It's Chinese New Year and the Year of the Tiger in 2010.  Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays for traditional Chinese.  All the festivities begin on during the first month and continue throughout the month until Chinese New Year's Day. This year is very special as Chinese New Year's day falls on February 14, 2010 which is also Valentine's Day and making it an especially auspicious day to celebrate in the West.

In Honolulu, Hawaii our downtown Chinatown has been celebrating with their festivities over the last couple of weekends. We finally got down to the Chinese Cultural Plaza yesterday to enjoy some of the food, festivities and vendors.  In most states and countries it is celebrated where a sizable Chinese population lives. 

The Chinese Dragon Dancers were getting ready to put on their show so we went to get a snack. We munched on spring rolls and charbroiled chicken on a stick and then went to the vending booths. As you can see, it is such a colorful celebration!

The Chinese Dragon signifies courage, righteousness and dignity. The Chinese Dragon Dance signifies the end of a the year and welcoming a new start while driving away evil spirits, bringing good luck and fortune to people. 

 As history explains:  The firecrackers, red lanterns and clothing were to ward away the mythical beast called Nien. On the first day of the New Year the Nien would come and devour livestock, crops and especially little children. Oh, the galore of red lanterns and decorations for one's door frame and many jade trinkets with different meanings to hang around your home for protection that are available. Some may start the New Year "fresh" by giving their home a fresh coat of red paint, getting a haircut, buying new clothes and shoes which further symbolizes a fresh start.

 This was just one day out of many that we were fortunate to find the time to enjoy. I got what I went for...a renewed outlook for 2010 with the history of traditional Chinese New Year. I did end up purchasing my little jade trinkets for health, strength, prosperity and more.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!

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Click on the following link for more info on>>>Schedule of Events for the Chinese New Year Celebration in Honolulu Hawaii  

Friday and Saturday, January 22 & 23 and January 29 & 30
United Chinese Coalition presents Chinese New Year Festival
Chinatown Cultural Plaza.  At this four-day event, food vendors
provide a variety of Chinese and other Asian cuisine favorites

Saturday, January 30, 5:00 - 10:00 pm
CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HAWAII presents Coronation Ball
Hilton Hawaiian Village.  At the Coronation Ball, the new Narcissus Queen is officially crowned with much pomp and grandeur as the Chinese Chamber celebrates the 61th Anniversary of the Narcissus Festival 

Friday, February 5, 6:00 - 10:00 pm
61th Annual Narcissus Festival and Choy Cheng, Traditional Lion Dance Blessing, and Chinatown Open House
In Chinatown and at Chinatown Cultural Plaza.  The evening begins at 8 South King St. with the traditional Chinese lion dance blessing -- Choy Cheng.  The Narcissus Queen and her court will visit Chinatown businesses and their patrons..
 
Saturday, February 6, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Chinatown Open House  Chinatown Cultural Plaza. Food vendors provide an assortment of Chinese ethnic favorites, including jai (vegetarian monk's food), gin doi (Chinese doughnut), gau (New Year pudding), and jook (rice soup). Entertainment includes ethnic dance troupes, local musical groups, and martial arts and weapons demonstrations.
 
Saturday, February 6, 3:30- 5:30 pm
The "Night In Chinatown" Parade begins at 3:30 p.m. on Hotel Street at the
State Capitol and proceeds to Maunakea Street.  Parade participants include Festival Queens and their courts, cultural organizations, kung fu martial artists, lion and dragon dance associations, including a special performance by a
150 foot dragon.  .
 
Saturday, February 6, 9:00 am - 10:30 pm
Night in Chinatown Festival On Maunakea Street and Smith Street.  This all-day block party features booths with home-cooked Asian food and traditional New Year's arts and crafts, as well as, entertainment on two stages with martial arts, cultural demonstrations, and Chinese lion and dragon dance performance

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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

A few minutes ago I was on Facebook and saw Matt Heaton's comment,  "Really nice to see some blue skies today". I looked outside and saw such beautiful blue sunny skies here as well.

Please stop to smell the flowers, the coffee and to peek at all that IS beautiful around us.

Here's sharing with all of you....from Oahu, Hawaii!

What a beautiful day!

You are one of a few agents that are being interviewed to sell that wonderful home and you're thinking that it's just not worth it. You let out a ‘harumph' after getting off the phone (and hearing that you're one of several to be interviewed) and rather than ‘go through the trouble' you retort that, "They don't know what they're missing". 

