path to take you through to the next cul de sac there off Hanapepe.

One thing I'd like to point out here, it's no longer the case, but this home on the right used to have a really cool sign on the front that said "In Dog We Trust". For those of you that were fans of Dog the Bounty Hunter, that's where he used to live. It's really sad. His wife Beth passed away a few years ago. We used to bump into them when I was a firefighter and doing our shopping at the grocery stores here in Hawaii Kai. 

Portlock and Lunalilo Home Road

Here we are now at the corner of Portlock and Lunalilo Home Road, which will run you into the main part of Hawaii Kai. This is basically where Portlock ends and as you head up Lunalilo Home Road, then Poipu Drive runs parallel to Portlock Road behind these houses and then everything back up this direction is going to be considered triangle. Next, we're going to give you a tour of the Triangle Neighborhood here adjacent to Portlock. 

Koko Head Neighborhood Park

As we pull up to Koko Head Neighborhood Park, you see this Tsunami Evacuation Area sign. It's saying you're entering a Tsunami Evacuation area. If you saw the flip side of it across the street it says you're leaving a Tsunami Evacuation area. These have been popping up all over Honolulu. I don't know if it's to freak people out, but I'm now 50 years old and we have yet to have a tsunami that's taken out this area. There was one around the corner near Sandy Beach at Alan Davis. There was a tsunami there in the mid 20th century. We haven't had something since then, however I guess you can never be too prepared. 

Koko Head Neighborhood Park

Although it's a summer day, we've had some trade showers and the clouds have come out. This will give you a great perspective of Koko Head Neighborhood Park. You've got a baseball diamond here and back in that direction is Koko Head Elementary, which is one of 3 elementary schools in Hawaii Kai.

Koko Head Elementary

Out the back is Mariners Ridge, which is a great neighborhood with awesome ocean views. You have a bathroom house and a play structure out the back. What's happened is you have a lot of public restrooms on Oahu have gotten design awards for their architecture and this is one of those examples here at Koko Head Park. Then, you've got basketball courts, jungle gyms, picnic benches and a nice green space. 

This is Poipu Drive, which runs you through Triangle. It starts down below and if you were to go left, it would take you back to Portlock. One monument you have in the distant view is Mount Terrace, which is a high rise condo building. 

Kokee Mini Beach Park at Hanapepe and Kokee

Kokee Mini Beach Park

We just walked past "The Ocean House". What's funny about this area is people do name their homes. This is at the corner of Hanapepe Loop and Kokee Place. As we walk up, we're approaching Kokee Mini Beach Park. If you'll notice, the grass is just a little bit brown because we are well into June and it's summer time. You've got to see these captivating views out the back of Maunalua Bay here in Hawaii Kai. 

If you can bare with me, I've got my slippers on and we're going to walk down towards this beach access at Kokee Mini Park. You'll see they've got a cable here on the ground because not everyone's got the best footing walking down here. They just want to ensure safety for people coming back up from the ocean. As you come down this walking path, you're once again going to be captivated by the views. You have "Pillars" surf break out there and if you look to the right, you'll see part of the old Kaiser Estate boat house. As we pan to the left, you'll get a view of Diamond Head there and then as we look back to the right, you'll see a little strip of sand by the Kaiser Estate. 

Poipu Drive and Kekaha

Kekaha and Poipu

Here we are at the corner of Poipu Drive and Kekaha. I actually lived up here on this corner when I was a kid. I don't quite remember it, but this is a wonderful neighborhood that I just wanted to point out. A lot of the streets here in Koko Kai, Triangle and Portlock all have names based on neighborhoods on the island of Kauai. 

Triangle to Koko Kai Transition

Triangle in MLS

What I want to do is point out this delineation in the road. We're here on Poipu Drive and this is literally the delineation mark between Triangle, which is the MLS neighborhood directly behind me. You can see Koko Crater out the back. It's a great hike by the way. The views from there are incredible.

Sunset View from Koko Crater

Here we are at Triangle, which is basically the neighborhood behind me. You'll see there's a sign up on the wall over there delineating Koko Kai, which is right around 273 Poipu on one side of the street and 274 on the other side of the street. Once you get to this delineation mark, everything in the other direction is Koko Kai, which is one of the 3 neighborhoods out here that we're talking about today.

