Betty Sakamoto: Aloha and welcome to Betty’s Real Estate Corner brought to you by Coldwell Banker Sakamoto Properties. In the studio today, I’m with my husband Roy Sakamoto. Lahainaluna High School class of…
Roy Sakamoto: of something..
BS: of something..
RS: We’re not going to mention.
BS: We’re not going to mention it today. Mother of Julie Ehu Flynn now Sherlock, class of 1982 that kind of or maybe 84. I’m not sure about that one either.
RS: 84.
BS: 84. Okay. Anyway it’s all been great. We’re dedicated to Lahainaluna, I care a lot about them. Love Danny Couch, love Hawaii and here we are talking real estate.
RS: Real estate, talking community activities, just kind of a fun show so stick with us for the next 25 minutes or so and we’re gonna have fun.
BS: We’re coming up, one of the things we’ve always talked about and we did at the last show 2 weeks ago is Christmas and what it means in Hawaii. I think Christmas is a monumental time. It’s so important to everybody. It’s celebrated fabulously here in Hawaii. I think we all have got to especially this year, think about things that we can do for others whether it’s making contributions. There’s so many different people either through homelessness or food or all of the different things and the needs that are getting more and more difficult here in Maui. We’ve got all pay attention to it. Let’s all think about just our neighbors and people that maybe need a little something. Over the years I think we’ve talked about the lady next door to you with 3 kids that would like to just go Christmas shopping and if you could help her out a little, just spend a couple of hours with her kids or maybe have the kids come to your house after school so she’d be shopping. The littlest act of caring and community is so important more so than ever with the corona virus around us.
RS: Yeah, especially in this year that we’ve all gone through. It’s been quite traumatic for a lot of families, for everybody. Let’s reach out a helping hand whenever we can and wherever we can. A good organization would be, somebody like the Maui Food Bank. If you go to mauifoodbank.org and look at their needs and and their wants and see how you can donate, not necessarily only money it could be helping to load trucks and so forth, time and effort.
BS: There’s so many things that we could donate. I know Salvation Army open and they have somewhere this year the Christmas trees with names of children that need certain things or want certain things. That’s another great opportunity and they’re in a number of places of business. If you look at one of them I think it really is a great moment to pick a child’s name and come up with something even things that we all have. I mean, even if it’s just passing on and taking a moment to fold and iron and fix some hand-me-downs because somebody really needs them and wants them. If we can just find whatever toys we have but sometimes we have things in our homes that would be so helpful to someone whether it’s sheets and towels and pillowcases and pillows, anything that we all have that we could maybe pass on this year to someone that needs it. Maybe had to leave the house they’ve been in a long time now, living with family and friends. There’s so many people right now that could use just a little hands up.
RS: You know, Toys for Tots would be a great organization to help. Helping all the needy families that reside here on Maui and there are many. Let’s all reach out and help these needy families. Support Maui Food Bank, Toys for Tots, Salvation Army. Support your favorite charity. Every charity on Maui needs help and we’ve been partial to Halemakua. If you hit on halemakua.org on online you’ll find out a lot about Halemakua, what we do for the community for the frail and elderly of Maui. There’s also the Napili Bay and Beach foundation which is having actually a charity auction online on December 7th. You can go to napilibayfoundation.org for more information. There’s some great prizes to bid on nights and condominiums along Napili Bay and so forth. The monies are going towards to help refurbish Napili Bay which is one of the prettiest bays in Maui. Anyway, let’s all help wherever we can and whenever we can.
BS: Another really simple thing for Christmas, if you see like somebody with 2 or 3 kids in the grocery store around you and when you smile at them and say Merry Christmas.
RS: Mele Kalikimaka!
BS: Mele Kalikimaka. What do you want Santa to bring this year? Just talk to them happy and it brings a lot of joy and a lot of again so many people are having a hard time. I think if you just talk to someone, do you remember I think it was last year or even the year before that people started doing that thing that they would be like in McDonald’s or somewhere and they would pay for the people behind them. Let’s say they used a credit card and they would see and maybe you saw behind you a family with a car full of kids and you said you know I’ll pay for whatever they order. You could get caught in this I suppose crazy but I don’t think so. I think that most of the time it would maybe cost 20-25 dollars. Whatever it would be I think that was one of the most fun things that I ever heard. Was from a family that had someone that just suddenly they got up and they said no the car in front of you already paid for you and I think that’s a really great fun fabulous Merry Christmas.
