Hawaii Real Estate & Relocations

All Loan Officers and Real Estate Agents in Hawaii were given a memo (it was released on May 19th) that Hawaii VA Loan Appraisals are taking longer now due to . The memo from the Head of VA Home Loans here on Oahu made sure to stress that on Oahu (Honolulu County) the VA Home Loan Appraisal are taking UP TO Five...yes, 5 weeks to complete.

With Hawaii VA Home Loan Appraisals in Honolulu Country taking much longer than usual (based on the amount of home loans in progress) it is definitely placing a burden on all involved in the Real Estate Home Buying Process for the Veteran:

• Military Personnel who are transferring to Hawaii obviously stay in a hotel until they acquire housing.  An appraisal taking up to five weeks can delay the transaction from 30 days to 60 days or more. 
• Veterans who are utilizing their VA Home Loan Guaranty get discouraged when they see the rest of the transaction is moving swiftly ....but being held up just for the appraisal.
• The loan officer, real estate agent, escrow are put on hold waiting for an appraisal. The rest of the 'team' who are working together to get the transaction done are stuck in limbo.

You see, our Hawaii Real Estate Transaction Process is quite different than a lot of other states and it also includes the buyer and seller signing all loan and escrow documents at different times. We all don't sit down at the same time to sign documents and we do not hand over keys right then and there.

After signing all loan and escrow documents we still have to wait for up to 3 days for the loan company to fund the monies to escrow. AFTER escrow receives the monies then, and only then, can escrow file the conveyance documents with the Bureau of Conveyances which recorded the morning after.  

Now, we have another damper on our Hawaii Real Estate transactions. Since our Governor 'had to balance our budget' she ordered that State Offices will close three Fridays of every month (no pay but better than 10000 jobs lost).

The Bureau of Conveyances says it's now TWO days for processing documents for recordation.

With all the delays for appraisals and recording documents I'm starting to believe that it's a test to show the seriousness on everyones part.

The buyer who is really wanting to purchase property, the seller who needs to sell to relocate, the real estate industry professionals who are REALLY thinking in their clients best interest.

Talk about cleaning house.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

Watching the National News tonight there were ongoing stories about Michael Jackson. What will happen to the children? A Music Legacy! The Dancing Moves! And then the heart wrenching realization that this talented individual was not really happy.

Some people misinterpret what success is all about. 

Quincy Jones spoke of his professional and personal interactions with Michael Jackson and the most profound part of the interview (to me) was not about the dance moves, the singing, the children and beyond. He spoke about the resistance to success, not being able to handle that success due to not having a serious and grounded approach towards life.

Quincy goes on to say:

You have to be spiritually grounded and you are really a terminal for a higher power,

And if you don't understand that, you know, it can be very complicated.

And.....I've seen a lot of people misinterpret what success is all about.

POWERFUL WORDS and an insight into the true meaning of handling success and being successful. I have written many a story on success starts from the inside out. It seems pretty straighforward to me...now.

I know what it means to have a serious and grounded approach towards life and the meaning of being a terminal for a higher power. I can feel it and it shines from the inside of me to the outside. That success can't be bought and it can only be fulfilled by ......ME.

What is all the outside of me stuff worth...if I feel not me?

Hawaii Home Buyers and Sellers | Etiquette for Open Houses

Our Open Houses on Oahu (Honolulu County) are still a great way to preview a property. Maybe your Realtor®  is unable to attend with you (the Home Buyer) due to previous appointments or holding an Open House themselves. It's also a great way for the neighbor to do a ‘quiet observation' of the agent holding the Open House to see if they might possibly ‘hire' that agent and brokerage firm in the sale of their home.

It's all relevant when it comes to Hawaii Open Houses and Honolulu Real Estate Tips.

