Articles
The Great Bottom Has Arrived
by Bill Jardine May 06, 2008
The Bottom of the real estate cycle occurs when regular people can afford to buy houses once more, and it arrives at the time that reduced prices and the reduced cost of capital unite to make home buying reasonable once more. This cycle’s Bottom has arrived somewhat sooner than you’d expect, since national media attention has driven prices through the floor and our new
Fed Chief, Ben Bernanke, has lowered nominal rates very rapidly!The peak in house prices was somewhere in late 2005, nationally, and more toward mid-2006 here in Hawaii, so this leg of the cycle is about 3-years old all ready.
Racism - Ignorance Required
by Bill Jardine Jan 15, 2008
Hawaii has always been known as a melting pot, and the Polynesians who identified with this Island paradise rapidly and happily inter-married with the many other races that found their way here as the Polynesians had hundreds of years before. Perhaps it was because Island people understand that they must rely on each other and have only each other to rely upon. Living on and Island is like living on a boat. Look around you and you can see who you have to help you and who has you to help them. It is clear and right, even if it may be a bit scary.
Solving Traffic Problems - Not!
by Bill Jardine Jan 12, 2008
This sudden lack of congestion on the highway is of course due to the lack of school traffic, and as I was thinking about this the other day it occurred to me that if we were to just eliminate the schools a great deal of our traffic troubles would go away. My goodness, we really have lots of schools too! Just think about it … we have the Waimea Middle and Elementary Schools, the Kamehameha preschool, Parker School, HPA, Country Day, Small World Preschool and the Montessori schools to boot! Yikes! Maybe we can just eliminate a few of them, but eliminating all of them would be much better, don’t you think?
Are Listing Agents Adding to the Slow Market?
by Bill Jardine Jan 02, 2008
The way to tell the difference between a good agency and a lousy one today is to offer them an over-priced listing. If they politely say “no” you are in good hands. If they say “Well, we can try that.”, you are probably dealing with someone perpetuating the problem rather than solving it.
December in Waimea
by Bill Jardine Dec 05, 2007
Recent rains have brought early snows, even as the pasture lands have turned from their summer browns to vivid greens under the bright blue sky. Fantastic cloudscapes stage their best shows in the winter sky. For those of us in Hawaii’s high country, this all means that it is time to revisit the wood pile out back to be sure there is enough dry ohia and keawe wood to keep conversations and laughter going long after dinner as friends and family gather round the hearth. The winter season is our most beautiful season.
Waimea Thanksgiving is Here!
by Bill Jardine Nov 17, 2007
Just think, it occurs on Thursday, giving everyone an ideal excuse for a four-day weekend. It is not a religious holiday, so no one gets to act like they are offended. It is one of those great holidays that don’t require you to guess what kind of a gift to give. It is a real, big feast designed around a most American theme and most American bird. It is hard not to have too many people over, and after all that is what life is all about!
How To Buy In This Great Market
by Bill Jardine Nov 15, 2007
The absolute best plan is to get in there now and make aggressive offers that reflect what you think the bottom would and should be …
Will The Superferry Make It To Waimea?
by Bill Jardine Nov 03, 2007
There certainly has been a lot of news concerning the Hawaii Superferry lately! The matter seems to have taken on an un-healthy “Them vs Us” political cast, and those of us not given to heated arguments must just hope that time will heal the wounds caused by hasty words spoken in anger. In the meantime it seems likely that the inter-Island, high-speed ferry will be given a chance to run between Kauai, Oahu and Maui while an environmental assessment is finally done.
What is real value?
by Bill Jardine Aug 03, 2007
W ith all of our cocktail talk about real estate values … where are they going and where have they been … we can easily forget what we are really talking about. For example, think about money instead of real estate for a moment …
July in Old Waimea Town
by Bill Jardine Jun 29, 2007
July has just clattered into town, singing out rodeo cries and promising fire crackers and smoky barbecues for all those brave souls willing to bask in the summer sun. Those clever enough to fore go the rigors of the open road and stay close to home are collecting a treasure trove of starry nights and rich, golden days at the feet of the old Kohala Mountains while those traveling far away are dealing with traffic jams and “no vacancy” signs. Waimea is at its best in the bright summer.
After the Blue Moon - June
by Bill Jardine Jun 20, 2007
Now that summer is rushing in and graduations are almost over, the drying lawns are reminding us that the summer travel season is once again upon us. Waimea families large and small are packing up to visit the grand parents, accept the challenges of summer camps or even visit our national monuments with the millions of other Americans on the road this year.
May in Waimea
by Bill Jardine May 02, 2007
May brings flowers … plain and simple. Just the thought of the hedges, trees and bushes in bloom is enough to set the tone for the whole month. Then, just as you get near the end of the month school let’s out and everyone goes on vacation. Wow! It is pretty hard to think of anything negative about May. I loved the Rogers and Hammerstein line about the “merry month of May” in their musical, Camelot. They called it the month of “Yes you may!”
April 2007
by Bill Jardine Apr 17, 2007
Wouldn’t April be great if there were no income tax? As it is, April is still one of the best months of the year, and not just because that is the month our daughter, Jana, was born either. It is the first month that makes you feel like Spring is here for sure. Waimea’s many, graceful Jacaranda trees are now bent with bright purple flowers which will soon scatter over lawns and roadways, bringing smiles to old-timers and new-comers alike.
March 2007
by Bill Jardine Mar 05, 2007
More and more the public is catching on to this incredible buying opportunity as well. So far the new Parker Ranch subdivision, Luala’i, is offering the best values in town, with brand new housing in the $500K to $700K range. The neighborhood is really cute, and has great appeal to those who want to walk around town and leave their SUV’s at home. Call me, and you will be glad you did.
