Lending guidelines are continuously changing and very strict when approving a buyer for a loan.  That IS a VERY good thing. We NEED to have a well qualified buyer putting in an offer lest it's wasting everyone's time and putting the seller and buyer's life on hold. 

When an offer comes in the Realtor® goes over all details of the contract, the addendums AND the prequalification/preapproval letter that's attached.  We speak to the loan officer and go through the credit worthiness of the buyer.

Pursuant to our Purchase Contract the buyer has XX amount of days after acceptance of the offer to go through the application process and submit a prequalification letter based upon the review of Buyer's credit report and items in the loan application.

Time and time again we will run into a situation where the loan officer is all for the buyer being well qualified only to have them evading an update during that first week after acceptance.  Why? Because they're scrambling to FIND a lender that will take their client's loan when all along they KNEW that it's borderline to begin with.

We think in the best interests of our clients and scrutinize all letters of credit worthiness and speak to the loan officer regarding their letter of prequalification or preapproval.  We then pass all the information to the seller and go over the offer...and they make a uniformed decision if they will accept that offer or not.

We think and do everything in our power for the best interests of our clients.

BUT..........Mr. Loan Officer........

There's a difference between the "buyer is well qualified" and it ‘may or may not fly'.

We represent our clients best interests. THAT is my first and foremost priority when strategizing the sale of a home. In  Strategic Planning + Hard Work = Property IN CONTRACT my planning turned out to be a big positive and the townhouse was in contract by day ONE after the Open House. With 50+ guests to view the Mililani Townhouse for Sale there was no doubt in my mind that all efforts paid off.

But by the third day in contract the buyer's agent politely calls to inform us that they are backing out. No home inspection yet either. "The wife didn't really like it" was the reason....but hey......

.....I'd rather find out quickly rather weeks down the line.

At last Sunday's Open House the guest sign in sheets were filled out completely with guest, name of agent and so forth. I had also made notes on the side of the guests (i.e. very interested and said their agent would be contacting me) so I would remember who they were.

So when the contract fell out I hopped on the phone and within the hour had called five agents with the interested clients from the Open House. They were so excited and the following day received four contracts. We are now back in contract and have a back up offer besides.

Always have a backup plan.

Because as we all know it's never for sure....until it records.

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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

Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses!

We all talk about how we go above and beyond the call of duty in our businesses and there are many different opinions of exactly what that means. In a market that has been undoubtedly slow we have to be unique in our approach in doing the best we can for a Hawaii Home Seller and GETTING THE PROPERTY SOLD!

After viewing a property the Saturday before  it was obvious there would be MUCH to do as the property was a rental for MANY years. The listing was signed with the contingency that it would not be shown until all repairs and cleaning were complete. 

I started brainstorming and came up with a few ideas I thought would work to get it on the market and hold an Open House the next Sunday:

• By the next morning- Sunday-  the painter started on not only painting but spraying new ceiling throughout the downstairs. (don't ask me how it got so many dings and scrapes...they may have been walking the ceilings?)
• The painter finished up putting back the ceiling fans etc by Monday. The handyman started to do a few odds and ends and installed the new range hood.
• On Tuesday we went in to do some cleaning to put a ‘woman's touch' on everything. Argh....that took 2.5 days and it was more than what I first thought. Also, the flooring guys came in to change the tile in both bathrooms and put new baseboards and the handyman came back to finish up some final work.
• On Wednesday the new dishwasher was delivered, I put up the listing on the MLS with specific instructions that the first showing was at the first Open House on Sunday.  Added just a bit of staging (plants, rugs, table etc.) so the floor plan was evident.
• Thursday and Friday screens were cleaned, additional caulking and open lanai painted (it had splotches of three different colors) and I added the listing to MULTIPLE sites and the final touch up cleaning through Saturday.

From Wednesday to Saturday many calls came in to view the property before Open House day but they were politely declined due to  ‘work being done' and told to please attend the First Open House/Showing on Sunday.

Sunday's Open House proved fruitful and it turned out to be a great strategy for a highly desirable complex........21 groups of people (about 50+ individuals) came through and only 1 person signed in the guest book that DID NOT HAVE AN AGENT.  By Monday morning (yesterday) we had an offer in hand.  By the afternoon we had other calls from agents saying their clients came to Open House and considering putting in an offer.

The property is now in contract and in escrow.

Moral?   Even though a lot of work in a short period of time (and at minimal price) went into getting the property ready.... it was well worth it to get the property sold!

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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

Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses!

The stone image of "Makapu'u " the supernatural woman and another one of Malei are no longer visible but it is said that Makapu'u (bulging eye) was in the form of a black rock. She was a female kapua (flower, blossom, child) who came to to Oahu (Honolulu County) with a famaous voyaging priest.  

Malei, another female kapua was a stone set up to attract Uhu (Parrotfish) to the area. They made offerings of Lipoa (a type of seaweed) and also said to be a rock relative of Pele (the fire goddess)

But the Makapu'u Lighthouse is still standing and located on the East side of Oahu high above on the cliffs overlooking Makapuu beach. The lighhouse was established and first lit in 1909 and the light is still operational (as depicted in the picture).

The current use for the Makapu'u lighhouse  is for "Active Aid to Navigation.

The owner is the U.S. Coastguard.

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After working diligently the last few month with short sale buyers I am pleased to announce that recently  two of my Hawaii Home Buyers finally got approved for short sale properties!  For most of 2009 it's been hard to get Hawaii Relocation clients into contract. For one, they are just relocating here to Hawaii and it's been a long trip and they just want to get into a home.