RS: Absolutely. Gary our engineer here in the studio has a great little…
BS: Oh wait, let’s hear this. Wait.
RS: Hopefully this comes out on the air, the music.
BS: How about that? (singing) jingle bells, jingle all the way, hope it fun, it is to ride in one horse open sleigh. Hey, jingle bell that is fabulous, isn’t it? It’s all around us, you push one button and you’ve got little things playing music everywhere.
RS: Everywhere in the studio.
BS: Let’s say Merry Christmas. I mean, let’s keep remembering that this year more than ever to just say Merry Christmas, to say to have a smile. Happy New Year will have its time but for right now Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas!. Have a great holiday. Whatever you can think of and smiles for little kids because sometimes if they just know that everybody around them is happy it’s Christmas. It doesn’t have to be huge gifts and maybe it’ll bring a lot of joy to someone, so just smile and say, Mele Kalikimaka.
RS: Mele Kalikimaka. Absolutely. Again, many charities here on Maui. We’ve got some good friends that just moved over from the Mainland, from Florida, Jack and Diane Lord. A big shout out to Jack and Diane. They’re looking to help various organizations here on Maui, hopefully we’ll be able to help them find some good organizations to work with. They both have some tremendous backgrounds in various activities, the medical field and so forth.
BS: Great amazing people.
RS: Yeah.
BS: They actually brought with them a very professional ping pong table. I’m not talking the little green one that kind of folds up. This amazing fabulous ping pong table and they thought they’d be able to use it here but they really can’t so they asked us to figure out what we could do with it and we did. It took a bit because we had to be able to get it delivered somewhere but eventually it went to the Lahainaluna High School boarding department where they have this really great rec room that really needs something. It’s going to be, we delivered it the other day. I’m driving my little car through the field borders field and I had somebody following with the big truck that I talked into getting it moved. It was hysterical and it was only because they brought it and they realized they couldn’t use it and asked who would possibly really use it and I thought Lahainaluna. We were able to get that connection, get it delivered and it’ll be there when the kids come back.
RS: Oh, it’s fantastic. Thank you Jack and Diane. We forgot to mention one big member of their family, Jin Jin.
BS: Jin Jin.
RS: Yes
BS: Jin Jin the dog. Jin Jin has 3 passports. She has a French passport, US passport and I think Great Britain.
RS: I think so. Yeah, UK.
BS: I could be wrong on that right now. She is a service dog and she’s so amazing though but just that’s a someone that brings joy every time you see Jin Jin wherever she is.
RS: Yes
BS: It brings joy. Should we think anything about real estate?
RS: Yeah. We are a real estate show so.
BS: We are. We better say something.
RS: Yeah
BS: Start with just a little quick. I don’t want to get a big thing going on interest rates or whatever just because it’s too big a question based on you know qualifying cash available. There’s so many things but right now still you have the possibility of getting a loan under 3% at the worst it’s probably going to be mid 3’s depending on cash available, down payment so many different, where the property is. You know, you have to have some money in reserves. But I think it really is a time that so many people could get a first time. Be the first time home buyer and it’ll work for you, so try. I mean, talk to us. Talk to your real estate agent, look at ads, read things, go online but mostly probably find a realtor. You can call us, we’ll have somebody talking to you that will specialize in first time home buyers. Call us 870-7060 for Roy, 870-7062 for myself. We’ll direct you to the right person that can really help you. I think you brought with you Roy some really great available home owner, you know for the first time home buyer.
RS: Oh, have some fantastic buys. These are single family homes that we’re going to talk about first. One is located in Upcountry, Makawao, Olinda Haliimaile area and this is at 3604 Pahala Street. It’s a three bedroom, two bath, a little on the small side, a little over a 1000 square feet but it’s a great buy at $550,000.00 asking price and it’s listed by Theone Andrade with the Coldwell Banker office in Kahului her number is 281-2438. Give her a call for this great buy upcountry.
BS: There’s a couple of these that you brought around, Roy. I don’t really know most of these homes. This one is in Haiku, 400 Honokala Stream Road, small one bedroom, one bath, $749,000.00. I don’t quite, looks like it’s actually 3.6 acres of land.
