There are few things more exciting than buying a house - especially in beautiful Hawaii. If it's your first home, then there's that extra dose of anticipation of creating your own home as you visualize it. If it's a second home or an investment property, well, that's exciting as well but more from a financial perspective. No matter your reason for buying a house in Hawaii, there are definitely … [Read more...]
Keeping Up with Mortgage Payments
Keeping up with mortgage payments can be one of the biggest financial responsibilities you take on, aside from keeping food on the table. In the up, down and rebound of the real estate industry over the past 10 years or so, many people have bought homes in Hawaii. And a portion of those are actually happy they did. Those homeowners who unfortunately bought when the market was high (pre-crash) … [Read more...]
Orchestrating the Sale of Your House
Selling your house can be one of the most difficult transactions you'll ever be a part of. It sure would be nice if selling your house was like selling your car, your couch or your prized baseball card collection. The truth, though, is that selling your house is no easy feat. It requires orchestrating a multitude of moving parts, legal and non-legal in nature, technical and non-technical, … [Read more...]
The 3 Types of Real Estate Buyers
What does it mean when someone says they buy or invest in real estate? Or even when they simply say that they want to buy a house? It's not always Ken and Barbie looking for a 3-bed single family home in Honolulu with a white picket fence and room for Fido in the back. Today's real estate scene is savvier and more sophisticated than ever. Non-real estate professionals know more about the real … [Read more...]
Mortgage Rates Rising – Still Time to Buy a House?
Aloha, friend. The latest news in the world of real estate is that suddenly mortgage rates are rising. Well, at least they've risen in the past month, now creeping over 4%-4.25% on average. Mortgages rates nationwide have been at historic lows for quite some time and even now, interest rates are still extremely attractive. Many home shoppers in Hawaii have taken advantage of these low rates to … [Read more...]
Helping Troubled Homeowners
Aloha, friends. I want to tell you about two homeowners that I've helped this month alone, explaining exactly how Big Rock Investments HELPS HOMEOWNERS FIND SOLUTIONS (some details have been changed for privacy issues). Homeowner #1. Let's call him Peter. Peter lives in a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom in Pearl City and runs his own business. But Peter also owns a home in Kapolei which he currently … [Read more...]
6 Biggest Homeowner Challenges for 2011
Aloha everyone. Quick post here for homeowners or those in the market. I'm curious what everyone feels is their biggest real estate challenge for 2011. There's certainly no shortage to choose from. Here's a list of the most common concerns I've heard lately from friends and acquaintances: Underwater or upside-down mortgages. Facing a foreclosure or afraid one's not too far down the road. Lots … [Read more...]