Koko Kai Homes in MLS

China Walls

Koko Kai Mini Beach Park Entrance to China Walls

Now, here we are on the walking path down to China Walls. You can see some foil boarders are going to do their downhill run from here. What's awesome about this location is the view out the back towards Diamond Head, which you're going to get some incredible sunsets.

Sunset View Towards Diamond Head from China Walls

We diid have a south swell recently. There's a beautiful mural here that shows the location we're at, which is China Walls. This complete wraps around. Welcome to China Walls.

China Walls Mural

With my years in the fire department here, I've come to countless calls. What happens is people see the ocean here and they jump in the water because it's crystal clear and blue. There's not much surf today, but what can happen is if there is surf, they get a little bit into a panic mode when they're trying to come back up.

China Walls Rescue Board

That's really cool that they have some rescue boards here just in case someone gets in trouble and the fire department can't get here quick enough. Like I said, I've been to countless calls here when I was on duty. What happens is people jump in the water here. This is pretty much a calm and mellow day, but if you can imagine on a south swell with the waves cracking out here, people have trouble getting back up on the rocks. As you can see, you've got these guys going out on their stand up (foil) boards. They're going to hit a downhill run out there.

Once again, China Walls is one of the perks for living in Portlock, Koko Kai and Triangle here in Hawaii Kai. Remember earlier when I said homeowners in Hawaii Kai love to name their homes? This one is called Hale Awa and it's right around the corner from China Walls.

Spitting Cave

Danger Sign at Spitting Cave Trail Entrance

This next one we're going to show you is the ocean access to spitting cave. This is going to be the most dangerous of all the beach accesses here in Koko Kai and Portlock. I'm going to show you why it can be a dangerous point to jump in the ocean. There's a walking path down to the ocean. This is another place definitely for swimmers and jumpers to beware. It's a lot more severe than China Walls because the waves whack up against the cliffs more. There's beautiful scenery once you get down below here. I've got my slippers on, so I'm moving a little bit slower than normal. Looking up, it gives you a perspective on how killer the homes and real estate is out here. At this access point, you've got a mansion on one side and an empty lot on the other. 

If you hit a Google Street View of this location (the end of Lumahai St.) there's going to be some really cool trophy properties. Once again, I have my slippers on, so I'm taking my time down the trail. For those that are locals, these are called BVD's (inside joke). 

Earlier, we were at China Walls and we saw some paddle boarders launching on their stand up foil boards. There they are. They're hitting that downwind run to ride some open ocean swells. This to give you a perspective, this is a typical tradewind day out here. So, when you're looking at the ocean, it's blowing from left to right. It is mid June, so it's starting to get a little bit warmer. But, this is kind of like our natural AC during the summertime. Fortunately, the tradewinds are going to be the most consistent during the summer. 

Similar to China Walls, they now have some of these emergency rescue buoys, which are very helpful. This is because there have been countless drownings here. I've been to some of them. It's just really tragic because they could have been avoided if people knew what they were getting into. We're making our way down to spitting caves. It's kind of a mellow day. If you saw that spray right there, that's why they call it spitting caves. There's going to be a jump off here and then in general, people try to climb back up on the rocks down there. I do not recommend this if you're not a good swimmer. This can be highly dangerous. Like I said, there's been lots of people that have died out here. There's actually an even higher jump that's around the corner from here. I'm not even going to show that to you because I don't want to set anyone up for anything.

Here we are at spitting caves with a killer view down towards Diamond Head there to the west. Then, if you could look very close and right around the corner there, that's actually Molokai to the east. Once again, we're here at splitting cave to show you one of the perks about living here in Hawaii Kai. Once again, you have these incredible estates that are up above.

Driving Tour Back to Koko Head Park from Lumahai Place

Now, we're back in the car to give you a little driving tour heading out of Lumahai here in Koko Kai. As you can see, the tradewinds are blowing pretty good today. It is a summer day as I'd mentioned. What's nice about Koko Kai and Triangle for that matter, compared to Portlock is you have these nice open wide streets. You also have buried underground utilities. That's one of the perks about living in Hawaii Kai is you have these nice wider roads with sidewalks and underground utilities. Like we talked about earlier, a lot of the homes here in Koko Kai and Triangle were first developed in the 60's and into the 70's.

