Hawaii Real Estate | Hawaii Relocations | Hawaii Home Buying & Selling

**Success is in the Eye of the Beholder** is the story I wrote on November 11, 2007 about the children's Disney movie  "Ratatouille". Basically, I stated, "The reason my husband and I continuously watch "children's" movies are because they are entertaining as well as they ALWAYS have a lesson to be learned".

On Christmas Day we had gone to Blockbuster to grab the movie "Underdog" to watch after we ate our late lunch with the family.

I have always believed in the Underdog and hold strong to the meaning behind the character. Underdog to me represented the good guy but not the most suave kind of person in the bunch. He is not the egotistical person but a down to earth person. Real as real can get. Definitely not one of the popular bunch but surely is a superhero in his own rights.

The theme song tells all and I surely see it in cyberspace as in real life:

When criminals in this world appear,

And break the laws that they should fear,

And frighten all who see or hear,

The cry goes up both far and near for

Underdog! Underdog! Underdog! Underdog!

Speed of lightning! Roar of thunder!

Fighting all who rob or plunder!

Underdog! Underdog! Underdog!

Though a lovable kind of guy he becomes the "superhero" and his famous line "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here" tells all.  That is what I remembered most as a kid watching the cartoon.....way back when.... <chuckle>

My journey with ActiveRain has been "The Long and Winding Road" of Blogging and throughout my time here I have learned many lessons. The most important one is that we have to give ourselves the pats on the back for our efforts in writing and to keep striving to do our best to write for our businesses. Don't rely on the features and the points to feed your ego because no matter what..... "Beauty is ONLY in the Eye of the Beholder" and just as in my post on Ratatouille ......**Success is in the Eye of the Beholder**.  

This platform may change constantly but just remember "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here". Underdog is inside of you and the greatest achievement you can have in life is conquering those false ego demons and giving yourself the gift of having a wonderful sense of self from the inside to out. You keep looking for it from outside of yourself you will not achieve the biggest accomplishment in your life. Loving yourself for who you are... and throwing away ...what you are not.

That is my gift to you for the year 2008 and beyond. Success lies within. ;)

 

P.S.  Click here for more stories on <<positive for 2008>>

 

I was watching television last night and a commercial appeared with a deep conversation going on. It was a couple of kids carrying on the conversation (they couldn't have been more than 8-10 years old) and the one little boy started saying things like: I have a girlfriend and her name is....and we do this and that....and this little boy kept going on and on reciting details about his whole personal life as well as his gripes and concerns. The commercial was about "Being careful what you write online".

I tried to remember the web address. I now know I should have written it down due to this older mind not being able to keep an accurate account of things with just my memory to rely on.

You just got to wonder about the credibility and authority of a blog. We write about our products and services and tie our reputation to them.  I don't know about you but my reputation IS my most valuable asset as a Real Estate Professional.

Deleting doesn't mean anything anymore and neither does anonymity. Write the wrong thing and your IP address in honed in on like a radar targeting their X mark. We leave little clues behind. Just like Hansel and Gretel leaving breadcrumbs behind ....so they can be found. Somewhere along the line someone has printed it, passed it and kept it to use against you later on.

Well, this not only includes writing posts on your blogs but also your writing in emails as well. How often does my aunt forward emails sent by my cousin and it was not meant for my eyes? Uh, it's often. Do I believe my emails are forwarded? Of course!  (I don't have to worry about sending each and every one of them an email because I know it gets passed down the "grapevine")

Just remember that the person who is demeaning their boss, or lying on their online application for a job or in our case demeaning their client or their peers and writing about it online just may not be the kind of info you really are counting on for reliability. Long after it has been publicly posted it is thought about by the individual writing it and then they decide to delete it only to later on wonder how it came to light again. Not only that, why would anyone hire anyone with a bad rep for lying about their credentials, their experience or their tenure? Why would anyone trust the individual who is revealing all in a post about a peer or client?

Watching these children talk about their personal stuff on television was as if reading the writing of some of these "children" on My Space.  (My daughter wanted me to see her friend playing the guitar so she signed into her account. And then I got disgusted seeing other stuff...nope, not the place for me) 

I recently joined three other social networks although it surely isn't the same as writing on ActiveRain. We have a more professional network on ActiveRain specifically for the Real Estate Industry and the reason to lead me back here time and again. I love this network and really admire the professional attitudes we have online.

Do you know what your children are doing on the internet? Are you setting a good example for them? Are you utilizing the internet and writing with respect so it doesn't come back to haunt you?

Active Duty or Veterans of the Armed Forces have VA Home Loan benefits for their home purchase that have proven beneficial for when it comes to little or no money down loan program. (provided their credit is satisfactory) VA guarantees the Local Lender that they will reimburse the lender a percentage should the veteran default on their loan.  

 *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* has loads of information for your Military Relocation to Hawaii so you will have pertinent information on what to expect in your relocation to our island paradise.

Currently, I have one VA Loan client in contractand the other one has already been prequalified and coming to Honolulu Hawaii next month specifically to put in an offer during their 5 day house hunting trip so they can return back to the mainland and pack for their Hawaii Relocation in February. VA Loans are abundant here due to our high volume of military personnel and presence on Oahu, Hawaii.