On the other hand, local area residents are already in a home and in these two cases they wanted to REALLY buy a home and had time to wait for a good deal and a home they can call their own.  Short Sales are no easy picnic for the seller or buyer. The process is lengthy and in many cases multiple offers are being submitted or homes are not appraising at the offering prices.

A few tips for Hawaii Home Buyers considering short sale properties:

• Make sure you have the time and patience to wait for a short sale to get approved by the bank. If you don't then there is no sense wasting your, the agents, the seller and the bank's time. The short sale MUST be approved by the lender and just that process could take anywhere from two to four months and then another two to three months for the transaction process.
• Before you have your Realtor® write up that contract make sure that they check current comps (preferably the last three months) and that the property is listed in a comfortable price range. If it's too high it is not going to appraise and too low and the bank may not accept it anyway.
• The Lender most likely will request that the property be sold "As Is" and because of the sellers hardship they most likely will not approve any repairs or credits for repairs. They may not even approve of paying for the association documents, pest inspections, surveys and so forth. You may have additional costs to deal with so be prepared.
• There may be more than one offer due to the lower list price of the property (and condition) so as always...put in your best offer. If you looking to just lowball an already lower priced home then your killer negotiations will most likely lose the home you really love.
• Have a Professional home inspection even though the lender may not approve any repairs, remedies. It is in your best interests to KNOW what may need repairs and what you may need to fix. If there is structural, hazardous, electrical and plumbing issues that would take a considerable amount of money to remedy a home inspection will reveal all.
• Make sure you have a knowledgeable Realtor® who can explain the Short Sale Process and all that is typically involved in this type of transaction.

My buyers were well informed and are on their way to be happy homeowners.

How about 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

Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses!

Mililani Real Townhouse for Sale| Mililani Real Estate

95-344 Kaloapau Street, #148, Mililani, HI 96789 View Map

Two Story Townhouse for Sale at an UNBEATABLE price!

This split level townhouse in "Hale Kaloapau" in Mililani Town is rarely available and just steps from Mililani Recreation Center #3. That means steps away from the pool on those hot days!

Enter the dining area and an open kitchen with loads of cabinet speace and if you choose, you can close off the kitchen with sliding doors while entertaining your guests.

Convenient laundry area off the kitchen and a half bath with new flooring completes the first floor.

The second floor boasts two spacious bedrooms and a full bathroom and a large floor to ceiling hall walk in storage closet.

This townhouse is VERY clean and MOVE IN READY.

Your "Hale Kaloapau Townhouse" awaits......

Details

Asking Price:

$259,000

MLS:

2914149

Sq. Feet:

877

Bedrooms:

2

Bathrooms:

1.5

# of Floors:

2

HOA/Maintenance Fees:

356

Subdivision:

Mililani Town

Year Built:

1972

Property Amenities

- Range/Oven
- Sink Disposal
- Full Refrigerator
- Washer/Dryer

- Dishwasher
- Patio
- Fenced Yard

- Walk-in closet
- Living room
- Dining Area

Community Amenities

- Swimming Pool(s)
- Basketball court

- Recreation Center
- Tennis court(s)

- Golf course
- Two Assigned Parking Stalls

Contact Info

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, Realtor-Associate®
Hawaii Real Estate & Relocations

Main (808) 625-1776 ext. 300
Cell (808) 375-1404
Dir (808) 375-1404
Email | Website

All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

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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

Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses!

Bob Stewart has some great ideas when it comes to a community challenge and the current one on Using Your Blog To Enhance Existing Relationships got my blogging juices running.  His Theme?

How are you using your blog to enhance your existing relationships with clients and prospects?

The most important part of my  ActiveRain blog is my Profile Page.  Yeah, we all insert some information about ourselves and what we will do for our clients. But what sets my blog apart from others? A while back I decided to make my profile page a ‘one stop shop' for all posts that I had written for the Hawaii Relocations and Real Estate.  A Relocation Packet for the consumer.

My Profile page gave the consumer all the information they needed to get started to learn about Hawaii the State, Local Area History, Businesses around my area, Points of Interest. I included basically ALL things Real Estate including market reports, community information and information for buyers and sellers.  Of course I couldn't fit all nine hundred + posts I've written on ActiveRain over the years but I did a good job of focusing on my niche area.

‘It's not just about real estate...

it's about the community and making their transition just a little bit easier.'

Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and many of my buyers are Military Relocating to Hawaii and other Hawaii Relocations. I have to rely on my websites and blogs to keep them interested and eventually email or call me.

Updating and Creating: Update, create, update, create. It's a lot of work but hey...it's well worth the results. Old news does not keep a reader engaged. My blog is a continuously moving ad and constantly updating my blog and website with FRESH content will keep me on the first page of Google with many keywords for my niche market. (My Website is my own creation and I can keep it fresh because I don't have to rely on others to do it)

My ActiveRain Outside Blog: My outside blog is a great additional tool (extended from ActiveRain) and all you have to do is subscribe, pick your own domain name, update your theme and add links and so forth. All the rest is transferred over to www.cheesemanhomes.com  from my ActiveRain blog when I choose to publish public and consumer posts to my outside blog.  I currently have the link to my outside blog  in my signature for emails as well. 

MY OUTSIDE BLOG IS A NEWSLETTER IN ITSELF!

Connnect to  Facebook and Twitter and all my public posts are linked directly in as well.

