Norma and Art Isip, Renton, Washington

We have high regards for David's professionalism. As the Broker for Hawaii Life, we felt comfortable with his demeanor and his warm and encouraging attitude. He listens to us and pays close attention to our problems and needs. Our expectations were met and more.

He did the extra mile to advertise our Pomaikai condo in Waikiki on the web which took several hits a day and a lot of inquiries because of David's chosen power of words. With all his thorough explanations and exceptional service, he helped us so much with all our anxieties.

Timely and quick follow up per phone and email, so that we are current with the listing's activities. We were also notified immediately regarding reactions from the buyers and agents who toured our condo during an open house. He made sure we were updated at all times.

In summary, David helped us a lot during our first offer and he made it a point to use his good judgement to turn around when he sensed that the buyers were just buying time and were not ready to purchase the property.

The second buyer came in without any contingencies, only cash transaction. We had a timely closing, thanks to David's closing competency.

We highly recommend David to list and sell Real Estate for top dollars. We firmly believe that he deserves the People's Choice Award.

Jose and Carolina Enriquez, Kapolei, Hawaii

David Buck's professionalism was manifested from the start by demonstrating patience through our dealings. We were working mainly with short sales and even after constantly running against many competitive buyers he never gave up. After many offers and 10 months of looking around for houses we got our dream home thanks to David.

He went above and beyond our needs, paying attention to all of our petitions and meeting us for all of the open houses. He always gave us the information we requested to make better choices. David Buck was always there for us, more than a Realtor he was a real friend constantly looking after our best interests instead of his. Before we met David, other Realtors we saw tried to pressure us into buying the first house they showed us. We never felt pressured while working with David Buck.

Every new property we saw meant tons of new more questions from us and David was always prepared to answer or he would follow up with us as fast as he could,  usually within a couple of hours or the next day at the latest.

David Buck didn't keep any information from us. There was a property that it's neighbor had died not too long ago and he disclosed this information without us asking for it. While dealing with short sales, David always looked out for us by not letting us put an offer higher than its fair price. In the end we got the best house at the best price.

We are extremely grateful to David Buck because his expertise, patience and professionalism got us our dream home in Ko Olina.

Alfred Preis is one of my favorite mid-century modern architects from Hawaii.

This Alfred Preis Home at 17 Kepoloa Place (MLS# 1015545) was recently listed for $1,300,000

We recently completed a remodel of one of his homes in Diamond Head. Although not as famous as Vladimir Ossipoff, Alfred Preis was named one of Honolulu Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, and is most famous for the Arizona Memorial. There are far less residential Preis homes than there are Ossipoff homes that come available for sale, and when they do, they typically sell fast.

The one I wrote about in Alewa Heights recently has already sold, and my guess is this one won’t be around for long. All of the sudden, there are a few cool mid-century modern homes available in Nuuanu (including a recent Ossipoff listing), which has traditionally been an area for older Hawaiiana homes.

If you have an interest in mid-century modern homes feel free to contact me for more information.

The Ilikai Condo and Hotel is one of Oahu’s iconic properties made famous with Jack Lord in the opening scene of the original Hawaii Five-O Series.

With the popularity of the new Hawaii Five-O Series, weak U.S. dollar, and the peak holiday season approaching, we’ve been getting more and more calls about the Ilikai.

Since it is difficult for foreigners to get a loan in the U.S. (not having established credit here), they are typically cash buyers. I’ve also found that a lot of buyers prefer to have a product that offers the flexibility to rent out short-term, long-term, or live in. I’ll be honest, this is something that sounds appealing to me if I were to invest outside of Hawaii as well.

Unfortunately, the Ilikai has had a troubled past in recent years with a large block of units that were foreclosed on. The good news is sales have started to pick up. We sold one of the rock bottom prices earlier in the year at $180,000. As of today, the lowest priced listing is $229,997 (MLS# 1013195) for a low floor on the mountain side of the building.

This 2,378 square foot 2 bed, 2 bath unit (MLS# 1012039) is listed for $1,980,000

Unit 2603 (above) is the one of the more luxurious units in the building, and is an example of how this iconic building is coming back around… If the Ilikai is a building that interests you, feel free to check out the current inventory of Ilikai condos, or contact me for more information.

Most of the Ossipoff available inventory has been in Diamond Head, however, here’s a new listing in Old Pali:

34 Gartley Place (MLS# 1015393) recently came on market for $1,200,000

Old Pali is located mauka (towards the mountains) of Downtown Honolulu adjacent to the neighborhoods of Dowsett and Nuuanu. The landscape is traditionally lush and green with ample rain throughout the year.

If this Ossipoff home interests you, feel free to contact me for more information. For some other mid-century modern homes, enjoy my page for your viewing pleasure.