You expect everyone to pick you and trust in you to sell their home...without even interviewing you.

NOT.

Remember the movie Against All Odds?  In the end he lost out on the woman he loved. He didn't stay focused on the job he was supposed to do and he let his emotions take over and ended up being the loser in the end. 

Stay focused and get those emotions in check. We all want to be the caring but detailed professionals in our area of expertise but we can't expect it to come on a silver platter. We have to WORK for it!

While I'm still talking to the seller I already have in mind what I'm going to do:

1. Make that appointment! 
2. Get my listing packet together
3. Nice Cover Letter briefly explaining that I will listen to their needs and what I will do for them
4. Comparable properties with a detailed CMA Wizard
5. Documentation for all building permits
6. Documentation for city and county tax records
7. Sketches and detailed info from Department of Planning and Permitting-Honolulu
8. Print out of aerial view of their property
9. Any pertinent information from the Bureau of Conveyances
10. My Strategy for Marketing Their Property  (MANY online sites, offline, open houses, flyers, cd's of virtual tours, virtual tours and booklets with info for the home)
11. Sentrilock for secure showings
12. Additional information on Tips and Tricks to Get the Property in Showing Condition
13. Other flyers explaining Conveyance Tax, Harpta/Firpta Taxes
14. Listing Agreement and Property Profile Information
15. Seller's Real Property Disclosure Statement
16. Seller's Estimated Net Sheet

Being self confident is another attribute that I have that takes me to the finish line. I study, research and know what I'm talking about and I have a great plan to present to the seller during that interview. 

Have a great plan and presentation to beat all odds...

Lest you be in that category ‘against all odds'.

The wild, wild west was by all means an era where all was rugged with cowboys and Indians, pioneers and outlaws, gunslingers and LOTS of history. The west has been ‘tamed' and we know from history books and movies that it was surely a memorable time of a land to be conquered.

After reading a local Honolulu news article about how we advertise on the web it came to mind that it's getting harder and harder to compete against the mindset of those that believe it's a ‘world' of buyer/seller beware syndrome.  A so called ‘untamed' part of the real estate industry where the true professionals are still fighting to overcome the bad publicity from the untamed.

There are good and bad in all walks of life so the assumption that all in one class are ‘bad' is by all means...incorrect.  Read on......

We all can talk write about everything ethical, logical and fact; although it would be more realistic to say, "Actions speak louder than words".  The majority of Real Estate Industry Professionals will do the right thing and advertise honestly about their expertise, knowledge and specialties in their niche market. Others will talk a bunch of bull hockey to ‘trap' the potential client into believing they are the real deal.

I don't blame many for taking that mindset (of buyer/seller beware) after many a client was burned with "little white lies" while reading on this vast library of information on the world wide web about a property or the person.  I mean, come on now........

When the ‘truth' is stretched to say that they have luxury homes for sale in Hawaii.....

 with a zip code in Missouri is where we all draw the line.

It should be the same for ANYONE in the real estate industry. Why advertise false information about what they are the experts or specialists in. The consumer can see right through it when they can't answer correctly or answer blindly. To misinform others for the sake of "looking like a know it all" is more damaging when they find out the truth.

Ask your Realtor®, loan officer, lender, stager, home inspector and anyone in the industry MANY questions.  Don't just believe everything you read in an ad or on the internet. Buying or Selling a Home is one of the most important decisions you will make in your lifetime and having a REAL professional to represent you is the most important part of that process.

Many real estate professionals are tamed in the wild, wild web.

Make sure you have one of those professionals.

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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

December 2009 Market Report for Mililani Condos, Townhouses, Homes

Mililani Single Family Home Market Report December 2009:  We have 33 Active Listings from December 2009, with 22 in contract but still showing (Active Continue to Show status), 9 Pending (close to closing with loan approval) and 25 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 a bit lower than previous months at $639,952 with average days on market (actively on market before getting an accepted contract...and sold) about 103 days.

2009 Yearly Sales Data for Mililani Single Family Homes: There were 210 Mililani Single Family Homes sold during 2009 with sales prices ranging from $266,000 to $1,175,000 and Average Days on Market was 69 days.

