How Much are Homes in Central Oahu?

September 11, 2015 by Maureen Fukumoto Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that homes and condominiums in Honolulu and Waikiki or especially those in the highest touristy areas of Oahu would be the most expensive. The same can be true for those around the outer edge of the island with waterfront views and oceanfront access. However, in the center of the island lights several smaller towns such as Mililani close to the Schofield Barracks and the Wheeler Army Airfield that are a little more affordable.

Mililani sits just inside between the valleys accessible on Highway H2. There are numerous homes for sale priced anywhere from $300,000-$900,000, quite different than the million dollar waterfront properties in Ewa Beach, Honolulu and the North Shore. The average home price for a home in this area is about $600,000. There are primarily single-family homes, one and two story designs built between the 1970s and 2000.

At the publishing of this post there about 100 homes for sale priced from $155,000 for a small studio single-family home up to about $1.1 million. The median house price is about $700,000 with a variety of homes mainly between $400,000 and $800,000. In this price range you can find the majority of homes with 3 to 4 bedrooms, 2 to 3 bathrooms in sizes from 1500 ft.² to about 3000 ft.².

A little farther up Highway H2 is a small community of Whitmore Village and Wahiawa. homes in this area are priced even less starting about $250,000-$650,000. Whitmore Village has anywhere from 5 to 10 homes for sale found along the Kamehameha Hwy priced from $400,000-$550,000.

Both of these locations have a variety of amenities such as markets, thanks, shops and restaurants and the Leilehua golf course is also located between Mililani and Wahiawa. There’s a variety of parks, great schools and of course easy access to the north or south side of the island. Several military families choose to buy in this area and the Wahiawa community has more duplexes and town homes for sale then Mililani.

It’s true that if you want to live out by the water or in some of the major metropolitan cities of Honolulu and Waikiki, prices will generally be higher but you also have the traffic, hustle and bustle and tourists at these locations. Finding a centrally located home on Oahu means to have a little bit more privacy and of course a lower-priced home. Start your online search here for all homes in central Oahu or contact me at any time for a customized list of properties that meet your search criteria and price anywhere on the island.

Cardboard Regatta 2015 Mililani!

July 24, 2015 by Maureen Fukumoto Leave a Comment

Single-family Drop in Price on Oahu

March 10, 2015 by Maureen Fukumoto Leave a Comment

Single-Family and Condo Median Drop in Price on Oahu

According to a recent article by the Honolulu Board Of Realtors this last week shows that the median price of a single-family home on Oahu has dropped since February compared to just a year ago. There’s been an increase in the number of sales but those figures also show that the median price of condominiums as well as single-family homes have drop substantially in February. The medium home prices currently $648,000 compared to $679,000 in February 2014. This equates to a nearly 5% drop. There have been more homes sold February 2015 then February 2014 with the increase of 6% this year. Condominiums dropped a little over 9% from $359,000-$326,000. There’s been a drop of 2% of condominiums purchased last year than this year which is not a significant number.

The Board of Realtors also stated that single-family homes were on the market for an average of 25 days and condos about 29 days. February is usually one of the slowest months of the year so this isn’t surprising that numbers are a little skewed from the more popular months out of the year.

So what is all this mean? Home buyers should be encouraged that if they’ve been on the fence about buying, now would be a great time. Because there is an increase in inventory with a lower median price, homebuyers should be able to get a better deal with a choice of more options.

What is this mean for sellers? Well, there is quite a bit of inventory out there so if you plan on selling but couldn’t wait another month, it might actually getting you more profit. You might consider holding off Intel April or May when school starts to wrap up and more homebuyers are considering buying or selling. Yes, there will be more inventory out there but you might be able to get a better price for your condominium or house.

If you’re interested in purchasing a home or condominium anywhere on the island, please give me a call. I want to stay up-to-date with the current market trends, local inventory, and provide you with the best possible real estate service out there. Give our agents or our office a call today.

Discount Listing Agent for a Fast Oahu Sale

February 2, 2015 by Maureen Fukumoto Leave a Comment

Most of the time when homebuyers need a quick sale they may not look to a discount or flat fee listing company. Discount brokers often have the stigma of throwing up the listing on the MLS and sadly forgetting about it. There is no hands-on marketing, advertising or customer service. But that’s not the case with companies like Help-U-Sell. Not all discount brokers need to be so hands off. It is possible to get a listing agent for a discounted price to do as much or as little as you want them to do.

For instance: you may have all of the necessary tools to market and advertise your home and you may already have an idea of how you want to price it and stage it but you just can’t get it on the MLS without having the help of a licensed real estate agent. This is where our flat fee listing service is so important. For a flat fee of just $500 it includes custom photographs, a virtual tour, professional flyer for the front of your home in the real estate sign, a front door lock box and an MLS listing.

