Aiea, HI

Master Bath Virtual Remodel - Pearl Ridge Hawaii - JDS Consulting Hawaii Decor Design and Home Staging

Many of our clients at JDS Consulting are simply looking for a little inspiration in their design projects. We point our clients in the right direction by providing suggested designs, materials, and visuals so they have a better understanding of how to achieve their renovation dreams.

One common concern amongst many of our clients, is that there are just too many choices to choose from, which can paralyze even the bravest of do-it-yourselfers. No one wants to make the wrong choice when it comes to renovations, as mistakes can be costly and time consuming. In order to alleviate that fear and provide a clear well defined goal for our clients we provide a comprehensive design strategy that addresses what materials and accessories to use, where to find them and what the project might look like in completion.

In this virtual makeover, our client a recent retiree, wanted a modern Japanese design aesthetic for their master suite renovation. They also had specific concerns regarding the height of the vanity in the bath and storage and organizational concerns as well. As Real Estate Merchandising specialists we approach every design with resale in mind, however, our client had no intention of selling the property and wanted certain design elements modified to her specific needs and personal taste that might otherwise be counter-intuitive to a Merchandiser.

The primary concern for our client in this project was the height of the vanity. After a recent medical procedure coupled with her diminutive size, our client needed the vanity to be lower than the standard 30"-32" height of a typical vanity console.In order to avoid the cost of custom cabinetry we decided on a wall mounted single wading pool sink & vanity which could be hung at a more convenient height. She also wanted drawers instead of cabinets and because of her medical condition she would be unable to bend and reach the lowest drawers which the mounted vanity design dispensed with. The width of vanity was also reduced to provide more square footage in the vanity area and we offered a choice of coral stone or golden onyx for the vanity top. We also suggested using coral stone or travertine for the floor and backslash which would extend to the floor. Our client stressed simplicity and easy maintenance with the the fixture selection so we choose a simple polished or brushed nickel look from Moen.

The golden wood tone selected for the teak vanity cabinets, shoji closet doors, and latern style light fixtures was chosen to compliment her many Asian antiques and teak furniture found in the rest of the home.

A sisal area rug and stripped ottoman indicative of Japanese kimono designs would round off the accessories for the bath.

JDS Consulting- Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design. Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.

www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009

Aiea (pronounce eye eh ah) Heights is the residential area following the ridgeline high above the town of Aiea. This is an old residential neighborhood

Keaiwa Heiau (an Ancient Hawaiian Temple) is located at the top of Aiea Heights Drive in the Keaiwa (pronounced Kay ah ee va and known as the temple of life) Heiau State Recreation Area. It is believed to be built around the 1600's and where the 'Kahuna' (priest, minister) practiced the art of healing. The park also has 4 camp sites, recreation areas for picnics and breathtaking views from atop the mountain of Pearl Harbor in the distance below. READ MORE HERE>> Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area - Aiea

Aiea Loop, Aiea Ridge, Kalauo hiking trails all start at the upper parking lot in Keaiwa Heiau State Recreational Area at the end of Aiea Heights Drive (above Aiea Heights residential area) Great Hiking!

Singer and Actress Bette Midler was raised in Aiea too!

Aiea Heights Single Family Home Market Report YTD 2009: We currently have 13 Active Listings for Aiea Heights residential area. There are 8 in contract and 8 sold. Sold home prices ranged from $480,000 to $1,050,000. The Average Days on Market before getting into contract were 115.

Other Points of Interest in the Aiea area:

Pearlridge - Kam Swap Meet - Open Market is a local style swap meet with all the souvenirs, all kinds of clothing, jewelry, arts, polynesian style crafts and such but also with the vegetables, fish, food, plants and some used stuff on the back rows.

Pearlridge (Shopping) Center is the largest INDOOR shopping mall on Oahu (Honolulu County) and located in Aiea and you can read more here>>> Monorail Rides, Murals & More at Pearlridge Center- Aiea- Hawaii

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Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman is a Realtor-Associate with Century 21 Liberty Homes in Mililani, Hawaii. With a sharp understanding that a listening ear is the key to a client's needs she serves the island of Oahu (Honolulu County) and all Hawaii Military Relocating to Hawaii, Hawaii Retirees, Hawaii Job Transfers and Hawaii Residents. Website: www.hawaiihomesmarket.com

Hawaii's Real Estate Market is holding up brilliantly! In relation to "parts per million", Foreclosures are low compared to other parts of the nation. Don't scold me if I am wrong, but I believe there were less than 200 foreclosures last month. We are ranked really low in the nation. I think FLA CALIF and NEVADA are the leaders.

If you will look at my 2008 Forecast, it pretty much covers 2009. Still the same. This year will be a 4-6% decline in values and the number of sellers are greater than the number of buyers. This is all based on what the lead bank and real estate economist say.

2010 is still on target for the market to begin it's slow assent. NOW is TRULY the window of opportunity if a seller wants to move up or if a buyer is ready.

Example: I have a SMART seller who now has me on the lookout to help him find his family, their next "MoveUP" home. Once they have purchased and moved to their new home, the husband and his friends will go back to the former house, paint, fix, repair and we will rent it out for a year or two. When the market has REBOUNDED, they will sell that home. Of course, there is tax planning to consider, but they have a CPA to consult on that issue.