1. Make sure you've already been prequalified with a lender so you're looking in the correct price range. Be realistic in your home search and price range lest you waste your time.  If you have a Realtor® then you have already been instructed to go through that process.
2. Please don't be rude to the agent holding the Open House. You are there as a guest in someone's home and will be courteous and polite to the one holding the Open House.
3. Please remove your shoes unless otherwise instructed. In Hawaii, we take off our shoes not matter whose home it is. Open Houses are no different. Again, you are a guest in the seller's home and they most likely have already prepared the home with carpet cleaning and so forth.  Wear slip on/off shoes/sandals.
4. Please hold on to your children. Letting your children run rampant around a beautiful home is not how you show respect to the owner of the home and being a good example as a guest. The home is not a playground for all of you to pass the time on a Sunday.
5. Please sign in the guest book. If you have a Realtor® make sure you have your agent's business card on hand (get a bunch from your agent) to give to the agent holding the Open House.  It will also help the Open House Realtor® follow up with your Realtor®.  No matter what, you all are a guest in the home so please do the agent a courtesy and sign in.
6. Make notes of your own observations. This will help you with your home search regardless if you are just going to Open Houses or showing appointments with your Realtor®.  A list of wants and needs before you start your home search is another good tip.
7. If you walk into an Open House and REALLY feel that this is the right home for you. Call your Realtor® immediately and put in that offer! The inventory on Oahu is going down and if you try to be a killer negotiator or sit on the fence that home will be gone!
8. Remember, the seller's agent who is holding the Open House has the Seller's best interests at heart.  A lot of home buyer's "believe" that they are going to "get a better deal" if they deal with the seller's agent directly.  The truth is that you are best represented by having your own agent (buyer's representative or buyer's agent) who know the real estate contract and laws. Your OWN agent is your most valuable negotiating tool and bargaining power for your home buying process.
9. A company sign for an Open House means they have a listing contract in place. It means they have a legal contract in place and you are not going to negotiate terms between seller and brokerage firm to get a better deal.   
10. Please don't touch the items in the home. Again, you are a guest in the seller's home and you are there to preview the property. You are NOT there to try and figure out what the seller does for a living and their personal history nor allowed to touch things that don't belong to you.

These may seem like common sense tips for most although many may benefit from one or more of these tips.

 Please be respectful and courteous while attending an Open House.

YOU ARE A GUEST.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

For those of you that haven't crossed paths with Linda Bourgault on ActiveRain let me introduce you.

Her husband was Bruce Bourgault who was a great loan officer here on Oahu (Honolulu County) He'd come into our office frequently but we all didn't really get to know him until he started blogging on ActiveRain.  Linda took care of him after his operations and treatments and during his last weeks. He did not recover and he passed away in October 25, 2007. Linda wrote:

10.25.2007 Our Most Momentous Day!

In the time he was on ActiveRain, many grew to love him and many felt the sorrow and pain when learning of his death.  Since that time, Linda took over to keep his memory alive on ActiveRain and began to create her own memories too.  A gift from me to Bruce and our Rainmaker friends...  She also moved to the mainland and started to get her life moving again.

And then she came back this past Saturday to visit and Randy Prothero (Realtor® in my office and one of my best friends there)and I went down to meet her this morning for breakfast.

In the short time we spent together today we had breakfast, talked. Talked. Joked and amazingly talked about our childhoods!  Now THAT was different.  Funny how some memories remain no matter how far back they are.  Then onward to Queen Kapiolani Gardens!  Yup, we dragged Randy Prothero While writing, I reflecting on our meeting and  just now  I realized something.

I had told Linda I had saved Bruce's last email to me before he went in the hospital.  Linda stayed at a hotel that she and Bruce used to frequent for nights on the town.  Randy and I talked about how we got to know Bruce ‘better' through his blogging on ActiveRain and how it makes a difference more so than someone even walking into our office as much as he did.

I realized we all still remember....but life moves along.

Memories and current friendships made through ActiveRain. What a concept.

A Hui Hou (until we meet again) my dear friend Linda!

Father's Day is a day to pay tribute to your father (dad or pop), stepfather, your mom (brothers or sisters) who play the part of dad too or anyone who has made a significant impact on you enough so you call them 'dad'.

