Barbara Abe

The state just released a revised economic forecast, predicting that the slump may not be as bad as originally forecast. The improved outlook is due to inflation being more subdued than state economists had anticipated, while Hawai'i's biggest economic stimulus - tourism - is expected to be worse than before and result in increased job losses.

As reported by the Honolulu Advertiser, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism's new report projects that gross state product adjusted for inflation will decline 1.1 percent this year. That's an improvement from the 1.6 percent decline forecast in their May report.

A report released earlier this month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Honolulu's Consumer Price Index rose a scant 0.3 percent from July 2008 to June 2009. This was the smallest gain in 11 years, and compares with a 4.3 percent gain for all of last year. The state expects a 3.0 percent decline in the average job count this year. In DBEDT's May report the decline was projected at 2.1 percent.

Visitor spending is expected to decrease by 11.5 percent this year, the new report said. That contrasts with the May report expecting a 7.9 percent decrease. The worsened tourism industry picture is partly a reflection of vacation prices falling and partly due to visitors shortening their trips a bit, on average.

"We do not believe it is prudent to predict an economic recovery yet, and all indications are that any recovery will be gradual," DBEDT Director Ted Liu said in a press statement. Next year is when the state expects the local economy to stabilize, followed by modest growth in 2011.

Read more statistics in the Honolulu Advertiser article.

What price Paradise? Believe me, it's worth every penny! Contact me for a Free Relocation Report and real estate market statistics for any area in Hawaii Kai.

In June, 2008, I wrote a post about the Walk Score, and how high Honolulu scored. A new study, Walking the Walk, compared home sale prices with Walk Scores, and found that homes in more walkable neighborhoods, especially in densely-populated cities, sold from $4,000-$34,000 higher. The data included 90,000 recent home sales in 15 markets.

What is a Walk Score? From the source, "Walk Score measures the number of typical consumer destinations within walking distance of a house, with scores ranging from 0 (car dependent) to 100 (most walkable). By the Walk Score measure, walkability is a direct function of how many destinations are located within a short distance (generally between one-quarter mile and one mile of a home). Our measure of walkability reflects the convenience and proximity of having shopping and cultural activities close at hand, as well as the value households attach to mixed-use neighborhoods."

From Wikipedia, "Walkscore.com ranks communities nationwide (and soon, globally) based on how many businesses, parks, theaters, schools and other common destinations are within walking distance of any given starting point."

Other findings of the survey, according to NewsGenius (where you can read the full Walk study):

I ran Honolulu - zip code 96801 - and got a Walk Score of 98 out of 100. Hawaii Kai scored 34, because it shows neighborhoods like Kalama Valley and Mariners Ridge which are not close to the "hub businesses" of Hawaii Kai. Our office, East Oahu Realty, scored 63 out of 100 - still a better score than most "outlying communities" in the country.

Now we have a study showing what we knew all along - that being able to walk to the beach and grocery and bank and Roy's Restaurant and the Hawaii Kai Bandstand - all make living in Hawaii Kai even more pleasurable. And that is reflected in the stable, and sustained, home values of our community.

Contact me for information on Hawaii Kai. It's a Buyer's Market here in Paradise.

Barbara Abe, Realtor
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
808-226-2537
www.barbarashawaii.com
www.movetohawaiikai.com

Many of you who have vacationed in Honolulu undoubtedly shopped at Ala Moana, one of the world's largest shopping centers. The state of Hawaii isn't the only thing that turned 50 this month - Ala Moana did too. In those years, it has grown from 680,000 square feet of retail space and 80 merchants in 1959 to 2.1 million square feet and 290 merchants today.

The Honolulu Advertiser reported, "Don Graham, a Dillingham company executive who managed the Ala Moana project, said the expectation in 1959 was to grow the mall over time to as big as 1.5 million square feet. 'Now it's 2 million square feet," the 95-year-old Graham said yesterday. "All the things we planned were accomplished.'"

Throughout the rest of the month, anniversary festivities are scheduled, such as bringing back 50 performers who have danced, sung and demonstrated on centerstage over the past 50 years. The mall will showcase 50 garments spanning the past half-decade in an exhibit with the Hawai'i Fashion Incubator and University of Hawai'i called "Fifty Years of Fashion in Hawai'i."

People who have photos taken at the mall over the past 50 years may submit their pictures in a contest in which a $250 mall gift card will be awarded. For details on these and other events, visit http://www.alamoanacenter.com.

Eleven of the original tenants of Ala Moana center are still in business: Crack Seed Center, Dairy Queen, Sears, Watumull's, Shirokiya, Reyn's, Slipper House, Foodland, Longs Drugs, Territorial Savings Bank and the U.S. Post Office. Visit Ala Moana online, or better yet, come visit us in person.

Contact me for a free copy of my Relocation Report, and let's discuss the Buyer's Market in our Islands.

Barbara Abe, Realtor
808-226-2537
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
www.movetohawaiikai.com
www.barbarashawaii.com

Although many of Hawaii's public high schools struggle to meet the benchmarks for adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind act, Kaiser High in Hawaii Kai was one of 3 to demonstrate progress this year.

John Sosa, Principal of Kaiser, said one of the reasons is the more homogenous population of the students at Kaiser. There isn't a significant portion of students coming from economically disadvantaged homes or requiring special education, said Sosa. "We don't have a lot of subgroups because our population is pretty straightforward. When you have higher numbers of different subgroups, like most high schools do, you have a harder time making your AYP."

Aside from some high schools' larger, more diverse populations, Sosa said high schools also have to overcome student apathy about the Hawai'i State Assessment test. "The problem is, there is nothing in this for the kid. It doesn't count toward graduation requirements, it won't help them get into college. It's a standalone assessment that has no connection to the student," Sosa said.

Meanwhile, education officials say that the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and President Obama have placed less emphasis on NCLB's AYP, or "status model." Instead, they say the focus has been on showing steady growth. Glenn Hirata, head of the DOE's system evaluation and reporting section, explained, "What we're seeing is a move toward a more realistic and achievable goal with the new administration."

Many residents of Hawaii Kai do send their children to private schools, but it is encouraging to know Kaiser High ranks in the top 3 of the state in meeting these goals.

If you are considering relocation to Hawaii Kai, contact me for school information and my free relocation package (or request one online).

Barbara Abe, Realtor
barbara@barbarashawaii.com
808-226-2537
www.movetohawaiikai.com
www.barbarashawaii.com

The beautiful square, topsail schooner, the Lynx, is moored at Kewalo Basin in Honolulu until Aug. 9. Tours of the 122' boat are available for a donation to the Lynx Education Foundation, a nonprofit from Newport Beach, California. The ship works with 70 to 100 schools a year, sailing up and down the West Coast and occasionally to Hawai'i. This is Lynx's fourth voyage to the Islands.

The vessel arrived July 17, after competing in the Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii. While the Lynx finished last, the more modern, lighter boats did better in the light winds. The voyage took about 17 days.

According to the Honolulu Advertiser, "The Lynx is patterned on a privateer or naval schooner from the War of 1812, and displaces 114 tons with a top speed of 11 to 12 knots. The original Lynx was built in Maryland and commissioned in the opening days of the war against the British. It was captured in 1813, taken to Nova Scotia and pressed into service in the British navy. The Lynx was considered one of the swiftest and most maneuverable vessels of its day.

The new Lynx, which Captain Craig Chipman calls 'an interpretation, not a replica' of an 1812 privateer, was launched in Rockport, Maine, in July 2001. It can spread more than 4,600 square feet of sail and its 6-pounder guns are fit to fire.

"The Lynx honors the spirit of the original vessel in its design and fittings but has been modified to meet Coast Guard regulations and safety requirements."

Chapman likes the gypsy aspect of commanding the boat the best he admitted, and enjoys being a "sea gypsy," Lynx leaves Honolulu for Ko Olina, Kauai, and then sails to California to arrive in Newport Beach for the school season.

Hawaii Kai is just minutes from Honolulu and Kewalo Basin, and this is certainly one of the more educational and worthwhile events available to enjoy here in our islands. Contact me to discuss our buying opportunities in Hawaii Kai.

Barbara Abe, Realtor
www.movetohawaiikai.com
www.barbarashawaii.com
barbara@barbarashawaii.com