Example of 1960's-1970's Architecture

So, you have some that are relatively similar construction to what they were back then. That is less common because there is a lot of gentrification in the neighborhood with people that have upgraded their homes over the years. Now, as we head back down to the intersection of Lumahai and Poipu, that will give you a perspective of the (ocean) views you get from a lot of these homes here.

Deeded View Planes

Unobstructed View from Koko Kai

What's great about both of these neighborhoods is you have deeded view planes. So, the homes can only go up so high. So, that protects the views of your neighbors. It works in everyone's best benefit. That was something that was done by Kamehameha Schools and Kaiser back in the day when they were developing these lots. Once again, we're on Poipu and we're going to be coming up to that transition of Koko Kai going back into Triangle. Once again, you've got that gorgeous backdrop of Koko Crater out the back, which is that incredible hike. I know I've showed you a nice sunset view from the top of the crater earlier. 

Now, as we round this up, we're going to be coming back down Poipu and coming full circle to get to Koko Head park once we cross Nawiliwili. Once again, a lot of these streets have names similar if you're familiar with the island of Kauai. Nawiliwili, Poipu, etc. are all locations on the island of Kauai. As we come to the park, we're going to take a little break and then we're going to run across the highway. Another awesome thing about living in Portlock, Triangle and Koko Kai is you have Koko Marina Shopping Center directly across the street.

Koko Marina Shopping Center

Marina View from Koko Marina Shopping Center

What's really cool about living in Portlock, Triangle or Koko Kai is directly across Kalanianaole Hwy., you've got Koko Marina Shopping Center, which is where we're at now. It's a marinafront complex here on the water. Directly across the marina is Hawaii Kai Towne Center, where you've got a Costco. What's nice about being on the marina is you can have a boat dock out your back door and bring your boat over to hit up the restaurants, go to Costco or what have you. Now, let's give you a walking tour of Koko Marina, which is one of the perks of living directly across the street from Portlock, Triangle and Koko Kai neighborhoods.

Ok, here's some of the many vendors we've got here:

There's Fatboys, which is a plate lunch place. Then, there's a Subway. That's not named after Jared, the fatboy. Just kidding... Starbucks Coffee, they've been here for over a dozen years now. Local Motion has been a staple of Koko Marina Shopping Center forever. There is a Bank of Hawaii, as well as a First Hawaiian, which we'll get to in just a little bit. Then, there's Loco Moco, which is another plate lunch place. Then, Walgreens and Petco used to be one big space. There used to be a Foodland here in Koko Marina that we used to shop at when I was in the Fire Department. However when Foodland went away, they split it into 2 different retail establishments. Last, but not least, you have a Leonard's Bakery food truck here. 

One of the perks about Koko Marina Shopping Center WAS...."Was" as in past tense. There used to be a movie theater here. Unfortunately, it closed down this past year. Fortunately, I was able to take my daughter to a movie there this past summer. They did close down. We have yet to find out what's doing to be going in here.

This is an awesome outdoor mall here in Hawaii Kai. After hitting all the signs of establishments here, I'm starting to get a little bit hungry... I take that back. We'll cover a little bit more. We've got Zippy's, which has been here forever down at the end. All these establishments on this wing are going to have marinafront views. We've got a number of other places here and we've got Assagio's, Coconut's, which is kind of a famous shaved ice place. Then, we're going to round the corner to Teddy's Bigger Burgers, then the Greek Marina and Kona Brew.

After Teddy's Bigger Burgers, you've got Jamba Juice with some outdoor seating. Then, we've got Greek Marina, which is an awesome restaurant. Then, you've got Kona Brewery here. Then, you have 24 Hour Fitness, First Hawaiian Bank and a Texaco Station to fill up your cars and boats. Then, one of east Honolulu's only remaining drive through car washes. They're kind of a dying breed and it's awesome that you still have one here in Hawaii Kai at Koko Marina.

