Let me be a little transparent for a minute. My passion lies within life itself, the beliefs and values I hold in every aspect of my life transfers to my profession in the real estate industry.

I was fascinated by the Hawaii Real Estate Industry back in the 70's when my mom went to Hawaii Real Estate School and passed....but never pursued a career in the real estate industry. My dad lasted two weeks in Real Estate School and quit ...claiming that "it's a whole different language and world!".  

In 2004 my father passed away and he was proud to see how successful I became in Hawaii Real Estate Residential Sales. The last thing he told me was, "Sal, no matter what- your life has to continue".

The passion I have for life, I carry through every transaction.

My husband used to tell me that I got too 'involved' and too 'personal', but as the years passed he saw the difference it made and now says, "That's what makes you a great real estate agent".  I asked what he meant and he insisted it's because I take the time to listen to my client's needs. I have the  determination to make sure every contingency in our contract is fulfilled. And then some.  

This is what I do for you and allows me ...and you...to sleep very well at night.

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After traveling  around the world as a military dependent my parents decided to retire on the island of Oahu in 1967 (my mom is originally from Kauai) and we have been here since.

Past careers include being an Administrative Assistant for a Family Law Attorney and a Structured Supportive Living Skills Program.

My father retired after serving 22 years in the US Navy, my children's father retired from the US Air Force and my son came home in Fall of 2006 after serving on the USS Kitty Hawk in the US Navy.

I know what it's like to relocate to a different place....let alone to a totally different world across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii...Paradise.  Knowing and experiencing many a Hawaii Relocation myself gives me additional expertise to assist  the Military Relocating to Hawaii.

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Wife of Gary (Networking Engineer for PDC Systems Hawaii, mother of adult children, Michael, Dori and my son in law Gerardo and proud daughter of Dorothy (who just turned 82 January 2010!) 

Regardless if you're buying or selling your home your best interests are at heart.

I give you ....the "Spirit of Aloha" and a listening ear for all YOUR needs!

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

Your Military Relocation to Hawaii and Purchasing Your New Home.  The following information is basic but pertinent information to go over before you even pack for your transfer and before considering purchasing your Honolulu County (Oahu) home. Moving across the Pacific Ocean to such a diverse culture may be of a shock and you may want to brush up on a few tips to make your transition a smooth one.

•  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 2010 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.

Neighborhoods in Honolulu County! An insight into the different neighborhoods and what they have to offer. You will also get current market statistics in each community for which I wrote for that period.

• Hawaii Relocations: The Mililani Community on Oahu, Hawaii Central Oahu and a 30 year and growing Master Planned Community with 7 recreation centers, 3 shopping centers, elementary schools, intermediate and high school too. Two sides divide Mililani with the H-2 freeway. Mililani Town and Mililani Mauka. Schofield and Wheeler Bases are 5 to 10 minutes north of Mililani
• Relocating to Hawaii? Ewa Gentry & Ocean Pointe Communities Get more bang for your buck in these areas. Ocean Pointe is a newer community (and still growing) with energy efficient homes and central air conditioning and Ewa Gentry is a little older but still have some nicely upgraded and central air in some communities.
• Royal Palm @ Waipio Gentry: Hawaii Relocations Centrally located but still in the North Leeward district this community has stopped building although if you are looking for townhouses there are some reasonably priced ones as well. Across from the Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park this community has an industrial area as well as residential (including Costco!)
• Oahu, Hawaii Relocations: The Waipio Gentry Community, Oahu, Hawaii is another article in this area that will give you an overall view of the Waipio Gentry Community and statistics on single family and townhomes. 
• Waikele Community - Homes, Condos & Market - Honolulu County Hawaii 12 townhome communities and 9 single family communities you have it all here in Waikele with the wonderful
• Ko Olina Resort & Marina: Can't Get Any Better Than This! Resort style living by the ocean with its own yacht club too. Check it out if you want luxury living.

Market Reports for Honolulu County: Would you like to see the current market reports for Honolulu County? Check them out here: 

Things to Do, History & Places to See - A three part series for a brief, condensed Points of Interest series to learn a little about our island and our so diverse and full of different cultures and ways of life.

• ActiveRain Guide to Oahu: Points of Interest (Part III)
• ActiveRain Guide to Oahu: Points of Interest (Part I)
• ActiveRain Guide to Oahu: Points of Interest (Part II)

Condo or Townhouse Living: Rules to Follow and Steps to Protect: If you are contemplating downsizing then condo / townhouse living may be an option. With maintenance fees for most associations taking care of the bulk of your homeowner's insurance (common elements), and repairs to the outside, roof, grounds and water/trash and sewere this may just be an option.

• Hawaii Townhouse Living... Responsible Homeowners Take Steps to Protect Owners have responsibilities to fix or report leaks etc. Being proactive to reduce further damage is a must!
• Hawaii Condominium Associations: Rules To Follow! A few pointers to follow your Condo/Townhouse Association Rules. It does make for a nice community.

History of schools and links to Hawaii's Education System A brief look at the history of Hawaii and its school system as well as researching schools and neighborhoods suitable for your family and their Relocation to Hawaii.

