Honolulu has gained an impressive title, Travel and Leisure magazine has named it America’s Most Romantic City.  The magazine came out with a list, “America’s Most Romantic Cities” and Honolulu is in the number one position, followed by Charleston, San Fransico, New Orleans and Santa Fe in the top five.  New York caps off the list in the number 10 position.  An annual survey goes out to the public and this year the public chose Honolulu.

Honolulu’s setting, on southern Oahu, has the ocean going for it, with stunning sunsets and waving palm trees it is hard not to feel the love in this Hawaiian city.  Honolulu also has extinct volcanoes and fantastic cliffs as a backdrop.  The fabulous shopping, exceptional dining and wonderful beaches round off this most romantic city.

Click here to see the full list from Travel and Leisure Magazine.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins, Certified Distressed Property Expert. Click here for access to the Oahu MLS and all available listings in the Kapolei area.

The island of Oahu is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family, it is also a wonderful place to retire to.  There have been many articles written lately that reflect on the idea that it is a great time to buy a retirement home, as in the type of home you wish to spend your years after working hard and raising your children.  Regardless of whether you are ready to retire or not the fact is, it is a great time to invest in Oahu real estate.

Low mortgage rates and low home values combine to create an ideal scenario for the Oahu home buyer.  If retirement is years away why not purchase a home now and rent it, or use it for vacations.  There is no doubt that it is a buyer’s market, the continued arrival of foreclosures on the marketplace alone has had a huge effect on Oahu home values.

If you would like to take a look at available homes on Oahu give me a call today.  There are many real estate opportunities on Oahu.  Please take advantage of my knowledge and expertise and let me fill you in on the state of the current real estate market.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins, Certified Distressed Property Expert. Click here for access to the Oahu MLS and all available listings in the Kapolei area.

Oahu real estate values appear to be heading up.  The median sales price for Oahu real estate was up in January and again in February, a positive sign indeed.  The January increase was over 10%, followed by an over 3% increase last month.  These increases are for median prices on single family homes, although condominium values have also risen, though not nearly as much.

Currently it t is an ideal buyer’s market on Oahu.  Home values are well of their peak, mortgage rates remain hovering at around 5% and tax credits are giving current home owners and first time home buyers an edge.

For an up-to-date analysis of the state of the Oahu real estate market contact John RIggins today.

Click here to view data from the Honolulu Board of Realtors.

The Oahu real estate market could recover faster than the Mainland

Lower home prices may attract investors into the Oahu real estate market and help it recover faster than other real estate markets across the Country. One thing Oahu has going for it is that it is Oahu, a Hawaiian island and a desirable destination. A large portion of Hawaiian real estate represents second home ownership and the desire to visit Hawaii and own property there is one that will stand the test of time. While there is no doubt that real estate on Oahu has taken a huge hit and will likely drop more it is estimated that the real estate downturn will be shorter lived on Oahu than for the majority of the mainland United States. There is no doubt that if you have always dreamed of owning Oahu real estate there could not be a better time to buy.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins, Certified Distressed Property Expert.  Click here for access to the Oahu MLS and all available listings in the Kapolei area.

Recovery dollars will be used in a variety of helpful ways in Hawaii, including projects in Kapolei

Hawaii is slated to receive a substantial amount of Recovery Fund dollars which encompasses a number of state programs as well as a program in Kapolei.  The program which will use Recovery Funds in Kapolei is for the Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Home Lands which will use the money to cleanup the pesticide mixing and loading area in East Kapolei.  The project will receive $200,000 toward its efforts to cleanup contamination in this area of Kapolei.  Other projects for Recovery Funds are:

• Clean diesel program.  Run by the Hawaii Department of Health’s Environmental Health Administration the Recovery Funds will be used to implement a clean school bus program.

• The Hawaii Department of Health will use money toward the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program which takes steps toward improving drinking water and making ensuring that drinking water is safe.

To learn more about Hawaii’s plans for Recovery Funds visit ?www.epa.gov/recovery.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins, Certified Distressed Property Expert.  Click here for access to the Oahu MLS and all available listings in the Kapolei area.

There is also a special refinancing option for owner-occupied homes with mortgages made after 2006. It involves an FHA guaranteed loan at a fixed rate available if the original lender is willing to write off all but 85% of outstanding debtor’s obligations. It carries a fee equal to 1.5% of the value of the house and people who choose it must give up 50-100% of equity that builds in the house and they may not participate in home equity loan programs at all. To qualify you must occupy the residence and it requires consent from a lender.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins, Certified Distresed Property Expert.

First tax rebate deposits come to Kapolei today

For more on Kapolei local news and real estate, contact John Riggins.

Remember: no "economic stimulus" tax rebate unless you file a tax return

For more on Kapolei local news and information, and for Kapolei real estate, contact John Riggins.

Kapolei to Honolulu service tweaked

One of the transportation moves made to help alleviate traffic in growing Kapolei was to institute TheBoat, a commuter ferry that runs between Kapolei real estate and Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu. However, there were issues about the ridership. The Honolulu Advertiser reports on a new schedule for TheBoat:

TheBoat now leaves Kalaeloa at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 am. The return trips from Aloha Tower are at 3:55, 5:00 and 6:15 pm. TheBoat takes about an hour, but it has power outlets and free Wi-Fi so that you can remain connected and even do work during the commute.

For more on TheBoat and other local Kapolei news and information, contact John Riggins.

Get a lower interest rate on a Kapolei home mortgage

If you are looking for Kapolei real estate, there is good news on the home mortgage front. As mortgage loan rates fell across the country last week, so did Hawaii mortgage loan rates. Pacific Business News reports on differnt Hawaii mortgage loan rates:

For more information on Hawaii mortgage loan rates and the Kapolei real estate market, contact John Riggins.