Although Vladimir Ossipoff has passed on many years ago, his homes are still grabbing a lot of attention.

This Ossipoff home on Kaikoo Place (MLS# 1011462) is listed for $3,450,000

Vladimir Ossipoff is the most renowned mid-century modern architect in Hawaii. I was fortunate enough to attend an event the other night with some of my clients that recently purchased one of his homes in Diamond Head. There was a panel of his former colleagues discussing the process of building the Outrigger Canoe Club, which was one of his masterpieces completed in late 1963. It was incredible what they were able to accomplish at the time for $1 million in construction, and actually come in $200,000 under budget, which is unheard of these days…

Honolulu Magazine has also been picking up on the Ossipoff buzz, as they’ve been writing articles featuring Ossipoff homes. As of today, there are 5 on the market that I’m aware of on Oahu, the first 3 of which are in Diamond Head:

1. 3763 Diamond Head Road (MLS# 1008407) is listed for $4,495,000

2. 2993 Makalei Pace (MLS# 1014139) is listed for $3,900,000

3. 4219 Kaikoo Place (MLS# 1011462) is listed for $3,450,000

4. 708 Puuikena Drive (MLS# 1013601) is listed for $3,100,000

5. 2650 Pacific Heights Road (MLS# 1014428) is listed for $1,895,000

If you are looking for mid-century modern home, or more specifically, an Ossipoff home, contact me for more information.

Alewa Heights is one of the older neighborhoods on Oahu, just west of Nuuanu, and minutes from Downtown Honolulu.

This Alfred Preis mid-century modern home, (MLS# 1013256), is one of several architectural gems

Many of the Alewa Heights homes listed in MLS are built as far back as the 1920’s and 30’s, which is “old” for Hawaii standards…It’s no surprise that this was one of the earlier established neighborhoods in Honolulu with its proximity to downtown and Kapalama (main) campus of Kamehameha Schools.

As you drive up Alewa Drive, which is the main artery of Alewa Heights, you’ll see a mix of older, plantation-style homes, mid-century modern homes (like the one above), homes in the process of being completely remodeled, or new construction on lots where the old homes were tore down. Alewa Heights offers a mix of architecture, history, and re-gentrification.

To learn more about Alewa Heights or mid century modern homes on Oahu, feel free to contact me for more information.

Jeremy Dillon, Honolulu, Hawaii

1) David provided documentation describing the entire process of selling my Liliha condo and sat down with me to answer all of my questions. He provided me with frequent and timely updates on all offers, ensuring that I had all of the information I needed to make the right decisions.

2) Responses to my calls and emails were always made within hours, if not minutes. I never had to worry about where we were in the process or how things were going. If he had not been so thorough and responsive, we would have wasted a lot of time and missed opportunities to get a deal done. Weekends, evenings, he made himself available to get the sale done, all the way to closing!

3) Follow up was awesome! David made sure to call me when sending emails with documents needing my review, signature, or acknowledgement. The turn around time with the electronic signatures made the transaction convenient and easy.

4) David was certainly fair and trustworthy. He gave me advice on how to handle some questionable offers and potentially costly situations. He had my full trust throughout the process and I couldn't have asked for a better home sale.

We've recently been making waves in the Diamond Head luxury home market.

3025 Diamond Head Road was a Vintage Bungalow

In the past couple of months, there have been four single family home sales in Diamond Head. We've recently closed on two (50%) of them. On August 10th, 3025 Diamond Head Road closed where I represented the seller on a vintage Diamond Head Bungalow that was featured in the Wall Street Journal. Then on August 24th, 676 Hakaka St. closed where I represented the buyer on a Vladimir Ossipoff Classic.

Ossipoff Detail Work at 676 Hakaka St.

There are currently 33 homes on the market in Diamond Head, with only one in escrow. As you can see, there is a lot on the market, however not a whole lot is selling… I live in Diamond Head and have a passion for Diamond Head real estate, so if you’re interested in living the Diamond Head life or looking to market your property so that you’ll have better than a 1 in 33 chance of selling, contact me for more information.

There are now two homes on the market in Diamond Head designed by one of Hawaii’s most famous architects Valdimir Ossipoff. It’s been about five months now since I wrote about Mid-Century Modern Homes on Oahu and felt that these are two noteworthy listings worth mentioning:

Lanai and trees in background of Diamond Head home

3795 Diamond Head Road (MLS# 1005108) recently came on the market for $2,500,000. Built in 1956, it has been tastefully remodeled, has a prime address, location and ocean views. You can’t go wrong!

Current Price: $4,750,000 ($-450,000)

4329 Kaikoo Place (MLS # 2910997) has actually been on the market since August, however has come down over $450,000 since! Right across the street from great surfing at Kaikoo’s, this modern home is tucked away on one of Diamond Head’s most secluded streets.