A few weeks ago, I started hearing loud construction noises near my office.  It’s an unavoidable part of urban life, and with all the road construction in this area, I didn’t really pay attention to it.  Just when I’ve grown acustomed to the construction sound, I realized where it was really coming from… One Ala Moana!

This is the view from my office.  One Ala Moana will be right next to our building.  My office is located on 15th floor and this photo gives you some ideas of what the views will be from One Ala Moana.

If you zoom into the photo, you can see a white line on the roof top.  I believe it’s the projected building’s footprint.  Am I the only person who thinks it looks a bit small?

What do you think?

ワンアラモアナ工事風景
アラモアナショッピングセンター　ノードストローム駐車場上に出来るワンアラモアナの建設風景。
１ヶ月程前から作業が始まり、毎日ドリルの音が絶えません。ガラス越しですが、私の事務所から撮った物です。事務所は１５階なので、このプロジェクトの１５階辺りを購入された方は左に少し見える海の風景が想像できると思います。
写真をズームしていただくと分かると思いますが、太い白線が引かれています。それが建物が建つ場所のようです。意外に小さいと思ったのは私だけでしょうか？

Luxury travelers and homeowners will have more choices of where to stay in Waikiki in 2016. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is set to make a splash with their first property on Oahu with what will be the tallest building in Waikiki.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach will be located at 2121 Kuhio Avenue, next to Luxury Row (Tiffany & Co.). All rooms will be oriented toward the ocean while offering studios to three-bedroom suites. Sales have been already begun and it’s selling at a steady pace. Prices start at $500,000. After the purchase, you can either live in your unit, or you can rent the room through Ritz-Carlton for their hotel guests. If you are interested in living in a tower that will change Waikiki’s skyline, please contact me.

ファーストクラスの滞在をワイキキで求めている人に朗報。2016年にリッツカールトンホテル社よりオアフ島初、そしてワイキキで最も高い建築物ができることが決まった。リッツカールトン レジデンス ワイキキビーチは2121クヒオ通りに位置し、ラグジュアリー ロー（テファニー）の隣にあたる。　すべての部屋は海側に面しており、スタジオタイプのお部屋より３寝室あるスイートまで用意されている。部屋の販売はもうすでに始まっており、着々とした売れ行きを見せている。価格は$50万より。購入後は、住居用に利用したり、リッツカールトンに委託してホテルの一室としてホテル客に貸し出しすることができる。リッツカールトンの部屋購入にご興味のある方は、私までご連絡ください。

What was the state of Oahu real estate in 2012?  Here is a quick review.

The chart below shows how Oahu’s real estate market performed in 2012 compared to the previous year.

Unbelievably, the number of sales increased even as prices went up.  Our low inventory and historically low interest rates are a big contributor to this unusual equation. There are fewer homes available in the market (both number of new listings and active listings were down).  Look at the number of pending sales, up 57% for single family homes (SFH) and up 43% for Condos. Buyers are wiping out the available inventory, even at the higher prices. This is not a new trend, our market is continuing to improve in sales and price…just at much quicker pace.

Smart home buyers aren’t standing still. They are taking action now.

Smart home sellers should also take advantage of today’s high-demand market with less competition and much more interested buyers.

If this trend continues, 2013 will be a fantastic year for Hawaii real estate.

Are you considering buying or selling?  I’d love to give you a complementary consultation to discuss your specific needs.

2012年のオアフ島不動産はどうだったんでしょうか？　ぱっと見て分かるように表にしました。（上記太文字）
数字は前年度からの比べた物です。

値段が上がってきているにも関わらず、売却数が伸びてきています。在庫が少ないのと　歴史的に低い金利が大きな影響を及ぼしています。買える家が一方的に減っていている事（新しく市場に出る物件数減、現在市場に出ている物件数減）ご覧のように　売却契約中の物件が　一戸建てで57%、コンドミニアムで43%もアップ。　購入者は買える物件を　少々高くなった値段でもどんどん消化していっています。

実はこれは新しい動きではありません。オアフ島の不動産市場は取引数も、値段も上昇気流には乗っていたのですが、ただスピードが速くなてきたようです。

賢い購入者は　今とばかりに　目を光らせて真剣に住宅購入に取りかかっています。
売却をお考えの方は、競争相手が少なく、購入者の多い　この需要の高いマーケットを是非有効利用してください。

何れにしても、売却や購入、買い替えをお考えの方は　是非一度無料相談のご連絡ください。

This article in the July 14th issue of The Wall Street Journal reminded me of what makes smart people successful. My business allows me to see what happens when people are indecisive when it comes to money. This isn’t a case of the rich getting richer, it’s about how people making the most of what they have.

In my opinion, what makes people smart is the ability study their options and quickly make decisions and taking advantage of their opportunities. From my experience, most people who jump on the opportunities end up making the right choice. People who over-analyze and delay making decisions usually miss out on valuable opportunities and end up wasting time, money and sometime trusting relationships (because they also waste other people’s time).

What makes opportunities valuable is the fact that they don’t come around often. Once you miss them, they’re gone.

