The Hawaii Team Real Estate Blog
Interest Rate Rise?
Did you know that U.S. employers added 295,000 jobs last month? This report comes directly from the government, and the news had a pretty substantial impact on the real estate market. If you didn’t know, interest rates are determined by national and worldwide factors....
It’s Almost Impossible to Keep the Earnest Money
When you submit a contract on a house, you also submit what they call ‘earnest money.' This is a deposit that is a portion of your down payment money which you will use to purchase the house. Earnest money can be as little as $500, but we have handled earnest money as...
Understanding the Real Estate Market
It is hard for many people to conceptualize what the real estate market is. It is like trying to describe in words what the Internet is or what space is. The market for home sales can be quite difficult to understand. Hopefully, this article can help give more insight...
Questions to Ask When Building a Home
Recently, I had the experience of helping a great couple go under contract on a new construction deal in Back Country, Highlands Ranch. I’m very familiar with doing new construction and it dawned on me that the questions I ask when helping my clients could be missed...
Inspections On New Construction
It’s one of those frequently asked questions: “Should I get an inspection on a newly constructed home?” Great question and I usually tell my buyers that the answer is yes/no and I’ll explain why. Yes To Inspections On New Construction You see, most builders offer a...
My Favorite Misconceptions About Real Estate
There are misconceptions about every business or trade, so real estate is not immune. Over the last several years, I have heard plenty of misconceptions about buying, selling, investing, or practicing real estate. I finally had a chance to jot down my favorite and...
How “For Sale By Owners” Get Themselves in Trouble
In a buyer’s market, sellers feel like they will need the help of real estate agents to sell their home. They’ll need more and better marketing as well as more showings in order to have their home stand out from the crowd. In a seller’s market, consumers feel like...
Radon, Mold, Sewer, and Mold Oh, My?
Do you remember the good old days when all you had to do before buying a home was an inspection? I am sure that there are people who are reading this and were saying, “Inspection? We didn’t need no stinking inspection!” do buy a home. Yes, I believe that there are...
A Good Lender Makes All The Difference
The lending landscape is tighter than ever even though banks are showing record profits once again. I can understand why lending institutions are being cautious not wanting to fall into the same trap again, but someone has to tell them that they have swung the...
Anything Can Be Fixed
These days, when I put a buyer under contract with a home, I can almost write up verbatim what the inspection report will say. It seems that there are just a few items that always show up on an inspection report. Here is a partial list of what I see day after day and...
Geothermal Is HOT
In the last several years, you have been hearing a lot about the “Green Movement.” That means finding ways to be more energy efficient while having a minimal negative impact on the environment. Former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter made green energy a priority in his...
Real Estate Etiquette 101
If you are going to buy real estate, sell real estate, invest or act as an agent, there really is some etiquette that goes along with the territory. I get emails and letters from buyers, agents and sellers all asking me to write about this topic. By no means am...