North Shore Oahu Real Estate

With 51 beaches, oceanfront living is practically guaranteed when you purchase North Shore real estate. A haven for surfers, you’ll find everything from charming beach cottages to exclusive estates.

The North Shore is just one hour from Waikiki. As you drive north, as soon as you hit Ka’ena Point, you’re within the community’s boundaries. From there to Kahuku Point, 17 miles further, you’ll find the wild waves that made Hawaii famous with surfers around the world.

The Dole pineapple plantation in Wahiawa is a major North Shore landmark and offers tours, via train, through the pineapple fields. There’s also a botanical maze – the world’s largest – that includes three acres in which to become hopelessly lost.

One of the more popular communities on the North Shore is Hale’iwa, a laid-back beachside area that promises a simpler lifestyle. Hale’iwa, once a sugar plantation town, features some of the original plantation building in its “downtown” area.

If you like to surf, Oahu’s North Shore Real Estate beckons. Living here you’ll be able to ride some of the most famous waves on earth at legendary beaches such as Waimea Bay, the Banzai Pipeline (Ehukai), Sunset Beach and Velzy Land.

Golfers love living on the North Shore for the incredible beauty and challenge offered at the Turtle Bay Resort’s two courses. Golf Digest named the signature tract, the Arnold Palmer course, one of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S.

Shopping and dining are a snap when you live on the North Shore. Most of the shops and eateries are located in Haleiwa’s old plantation buildings.

When you purchase a home on the North Shore the keikis will attend one of five public elementary schools or one of several private schools in the area.

Older kids attend Kahuku or Waialua Intermediate and High Schools.

The median sales price of a home on Oahu’s North Shore in 2011 was $581,625. You’ll find the lowest prices in Kahuku and Laie and pricier real estate in Malaekahana, Pupukea, Mokuleia and in the Velzy area.

If you’re looking for a North Shore condo you may want to check out those near Turtle Bay.

Lihue real estate market

The Lihue real estate market is showing increasing sales, although the overall economy of the Garden Isle remains stagnant and home prices continue to decline. According to a June 7, 2010 article in the Pacific Business News, “Single-family home sales on Kauai were up by 80 percent in May, while condo sales were up 38 percent compared to the same month last year. There were 27 homes sold on the Garden Isle last month, up from 15 in May of 2009, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service.” The piece went on to state that “The median price for a single-family home, however, fell 30 percent in May to $420,000, down from $600,000 in May 2009. Condo sales were up last month, with 18 units sold compared to 13 units sold in May 2009. But the median price dropped 50 percent to $164,000, down from $330,000 in 2009.”

The overall economic recovery of Kauai, however, remains unimpressive, and a stronger rally will likely be necessary for encouraging the purchase of Lihue homes for sale. According to a June 8, 2010 article in Hawaii News Now, “The latest state report on tax revenues and building permits shows a decidedly slower economic recovery on neighbor islands than on Oahu.” The piece, composed by Howard Dicus, went on to state that “General excise tax revenues the single strongest indicator of consumer and business spending, fell 4.4% statewide in the first quarter despite March coming in 2.3% higher than year-before levels….Excise taxes were down 2% on Oahu, down 8% on Kauai, down 16% on Maui County, and down 18% on the Big Island, compared to the first quarter of 2009.”

Even the tourist sector, traditionally one of the largest components of the island economy and by extension an indicator of the Lihue real estate market, showed mixed signals in the most recent tracking period. According to a May 28, 2010 article in the Maui News, “Kauai, although its head count fell 1.1 percent to 75,509, saw spending rocket up by 14.4 percent to $75.8 million. That makes the Kauai math easy: Each visitor spent just about $1,000…”

3 Tips for Avoiding Honolulu Real Estate Money Pits

You just finished watching a movie about a couple that buys their dream home. Unfortunately, they do not take the Three tips I am about to share with you. They soon realize that their dream home is actually their worst nightmare. The house has massive leaks, faulty appliances and structural problems that make it a hazardous place to live. This is called a money pit and it is every homeowner’s worst nightmare. These are properties that are made to look good for sale, but actually have major issues that cost buyers thousands of dollars to repair. You can avoid real estate money pits and increase your odds of buying your dream home by following these tips.

The first tip is to do your research before buying any property. It is very easy to get emotionally wrapped up into a particular home. You can start picturing moments with your kids and you might be persuaded by a slick sales pitch. Why is the home up for sale? How long has it been on the market? How old is the home? What are the general conditions of the homes in the neighborhood? What is the crime rate? These questions will help you determine if it is the right home and right neighborhood for your family to live. If you do not do thorough research before buying a property then you will likely live in a money pit.