• The History of Education and Schools in Hawaii
• Other Links for Education: Department of Education in Hawaii-Hawaii Public Schools has loads of information, forms, reports, technology, special interests, jobs, public libraries and so much more on this site!!
• Military bases with schools and also a map with locations.

Bottom line is this.

It's not easy moving across the Pacific Ocean let alone to a totally different "world" of people,

 but you can do it with a little effort, motivation and a great Realtor®! 

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If you're Relocating to Hawaii (regardless if it's near future or just wanting to be proactive for the future) contact me to get started with your search for Hawaii Homes for Sale!

        © 2007-2010 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog.

All rights reserved.

Part of transitioning from the military to the civilian life was finding the right placeto live. After having gone through a couple realtors unsuccessfully, we found Celeste. She treated us with the ohana spirit and made us a priority. She went above and beyond any expectations that we had for her, to help us find our dreamhome. Having a thorough understanding of our wants and needs, she found us ther ight house at theright price very expediently. We love the quite neighborhoodand close access to schools for our children.If you are looking for your dream home, Celeste is the right person for you!                 Karen and James D.

Thank you so much for all your help. I know I could not have found a better realtor to help me with the sale! It went very smoothly and I thank you for taking care of everything. Mostof all, I also want to thank you for being my friend (not just a realtor). Not a lot of people  would take their work beyond business..                     Maria M./Khamseng S.

What an amazing experience! Celeste is on top of it in the real estate market. Not only did she offer expert advice and professionalism,she became a great friend. The entire 30 day escrow experience was a smooth transition an never did we wonder what was going on, Celeste kept us up to date throughout the whole thing. Thank you, Sally...we miss you!    The Wheeler Family 

Sally...You're the best! Thank you so much for finding us not just a house but a home we can call our own. Take care and God Bless. You'll always be our great friend.          Thanks!      Jorge and Bless Y.

I found Sally on the internet while my fiance was still deployed to Afghanistan. We were preparing for a military relocation to Hawaii........

Sally was amazing! She made our transition to the islands easy and painless. Not only did we find a great Realtor, we made a new friend!"  

Shelly and Chris 

LIVE on VIDEO: A Hawaii Military Relocation Story Comes to Life

Just wanted to inform everyone in the Whole World that Sally is the most knowledgeable, sweet, soft talking,  professional, and hard working Realtor I've ever come across.  She knew the answer to every question my husband and I asked.  We are very pleased with our new home and cant wait to move in (in a few weeks).  Sally always told us to keep our cool when the bank was asking for outrageous things that not even our broker was familiar with.  But, we got through that with bright flying colors.  In the end we are very blessed to have found Sally and have her work as hard as she did for us. Our family is always and will forever be open to her and her family we are family now. We owe her everything for all she has done. Now our transition from Cali to Hawaii will be very smooth without any worries.  Thanks a million Sally and to everyone who is reading this Im not taking any other Realtor's thunder but Sally is the BEST and I would recommend her to everyone I know. We can never thank you enough. 

Dewan and Keanya

Watch their live video!

 A Hawaii First Time Home Buyer - Client Testimonial in VIDEO

Our experience with "Sally" from our initial contact to contract:

For many months leading up to our Hawaii move my wife and I had a number of places that we were interested in seeing upon our arrival to rent. During one of our internet searches we came across Sally's blog about buying real estate in Hawaii and how with her help we could actually buy a house and not throw our money away in rent. We were impressed with her qualifications and most importantly we liked the fact that she really listened to our desires, cared about staying in our budget just as much as we cared, and allowed us enjoy our first weeks in Hawaii without any hassles by doing 95% of the work while constantly keeping us informed.

Thanks to Sally really understanding what we wanted from the beginning we were able to see houses that met our desires and dreams. It was not long before we walked into the house we knew would become our home! With meticulous passion for getting things right all of the paperwork and documents that it takes to buy a home, which had originally kept us hesitating to even try to purchase, was signed and filed appropriately by Sally who also took the time to make us aware of certain steps of the process that we should pay particular attention to. It was obvious from the start Sally had been getting nervous families from the mainland into the Hawaiian community for years and not only planting them into a great house but welcoming them and accepting them into the land of Paradise allowing them to grow as new members in the community.

Our house closed on the exact day Sally said it would and we know that the only reason it did was due to Sally's diligence and passion for getting people what they have always dreamed of. As first time home buyers Sally has given us something we thought we were not going to have for many years. You would be completely short changed if you don't allow Sally to assist you in your move to Hawaii. Give her a call or send an email like I did and I can assure you of an adventure like no other on the face of this planet! Never in our wildest dreams did we think we could ever own a house in Hawaii. A place where people of all countries long to visit or live. Thank you again Sally for the present you have given to our family!

Robert & Zarina
11JAN09

"Sally" was very helpful and patient with us from the get go. She always followed up with us with any updates. She also gave us additional information regarding the units, about the neighborhood and schools, etc. Kudo's to Sally!

Ron and Zeny

(From left, Ron & Zeny (clients),  Sally (me), and Bryon Tucker, Loan Officer