This is a very emotional time for me every year. It's been 5 years and 4 months since my father passed away from lung cancer. Two weeks before he passed away (and before he went in a coma) he said, "Sal, no matter what...your life must go on".  My dad knew that I would grieve terribly. I still do. But my life has gone on...but not without a tear or two on days as this.

You see, the memories of my dad were treasures to keep and hold in my heart.

I miss my dad. 

Over the past couple of years I've dedicated Father's Day posts to my dad with a www.realestateshows.com show and a few words about my dad. I'll share one of them with you:

My husband and I quit smoking 2 years and 5 months ago after struggling with the addiction of nicotine for 30+ years.

 Mililani IS the only community in Hawaii to receive the distinction "All American City" in 1986.  Mililani Town and Mililani Mauka, a Master Planned Community has a population of approximately 30,000 people.

The first homes went up for sale around June 1968 and 112 homes were offered for purchase.

In The Beginning...

In 1971 my parents bought a new home and we moved to Mililani Town upon completion that summer. Since Mililani High School wasn't finished yet I had to catch the bus to Wahiawa until graduation from Leilehua in 1974.

Our H-2 freeway opened in 1976 which lessened the time to travel to and from Honolulu with an additional route other than Kamehameha Highway. Mililani Mauka Subdivision had their groundbreaking ceremony in 1990 and the building continued until last year when the last of the homes were sold.

Current Real Estate Trends in Mililani

The Mililani Real Estate and Housing Market remained stable in sales the past few months although prices dropped some overall the past year. The good thing is that the sales numbers have increased and inventory dropped considerably over the last year as well.

What does that tell us?  The following Mililani Real Estate Sales Activity for May of 2009 tells a story compared to the following statistics for 2008 at this same time period.

Current Market Report 2009

*NOTE:  DOM (Days on Market) means how long the property was listed on the MLS until the properties went into escrow with an accepted contract.

2008 Market Report

Here's the bottom line: The First Time Homebuyer $8,000 tax credit brought interest back into our market over the last couple of months. The Military plays a big part in our community and the Hawaii VA Loan is a great loan for the Hawaii Military Relocation client. So, with the inventory down we all know what happens when you snooze. You lose. :)

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Be proactive in your Hawaii Relocation and your search for your home in paradise.

 It's not easy moving across the Pacific Ocean let alone to a totally different "world" of people but you can do it with effort, motivation and a great Realtor®!

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

Two signs depict the very essence of the items in the picture taken at Bishop Museum.

The Whole Story is forthcoming.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

I have literally spent hours upon hours today adjusting my posts on ActiveRain. I literally had to go in one by one and take out the old "Contact Sally" buttons and put in the new ones with the correct link for my contact form on my website.

I created a new website with Microsoft Web Expressions an dupt it up about a couple of months ago. All the links for each page are certainly different than using that old Sitebuilder software so I had to make a lot of changes.

Was all this worth it?  You betcha!  No longer get messed up with the software that never updates.

It's all MINE. 

www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

Now www.cheesemanhomes.com is working too.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

Balancing time is a crucial part of of a professionals' life and keeping that balance takes hard work and effort. We take leaps, bounds and long strides to do our best in thinking in the best interests of our clients.

All of us go through stressful situations. The bottom line is "No matter what it is all in the manner of how I handle the situation".

This is how the last week has gone for me:

•  Client's arrived on July 17 from Bonita Springs, Florida and I have showing appointments for the next day 18th, and we view 10 properties.
• July 20-Set more showing appointments and fellow agent shows them properties and they meet me back at the office and we put in an offer.
• The offer is countered three times and we finally get into contract on July 24. We open escrow and I run around getting Association and Condo Docs from the other agent.
• Signing at escrow for other client Mr. "W"
• July 26th-Home Inspection. Client's backed out right then and there from that unit.
• They want to go back and look at the other townhouse with the garage and on the golf course. Call listing agent and whew....go right from the one townhouse to the other. They put in a full price offer.
• July 27th-Accepted contract and again schedule a home inspection. Great. He's available.
• July 28th (today): Needs a few repairs...nothing major. Whew!

