Whalers Realty, Inc.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) in Kahului is presenting the 4th annual ukulele festival on October 18th! This is a great chance to kick back and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of food, fun, and most importantly, the culture of Hawaiian music.

The fest starts at 2p.m. on the 18th in the Events Lawn of the MACC. Admission is free, so pull up some lawn chairs and listen to the sounds of some great musicians. Some of the island's favorite ukulele players will perform at this event.

[Full Story - "Ukulele Festival at Maui Arts & Cultural Center"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Whalers Realty Inc.,
Specializing in Ka'anapali Homes.

If you are interested in new developments on Maui, we recommend a look at the wonderful Lanikeha project. For vacant land sales, check the Kaanapali Golf Villas. There are also some very nice Puamana Condos for sale. Remember, if you have any questions not answered on our website, you can call (800) 367-5632 or email us at info@whalersrealty.com. We would love to assist you. Mahalo!

The first-time home buyer credit for $8,000 is set to expire on November 30th this year, leaving a very short window for those who still hope to take advantage of it, considering the length of time required to find a home and close a sale. The purpose of the tax credit was to incentivize first-time home buyers to buy real estate in order to help stimulate the housing market.

[Full Story - "NAR Calls for Extension of Tax Credit"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Whalers Realty Inc.,
Specializing in Ka'anapali Homes.

If you are interested in new developments on Maui, we recommend a look at the wonderful Lanikeha project. For vacant land sales, check the Kaanapali Golf Villas. There are also some very nice Puamana Condos for sale. Remember, if you have any questions not answered on our website, you can call (800) 367-5632 or email us at info@whalersrealty.com. We would love to assist you. Mahalo!

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 17 percent rise in mortgage loan applications for the week that ended on September 4th 2009. The rush for applications is attributed to lower interest rates.

In the biggest jump since mid-March this year, the Refinance Index increased by 22.5 percent from the week before.

As for interest rates, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dropped from 5.15 percent to 5.02 percent. Points increased to 1.23 from 1.09. For 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 4.45 percent from 4.57 percent. Points increased from .85 to 1.13. The interest rate for one-year, adjustable rate mortgages decreased from 6.71 percent to 6.69 percent. Points decreased from .2 to .19.

[Full Story - "Mortgage Bankers Association Loan Spike"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Whalers Realty Inc.,
Specializing in Ka'anapali Homes.

If you are interested in new developments on Maui, we recommend a look at the wonderful Lanikeha project. For vacant land sales, check the Kaanapali Golf Villas. There are also some very nice Puamana Condos for sale. Remember, if you have any questions not answered on our website, you can call (800) 367-5632 or email us at info@whalersrealty.com. We would love to assist you. Mahalo!

After researching what information is typically available on the home buying process online, we found that a lot of advice is heavily specific and the basic steps are lost amid pages and pages of reading. With that in mind, our goal here is to give you the simplest, most streamlined breakdown on some important factors to consider if you want to buy a home. Read on!

1. What can I afford? About three times your annual household income is usually the general guideline.

2. How do I pay for a home? Unless you are very wealthy, you will need a bank loan for a mortgage which you will pay monthly, usually between 15-30 years. You will need to make a down payment of anywhere between 3-20% of the sale price. This means you will need a decent chunk of savings and good enough credit for mortgage loan approval.

[Full Story - "How to Buy a Home"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Whalers Realty Inc.,
Specializing in Ka'anapali Homes.

If you are in the market for a new West Maui home, we recommend exploring the Maui Kaanapali Golf Estates. Also, there are some great deals on condos at the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach you may want to consider. Thanks for reading, and remember, if you have any questions not answered on our website, you can call (800) 367-5632 or email us at info@whalersrealty.com. We would love to assist you. Mahalo!

*Source: Pacific Business Journals

Despite all the recent issues with foreclosure and the dropping of property values, ninety-two percent of Americans believe, even now, that a house is still a good investment for the future, according to the results of a recent survey. Some of you may be wondering, "But how can this be? We're not selling for more than we bought anymore!"

The answer is simple. You can buy or you can rent. The money you spend renting is money that you will never see again. If you buy real estate, the money is going into something that you are working to own. The money is going to something of value and something that you can use for many years if you take care of it. In a rental situation, you know for certain that you are always taking a financial loss for temporary lodging. You get to use an accommodation for the months that you pay for it and that is the only value those dollars will get you.

[Full Story - "Real Estate is Still Considered a Good Investment By Americans"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Whalers Realty Inc.,
Specializing in Ka'anapali Homes.

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