Take a Peek at My Hawaii Home Improvement Projects

Lowes is the best home improvement project store in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Why can’t I just kick back and hang loose instead of working on Sacramento real estate like a lunatic with a side focus on my Hawaii home improvement projects? I should be thrilled, for example, that we were able to put my husband’s long-time friend into escrow yesterday — a guy who came to me through a referral from another agent (whom I have to pay, no less) because he did not understand that I sell on average a couple of homes a week that are NOT short sales.

How does he not know that a renowned Sacramento short sale agent primarily sells regular homes? How does he not know that I am a top producer in Sacramento who sells everything from $30K condos to million-dollar waterfront homes? ‘Cuz he doesn’t understand real estate, like most people, and that’s OK. He doesn’t do internet searches. People buy a home so rarely, they are not engrossed.

It took another agent to tell him: Hey, Elizabeth Weintraub is the best Sacramento Realtor I know, and I will refer you to her. I’ve been to dinner at this guy’s house. Ah, Sacramento real estate has many twists and turns. When it rains on my parade, I parade in the rain, and I’m not complaining, unless I am. I’m happy for all referrals, actually, just not so much when the referred individual is a family friend. But that shows you where my priorities lie, and they lie with Sacramento real estate, not hanging out with people.

Which brings me back to my Hawaii home improvement projects. I did not set out on this Hawaii wor-cation with the intention of fixing up the house. My husband, if he is reading this, is probably snorting to himself at the moment — I’m telling you I am innocent. But since I’m around the house much of the day anyway, why not improve my surroundings? I possess this intense desire, a sickness, if you will, to make things better. People. My environment. Gardens. My business. What have you.

Some idiot once decided to install oiled-bronze light fixtures in the kitchen. The row of 4 lights above the sink were positioned to shine directly into the living room and flood the area with light. In the dining area, another oiled-bronze light fixture was installed flush to the ceiling because the builder put it in the wrong spot for a dining room table. Both fixtures were ugly as sin. And I use that phrase loosely.

Installing a modern, coastal chandelier adorned with chipped glass in Hawaii.

On top of that, the circa 1990 ceiling fan in the separate den had stopped working, and it was butt ugly, too, with those jangley light scones. I could fix those things. Brushed nickel, soft-white LED over  the sink. Chandelier with individual glass chips over the dining area.

Moreover, as long as I was about to replace a few light fixtures, may as well get the ceiling cracks repaired. The cracks, believe it or not, have been in the ceilings since the 2006 Hawaii earthquake. My husband and I are now the third owners since then. Why didn’t the previous owners fix it? Why am I the odd duck? The answer doesn’t matter. The point is the cracks are being repaired, which means my life is in chaos; my bed is in the living room.

And I could not be happier. The only thing that would enhance my Hawaii home improvement projects would be for my husband to be here.  No, that’s not true because he does not deal well with chaos. It’s better that I am handling this.

Mudding ceiling cracks from the 2006 Hawaii earthquake.

The painter who is repairing all of the ceilings cracks, and they are in every room, first came to Hawaii Island in 1977 as a U.S. Marine. When he got out of the service, he bought an old pickup truck, drove to the summit of Mauna Kea, filled the truck bed with snow, hustled down to the beach and built a snowman. Then, he charged tourists to take a photo with his snowman on the beach.

I love this guy! He should be in real estate. No, he should not. He should be sticking to my Hawaii home improvement projects.