Today my buyer closed on a townhouse in Aiea. It was a short sale, listed for $366,000 and she bought it for $300,000. Price-wise, it was a heck of a good deal! Three bedrooms, two and a half baths, 1,300 square feet interior and two parking stalls. The place does need cosmetic work though. The prior owners neglected the property and it basically could use an entire remodel. The buyer has a contractor lined up and the work will commence shortly.

If you haven't been involved in a short sale yet, they can be tricky. While the owner signs the purchase contract, his bank is actually in control. The owner's bank sometimes rejects what we feel to be "good" offers. When they decide an offer might be acceptable, the bank's review period is 30-45 days. If the bank decides to accept, they suddenly want the buyer to close quickly, like a few weeks.

A buyer in a short sale is usually a bit reluctant to spend money on the appraisal, home inspection etc. because of the uncertainty of this type of transaction. They often hold off on any contingencies until the bank says "Yes" and that makes it a big rush to get the deal done on time. Meanwhile, if another buyer decides to offer a higher amount for the property, the bank can drop the first buyer and switch to the second buyer.

In our case, the bank gave us about three weeks to close. The loan officer said "No Problem" - but then she had not seen this townhouse! Basically, the prior owners bought it several years ago, had around 4-6 people living there and ran it into the ground. Water leaks were not promptly repaired and caused water damage to wood cabinets. Holes were put in the walls, patched up and left unpainted. Crayons and magic markers were used for kids to practice writing on the walls.

The appraisal came back and the valuation was okay! However, the condition was not okay. For conventional loans (Fannie/Freddie), the condition of a property must come in at least "Average." This property came in one step below, "Fair." Part of the problem was a hole in the ceiling caused by a water leak. The appraiser asked a young girl in the home whether the leak was fixed. She said "No." when in fact the leak WAS repaired (but the hole in the ceiling wasn't repaired).

This was a first for me. I've had several buyers purchase fixer upper homes over the years but never had an appraisal come in at or above value but without an average condition. This place was not that bad, it was just UGLY! Simple things could have been done to fix it up.

The appraiser requested a letter from a licensed contractor outlining the damages and estimated costs to repair. We found a contractor that could meet us quickly (we were down to about 10 days left before closing) and he wrote out a letter. Since the water leaks had been repaired, the appraiser upgraded the condition and the loan was approved!

Next problem - my customer had her money for closing costs deposited at one of those big brokerages. I won't name them to avoid hearing from an attorney. Let's just say they're one of those big financial firms that hasn't gone under. They just did an acquisition of another firm and cash was tight. Lucky for the buyer, her money was not in mutual funds. The cash was in some type of high yielding interest bearing account. She started talking with the broker two weeks prior to closing and they said they couldn't promise her the money on time!

We were up against the wall. We had until no later than October 21st or the property would go to auction the next day. On Thursday the 16th we had the escrow signing. I asked the officer how much time we had left to get the buyer's funds in. She said we could turn them in up until noon on Friday.

Friday morning, the buyer got her check from the firm. She still needed to make a cashier's check and make it payable to escrow. Luckily, the investment firm banks with Bank of Hawaii. They wrote an explanatory letter and she took it to the bank along with her check. Bank of Hawaii issued the cashier's check. I picked up her check and delivered it to escrow by 10 a.m. Whew!

Short sales are tough but they beat having no sales!

Mike Bates - Aiea homes for sale

Keaiwa Heiau (an Ancient Hawaiian Temple) is located at the top of Aiea Heights Drive in the Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area. Upon entry into the State Park the Keaiwa Heiau is to the left and you will definitely do a double take at first glance. KEAIWA HEIAU is known as the temple with life. It is believed to be where the 'Kahuna' (priest, minister) practiced the art of healing. The gardens right by the temple were compounded and then given to the patient while praying.

It is unknown when this Heiau was built but one source says possibly around the 16th century. Measuring 100 by 160 feet the heiau also has an enclosure that was a halau (large thatched structure) built for the master kahuna (priest) to store the medicinal implements and to train and teach the students.

The Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area is a 384 acre park and there is the Aiea Loop (hiking) Trail that is 4.8 miles and begins and ends in the park.

In the late 1920's foresters replanted the area and the lemon eucalyptus trees give off a citrus frangrance in the mountainous air.

You'll also see Norfolk Island pines, the native koa and ohia trees.

Along the trail you may even see the remnants of a B-24 bomber that crashed in 1944.

The park also has 4 camp sites, recreation areas for picnics and breathtaking views from atop the mountain of Pearl Harbor in the distance below.

Directions: End of 'Aiea Heights Drive, 'Aiea Heights, 'Aiea. Follow H-1 to Moanalua Highway (Hwy. 78). Take the 'Aiea cutoff to the third traffic light, make a right turn at 'Aiea Heights Drive and follow it about 3 miles up to the end of the road.

Hours: April 1 to Labor Day: 7:00 am to 7:45 pm
After Labor Day to March 31: 7:00 am to 6:45 pm

Entrance Fees: None

Services/Facilities: Restrooms, showers, camping area, picnic tables, trash cans, drinking water, payphone, hiking trail.

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Another 'Hawaii Points of Interest' provided by:

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