After the home inspector had finished and I was having the client's sign for receipt of the Association documents he stops and looks at me and says, "Sally, I just want you to know that I really appreciate you working hard for me while we've been here. And I just want you to know that I have noticed the little things you do." He then mentioned that it's not all about sales and that I really made them feel like it was a nice journey and not just a sale. (can't remember those exact words although the basic meaning is there)

I just about cried. It was hard to show people property who are from Florida where they have seen a decline in the market and convince them it is not the case here.  After we crossed that obstacle we were in a situation of the other home "looking real bad" from the first time they saw it. Now they are happy.

Between all the happenings of this transaction and Mr. "W's transaction I worked in the office all week (and was able to arrange with my broker to leave at certain times to accomodate these clients) because the other admin lady is on vacation in Ireland!  I'm tired.

They are on their way to the airport as I am writing this. Funny, I got "attached" ....again.  The daughter is actually my client. She is in Iraq and coincidentally knows my other client John and they have crossed paths as well over there. My "Clients are dad and sister".

 She'll be home soon to a wonderful townhouse.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

In the midst of Waimea Valley on the North Shore of Oahu......but what should we find?

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Be proactive in your Hawaii Relocation and Hawaii Home Buying Experience.

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com 

Featured Home For Sale

I kept hearing about Microsoft launching a new search engine called BING.  Google has always been the search engine of my choice and I often check other search engines to see how well my placement is.

Well, my husband and I were talking about it last night when I accidentally typed in the top search bar for something and up came "BING".  I was actually searching keywords for my website as I had made a big goof and had to go back to the backup from a week ago and redo some stuff.

Anyway, while typing in one of my keywords for Hawaii Relocation who should pop up on the first page of BING. NINE ...yes, NINE places out of TEN!

The first few spots on this first page were my website, a woohoo sally spot, website and Localism!

And then I kept scrolling down and saw the following.....Localism, ActiveRain, ActiveRain, Localism spots of my posts from different times and topics. I was jumping up and down. I am in the top spots on BING too!   

If you notice, I also put arrows on the right sides of these screen shots as well. For each topic they have a little pop up screen for each website. For the first shot it showed all the links on my website too! For Localism it showed the first snippet of the post.

Now...how cool is this?  More Juice for my ActiveRain and Localism posts.

It's not that ActiveRain was losing Google Juice...it's that it just may be that this new search engine is picking up the GOOD websites :) :)

What do you think?  

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Be proactive in your Hawaii Relocation and Hawaii Home Buying Experience.

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com 

Featured Home For Sale

Yup! I'm all for the Bill passing and starting on Wednesday, July 01!  It's going to stop all this text messaging, game playing and so forth while driving (and weaving all over the road).  I've used hands free technology (Bluetooth earset) for years just for the fact it was safer with answering so many phone calls during my drive to and from each destination.

With all the accidents and even instances with public bus drivers playing games while driving (that's scarey) it's about time we had this bill passed. I think back to when I used to smoke and talk on the phone at the same time. .....  <groan>

There is NO grace period allowed...in case you are wondering. More from the Honolulu Police Department website here>>>>>  http://www.honolulupd.org/traffic/electronic_devices.htm

19 days and counting :)

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

I'll be 52 years old in a couple of months and I'm proud of it. I have learned many lessons in those years and believe me I was one of those that HAD to learn the hard way. Or so my Pop used to tell me over and over. He didn't agree with many of my impulsive decisions back then and mom was the one who was there to support me when I fell. It hurt my dad too much to face me and see me hurt with my failures.

At this moment...I am at the exact point and time I am supposed to be.

There are many things I have learned in my half century of living:

• It IS MORE than Words. The way I speak to other people is not so much the words being spoken but the way I am speaking them.  Definitely not like the person I was in my younger years. I used to believe that expressing my views and opinions is all that mattered and the way I barked at them didn't.  
• Setting Personal Boundaries .....The Key is Communication Setting healthy boundaries takes communication skills and being assertive. Taking care of ourselves means that we make sure we know where our boundaries start and we let others know where their side ends.  Just remember...  There's a Diplomatic (Nicer) Way to Say IT!  Go and bark at me and I just won't listen. Plain and simple. Now I know why no one listened to me....way back when. 
• Someone asks me for help and I'm very busy.  I can only speak for myself as I have been in many a situation where I have been very busy and managed to squeeze in a moment or at the very least, let them know I'm busy but will get back to them shortly. Give a Little.....Gain a Lot.  Everything in life is a give and take situation.

