March 26, 2009

Moving to Maui

Moving to Maui
Are you planning on moving to Maui? Maui locals will tell you “Maui no ka oi” … Maui is best. Although many people think of Maui as a vacation or holiday destination, there’s something magical about this place that drives people from all over the world to move here. There’s truly a fascinating blend of opposites throughout Maui; from the large, sandy beaches, to the city, to the farms, to the mountain tops rising into the sky. There are even lush, tropical rain forest areas and some of the best whale watching can be found here. Moving to Maui is like moving to a completely different world.

Plan Ahead
Making a plan is important when you’re moving to Hawaii. When do you plan to move? Typically speaking, September or October is prime time to make your move. Travel expenses are normally cheaper around these times of years and you may even get breaks on food when you’re eating out (restaurants often run specials around the slower times).

Maui Weather
Life on Maui will vary according to where you decide to live. Where do you plan to live? There are many communities to choose from which offer their own special benefits. No matter where you choose to live, at least you know the weather is almost always friendly and welcoming. During the winter, the average temperature in Maui is 71 degrees and during the summer it’s usually about 78 degrees. Don’t panic if you hear tsunami sirens sounding off on Mondays. Monday is the day that they test them to ensure they’ll work in the event of the rare storms. (more…)

March 26, 2009

Hawaii Housing Looking Better

Housing in Hawaii
If you’re moving to Hawaii or are thinking about buying a vacation property, you might want to take advantage of the current, low prices of housing in Hawaii. From island to island you’ll find that there are remarkable deals and that they continue to get better. However, we may be closing in on the end of this buyer’s paradise toward the end of 2009 and into next year. Although housing in Hawaii is still expensive compared to other states, it’s very low compared to previous Hawaii housing prices. Have a look at some of the examples below and I’m sure you’ll agree that right may be an opportune time to invest in housing in Hawaii especially with the historic low interest rates.

Hawai’I Kai Condominiums
Hawaii Kai is found at the very southeastern end of Oahu is one of the most highly priced areas for condominiums on the island. You can save a great deal by buying one now, though. The median price of a (more…)

March 1, 2009

February Oahu Real Estate Housing Stats

Below are some Oahu real estate stats for the month of February 2009.

On Oahu there were 126 SFR properties sold for an average of 91 days on the market. They sold on average 96% of list price. Average list price was $666,772 and the average sales price was $632,262. The average house size was 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath with 1,674 living SqFt and a lot size of 6,754.

For the same month the year before there were 142 SFR properties sold for an average of 77 days on the market. They sold on average 97% of list price as well. Island wide the average sales price was $770,535.

It appears that the average SFR sales price island wide for the same month has declined approximately 18%. Number of sales was down approximately 12% from 2008.

Search all Honolulu real estate on Jeff Manson’s Hawaii real estate search.

March 1, 2009

January Oahu Housing Information

Below are some Oahu real estate stats for the month of January 2009.

Island wide there were 116 SFR properties sold for an average of 95 days on the market. They sold on average 96% of list price. Average list price was $801,845 and the average sales price was $747,120. The average house size was 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath with 1,796 living SqFt and a lot size of 8,081.

The same month the year before there were 223 SFR properties sold for an average of 80 days on the market. They sold on average 96% of list price as well. Island wide the average sales price was $952,277.

It appears that the average SFR sales price island wide for the same month has declined approximately 22%. Number of sales was down approximately 48% from 2008.

The condo sales were down approximately 60% and the amount of Hawaii foreclosures continue to increase. With the interest rates at all time low there should be plenty of great buys for the bargain hunters.