I had a buyer looking for a Moana Kai townhome for months.  It was frustrating waiting for the right unit to come up for sale, so I sent a letter to everyone in the complex to see if anyone would sell their unit.

Just 2 days later, I received a call from the seller of a beautiful 1550, 2story unit with 2 car garage - the exact model my buyers had been hoping for.

It's beautifully upgraded with granite counters, wood floors, custom lighting and fixtures, and more. 

Sometimes you can't just sit around and wait. The seller happened to be thinking about selling her home on the day that she opened my letter, and called me right away. She called it fate, I told her it was God's will :) 

We did put it in the MLS but it was already sold before anyone could view it. List price - $665,000.  

As of 2 days ao, I have this nice little Hawaii Kai home in escrow for a client of mine. Listed for $769k, about 1350 sqsft with a nearly finished attic that is large enough for an entire family to use as an office or play area. 

There are so few homes available for sale right now, that any nice listing will get snapped up in just a few days or weeks. 

This nice home has a brand new kitchen, new vinyl windows, new floors, and more. It also has a great view of Mariner's valley from the kitchen and a huge lanai.

There is an upcoming economic event that I am now tracking very closely.  In a couple of months the government will stop propping up the mortgage-backed securities market.  The exact aftermath of this move will depend on how the numbers on unemployment and foreclosures play out over the coming months.

An article in the Washington Post explains that "Keeping the mortgage rates at historic lows, which required a commitment of more than $1 trillion, was viewed within the administration as a central plank of the economic strategy last year, senior officials said. Though the policy did not attract as much attention as rescue efforts to bail out banks, it helped revitalize home buying in some parts of the country and put money in the pockets of millions of homeowners who were able to refinance into lower monthly payments."

 "A few federal officials and many industry advocates disagree, saying the government is exiting too soon. They offer dire warnings of higher rates and a slowdown in home sales."

The Treasury spent about $220 billion, and the Fed pledged $1.25 trillion, the single largest foray the central bank has made into the markets since the onset of the crisis. In essence, the Fed has been printing money and funneling it to people looking to buy a house or refinance an existing mortgage.

We'll see how this effects mortgages and the stock market at large, but most certainly treasury prices will fall, and rates will go up at least a little, if not a lot. 

Today at 1pm I'll be viewing this house

in Koko Head Terrace for $797,000.  Fully remodeled by the owner, who is a contractor, it has a great new kitchen and open layout, especially for a house built in 1969. 

Old houses are the norm in Hawaii Kai, but when they're nicely redone like this one, they can be almost as good as new.  

It has a nice view of the valley and of course it has the most important thing - location.  

 Check out the new kitchen below, it's completely new with recessed lights, stainless appliances, corian counters, and more.  I hope it looks as good in person!

How does the leader of the free world relax and get away from the mayhem of D.C.?
Bush had Hawaii beachfront Homehis Texas ranch, Clinton preferred high style in Martha's Vineyard, but Obama prefers Hawaii.

For the past 2 years, the First Family has spent their Christmas holiday at this custom built 5000 square foot home on Kailua Beach in Hawaii. Originally listed for sale at over $11 million in 2006, the Kailua beach front home is now listed for $8.9 million, making it one of the more expensive homes for sale in Hawaii.

Located on the windward side of Oahu, the white sands of Kailua have been voted one of America's Top beaches. And since it's just a few miles from the President's childhood home and the security of Kaneohe Marine Corps base, it's a natural choice for the World's most powerful man to return to Kailua.

This picture taken from inside the swanky Hawaiian vacation home shows the beautiful view through the living room, which leads to the beach and warm tropical waters.

The home isn't all that large compared to most multi million dollar homes around the country, with only 5 bedrooms and no game room or basement (there are very few basements in Hawaii,) though the home does feature this custom resort like lava rock pool and a small media room.

So why the mega high price? Location! Kailua beach is one of the most expensive places you can buy Hawaii real estate. Since many of the beaches on Oahu are actually rocky, the wide sandy beaches of Kailua with their gentle waves offer something almost idyllic for vacationers.

In addition to the interior space, the home features almost 2000 square feet of open lanai (covered outdoor space,) under which to enjoy Hawaii's year round mild climate. This picture shows one section of the outdoor space, compelte with a hidden plasma TV that opens by remote. Oahu has an average summer high temperature below 90 degrees, and the winters are equally mild, with day time lows around 70, so covered lanai space is just as usable as indoor living space.

Since the house is available for rent at around $3000 a night, you don't have to be the President to stay there, but you do need pretty deep pockets. Many other homes are available to rent on Kailua beach, with prices starting at about $1000 a night.

This morning I just closed on this beautiful house in Ocean Pointe.  The owner was into it for $900k, of which about $200k was just the upgrades! 

My lucky buyer paid only $672k for it. What a bargain! Just a couple miles from the ocean and in a great neighborhood.

It had been upgraded beyond any home I've seen in Ocean Pointe, with large tile floors, plantation shutters throughout, built in closets and office components all over the house, stainless steele appliances, and more. 

 Best of all - there is no more traffic in Ewa Beach, so it's a wonderful place to live now. Congratulations to my buyers! 

Here is a great website to learn about Hawaii schools both public and private. You can search by location, grade, and just about anything you can think of.  Schools are always a big concern in Hawaii, the only state in the Union to have a State run Department of Education rather than by local municipalities. There are good reasons for this, but there are also big drawbacks. 

 Anyway here is the Hawaii schools site. 

Today I showed one of my clients a beautiful penthouse at the Commodore for $1.35mil. With almost 4000sqft, this condo is larger than the average home, but for about the same price.  It was in beautiful condition with granite everywhere, remodeled bathrooms, and this amazing view.  That's the Hawaii Kai marina and the ocean just beyond. 

For about this price you get half the square footage in town, so if you're looking for a HUGE condo, this might be the best deal on Oahu! 

It is turn key and beautiful!