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Honolulu Named Best City to Live in the US

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Honolulu Named Best City to Live in the US

US news and world report named Honolulu Hawaii #17 is one of the top places to live in the country for 2018. You wouldn’t think our crowded little city would’ve made the list but actually, our quality of life and value added a lot to the score.

Our population is just under 1 million with an average annual salary of about $51,000. On a scale of 1 to 10, our quality of life, which includes low crime rates, affordability, job growth, etc., came in at a 6.5 with our value index coming in at 4.7. Honolulu is considered the cultural and culinary hub of the Hawaiian Islands and we are proficient with shopping centers, restaurants, and of course, miles of beaches. The only downside is our cost of living, which comes in a little bit higher than the national average. But comparing that with the year-round tropical temperatures and simply the beauty of living in Hawaii, a kind of balances it out.

With our laid-back vibe, diverse blend of cultures, and close proximity to the ocean, Honolulu is regularly defined as one of the country’s happiest places on earth. The Honolulu Metro area includes the entire southeastern half of Oahu and according to our U.S. News & World Report scorecard, our desirability came in at a solid 10. The only score that was lower is our value, based on a cost of living compared to the national average.

Our job market came in at a 7.8, quality of life came in at 6.5, and net migration came in at 5.6. Honolulu has been ranked #35 as one of the best places to live in the country and #24 is one of the best places to retire.

The median home price is about $580,000 with the median monthly rent of just under $1600. This does come in at one of the priciest and most expensive places to live and rent in the country, but again, there are so many factors offsetting the high cost of living that it’s easy to see why we made the list.

Learn More About our Island:

I need to sell my house in Hawaii and move to the mainland

How you know you’re ready to leave the rental market

What’s the best time to sell a house in Hawaii?

What buyers are looking for in a Hawaiian house

Want to move here? Just do it.

How to drop everything and move to Hawaii

 

Bollywood Film Festival in Honolulu

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It’s that time a gear for the 2017 Bollywood Film Festival. Located at the Doris Duke Theater at 900 Kinau St in Honolulu on Saturday, January 7 through Saturday, January 22, this international film Festival will bring foreign film lovers together from all over the islands. There will be singing, dancing and of course, fantastic films.Bollywood Film Festival in Honolulu

This is the 10 year anniversary and opening-night will begin on Saturday, January 7 at 6:00 PM with a celebration of an Indian wedding. You can sing and dance along with live performances by Aaja Nachle and enjoy traditional dishes from Indian Café with wine, beer and soda available for purchase. The first film kicks off at 7:30 PM with a showing of Dear Zindagi. Tickets for regular screenings are just $10 or $8 for museum members. The opening night reception is $35.

On January 15 from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM is the Bank of Hawaii Family Sunday. Kids can celebrate India through art activities, music, and dance. Here’s the lineup of movies playing this year:

January 7, 8, 10th Dear Zindagi
January 8, 11 Banjo
January 12, 13, 14 Baar Baar Dekho
January 12, 13, 14 Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
January 17, 18, 19 Te3n
January 17, 18, 19 Wazir
January 20, 21 Shivaay
January 20, 21 Sultan
January 22 Live Concert: Bollywood on Stage

The Doris Dugan venue has been in the process of renovating and will be open until after January 5. It’s going to be great, a great new theater, and a fantastic venue for this year’s Bollywood Film Festival.

By Flexfxproductions (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Honolulu is the Least Stressed City

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In a recent article by MSN Money, Honolulu boasted the lowest health and safety related stress in the nation. Of course, even in paradise, people have a typical work and money stresses but when you are looking out to a beautiful view of the ocean and white sandy beaches are just minutes away, it can certainly relieve a lot of work and money related stress.Honolulu is the Least Stressed City

Stress is an inevitable feeling. Just about every life situation could give you some form of stress whether it’s work, school, kids or family. However, some stress is good and gives us the push and drive we need to succeed, persevere and break through certain obstacles. According to the American Psychological Association, stress is generally trending downward in the United States since 2007. In the recent article originally from Wallet Hub.com, Honolulu came in at 148 of the least stressful cities in the US. It also came in as one of the highest credit scores overall in general but had one of the highest housing costs. This is to be expected since housing in Honolulu is higher than the national average.

One of the biggest things that lead to stress for Oahu residences is traffic. There’s always construction going on somewhere but we also have a more laid-back mentality. That, added to stressful situations makes them a little bit more bearable.