Water Sports in Hawaii Kai

Another cool thing about Koko Marina Shopping Center is you've got this Water Sports setup here where they take people out for paragliding, jet skiing, fishing, etc. From the view here, you can see Hawaii Kai Towne Center and Hawaii Kai Shopping Center. That valley in the back is Hahaione Valley. Then, up to the right is Mariners Ridge. 

Backside of Koko Marina Shopping Center

Just to do Koko Marina justice, I'm now on the backside of Koko Marina. That's the old movie theater sign here. A couple of vendors we forgot to mention are Taco Bell, which is right here and they have a drive through. Then, there's a Straub Clinic. So, this is the rooftop deck on the backside of Koko Marina in Hawaii Kai and you've got that view of that nice hike up to Koko Crater as well.

Summary

I hope you enjoyed my tour of Portlock, Triangle and Koko Kai and my hunger has finally caught up to me. I'm glad you got to see a little bit of what Koko Marina Shopping Center is all about. 

My decision today was to get a yummy Korean BBQ here, a Bi Bim Bap. For those of you that aren't familiar with that, it comes with an egg, beef, kim chee, vegetables and rice. I'm going to dive into this here, but if you need help with real estate here in Hawaii Kai, whether it be Koko Kai, Portlock, Triangle or any of Hawaii Kai's over a dozen neighborhoods, feel free to reach out and give us a shout @ 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Can you believe we're already midway through June? This is David Buck with Harcourts Island Real Estate and today we're going to report on the local market update for May of 2024.

Local Update for Homes

As far as single family home sales go, Wahiawa saw the largest increase year over year, which was up 133%. That was going from 3 transactions in May of '23 to 7 transactions this past month. Meanwhile, across the board of the 21 major neighborhoods that the Honolulu Board of Realtors tracks, they were up in 8 neighborhoods, flat in 2 and down in 11 neighborhoods for transaction volume.

The median home price in Kapahulu - Diamond Head saw the largest increase here on Oahu year over year. That was up 31% from a year ago. A year ago, the median home price in Kapahulu to Diamond Head was $1,200,000 and this past month it was at $1,568,750.

Local Update for Condos

Condo sales in Kaneohe were up 82%. That was going from 11 sales in May of 2023 to 20 sales this past month. Regarding the overall market here on Oahu that the Honolulu Board of Realtors reports on (there's 21 major neighborhoods), of those major neighborhoods, we saw an increase in sales in 10 of those neighborhoods. They were flat in 3 and down in 8. So, the condo market is being a lot more healthy. As we reported on the overall market earlier this month, condos sales on Oahu were up over 9%.

The median condo price in Kailua-Waimanalo was up 45% year over year. That was going from $682,000 to $990,000 this past month.

That's a wrap for the local market update here on Oahu in May of 2024. As we talk about every month, every market is unique. Whether it be homes or condos, they're all dynamic and constantly changing. Feel free to reach out and give us a shout if there's something specific to you that we can help with. Mahalo!

Aloha! This is David Buck with Harcourts Island Real Estate. Today is another Wednesday and we're going to be covering another episode of We Need Inventory. The neighborhood we're going to be discussing today is Pualei Circle, which lies on the mauka (mountain) side of Kapiolani Park at Diamond Head.

Pualei Circle on the Diamond Head side of Kapiolani Park

It's an enclave in a "circle" at the intersection of Pualei Circle and Leah iAve.

Pualei Circle and Leahi Ave.

There's about a dozen condominium buildings and several hundred units of potential inventory within Pualei Circle. All of those buildings, but one have a Pualei Circle address, with the exception of Diamond Head Surf, which on the corner of Pualei Circle and Leahi Ave.

Diamond Head Surf on the Corner of Pualei Circle and Leahi Ave.

With that said, today there's only 1 unit for sale in Pualei Circle. That's a 1 bedroom at Diamond Head Alii going for $535,000. In addition to that, there's 2 others in Pualei Circle that have accepted offers on them. Over the past 6 months, there's only been 7 sales, with an average 23 days on market.

Diamond Head Alii Condos

So, inventory at Pualei Circle is very tight at the moment. If you know of anyone that owns a condo at Pualei Circle and are thinking about selling, timing wise, this could be a great opportunity. We're very tight on inventory and we need inventory. 

