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Aloha from Paradise! 🌴

As the year 2022 draws to a close, I would like to thank all of my clients and readers of this newsletter for all of your support! It is always a pleasure to provide value and it is always an honor to provide you with insights of this dynamic sector of real estate.

What a year we had! Curious about what happened last month?

The housing market for November in West Hawaii saw an unprecedented surge with 150 homes/condos available, a near threefold increase from the 55 that were on the market in 2021. It’s clear that there is a huge surge of available inventory.

So what is the advice?

Big Island sellers have enjoyed a remarkable rise in their property values over the past two years. Unfortunately, that sunny streak has come to an end and buyers are becoming more selective as they look for homes worth investing in – going through all of the due diligence steps such as home inspections before making a purchase decision. If you want your Big Island home to stand out from the rest, make sure it’s staged well with professional photos included and priced competitively so potential buyers will be enticed by its condition and location!
If your home is in need of serious TLC, it’s essential to take action before listing. Otherwise you could be looking at potentially costly negotiations and a sale price lower than what you had hoped for – not ideal! Save yourself time and money by arranging a pre-home inspection as soon as possible. Getting repairs sorted out before potential buyers see your property will put more dollars back into your pocket. Don’t forget about marketing- make sure tyou have a solid partner that can help you with marketing and is well-versed with all aspects of social media.

Big Island Buyers: Buying a home on the Big Island has been an exhausting experience over the past two years. Do you remember submitting offers only to find out that the property went contingent just hours after being active? I am sure you are not missing that environment. With real estate market conditions changing, new opportunities are arising that offer more options for hopeful homeowners!

Be aware that homes in fantastic condition priced correctly may generate multiple offers. For example I just released a gorgeous listing yesterday in a beautiful condominium complex called Kona Reef and the amount of showings, emails and offers was through the roof.  Sellers are in a multiple-offer environment and the best offer will win.

How can you have a successful real estate transaction whether you are selling or buying property in 2023?

Having trusted advice from experienced local agents is invaluable as they can strategize how best to approach your prospective purchase or sale and make sure you get what you want out of every deal!

As always – I am here to help ❤️

# of Sales on The Big Island of Hawaii – December 2022

147

Residential

131

Vacant Land

38

Condos
News and Economy

December Updates

Volunteers

Volunteers and members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I teamed up Friday to clean trash from the side of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway to clean the land for Pele

Sharks in Hawaii

Shark warning signs have gone up at ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay on the month of December. Apparently there was an encounter between a man in his mid-60’s and what has been reported as a 12-foot tiger shark, according to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources. Please excercise caution.

Tourism

Hawaii should see nearly 9.7 million visitors in 2023. During the first 10 months of 2022, Hawaii welcomed a total of 7.6 million visitors, representing an 88.6 percent recovery from the same period in 2019. U.S. visitors were 13.8 percent higher than those who came during the same period in 2019. International visitors recovered 38.1 percent with Canadian visitors leading the recovery at 69.8 percent, Japanese visitors at 10.3 percent, and other international visitors at 59.7 percent. - DBEDT

Island News

Hawaii received top marks for high physical activity, according to this year’s annual “America’s Health Rankings.”

Internet

The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will receive $17.3 million in federal funding to expand internet connectivity in Native Hawaiian communities.

Travel

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole has been ranked the second best airport in the country for holiday travel, according to a Dec. 12 report by Forbes Advisor.

Waip'io Valley

The only road in and out of the Big Island’s Waipiʻo Valley remains closed as crews with the Hawaiʻi County Department of Public Works continue their cleanup efforts following the Kona Low storm early last week.

Interest Rates

The national average 30-year fixed mortgage APR is 6.68%, according to bankrate.com

Moving to Hawaii

Moving to Pahoa!

From Corporate Banking to Arts in Hawaii- Kate Asis

Are you wondering how to move to the big island of Hawaii? Kate Asis has such an inspiring story that you have to watch it! She has moved with her husband to The Big Island of Hawaii and they are enjoying the island so much! It was very important for them to find peace and relax from the corporate environment they were in. She was kind enough to share how she made the transition to the big island of Hawaii and has shared amazing tips! To follow her artistic journey and connect with her – visit https://breathingspacehawaii.com/

Property Highlight

Kona Reef D17

A successful STVR oceanfront condo

Purchase Price: $725,000

I am representing the sellers of this beautiful unit located in Kona Reef 🌊💙

Kona Playgrounds Foundation

We were recently interviewed by Big Island TV! They created this beautiful video and highlighted all of our efforts! We have received over 50k in donations! 😃 We have more updates coming soon for 2023! Mahalo for sharing!!

Success Story

I had the pleasure of representing this very sweet family who had a dream about moving to paradise. We successfully closed on their property and the family can’t be happier. This review like all reviews I get from clients got me teary-eyed! Seeing clients get to the finish line with their goals fills my heart in so many ways! Mahalo for trusting the process and for relaying on me ❤️

New Year. New Goals. What are your goals for 2023? ❤️

Maly RomeroReal Estate Consultant