The Art of Hawaii Relocations

Relocating to Hawaii? With our warm climate and breathtaking scenery it's no wonder why everyone (including locals) call it "Paradise"! Hawaii is the choice of many people who prefer a tropical setting to live out their retirement years. It also becomes everyones favorite Hawaii Relocations spot when transferring to the military bases in Hawaii including the Schofield Army Base, Wheeler Army Air Field, Pearl Harbor Navy Base, Hickam AFB, or Kaneohe Marine Corp Air Station.

Education, Information and a Good Realtor® is The Art of Hawaii Relocations.

Do your homework if you are contemplating a Hawaii Relocation. Check out employment options, schools, plan a trip (if you are not familiar with our islands) and do your budget! We are (by far) different than elsewhere in the world and our homes are one of the highest priced in the nation. Why?

Inventory/Demand: Very little buildable land is available on these small islands and with their steep mountains and canyons the prime land has already been developed. Much is owned by the Federal Government, the State of Hawaii, and private landowners and no place to build out into the outlying areas. This will be true whether you rent or purchase a home.

Neighborhood: Get to know your neighborhoods. Take into consideration the price ranges and how they are determined. Convenience to business districts, schools, quality of homes, character and street/curb appeal. Your island Realtor® will know the neighborhoods and give you alternatives to your criteria for neighborhoods.

Expensive areas (luxury estates): Diamond Head, Kahala, and East Honolulu towards Hawaii Kai. (Truly level land is in short supply so many homes are located on the steep hillsides)
Affordable areas: The Leeward area (Waipahu, Ewa, Waianae) are the more affordable neighborhoods on flat land and some newly developed areas and homes offer some of the best values. If you work downtown traffic may be an issue for you though.
Mid Range Areas: Central Oahu (including, Mililani, Waipio Gentry, Waikele, Wahiawa) and the Windward area offer a variety of "suburban" communities and homes.

Value and Price: Most of the value is in our land, Expect SMALLER and compare to other Hawaii homes...not other areas. Additional features and upgrades are not always what you may expect for a higher priced home. Be realistic and ask your Realtor® to make appointments in your price range. It's like going shopping for food without eating first. Wants vs. Needs!
Home Styles: As stated above Hawaii has JUST SO MUCH buildable land, therefore the percentage of condo/townhouse ownership is one of the highest in the nation so don't disregard the possibilities of owning a condo or townhouse. As far as heating and cooling go we don't have central heat (we have year round climate) and air conditioning is not mandatory with our trade winds cooling our air. Most homes here include most appliances so you may want to save on shipping costs of your appliances. Same goes for your auto; unless it's a collectible or you have an employer paid move.
Living Area: Most of our homes have less than 1500 sq. ft . roofed living area and very few have more than 2400 sq. ft. even in the higher priced ranges. Take into consideration the amount of furniture you have that may not coincide with the size of our island style homes.
Market on Oahu: Of course you will want a Realtor® to guide you through your home purchase and let you know what the current market is like. Your Realtor® will also be able to give you knowledge (pick an island wide knowledgeable agent) to help you find that right home.
As of October 2007 the inventory is higher than usual although the prices are holding in many of the neighborhoods. Just know that interest rates are still low and prices are not dropping drastically. Also, the rental market is very high so you might as well get those tax breaks on owning your own home.
Rentals on Oahu for a 3bdrm house will range anywhere from $2,000 to $3500 plus per month so regardless if you are renting or buying the town areas will be priced higher and the more distant (Central and Leeward area) will be lower. Just be aware that if you are working in Honolulu and live further away you will have to consider the rush hour traffic.

Oahu Single Family Homes Prices overall went down 2.3% for the third quarter of this year ending with a median sales price average of $649,000. Condos/townhouses went up 0.6% topping off at a median sales price average of $330,000 on our island of Oahu.

Be Part of the Solution For Your Market; Because "Shift" Always Happens is another article discussing the market shift and what the market looks like this year. If you are planning on moving to paradise please contact me for a Hawaii Relocations packet so you can get started!

"Kuleana: Knowing Your Responsibility"

There's a fine line between common sense and KNOWING what I am responsible for.

Kuleana (Koo-lay-ah-nah). basically means "Knowing Your Responsiblity" and used in the context of Leadership.

We all have a responsibility for the preservation and conservation of our land and water. So we abide by the laws set forth by our state.

Previously, I had written Purchasing Hawaii Vacant Land? Ancient Hawaiian Burial Sites and Laws and discussed our laws regarding ancient burial sites and our responsibility to do due diligence if you are considering purchasing vacant land. These laws not only apply to vacant land but property already in use that you may be building a new project on and the discovery of an ancient burial site or human bones.

The State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, State Historic Preservation Divison held a Oahu Island Burial Council Meeting on October 10, 2007.

