About Mililani's Mililani Hawaii Military Relocation

First of all there are plenty of Realtors® in Honolulu County to choose from. Hmm, last I looked there were about 6,000 on this island alone. So how do you choose a Realtor® who is knowledgeable in Military Relocations & Real Estate and VA Loan/Transaction process?

There are plenty of Loan Officers in Honolulu County as well. Hmm, not sure about the numbers there but I can bet you half are gone since the closing of many loan companies. So, how do you choose a loan officer who is knowledgeable in Military Relocations & experienced in Hawaii Real Estate Contracts, the VA loan process and knows Hawaii Real Estate laws too?

Trick questions? I think not.

Just know that everyone is claiming to be a "VA expert", "Military Relocation Specialist", "Multi Million Dollar Producer" and claims to be an expert in just about anything when it comes to Hawaii Real Estate. Just know one thing experience in Real Estate first. The caring and understanding and knowing what it's like to Relocate is another. Personality plays a big part in your connection with both Realtor® and Loan Officer.

Just because they advertise so doesn't make it so. Remember that.

I have written many articles on the VA Transaction Process "through THIS Realtor Associate's® eyes"and I yes I do claim to be an expert as well. What I'm trying to get across here are there are certain criteria to look for when looking for that special Realtor® or Local Lender that you will choose to purchase that special home for you and your family once you Relocate to Hawaii.

To start with:

• If the Realtor® or Loan Officer is promising the world and it sounds too good to be true...it probably is. Question it and get a second opinion.
• If that Realtor® is not showing you property that is in your criteria then you know something is wrong. You usually can pick up on that sort of stuff while looking online and inquiring with different Realtors® (i.e you are qualified for 350k and they're showing you up to 600k)
• If that Realtor® or Loan Officer is playing any other role besides their title (i.e. Loan Officer telling the client what to put in the purchase contract and a Realtor® promising an interest rate that is absurd) then you know it's time to get a second opinion.
• If that Realtor® or Loan Officer continuously brags about 'self' and doesn't bother to listen to your needs, then it's time to move on and interview someone else. You need someone who will listen and give you sound advice. Not someone who keeps talking about themselves.
• If that Realtor® or Loan Officer is not thinking in your best interests and is continuously pushy even though you've told them you're working with someone else; then you know this person is only thinking of one thing. That paycheck.
• If that Realtor® or Loan Officer is trying to sway you to a different loan program besides the VA Guaranteed Loan program question why and get a second opinion. For the military vet there is no question that a VA loan is literally the best 100% financing program there is for the Military Relocating to Hawaii who are serious about Hawaii Home Buying.
• If a Realtor® or Loan Officer is bad mouthing another peer for no reason...just know that there is most likely an ulterior motive to that scenario and you're not looking to judge their peer but buy a home!

Okay, so we all are out to work and make a living, but there is certainly a difference between making a living and walking all over someone just to make that living. If it's one thing most people have is common sense and they can 'feel' when someone is just talking a good game or being real and genuine in their quest to help you acquire that American Dream of home ownership.

If you're not sure, then keep asking and inquiring until you feel comfortable with your choice for a Realtor® and your loan officer. Remember, this is most likely the most important decision you're making in your lifetime (besides asking her to marry you :) so be sure you're in the right hands.

For more information on the VA Loan Transaction Process, being proactive for your relocation and the Hawaii Housing Market:

• Good News! October Statistics for Oahu's Housing Market! These statistics will give you an idea of how our market has gone a little down and a little back up again. It's more of a little bit of negotiating market but not much if it's prices right.
• This Realtors® Perspective: Hawaii Military & the VA Loan These guidelines will help you in preparing for your Hawaii Relocation (or even if you already live here and are purchasing a home) and learning about the transaction process using your VA Guaranteed Loan
• VA Loans & Hawaii Military Relocations: This Realtors® Process Know the process for your VA benefits and the VA loan process.
• *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* Don't be shocked when you arrive...get the scoop on the environment, jobs, house hunting, BAH current rates and more!
• The Art of Hawaii Relocations Expect smaller, different and of course paradise.
• A Honolulu Hawaii Relocation: Getting Ready With Your "To Do" List In order to have a smooth transition in your Honolulu Hawaii Move, Hawaii Job Transfer & Move or your Honolulu Hawaii Military Relocation you NEED to be proactive!

One thing is for certain: From start to finish your transaction, loan and escrow process should be a smooth process for you! All who are involved will be working together as a team so when you receive those keys it's a happy time.....moving in to your happy home.

Everyone knows how to use a bucket, right? As children we used buckets when we played in the sand box or on the beach making sand castles. As adults we use buckets to haul all kinds of things and occasionally we use them as something to sit upon. However, there is much more to discover about how to use a bucket!

