It is important to have all of your items in order and be preapproved because of all of the best deals go fast to qualified buyers.

I suggest you contact Dane Nagasawa to get pre-Approved before we go out and look at homes.


Dane Nagasawa
HomeStreet Bank
111 Aupuni Street #102
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961 0666
dane.nagasawa@homestreet.com    

Our Closings Run Smoothly Every Time

My goal is to provide clients and partners in the transaction with effective communication, timely closings and no surprises.

Effective communication-you'll be informed every step of the way: when the buyer is approved, when the appraisal is submitted, etc.

Timely closings-we're proud of our efficient transaction processes. If we ever have an issue, you'll be contacted immediately.

No surprises-you'll know what to expect from us.

I look forward to working together to develop client relationships that last a lifetime. Please contact me at (808) 961 0666 or dane.nagasawa@homestreet.com if I can assist you or any of your clients.


Sincerely,
 

 
Dane Nagasawa
Loan Officer
HomeStreet Bank
NMLS ID# 343397

Mr. Howard Dinits

PO Box 2249

Kihei, HI 96753-2249

(808) 874-0600

 Keep Mortgage Interest Deductions Alive in Hawaii

Apr 22, 2011

Representative Mazie Hirono

Longworth House Office Building, Room 1410

Independence and New Jersey Avenues, SE

Washington, DC 20515-1102

Dear Representative Hirono,

As both your constituent and as one of more than one million members of the National Association of REALTORS, I remain steadfast in my belief that economic recovery depends in large measure on recovery in the housing market. That recovery is by no means complete and, in fact, the market is still quite weak.

I understand that throughout the spring and summer, Congress is likely to take many votes on huge bills that will affect economic, fiscal and tax policy.  I urge you in the strongest possible terms to assure that each one of them will contribute to stabilizing housing markets and, just as important, do no harm. The simplest way for Congress to provide certainty to the housing market is to preserve the MID and oppose any legislation that would undermine it.

Please show your support of stable housing policy by cosponsoring H.Res.25, a bipartisan resolution offered by Rep. Gary Miller.  Realtors believe that wide cosponsorship of this resolution will send a strong  signal that Congress remains committed to a housing recovery.

H. Res.25 expresses the sense of Congress that the current law  governing the MID must be retained. To restrict current law in any way would undermine progress in the still-fragile housing recovery.

Please join Mr. Miller and your colleagues in sending a strong signal that you support a stable housing market and that you support the current MID rules. Please co-sponsor H.Res. 25.

Sincerely,

Mr. Howard Dinits R(S)

RE/MAX Resort Realty

http://www.BigIslandRealEstate.com

I wanted to thank you for the feedback regarding my last website enhancement and wanted you to be the first to know about my newest site upgrade.

Whether you realize it, the Hawaiian Islands are unique and because of this we have 3 Multiple Listing Services in Hawaii.

Your search just got easier.  I have now come up with a solution I added Oahu's MLS to the Big Island website integrating the 2 statewide MLS systems into one.

Just do a basic search and you will be searching both MLS systems at once.

Do an advanced search and choose either Oahu’s Hicentral

or choose Hawaiinformation to just search the Big Island and Kauai's mls

Want to search Maui?

I suggest you search on my Maui site as that one hosts the Maui MLS. Which is Maui, Lanai and Molokai and they do not share data with the other Multiple Listing Systems.

Enjoy this video.

It is an oldie but a goodie.

Mixed signals seen in May Big Island, Kauai home sales

While purchases showed a spike, median prices fell on both islands

By Allison Schaefers

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 08, 2010

Big Island and Kauai home sales posted double-digit increases in May. However, median prices fell on both islands, leading real estate watchers to conclude that these markets are still short of recovery.

Single-family home sales on the Big Island increased 25.5 percent to 128 houses last month, and condominium sales rose 71 percent to 53 units, according to data released yesterday by the Hawaii Information Service. Still, more than half of Big Island single-family home buyers in May paid at least $279,500, which represented a 7 percent decrease from the year-ago $300,500. The median price paid for a condominium also dropped about 7.8 percent to $285,000 from the year-ago $309,000.

May single-family home sales on Kauai rose 80 percent to 27 houses from the year-ago 15. Condominium sales climbed last month by 38.5 percent to 18 units from the 13 recorded in May of 2009. The median price paid for a single-family home on Kauai in May dropped 30 percent to $420,000 from the year-prior $600,000. The median price of a Kauai condominium dropped by 50.3 percent to $164,000 from $330,000 in May 2009.

Compared with a dismal last year, the statistics tell an overly optimistic tale, said Phil Fudge, the principal broker at Kapaa-based Kauai Landmark Realty.

"Last year was really terrible, so a little increase makes it look really big," Fudge said.

That said, buyers continued to benefit from low prices and interest rates on the Big Island and Kauai in May. Sellers made faster sales than they had previously. However, many still had to make price or other concessions, said Val Pilaria, principal broker at Aloha Kauai Properties.

"They have to compete with distressed sales," Pilaria said.

The volume of distressed properties also brought out the bargain hunters, said Howard Dinits, a Realtor with Kihei-based RE/MAX Resort Realty who specializes in Big Island and Maui residential real estate.