Some of the topics discussed at this particular meeting were:

• The Honolulu Rapid Transit System: Information and surveys for our Rapid Transit System
• Walmart (Status Update) Contested Case: Status and update on the case and discussion of the reinternment of the iwi (human bones) found at the site when construction started a couple of years ago.
• Hau'ula Property, Recognition of Lineal/Cultural Descent: SHPD's (State Historic Preservation Division) recommendation for recognition of the cultural/lineal descendants of five burials on the site. They are determining a burial treatment plan on whether to preserve the location on the site or relocate them.
• Other new inadvertant discoveries
  

There are other zoning laws to consider as well. There is just so much buildable land on any of our islands and much is zoned Restricted Preservation, Restricted Conservation, Agricultural, Beachfront, Coastal and Country land and the following reading are all related to our land. Our paradise.

• Hawaii Coastal Land: *Ponder Before Purchasing* (In Hawaii, not only do we have a responsility to take care of our environment but we have a responsibility to understand the potential risks and consequences of purchasing coastal land.)
• Preservation of Hawaiian Culture, Land and History (If there were no one who got involved to protect or take notice of our environment, protect our historic sites and our land what would we have left?)
• Hawaii (Oahu) Zoning, Special Use and Building Permits (We respect our Hawaiian culture, environment and those issues that may affect our lands)
• Waimea Valley: History Uncovered, Preserved and Protected (Follow the permanent river from the ocean of Waimea Bay into Waimea Valley and there is an astounding amount of history and over 80% of the archaeological sites in this valley have still not been uncovered)
  

As a Real Estate Professional on the island of Oahu in Hawaii it is my responsibility to gain knowledge on all that may be pertinent to the sale of real property. If you are planning on relocating to Hawaii it's your responsibility to learn too.

It's my 'Kuleana' .... Knowing my Responsiblity as a Leader in my Industry.

http://www.hawaiihomesmarket.com/

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Mililani Hawaii Real Estate Blog 2007©
*All pictures and content property of Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman

The Koolau Mountain Range-A Dormant Volcano on Oahu, Hawaii

Breathtaking! The Ko'olau Mountain Range is not a "normal" mountain range. The western half that is seen is what is left of the Ko'olau Volcano that was destroyed in Prehistoric times. What happened was the eastern half and much of the summit caldera (feature formed during volcanic activity) slid into the Pacific Ocean.

These fragments were cast 100 miles over the northeast part of the ocean floor. History says the eruption first took place on the ocean floor 2.5 million years ago. It kept growing in elevation (which you see here to the left) and currently stands over 3,000 feet above sea level. Scientists believe that this dormant volcano will one day come to life again.

The map above shows the monstrosity of the Ko'olau Mountains (to the right and all in green) which is the length of our island of Oahu from southern (Honolulu) to northern (North Shore) ends. If you are planning on Relocating to Hawaii this article will give you a little more lore and information regarding our island of Oahu.

We traveled over the H-3 Freeway to get to the windward side of the island (which is basically from central Oahu west of the Koolau's to the east side of Oahu) where Kaneohe and Kailua towns are located. From there we went all along the coast to the North Shore and back to Central Oahu.

After going through Kaneohe town we headed north through and went through the following towns:

Waimanalo- Country area, plenty of agricultural land and I love to go out there to the orchid farms where you can pick up variety at low cost.
Kaawa- Macadamia Nut Farm, Koolau Ranch
Punaluu- Beautiful beaches, waterfront properties and the Crouching Lion restaurant
Hauula- Country, coastal properties
Laie- Polynesian Cultural Center, BYU University, Laie Point fishing
Kahuku- Sugar Mill, Shrimp Farms, Farmland
Sunset Beach- North Shore Famous Surfing Spot, beaches, coastal and mountain properties.
Waimea Bay- Beautiful bay, swimming, Autubon society in Waimea Valley
Haleiwa- Old historic town, quaint shops and beaches

We traveled only 3/4 of the way along the Koolau Mountain Range to the left of us and the ocean to the right. No matter how many times we make this beautiful drive every single time it proves to have such scenic views to behold each and every time. (click the button for the show twice...it has a kink sometimes :)

More articles on Oahu for Hawaii Relocations (or even visitors!) can be found here:

Waimea Valley: History Uncovered, Preserved and Protected
Honolulu County Relocations: A Look into Laie, Hawaii
Relocating to Oahu, Hawaii? A Glimpse into Old Town Wahiawa
Historic Haleiwa Town: North Shore-Oahu, Hawaii
Hawaii Coastal Land: *Ponder Before Purchasing*
Purchasing Hawaii Vacant Land? Ancient Hawaiian Burial Sites and Laws


For more information on Hawaii Relocations please contact Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman @ (808) 375-1404

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Mililani Hawaii Real Estate Blog 2007©

*All pictures and content property of Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman