About Honolulu's Honolulu Hawaii Relocations

It's been a very hectic week for my Real Estate business. Well, with one coming down the stretch for closing, another escrow opened for a buyer on Wednesday that alone has been very busy for me. I also have a listing that I put up last Sunday with showings EVERY single day this week so I am now prepared to take the rest of the afternoon off. And so I'll spend it by Blogging, working writing and getting some form of relaxation.

Many of my Hawaii Home Buyers are Military Relocating to Hawaii and it seems that during the past few months our market has slowed, then regained some ground, then slows again only to speed up once more.

I am beginning to believe it's not just OUR LOCAL MARKET....but it is MY business that has steadily been successful this year. I contribute my growth spurts to my online presence in the Real Estate Space(that's what ActiveRain calls it :) and if it were not for all the hard work and effort I put into my blogs and websites I would not have the leads I have received this year.

I also believe that I go above and beyond in my 'scope of service' from beginning to end. There is no limit (within reason) that a Realtor® will dedicate themselves to their clients no matter what the market looks like.

I spent my Saturday (yesterday) taking my client to the home inspection in OCEANPOINTE, Ewa Beach and then going to Mariner's Ridge on the East Side of Oahu to meet with the Mortgage Broker to complete the VA Loan Application to send in tomorrow for processing.

That's nothing compared to the extras that I receive along the way. The picture above is a view of Koko Head crater going up Mariner's Ridge. My client and I jumped out to snap a few while doing the oooo's and ahhhhh's.

The simple things in life ...like a beautiful view....that overlap with business.

© 2008 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, All rights reserved

The Father Damien statue sits in front of the State Capitol Building in Honolulu, Hawaii. The one thing that I have always remembered from stories in my younger years is that Father Damien helped the people on the island of Molokai who suffered from Hansen's Disease (Leprosy).

This statue was dedicated to Father Damien and in memory of the 7,200 victims of Hansen's Disease (and their helpers) who died in remote Kalawao and Kaupapa, land of the exiled. Their courage and compassion spared others from their own fate ....is what reads at the base of the statue.

Following is a little history of Father Damien:

• He was born to a farmer's son at Tremeloo, Belgium as Jozef de Veuster.
• Damien joined the Missionary Congregation of the Sacred Hearts on Jnauary 3, 1840.
• He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest at the Cathedral of Our Lady Of Peace in Honolulu in 1864.
• He volunteered to serve alone at the leprosy settlement on the island of Molokai in 1875.
• He lived and worked among the leprosy victims of all faiths and races for 16 years.
• He died on April 15, 1889 among his people of leprosy.
• He was 'beautified' (3rd of 4 steps to canonization and given the title 'blessed) by Pope John Paul II in 1995.
• He is expected to become one of the first saints of the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii.

Leprosy is a disease caused by a bacterium that causes lesions on the exterior of the body but leprosy does progress if not treated. It can cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes and though many believe it causes body parts to fall of it actually does not.

Father Damien gave of himself to help these victims and minister to their doomed bodies. On the base of the statue it also states that: by his presence it gave them reassurance that they so deperately needed that they had not been forsaken by either God or by men.

Sculptress "Marisol Escobar" had worked from photographs of the dying priest, saw in Damien 'the mystery of physical transformation - as if he had become what he wanted to become.' ... (words on the base of the statue)

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© 2008 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, All rights reserved

Leeward Community College is located at 96-045 Ala Ike - Pearl City, HI 96782 in Honolulu County on the island of Oahu. Hawaii is so diverse in culture so you can expect the same on college campuses too. With a caring faculty and affordability Leeward Community College has given high quality education since 1968.

Leeward Community College sits on 49 acres with over 6,000 students regularly enrolled every semeter to make it the largest community college in the state of Hawaii.

With liberal arts and career and technical educational programs offered on campus, at off-campus locations in the community, and through distance education courses it is no wonder that students flock from the Central Oahu area to attend the college.

(Both my son and daughter are starting up again next week at Leeward Community College)

Are you Relocating to Hawaii or in the Military Stationed in Hawaii on the Central, Leeward or West side of Oahu?

Do you want to continue your education?

Then, you just may want to look into what LCC has to offer and enroll at Leeward Community College.

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For a 2008-2009 Leeward Community College Catalog click on the following link:

2008 - 2009 Catalog (PDF 4.6MB) update: 08/08

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

Last Wednesday we met our clients at Kahala - Title Guaranty Escrow to sign documents for the Honolulu Condo we had listed.

I entered the listing into our MLS on July 6th and by that evening I already had an offer in hand. By Tuesday morning we were in contract and opened escrow.

IN CONTRACT IN TWO DAYS! Can't beat that!

