Happy May everyone! As we say “Goodbye!” to Spring, and “Hello!” to Summer, the market had a mixed bag of good news and not-so good news to report in April. Let’s break down some stats and see if we can see any trends building as we head into the (traditionally) busier Summer months. [Read more…] about A Mixed Bag of Market News for April
Island Living
Summer’s Coming! Let’s Talk Coolers.
With warmer weather on the horizon and summer beach days ahead, it’s a good time to take inventory of your gear. Today’s post focuses on one of the most important aspects of a good island adventure, keeping your food & drink nice and cool! I’ll break down three great modern coolers that will keep your cold cuts chilled, long after the sun has set.
How many of you are still using old coolers, passed down from generation to generation, as if a rare family heirloom that has withstood the test of time? Remember these old Gott brand coolers?
Strangely enough, there has been a real surge in cooler technology over the past couple of years that have left these old foam-filled coolers melting under the Hawaiian sun. Advancements in materials and manufacturing have allowed companies to bring industrial insulation methods to consumer coolers (think about how quickly Hydroflask took off once they were able to vacuum insulate a water bottle). Here are three of my favorite modern coolers, perfect for a day at the beach…
RTIC Cooler (RTIC 20 Tan) – $199.00
The smallest of their molded coolers, the RTIC 20 quart version is perfect for a picnic, boat ride, camping trip, or at home for the big game. Seemless molded construction and heavy rubber latches not only make it durable, but RTIC claims it can keep ice for up to 10 days! [Buy at Amazon.com]
Polar Bear Coolers H2O Cooler – $129.95-$219.95
Polar Bear has a great track record of making great soft coolers, and the H2O features a leakproof, sweatproof, DuraTemp liner. The Tarpaulin waterproof outer shell, along with the addition of Closed Cell Foam, makes the new Polar Bear H2O 100% waterproof. That means, if you take it on the boat, you can be sure that salt water will stay in the ocean and not get in your food. [Buy at Amazon.com]
AO Coolers Canvas Soft Cooler – $49.95-$89.95
The most “stylish” (kinda) and traditional-looking cooler in this list, the Canvas Soft Cooler from AO Coolers features double the insulation of most soft coolers. AO boasts a 24 hour ice age, and a $50 price tag for the 12-pack version makes this the most affordable choice in our list. [Buy at Amazon.com]
After all of this, some of you may be telling yourself, “200 bucks for a cooler?! I can just get a Coleman for $40 at Costco.” And while that is true, I can personally tell you that the value in a good cooler is well worth the added cost. I can’t tell you the number of camping trips I’ve been on, parties I’ve hosted, or picnics attended where someone needs to go get ice to refill the cooler. Yes, it is a big, somewhat-luxury investment, but our island lifestyle lives outdoors, and a good cooler will make it that much better.
Amazon.com Offers Home Services in Honolulu
As a Realtor, I can definitely tell you the difficulties in finding quality contractors for home projects. For us, it’s a double-edged sword since the quality of the professionals can reflect on us. If a client is not happy with a person we’ve recommended, relationships can turn sour fast.
Amazon.com aims to fix that problem with verified home services, hiring professionals through their website. Whether you’re in need of a plumber to install a sink, or a handyman to assemble a bed, Amazon Home Services lists a wide-range of services available for hire. All their contractors are vetted and licensed, and they even go so far as to offer professionals whom they’ve hand-picked for the service.
Furthermore, they offer a “Happiness Guarantee” in case you are not satisfied with the service. Just file a claim, and Amazon will work as a middle man to make sure your job gets done correctly. This would be very helpful in the unfortunate event that a contractor damages your home or doesn’t finish the job. It sure beats chasing down people yourself!
Check out all the services they offer here on island. We all have our “go-to” guys, but it’s nice to know that there’s a place to go when you need something different.
Experts Still Say Year is Moving Strong! 💪
Aloha Everyone, hope 2017 is moving along! It feels like the sun is finally starting to shine in Hawai‘i, and it’s a welcome respite after some torrential rains this Winter. On the Real Estate front, the market continues to have low inventory numbers, while median prices rise. Let’s take a look at some specifics and see what February looked like. [Read more…] about Experts Still Say Year is Moving Strong! 💪
Koa Ridge Development Updates
Koa Ridge, the development to be located north of Ka Uka Boulevard (across Costco) in Waipio, has updated their website with tons of new information! No change to the 2019 release timeline, but it seems that they are moving forward after long court battles. Here are some of the highlights from the new site: [Read more…] about Koa Ridge Development Updates
Proof of Concept: Raspberry Pi FM Talking House
Manoa has always had its fair-share of decorations during the holidays. From haunted houses on Halloween, to winter wonderlands during Christmas, I’ve always enjoyed the time and effort that people put into the holiday spirit.