Awareness of how I affect others is one thing I am conscious of every day now.  I learned that the small simple things really matter and that a smile, a kind word or a little task can help lift someone's spirit when they're weary. These traits of ours carry into our business. That's a FACT.

I know this to be true.  I just told someone this morning that the small things like answering my questions or an email made a difference for me.  And these are the small simple things that I do for my clients that make a difference for them and that they remember.

These are the small simple things that DO matter.

These are the details that make me a good Realtor Associate®

.....and a good human being.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

Put yourself in your Hawaii Home Buyer Representative's (Buyer's Agent) shoes for a minute. Okay, maybe a few minutes because you've been stressing each other out as well as everyone involved in your process for Buying a Hawaii Home.

A few ‘minor' but important details to have a smooth(er), stress (free?) process:

• Know what price range you are ‘qualified' for. Check with your local lender (loan officer, mortgage broker) and let them know what kind of monthly mortgage payment you want to be capped at. This includes factoring in your association dues, property taxes, maintenance fees and so forth. Why? You want to look at property that is realistic and feasible for your monthly budget.
• How many bedrooms, baths and other criteria for a home?  Make sure the whole family sits down and discusses what they would be comfortable with.  This can make a difference in this agent setting up showing appointments as we are able to weed out certain criteria. More sq/ft = higher price so keep it realistic too.
• Do you want a townhouse, condo or single family home?  That could make the difference in your price range and what you are qualified for as well as staying in your comfort zone for payments.  There's a difference with property tax payments for condos vs. single family as well as homeowners insurance; which in most cases is included in the maintenance fees for condos/townhouse associations (with the exception of the inside of your unit).
• What kind of timeline are you on?  With most of my Hawaii Relocation clients we make sure to have all in place before they arrive. We have showing appointments set for the day after arrival and in contract within the first few days.  A Hawaii VA Loan transaction is taking a little longer due to a backlog of appraisals and can take up to 4-5 weeks. A Short Sale can take longer for a bank approval ...and then starting the process.  

If you narrow down certain aspects and criteria for a home it makes it smoother for you, your agent and your loan officer for your Hawaii Home Search. 

Be proactive in your Hawaii Relocation and Hawaii Home Buying Experience.

There's Really No Need to Pull Your Hair Out!

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Featured Home For Sale

This past Friday, June 5th, 2009 we had our 2009 Summer GMM (General Membership Meeting) at the Hilton Hawaiian Village held by our Honolulu Board of Realtors. The theme was FRESH Tech Thinking and it was great to see many show up.

Classes, vendor fair, games, awards, luncheon, door prizes and recognitions. My BIC told me the big 'secret' before we attended the luncheon where they would annouce something grand.

Our Principal Broker/Owner, Douglas Fortner could not attend and we found out by the recognition speech that he recieved the REALTOR® Emeritus Status and they will announce it at the San Diego NAR Conference this November.

REALTOR® Emeritus Status:  Any person who has held membership in the National Association as a REALTOR®, REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®, or a combination of both, for a cumulative period of 40 years in one or more Associations of REALTORS® is eligible for REALTOR® Emeritus status.

Upon approval by the Board of Directors of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, no further payment of dues is necessary to the National Association by the Member Association of which the REALTOR® Emeritus is a member.  READ MORE  >>>> REALTOR® Emeritus Status

There are many things a Realtor® has to advise their clients on and many things that they need to give them information on. Before closing there are a couple of things that we all need to remember to let our clients know lest they have trouble down the road.

The following two points that I believe are many a time forgotten:

 1)   Remind your clients in townhouses/condos that maintenance fees DO NOT COVER THE INSIDE of the unit!