The following steps are what this Real Estate Professional does in order to make your Relocation to Hawaii as smooth as possible concerning your real estate transaction and VA Loan Process.

• Speak to a Local Hawaii Lender (if you do not have one I can refer you to a few who are well qualified in the State of Hawaii) to submit your information and get prequalified. While talking to the Loan Officer make sure and let him/her know what you are comfortable with for monthly mortgage payments. After getting prequalified your Realtor® will now know in what price range to search for properties for you.
• Let your agent know what other criteria you are looking for as far as # bedrooms/ # of baths, sq. ft. interior/land, parking, single family or condo/townhouse. Just remember to go over the  *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* because this gives pertinent information on what to expect in your Hawaii Relocation.
• Get all your financial paperwork together so you will have it with you when you arrive.(Do not pack your bank statements, W-2's, LES's and important documents you will need to submit for your loan!)
• EDIT: If you have a couple of months to spare you may order your Certificate of Eligibility from the Veterans of Affairs office. It is not necessary to do so though, because our lenders order them online once you start your loan process and if anything is held up we have a VA office centrally located on Oahu for your convenience and it takes just minutes.
• Start your loan process before you get here so you will have everything in place when you submit an offer for a loan. The loan process is the lengthy and important part of the transaction so it is better to be proactive in your process. Your funding fee can be included with your loan but you will have some closing costs to close with.
• Appointments are made and off we go in search of your new home!  When you decide that you would like to put in an offer we will go through the whole 12 page (plus addendum's) contract and submit it to the sellers agent to present to the seller. 
• After the offer is accepted the loan process begins. You will meet with your Loan Officer to submit your complete application and submit all documentation needed for your VA Loan process packet. Then it goes to Underwriting to process the initial packet and order the appraisal with their VA approved appraisers.
• The Condominium and/or Subdivision Association Documents should be ordered immediately after acceptance of the offer and in the buyer's hands within 10-14 days after acceptance. This agent will make copies of the Budget, last three Association minutes and the Property Information form (RR105C) and submit it to the lender. They need this for the VA Loan Guidelines and process for your loan.  (these documents will show how the Association budgets their money in reserve. % of owner occupants, any pending concerns or litigation going on and so forth.
• Provided your loan process goes smoothly you should have a Conditional Loan Commitment Letter within the first three weeks in contract. This is an approval of your loan with Conditions. Maybe you need to submit a couple of more documents or the appraisal is not in yet or the survey and termite inspection are not done yet. These are the types of conditions that will be listed on this letter.
• Within two weeks after the Conditional  Loan Commitment letter is issued all the conditions should be complete for signing documents with escrow and the loan officer. Not to worry! I attend all signings with you.

In Hawaii, we do not sign at the same time as the Seller due to conflict of interest and we sign approximately four days before recording. After the signing, the loan officer takes the notarized and signed documents to go through processing and within 2.5 days the Lender should have funded the money for your loan to the escrow company. When escrow receives all monies then they will take the documents to the Bureau of Conveyances in Honolulu to record. By the next business day it will record and we usually get word between 8-10am. At that time, the home is legally yours and I will have already made arrangements and have your keys in hand to open the doors to your new home.

Congratulations!

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®! 

• The Art of Hawaii Relocations
• *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii*
• The Cost of Living Factor in Considering A Hawaii Relocation
• Oahu and Surrounding Neighborhood Search: Relocations Hawaii

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

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

  

 

Currently, my buyer is in contract for a Mililani Condo and it is from a direct hit from an ActiveRain post that I received this wonderful client. My client contacted me after reading my ActiveRain post *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* on the internet.

I created this series so you can follow along with this transaction because this is my FIRST transaction that WILL close that was a direct hit from ActiveRain. Exciting? Yes! I moreso want to stress the importance of how ActiveRain has helped many with leads and getting contacts from potential clients.

Photo to right: Mariner's Ridge looking down to Hawaii Kai and the ocean.

 If you would like to read the other posts before continuing with the rest of the story please click on the links below:

• From Call to Contract: Doing My Homework (Part I)
• Be Proactive: Know Your Lender (Part II- From Call to Contract)

Going 'above and beyond' is a given in my real estate business because more often than not, I will have a client who needs additional help beyond the "scope of a real estate agent". (whatever that means) In other words, there are just things that I do for my clients that maybe some others may think are not necessary. Well, I think differently....obviously.

On a couple of other occasions I have taken clients to this particular Loan Officer's home office because they were new to the island or they had not been to East Oahu which is on the opposite side of the island from where our office in Mililani is centrally located. Well, Tuesday was the day to meet with the Loan Officer and go through the VA Loan paperwork, signing some docs for submitting to the underwriter and so forth.

It was actually a fun time too because I had not been to this side of the island for awhile as well. On the way up Mariner's Ridge in the Hawaii Kai area I stopped a couple of times on the side and hopped out to take pictures for this particular post :)  I explained it was for the ActiveRain Real Estate Network and of course she didn't mind one bit. Like I said before, she found me through my post and ActiveRain and she knows it is for professional purposes of writing for my business.

After my client was done with the meeting at the Mortgage Broker's office and finished with all that paperwork (it was about two hours) we headed back home.

You know, I can always make certain parts of my job worthwhile and fun. They say, you have to like your job for it to feel worthwhile, right?

In this case it was a nice drive, an appreciative client and beautiful scenery in our land of Aloha!

 

 

Photo to the right: Coming back down Mariner's Ridge....wow! Look at that view of the ocean!

First of all, let me give you an idea of the number of Realtors® that are licensed in the state of Hawaii, and more specifically on our island of Oahu. Then I'll be able to give you my opinion of what my agenda is like as a Realtor -Associate in Honolulu County that just may be helpful in your Honolulu Hawaii Relocation.

There are approximately 15,400 real estate licensees in Hawaii and the breakdown for just my island (Oahu: Honolulu County) are following the whole State of Hawaii stats:

• 9,600 active real estate licensees (statewide)
• 5,800 are inactive
• 3,150 brokers
• 9,800 salespersons
• 1,200 corporations, partnerships, LLC's, and LLP's
• 1,150 sole proprietors
• 100 branch offices.

On our island of Oahu in Honolulu County there are about 12,000 licensees and of those licensees about 9,000 are now active and approximately 3 thousand that are not. That's 9,000 Oahu Real Estate Licensees to help you in your search for real property. So, what sets one Realtor® apart from others?

All I can tell you is what is on my agenda:

• If you are Relocating to Hawaii you need a local island Realtor ®  to represent your best interests in your next purchase of real property.
• Licensed in the State of Hawaii and a MEMBER of the National Association of Realtors®, Honolulu Board of Realtors, and the Hawaii Association of Realtors.
• Access to the Multiple Listing Service (and a given if a member of the above)
• An agent you definitely feel comfortable with! Sometimes personalities don't quite fit and that's understandable.
• Someone who will pay great attention to detail and walk you through every step of the transaction and answer all questions.
• Won't leave you in the dark and expect you to understand their Real Estate lingo. They'll explain!
• Experience in the Real Estate Industry and can either answer your questions or direct you to a professional who can.
• Follows all Code of Ethics, Hawaii Real Estate laws and goes above and beyond the call of duty.
• Knows the local areas and neighborhoods! 

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®! 

More Info:

• Oahu and Surrounding Neighborhood Search: Relocations Hawaii
•  The Cost of Living Factor in Considering A Hawaii Relocation
• The Art of Hawaii Relocations
• *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii*

Call me for a Relocation Packet and more info!

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, Realtor Associate ®

 Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, HI * 

 (808) 375-1404

http://www.hawaiihomesmarket.com/

http://woohoosally.blogspot.com/

 

If you are planning your Hawaii Relocation the first step for you is most likely searching the internet for listings, a good Realtor® to advise you on your first step to getting started, and a local lender to help you with your financing needs and who knows our local real estate laws and contract. This local island Oahu Realtor-Associate® will first suggest that you contact a local lender to get pre qualified so we will have a price range to start out with our search. If you are unfamiliar with the process then I will refer you to a few I have worked with over the past few years.

This local island Realtor-Associate® will set you up with an automatic email notification of listings according to the criteria you are interested in. Our Multiple Listing Service system gives the prospective client a personal webpage and it will notify you automatically with listings and an email that says "ON behalf of Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman: Client Gateway" and will look somewhat like the page below. 

 

In the first initial setup of the site I'll need the additional following information for your criteria:

• Condo/townhouse/single family?
• # bedrooms, # baths, # parking?
• Sq/ft interior; sq/ft land interested in?
• Land tenure; neighborhood, city interested in?
• Price Range? (make sure your local lender has qualified you according to the monthly payments you are comfortable with!)

With this webpage you will be able to save listings to your favorites, your possibilities, make notes and ask questions so I'll see them and give you a prompt response. You may also save properties in the reject folder for the ones that are not appealing to you at all. This structure will give me a better idea of what you are interested in and we will be able to fine tune your criteria as we go along.  

Here we go!

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®! 

The Art of Hawaii Relocations

*Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii*

 

Call me for a Relocation Packet and more info!

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, Realtor Associate ®

 Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, HI * 

 (808) 375-1404

WEBSITE:  www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

BLOG:  www.cheesemanhomes.com

 

 

Driving along the H-1 to our Company Annual Christmas Party at Honolulu Country Club I happened to look to the right, whipped out my camera and caught this beautiful sunset picture.  Surely a sign that this night would be special with my children and husband all together with me at this event!

Every year for the past four years Century 21 Liberty Homes has held their Christmas Party at Honolulu Country Club. It has always proven to be a wonderful setting for our office members, agents along with our family and special guests.

 

Mele Kalikimaka and a Houoli Makahiki Hou!  (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!)

We arrived at the club at approximately 6pm and mingled for a little while until we had the announcement that dinner was served! A buffet spread of Hawaiian Food and Prime Rib for the ones that want Caucasian food this night. Guaranteed there was something for everyone. Oh, and not to mention the dessert table! From cakes to bread pudding with the hot sauce it was definitely a time to go moi moi (sleep) afterwards.

But no! It's not over. Douglas Fortner (owner/broker) and Leona Soto (Broker in Charge) announce their appreciation for all their staff and agents. They gave the staff a gift and the agents who were productive this year received a nice bonus check. Even the new agents received a gift of appreciation. Everyone who worked for an additional designation received a gift as well.

Now....onward to our gift game. You know...the one where you have a number and pick a gift. The next person could steal it from you and you have to open another one. My family ended up with Crown Royal and Kahlua. Gary (husband) kept standing up and displaying the liquor so someone would come steal it from us. No luck...hahaha! 

Thank you Century 21 Liberty Homes, all our staff and agents who make our company a close knit "family" in the Real Estate Industry!

 

                Aloha and a very Happy Holiday Season  to all of you!

 

If you are considering relocating to Oahu, Hawaii or you are Relocating to Hawaii with the Military then you need to consider quite a few things. With the military your BAH covers housing expenses and your commissary priveleges allow you to buy food with only a smaller percentage higher than the mainland.

What about civilians who are relocating to our Hawaiian islands?  Consider this: The main reason that everything costs a little more here than on the mainland is that just about everything is transported to Hawaii....from food to lumber for building to just about everything needed to sustain the majority of necessities as well as luxury items. Shipping costs, fuel and oil costs all have risen drastically therefore pushing up our prices even further.

• 90% if our food is imported so automatically presume that our cost of food is at least 30-50% higher than the mainland.  We drink a lot of milk and it's not too bad at 2 gallons for $7.50. My favorite places to shop for food are Costco and Sam's Club.
• Rental Housing Market:   Central Oahu: 2 bd/ 1 ba / 2 parking can run anywhere from $1200 to $2000 per month.  A condo in Downtown Honolulu can run from $1500 to $3000 for a two bedroom. A significant increase in the last four years due to the increase in real property for sale.
• Real Estate Market:  Again, depending on the neighborhood the single family median sales price for a 3 bdrm/2 ba home is around $625,000.  A 2/2/2 townhouse are still selling for $300,000 to $325,000. Condos 2/1/2 run between $225,000 to $255,000.
• Utilities:  My electric bill is about $125.00 to $140.00 per month for my small one bedroom. Of course I have the A/C on energy saver for the dog during the day when my house is locked up. Otherwise, others in my neighborhood (who don't use their A/C) probably utilize about $50 to $75.00 worth of electricity. I have a gas water heater so that runs about $30.00 per month.
• Gasoline: Currently at $3.35 per gallon at Costco.

Ahhhh. But where else can you live in a paradise with tropical island weather year round and our breathtaking scenery of the ocean, the mountains, the valleys, the flora and fauna. These are the reasons for my remaining in this land I call home....and the reasons that many flock here for their relocation.

Weigh out all your options in your Hawaii Relocation because no matter what, Hawaii is like no other place in the world. We thrive and strive from our strength of diversity and our wide range of international and ethnic cultures and food.

* Keep in mind that the outer islands such as Maui, Kauai, Hawaii (the Big Island), Lanai and Molokai are even higher in costs because again....the shipping and transporting costs.

 

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®! 

 

The Art of Hawaii Relocations

*Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii*

 

Call me for a Relocation Packet and more info!

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, Realtor Associate ®

 Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, HI *  (808) 375-1404

http://www.hawaiihomesmarket.com/

http://woohoosally.blogspot.com/

 

After contemplating Dan Forbes What If You Could Write Your Future? and his suggestion to try the experiement, I already knew what I would be writing about. The power of suggestion is a wonderous thing when it is coming from within. I have always believed that what I hand out to the world will come back to me tenfold. Positive? Negative? We reap what we sow.

One thing that Dan pointed out from "The Attractor Factor" bu Joe Vitale was "You create your next moments out of this moment.  What you do right now is the energy you send out that attracts what you get later."

So, Dan said this process of "scripting" is the act of writing out what I want so I can attract what I want in my life.

Though Cognitive Restructuring changed my whole way of thinking....therefore changing my whole life around I have practiced Dan's scripting for many years, it came to life last Friday again that set the wheels in motion to continue on.

Let me start from the beginning and show you the process:

Life throws many curve balls and I have always believed I was the exeption to getting those curve balls thrown at me ...but ....that I could chase, catch and throw back that curve ball back straight :)  In other words, I have always believed that no matter what is thrown at me... it's all in the manner of how I handle it.

So what happens last week?  *My husband goes on a conference trip during a big storm, *I don't sleep well for two days, *the dog is upset because "dad's" gone and *our insurance people have let two months go by without paying us back for our leak damage. And the last straw......*On Friday, my husband had just finished the conference only to be told his company was sold! He has been with the company for years and all I could think about was there goes our "stable" income, our medical and dental benefits and .....STOP!

I immediately went into "support the husband mode". Now.....it's only human to feel a little down but this is one time I felt okay about all of this. Why? Because there was not a darn thing I could do about it.

I believe that the moment that I told myself "let it be".....is when things started to happen:

• It wasn't but 10 minutes after hanging up the phone with my husband is when I got the call from a woman who saw my post *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* on ActiveRain and looking to purchase a Mililani Condo (wow)
• At 10:30pm that night I went to the airport to pick up my husband. He wasn't happy about the whole situation but his face sure lit up when he saw me (wow) Okay, just thought I'd throw that in as a plus :)
• Took client out Sunday and she found the unit she wanted. (wow) Had to get loan stuff straightened out.
• Monday we got word from the insurance company that they were reimbursing us 3/4 of the money we put out for the bathroom (wow)
• Tuesday I wrote the offer for the client after directing her to another lender Be Proactive: Know Your Lender (so you get in contract!)  (wow)
• On the way home from the office I stopped at the mailbox. There was our check! (double wow)
• Wednesday the offer was accepted! (triple wow)

Today:  I am still listening to what my husband told me on Friday before he got on that flight. "There is ALWAYS someone in the world who has it worse off than we do". Okay, I had a little help with the "just letting things be" and it got me on the path to my "creating my next moments". And yes, I did get into a funk where some things bothered me a little more than usual. But of course, someone helped me stay out of the funk yesterday ..... again. :) I continue to remind myself....I create my day, I create my next moment....and it's all in the manner of how I handle the situation.

You all have a wonderful day!  And don't forget to stop and smell the flowers!

After posting From Call to Contract: Doing My Homework yesterday, I thought I would tell you all about why it took so long to submit an offer for my buyer when she was adamant about the condo she wanted on Sunday.

My client had already started the process with the lender of her choosing.

After we looked at a few condos and townhouses on Sunday she had already found the condo she wanted. When she walked into this unit you could see that she felt like "this was home". I could tell that anything we saw after this one would not mean much. So, since she would be submitting all her docs to her credit union Monday she wanted to be sure everything would be okay and then we would submit the offer in the evening.

Well, her lender procrastinated Monday, did not return calls, they were rude to my client on Tuesday morning and my client was so stressed out that I could hear it in her voice. She had been going back and forth on long distance calls to the mainland and it was so frustrating. I asked if she would like to check on VA loans with a Hawaii local lender and I referred her and gave her his number. After one hour we had a prequalification letter in hand. And that's that.

This Broker even told her that she could leave the credit union open as an option if she wasn't sure and needed to feel safe with a back up. She said NO! And she went on further to explain that if the credit union was going to treat her that way and not even get back to her quickly that she doesn't even want to consider them anymore to go through a whole transaction.

I do not like to get in the way of a lender that my clients chose although I sure will be on the ball once I see my client is not being taken care of. It is imperative that all parties involved in a real estate transaction be able to work in sync to make for a smooth transaction. I couldn't see this happening at all and neither could my client!

My client is now happy and a load has been lifted off her shoulders. She said she has a great agent and LO now and that if this LO is anything like me she'll be fine. Doesn't it feel good when a client knows you're thinking in their best interests? Isn't it nice for the client to know that we are going above and beyond to make sure they have as little stress as possible from the very beginning?

*Note: In Hawaii, the buyer does not have any recourse with a mainland (out of state) lender if something goes wrong. It is always advisable to have a local lender who knows Hawaii Real Estate Laws and the transaction process not to mention being on hand to walk the client through every step of the loan process as well.

**And.....I just got a verbal acceptance for the contract. Docs to follow  .....   WooHoo!

When I received the call on Friday evening I got all the info I needed to set up the client (who was already prequalified and in the process of submitting additional docs for preapproval) for automatic notification of listings.

My client found me on the internet from my ActiveRain post *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* . 

The criteria and Info:

• Name, address, phone, cell, email 
• Mililani, Waipio Gentry or Waikele Condos or townhouses 
• 2 bdrm/ 1 ba / 1 pkg or more
• Spacious living and bedroom areas
• Maximum of X  (monthly payment up to X per month
• One or two story
• Lanai
• Move in February
• Main appliances included

Great! Set her up for listings and she was on the site 10 minutes after it was entered and already saving to favorites, possibilities, making notes and asking questions. Cool.

After a lengthy conversation with her on Saturday morning I proceeded to:

• Print out the Buyer's packet (Hawaii Buyer Advisory, loan process, escrow and transaction process, BAH - Housing Allowance Chart for military personnel) 
• Call listing agents for appointments and lockbox #'s and managed to get 8 showing appointments in the three areas.
• Looked up comps for all complexes so I could give her detailed past sales due to the whacked out listing prices from unreasonable sellers :)
• Made sure to structure drive bys for other properties I did not receive call backs on (I even emailed to no avail) as well as print out listing sheets for the ones that had Open Houses.
• Made a folder with all info typed out and agent listing full copies as well for myself
• Partially typed out a Purchase Contract with Addendums and saved it to my jump drive so I could take it with me ..... in case she wanted to put in an offer :)
• Partially typed out a cover letter ....just in case :)

We really hit it off well and after looking at the units I had appointments for we also looked at three Open Houses.

YUK!  The first one was in a nice complex but the tenant just moved out (not cleaned!!!) and both my client and I were appalled. I'm sorry but my facial expressions DO NOT hide what I'm feeling. My client laughed at me. 

