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Prostate cancer and other transactions Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:44:57 GMT At some point, early in my surprise diagnosis with Prostate cancer, I remember realizing that I had managed to transactionalize the process and how that had taken the entire experience from one of an unknown, to my home court advantage. I was the buyer, the doctors were the lenders, the treatments were the programs available and the tests were the inspections. I just wasn't clear on who the seller was. God, life, karma, the universal source... but I was pretty clear that it was a higher power of one form or another and I had to understand their needs in the transaction also. This is the file.Like many men I'm sure, I resist non emergency doctor visits and while I would never let my car go without it's recommended service, I seem to ignore my primary vehicle's service records without either thought or regret. I felt great and if it wasn't for my wife's insistence, I am sure I would have still avoided that one hour inconvenience. So I went to the doctor and he did the things doctors do, and ordered some blood work including a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test and I was to see him in a week. The test was just barely on the elevated stage. If I spend too much time on this, I hope you will forgive me, but I do so because I hope to generate a few tests of those who read this. It was a 4.4. At my age of 50+ they prefer less than 3.0, but a 4.4 is way short of being dramatically high, that would be closer to a 10. Being the good doctor he is, remember at the beginning I said the lenders in this transaction were the doctors, he referred me to a specialist (underwriting) . My primary physician is Dr. Bradley Lee of the Kapolei Family Medical Center, and I have since gone back and thanked him for saving my life. See... this is not a story of gloom and doom, but one of celebration and thanks. My referred doctor, Dr. David C. Wei of Hawaii Prostate Center, Dr. Wei's website, reviewed my charts and asked the right questions. He explained that the elevated PSA could be from other things or could be from an early stage of cancer. We could "wait and watch" (which surprisingly is a recognized protocol for Prostate abnormalities) or we could do a Biopsy. I have a LOT of family history and am one of those who has always known that Prostate cancer for me was not a matter of if, but when. I chose the Biopsy. In my mind, it was precautionary and solely intended to put my mind back to rest, and a week later it was done and I was to check back in a week for the results. If you haven't been in a Doctor's office hearing the word cancer as it applies to you, it's a little hard to describe. I kept wanting to change the channel. It was August 7th when the magnitude of the situation arrived. Again, the biopsy was very encouraging indicating a small, non aggressive and early stage cancer. 20 years ago, when my father was diagnosed I would have been hearing a death sentence. In todays world, most of the options are age determinate. If I'd been 80 or in poor health hormone and radiation would have been very likely. The preferred technique for my circumstances was the removal of the prostate. I remember listening as his conversation covered the details and hearing the word "remove" like a splash of ice cold water on my face. If I hadn't been paying attention up to that point, I was now. As little as five years ago and certainly 10, this procedure would have almost certainly created continence and potency issues. Today, it isn't like that at all. It is still a game of percentages and you can improve your percentages by having an experienced doctor, but no doctor can guarantee you that their won't be some losses. I think incontinence is less than 5% and impotency is between 30% to 50% depending on the study. It is not a procedure that I would want someone to learn on me. These are good questions to ask. [...]