The second tip is to get a pre-home inspection before you buy the Honolulu real estate. Does the home have severe structural problems? Are there any environmental issues affecting the property? Are there major electrical problems with the property? It is very easy for sellers to make cosmetic changes to their home. This is done frequently to hide major issues that can impact your family’s well-being. Certified Home Inspectors can spot these serious issues and save you thousands of dollars in the process. Your chances of living in a money pit will rise if you decide not to invest in a pre-home inspection. Never buy a home without getting a pre-home inspection completed. Think about the peace of mind you will have knowing that your family is living in a safe place.

The third tip is to get everything in writing. This creates a legally binding agreement between both parties. The buyer and seller also provide protection against fraud and prevent misunderstandings from taking place this way. If you decide not to follow this tip then you will not have much recourse if your new home is a money pit.

Maui travel plans-useful tips:

Hawaii with its tropical climate and crowded beaches is an ideal place for a vacation. However, as casual as the place may sound, you need to make and follow a good travel plan in order to save yourself from any last moment turmoil and mismanagement. The first step involved while planning your trip to Maui is to make arrangements for travel. Book your air reservations in advance, most especially if you are visiting in the high-season. You may also opt for travel packages that combine both the travel and accommodation expenses.

However, they may charge you a tad extra if you are visiting in the high season. You will find a number of websites on the World Wide Web that are dedicated to tourism Maui and offer discounted rates and innovative package deals to cater to diverse budgets. There are also packages which accommodate your expenses for tours and other vacation activities. This way you have a firm idea of how much you are going to spend and can thus plan accordingly.

While making air reservations, it is worth mentioning that different airlines have different charges for different days and sometimes even different times. Search for plenty of deals and choose the one that best meets your needs.

These deals can easily be viewed and analyzed online at dedicated online travel websites. Search for ones that deal with Hawaii travel and offer discounted packages.

The next step involved is to make overnight reservations in Maui. The last thing you want is to end up in a maximum packed hotel or resort late night and have to pay extra for an accommodation. Timing and pre-planning, therefore is extremely important. Being a major tourist’s attraction site, Maui offers an unlimited variety of overnight reservations

The most opted choice is of course the traditional hotel reservations. However, Maui real estate, villas with a spectacular view of the ocean and condo rentals are also extremely popular. Most of these rentals are enlisted online on a number of websites and make sure you check for availability before making your airline reservations

Maui travel plans include a lot more than mere airline reservations and accommodations. Since the place is alive with abundant activity all over, chances are that you will be spending huge portion of your vacation on places other than your hotel area. This means that you need proper travel arrangements ion order to participate in the recreational activities. Furthermore, as Hawaii is a blend of rich cultures and historical sites, traveling to these sites requires that you plan your methods of travel in advance. You may either opt for packages that cover your car rentals along with accommodation expenses in advance. This is one of the easiest and most convenient ways of ensuring that you have a confirm transportation medium present. Car rentals also provide visitors with the additional option of picking them right from the airport.

Maui with its breathtaking views and fine executive homes and beautiful condos is also the best place to invest in. Whether you are looking for residential homes or wish to buy a future retirement property the place is dreams come true.

Oahu Real Estate Market

The Oahu real estate market continues to face strong economic repercussions from the recession that started well over a year ago. One particularly visible example of the continued weakness in the area was reported by a March 9, 2010 article in the Maui News, which reported that “A foreclosure auction has been scheduled for 72 units of a 99-unit industrial condominium complex on Oahu. The units at the Waipio Business Center are to be sold in bulk March 24. The complex developed at a cost of an estimated $60 million was completed two years ago.” The piece noted that “The developer, WIC Partners LLC, sold 27 units in 2008 for close to $22 million. But then the market dried up with the financial crisis, and no units sold last year. Lender GE Business Financial Services Inc. filed a foreclosure lawsuit in June.”

There is some sense of hope for Oahu homes for sale, in the form of a nationwide effort to alleviate foreclosures. According to a March 26, 2010 article from KITV 4 News, “Hawaii banks and other lenders said Friday President Obama’s new initiatives to prevent foreclosures could be a great help in keeping local residents in their homes. Hawaii foreclosures are at record highs with 11,164 homes in foreclosure in the state, 5851 on Oahu, 2215 on Hawaii Island. 2141 on Maui and 957 homes on Kauai.” The article, composed by Denby Fawcett, continued to say that “Bank of Hawaii said the new features in the Obama plan should help prevent more foreclosures. ‘It will give our customers another tool they can use to help keep them in their homes.’ said Tim Padgett, Bank of Hawaii Senior Vice President for Loan Management Services.”

The resort market, which is crucial to Oahu real estate for sale, has started to improve, according to a March 25, 2010 article in the Pacific Business News. The piece continued to state that “Home sales in Hawaii’s resort market began to show a rebound in 2009, with just a 2 percent decline in sales from the previous year, according to a new report. The 2 percent decline followed a 37 percent drop in 2008 and was the smallest decline since the market began to drop in 2006, according to the residential resort market report from Data @ Work.”