[Read more: Buy a house in Hawaii – Just Do It]

Reasons to live in Hawaii:

We have a lot of reasons people move to Hawaii but relieving stress is certainly at the top of the list. Our temperatures are perfect as it never gets over 100°F colder than about 45° and we have constant trade winds that keep fresh air blowing across the island. This disperses whatever pollution we may incur and keeps the temperature at a comfortable rate. There are a variety of things to do including shopping, sightseeing and beautiful historical attractions like Pearl Harbor. There are over 12 mountain ridge hikes on Oahu alone with peaks of over 4000 feet. And Hawaii is extremely diverse. The way of life, things to do and culture all add to the charm, peacefulness, and tranquility of the Hawaiian Islands.

Related: How to Buy a House on Ohau

If you’re planning on moving from the mainland it’s important to know that Hawaii is like any other big city; there are jobs available if you have the skills and experience. To comfortably move to the Hawaiian Islands it’s a good idea to have about $10,000 in savings. This will help all transportation costs, living arrangements once you arrive and any personal belonging shipment.

For more information about living in Honolulu or anywhere on the Oahu Island contact our office today.

Should We Buy or Rent on Oahu?

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If you’re considering a move to the islands you might be wondering is it better to rent or buy; also, is a condominium or single-family house a better option?Should We Buy or Rent on Oahu?

There are a lot of things to consider when you’re moving overseas from the mainland, even though you’re not changing countries. If you’ve never been to Oahu, renting might be the better option so you get a feel for the lay of the land and you understand the different cities and villages better. This might give you a better idea of where you would want to buy in the future.

Many military families understand that they probably will not be on the islands for long so renting makes the most sense. However, if you plan on staying any longer than two or three years, buying might be a better option since homes tend to gain decent equity within 2 to 3 years and you may actually gain a profit when you sell. There are many things to consider in colluding appreciation, tax savings, a positive impact on your credit history as well as the stability of homeownership.

Renting however gives you the flexibility to be able to move easily without having to sell another property and you may be able to live in a nicer home for the same amount of money as a mortgage payment. However, you cannot make changes to the home, extensive improvements and you are under your landlord’s rules about what you can do to the home.

Renting versus buying might be slightly different depending on what type of market you are in. Overall, buying a home is typically 30% cheaper than renting but that’s not the case in Hawaii. It’s just 5% cheaper than renting around the Honolulu area where as it could be up to 40% in some rural areas of the mainland. Nevertheless, you will have the added benefit of gaining equity and a home of your own should you buy. On the flipside of that, should you need to move, you will need to sell that home.

It really comes down to a personal decision on the future of your housing. If you plan on staying on the island for at least 2 to 3 years I would encourage you to buy. You can easily get a condominium or single-family home for about the same monthly payment as you would renting or buying.

For more information on buying or renting on Oahu please give us a call at any time. We help with property management so we can help you find the right rental property or we can also help you purchase the right rental property for little to no money down.

7 Reasons Mainlanders Should Relocate to Honolulu

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7 Reasons Mainlanders Should Relocate to Honolulu

Have you every dreamed of living in a tropical location with breathtaking views of the ocean right from your doorstep? Hammocks hanging on your palm trees and being within walking distance to fine sand beaches? Sounds like paradise, right? It is, it’s Hawaii. You too could live in Hawaii, come join us and make your dream a reality by scheduling a call with us. 7 Reasons Mainlanders Should Relocate to HonoluluIf you are thinking of moving to Hawaii, let us help sway your decision with 7 reasons why you should move here.

 

  1. The Ocean – Let’s get the obvious one of the way right off the bat. When you live in Hawaii, you could be at the beach everyday. There are affordable homes in Hawaii that are within a short drive to the ocean when you get off will help soothe any rough day. If you enjoy outdoor activities, you can learn to surf and eventually take a shot at the north shores which are famous for big waves during the winter months.
  2. College – The University of Hawaii is a top rated college open to the public offering masters, bachelors and doctorate degrees. Also, Hawaii doesn’t have any professional sports teams so the UH sports programs get extra love from the locals. Go Rainbow Warriors!
  3. Tropical climate – Majority of the connecting 48 see snow at least once throughout the year, well, not here. You will not EVER have to take out snow blower or shovel to get out of your driveway for work. During the winter months, the temperatures rarely drop below 65 degrees. The winter does bring flocks of tourists, and that’s okay because they help our states economy –it also brings me right into reason #4.
  4. People are happy here – Yes, the Hawaiian Islands are popular in the tourist entertainment industry. This means that when people vacation here, you generally see them at their best, relaxing and on vacation. Locals for the most part have a laid back, relaxed and accepting attitude – you will feel like a local in no time.
  5. Endless seafood – If you’re moving to Hawaii and you enjoy seafood, we have plenty of it for you. Many restaurants here serve an abundance of shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, calamari and more. Looking for a good sushi restaurant? Check out Sushi Sasabune, Yanagi Sushi or Sushi Izakaya Gaku.
  6. Rainbows – They will always put a smile on your face. Especially if you have young children, they will love driving home from school, looking out the window and spotting a double rainbow on the horizon. You can potentially see a rainbow here – Every. Single. Day.
  7. Have a simple life – Living in Hawaii, life just seems to be much more simplified. Yes, you will still have a car, job and bills to pay; but the overall quality of life and slower paced lifestyle makes Honolulu an amazing place to live.