Creativity and Using My Own Voice:  There is nothing better than a reader reading something and they can "feel" the writer in the story.  You could be writing a great localism post about the history of your area or real estate related material. If you are ‘talking' at them instead of ‘talking' with them they won't listen.  So I write the same way. I write as if I'm walking with them and talking with them.

It's a conversation that is continuously moving with words.

Pictures, Virtual Tours and Video: Pictures that are tastefully inserted into my article or post shows the reader the area I live in and enhances my blog tenfold. I happen to think it's my blog's best trait for visual appeal.  I enhance my blog further with video and virtual tours from  www.realestateshows.com. Real Estate Shows  is my all time favorite for listings, tours around Hawaii and anything I want to use it for...including inserting a show in the PHOTO GALLERY on my website.

Local Area and Business Posts:  What better way to engage my readers than showing them I am the local area expert by writing about Hawaii history, sites, businesses and neighborhoods? Real Estate is talking about ALL THINGS REAL ESTATE and if you are your local area expert you show them you have information by writing about everything in your community.  www.localism.com is another part of ActiveRain where you can ‘sponsor' your local areas and connect with businesses in your area as well.

Utilizing all the ActiveRain challenges and writing my best industry related posts is the best part of ENHANCING those RELATIONSHIPS.  Another recent challenge by Bob Stewart and his 1000 Point Challenge For The Rest Of Our Members.....'The Series' which allowed me to redo my HAWAII HOMES MARKET RELOCATION AND REAL ESTATE INFORMATION ONLINE and currently put the first three parts (links) on my MILITARY/VA Information page of my website.

• Hawaii Military Relocation | YOUR Military Move to Hawaii PART I Loads of information on the bases around the island of Oahu (which is Honolulu County) and getting your pets ready, the diversity of Hawaii, living on an island paradise with little buildable land (therefore, smaller homes) and so forth.
• Hawaii Honolulu Military Relocation -Part II of the Series on YOUR Military Move to Hawaii we discussed options on renting, buying or living on Base Housing and gave you a chart on Honolulu County 2009 BAH so you know what to expect for your Honolulu County Housing Allowance.
• Hawaii Military Relocation| PART III on YOUR Military Move to Hawaii | Hawaii Home Buyers VA Loans  Your To Do List in getting ready for your Hawaii Home Buying Process is the next step in being proactive in your Hawaii Military Relocation. Starting your Hawaii VA Loan Process before you even arrive will make the process time shorter once you get into contract. 

My efforts have informed many about all aspects of the Real Estate Industry including but not limited to Real Estate Transactions and Information, examples of real estate trials and tribulations, Hawaii Local Area History, Sites, information on relocations across the Pacific, Neighborhoods, City, Points of Interest, Businesses, Entertainment and more. 

And all was obtained by communicating my thoughts through....blogging.

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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

Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses!

Some may tend to believe that Real Estate talk means only short sales, buyers, sellers, loans and so forth. I'm a Real Estate Industry Professional but I'm darn sure human.  And that means I can adjust my thinking and my attitude to any market, conversation, challenge because I AM a chameleon.

Being a chameleon means I can adapt to my surroundings.

Regardless of where I am ....when it comes to ‘All Things Real Estate'..... I can take into consideration what real estate means at any given place and time. While blogging on ActiveRain,  I grasped the concept that ‘All Things Real Estate' meant to write about  ‘All Things Real Estate' too.

Open your mind to the possibilities of what "All Things Real Estate" really means.

My Local Area:  No matter what branch of the Real Estate Industry we are directly connected with our communities, counties and state and everything happening in our area. We have to have knowledge about the businesses,  events, history, neighborhoods and more. We need to know where to direct the consumer when they want to know where the elementary school is in conjunction with the geographical location of the home they're thinking of purchasing. What about the local restaurants and the gym?

Yes, it's a lot of work to research and write about our local area but in the end.....

I AM THE AREA EXPERT. 

I opened my mind to grasp the concept that ‘All Things Real Estate' went beyond the scope of just Real Estate knowledge. It meant that I had to know more about everything and anything in my area. It meant that I needed to get more educated on not just Real Estate...but my local area of expertise.

Are you adapting like a chameleon with "All Things Real Estate"?

Are you the LOCAL EXPERT?

Localism

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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

Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses!

They say that Hawaii is a year behind the ‘mainland' (continental U.S.) with the real estate market. With that in mind we are still have a high inventory for short sales especially in the Ewa Gentry and Ocean Pointe areas of Oahu (Honolulu County).

This is still the hot area to get a great deal on a ‘newer' single family home.

More bang for the buck!

Ewa Gentry Single Family Home Market Report September 2009:  We had 44 Active Listings with 37 in contract and 12 sold.  The Ewa Gentry activity has been one of the best neighborhoods for a deal as there are still many short sales to choose from. Now that the Hawaii Home Buyer is wanting to take advantage of that first time home buyer credit we are seeing multiple offers on properties. Average Sales Prices were $448,471 and the DAYS ON MARKET (actively on market before getting an accepted contract...and sold) about 69 days.

Ocean Pointe Single Family Home Market Report September 2009 We had 24 Active Listings with 19 in contract and 10 sold.  Again, there are many short sale listings receiving multiple contracts and with these newer homes you just can't beat the prices. Sales Prices ranged from $422,000 for a 3 bdrm home to $665,00 for a 2,704 sq/ft 5 bdrm home with average days on market (actively on market before getting an accepted contract...and sold) about 63 days.