On August 1st, I closed the listing in Mililani that had a few bumps along the way but in the end it all worked out. (torn down unpermitted back storage and all) From contract to keys it closed in 38 days! Mililani Single Family Home (4 bdrm/2 bath) SOLD AT $520,000!

On August 14th I closed a sale with another agent in my office for a Hawaii Home Buyer that relocated here from Germany. We opened escrow after two days of showings and closed within 50 days. Mililani Single Family Home (3 bdrm /2 bath) SOLD AT $590,000!

This last one was a grand one. I could not have asked for more with a Buyer's Agent to work alongside of that got back to me promptly, had a very pleasant attitude, skilled and organized and very courteous. After talking with him about the last of the details for keys and such I thanked him and told him that he was very much appreciate and he said the same. We agreed that when all parties involved do everything in a timely manner we all have a smooth and successful transaction.

In closing he said this:

"Sally, this is one of those transactions we both will look back on and wish all of our transactions were like this one". He's right. Every transaction seems to have little snags along the way. This one didn't because everyone was a team player.

Even the escrow and loan officers were very efficient and got answers back to all of us quickly with exceptional service for all involved in both transactions. They were wonderful team players in making this a VERY smooth and successful transition for all as well.

What made this transaction even more special was that our Sellers had been working with a Buyer's Agent for the past year on a home they REALLY wanted. The price came down to where they wanted it (it was overpriced anyway) and their purchase closed (recorded) simultaneously with our sale this morning.

Their dream home came true this morning because of the sale of their property.

Honolulu Penthouse Condo (3 bdrm /2 bath) SOLD AT $510,000!

I love happy endings.

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

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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

You ever notice how different the polls are from different magazines, groups and so forth that have different statistics for different cities? One thing I noticed is that Hawaii never seems to be on those nationwide statistics for like cleaner air, schools or even being ‘green'.

So I did a little research and had to literally type in Hawaii...clean air and stuff like that. I guess because we're out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean we aren't considered part of the nation or something. NOT! We are just as important and play a vital part in Hawaii Military Relocations and Hawaii Job Transfers and Moves to Hawaii no matter what the reason.

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Following are some "statistics" from different sites and such for "pertinent" opinions on what rank Hawaii and Honolulu County play in this game of "nationwide" polls.

• According to the Brookings Institution they announced that Honolulu is the greenest city in the nation. Reason? Honolulu, Hawaii generated the lowest amount of pollution from carbon dioxide and this stat was taken amongst 100 top metro areas around the United States. (this same statistic is displayed in our own Star Bulletin News here>)
• According to "Can Do- Greater Reno-Tahoe" area site: Hawaii ranks NUMBER ONE for the best place to raise a family. Why? Education spending is tops and ....why else but for our beaches?
• According to the Hawaii Government site: This past January, Governor Lingle announced the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative, an unprecedented and innovative partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that aims to have at least 70 percent of Hawai‘i's power come from clean energy by 2030. Hawai‘i is the only state in the nation to have signed this type of partnership.
• The Sierra Club - Hawaii's site says: "The Hawaii state legislature passed a landmark measure on May 1 that would make the state the first in the nation to require solar water heaters as a standard feature on all new homes. The solar roofs bill, which received unanimous support in the House and only two dissenting votes in the Senate, was the top priority of the Hawaii Sierra Club this legislative session"

Another story from the Star Bulletin on the Solar Water Heaters: ......Gov. Linda Lingle approved a bill on June 26, 2008 that makes Hawaii the first state to require solar water heaters in new single-family homes starting in 2010......

Bottom line: If you want to get specific statistics AND FACTS on your health, quality of life, water etc. go to specific sites within your State Government, City & County sites and so forth.

• The Honolulu Board of Water Supply Report Search for YOUR AREA Click and search by your neighborhood and find out about the water quality in YOUR neighborhood.

Here's the report for: MILILANI WELLS

Pretty cool huh?

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Environmental Health ......" Hawaii State Department of Health is entrusted to protect the health of Hawai`i residents through the protection of the state's environment and through regulation of goods, services, and facilities used by the general public. The following links provide information about DOH programs and other relevant environmental information".

• Air Quality
• Compliance Assistance Office
• Office of Environmental Quality Control
• Environmental Planning Office
• Food and Drug
• Recycling Information
• Sanitation
• Solid and Hazardous Waste
• Vector Control
• Water Quality

I do believe that we get better FACTS from these departments rather than a poll from magazines and such. It's kind of like "nationwide statistics for housing markets". Doesn't work.

WE NEED LOCAL information for each state, county and neighborhood.

Thank goodness for www.localism.com where we are contributing QUALITY content for the public. WE KNOW our communities and get the facts and give them to you...with our OWN written words.

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