Are you considering attending the University of Hawaii next year? Maybe you’re looking to relocate to Hawaii to live in your dream home; we can help you with that! Let us know if you are ready to live in paradise, we’ll help find the right place for you to live.

Christmas Parades and Events in Honolulu

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Christmas Parades and Events in Honolulu

Santa Claus may not be bundled up this holiday season in the Hawaiian Islands but there are certainly a lot of fun things to do and see this Christmas season in Honolulu and Waikiki as well as surrounding communities and towns on Oahu. Here are some of our favorites coming up in the next two weeks.

On December 11, the Kapahulu Moiliili Christmas Parade is sponsored by the local Lions Club and it kicks off at 6:30 PM. With marching bands, lots of vehicles and the local schools, this will be a fun and festive event starting at the Kuhio elementary school and ending at the Old Stadium Park around 8:00 PM.Christmas Parades and Events in Honolulu

On December 12 is the Haleiwa Christmas Parade sponsored by the North Shore Community Chamber of Commerce and start on Haleiwa Main Street at 6:00 PM.

On December 13 the Aiea Community sponsors their own Christmas parade at 8:30 AM. With marching bands, vehicles and lots of fun and festive floats, this parade will start the Pearl Ridge elementary school parking lot and end at the Aiea Sugar Mill Site.

Gentry Waipio has their own community Christmas parade at 10:00 AM on December 13 starting at C and ending at the Gentry Waipio Shopping Center. Also in December 13 the Manoa Community Christmas Parade sponsored by the East Manoa Lions Club starts at 5:00 PM at the Noelani School.

The Waianae Coast Christmas Parade is at 10:00 AM starting at the Waipahu District Park. The West Oahu Holiday Electric Light Parade is also on December 13 at 6:00 PM starting at the Kapolei Fairgrounds. This event will also have a tree lighting ceremony and block party with numerous vehicles, floats and marching bands.

December 14 is the 15th annual Gingerbread Family Festival taking place at the Neil Blaisdell Exhibition Hall from 9:30 AM until 2:00 PM. There will be over 6000 guests decorating more than 1400 gingerbread houses.

December 16 and 17th is breakfast with the Hawaiian Santa at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach from 8:00 AM until 10:00 AM. Prices are $27 per person which included breakfast and a photo with Santa and $14 for children five through 11 and children four and under eat free.,

At the Neil Blaisdell Concert Hall you can enjoy the this year’s rendition of the Nutcracker December 19 through the 21st. Check out the Blaisdell Centers website for ticket information and times.

Also on the 20th is the Ewa Beach Christmas Parade starting 10:00 AM and will start at the Llima Intermediate School Parking Lot.

On December 20 is the Honolulu gift fair at the Neil Blaisdell Exhibition Center with over 300 booths, books and music, gadgets, toys and food. Even though admission is free, participants are encouraged to bring canned food items for the Hawaii food bank. [Source]

There’s always something fun happening this December throughout the Hawaiian Islands and especially throughout the communities on Oahu, and  Mele Kalikimaka! Image by Guy Evans Flickr

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About Hawaii Realty Pro

Hawaii Real Estate SpecialistsOahu real estate agent Maureen Fukumoto

Maureen and her team assists sellers and buyers in coming together over the right home and right price. With up to date listings, current market conditions and local information we are your full service source for all Oahu real estate.

For decades I have been assisting home owners sell their property quickly at economically. With licensed agents and brokers we can provide the same top quality service you would get from a fully commissioned Realtor or agent. We provide access to all the marketing and advertising tools needed to list and sell your Oahu Property.