All Categories

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, ... Read Full Post

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 b... Read Full Post

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 Read Full Post

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... Read Full Post

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 mo... Read Full Post

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. ... Read Full Post

Here's a home for sale on the cliffs of Diamond Head, overlooking a surf break known as Mansions. Featuring four bedrooms, four and a half baths, central air conditioning, a wine cellar, an elevator and maids quarter with a separate entrance. The two car garage is accessed via the driveway leading from Diamond Head Road. Built in 1963 and remodeled in 1999, this home is move-in ready. Interior area is approximately 3,735 square feet on 7,618 square feet of land. Views of the Pacific Ocean fro... Read Full Post

Have you eaten at Flamingo Restaurant on Kapiolani Boulevard? If you haven't, well you're too late! On October 22nd 2008, the owners announced that the restaurant would close on Sunday, October 26th. My wife and I went to Flamingo for the last time on Thursday the 23rd. The restaurant was popular because of its local style food and meals which included a drink and dessert. For our last dinner at Flamingo Kapiolani, my wife had a breaded chicken cutlet with brown gravy. I had the Oyako Donburi... Read Full Post

This listing just went on the market last week and it's got a lot of people looking. This Kaimuki home features three bedrooms with one and a half baths. Interior area is approximately 1,197 square feet on 4,320 square feet of land. There's a covered carport for two vehicles and probably room for another car or two in the driveway. The house is located on a private drive which accesses several homes. The home appears to be in good shape. The interior could use some upgrading, however it's rea... Read Full Post

The U.S. Government did a great thing for homeowners back in 1997. The Taxpayer Relief Act allowed a homeowner to exclude up to $250,000 of gain on a residential sale. Married homeowners filing jointly could exclude up to $500,000 of gain. Tax-free profit - that's hard to beat. Many of us were able to use the exclusion and sell a property, then upgrade to a better home. With our economy going the way it is (not so good), Congress is making some changes that will affect the home sale exclusion... Read Full Post