• A call comes in to my cellular a week or so ago and it's from a private number.  They needed some privacy I guess.   She introduced herself only by that "she saw my post on Condo/Townhouse Living in Hawaii..........and A Water Leak" and wondered if I had a moment to listen to what happened to them and if I had any advice.  Sure. Basically I told them what happened to me .... Bathroom & Kitchen Leaks- Responsible Condo Living in Hawaii
• Bottom line, they live in a condo and the unit above them flooded and their unit was severely damaged. They tried to file a claim with the owners insurance, tried to get the association to do something and just did not know what to do.
• My first question:  Did you have insurance?  Of course they didn't ....and their Realtor® did not say anything either. They ‘thought' the maintenance fees took care of it and I told her that they still needed insurance for the inside and contents of the unit as well as it protects them should something happen and they damage another unit (like what happened to them). She said they got insurance after finding out.....but this was a YEAR ago.
• The New Hawaii Condominium Laws for Insurance states that the Board (by vote or written consent of the majority of home owners, may require the unit owners to obtain reasonable types and levels  of insurance.   I'm still hoping it becomes mandatory for all.  Lest you have to worry about.....It All Comes Out in the Wash......MOLD .
• I advised her to seek legal counsel. 

2)   The second point is to remind your clients that if they are an owner occupant they are entitled to a home exemption!

• The home exemption is deducted from the gross value of your property to arrive at a net taxable value on your property.  Right now a single home exemption is $80,000 and 65 years and older and the home exemption is $120,000 (your birthday must be on or before June 30 preceding the tax year for exemption claimed.
• It can make a difference in property taxes and payments!  Following are a couple of forms: Homeowner's Exemption (BFS-RP-P-3) (124 KB PDF)  Or click "File A Homeowners Exemption" link on right pane for online filing and In Lieu of Home Exemptions for Homeowners 75 Years and Older for Low Income Households (BFS-RP-P-4) (469 KB PDF)
• And more information can be found on the REAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT DIVISION SITE TOO.

I know these clients were forgotten when I am listing a condo or home and I pull up the tax recordsand the home exemption states ‘0' and they've been living there for the past 5 years; and the other one had no condo insurance and calling me from my blog ....after the fact.

The transaction is never over and you can help your clients ahead of time with passing along helpful information.

It really could make the difference in the future.

For them....AND you.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

I was born in the late 50's and spend my toddler years running around and learning how to irritate my two brothers. The 60's were times of jump rope, playing outside and drawing with chalk on the sidewalk to sketch blocks for hopscotch. Oh, a game or two of jacks or playing with Barbie's and making those little makeshift clothes and brushing their hair with tiny plastic Barbie brushes.

Even in teen years all that mattered was that I owned a mini skirt. It didn't matter if mom made it (though I had to tape up the hem on my way walking to school) as long as I was in fashion somehow.  In high school we went braless so no matter what the shirt ...it looked great. Lol.

I suppose that each of us grow up as individuals with our own likes and dislikes. I still don't mind going to Ross Store or the Outlet stores in Waikele if I want to get a nice purse.  I'll get a nice brand name...as long as it's at a discount...I mean, why spend $400 for a Michael Kors purse when I can get it for $100?

The same goes for my home office. My two 19 inch screens are Samsung but I got them at a good price and it saves me time being able to work off two screens. I don't have a per se "name brand" PC because mine  was custom built especially for..... me.....but with all high end name brand components.  I have a great operating system that I like....VISTA...and I run Office 2007 Pro and I have no problems at all.  You know what they say....the problem is with the operator. Lol. I have no choice but to run the best OS and programs on my pc and have Sonicwall TZ-180 for my router/firewall protection.

And I like what I have ....for now.   I'll just upgrade in another year or two. The good thing is....I still don't care much about ‘per se' name brand pc's or laptops because what comes with a name is always baggage. A pricey tag or THEIR propriety crap.  Main thing is if I do decide to go name brand silly ....I have a pc guy that will MAKE any of them ......sing.