"Deals have kept the sales momentum high even after the expiration of the federal tax credits," Dinits said.

CLICK HERE FOR LARGE

Big Island and Kauai home sales posted double-digit increases in May. However, median prices fell on both islands, leading real estate watchers to conclude that these markets are still short of recovery.

Single-family home sales on the Big Island increased 25.5 percent to 128 houses last month, and condominium sales rose 71 percent to 53 units, according to data released yesterday by the Hawaii Information Service. Still, more than half of Big Island single-family home buyers in May paid at least $279,500, which represented a 7 percent decrease from the year-ago $300,500. The median price paid for a condominium also dropped about 7.8 percent to $285,000 from the year-ago $309,000.

May single-family home sales on Kauai rose 80 percent to 27 houses from the year-ago 15. Condominium sales climbed last month by 38.5 percent to 18 units from the 13 recorded in May of 2009. The median price paid for a single-family home on Kauai in May dropped 30 percent to $420,000 from the year-prior $600,000. The median price of a Kauai condominium dropped by 50.3 percent to $164,000 from $330,000 in May 2009.

Compared with a dismal last year, the statistics tell an overly optimistic tale, said Phil Fudge, the principal broker at Kapaa-based Kauai Landmark Realty.

"Last year was really terrible, so a little increase makes it look really big," Fudge said.

That said, buyers continued to benefit from low prices and interest rates on the Big Island and Kauai in May. Sellers made faster sales than they had previously. However, many still had to make price or other concessions, said Val Pilaria, principal broker at Aloha Kauai Properties.

"They have to compete with distressed sales," Pilaria said.

The volume of distressed properties also brought out the bargain hunters, said Howard Dinits, a Realtor with Kihei-based RE/MAX Resort Realty who specializes in Big Island and Maui residential real estate.

"Deals have kept the sales momentum high even after the expiration of the federal tax credits," Dinits said. http://www.BigIslandRealEstate.com and http://www.EasyMauiRealEstate.com

Brand New Listing

House For Sale in Pahoa Hawaii 96778

15-2759 Kumu STreet Pahoa Hawaii 96778
Hawaiian Shores Subdivision
Return of the Rambling Ranch

Want to live in Hawaii or Curious about Big Island Real Estate?
Click the link below for more information.

MLS#235634

$149,141.00

Mailing Address:
Howard Dinits RS  PO BOX 2249 Kihei HI 96753
Direct Phone 808-874-0600  e-mail Howard@HowardDinits.com

http://www.BigIslandRealEstate.com

Hawaii foreclosures soar

The rate surges 115 percent, with Maui and the Big Island seeing huge increases and Oahu faring much better

By Gene Park

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 13, 2010

Oahu remained well below the national rate of foreclosures in April, but the Big Island and Maui markets took large hits.

There were 1,474 Hawaii properties that received foreclosure notices last month, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure marketplace.

That was a 115.5 percent increase over April 2009 foreclosure numbers.

Hawaii's April foreclosures, which equated to one in every 348 households, added up to a higher rate than the national rate of foreclosures, which was one in every 387.

Oahu fared the best, with one in every 580 homes. But Maui and the Big Island saw a high rate, with one in every 187 and one in every 179 homes, respectively. There was one foreclosure in every 313 homes on Kauai.

"I think we're just gonna see more inventory hitting every day," said Big Island and Maui Realtor Howard Dinits. "The foreclosure process takes a long time in Hawaii."

Nationwide the number of homes facing foreclosure fell 2.4 percent from a year ago in April. James Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac, said the April national numbers indicate a plateau in foreclosures, but "at a very high level that will not drop off in the near future."

The number of borrowers losing their homes is still rising. Banks seized a record 92,000 homes last month.

And there are millions more potential foreclosures ahead. Nearly 7.4 million borrowers, or 12 percent of all households with a mortgage, had missed at least one month of payments or were in foreclosure as of March, according to Lender Processing Services Inc., a mortgage data research firm.

As the economy turns around, "you will see an improvement in housing markets and in foreclosure activity," said Rick Sharga, a RealtyTrac senior vice president. "The problem is that there's such a backlog right now."

Among states, Nevada posted the highest foreclosure rate in April, with one in every 69 households receiving a foreclosure notice.

Foreclosures there were up 10 percent from March, but virtually unchanged from a year earlier. Next on the list were Arizona, Florida, California and Michigan.

Hawaii landed in 11th place. The top five neighborhoods in the state with the most foreclosures were Kailua-Kona, Kihei, Ewa Beach, Lahaina and Waikoloa.

Dinits said Waikoloa and Kihei foreclosures are due to a large number of owners who own second homes.

"It's an investment for them," Dinits said. "That's the real reason for the high numbers in those areas.

"If you gotta make a choice between your house or your vacation house, you're gonna keep your house."

Dinits said he is currently working on a foreclosure at an Ewa Beach home. He said the military community there might be experiencing transfers, routine changes in duty stations.

But David Kucic, a Realtor who specializes in Ewa Beach sales, said many of the Ewa Beach homes might be short sales, where sale prices are lower than the balance owed on the property's loan, being counted as foreclosures.