July 2008's Monthly Statistics Report Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:41:18 GMT Welcome!! If this is your first visit here make yourself at home and for those of you who have been following these over the past months, we continue to see our monthly inventory rising. For Single family, it is a monthly increase from 8.3 months to 9.0 months and for Condominiums a similar increase from 7 months to 7.8 (page 16). When you look at the graph, you'll see a "V" shaped trough and we have now reached the 2000 levels of monthly inventory.As to prices, they remain flat to slightly down, but when considering the inventory increase and the slowdown of sales, in my opinion, that is a major accomplishment. The median price of new listings dipped about 2% from June to July on Single Family and 6-7% on Condos for the same period. Single Family remains higher than the the first of the year, while Condos have dipped to a 2008 low. (Page 10) Median Number of Days on the market for single family rose from 39 days in June to 52 days in July which is quite a jump percentage wise and it will be interesting to see August's number. Condos remained in the low 40's where they've been for a few months with July at 42 days compared to June at 40 days. (Page 5) As to the big picture, Oahu overall YTD for single family as compared to 2007 is down on number of homes sold by 25.7% while the median price is only down by 2.8%. Overall YTD for Condos for the same period is down by 26.6% and yet the median price is up by 1.5%. All things considered and as compared to so many areas in the country where I talk to friends and agents, our market is doing remarkably well. (Page 6) As is the usual custom, I thank the Honolulu Board of REALTORs for making such great data available to us and I hope you find it as interesting as I do : ). Here is the link for the full report which also has regional and neighborhood breakdowns. July 2008 Statistical report
How to buy 83-644 Farrington Hwy with a 100% VA Loan Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:59:36 GMT REDUCED $10,000.00 ! August 14th, 2008 About the only Zero down payment loans out there right now are VA Loans. I've always thought them to be one of best loan products available, but in today's market, they have become even better. In Hawaii, we are lucky enough to have a Loan limit of $620,000 which is high enough to buy some really great houses and not be required to have any down payment. With some structure and planning, the costs of the loan are also able to be paid through the transaction through buyer credits which means it is very easy to purchase a home and have no cash requirement at all. The property at 83-644 Farrington Hwy is located north of Makaha and is situated on a very nice 2 acres directly across the street from the ocean with lovely views and a sense of unique privacy. The home is a 3 bedroom / 2 bath plantation style home that was built in 2002 and has everything people are looking for these days, including granite counters, an open floor plan, wrap around lanai with ocean and mountain views, concrete drive with tons of parking, coconut trees, plumerias, workshop and a huge master bedroom. The home itself has over 1,400 sq. feet and is a bank owned property and really priced to sell. REDUCED $10,000 to $584,900!  If you'd like to explore this property with me, give me a call or send me a note. Here are some links to give you a good idea of what the property offers and I'd love to show it to you and help you find a way to own this property. Visual Tour of the home and 2 acres Listing details If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call at 808-225-3660 or email me at mhhege@aol.com .
Wailana at Waikiki Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:54:40 GMT The first time you come into Honolulu, I don't think you can help being taken by the towering high rise buildings. Like so many chess pieces on an urban board, they each have their signature look and prestigious addresses in bold on the faces of the buildings. Names like Moana Pacific, Hawaiki Tower and Wailana at Waikiki are passed on the streets but the real pleasure is when you have the chance to enter them. The views from these architectural marvels are fabulous and present urban living at it's finest. Once inside the buildings, it is easily understood why so many people call them home. With various levels of security and walking access to some of the most popular areas of town they are communities within themselves.  As I was preparing the listing at Wailana, I easily met several residents who chatted a bit with me about how they loved the building. I'm sure there is a certain amount of pride with each buildings inhabitants, but I was struck by the common theme of the conversations I had with them as to their delight to live there. I think the great feature of the Wailana is her location. Straddling one of the most vibrant intersections in Waikiki, there are dozens of restaurants and shops within a short walking distance from your door. The amazing Hilton Hawaiian Village and the impressive Hale Koa Hotels are across the street with the large open spaces of Fort DeRussy park also on the other side of the street.  The building is a long single lode building with open hallways, which allows for good cross ventilation. There is central air conditioning for warmer days. There is a popular 24 hour restaurant at the street level, the Wailana coffee shop, which can be accessed through the lobby. There are several other commercial units on the 4th level, above the parking structure. Security includes passkey, elevator passkey and security guard. With 24 stories and 186 units it is large enough to make several friends but not too large to be lost in the crowds. There are leasehold and fee simple units available with the lease expiration date in 2039. As for OUR FEATURED PROPERTY, it is a fee simple property on the 18th floor and has been tastefully remodeled with granite counters throughout, stainless steel appliances and maple cabinets in the kitchen with a mix of ceramic tiles and carpeting. To take a virtual tour of the property, click here: Wailana at Waikiki virtual tour  The property is extremely easy to show to qualified buyers and if you are interested in learning more or would like to schedule a private showing, give me a call at (808) 225-3660 or visit my website at HomesOahuHawaii if you'd like more information. For a quick search of other available Condos in the Waikiki area here are some links to follow: <[...]