Contact us if you know of anyone looking to buy or sell at Pualei Circle. Mahalo!

Aloha! This is David Buck and we're reporting from the Harcourts Island Real Estate office in Kahala. Today, we're going to be covering the home and condo stats for May of 2024.

Oahu Home Stats

First off, we're going to dive into the single family homes and there we saw a 5% in single family home sales from May of 2023 to this past month. A year ago, we had 262 home sales on Oahu. This past month we saw 249. Once again, that's a 5% dip in the number of transactions. Regrading median sales price, we saw a 2.2% drop in that median price on the island, going from $1,109,000 to $1,085,000. 

Meanwhile, homes are selling quicker, 33.3% quicker to be exact. A year ago, it was taking 21 days on average to sell a home. This past month, they were selling in 14. That's a good sign for home sellers. Meanwhile, months of remaining inventory (which is a sing of absorption in the market) has been increasing. It went from 2.2 months of remaining inventory a year ago to 2.9 months this past month.That's a 31% increase. 

Oahu Condos Stats

Condo transaction volume painted a little bit different story than single family homes. Whereas, single family homes saw  a dip in the number of deals, condo deals were up 9.1% from a year ago. In May of 2023, we saw 438 transactions take place. This past month we saw 478. Condos did however follow single family homes regarding pricing. The pricing was down 2% from a year ago. We were at $505,000 in May of '23. This past month, it was down to $495,000. 

Meanwhile, the median days on market increased from 20 to 25 days. That's a 25% increase. It's still well under 60 days, which defines the pivoting point for a buyer's or seller's market. In the meantime, active inventory for condos increased 47% from a year ago. So, there's a lot more inventory out there for buyers to chose from.

As we wrap this up here, every market on Oahu is different, depending on the neighborhood or building. If there's something specific to you, feel free to reach out to our team and give us a shout. Mahalo!

Aloha! This is David Buck and today we're going to be talking about the pros and cons of living on Waialae Iki.

Waialae Iki Park at the Base of Waialae Iki

First, we're going to start off at Waialae Iki Park, which is a public park. It's got an incredible soccer field, which is used on the afternoons and weekends. There's also basketball courts, a jungle gym and more.

Waialae Iki Basketball Courts

Laukahi and Poola Streets

This is kind of like the base of Waialae Iki. To the west, you’re going to have the main artery up the hill. There’s a lot of traffic on Kalanianaole Hwy. The main artery to the west is Laukaih St., which will take you up to the top to Waialae Iki 5. Directly behind me is Poola St., which will run you up to the east side of Waialae Iki.

Waialae Iki History

When I first got into real estate in the early 2000’s (2001 to be exact), there were 5 different phases of Waialae Iki in MLS. It was called Waialae Iki I, II, III, IV and V (roman numerals then. Phase V is actually at the very top of the hill. It was a gated community. Gentry diid a number of homes in there. Then, there were a number of private owners that bought the lots and developed homes from there. I lived on Waialae Iki as a kid.

Buck Home Built in 1976

My Dad and Mom built a house in Waialae Iki in the 1970’s, probably what would be considered the 3rd phase of development. Some of the homes lower in the hill were more like in the 1960’s, then they went up through the 2000’s as you got to the top (of the hill). We’re going to cover both sides of the ridge today. Also, on the east side up at the top on Poola St., there’s another gated community called Kahala Kua. Now, Kahala Kua has its own MLS neighborhood (and was developed by Bill Mills), which is separate from Waialae Iki.

Poola Street Home Overlooking Aina Haina

Going up the majority of Poola, on that eastern side overlooking Aina Haina, that still falls under Waialae Iki from an MLS standpoint.

Was Street

As you come up Poola Street, there’s a sleeper little street called Waa Street. It’s a “horse shoe” loop that runs you up and you can get a little bit of views and hooks back down on Poola Street. I’ll give you a quick little tour of Waa Street. As we drive up Waa Street, it’s a horse shoe looped street and it curves up to the right. Most of the homes were built in the early 1960’s. You have a mixture of upslope properties on the mauka (mountain) side of the road, as well as downslope propertiies. The pros and cons about that is carrying the groceries upstairs as opposed to carrying groceries downstairs. You’ll notice a number of recycle bins on the street. It’s one of the pros of living in Honolulu is you get trash pickups. Today is recycle day and we also have green waste and grey can (pickup days).