Mililani Condo Statistics for December 2009: We still have 56 Active condos/townhouses on the market from December 2009, 32 Pending and 27 sold. Looks like our Mililani Condo/Townhouse market is still moving although slower than the single family homes sales in December 2009.  Sales Prices ranged from $165,800 to $501,000. Average days on market was 59 days.

2009 Yearly Sales Data for Mililani Condos/Townhouses: There were 210 Mililani Condos/Townhouses sold during 2009 with sales prices ranging from $165,800 to $501,000 with Average Days on Market 66 days.

During the holiday season Mililani Home Resales were still moving...unlike previous years during the holidays. Do you think we can attribute it to the extension of the First Time Homebuyer Credit? How about Military utilizing their VA Guaranteed Loans?

What do you think is going to happen when the extension runs out....again?

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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!

Okay, so I really don't have a thousand words but I have thoughts on 'a picture worth MANY words'. Have you ever thought about how you physically viewed objects prior to being in real estate?  Well, this is what I was pondering when I took this shot yesterday.

The architecture of this building is so unique but what caught my eye more was the way the staircase led up to the top. The sunlight came in through the windows...and odd sort of skylight that was magnificent to just view...for awhile.

I kept looking at this particular view and wondered if I would have looked it the same before getting into real estate. I think not. I look at everything in detail and have many opinions on the same topic. I am able to get into the detail of not just the home but everything involved in a transaction from the people to the paperwork to the property.

This shot was taken while waiting for my son to do his lab work yesterday at the Spark M. Matsunaga Department of Veteran's Affairs Hospital by Tripler Army Medical Center.

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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!

Honolulu County Real Estate Market Report- December 2009

As another year comes to a close in the Hawaii Homes Market, we look at the coming year of 2010 with a positive note. As the holidays approached the market was still moving although there were significant changes with sales prices in single family homes.

Honolulu County Single Family Resale Numbers:  Our sales numbers for single family homes showed an increase with the number of sold single family homes going from 249 in November to 265. The Median Sales price declined from$590,000 in November to $550,000 in December.  This is an increase in sales numbers of 36.6% from November 2008 to 2009 and from November 2009 to December 2009 and increase of sales numbers of 6.4%.  A significant decrease in sales prices of 6.7% from November to December of 2009. 

Honolulu County Condo/Townhouse Resale Numbers:  Our Honolulu Real Estate Housing Market sales numbers for condos/townhouses decreased from  407 in November of 2009 to 349 in December2009.  The number of sold condos/townhouses did increase 43.6% from the same period in 2008. The median sales price decreased from $320,000 in November 2009 to $300,000 in December 2009. 

Even with the holiday season going on our market still moved and we are still trying to find balance in the stability of our market. With the FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER TAX CREDIT EXTENSION approved, interest rates still lower and inventory considerable down in all neighborhoods the shifting is evident with more homebuyers in the market.

SHIFT HAPPENS.

These Honolulu County Market Statistics vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and I continue to experience 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!

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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!

As year 2009 ended I thought about all things big and small in Don't Forget to Stop and Smell the Flowers.  I wrote, "I am once again in awe of the curve balls that life throws me....and how I handled it to bring on a fresh 2010 with glorious dreams, hopes and wishes that I will soon fulfill."

My family started out January 01, 2010 as any other New Year's Day.  We were having a relaxing morning and went out to run a couple of errands. As soon as I walked in the door my phone rings and it's the phone call that every mother dreads.

My son only calls when he's sick and when I hear the "MOM" in a weak voice I know it's not good.  He was in the emergency room and to make a long story short his gallbladder had become infected and the infection leaking into his stomach.  He was on Morphine by 11am as the pain was so bad (usually excruciating pain when the gallstone is in the bile duct as I'd had when I was 25 yrs. Old)

Emergency surgery started by 4:30pm and we were waiting for him when he came out of recovery at 8:35 or so.

He'll be fine and he's home now but here's the kicker. HE DROVE HIMSELF TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT 5am New Years Day because ‘he didn't want to bother anyone'. You can bet he won't do that again....especially after mom ‘counseled' him.

Those curve balls hit at any time folks. I'm just happy that in my latter years of life I recognize the importance of Stopping to Smell those Flowers......

You can never bring back time.

Do you know what your flowers are?

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Note:  I want to thank all who attended to my son (Emergency Room, Surgery unit, Surgeons, nurses and staff) at Tripler Army Medical Center and for taking good care of my son, Michael,  a veteran of the US Armed Forces.