The second one had an agent who was already 20 minutes late by time we arrived and she was still by her car dragging out a bag and talking on her cell phone. We went to the unit and while standing in the sun the agent could not open the lockbox and finally asked me to do it. Voila! Opened on first try. Geez. This one had new cabinets in the kitchen but gecko droppings on ALL window sills through out the two bedroom complex! OMG.

The third one was beautifully done but 200 sq/ft smaller than the one she really likes (picture to the left). 

The next time I plan to show units on Sundays I'll call the agents who are having Open Houses too...and ask them what kind of condition the unit is in because we pretty much wasted our time looking at two of them.

For some odd reason I "thought" the sellers or at the very least the agent would make sure to have the units in showing condition and ready for Open Houses. For some odd reason I believed they would at least be clean? At least no droppings?

Then again.....that's what I get for thinking. :)

In the meantime, I am walking out the door to meet my client to sign the offer! (will keep you posted!)

Recently,  Bob Stewart - ActiveRain  talked about STEWARDSHIP in a comment thread and he's so right. Following is a partial part of his comment:  "If you have a following on ActiveRain, you need to HOLD YOURSELF TO A HIGHER STANDARD. Having a big following (and there are a ton of you commenting on this that do) means that you take stewardship over the community as a whole. ..........Your actions reflect positively and negatively on ALL OF US."

Edit: Please read through the whole post before commenting...... (this isn't about negativity!)

Many posts have been written regarding something negative they see on this forum and I believe that ActiveRain members (as a group of peers in the Real Estate Industry on this forum) have the ability to utilize their creative talents in writing to create a pleasant atmosphere for new members and give them something to appreciate this forum with....not scare them away! 

There are also people who just joined who are new in the industry and even the rest of us older members who have continuously wanted a place to just come and socialize, connect with peers in our industry, read and learn and give back to the community as well. 

There is a fine line between being stating an opinion and jokingly (OR NOT) mocking other people in a public forum. I have continuously watched for the past couple of months the rumors that grow from assumptions. It has not been a pleasant experience for MANY of us. I continuously receive emails about the drama and all I keep saying is that we as a whole can recreate this experience in a positive light for the whole community to enjoy.

What part of ANYONE CAN JOIN this forum do some not understand? Go ahead and click on Members Only (like I'm going to do on this one) but realize that it DOES NOT EXEMPT anyone from the public reading it anyway. This forum and blogging experience does not exempt you from following laws and the guidelines of our industry or this forum.

They describe stewardship as:

The actions and decisions of other people represent the primary resource for occupations such as sales, management, or charitable organizations. In this sense, stewardship refers to managing and growing the relationships with these primary resources, people. Thus, encouragement, influenctial leadership, recognizing people, providing services, facilitative leadership, and conveying the impact that the person has made to the organization are elements of relationship stewardship.

• ActiveRain Success Stories is what it's all about!
• ActiveRain Community Support page has a bunch of articles to help guide you around the rain.
• Community Guidelines for ActiveRain will give you insight in how to be respectful and to guide you in your quest for a positive network experience.
• What we Stand For is ActiveRain's Weltanschauung guiding principles and philosophy of the ActiveRain organization.

We can thank ActiveRain and all they have given us by simply giving back to the community in a respectful manner and respecting others and their right of individuality.  Write your ActiveRain Success Story or about how this community and your peers have positively affected you and your business. How ActiveRain helped you to connect with your peers, how ActiveRain is a place to make a few friends. The POSITIVE stuff.

**Leading by example.  What's your story?**

**Edit:  If you have a story....please write one....we need all the positive stories out there!  Use success, community or whatever....just tag them with ActiveRain Success Story, ActiveRain Community Support etc. Click on the links above to look at the tags and stories.....Thanks!

This is where it all started:    Condo/Townhouse Living in Hawaii..........and A Water Leak In early October we had a leak in our bathroom which caused us much pain and heartache with holes in my bedroom closet (bathroom on the other side) and still not finding the leak.

In the end we had to demolish the bathroom (whoopeee!) bath/shower and get all new plumbing. Don't get me wrong because we are VERY happy with our new bath!

During the renovation I wrote:Hawaii Townhouse Living... Responsible Homeowners Take Steps to Protect I wrote how it is so important to make sure you are responsible when you have a leak because it could affect your neighbors and cause damage to their unit as well.

Well, it's been over two months since our insurance man came to our house and assessed the damage and he had told us that they have to first inquire with our Association's Insurance Company because we could not get to the plumbing without tearing the whole surround cheap fiberglass walls out. On top of everything else, the fiberglass bath that came with it when we bought it has a weight limit of 250 pounds. Do you all realize how many individuals are over 250 pounds? My husband is....and the bathtub cracked in a couple of places as well.

So now what? We had a pretty bad storm from Tuesday and it finally subsided with the heavy winds although we still have a lot of rain and flooding. We had a lot of damage with power lines down, big trees coming down with 60mph winds and lots of flooding. And this was throughout all our Hawaiian Islands.

I called my insurance guy yesterday and of course his voice mail says he'll be out of the office for four hours due to having to assess many claims because of the storm. He finally calls me at 4:30pm and he sounded really tired. He explains that because of the storm he did not get a chance to check on the Association's Insurance Co.