RS: Yeah, big piece of land. Laurie Baker is the listing agent on this with Coldwell Banker, number is 359-1527. It’s over 3 and a half acres of land even though it’s only a one bedroom, one bath it’s a great buy just based on the land itself and it’s listed at $749,000.00. Here’s another one upcountry in Haiku, 611 Kulike Road listed by Chip Anderson. Chip’s number is 740-2100. It’s a three bedroom, two bath about 1,600 square feet so fair size.
BS: 2.4 acres.
RS: Well
BS: isn’t it?
RS: Well, it’s a little over. It’s about 2.4 acres, right. Again, nice chunk of land listed price is $795,000.00.
BS: That one also looks like it has a two bedroom, one bath ohana.
RS: Right.
BS: 950 square feet which I guess would be allowed but that really also makes it work for somebody.
RS: Yes, right.
BS: That you’ve got that ohana available for family.
RS: Chip Anderson 740-2100.
BS: Another one, Pukalani listed by Al Chiarella, phone number 276-7777. This is hard we’re probably doing too much trying to give you the phone numbers but they’re all Coldwell Banker agents across the island. A really nice home Kalialani Circle.
RS: Yeah. 2758 Kalialani Circle, it’s a three bedroom, two bath, a little over 1,500 square feet. Just about a quarter of an acre, just shy of a quarter of an acre of land. A great buy at $798,000.00.
BS: This one too. I mean, it great pictures looks like it’s got some good pride of ownership going for it. Pukalani golf course is right nearby there. It’s the people, it’s still occupied by the original owners which is always a good thing about the property that it hasn’t been beaten up under too many years. Kitchen, cherry thomasville cabinetry, I mean it’s got so many special items in it that I think it would be worth taking a look at.
RS: Yeah and then just so we can sneak in a West Maui plug here. There’s a great home at 71 Wena Place listed at $975,000.00. It’s a four bedroom, two bath just under 2,400 square feet. It’s 2,390 square feet and it’s part of a condominium kind of minimized property. Your property would be a little over 10,000 square feet. Again, listed at $975,000.00 which in West Maui is a heck of a buy. Baldave Singh is the listing agent on this and he’s out of our office. 280-5862 is Baldave’s cell phone number and call him to set an appointment to see.
BS: That kind of list gives you an idea. There are properties available for you to look at in a variety of price ranges. It is difficult for almost anybody today to get it together to figure out qualifying and sometimes what you really need to do is talk to a realtor who will direct you to a mortgage broker or go into your bank and talk to someone because they know who you are and that you’re working hard to make a difference in your life. Then, you start to learn what it’s going to take in a lot of cases. It’s going to mean paying off credit cards, getting rid of debt that you don’t need to have and finding a way to pull together your family and then being able to purchase a property that you’ll be able to live in while your family grows up. It’s a job by itself just trying to figure out all of that but as realtors we can help you. Give us a call, we’ll all be sure that you find someone that’s in your area or that can assist with the financing, etc. We’ll find good lenders for you. Give it a try and sometimes it’ll be a condominium.
RS: Absolutely. Your very first step is to hook up with a realtor. Call us, 870-7060 is Roy, 870-7062 for Betty. It’s easy for us to compile a team for you. It’s a team that will work on your behalf. We’ll find you the best properties available at the best prices. Help find the best financing for you and basically work with you all the way through. This is not only for your first purchase but your 2nd, 3rd, 4th purchase whatever it might be. Work through an accredited realtor. We have continuing education courses that we are required to take and we’re very well up to date on all the new laws and regulations, financing, etc.
BS: It is a job. I mean, I know everybody kind of thinks that this is easy you know you just sell houses, it really isn’t but it’s fun. You know, helping someone find their first home is fabulous. Not that I’m saying we don’t also enjoy helping somebody find the perfect vacation home. A lot of times in that case, it isn’t their first time purchase or whatever but they are buying a property that it’s a family still. They’re coming here. They’re going to be dedicated to Maui and a lot of our visitors that purchase here they do take care of so many many things. They contribute to charities, they eat out, they go to the restaurants, they do a lot of things that maybe some of us aren’t doing all the time. I still think we’ve got to remember to have some respect there and it is something that we’ve made so many friends over the years. People that have moved here, including Sue Cooley who everybody in West Maui will always remember because she’s the one who basically funded the stadium Lahainaluna High School and that was a visitor that just fell in love with Lahainaluna. Fell in love with what she called her boys at the stadium. Many years of boys came through her life as she worked hard in her way to help establish something for Lahainaluna.