More Hawaii Market Reports for Honolulu County:

•  Honolulu County Real Estate Market Report- September 2009
•  Honolulu Real Estate Hawaii Homes Market Report August 2009
•  Mililani Real Estate | Mililani Condo Market Report YTD2009
• Honolulu Real Estate | Hawaii Homes Market Report July 2009
• Waikele Real Estate Condos Homes for Sale | Hawaii Homes Market Report July 2009
• Honolulu Real Estate | Market Report for June 2009
•  Honolulu County Real Estate | YTD Single Family Home Market Report for Period Ending June 30, 2009
• Honolulu County Real Estate | YTD Condo Market Report for Period Ending June 30, 2009
• Mililani Real Estate Condos Homes | Hawaii Homes Market Report for June 2009
•  Ewa Gentry Ocean Pointe Real Estate | June 2009 Sales Numbers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

 Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses! 

Mililani Real Estate and Housing Market Report for September 2009

In 1971 the Mililani Condos and Homes prices were definitely a far cry away from the prices today. Recently, our Mililani Real Estate Market has picked up with the lower inventory for single family homes, condos and townhouses available.

Mililani Town is the only community in Hawaii in 1986 to receive the distinction of "All American City" and is centrally located on the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and to all US Military Bases as well. About 5-10 minutes up Highway 99 is Schofield Barracks (Army) and Wheeler AAF (Army), Hickam AFB and Pearl Harbor Navy Base is about 20-25 minutes down H-2 to H-1 Freeway. Kaneohe Marine Corp Air Station is up and over the H-3 Freeway.

September 2009 Market Report for Mililani Condos, Townhouses, Homes

Mililani Single Family Home Market Report September 2009:  We had 43 Active Listings with 14 in contract and 20 sold.  Mililani Single Family Home activity is picking up with the lower inventory of properties and multiple contracts submitted as well. Average Sales Prices were higher than previous months topping at $675,500 with average days on market (actively on market before getting an accepted contract...and sold) about 64 days.

Mililani Condo Statistics for September 2009: We had 67 Active condos/townhouses on the market, 48  in contract and 23 sold for the period of September 2009. Looks like our Mililani Condo/Townhouse market has picked up with more units condos and accepted contracts.  Sales Prices ranged from $206,000 (1 bedroom condo), $289,900 (two bedroom townhouses) to $385,00 (3 bdrm townhouses).  Average days on market (the days on the market before an accepted contract and sold) was 78. 

Honolulu County Real Estate Market Report- September 2009

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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

 Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses! 

After writing about The New Windows 7.....and Me.....Happy Happy Happy there were all different views on thoughts of another new operating system about to be released.

So then I got this crazy idea to share some of my thoughts .....Is it the Machine...or the Operator?

You go to your favorite store where you just know you'll get a great deal on a nice PC or laptop. You're thinking that you'll get a HP because that Dell you got before just wasn't cutting it. It had so many issues with the Operating System Vista and now your PC/laptop is running oh so slow.  Well, for that matter, when you had XP on it you were still having problems.

Maybe you'll get a Toshiba and hey..they have a great price on that one with XP on it so you'll get that one. Wrong. You have to change with the times lest you get stuck in history and not have anything that's compatible with your OS.

Ask yourself these questions:

• When you click on start and it brings up the programs that are installed; how many of those are HP this or HP that or Dell this or Toshiba that? All that proprietary junk is there for a reason. Advertising and sales. They load the machines with all that temporary stuff so you may or may not buy it and it just clutters up your desktop.
• When you go to buy a new software program (i.e. antivirus, Print Shop, media etc) do you check to see if it's compatible with your operating system.  Check before you buy anything to make sure it's compatible with your OS.  That includes printers and other gadgets and gidgets too.
• Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe it was all the junk on that "new" machine that everything else you're putting on is just making it a total piece of junk?  Buying a new name brand machine doesn't make it automatically a great machine. If you know a professional who can build you a machine you'll be better off right from the start. It may cost a bit more but you'll have a CLEAN MACHINE and it's well worth it to save you headache, time and money down the road.
• When you are booting up your pc is it taking super long? Maybe because you have ten million programs running in the background on start up that you don't need. Again, find a professional that will tweak your machine to run properly. Maybe you need more ram too!
• Do you keep adding programs, pictures and video to your laptop/pc and you don't even have enough drive to hold it all?  You can only install or save as many files as your hard drive will hold so don't keep thinking there is an unlimited amount of space and then blame it all on the PC or OS. And that brings us to the next point....
• Do you back up your important docs? How about all those pictures you don't need on your pc? Not only will you save yourself from headache but you will be saving yourself time, money and IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS! Maybe you need an external hard drive or an online storage account.
• Do you failthfully maintain your computer and clean out all the junk that adds to temp files and picks up junk every time you open the internet and then every page you click on thereafter?  Deframent your machine (you can set it automatically). Clean out your Browsing history (go to start, control panel and click on ‘delete browing history on exit)  I actually use CCleaner It's free and cleans IE, Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Windows- Recycle Bin, Recent Docs, Temp files and log files, Registry Cleaner, Third Party Applications and...it's 100% spyware free!  It's about the only free thing I have on my pc.
• Do you keep downloading all that FREE software and then wonder why you have a bunch of viruses or added junk?  Make sure you have a good antivirus on your machine that is compatible with your OS and machine. Again, make sure that whatever antivirus you use that it's compatible with your PC's OS and constantly update it.
•  Do you consider your office machines just a part of your business?   For me it's the main component of my business and it takes a bit of money to maintain and upgrade but well worth it so I don't have problems down the road. I also change my printers out as well.
• Do you educate yourself on technology and especially with your office equipment? I have to stay educated with continuing education for real estate and for me that includes staying up to date with my office equipment. My PC is the most important part of my business.

