A new listing is coming up at Castle Surf, a condo on the beach at Diamond Head.  This unit is on the fourth floor.  It has ocean and sunset views.  Castle Surf is right across the street from the Dillingham Fountain, a famous landmark at Diamond Head.

Besides being on the beachfront at Diamond Head, there are several other important features about this property.  Castle Surf has two elevators, one at the front of the building and another at the ocean side.   The maintenance fee is relatively low at $355 per month and it includes electricity.  The unit includes a covered parking stall - several other buildings at Diamond Head do not have parking spaces for each unit.

This listing has 700 square feet interior, 98 square feet on the lanai, a washer/dryer…

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The Aloha Airlines name may fly Hawaii skies again

You may have heard that Aloha Airlines shut down on March 31, 2008.  In an odd twist of fate, the Aloha Airlines name may be revived.

Mesa Airlines entered the Hawaii market in 2006 with its regional company named go! Airlines.  Prior to go!, Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines were charging around $150 per roundtrip between the Hawaiian Islands.  go! started a fare war with with seats marketed as low as $10.  By the end of 2007, rates settled around $45 each way or $90 roundtrip.

In early 2008, higher oil prices affected airfares and interisland rates went up to about $120 roundtrip.  The fare increases probably were not enough to compensate for increased fuel…

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We've watched energy bills climb over the last year due to oil prices, which peaked at $147 per barrel back in July.  Since that time, oil has declined to $51 per barrel today.   It's hard to believe - oil prices have gone down to about 1/3 of what they were four months ago.

Hawaiian Electric recently announced that customers can expect their bills to go down as a result of the price reductions.  This month I noticed the cost per kilowatt hour had gone down, which was a relief.  More importantly, I found that the conservation measures we had been taking around the house put a significant dent in our power use!

In our last electric bill post here: http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/mikey/6248/show/ we discussed conservation basics and some…

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For those of us looking for fixer upper homes in Hawaii, here's a good one in Kailua.  Located on Mokapu Boulevard, it's near Kailua's famous sandy beaches and Kaneohe Marine Corps Base. 

  View of the home from the street corner.  The tall hedge provides privacy to the back yard and interior of the home.  

 

The home has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,355 square feet of interior area.  It's on a large lot, approximately 8,600 square feet and there's a two car garage.  The living room ceiling is open beam, providing a spacious feeling and helping to keep the home cool during the summer. 

As a fixer upper, most of what this…

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Here's a screen shot of the search arrow BJ is referring to in this thread: http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/bjmatson/6651/show/

Aloha, Mike

Diamond Head realtor

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This apartment is just getting its finishing touches after being rented for over a year.  It's located at 2567 Laau Street in Honolulu.  The building is named Iolani Banyan and it was constructed in 1962.  It's a three story walk-up.  There are a total of 48 units at this property.

My wife and I lived here for a year until we moved into our house in Palolo Valley.   This is a quiet apartment with views of the swimming pool and the Iolani School campus.  Located in the Kapahulu area, it's perfect for people wanting a place in town close to the University of Hawaii.

The apartment has two bedrooms, one bathroom and two parking stalls.  Two parking stalls for an apartment in town is a rarity.  Rent is $1,500 per month.

For people looking for a rental before…

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Repairing jalousie windows, also known as louvered windows

Jalousie windows are common in Hawaii, with good reason. These windows provide nearly 100% air flow when open and they easily close to prevent wind and rain from coming in.  Temperatures in Hawaii stay within a fairly narrow range.  In the summer we see highs around 90 degrees (fahrenheit) and in the winter temperatures sometimes get as cold as the high 50's.  Homes in Hawaii rarely have heaters and jalousie windows do a great job for most of them.

Jalousie window frames are usually made of aluminum.  The mechanism that rotates the windows is held together by rivets.  The rivets eventually weaken due to corrosion and/or lack of lubrication.  When the head of a rivet pops off, the mechanism can…

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This listing was listed on November 2nd, 2008.   The Saint Louis Heights home features three bedrooms with one and a half baths. Interior area is approximately 1,208 square feet on 6,000 square foot lot.  There's a garage suitable for one car.  Street parking is ample. 

The home was built in 1942 and remodeled in 2008.  Condition is above average and it's one of the lowest priced homes in Saint Louis Heights at  $699,000. 

A large deck attached to the living room is great for barbecues and relaxing.  The backyard is outstanding.   The large lot is spacious for kids to play and there's a beautiful view of Diamond Head.

Visit our St. Louis Heights webpage to see the listing with more photos, a map and public school information.

Contact Mike for more…

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