Those of you who knew Bruce know he was notorious for using simple devices to teach or make a point easily understood.

One of the stories he shared about a bucket came from Frank, his dad. Frank was a man of few words and preferred to demonstrate than to explain things.

One day when Bruce was a young boy he told his dad he wanted to be a very important person when he grew up. He wanted to be the BEST at something special—to do things other people couldn't do. Frank told him it was good to have lofty ideas and goals, but they needed to be tempered with a dose of reality. Bruce didn't "get it." So his dad told him to fetch the bucket and fill it with water. Bruce did as he was told. Then his dad told him to make a fist, stick his fist in the bucket and remove it. Again, Bruce followed his dad's instruction. With a look of bewilderment on his face, Bruce stared at his dad. He wasn't sure what that was all about. His dad asked him if he noticed how fast the water filled in after he removed his fist from the bucket of water. Bruce said the water rushed back in on itself very quickly. His dad said, "my point exactly!" The lesson being, "To be the best and remain the best you must work very, very hard because there is always someone else that can fill your shoes very quickly!"

Frank also used a bucket to teach his son about the importance of character. He told him to fetch the same bucket and fill it again with water. He told Bruce this represented his storehouse of character—honesty, integrity, responsibility, loyalty, trustworthiness, excellence, etc. He wanted Bruce to understand that if he used his supply of character wisely his bucket would always be full. However, if he lied, didn't keep his word, didn't do his job well, betrayed a friend or didn't do his best, he would discover his bucket empty without any way to refill it.

So, every time I see a bucket I think of Bruce, the lessons we can apply in our business whether we are Realtors, mortgage bankers, loan officers, processors, consultants, loss mitigators, other professions as well as in our personal lives, from such a simple, ordinary item, and wonder at the wealth of ideas it can provide for us to draw upon.

I used "the bucket" idea with a different spin for a post on my blog yesterday. See link below.

If you have any other bucket ideas be sure and let me know.

If you haven't seen the film, The Bucket List, check it out. It's a terrific movie with Jack Nickalson and Morgan Freeman. A good take on living life to the fullest.

How to help our nation through the “rain”... one drop at a time

Copyright by Linda Bourgault. All rights reserved. 2008

Yesterday my daughter and I went to the Super Shopping Plaza. The NEX (Navy Exchange) at Pearl Harbor. The NEX back in 1967 was a single story old building with a couple of separate ones scattered around the Moanalua Shopping Center area and up the road from the Makalapa Gate- Pearl Harbor Navy Base.

A few years ago they built this giant double level mall NEX consisting of 275,000 sq. ft of oodles of shopping, other stores and a giant Commissary too. It is Hawaii's Largest Navy Exchange and named the "2006 Bingham Award" winner for excellence and outstanding performance.

Not only is this "mall" HUGE to accomodate the hundreds if not thousands that trapse through all the shopping mall, it is also tastefully decorated to entertain Active Duty Military In Hawaii, their dependents, Vets in Hawaii and their guests.

The waterfall pictured to the left starts from the pool on the second floor and tiers down with cascading waterfalls to three or four levels and ending at the bottom pool. The sculpture is a Wyland sculpture titled "A Leap of Faith".

While coming down the escalator I noticed many children and adults tossing coins to make a wish.

What a sight!

Yes, I ran around taking pictures of the gigantic mural on the ceiling that highlights the entry and the middle of the mall. Guess who did this "Ocean's Sanctuary" mural? Ah...of course it's Wyland!

This mural features Wyland's 89th mural (he just painted his 100th one in China in honor of the Olympics) and spans 10,000 sq/ft and features three adult and two baby whales.

In 2004 Wyland returned to the NEX to add on a HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL to the mural. Do you see it right in the skylight?

We ate at the Food Court and got our fill so we could romp around the Hawaii Navy Commissary without stuffing our basket with unneeded items (that one usually does when they're all hungry before shopping). Right inside the entrance there was a flower/plant 'shop' and I decided to pick up two plants to give my little courtyard garden some color.

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Hours of operation:
Daily: 9 AM - 9 PM

Telephone: (808) 423-3330
Customer Service: (808) 423-3274

Mailing Address:
1025 Quincy Avenue, Suite 1020
Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-4512

Physical Location:
4725 Bougainville Drive, Building 631
Honolulu, HI 96818

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© 2008 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog. All rights reserved

This Community is not just for people who are relocating to Hawaii but for all military personnel and dependents, residents and visitors too.... who just want information on our neighborhoods, information on purchasing a home, information of what to do to get ready for your move, information on the VA loan process and anything to do with POINTS OF INTEREST, places to see and things to do.