Consider this. Whether you build your own machine or buy a store bought computer the problem lies with not knowing what hardware and software works together and how to correctly configure set up and maintaining your machine.

Each individual will have their likes and dislikes and you will have to find what works for YOU.

What works for me may not work for you and vice versa.

Sit down with a professional who knows their stuff and figure out what you need and what's in your budget. You'd be surprised at what that knowledge will save you. Before you start downloading all those free programs and shareware files check with your technician.  Yes, there are many places you can get free software but consider the fact that you don't always get something good for nothing. It usually comes with ‘something' that is not always good.

In our businesses we value our time, resources and equipment. These are the things we can't afford to lose when a computer crashes,  a virus infects, printers errors occur and just the fact that we neglect our machines by not maintaining them.

Take care and love your machine.

I love all of my machines.

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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

 Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses! 

Hawaii Homes Market Report

Honolulu County Real Estate Market Report- September 2009

Honolulu County Housing Market Statistics for September 2009  shows activity for sure! Our market is picking up considerable with home sale prices and inventory is lower too.

 Single Family Resale Numbers: In the  our sales numbers for single family homes showed a very slight decrease in sold single family homes from 247 to 244. The Median Sales price rose from $566,000 in August to $600,000 in September.  This is an increase of 13.5% from September 2008 to 2009 and also shows an increase of 1.7% from September of 2008 to 2009 with a 6.0% increase in sales prices from August to September 2009.

Condo/Townhouse Resale Numbers:  Our Honolulu Real Estate Housing Market sales numbers for condos/townhouses decreased slightly in the past month due to lowering inventory on the island of Oahu. Honolulu County Median sales prices increased 13.1% from September of 2008 to 2009 and increased 5.2% from $290,000 to $305,000.

These Honolulu County Market Statistics vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and I have experienced multiple offers on homes and townhouses in all areas in Honolulu County including short sales. Stay tuned for more neighborhood market statistics or contact me at sally@hawaiihomesmarket.com for more information!

I believe this turnaround can be attributed to interest rates are lower and inventory slowly going down in all neighborhoods. We credit the continuous shrinking inventory for our stable price levels and we're hoping the housing industry has seen it's bottom in Honolulu County.

• Honolulu Real Estate | Hawaii Homes Market Report for August 2009
•  Honolulu Real Estate | Hawaii Homes Market Report July 2009
• Waikele Real Estate Condos Homes for Sale | Hawaii Homes Market Report July 2009
• Honolulu Real Estate | Market Report for June 2009
• Honolulu County Real Estate | YTD Single Family Home Market Report for Period Ending June 30, 2009
• Honolulu County Real Estate | YTD Condo Market Report for Period Ending June 30, 2009
• Mililani Real Estate Condos Homes | Hawaii Homes Market Report for June 2009
• Ewa Gentry Ocean Pointe Real Estate | June 2009 Sales Numbers

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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.

I'm sure you've all seen the commercials for soon to be released Windows 7 and then later on Vista will be just a distant memory. In the Windows 7 commercial the little girl is just as HAPPY as can be with Windows 7. Don't you just want to run out and buy the darn thing when it's a cute, cool or snazzy commercial?  And if this little girl can do all kinds of cool stuff...then so do I!

As my husband is a Microsoft Partner we have the operating system already and though my husband installed it on his gaming machine a bit ago, I had him back up my files today and then do the big wipe and reload on my pc with....yes, Windows 7.  Reloading is always a good thing once in awhile anyway. Makes for a smooth, clean reload and eliminating all the crap I accumulate along the way.

I've only been on my 'new' pc with Windows 7 for an hour, and though I rarely have any problems I'm loving the crisp clean reload and of course many more learning sessions coming on this new operating system.

The one thing I noticed right off the bat was the "Libraries" feature. EVERYTHING at your fingertips when you want to create a new folder in your library and don't want to toggle between My Documents etc. It's a quick shortcut and when I learn more I'll bring you more :)

I LOVE THE SNIPPING TOOL!(I didn't have it enabled on Vista Business for some odd reason....) 

Before, I loved do the screen shots. But then I would have to crop the screen shot down to what I really wanted...and then I could insert that picture into my blog...... like the shot below. (I had to crop out one of my screens because screen shots would take a screen shot of both screens no matter what

 Now with the snipping tool I can just drag my cursor and surround the PART of the screen shot I want and save directly to my pictures. No pasting to paint, saving to pictures and then having to go back and crop etc. It's just done!Just click on the 'start menu' and click on the  'snipping tool' ...drag the cursor around the area you want to 'snip' and then just save. Wow, how quick was that! Voila! ...the snipped part in picture one is the actual snipped part below on our featured list list on the dashboard of ActivRain.  Talk about crisp and clear.

Now....let me get back to learning from  little girl is just as HAPPY as can be with Windows 7 and I'll have a cool slide show like her :)  You'll be hearing more from me as I dabble some more.

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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

 Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses! 

It's bad enough that Hawaii Short Sales take a long time but of course with patience forthcoming on all ends. The buyers wait patiently, the sellers hoping they'll be helped and all agents diligently doing their jobs to ensure a smooth and successful transaction.

Until the lying starts..........

Documenting every conversation and getting everything in writing is next to impossible if the negotiator does not return calls or give a courtesy email. We rely on speaking to 'representatives' who go back in the file to read what was 'said' or done before that phone call. 