"It's not like you have 89 foreclosures," Kucic said, referring to RealtyTrac's statistics on Ewa Beach. "A property would actively be trying to sell as a short sale, but it will get reported as a foreclosure."

Kucic said he is seeing a lot of activity in Ewa Beach, a sharp contrast to last year's slow market.

"Last year, you could find a property no problem," Kucic said. "But the competition is stiff right now.

"Even though the first-time homebuyer's tax credit is gone, there are still a lot of buyers looking for properties."

OUT OF THE HOUSE

Kailua-Kona had the most foreclosures in April, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure marketplace. Below are the state's foreclosure hot spots last month:

Source: RealtyTrac

NO PLACE TO CALL HOME

Hawaii's monthly foreclosures over the past year, including the year-over-year percentage gain:

Source: RealtyTrac

See Howard Dinits and his new listing in Keaau Hawaii 96749. Paradise Ala kai Hawaiian Paradise Park Howard Dinits Big Island Real Estate Agent

Top selling Big Island Realtor in Hawaii uses video and www.youtube.com to market Real Estate on the Big Island.

Marketing the YouTube way

Island businesses say the online sensation is cost-effective and works

By Gene Park

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 21, 2010

About two years ago a local woman did a YouTube search for "Hawaiian," as she was curious about what would pop up.

She ended up watching a video tour from Big Island Realtor Howard Dinits on a property he was selling at Hawaiian Shores in Pahoa. She grabbed her husband and went to see the house.

"Without ever calling me," Dinits said, recalling the sale. "It was the only house they looked at, and they eventually got it. That's what opened my eyes."

It's not like Dinits isn't Internet-savvy. Earlier in his life he sold glass art through his Web site. He was just surprised at how a random search for something unrelated led to business for him.

Local businesses large and small are betting on YouTube's purveyance, as well as the permanence of its presence, to strengthen their marketing arm.

It's a cheap bet, since the outlet is free. Its cost-effectiveness is one reason why the Hawaii Medical Service Association canceled its "HMSA Now" channel on digital cable last year.

"But not everybody has digital cable; it's not available in all areas," said HMSA spokeswoman Laura Lott. "Then we thought, Where do we go? When we want to look something up or have a health question, we go to the Web."

The channel offers health advice and information on insurance policies, as well as archived commercial spots. Lott said turnaround for producing videos has become easier since the company is able to upload on its own time.

"It's a simpler, shorter work flow and more cost-effective," she said.

For Dinits it was a small investment that has gone a long way. He's bought a camera that can shoot in high definition, with solar-charged batteries. "What's that investment there? Like $200?"

Dinits' video channel features footage of him giving virtual tours of properties he sells. Sometimes the channel more closely resembles a vlog, or video blog, with many personal asides, or footage of musicians he enjoys. Most times he visits the neighborhood of the property he is selling, visiting nearby shopping centers and attractions.

"They get to know me, they get to know the real estate, they get to know the area," Dinits said. "It's a way of people to get to know who they're doing business with."

Dinits said he no longer advertises in traditional media, outside of one local real estate guide.

"With the old way of giving information, you made the consumer call you, and that's how you got your lead," Dinits said. "I say give them everything. Give them all the information, show them the map, show them the Google locations. They'll call you because you're the one who gave them all that information."

Luxury real estate company Kahala Associates launched its YouTube channel earlier this month. The channel is regularly updated within a day or two of a new listing. The videos are also tagged with keywords so they would show up on search engines.

"It's pushed distribution of our listings in a huge, powerful way," said Chuck Garrett, Kahala Associates' business development director.

The firm hired a video vendor in Wisconsin to put together presentations for online. That way Kahala's 25 associates didn't need to waste time training to develop voice acting or film skills.

"We haven't had to become experts in how to make YouTube videos, because we're busy selling houses," he said. "We don't have to write the script, we don't have to buy a video camera."

The only initial hiccup of the outsourcing was mispronunciations of certain properties. But that problem was solved by using Forvo.com, an audio pronunciation guide to which people can contribute clips.

"'Kaaawa' was a tough one for them," Garrett said.

The firm still does print ads, trying to be "much leaner and smarter" in its advertising costs.

Farmers Insurance Hawaii, formerly AIG, still saturates traditional media with advertising with its popular commercials. The ads' popularity was part of the reason why the insurer started its own YouTube channel in 2007.

"Especially the one with the mailbox, and the argument, and the grandparents, some of the older ones," said Farmers e-marketing manager John Tapper. "People still talk about them, and asked to be able to see them."

Although the insurer started a new channel under its changed name, it decided to keep its AIG YouTube account active as an archive for its older commercial spots. Both channels have grown to highlight its community service work, including food drives, and the firm's TV spots for traffic safety.

"We're able to improve engagement and build trust," Tapper said. "It's an easy medium for people to look at that's nonthreatening, and be able to say we're part of the community."

Farmers spokeswoman Wenli Lin said the channel only informs the company's larger social media platform, being able to refer to videos on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"And it's the way things are going to be," she said.

http://www.BigIslandRealEstate.com

http://www.EasyMauiRealEstate.com