BEST THINGS TO DO IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS! is something I put together for residents, military, non military, retirees, visitor or anyone interested in things to do on Oahu, Honolulu County. Have fun!

Military Transfers & Relocations to Hawaii: A Geographical Shock tells my story and travels as a Military Dependent but also that the Hawaii Military Veteran makes up 10% of our population on Oahu & the Active Duty Military Personnel make up about 3.5 % of our population on Oahu. It is without a doubt that the military presence in Honolulu County makes up a BIG Community on our island of Oahu.

We give our Aloha Spirit to you all who serve our country and their dependents that support them too!

Your Military Relocation to Hawaii, Neighborhood Information and Purchasing Your New Home. The following information is basic but pertinent information to go over before you even pack for your transfer and before considering purchasing your Honolulu County (Oahu) home. Moving across the Pacific Ocean to such a diverse culture may be of a shock and you may want to brush up on a few tips to make your transition a smooth one.

• Is the Hawaii Real Estate Housing Market Still Shifting? The big difference with the Housing Market in Hawaii is the fact that we have just so little buildable and usable land.
• This Realtors® Perspective: Hawaii Military & the VA Loan These guidelines will help you in preparing for your Hawaii Relocation (or even if you already live here and are purchasing a home) and learning about the transaction process using your VA Guaranteed Loan
• Honolulu County Hawaii Military Bases & Installations- Oahu Neighborhoods Map, bases and installations and all you wanted to know about where that duty station you're being transferred to is located on this island.
• *Across the Ocean to Paradise: Military Relocations Hawaii* Don't be shocked when you arrive...get the scoop on the environment, jobs, house hunting, BAH current rates and more!
• The Art of Hawaii Relocations Expect smaller, different and of course paradise.
• A Honolulu Hawaii Relocation: Getting Ready With Your "To Do" List In order to have a smooth transition in your Honolulu Hawaii Move, Hawaii Job Transfer & Move or your Honolulu Hawaii Military Relocation you NEED to be proactive!

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• VA Loans & Hawaii Military Relocations: This Realtors® Process Know the process for your VA benefits and the VA loan process.
• Honolulu-Hawaii Pet Quarantine: Prepare For Your Hawaii Move! Hawaii is Rabies Free so our laws are strict with incoming pets.
• Oahu and Surrounding Neighborhood Search: Relocations Hawaii A look into how I set you up to receive automatic listings with your own personal webpage to fine tune your criteria for your home purchase
• What's in Your Wallet? This online relocation packet may be informational but I always send out printed booklets as well. It's just ...well....more personal.
• Visitor and Newcomer Safety Tips for Hawaii! Take heed to some safety tips as it will surely make you one proactive person....and it could save you and your family from harm.
• 10 Simple Things for BUYING YOUR HAWAII HOME For one, you will have your own agent (known as a Buyer's Agent) to represent your best interests. Another, leave the work to us and not your friend, family or yourself. It's like having an operation performed by a school teacher. Doesn't work like that.
• HAWAII OPEN HOUSES (RULES WHILE ATTENDING) Sometimes, buyers are under the impression that they are better negotiators and will be able to get a better deal. Read tips for Open Houses because the agent holding the Open House is thinking in the best interests of the seller...not you.

Stay tuned for Part II with links to all you ever wanted to know about your MOVE to Hawaii, Transfer to Hawaii, Military Relocation to Hawaii, Local Area Information, Housing Information, Sites to See, Pictures and More.

It's a lovely day in our neighborhood!

Paradise at Your Fingertips :)

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© 2008 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Hawaii Real Estate and Relocation Blog. All rights reserved.

My son was in the United States Navy and stationed aboard the USS Kitty Hawk air craft carrier based out of Yokosuka, Japan until the summer of 2006.

He was aboard the ship and in the Persian Gulf the day the war was announced on March 19th, 2003 and I, as a mom, was sick to stomach and besides myself with worry. It was his birthday. I didn't hear from my son for a couple of months. READ MORE HERE 

He served his ship and his country well, and when the ship pulled into Pearl Harbor yesterday my son was so excited!  He has kept in contact with a couple of his friends and they plan on meeting up as soon as they are allowed off ship! (I told him to get pictures so I can blog about them :)

The USS Kitty Hawk took the place of the USS George Washington for the  Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008 Exercises due to a fire aboard the USS George Washington on May 22 and currently in San Diego undergoing repairs.  When the repairs are complete then the ship will replace the USS Kitty Hawk as the United States Navy's forward deployed aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

The USS Kitty Hawk was commissioned in 1961 and is the only conventionally fueled air craft carrier left in the US Navy. When the USS George Washington replaces the USS Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka, Japan then the USS Kitty Hawk will head for the United States for decommissioning around January of 2009. Ah...but this ship served our country well.