Working with lenders Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:25:47 GMT My view of being a REALTOR has always been that the easy part of the job was finding a house my clients liked. The real task was to find the best way for them to buy the house they selected. Many of those details were within the role of the REALTOR and many were placed into the care of others. I used the word "care" purposely, because 9 out of 10 times I have been involved in the selection of the lender and the "lender experience" is often the way the entire transaction is viewed by the home buyer.I work with lenders I know personally, lenders who I meet through the transaction and lenders who have been recommended to me. There are some that I am able to vouch for personally from other transactions and some are a yet to be determined quantity. What I don't have is a lender who will "count" on my transactions as much as one's who appreciate the opportunity to be able to compete for them. I wanted to talk about one of those today. I think my first assignment when working with a buyer is to introduce them to the options available to them and help them decide what the best type of financing will be for their particular situation. VA, FHA or conventional and if conventional, which of those products will be the best fit for them. I do my best to explain the pros and cons of each approach and when I have a good understanding of their goals we'll talk about the choices available to them. If they have a lender they have selected as someone they would like to work with, I ask that we get a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) from that lender as well as 2 others at a rate, price, prepaid interest date and program that is identical so we can see how everyone compares in the market. The GFE's give me the ability to analyze the overall costs and approach that each lender is bidding for this clients loan. FICO scores are necessary for this to be a valid exercise and the purchasers will already have been preapproved before we start the viewing process by one of these lenders so that we have those scores and a purchase power guideline. The final selection is up to the buyers. It may be about money, it may be about a relationship they have with the lender, it may be many things. What is most important to me is that they would be able to say what that reason was and that it wouldn't be "because I told them to use them". There is just too much money and longterm expense at stake for me to be making that decision. I want to give them the best choices I can and help them to fully understand their choices, but I want the buyers to be the "deciders". In a transaction that is closing this week, one of the lenders that I had brought into the decision process was the selected lender. He won their business on several levels and is one who I enjoy working with immensely. Rates had risen since their lock and when the underwriters changed their guidelines for the approval he went to bat for the purchasers exhausting all avenues of relief through the supervisory channels. When he was unable to have them stand by their earlier commitment, he pulled the loan from them and placed it with another lender to satisfactorily obtain loan approval. His income will be reduced by over 50% due to the changes in rates between the application and new loan application. The purchasers will have the same costs he had promised them. In my conversation with him, he explained to me that it was the right thing for him to do and he had no regrets in doing so. He had chosen the underwriter, he had made the commitment to the purchasers and that his reputation and his word were the most important part of the transaction to him. Income from the loan was much lower on his list of priorities. It may seem like a lot of work to be involved as much as I am in the lender process, but I've personally found that if you approach each transaction unbiasedly and find the lender that fits the needs of your buyer the best, that it can make all the difference in the world. [...]
Market Stats through first 6 months of 2008 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:29:28 GMT The first 6 months of statistics for Oahu, HI are now available through the link below. There is truly a wealth of information in them and probably something for everybody whether you are a buyer, investor, seller or homeowner wondering about a move.The most significant stats in my opinion is the reduction of units sold which is compounded by the increasing numbers of units available for sale. We will normally refer to this as the "Monthly Inventory" and as the numbers of months required to sell the existing inventory increases, it becomes more and more of a buyers market. The number is reached by dividing the listing inventory by the number of units sold, or in Oahu's Single family for instance: 2,080 (currently listed homes) / 252 ( homes closed in June '08) = 8.3 months This number in a vacuum means very little and is more helpful when compared to a different time period. For instance as compared to a year ago, the same data was: 1,806 (# of homes listed June '07) / (357 (#number of homes closed June '07) = 5.1 months This represents an increase in the monthly inventory of 3.2 months which is a very significant increase. It has been trending up all year and is one of the key numbers to watch when looking at the "health" of a market place. This information is on page 17 of the linked report and is also broken down by specific areas and price ranges. For Ewa Beach, Kapolei and Ko Olina refer to the Ewa Plain area and Makakilo has her own area's listing. Another very interesting statistic is that in June 2008 the average Days on Market (DOM) was actually the lowest it has been since 2005. This would indicate that some properties are selling very quickly while others are languishing. In other words, there are good values and they are being bought quickly and there are others which are simply not selling. As REALTORS, we always try to explain to our