Kahala Kua

Kahala Kua Entry Sign

Now we’re at the very top of Poola Street on the eastern side Waialae Iki. What’s behind me is the entrance to Kahala Kua, which is a gated community at the very top of Poola Street.

Gated Entry to Kahala Kua

There’s a lot of newer homes up there. Basically, if you continue up past that gate, you’d travel up and to the right. Waialae Iki is an older ridge and wraps around at the top of Kahala Kua. The 2 neighborhoods do not connect at the top. So, you have to get to Laukahi to get to those homes. Here on Poola Street, you have some nice homes with perimeter views facing the west toward Diamond Head.

Driving Down Poola Street

Now, as we head back down Poola Street, you can just imagine the types of views you’ll have with the ocean on the horizon. On the left side of the road, you have the homes facing east towards Hawaii Kai. Then, the homes on the right are facing west towards Diamond Head. Obviously, the ones on the east are going to get more of that morning sun and not the afternoon sunset. Whereas, the homes on the right side of the street are going to get more of the afternoon sun. On those, you’re probably going to want to have sun shades or window coverings in the afternoon. As we round the corner, you can imagine what it took to carve out this development. You can see a lot of the rock work here and there’s actually a “dead spot” for cell phone coverage here. One of the cons about the Poola side of Waialae Iki is it’s a lot more narrow of a road.vs. the main part of Waialae Ikii on Laukahi Street. First, we hit the eastern flank of Waialae Iki, which was going up Poola Street, which is a windy, curvy road. It’s a very narrow road, which is one of the cons, which some people can say. It might also control people speeding.

Analii Street

We’re going to run you up Laukahi Street next, which is the main artery that runs you up and down Waialae Iki. I just came back here on Analii Street and remember earlier I’d mentioned that kids do play soccer. So, they’re starting to set up. Analii Street connects both sides of Waialae Iki from the west side to the east side.

Driving up Laukahi Street

As you head up Laukah Street, we’re going to go through all 5 phases of Waialae Iki. As we get to the very top, we’re going to hit Waiallae Iki 5.

Waialae Iki 5

Waialae Iki 5

We’re now at the very top of Laukahi Street, which is the very top of Waialae Iki. Here we have the entry to Waialae Iki 5, which was the 5th phase of development we talked about earlier. It is a gated community. You have a lot of newer construction, newer design, a lot more contemporary and more steel framed builds vs. wood frame. At the very top of the ridge, there’s an ironwood forest and there’s a hike back there as well. You do have to be an owner to get into Waialae Iki 5. They also have tennis courts and a club house. Next, we’ll head back down the hill and see some of the views that you’ll get living here in Waiialae Iki.

Driving Down Laukahi Street

Now, as we head back down Laukahi, you’re going to get a similar feel of perspective ini Poola Street in that the homes on the left hand side are going to have more of the eastern sunrise and tradewinds blowing through. Then, on the right hand side of the street you’re going to get more of the sunsets facing west. As we talked about earlier, one of the pros about being on Laukahi or the main part of Waialae Iki is you’l notice how wide the streets are. If you recall driving down Poola and seeing how tight things were, if a car were coming, you’d have to pull over to the side. Here, in Waialae Iki on Laukahi Street, you have these nice wide streets, where you do not have to pull over. As we round the bend, we’re going to be heading back towards Black Point and Diamond Head. One of the perks about Waialae Iki is you have these beautiful community parks.

Waialae Iki Community Parks

Laukahi Slopes Park

One of the cool things about Waialae Iki is you have these community parks that are periodically spread throughout the hill. They are big open spaces to take advantage of the views. This one is a little bit gown in. It’s maintained by the city.

Community Park off Laukahi Street

There is some cactus, kuaiiwi, keawe and halekoa throughout. You do have some great views of Waialae Golf Course to give you a perspective. We’ll hit another park or two down the way. This one is right off of Laukahi Street by the way.