So, what do I say? "Uh, our leak came before the storm and in fact this was two months ago already". He apologizes and I am polite in my tone of voice although I proceeded to tell him that we just need an answer and if they are not going to pay something than what is the alternative?

Our insurance guy says, "Then we will take care of it".  Okay, so what's the problem? I did keep on him and let him know that we need to at least hear something or other and that this has been going on long enough. The poor guy sounded beat and I also let him know he sounded like it. That I sympathized with him and still.....

Today? Gee, I wish I wasn't so hard on him and when he calls me this afternoon I will tell him so.

What was I was going through? Severe exhaustion. I have not slept well since Monday night. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights were filled with storm pounding and my husband had to fly to the mainland for a conference early morning Wednesday. We had no power and I had to drive him to the airport in storm conditions and NO street lamps! I could not sleep well the last couple of nights....no husband. Sob.

The dog was miserable without Gary and I am exhausted. Gary comes in tonight. Thanks goodness.

The moral of this story? No matter what we're going through or what kind of day we're having don't take it out on the whole world. 

 

Part II will cover the sightseeing part of Oahu which will definitely be the "in thing" to do for the avid nature, scenery and picture taking lover!  I am not only doing this series for the public but especially for the:

On the North Shore part of the island you will definitely find pleasure going through Old Wahiawa Town right past Mililani Town, Schofield and Wheeler Army Bases.

Continue onward to Oahu's famous North Shore where you'll see the HONU, the Hawaii Green Sea Turtle and loads of oceanfront land and beaches. Please read the following The Endangered Hawaiian 'HONU" (Green Sea Turtle) and Laws that Protect It so you will be well informed of our laws protecting all species in Hawaii.

 Definite Scenic areas and points/places of interest are:

• Wahiawa Botanical Garden is located half way up Wahiawa Heights on California Avenue. It is a 27 acre Tropical Rain Forest and the deepest part of the ravine is 47 feet. Much effort has been made over the years to get the collection of native Hawaiian plants they have today.
• Dole Plantation  with displays, the Pineapple Maze, displays, goodies and their famous pineapple whip it surely is a place to stop along the way to the North Shore!

Hours
Visitors Center - 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
Pineapple Express/Pineapple Garden Maze - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily

Visiting Dole Plantation is free.
Pineapple Express Adults - $7.50, Children - $5.50
Pineapple Garden Maze Adults - $5, Children - $3

NORTH SHORE CRUISING! Historic Haleiwa town. Haleiwa (Home of the Iwa bird) was a sugar plantation town for over 100 years until 1996 Wailua Sugar (Oahu's last sugar plantation) shut down. Haleiwa remained "country" and in 1984 Haleiwa was designated a Historic, Cultural and Scenic District. Shopping and places of interest: 

• North Shore Market Place
• Surf and Cultural Museum
• Haleiwa Shopping Plaza
• Wyland's Art Gallery
• Haleiwa Art Gallery
• Boutiques and Shops along the main street 
• Haleiwa Joe's Restaurant (In 1899 this was a luxury 40 room hotel!)
• Shell Craft stands and more! (below)

READ MORE HERE>>

North Shore Cruising Show:

For more information on beaches and parks click on the links below.

• City and County of Honolulu
  Department of Parks & Recreation
• Visitor and Newcomer Safety Tips for Hawaii! 

** ActiveRain Guide to Oahu: Points of Interest (Part I) **

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

Be safe, have fun and Aloha!

The following Guides for Oahu, Hawaii should prove helpful for activities, scenic areas, dining and points of interest for the visitor. This three (maybe ...four) part series

Hawaii is known worldwide as one of the most scenic places on the face of the earth. From flower blooms to ocean views to beautiful blue skies you can expect to see and preserve these memories with unreal photographs as well as gaining a sense of peace within from our rich Hawaiian history.

 

 In Part 1 I'll take you through the Historic side of Oahu, Hawaii to gain some insight into Hawaii's Rich History. So many come to our islands and miss out on the important things that will be remembered for years to come. The RICH HISTORY. The shows, entertainment and other stuff can follow but please be sure to do the Historic part first. It will give you insight into the rest of your tours, sightseeing and entertainment that follow!

Downtown Honolulu: 

• Iolani Palace- See the magnificent feather cloak of Kiwala'o, the Crown Jewels, the Chamberlain's Office and other treasures of the Monarchy period.  call (808) 522-0832

• The State Capitol:  The legislature will be in session and you can attend sessions and hearings for both the House and the Senate.  They are free and open to the public.  You can also visit the Governors and Lt. Governor's offices and sign their guest book.

• State Art Museum:Open to the public.  Across the street from the Capitol building and Iolani Palace.

• Kamehameha Statue Kamehameha unified Hawaii and under his government maintained peace even though there was intense pressure from the Western civilization. Located at the corner of King and Punchbowl Streets

• Mission Houses Museum  Tours through the old structures include the oldest frame house and the first printing office in the islands. Located at the corner of King and Kawaiahao Streets.

• Kawaiahao Church King Lunalilo, the first elected monarch of Hawai'i, was burried on the church grounds and Kawaiahao Church was the first Christian Church in Hawaii. Some of their founders and decendants are buried on the grounds as well. Many are married at this historical church to this day. Located at the corner of King and Punchbowl Streets.