But I do my part and document everything.

The appraisal was ordered? The second appraisal had to be ordered because the first one expired? Funny, but no appraiser is calling to gain access to the property so another call is placed to the bank. They give a number to a mainland appraisal company only for them to say there is no such order.

So, what does one do when your patience has finally run thin knowing you were lied to? Hmmm...nothing left but think. This is a VA Short Sale so an email is placed to our local VA Loan Guaranty Officer explaining what's happened and what do you think? Did I get an answer?  Right away!  And they checked their orders for appraisals and there weren't any. Did they stop there? No! They put in an email to the negotiator and what do you think....there's an appraiser going out there on Wednesday.

Who knows if the buyer for our listing is going to hang around for this last stretch ......

but at least I found out how to go about helping our veterans when there are some that just won't.

If at first you don't succeed.....try, try and try again.

There are things that each individual will connect with for inner strength. Those awesome niche's in ones inner being that tell them that they are 'all right'.  The stillness to catch my breath in ever moving time and the objects that just may give me a reason to believe.

I find those wonderous things in a crashing wave and a rustling wind about my face. I find these things in the beauty of a bloom. Take time to reflect, to catch your breath and regroup if need be......and gain that strength to just move on. 

Take a moment.....................

At the height of the financial crisis with banks closing, lending institutions in trouble and mortgage fraud abundant in those closing mortgage brokerage firms you would think that many of those banks and institutions (after getting all that help themselves) would be out to help the consumer in trouble as well.

There are givers in this world....and then there are those that are strictly... takers.

Those that know me, know that I am particularly anal when it comes to details and being on the ball to ensure a timely manner for all those involved in a real estate transaction. I believe the "REAL" in Real Estate IS what this industry is all about.  And when I am unable to do my job because of another 'team player' then I definitely am not a happy camper.

From the 8th to the 11th Centuries, the Vikings stole and pillaged goods and land from other people. They finally got it through their heads that they could not live by stealing alone and they were known for their trading skills, farming and so forth.

It seems to me that some of these lending institutions have the consumer on their knees with hardship circumstances and don't remember how easy it is to fall under themselves. You'd think they'd be out there to help those that are eligible to sell their homes under a short sale would be in the best interests of all.

No matter how I look at... it becomes stealing like the Vikings when they take their homes and land without a care in the world. It's stealing when a bank chooses to foreclose and not even bat an eyelash when they could have helped but thought it was just....too much work.  It's stealing when they keep taking and taking from the government and the consumer....and don't give back.

How do they sleep well at night?

When are the consumers going to get more help?

Extend the TAX CREDIT for ALL homebuyers!

Hire more Short Sale Negotiators!

Everyone wants to get the chance to view the Unites States Air Force Thunderbirds perform high above the heads of patriotic individuals below.  This time they took off from Hickam AFB, Hawaii

The Thunderbirds and their F-16 Fighting Falcons always have people oohing and ahhhhing during the show and their performance over this last weekend along our South Shore of Oahu was no different. 

I was very busy so the only chance I got to see it was on my way to Waikele Shopping Center to pick up a few things. Everyone lined the last row of the parking lot with binoculars and watched the birds fly in sequence as if to song.

Okay...so I only had my little digital camera but you get the jest...lol!

At least I got to see a bit of them :)

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 For those of you that are wondering exactly "What Can ActiveRain Do For You"....

 Let me tell you MY story of "What ActiveRain Has Done For Me".

I was fortunate that I started blogging on ActiveRain back in March of 2007 because this network allowed me to grow while learning the who, what, when, why, how and where about basic blogging practices. I started with ‘no clue' about blogging but jumped in wholeheartedly to find out. Yup, that's me. The need to know.

I've written so many posts here regarding my feelings about ActiveRain and most recently What is ActiveRain? ..... THIS is ActiveRain!   I measured some of it by the meeting of peers and mostly because of the staff's involvement with the community is why I have remained a loyal member on ActiveRain.  "It made a difference to have them interact with us on a daily basis. It made a difference that they cared and took into consideration when I had a concern. It made a difference that I just wasn't a number here".

The following posts were kind of like milestones over the years on ActiveRain:

• Looking Back on 2007: Giving Back to the Community  is where I gave credit and appreciation to new and old members for contributing to this community. I also stated, "If it is one thing I have respected are the people who did not change in spirit and in soul along their pathway to blogging freedom and remained themselves. The ones who have written from the heart and let their whole persona shine through."
• Hawaii Relocation Clients DO Read MY ActiveRain Blog A recap of 2008 and how my blogging on ActiveRain and the information that I've learned here helped me to turn my business around and allowed me to turn leads into closed transactions.
• The POWER of ActiveRain...The PEOPLE Behind the WORDS is my best description for 2009 and how networking with your peers here on ActiveRain can lead to referrals from your ActiveRain made friendships. That's not to say you just read and make a couple of comments. We get to know each other ‘intimately' and ‘professionally' and determine that the client we are referring will be in ‘good hands'.
• ActiveRain Community Building: My "Testimonial in the Rain"  is my story of accomplishments on ActiveRain and this is a paragraph from that post:   ActiveRain introduced me to a REAL Estate Network to Blog for Business, to blog for conversation with my peers and to read informational and localized posts for all others areas and neighborhoods. ActiveRain is an all- in -one place to work, relax, read and socialize with members in the Real Estate Industry. No matter how I word it, ActiveRain has been the learning experience of a lifetime for me and there IS still more to come.
• "The Long and Winding Road" of Blogging  Write with conviction and passion because everyone will read you if you do. Write with wit, humor and emotion because everyone will read you if you do. Write with the intent of giving back to the community because everyone will read you and give back to you and the community too. Write with integrity, honesty and respect because everyone deserves it and so do you. Write a comment or two relating to the post you just read (it shows sincerity) and everyone will continue to come back and read you too. What's the sense of writing a post if there is no one to give feedback, comment, give support etc.