It's called....wipe and reload, no proprietary ‘name brand' crap on it (the reason so many don't jive with other software) don't download all the crap online and buy good stuff.....not just the name ....or just because it's free. 

So, what's in a name brand?  You decide.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com 

Kumulani Luxury Custom Built Home

For Sale in Makakilo!

Oh, the vision of owning a dream home come true....

A custom built (2004) home in Kumulani Gated Community in Upper Makakilo on 7,086 sq/ft. of land and with FOUR bedrooms and 2 full and one half baths (2,017 sq/ft. interior space).

With breezes flowing through the spacious open floor plan ...this is just the beginning of the home tour you are about to view!.

Walk in from a lovely entry to the first floor with a large family room, dining area and open kitchen with quality upgrades including granite counter tops and YOUR kitchen of culinary delight!

Walking up to the second floor your rich wood banisters add to your stairway to ....heaven....a Master luxury suite with walk in closet, a relaxing whirlpool bath and double vanity sink.......And your own covered balcony to sip your morning coffee and a view of the ocean to die for!

The private yard with a tropical landscape and step to your private garden above...you surely need not look any further....this is your home...your home on the mountain....

Details

Asking Price: $839,000 Sq. Feet: 2,017 Lot Size: 7,086 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2.5 # of Floors: 2 HOA/Maintenance Fees: 110/month Garage Size: 548 sq/ft!!  Subdivision: Kumulani Gated Community in Makakilo Year Built: 2004

Property Amenities

- Range/Oven
- Sink Disposal
- Full Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Washer/Dryer
- Dishwasher
- Kitchen Island
- Balcony

- Deck
- Grass Lawn
- Yard
- Fenced Yard
- Jacuzzi/Whirlpool
- Walk-in closet
- Living room
- Dining Room

- Breakfast nook
- Laundry area - inside
- Gated Community
- Ceiling Fans
- Chandelier
- Custom Drapes Throughout!
- Home Warranty

Property Listed By:

Jenny Antonio, Realtor-Associate® Listor
Cell (808) 479-3783
Email:  jenny.antonio@gmail.com

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, Realtor-Associate®
Co-Listor
Hawaii Real Estate & Relocations
Cell (808) 375-1404
Email: celestecheeseman@hawaii.rr.com

Main (808) 625-1776


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In my younger years...uh, wayyyyy back in the 70's and 80's I loved to work in restaurants as a waitress (now they call them food servers) serving cocktails and dinner. I loved running around and doing my best with a smile on my face and in the end receive a nice gratuity (tip) for my hard work and effort to make sure they have a wonderful dining experience.

I even got to wait on Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters wayyyyy back when at the Honolulu International Airport Dining Room. Yup...those were the days. Gratuities (tips) were included with delayed flights (on the coupons they gave their customers) and a lunch shift would bring $120 to $150 on those delayed flight days.

Now a days, anyone receiving tips has to claim a for sure 10% off total sales of each night for taxes and I've seen restaurants take it right off the total sales of each waitress (food server) and claim it for them.... lest they get in trouble for their employees not claiming the cash they receive.

What burns me up is when I go to a restaurant and the next table has a bottle of wine, steak and lobster and dessert...and you just know that bill topped over a hundred bucks and you see them leave 2...yes TWO BUCKS on the table.

You know what I say? 

Stay home and cook and have your husband/wife/son/daughter wait on you!

Then you don't have to shell out any money for the person waiting on you hand and foot.

Keep in mind:

• Standard gratuity is between 15-20% and at the VERY least 10%.  Just know that they are getting 10% taken out of the total sales slip you and your party of 20 just drank and ate. On top of all that you folks treated the food server as a second class citizen and threw food at her/him.
• Sometimes the food is late because the cook is busy with 100 other orders, the waitress/waiter is just having an off day, bad hair day, just got word that the spouse is fooling around or just a new employee learning.
You take your dog to the groomer and love the fact that the groomer is the ONLY one who can cut your vicious dog's hair and nails. The bill is $65 for shampoo, hair dry, hair cut, nail trim and a toy for being 'good'.  $9 @ 10%. This is a true story....and I tip our groomer $15.
You jump in a cab while your screaming girlfriend is weiling a knife outside. The cab driver takes care of you and zooms off and takes you to your other girlfriends house. They get taxed on tips too.....if you give them one.
It's time for that pedicure!  You do a manicure too and the bill is $38. And the tip?  I give them $10 for handling stinky caloused feet. At the VERY least...their 10% is what is due at cashing out time.
You go to Subway and there's a tip jar at the cash register. You figure you stood in line and got your own food and put a quarter in there. Heck, at least you put something in there. Your son gets his first job at Subway and you try to put a quarter in there and your son reprimands you....in front of the whole lunch line.
• That Gift Card you received is part of the total sales slip. The gift card may have been $25 but your balance was $25. And you think you only tip on the $25 balance? Oh..you think it's a standard $2 tip no matter where you go? GASP!  Put yourself in their shoes.
• It's coupon day and you have a buy one steak dinner and get one free. It's a beautiful restaurant and they are giving this special to boost business just for the week days. The steak dinners are $25 dollars each and you have a party of four with two coupons. The total bill was $100 (and everyone drank water) and the balance was $50.00. Not bad for a party of four. So you tip $2 on the $50????? GO HOME AND BBQ with your friends!!!  The tip should be $10 at the least....I tip $20 or stay home.

I had to get this off my chest. I remember those days ...wayyyy back when. 20 cents for an $11 dollar meal. I ran up to the people before they left and handed it to them. I think they needed it more than I did.  I was 17 and it was my first waitress job at Woolworth's Restaurant in Waikiki.

I'm reminded that it still happens.

My daughter puts herself through school......as a waitress ...and tells me some meannnn stories.

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs  she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

My daughter Dori attends the University of Hawaii West Oahu Campus for a couple of classes.  At present the West Oahu Campus is located in separate 29 portable classrooms on the Leeward Community College Campus.  Hopefully, the West Oahu Campus will come to life for all who have planned so hard for the Kapolei (Second City) Makai and Mauka Campuses on Oahu.

Councilmember Charles Djou represents the 4^th Council District (Waikiki to Hawaii Kai).  His father was born in Shanghai, China and raised in Hong Kong and his mother was raised in Bangkok, Thailand. Charles was raised here in Hawaii. Read more on how he got the name DJOU ....HERE. You can read about his many ACHIEVEMENTS and read his RESUME and quite frankly I say that all of his accomplishments, achievements and his resume are quite impressive.

Usually, I don't get into talking politics although at times I do express my views when someone has made an impact on me in some way.

 Generally speaking, my views about Politics in Hawaii were with the mindset that the ‘good old boys' ran every department there is in Honolulu County. And who can fight City Hall if there are just the ‘good old boys' representing our districts? 

Along came Charles Djou. 

I didn't pay attention to much of our local political news until I started hearing Councilmember Djou speak about certain issues on the news. He stands up for what he believes is right and he darn sure spoke up when something was just not right.  Now, that would be a matter of opinion when it comes to what's right and wrong although I started listening to this young man who spoke up with a mind of his own and did not chime in with the good ole boy syndrome regarding any issue at large.

I've listened and I've watched this young man grow in the Honolulu County City Council. I've watched and listened to this young man progress with his ideas and his love for Hawaii and the things that NEED to get done. Throughout his campaign running for Congress I'll hopefully see him win too. Watch Charles Djou's Video...running for Congress HERE

And what does this have to do with my daughter DoriAnne?

Dori has changed her mind about her majors for as long as she'd been going to college. She was so interested in Forensic Science (like the CSI shows) and started taking classes like Anthropology and Criminal Law and anything related. We were talking about one of her classes and she mentioned that her teacher is  Charles Djou.

The whole conversation turned to Charles Djou and I told her how I felt about this young man. He stands up and speaks his mind is what I said. She said that he did the same teaching class and that she highly respected him for that too. 

What's so ironic is that my daughter is a heck of a lot like........ Charles Djou.

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