listing clients that your initial entrance to the marketplace is the most important move you make. Pricing, condition, advertising presence, documentation and ability to show the property should all be in place on Day one of your listings availability. Testing the market price or prematurely making your property available can damage your longterm results by losing the buyers with the highest level of interest while you take care of the loose ends. A new listing will often have more showings in the first 2 weeks of it's marketing period than during the next 30 to 60 days, and those first 14 days were the people who for a number of different reasons were possibly the most interested in your property. Long story short, homes that are priced right, staged well and marketed with a high impact entry to the marketplace are still selling and selling fast. If you choose to be one of those properties, the market is there. I hope you are able to take sometime to peruse the report and that it helps you to analyze your position. If you'd like to spend some time to learn what all those statistics mean to you, I'm always available to get together with you and listen to your goals and give you an honest opinion of how you might consider getting there. In the meantime... Happy 4th of July and I am reminded as I write of how fortunate we all are to have the possibility of Home Ownership available to us in the first place. June 2008 HBR housing statistics Mahalo for your interest. If you would like to visit my real estate website or would like my contact information, here is the link. HomesOahuHawaii
May 2008 Oahu real estate statistics Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:39:31 GMT As numbers for another month become available, there is good information for Buyers and Sellers to take note of. The numbers of unit sales is down considerably but prices are remaining fairly stable.For sellers, this means that homes are selling and for those that are priced well, days on market and list price to sale price ratios are favorable. Pricing and market exposure are more important than ever and the best of the best listings are selling but coming in 2nd or 3rd on a buyers choice is not good enough. The good news is that if you have a home to sell, the market is there and if you want to sell you probably can. As always, professional advice, a solid marketing plan and competitive pricing based on the competition in your area will dictate your success. For buyers, the reduction in units sold has made you Very Important People. You have the ability in this market to make your desires known and use your wide variety of choices to negotiate assertively. When you present yourselves to a seller as someone who is fully capable of performing if you are able to come to terms with the seller, you bring the most powerful argument to that seller. "We'd be interested in purchasing your home, but if we can't reach an agreement, there are others who may." Here is a link to the most recent stats from the Honolulu Board of REALTORS. May 2008 Statistics If you are interested in finding out more about the Kapolei and Ko Olina real estate market, I would enjoy having a conversation with you. If you'd like to learn more about my proactive approach, please be sure to visit me at : Michael's website In the meantime... Know your market!
Ko Olina residential neighborhoods, pictures and information Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:37:58 GMT Ko Olina is sometimes overlooked as a place to not only vacation, but to live year round. There are currently 5 different neighborhoods sprinkled throughout the resort and each of them have a different look and feel to them. Settings, architecture, amenities and price range all create different choices depending on what a person is looking for. What they all share in common is being located in the beautiful Ko Olina resort and all 5 communities will allow you to be members of the Ocean Club with access to the pools, tennis courts, gym and to receive discounts within the area.Located within 3 miles of Kapolei, Ko Olina offers convenient access to shopping but the relaxed atmosphere of living within walking distance to 4 gorgeous lagoons and miles of walking trails. As you drive in, you know you've arrived to a special place, and it is easy to understand why Disney has selected Ko Olina to build their first offsite Hotel property.  Here is a picture of the entrance to the Ko Olina area with the 24 hour Aloha team check in on the roadway in the right of the picture. As you enter the area, the first of the housing areas will be on your right. It is called Kai Lani, and is about 30 individual 4 unit buildings some of which have unobstructed ocean and coastline views, many of which are only separated from the coast by a small ribbon of Conservation property. Each unit has a single car garage and there are 1st floor and 2nd floor units. Of all the communities, Kai Lani is the smallest and offers the best of the best in terms of privacy and views. The link will show you available properties in Kai Lani. The picture below shows the gated entrance into the homes. Prices on Kai Lani listings are currently between $700K to $1.295MM Kai Lani Units for sale  The entrance to the Kai Lani residences As you continue on into the Resort, you'll pass the Marriotts Ihilani 5 star Hotel and then adjacent to this fantastic property, you'll come to the future site of the Disney Hotel. Located on 23 + acres and fronting the second half of the largest of the 4 Lagoons, this should be quite a transformation to the area.  Future site of the Disney Hotel property Across the street from the site is the entrance to another community in Ko Olina, Coconut Plantation. These units are located on some beautiful grounds and the landscaping is truly remarkable. Coconut Plantation is the closest of all the 5 communities to the Disney site and has the Ko Olina Golf Course on it's other boundary. Currently, the lowest priced property in Coconut Plantation is just under $600K. <[...]