Continuing Down Laukahi

We’re back on Laukahi Street heading back down the road. Off to the right is where my old house was when I was a kid. To the left is Board of Water Supply tank. As you can imagine, there’s a pumping station to get water up the road because of gravity. Although the main part of Waialae Iki is not a gated community, there is security patrol that kind of monitors the homes throughout Waialae Iki. So, that’s another positive thing about Waialae Iki.

Kamole Mini Park

Sign for Kamole Mini Park

Here we are at another park off Laukahi Street. It’s Kamole Mini Park and this one actually stretches through to Kamole Street, which is down below on the makai (ocean) side of the park. You can access it up here. There are some park benches. As you’ll see down below, there’s ocean views, which is one of the awesome things about living on Waialae Iki.

Waialae Iki Demographics and Location

I didn’t talk about earlier, but Waiialae Iki falls in the zip code of 96821 and it is in East Honolulu. You’re straddled on one side by Aina Haina valley, which will be off to the east. Then, to the west you have Kalani Iki. That’s a little bit more from a macro level of where Waialae Iki is located. What not many people are aware of (this went on for many years), when they did the census, some of the most wealthy neighborhoods in Hawaii, some of the neighbors that do come to mind might be Diamond Head or Kahala. Believe it or not, Waialae ski has some of the more wealthy people here on Oahu. The reason why is you have a lot of doctors, attorneys and professionals that do live up here. Whereas, the demographic of Diamond Head and Kahala, you do get a lot of second home owners and then you get a lot of LLCs, corporations and trusts. So, you don’t really know who is living there and claiming it as their residence. That’s just one thing to keep n mind. You do have a lot of professionals up here.

Gentrification in Waialae Iki

We’re mid way on the ridge here and we’re going to wrap up here shortly. The construction across Kamole Mini Park gives you an idea of what was being built back ini the 1960’s and 1970’s. Over time, people are upgrading. There’s a home under construction there. There’s some gentrification in the neighborhood.

Contact a Waialae Iki Expert

If you have any questions about Waialae Iki or are thinking of buying or selling here, feel free to reach out and give us a shout at 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Here we are at Makaha Valley Towers in Makaha. You can tell you're at Makaha Valley Towers when you hear peacocks. I wanted to give you a tour of a unit we closed on recently and put it right back on the market at Makaha Valley Towers. This is a studio, unit #524.

Unit #524 at Makaha Valley Towers

Here we are at unit #524 and we have storage just right outside the front door. You've got a great backdrop here of Makaha Valley. Let's go take a look. This is going to be a studio floor plan at Makaha Valley Towers. When you walk in, you immediately have ocean views.

View from the Lanai

We just had a bunch of rain over the past few days, however this will give you a perspective back in Makaha Valley with this panoramic 180 degree view, all the way out to the point there at Lahilahi. There, you see the Hawaiian Princess and the Makaha Beach Cabanas. You also have a spacious lanai here, overlooking tons of parking and desk parking. Down below, you're going to have the swimming pool and cabana area. What you hear there are peacocks. They're kind of like the resident birds here at Makaha Valley Towers. You have a picnic and BBQ area down there as well. 

Main Living Area

As we come back in this studio unit, it does have a nice remodeled kitchen, a butcher's block and a murphy bed (which is a great use of space). There's also a semi built-in entertainment center across the room. We then pull the murphy bed down to give you a sense of space. The bed is not made. This is an interesting listing. We just closed on it on Friday and immediately put it right back on the market. We've got it at a great price. We're listed under $200,000. We've had studios recently in the project sell north of $200,000. Here, we'll give you a perspective with the bed down here. We're going to come out of the living area and we've got a little storage locker here off the hallway.

Bathroom

As you come into the bathroom, you have one long closet on the left. This is all central air by the way, that's included in your maintenance fees. You've got a nice granite countertops, sink, newer cabinets, mirror, toilet and a glazed shower.

I just wanted to give you a perspective of what a studio looks like here at Makaha Valley Towers.

Full Disclosure - Peacocks 🦚

Full Disclosure - there are peacocks here at Makaha Valley Towers. They're kind of like the resident bird. As you can see, they are all throughout the property. Iif you're ok with peacocks and their sounds, feel free to contact us if you're interested in Makaha Valley Towers.