February 2007
by Bill Jardine Feb 07, 2007
February this year has been cold. We aren’t complaining, mind you. There are a lot of things that go very nicely with the cold, and Waimea is one of the places where you can really get into the swing of a winter cold snap.
The "Fizzbo"
by Bill Jardine Feb 07, 2007
As an Exclusive Buyers Agency, we often work with properties that are not listed with Realtors and are called For Sale By Owner properties in our industry jargon. The first letters of this term are FSBO, so the term in use has become Fizzbo.
Our clients often ask if a FSBO is a better deal than a property that is listed with a Realtor. Our answer is almost always that it is not likely to be a good deal and is quite likely to be a bad deal. Here are a few of the reasons we have come to that conclusion.
January 2007
by Bill Jardine Jan 26, 2007
January remains the month of greatest promise, as the whole new year lies ahead, and strong trade winds whisk away the last vestiges of the by-gone year. This January has only been exceptional in our curious lack of rain, the result of the jet stream running at the highest end of the Pacific, sending rotten weather into the north west and sending soaking Seattle sufferers to our sunny shores. The weather here has been great, of course.
November in Waimea
by Bill Jardine Nov 01, 2006
November is one of the best months of the year. It is the harvest in the northern hemisphere, the crops are in, the dead limbs have been cut into firewood, the alarm clock goes off in the dark, and for the first time all year people actually consider wearing orange.
Waimea’s October Surprise - Earthquake
by Bill Jardine Oct 30, 2006
You have all heard of the Richter Scale, of course, and it can pretty hard to understand the difference between a 5.6 and a 6.5 shake down. Well, at this point in time there are a lot of Waimea folks ready, willing and able to tell you the difference in ways you can relate to.
The Multi-Generational Home
by Bill Jardine Sep 19, 2006
The high cost of housing affects the price of cleaning ladies, the price of lettuce and the availability of decent workers everywhere in the community. Want to hire a top astronomer? Where can he or she afford to live?
Market update – Summer 2006
by Bill Jardine Aug 21, 2006
Waimea is really quite a remarkable place when you stop to think about it. We have had growth here, but it has been the good kind rather than the stinky kind that everyone else seems to get. We have a new-ish shopping center, a great hospital, and the organized development of Parker Ranch properties.
August 2006 Newsletter
by Bill Jardine Aug 11, 2006
August seems to have the right name to those of us lucky enough to live in Waimea, and I was reminded of that on a recent morning walk through the rain forest with good friends.
July 2006 Newsletter
by Bill Jardine Jul 18, 2006
July has been windy really windy! Our poor cat, Captain Sam, had gotten so used to leaning into the wind that he fell over when he came into the house for dinner last night! Those of us lucky enough to have a house in Waimea are now looking out over lawns scattered with twigs as the stiff trades sweep the skies clean and scuttle plans for badminton and Frisbee parties.
What Is the Waimea Market Doing Now?
by Bill Jardine Apr 26, 2006
This is a wonderful time to find a bargain, and many smart buyers are making offers well below asking prices. You can too! Within a few short years the Boomers will be retiring in full force, and many experts predict that this increased demand for retirement properties will drive our prices to the stars and beyond. What do you think?
Why this is a Great time to buy Real Estate
by Bill Jardine Mar 07, 2006
By now you have heard that the real estate insanity has chilled out and we are returning to normal market conditions. In some parts of the country real estate prices are in decline, and even here in Paradise we are seeing price reductions through out the market.
Investment Strategy in a Softening Market
by Bill Jardine Dec 12, 2005
Many of you will have all ready heard about the nation-wide slackening in residential real estate demand. The national news and business magazines have all featured articles from scary to speculative as interest rates inch upward and stories of wild speculation abound. We hear those stories too.
November 2005 Newsletter
by Bill Jardine Nov 12, 2005
November has roared into town with strong trade winds rattling screen doors and shaking the twigs and dead leaves right out of the trees. Our skies are absolutely beautiful as bright clouds sail by in the bending light. Jacket collars and scarves are everywhere as rosy-cheeked neighbors greet each other in town and grin with eyes that sparkle like cider and cinnamon. The season of joy and thankfulness is breaking like a wave of happiness over the community. It has been a year of plenty, and soon tables will groan under the weight of Thanksgiving feasts.
October 2005 Newsletter
by Bill Jardine Oct 12, 2005
October means the harvest season gets underway across the land and high streaky clouds signal the approach of winter here in the mid-Pacific. At our dry-land dwelling, Kilohana, we look forward to winter rains and maybe a chance to use our fireplace before the month is out.
September 2005 Newsletter
by Bill Jardine Sep 12, 2005
September is all about getting kids back into school and letting old-timers out on the road. When I was an HPA student I dreaded September as a month when the warm summer days remained outside and my friends and I were forced to be inside. Now I think of it as a perfect month for traveling or taking extra time out in the yard to see that everything is ship shape for the onslaught of Winter.
August 2005 Newsletter
by Bill Jardine Aug 30, 2005
August is associated with summer heat in most communities, but Waimea is usually breezy and cool with the kipuupuu mists settling over the green hills and forests above town. Each morning now, the bright August sun rises through the morning mist, forming fragments of rainbows for those looking west. It is really a charming thing to experience, and often we see gaily dressed tourists pulled off the side of the road to view these little jewel boxes of color that hug the mist where it meets the dry plains of Waikoloa.