RS: God Bless Sue Cooley! Absolutely. How about some condominiums?
BS: Sounds good to me.
RS: Here’s a good one. A one bedroom, one bath in Napili Ridge. This would be absolutely fantastic for a first time home buyer. Unit number C3, it’s a one bedroom, one bath listed by Elizabeth Quayle with our company. Listed price is only $204,900.00 just the shade over $200,000.00 and Elizabeth’s number is 276-6061 , (276-6061).
BS: That’s Napili Ridge?
RS: Yes and you had Elizabeth on the show a few times.
BS: Elizabeth was here at our last show and she’s really a great one. She’s dedicated a lot of her business to a certain end of the market. She’s been able to really help people get homes. She’s often for me the person that I’ll say, let her help you because she will see to it that you’re hooked up with the right people that you’re doing. That everybody, the team will do as much as they can to see to it that you can get into a property that you aren’t trying to get in over your head. Maybe they’ll be saying, you’re going to have to wait a year or so to clean up debt or to clean up something but she really does know the properties. For anybody that knows Napili Ridge it used to be it wasn’t so great. It had a different name. It was Napili Sans at one time, was it?
RS: Yes, right.
BS: Okay, but it’s been so cleaned up over the years. You can actually do short-term rentals there for anybody that wants to have it for that purpose. The units are well built, there’s a lot of concrete block, there’s pool, there’s a little bit of everything and it’s a really short walk down to Napili Bay.
RS: Here’s a another great owner occupant type property. Kahana Manor apartment number is 313-313. It’s a one bedroom, one bath and it’s listed at $469,000.00. Kahana Manor is really centrally located in Kahana. A great location, great for owner occupants and this one is listed by Rick Kepler out of our Lahaina office. Rick’s number is 283-3729, (283-3729).
BS: Another one, right across the street from a really nice beach. If you’re living there you can walk across the street, you’ll have a beach that’s right there. You have Dalli’s Pizzeria right there, one of the top pizzas certainly in West Maui. So, I think that you can really enjoy living there and be in the heart of everything. There’ll be so many people working nearby and for anybody that’s working in West Maui that’s I would say quite affordable.
RS: Yes
BS: For many, many people.
RS: Oh, absolutely.
BS: Worth doing that.
RS: It’s a real sleeper. Here’s another real sleeper, a great unit, it’s at a Kaanapali Plantation. It’s a one bedroom, two bath, unit number is 44 and it’s listed at only $615,000.00. Kaanapali plantation is a great small complex. A lot of owner occupants in there and Elizabeth Quayle has this listing. Again, 276-6061 for Elizabeth. This is Kaanapali Plantation unit number 44.
BS: Another one, short walk down to the beach, it’s got a pool, it’s got everything. It’s really a fabulous.
RS: Tennis court
BS: Tennis court. It’s a fabulous property tons of plumeria trees. Great place for making lei. It really is a very livable place. I think that one is way worth it but we are now winding down, we’re probably at the 2 minutes warning.
RS: We’ve got a plug for another one.
BS: Oops. .Go ahead.
RS: It’s the Golf Villa 15v1.
BS: Yes. This is really a great unit, fabulous.
RS: One bedroom, one and a half bath located right on the Bay Course at Kapalua, listed by my favorite agent, Myself.
BS: Oh wait. Excuse me, I happen to be his co-lister on that property.
RS: Yeah
BS: So, I’m his favorite wife, hopefully.
RS: Yes. You are.
BS: Okay
RS: You can call my favorite wife at 870-7062 or myself at 870-7060.
BS: Then another one, it’s a great. It’s a little pricey I suppose for most people for an owner occupant and it’s small but it can be way worthwhile coming out there. Now, let’s go back to, we’ll be back again with you in two weeks as that’s what we’ve been doing for the moment, twice a month but we’re enjoying it so much and happy when we hear from any one of you that you’ve been listening to the show or asking us questions about something. You can reach us at sakamotoproperties.com. Look at our website and get to us or at roysakamotoproperties.com, etc. We’re back to Danny Couch.
RS: Here’s Danny.
BS: The best of all.
RS: Aloha.
BS: Aloha.
