We Did Buy a House in Hawaii

The cutest affordable house we could buy in Hawaii offers sweeping ocean views.

The last thing my husband said to me before I left Sacramento for my wor-cation in Big Island was he did not want to buy a house in Hawaii. I mentioned that I was meeting a broker I have come to know from an agent website, Active Rain, in Big Island to tour a few homes. I have never really looked at homes in Hawaii. Sure enough, we found the perfect Hawaiian home.

I did not force my husband to buy a house in Hawaii, in case that’s what some of you are thinking. First, I can’t force him to do anything, he is his own person. But I did present a compelling case for our buying this home. It’s a small cottage, a two bedroom, two bath, although for anybody wanting a home near the city like we do, there are not a lot of choices in the entry-level price range. Prices are going up in Hawaii now.

Hawaii has a delayed response time regarding movement and market conditions as compared to Sacramento. We hit our bottom of the market in 2011 and Hawaii felt the ripple about 18 months later. I’ve always said that Christmas is the best time to buy a house, too. Everybody is in a good mood. Less competition fighting for the same homes.

Although this home did have an offer on it. I talked to the listing agent myself, questioning whether the sellers needed to respond to the offer prior to expiration and asking if Hawaii purchase contracts worked the same way as California, in that even if the offer has expired, the counter puts it back into play and opens another window, which it does. When my agent Hella Rothwell said we were planning to submit, the listing agent advised her sellers to hold off on a counter to the other buyers.

We can write off the interest on this home, and the mortgage payments are less than what I presently spend annually for hotel lodging. It makes a good investment. Plus, the sellers have agreed to leave us crucial pieces of furniture so we won’t be sleeping on the floor.

It offers a sweeping ocean view, unobstructed by other homes below, with Kona breezes. I wrote an email to my team member Barbara about my experience buying a house in Hawaii, and she laughed so hard her cheeks ached, she said. Although I am a top producer Realtor in Sacramento, I act just like any other buyer when it comes to buying a house.