However, there is a catch; you will probably need to offer some sort of a buyer’s agent commission.

This means that even though you won’t be spending thousands of dollars on the listing agent side you may have to spend a certain percentage on a commission to the buyers agent. Unless the homebuyer comes to you directly without the aid of a buyers agent, you may need to offer some sort of an incentive for the buyers agent to facilitate the real estate transaction. This percentage can be anywhere from 1% to 3% or even more for a buyers agent. Example: if you are selling your Oahu home or condo for $400,000 you can offer the listing agent a 2% buyer’s agent commission which would be about $8000. On a typical listing, the commission could be upwards of 6% or $24,000, which is quite a bit of equity to be losing.

Again, a flat fee listing option is probably not the best idea if you want to be completely hands-off and have no idea how to facilitate a real estate transaction. At Help-U-Sell we want to be as hands-on or as hands-off as you prefer which is why we offer several different listing options.

If you have questions about how hands-off you want to be to sell your Oahu home or property fast feel free to give me a call at any time. We can discuss options, your knowledge of the market, and how much equity you need in order to close quickly.

Military Discounts for Oahu

October 27, 2014 by Maureen Fukumoto Leave a Comment

Whether you are visiting or living here for some time and are in active military duty there are many discounts and provisions provided to you on the island of Oahu. Here’s a small sampling of US military discounts for being an active member in the military and living on the island.

Probably one of the most popular one is the commissary complex at the Mall at Pearl Harbor. There are numerous discounts on tickets and tours as well as a large food court and AAFES and NEX facilities. at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, the commissary offers shops, gas stations, and just about anything else you could want including things that are native to our area. There are lots of places to eat and shop as well as areas with no tax. This location is perfect for those visiting and those stationed here.

If you’re looking for activities and tours, Hawaii active.com has discounted rates but not only qualify for the military but for local residents, seniors and airline employees. Discounts for military qualify for both personnel and their families which covers vacationing military personnel and those that are currently stationed here.

Other local military discounts include national and individual shops and stores including Lowe’s home improvement stores which offer a 10% military discount. The Polynesian Cultural Center as well as the Pearl Harbor Museum and memorials also offer distinct military discounts. Whether you’re visiting or you just like to take in some of the local sites, Paradise Cove Luau and Germaine Luau both feature military discounts for some fantastic food adventures.

The Annual National Park passes are free for the military which work on the Big Island and the rest of the island such as Oahu, Kauai and Maui.

You can also sign up at the Military and Veterans Discount Center to find your specific category and be emailed in the discounts that might be available. Plus, don’t forget to simply ask. You might be surprised at who will offer a discount that’s not normally advertised for military personnel and those serving.

As always, we thank you for your service, dedication and sacrifice as you serve in the US military in any branch or division. We’re here to help you with discount real estate services, flat fee listing options, and relocation assistance.

Pearl City | Homes, Commutes, Real Estate

September 15, 2014 by Maureen Fukumoto Leave a Comment

Pearl City

Pearl City is located just outside Honolulu at the intersection of H1 and H2. Most of the city lies to the North of the Freeway overlooking Pearl Harbor and home to roughly 48,000 residents. Located in the Ewa District and the city and County of Honolulu, Pearl City borders the communities of Aiea and Waipahu. Is about 11 miles west of downtown Honolulu and of course, our main attraction is Pearl Harbor, the site of the Japanese surprise attack and the beginning of World War II for the US.

While Pearl City offers tourists, locals and visitors alike a unique glimpse into our history, there are many people that choose to call this area home. Pearl City is ranked number four of the 10 best places to live in Hawaii according to low crime rates, total amenities, quality of life, tax rates and commute times. According to Movoto.com Pearl City offers a high quality of life, low unemployment, beautiful weather and high number of amenities. It has a high median income of about $82,000 and a median home price of about $565,000. Rent is approximately $1600 per month and since of the unemployment rate is just 5.7%, residents find Pearl City an ideal place to call home.

As of the publishing of this post home prices in Pearl City ranged from about $165,000 for town homes and condominiums to $1.5 million for single family homes close to the water. The highest priced home is 4800 ft.² and second in line is $930,000. See you can see that overall, Pearl City is a fairly affordable place to call home on the island of Oahu. At any given time there’s roughly 50 to 75 properties for sale in Pearl City.

Pearl City is about 15 minutes from Honolulu but depending on traffic can run up to 30 minutes especially during peak traffic times. However, the Kamehameha Hwy and H1 run parallel to Pearl City so there are quite a few commute routes to take provided there is not construction, which we Hawaiians are known for.

For more information on Pearl City visit more of the website or call for updated on listings and private showings in this area. Images by Derrick Coetzee

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