Write from your own thoughts and creativity because no one will read you if you don't.

What does ActiveRain do for you?

 Allows you much success because......

YOU WORKED FOR IT.

Note: If any member needs help and you're serious about your blogging....email or call me...I'm here to help!

Hawaii Home Buyer Advisory

By Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, Century 21 Liberty Homes

So, you are thinking of Buying a Hawaii Home and you don't know where to start. Your finances are in order and the amount you spend on your rental can actually go towards a nice piece of Hawaii Real Estate. The Hawaii Home Buyer  will be able to yield the benefits at the end of the tax year and you will be paying for YOUR home rather than paying someone else's mortgage. You won't have to worry about your landlord raising the rent and you won't have to worry about moving when the owner sells the property.

Weigh out your options and determine if Buying a Hawaii Home is beneficial for you and your family.

A Brief Description of the Hawaii Real Estate Transaction Process

Your Honolulu County Hawaii Real Estate Agent: A Hawaii Real Estate Agent is certainly a vital part of your Hawaii Home Buying process and we provide a wide range of services in searching and locating property, negotiating a sale for you as well as advising you, the Hawaii Home Buyer, in finding qualified inspectors and providing you with common documents that you need to review.  If you are new to the islands your Realtor® will make sure that you will have a few loan officers, home inspectors and other professionals to choose from and these professionals will likely be ones your Realtor® has worked with in the past. Make sure you are comfortable with your agent and ask questions regarding their qualifications.

Your Honolulu County Hawaii Loan Officer: You will need to get prequalified and it's preferable to have a local loan officer who is knowledgeable of Hawaii Real Estate laws and our Hawaii Real Estate Purchase Contract. Your Realtor® needs to know the price range you are qualified for in order to search for properties well within your price range and criteria. Your loan officer will go over options and programs for financing and remember that you do need to let the loan office know what you are comfortable with for monthly mortgage payments. The loan officer will get all information and documentation to check your credit, debts, income and asets in order to get you preapproved for a loan so make sure you get everything the loan officer asks you for asap. Ask for qualifications and make sure you are comfortable with your Loan Officer.

Your Criteria and  MLS (Multiple Listing Service): Your Realtor® will go over your criteria for a home which will include type (home, townhouse, condo), #bedrooms/baths, sq/ft. interior/land, parking, inclusions, exclusions, price range, maintenance/association fees and so forth.  This will help the agent properly select properties for you to view via your personal web page through our Client Gateway system. You'll be able to save to your favorites, reject and also make notes for your agent to go over with you.  The MLS may be incomplete or may have wrong information so your Realtor® will help you verify important information contained in the MLS. Make sure you are comfortable with your criteria.

Setting up showing appointments:   Your Realtor® will need at least 48 hours to set up showing appointments.  This is to contact the seller's agent and set up showing appointment times, get showing instructions and allowing time for responses. This agent spends hours and starts with owner/tenant occupied listings and moves on to vacant homes in order to get timely responses. On the day of showing you'll receive a MLS printout of all properties you are going to be viewing from your agent.

Finding the Hawaii Home You Love: On the day of your showing appointments you view a few homes and you walk into that one particular home and immediately feel that "this is the home for you.  Your Realtor® will let you know what the last sold prices on comparable homes in the area so you will have a better idea of the price you want to make an offer on. Your Realtor® can also search and make sure that there is room for negotiation. Just remember that everything is negotiable although if you really love the home don't be a killer negotiator as you could lose the home you really love.

*Note: If you are a Relocating to Hawaii remember that we only have so much buildable (valuable) land and the sq/ft interior and land will be SMALLER than other areas in the Continental United States.

Terms of the Purchase Contract:  Our Hawaii Association of Realtors® Purchase Contract is very detailed and consists of 12 pages of contingencies and your Realtor® will go over all aspects of the terms and agreements that will go in that contract. There may be additional addendums to add to the contract such as VA/FHA Loan Addendum, As Is Addendum, Plain Language Addendum, Short Sale and Distressed Sale Addendums and so forth. After reviewing and signing the contract your Realtor® will submit the Purchase Contract to the Seller's Agent who in turn goes over it with the seller. If all is a go the seller signs and it becomes a binding contract.

Counter Offers: Should there be a disagreement on price, terms and conditions of the Purchase Contract the seller will Counter Offer your offer. Each term agreed on in the counter offer will supersede that contingency in the Purchase Contract and the date the Counter Offer is signed is the acceptance date.

Opening Escrow:  Escrow is the third neutral party that takes care of all documents and monies to be collected and distributed.  All signed documents, your earnest money deposit, and escrow instructions will be submitted to escrow immediately to start the transaction process. Each contingency in your contract comes with a time line and all involved parties will work together in a timely manner to get to that special day when you will own your Hawaii Home. The escrow company will order the Preliminary Title report and send out buyer's initial opening letter and documents as well as the timeline for the transaction. They will make sure that all parties sign off on the Termite Inspection Report, Survey  and other documents for the property to make sure that all parties agreed on everything.

