Kailua, HI

Good news in paradise! It appears that the activity level has been picking up steam. We are getting a lot more buyers that are looking here on Oahu. They are actually making offers and feel it is a great time to buy with the low interest rates. It may not be the bottom, but they feel with the low interest rates and the price adjustments over the past 2 years it may be a great opportunity to get a piece of Hawaii.

I have been speaking to few agents I know on Kauai and Maui. They are tell me that the are experiencing the same thing as well.

Hopefully this is a start to a recovery.

One of the things I look forward to the most with my annual subscription to Honolulu Magazine is the Kailua edition that comes out every April.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to be interviewed for the magazine's article, "Wanted: Kailua" by Catherine Toth, on Kailua real estate. They even featured a home that I sold and my clients in the article.

This year, the Kailua section featured the history of three very different Kailua families and 13 fun new things to do in Kailua. In the article "Kailua Generations," by Jenny Quill told stories of the Kanentake, Rodrigues-Pope and Peters families of Kailua. I found intriguing the historic photos, including a 1952 picture of Mount Olomana, and wonder what it must have been like here, in the "old days."

In the article on new things to do in Kailua, the writer, Ashley Hamershock, featured several new restaurants, merchants and activity providers, under the headings drink, eat, move and shop. I have tried several of the new places first-hand and found them to be quite good. In particular, Bob's Pizzeria, Crepes No Ka Oi, and Kailua Town Pub and Grill, all casual eateries, with pretty good prices. Of the merchants, I'd recommend Little Sprouts, the new Eco-boutique for kids, featuring green clothing and products, and the Sweet Paradise Chocolatier, with delicious and beautiful chocolate treats, even some handpainted tropical delights.

The last Kailua article in the magazine was my favorite, however, because it so distinctly depicts much of my experience living in Kailua. Entitled "New Year's Day," the writer, Rachel Ross, describes what makes Kailua so special. Stranded o New Year's Day with a flat tire, she hangs out for a while at the historical Kalapawai Market, just Mauka of the kitesurfing part of Kailua Beach, while the owner rides his bike home to get a pump to help fix her tire. She people watches (looking for Obama), interacts, and lives, even if for a brief moment in a "small town meets cosmopolitan" experience, which I completely understood. This is this specific location where I have my coffee almost every morning, so perhaps gives part an explanation of why I am so in love with Kailua.

Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn (RA)
Mary Worrall Associates | Sotheby's International Realty
yvonne@worrall.com
www.yvonneahearn.com
808-721-8088

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For those of you that don't know, Maunawili is the first neighborhood you come to after going over the Pali to Kailua. What's great about it, is you're minutes from the pristine white beaches of Kailua, yet also minutes away from Downtown Honolulu. Many doctors, attorneys & business professionals choose to reside here due to its close proximity to town. It's also just about a 20 minute drive to some of the best private schools in town. Or, if you don't want the commute, Le Jardin Academy is right there. Other attractions are gorgeous Mount Olomana and the lush greenery of the Windward side of Oahu.

Maunawili has also been a hot real estate market as of late. Although there's only been 4 sales in the past 6 months (1 of which was $2 million), there are currently 4 under contract with an average of only 25 days on market! There's an additional 4 active listing averaging only 23 days on market, ranging from $1,079,000 to $1,330,000. These are all decent sized lots ranging from 10,000 - 17,000 square feet. One of these listings is my own. You can click here for more information. We had 2 great offers in the first two weeks! We have an accepted offer, however the buyer must sell first. Most of us will be open this Sunday from 2-5 PM, so please stop by :)

The Oahu community of Kailua will be celebrating Earth Day at the Kawai Nui Neighborhood Park on Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Various organizations and environmental agencies will be participating in the event to bring environmental awareness to the residents of our beautiful island of Oahu. The event will include a tour of Queen Lili'uoklani's retreat. Those who wish to take part in the tour must be checked in at the information booth by 10:30 a.m. Educational exhibits will offering interactive activities for children. Exhibits will also present information on the work currently being done to on the island of Oahu. The importance of Oahu's Kawai Nui Marsh, Hawaii's largest wetland, will be a featured topic of the day. Opportunities to be a vital part of the Earth Day celebration will be available. Volunteers will be allowed to work at several sites around the Kawai Nui Marsh. There will also be a raffle for volunteers and for those who come by bike or walk to the event.

Celebrate Earth Day while learning the importance of our unique environment and how to preserve it. Demonstrate the Aloha Spirit by participating in the various volunteer opportunities that will be available.

Aloha,

Robin McCann, Robin McCann Realty, LLC

Here's a tip to avoid getting ripped off. NEVER send money to Nigeria. OK?

A local family just lost approximately $2,500 when they contacted someone advertising a rental for an Aikahi Gardens townhome in Kailua. The true owner of the property had advertised the unit for rent on a couple of websites. The scammers copied the photos and description, placed them on craigslist with a lower rental amount and BINGO! somebody took the bait.

It's kind of hard to believe that a renter would fall for this, but it does happen. The prospective renters were looking for a low priced rental and this unit seemed like everything they wanted and for much less than comparable rentals in Kailua.

The prospective renters sent their payment to Nigeria. The alleged owners then claimed that the keys were lost in the mail and authorized the renters to hire a locksmith and deduct the charges from the next month's rent. The renters with contract in hand called a locksmith and had the locks changed.

Here's where it gets interesting!

The actual owner of the property was out of state and returned to Kailua to check on her townhouse. Her key didn't open the door, so she looked through the window and noticed boxes and a TV set in the living room. She called the Kailua police department and they entered the unit, finding more furniture upstairs.

Later that evening, a man came to the townhome with more boxes. The police confronted him and he explained how he had rented the unit from the owner, who is living in Nigeria! The police informed him that he was duped and he'd have to move out. Since the "tenant" was acting in good faith (believing that he had a valid rental contract) he was not charged by police.

The Kailua Police Department has no jurisdiction in Nigeria, so the duped tenants are out $2,500 without recourse. Meanwhile, the actual owner of the property has incurred costs to clean the unit, change the locks and warn others not to fall for the scam. She has tenants paying market rate scheduled to move in next week.

Tip-offs to ripoffs

1) Don't send money to Nigeria.

2) The duped tenants thought they were paying $1,200 per month rent for a three bedroom, two bath townhouse in Kailua. Market rents for similar properties are $1,950 per month. Think about that carefully before sending payment to Nigeria. Oh yeah, and see #1 above!

3) The false advertisements also said the "owners" wanted tenants with the "fear of God." It's against the law to discriminate based on religion. A Savvy property owner should know that and so should a prospective tenant.

Renters, please spend your money carefully so that you can one day buy your own property and enjoy the benefits of home ownership.

Aloha, Mike Bates