Ko Olina & the Disney resort Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:30:37 GMT As the pages of the calendar fall to the floor, what seemed a distant event begins to appear closer. From the first time I heard the rumor, it was easy to believe and easy to imagine. Disney was going to build a hotel in Ko Olina.The Disney family is a pretty good family to have moving into our neighborhood! Not only for the investment and jobs that will be brought, but for the quality of the corporation and the people who are part of it.  Ihilani Hotel - Marriott Disney site Beach Villas Marriott Beach Club timeshares I had the pleasure of working with a large company move when the Santa Fe Railroad moved their Locomotive repair shop and other support services from San Bernardino, Albuquerque and Euless, Texas to Topeka, Kansas. It was over several years and being a REALTOR was redefined to me during that experience. I personally visited each of the locations that was being effected by the move and met with workers and their families to answer a multitude of questions that came up. We actually rented conference rooms in the hotels and invited transferees to come with their families and ask about Topeka. During those trips, I spoke to hundreds of people. What I learned was that in each family, a move to a far away place was way beyond the house they would be living in. Schools for the children, jobs and unemployment benefits for the trailing spouses, the community in general, tax events, cost of living, doctors and health concerns were often more of what we talked about than Real Estate. In many cases, we were the first person they knew in the town they were learning they were going to be calling home. I was involved in a lot of transactions, but more enjoyably, I was involved in a lot of lives and think I was able to provide a valuable service throughout the experience. The internet was not was it is then. I suppose that many answers will be able to be answered with Google and websites. It will be interesting to watch the process as it unfolds and people begin to come to town. I hope I'm able to make that transition more comfortable and easy as they do. In the meantime, I will start to add references and things that someone moving here might find interesting. As I have said before in this forum, Ko Olina is a beautiful place and since this will be the first time Disney will build a Hotel without an accompanying park, I think that speaks volumes of how beautiful the area is on her own merits. The planned hotel site is located on a crescent shaped lagoon and will be built between the Ihilani Hotel, a 5 star Marriott property and the Beach Villas which are brand new residence villas which are the first year round residence opportunities on any of the 4 Ko Olina Lagoons. A wonderful beach trail connects the 4 lagoons on a mile and a half coastline trail. There are&[...]
WolfgangsVault.com Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:09:21 GMT I was thinking the other day about our move to Oahu and I thought how much easier the move had been with the advent of all the modern miracles that surround us. When we told our friends of our intent, we were warned of "Island Fever", that claustrophobic feeling of being trapped on an Island, as well as countless other reasons to not move here, all of which I'm glad to say have yet to manifest themselves. In fact, after a little more than a year, I am only now starting to feel as though I am beginning to understand how vast Oahu is, let alone her sister Islands that we have yet to really explore at all. There was also the thought of isolation from all that we had known... friends, family, familiar places, all of which we have been able to stay in touch with and even had the pleasure of hosting in our new surroundings. That is the magic of the aforementioned modern miracles. I think the move would have been harder without email, without cable and cell phones and without mapquest and google I'm not sure if we would have survived. Throw in jet planes, overnight delivery, Costco and cable news and I don't feel as though I've given up a thing. And what we've gotten in return has been a life we only imagined. I am of the age that the internet and all it has to offer constantly amazes me. While talking to my longest friend the other day, he told me of one more wonder of the internet. The site is called WolfgangsVault.com, and it is an amazing place. They have a library of concerts that I can't wait to explore. There are concerts that we actually went to in the '60s and 70's and it is truly a blast to click on a favorite performer and remember when. Now, not only can I go San Francisco, LA or anywhere else with a click of the mouse... but I can even find myself at the doors of the Fillmore with tickets in my hands. I hope you enjoy the site as much as I do and if you find a good show, let me know. "As long as there is music..."   
Kapolei to have Hawaii's largest solar farm Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:52:08 GMT Tentative agreements have been reached for a 12 acre Solar farm to bebuilt on 12 acres of James Campbell Co. land next to the Campbell Industrial Park. The energy production farm is to be built by a subsidiary of Hoku Scientific Inc., a Kapolei Company.
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