Opening the Loan Process: Your Realtor® will send the Purchase Contract to the loan officer to start the Loan Process. In turn the Loan Officer will put together your file and order the appraisal for the property and request any other documentation from you for the process.  If there is subdivision or condominium association documents the loan officer will request certain items (i.e. for a VA Loan they need the RR105C Property Information Form, the Current Budget, the last three minutes and Insurance Summary first before they send out the VA Appraiser). The loan officer will also give you a Good Faith Estimate that shows the estimated closing costs as well as your monthly mortgage payment.

Seller's Real Property Disclosure Statement: The seller will provide a detailed summary within the first week since acceptance of the Purchase Contract. It is a report (four pages of itemized questions) of what they know about the property including but not limited to roof, termites, structural damage, electrical, plumbing, cosmetic remodeling, additional rooms (need building permits for these alterations) . Remember, this SRPDS does not take the place of a professional home inspection but it may give you more information about the property from the seller's eyes.

Professional Home Inspection:  This agent recommends all Hawaii Home Buyers to hire a Professional Home Inspector to do your home inspection. The professional home inspection is usually done within the first 14 days from acceptance of the contract. The home inspection will reveal any defects, safety, hazardous, structural, electrical and plumbing issues as well as any repairs or remedies that may need to be fixed before the transaction can continue.  The seller will have to agree to the repairs/remedies and if they do not then the buyer at least has a written detailed report on what needs to be repaired/remedies should they wish to continue on with the transaction.   If there is an agreement with both parties, the buyer and seller will sign off on the C-51 (Home Inspection) Agreement and continue on with the transaction.

Termite (Pest) Inspection - The buyer selects a termite/pest inspection company and the seller pays for it. The property should be free and clear of termites/pests by time the transaction records. If termites/pests are found the home is treated by tenting or spot treatment (for surface areas)  A warranty is provided by the company which is passed to the buyer.

Survey/Staking the Property (for single family dwellings): Unless the Hawaii Home is in a preplanned development with fences/walls already in, it is advisable to have a survey done. Back in the old days they didn't have laser survey tools and they went by eyesight and measuring tapes and you need to know if the boundary lines are within limits (up to 0.6 inches is acceptable). If there are encroachments (walls on your side or vice versa) there will need to be an agreement with the neighbors drawn up and signed or there is a possibility of accepting it "As Is" (especially if there is no reason to tear it down at this time) by signing an indemnification form with escrow.

Conditional Loan Approval Letter:  It's getting close to closing and the loan processor is making sure most of the documents for your loan are in. There may be a few things that may be left to do like the termite inspection, survey and a few loose odds and ends. The appraisal is in and it came in at offering price (if it didn't you and the seller may have to go back to negotiating). At this time a Conditional Loan Approval is in with those few ‘conditions' to fulfill is sent to the buyer's agent and has to be submitted to the seller to show that the loan is pretty much approved. Within a specified time (usually one to two weeks) the conditions have to be met.

Loan Approval, Signing and Escrow: When loan conditions are all met there is loan approval and loan documents are being prepared for signing. Escrow coordinates with the lender for figures and prepares an "Estimated Settlement Statement" and we set a tentative signing date for all loan and escrow docs.  After signing the loan company receives all signed loan docs and prepares for wiring funds to escrow two days prior to recording with the Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances.

Recordation and Owning Your New Hawaii Home!  After escrow receives funds they submit the conveyance docs to the Bureau of Conveyances and then the property will have recording clearance two days later. (The bureau recently changed from one to two days for recording) When a clearance call from the Bureau to Escrow has been received it is then that they contact the buyer and seller's agent to give notice of clearance......and it is then that you now own your own home!

Last Note: This is just a ‘brief' description of the Hawaii Real Estate Transaction Process and hopefully it gives the Hawaii Home Buyer some step by step insight into the process.

Your Home is Where YOU Make it!

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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

 Supporting Hawaii Local Businesses! 

You'd think that after 52 years of life on this earth I wouldn't get all excited anymore when a birthday pops up. Well, when you pass that mid mark of half a century it seems to be a grand yearly accomplishment; as if it's a goal to be attained year by year.

I've gotten older ...and hopefully a lot wiser as the years have passed.  Life and all those precious moments shared become significant and I hold on to those memories knowing that they are worth more than ‘stuff'. It's those memories no one can take away from me and those memories of where I've been that make me who I am at this time and space.

My mother will be 82 in January. I watch my mom and her remaining sister's care for each other's well being.  There are five of eight girls left. My mom still works four days a week and goes golfing once a week. It used to be two days plus a Saturday afternoon on the range.

My  family means most to me as they have been by my side through thick and thin and I thank my husband and love of my life, Gary, for showing me how to slay the last of those dragons with love.  I watch my children continue to accomplish those terms that come with a life.

The friends I have made along the way surely give more to the meaning of life as well as my business. Personal gestures and tokens of appreciation will always be behind the personality of this woman and those that I connect with in this life.

I wanted to share these few thoughts with all of you on my 52^nd Birthday because it is here on ActiveRain that I have grown profoundly in the world of Real Estate Networking. It is here on ActiveRain that I learned how to connect with others. I have made more friends here than any other time in my life and in two and a half years I have clicked my mouse and banged on the keys of my keyboard constantly and consistently. In return I have connected with more clients, the consumer and my peers than at any other time in my life.

It is here on ActiveRain that I have succeeded and accomplished  some amazing and attainable goals I thought not possible.

It is here on ActiveRain that I can share.....What is My Life.