This year, while trick-or-treating around Manoa with my nephew, I had an idea to create a “talking house” that could give prospective Buyers a quick breakdown of the house, without actually going inside. My idea was to create a small FM radio broadcaster, and when people drove by the house, they could tune their car radio and listen to a 30 sec clip of me, describing the home. My hope was that it could be an added value to my clients, and allow more exposure to their homes.
(Jump to 7:54 for the good stuff)
Luckily for me, I had begun to explore a mini-computer called the “Raspberry Pi.” Using that tiny computer, paired with some nerdy programming and software found online, I got a prototype working and broadcasted one of my brother’s songs to an emergency radio I wound up! It was kind of exciting, and proof that my initial idea could work!
Unfortunately, this is the part of the story where reality sets in. In refining my transmitter, I discovered heaps of warnings about FCC regulations on “pirate broadcasting.” The government is very concerned about radio interference and strictly governs the use of radio frequencies. This meant that, while an interesting concept, it would have to stay a concept for now.
That’s not to say all is lost, as it was a valuable learning experience and inspires me to explore new technologies and strategies. I learned a lot about the capabilities of this small computer, and have already begun working on future (legal-er) uses for the device!
Ho! Ho! Hoooomes Continue Up! How Far Can This Trend Go?!
Happy holidays everyone! I hope you are finding yourself happy & healthy as we enter the end of 2016 and into 2017! I can’t believe this is my last post for 2016 already…these years fly by! Speaking of flying, November stats continue to show a “flying” real estate market here on the island, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down heading into December. Let’s take a look at the numbers…
Yup, median prices are up, closed sales are up, and days on market are down. All signs continue to point to a strong Seller’s market, as inventory continues to fall. Some of the biggest changes occurred in the number of closed sales with both homes and condos up 19.5% and 17.6% respectively, over last year. We continue the trend in 2016 with more properties selling than coming on the market.
Condos also showed a 13.7% jump in median price over last year, while single-family homes rose 4.8%. In dollars, that’s roughly a $34,000 jump in homes and $48,000 in condos. I think the rise, especially in condos is due to more higher-priced units selling (due to the lack of inventory). The average sales price of condos sold rose 11.4%, which further enforces my feeling.
So what’s in store for December and heading into 2017? Well, it’s pretty obvious that low inventories continue to drive a competitive market here on O‘ahu. Properties are also selling faster despite the holiday season approaching, indicating that Buyers are still aggressively shopping in the market. It doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down any time soon!
I’ll continue to monitor the numbers, especially as President-elect Trump takes office. The Fed has already indicated a rise in bank rates next week, and possibly again through 2017 to offset inflation. Most experts are indicating a rise in mortgage rates to the mid-four percent range, so if you’re on the fence to purchase something, this may be a better time than waiting!
Have a good finish to 2016, and I hope you have a great start to 2017!
ALOHA!
Nick
The Market is Gobble-Gobble-Gobbling Homes!
Hi Guys & Gals, I hope your holidays are kicking into gear and 2016 is finishing strong! The Kawakamis are all preparing for a busy season, and it seems that the market is following suit!
Homes, both house and condo, continue to fly off the market as inventories continue to drop and days-on-market fall. Median prices for condominiums increased by 7% over last year to $396,000, while single-family homes increased by 3.1% to $742,000. Days-on-market, the statistic that accounts for how long an available home sits on the market, dropped to 19 days for single-family homes and 20 days for condominiums. Considering these stats include the finicky multi-million dollar listings, it’s a really strong indication that things fly quickly!
So what does this mean for my clients, especially as we head into the traditionally-slower winter months? If you’re thinking about selling, there are still plenty of Buyers looking for a home. It’s my opinion that the shortage of housing throughout the summer months will give us a good group of healthy Buyers for the foreseeable future. For my clients looking to buy, there are still a lot of great opportunities, especially with these low interest rates. If you’re even considering purchasing something in the next couple of years, keep an eye on those interest rates! With a new president coming into power, and an sensitive bond market, it will be interesting to see how rates react.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Looking towards to the end of the year, I hope everyone has a safe holiday season!
Nick