• Honolulu Academy of Arts I haven't been here for about 10 years but this is one of my favorites. The building is so beautiful with its architechtural design.  Fine Asian art collections. For more information call 532-8700 (Additional info from Pete:  hosting this "Art After Dark" event the last Friday of each month.  Live music, food, drinks, and most of the galleries are open.  Great way to get younger folks to visit the museum, as it has become one of the trendy places to see and be seen)

• Washington Place -From Queen Liliuokalani to Governor Lingle this is the oldest structure that has been in continuous use. For more information, please call 586-0240

• Honolulu Hale City and County of Honolulu Government (Mayor's Office) Open courtyard looking up into the sky is the centerpiece of this masterpiece.  530 South King Street

• Queen Emma's Summer Palace Wife of King Kamehameha IV and the symbol of the island's cosmopolitan culture  2913 Pali Highway 808-595-3167

• Bishop Museum (founded in 1889) the Bishop Museum is by far one of the most outstanding examples of our Hawaiian history with over 24 million cultural artifacts that were acquired over the past 112 years that tell the story of Hawaii and the Pacific. 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, Hawai'i   96817    Phone: 808.847.351

• The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor  December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on this site, propelling the U.S. into World War II. This floating memorial in Pearl Harbor is the resting place for many of the 1,177 crew members killed on the USS Arizona battleship.                                             

 

Stay tuned for Parts II and III for your guide to Oahu!!

 

In the meantime...take a quick trip around Oahu!

 

 

     Read Part II here:  ActiveRain Guide to Oahu: Points of Interest (Part II)                                  

Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani Town is centrally located to all the military bases on the island of Oahu. Just minutes away from Schofield Barracks Military Base and Wheeler Army Air Field, Mililani is twenty minutes from Hickam AFB and Pearl Harbor Navy Base as well.

With over 35 Residential Sales Agents there certainly will be one to represent you perfectly in your real estate transaction. Buying, selling, property management and investments; Century 21 Liberty Homes stands by their name! 

                                                           Representation with the Spirit of Aloha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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®! 

 

The Art of Hawaii Relocations

*Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii*

 

Call me for a Relocation Packet and more info!

Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, Realtor Associate ®

 Century 21 Liberty Homes, Mililani, HI *  (808) 375-1404

http://www.hawaiihomesmarket.com/

http://woohoosally.blogspot.com/

The group Active Rain Block Party was founded by Brian Block, from Alexandria, VA  for the sole purpose of getting all the success stories in one place for us to read.  As Brian states, "More and more members are having success with blogging, getting more clients, more referrals, and becoming better professionals".

*Remember to tag your success story with ActiveRain Success Story!

So here is my story of my success with ActiveRain and the help I have received from a couple of the members for my current placement on google which landed me a couple of solid leads.

Answers from the GREAT BEYOND!!!  (play R.E.M!)

In my business here on Oahu, Hawaii (Honolulu County) I have been fortunate to have had referrals all year from past clients, friends and other agents. I have put my best foot forward to care about my clients first and foremost and to listen intently to their needs.

I also ask for help. About six months ago I started working on my new website (I like to work on my own so I can have fresh content and change whatever I want, when I want :). It took me about two months (while blogging too) to get it to the point where I wanted to publish it. I called a long time member here who helped me get it going with keywords and telling me what to do with my content to have it match with title, keywords, meta tags and content all together in perfect harmony. My website NEVER got hits before.

Then I started an outside blog and another member helped me with the title and keywords and things on that too. By then, I was getting "noticed" on Google. Both of these upstanding long time members have been coaxing me and coaching me throughout the last few months and I am very proud to say....I AM NOW ON PAGE ONE of Google for three main search terms I am concerned with for my market!

The following screen shot is from one of my search terms and I have 7 out of the 10 spots on page one of Google! And all sites are showing. http://www.activerain.com/  (of course), http://www.hawaiihomesmarket.com/ (my website), http://www.localism.com/ (with all my Localism posts!) and now my outside blog too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the past months I have received leads and though two decided to rent and two others decided they were unsure of their plans for the future, I do have two potential clients and one is solid. The most recent one contacted me two days ago. I asked how they found me and the soon to be wife said she typed in a couple of key words and I was all over the place on google and that she was not only impressed but wanted someone who was an expert with Hawaii Military Relocations.

The last two days I have been working diligently with long distance phone and emails to Afghanistan and the mainland and now? They are preapproved and I have set them up with auto notification of listings for single family homes! Within the last day the LO received the LES and authorization form signed and they will be here next month specifically for a house hunting trip for five days. They are sure we will be in contract by time they go back to the mainland to pack while the transaction is in escrow and going through the process.

This is success. Blogging for business means to serve the consumer with info on my area, the process and surely give them the time of day. You see....this current client said she had been in contact with a couple of other agents and they didn't give her the time of day. She and I both believe that people come into our lives for a reason and with her finding me on the internet ..... it's also listening and understanding THEIR needs. 

Blogging for business.   Gee...I wonder who taught me that? ;)  Anything is possible.....won't know until you try.