Situated just south of world-famous Kailua Beach, the Lanikai neighborhood has an interesting layout.  At the north-end or entrance of the neighborhood is the distinctive Lanikai monument featured on postcards and in local artwork.  The view of the ocean and surrounding mountains from the monument is absolutely breathtaking!  At this point the 2-lane road taking you into Lanikai becomes a 1-lane loop road around the neighborhood.  The road into Lanikai - A’alapapa Drive - runs along the inland or Lanikai ridge side of the community.   After a little over a mile, A’alapapa makes a U-turn to the left and becomes Mokulua Drive which runs along the beach side of the community and returns to the Lanikai monument at the entrance.   The “Lanikai Loop” road is a favorite running and walking path due to the bike lane that runs the full length of the loop.  In fact, spending time on the Lanikai Loop is so popular some folks joke that Lanikai actually means, “I jog daily!”

          There are many things to love about Lanikai … the gorgeous white sandy beach, the beauty of the Mokulua Islands offshore, the scenic vistas from the World War II pillboxes on the Lanikai ridge, or simply the relaxed family-friendly atmosphere that pervades the neighborhood.

          If you would like more information about lovely Lanikai just call or email me.  I’ve been a resident of this fair neighborhood for 14 years and there is so much to share … Aloha!  Allison

          Since the first priority in any community should be safety and security, both the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii have made intergrated communications and operations between all its first responders a top priority.  They’ve been so successful that the FBI has named Honolulu the “Safest Big City in America”.   We seem to be well prepared for natural, man-made, and biological disasters.  That’s money well spent!

          A second priority for communities should be its infrastructure.  With a Capital Improvement Budget of over $1 billion, Mayor Hannamann has made this another of his top priorities.  As I look around our island I see repair and replacement activities everywhere.  And what about all that sewer work that’s being done?!  Yes, it’s been frustrating to drive over and around torn-up roadways, but “Save the drama for your Momma“, because the work needs to be done!

          Of course the Mayor discussed the need to develop a multi-modal transporation solution that included rail.  I’ll save that topic for a separate discussion, but I like hearing that our Mayor is networking with other city leaders from around the country and around the world to draw on their experiences and best practices on an array of topics.  He and his team also seem diligent in their efforts to leverage Federal grants to bring monies to our island home to both stimulate our economy and improve our quality of life. 

          I know this is an election year and that Mayor Hannemann is looking for a second term in office.  I was glad to have the opportunity to hear what he is doing for our neighborhoods and for our families.  I believe he is working very hard on our behalf and the City & County of Honolulu is a better place to visit and to live as a result!

          An important agent selection criteria is experience - both in general and with regard to the area or neighborhood your particular property is located in. Look around … Who is selling property in your area? Take the time to visit open houses in your neighborhood and meet the agents that are representing your neighbors. Open houses can be a great place for a casual “interview” with a potential listing agent … You’re really seeing them in their element. What are they doing to promote that property? Are they conducting themselves in a professional manner? Are they knowledgable and able to answer questions about the property and the neighborhood?

          I’ll blog about additional criteria for agent selection in the near future, but let me continue to address the area of an agent’s experience … After you have identified a couple potential agents, invite these agents to do a listing presentation for you. You will want to ask each agent about their recent real estate listing experience. Have they helped buyers or sellers or both in your area? Have they successfully sold properties similiar to yours in the area? What have they learned about your neighborhood or area that is of special interest? Are they aware of any issues or challenges with properties in your area. You will not only learn more about the agent’s credentials, but you may learn more about your neighborhood in the process!

          There are several other selection criteria I’d like to suggest to you. I’ll address them in future blogs so stay tuned! In the meantime, if you are interested in continuing this conversation just email me at algreen@lava.net . Aloha, Allison

          Another destination worth seeing is the Punchbowl Veterans Cemetary of the Pacific - www.acresofhonor.com. The mosaic depictions of the WWII battles in the Pacific theater are amazing and the setting - a lush green oasis inside a volanic crater - is breathtaking!

          Yes, we are really steeped in military history here on Oahu. In fact the front page of today’s Honolulu Advertiser had a great article on 100 years at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. You can read about it at http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/May/04/ln/hawaii805040397.html .

          If you enjoy military history like our family does Oahu has so much to offer. Consider a visit to our fair island … Who knows you might even decide to stay!

          Here’s what I mean … We all know that Appraisers have been under a great deal of fire from the lending world to be accurate, even conservative, with their appraisals. And should an appraisal come in below the contract price that the Buyer and Seller have agreed on, you can bet in this market that the Buyer is going to want to re-negotiate the contract price down to appraised value.

          So what is the moral of the story for Sellers? There are actually two … Consider getting a professional appraisal up front before deciding on a listing price AND work with a professional real estate agent who will meet with the Appraiser at your property and give them a written list of all the upgrades and features of the property that support the contract price. Your agent should be working hard to get you every dollar you deserve!

          If you have any questions about listing your property for sale please contact me. Aloha, Allison

          The goal of staging in my mind is emphasizing all the good attributes of a home - inside and out - so Buyers can really see how to live in the property. After discussing my approach to prepping their home for sale with the Sellers and getting their agreement to stage the property, I bring in professional interior designer, Kathy Norton of Design Management. Kathy begins by doing a 1-2 hour consult with the Sellers and me at their property. That consult results in two lists - things that need repair or maintenance and a complete list of staging items that will be needed to complete the project.

          The next step is to create a calendar or timeline for all the items that need to be done and in what order. At some point Kathy and I return to “install” the make-over. This usually takes 1-2 days time. A typical Design Management staging involves moving furniture (including some additions and some deletions to existing pieces), rearranging artwork and wall hangings, using area rugs for focus, and adding LOTS of light to each room. Kathy really makes each job special with her custom artwork and hand-built furniture, as needed. And the outcome is always stunning! In every case the staged homeshave looked at the final product and have told us, “We don’t want to sell now!”. In fact most of my Sellers do more entertaining once they go on the market because their home looks so beautiful after the staging. So if you would like to talk more about staging just email me or call me.

          The bottom line is staged homes really speak to the Buyers who are looking for a turn-key property and staged homes typically sell much faster and for more money than the average hum-hum listing. And for the Sellers that can mean more $$ in your pocket sooner in this softer housing market. Aloha! Allison

          So the seller decided to do something BOLD. She lowered her list price over $40,000 … which was way below the comps! As soon as I put the new price in the MLS, my phone started to ring. I held an open house days later and had the best turnout I’ve ever had up there. A delightful couple who had been renting down the street - and had been watching this particular unit on the internet (but had never come to see the unit) - came to check it out. They wrote a solid offer the next day, and we are now in a 30-day escrow!

          The seller is thrilled. They will make a nice profit - not as much as they had originally hoped for - but in this softer real estate market we have to revise our expectations. And the cool thing is my friend’s action is really having an impact beyond this single transaction. All the units in the complex have experienced a surge of showings because agents were showing our listing along with the other units in the complex. In fact I know of another unit in the complex that will be getting an offer because our unit was already under contract. And several renters who want to become owners have called to ask if there are other options for them at this price point, and of course we are showing them other “first time buyer” type properties.

          So my client’s act of desperation, not only solved her sale challenge, but energized the condo market in sleepy Waialua! What a valuable lesson … There ARE buyers out there! Give them a good value and they will come out of the woodwork!