７月１４日のウォールストリートジャーナルの記事を読んで　ふとどうやって賢い人は成功できるかを考えてみた。職種柄、お金の事になると、一度決めた事を決めかねきれない人を何度も見てきてる。これはお金に余裕がある人がどんどん成功するという話ではなく、今自分が持っている範囲内で　どれだけ最大限に活用できているかということだ。

個人的意見ですが、賢い人というのは自分にどんな選択があるか調べ勉強し、そしてチャンスがくればさっと決断できる能力があると思います。私の経験からして、そんな人は結局は“正しい”選択ができている。一方、分析ばっかりで、決断を後回しにしてきている人は　貴重なチャンスを逃し、結局は時間とお金の無駄使いをし、あげくの果てには　人との信用まで失ってしまう結果になっている（他の人の時間や行為まで無駄にしてしまうからであろう）。

貴重なチャンスというものはそうそうくる物ではありません。だから貴重なのです。

1649 Leilehua Ln A Honolulu, HI for Sale at $350,000

Can you believe an offer like this exists in Honolulu in 2012 where the medium price for single family home in Oahu is $620,000 (according to the latest Honolulu Board of Realtors statistics)?

This cute  cottage (detached home) stands at a very convenient location where you can walk to nearby Safeway and Longs Drug Store and the downtown district (China Town). The house is located on a small lane and nestled at the end of a private walkway. It is very private and secluded, yet, has easy access to major thoroughfares like Pali Highway and the H1 Freeway.

This house was originally built in 60′s and you can find a lot of 1960′s charm throughout the house.

The entire house was renovated (including a brand new kitchen and bathroom) by licensed contractors. And has never been occupied since.

The house is offered at $350,000.

Is it a leasehold property?
No, it’s not leasehold. It is pure fee simple.

Is it a CPR?
No, it’s not a CPR, which means there are no monthly association/maintenance fees.

In addition, there’s yard space if you enjoy gardening!

Why is it so cheap?
There are no parking spaces on the premises, there is only street parking. This was fine back when the house was originally built, and will continue to be legal as it has been grandfathered in.

ホノルルの中心でとてもチャーミングな一戸建ての家がコンドミニアムしか買えない値段で売りに出されています。

このホノルルの中央価格が62万ドル（ちなみにオアフ平均価格だと72万ドル）の時代に信じがたい売り出し物件。
ダウンタウンやお店まで歩ける距離。コンドミニアムのように共同使用区間がないので管理を毎月支払わう必要なし。それに、真新しいキッチン、浴室を含め　この家は最近プロに手直しされ、それから誰も住んでません。台所家電や洗濯機も新品。十分なガーデニングできるスペースもあります。

どうしてこんなにお安いのでしょう？　実は駐車場がありません。と、いうことで路駐のみ。この家が建てられた時はどれでオッケーだったんでしょうね。

ホノルルダウンタウン近郊にあるこの小さな宝石箱のような家、ご興味がある方はこちらまでお問い合わせください。

I had a chat with a very successful business person who is now retired and enjoying his life (and is enjoying spending his money). He said that everyone understands the concept of “buying low and selling high.” But what a lot of people end up doing is they buy real estate because they fear prices will rise beyond their price range, then they sell when prices begin to drop and they fear that the prices will continue drop lower. In the end, they’re buying high and selling low.

Don’t play the guessing game. Contact a realtor that you trust to give you the most up-to-date information and make an educated decision.

あるビジネスに大成功した人と少しお話できる機会があった。今はもう引退生活を十分に（そして十分以上に自由にお金を使って）楽しんでいる。

その人からのコメントは　結局、不動産はみんな値が低い時に買って、値が高い時に売るのが最高のシナリオだと分かっているのに、実際のところは全く逆をしている人が多い。　値段がこれ以上上がる前に買ってしまおうと買い、値段がこれ以上低くなる前に売ってしまいたいと、売るのが現実なところ。

なるほど、分かってはいるものの、そう言われてみれば　ほとんどの人は同感できるのではないでしょうか？

There’s more positive news and predictions about the housing recovery. Housing price predictions are getting stronger as they (the experts) are confident about what will happen next. According to Real Estate Magazine, these experts are already throwing out a number of the percentage price increase and what the timeline will be. How do they know this? Wow.

I can only rely on facts, or actual data after it already happened, as I don’t have a crystal ball. According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the latest stats on Oahu’s real estate market have already shown a 11% jump in the single family home median price in comparison to the same month (May) of last year. Wow! Condominium sales has risen by 12% in the same period.  Wow!

I’m hoping these facts are revealing trends that’s really happening and help guide our decisions in the near future.

The real estate market on the mainland may be seeing the light at the end of tunnel, but here on Oahu, the market is already out of tunnel and bathing under the sun.

Image credit: adamr / 123RF Stock Photo

The newest stats from the Honolulu Board of Realtors has confirmed that housing prices on Oahu are on the rise. If you recall the upside-down bell curve graph from high school math class, our home prices were already at the very bottom of the curve, and starting to move upward.

Lots of buyers who were on the fence waiting for Oahu’s housing prices to hit rock bottom are starting to realize that they just missed it–and they starting to jumping in.

Why is this happening?

1. There is not enough inventory. There simply aren’t a lot of houses on sale.

2. Interest rate are the lowest ever. In fact, just this week interest rates hit the lowest since the long term mortgage has been introduced in 1950.

3. High demand

This Pacific Business News article summarizes the report nicely.

Buyers: Your wait is over. Put an action plan together right way for your right new home.

Sellers: your wait is over. It’s clear buyer demand is there. It’s the time to put your property on the market!

Happy House Hunting!

According to this report by Inman News, Hawaii ranks #8 among 10 U.S. hot spots for global home-buyers. The majority of the markets are recognized as tourist destinations.

The markets in this report were chosen based on the percentage of all homes sold in the area from May 2011 through January 2012 for which a foreign mailing address was listed for the buyer on the property deed.

Canada, the largest source of foreign buyers in the U.S., is experiencing their own real estate boom fueled by foreign investment.

Here’s a virtual tour of a property near Diamond Head, 3084 La Pietra Circle, #16.

ラピエトラサークル１６号室のバーチャルツアーです。