Betty Sakamoto: Aloha and welcome to Betty's real estate corner brought to you by Sakamoto Properties where prestige is our business, reputation our foundation. Here we are again, Danny Couch bringing us in with "I Love Hawaii" and Mitch and I, we do love Hawaii. Don't we Mitch?

Mitch Mitchell: We love Hawaii!

B: We love Hawaii. We are also fortunate that we get to live here and today is a very, very important day for each of us in this country. Certainly in this state and our neighborhoods because it is Election Day and hopefully everyone has gotten out to vote and you're all registered. If you haven't, keep in mind it isn't noon yet, so you still got about 6 hours left to get out and vote.

M: You know Betty, I know you and Roy went to vote earlier because I saw your cars there. I went shortly after you and it was really wonderful running into people you don't see all year and then you see them at the polls. That was really kind of neat.

B: I agree. I think that makes a big difference and you know, in a way, I was thinking we should have voted as absentee, we should have done this, we should have had the mail in thing, just so it was done, but I'm with you Mitch. It does feel good, it feels patriotic and it feels good to be one with everybody walking in there and having our say, for whatever it's worth.

M: I love the feeling I got when I saw people I've known for years, and I know some of us have different political differences. It really made me feel good that we were both there, having what we wanted to say as part of the election.

B: I'll tell you an interesting thing for me, and I think, I kind of do this as a shot out to all of the women of Maui today. Women fought long and hard to have the right to vote and I've talked to some women recently who have said " oh, you know, I don't really know what the issues are, I really don't pay enough attention, my husband votes for us". I was really shocked to see that women would be back to that, when you think there were women that fought so hard, women that died for the issue. There were so many things where you were forced to say "my husband votes for the family", and people believed that women didn't know anything and they shouldn't be voting because they were inferior. Well, we're not inferior, we're up there, we're the best, and we should be voting, and if you haven't voted, especially the women today, get out and vote. If you're not registered, okay it's too late, but if you're registered, you know everybody knows how to get online, everybody can pull it up and read about the issues, read about who's running for the county council, read about the important things in your life. If you can't vote every single person, if you can't vote every single issue because you don't know it, you don't understand it, maybe skip that and vote the things that you know. There's got to be one thing, two things that you feel strongly enough about that you can vote, one person that you want to vote for because you believe in what he is doing. Maybe you've seen him on television, whatever the reasons are that you decide, you still have the right to make that vote. So I mean, men and women get out and vote today. But again, let's not go back to where any of us would say " my husband is voting for me." You know, we're better than that, we're women that have to do this because of all the women that fought to make it possible for us. So, come on. Let's get out and vote!

M: Betty, one of the things that I saw there was, a couple that I've known for about 20 years. There were born in another country and they've been here in Maui for 20 years and I know they've studied and they've become true proud Americans, and it was husband and wife, Betty, holding hands and going into the voting.

B: Well good for them.

M: I thought that was great and they came from a country where the women didn't vote.

B: You know when you think of it, there's a lot of people here that come from countries where nobody gets to vote. So, let's all be careful about this and let's get out and vote today. You know, a minute ago we had the Lahainaluna Neil Everett talking about the stadium. Well this weekend, Mitch and I were at the stadium and the stadium which has now been named, Sue D. Cooley Stadium. Mrs. Cooley is the lady that's come up and has put up a ton of money, in over 7 million dollars to see to it that the stadium has been built. You know, there's a great proclamation that's come out from the State of Hawaii, Board of Education, which is one of the most touching things I've ever read and she deserves it. She was back in town this weekend and was able to go up there and actually see this and for the first time look up and see her name there and there was not a dry eye in the house and she was beaming. I think, I don't even know what to say about it, it could still keep bringing tears to my eyes. At the very end of the proclamation it actually says, "Be it resolved that the State of Hawaii, Board of Education, here by extends its heartfelt appreciation to Sue D. Cooley for her unwavering support of public education and the students of Hawaii" and that's what she's done. It's a stadium, you know somebody could say, " what does that do?" It gives the kids such a great feeling. Mitch what did you think some of what went on there Saturday?

M: Um, well before I get teary eyed, you know when all of the football, basketball and I think there were some soccer players there, surrounded Sue and they sang the alma mater.

B: Ah, yes.

M: That was just unbelievable, and then she told the whole group, the reason she got involved with building the stadium. This is for Lahainaluna that was started, I believe in 1831 and has never had a football field or lights or a stadium, they've always had to drive clear across the island. We were, you Roy and I and Sue, were at a game against Baldwin several years ago, where Lahainaluna had lost terribly and as we were leaving, the Lahainaluna football team was in the dressing room, singing full voice the alma mater and she was so impressed, that here is a team with so much vigor and pride. Even though they lost, could be there singing together and that's when Lahainaluna became project for her.

B: It was amazing, and you know remembering that day, Mitch. It was great because like he said they lost and it was a difficult loss, at one point they were coming back and it looked like they were going to pull it back, but they couldn't and they lost. As we were walking by there and you could first hear the kids, you're thinking you would hear the kids shouting and swearing and unhappy voices and whatever. But you didn't hear that at all, like Mitch said, all of a sudden, in full voice, they were singing the alma mater, just like they did when they circled Sue Saturday and sang to her and they've done that a couple of times when they've seen her. These kids are so amazing, so polite, each one of them will take the ability to walk up to her. The boarders were out because everyone has been out every Saturday now, helping with the landscaping and stuff so that the field is ready one of these days, we're getting closer and closer, but they're seating now for over three thousand people. It's beautiful, same actual field that the Dallas Cowboys have, it is really... and like you say, everybody, there was barely a dry eye in house. Mitch and I were falling apart but we were watching Lanny Tihada and Roy, my husband Roy Sakamoto, and both of them, they are kind of stoic guys , they're okay. Both of them later said, "why do you think we never took our sunglasses off?" Because there was not a dry eye in the house, it was fabulous and it was only kids. It wasn't a political statement, nobody was there making speeches, it was just a wonderful moment, a community moment, with young people and again, the boarders, the boarders, the football team, the basketball team, soccer players, teachers, there were so many great people there. Anyway, amazing Mitch.

M: Betty, I believe there is a pep rally there on Friday the 14th in the new stadium.

B: I think that's really just for the school..

M: Oh.

B: I'm pretty sure.

M: Okay.

B: And you.

M: I'm sure they won't mind anyone else that wants to pep for them.

R: Ohh.

B: Yeah. I'm not sure exactly what's going to be happening but that's happening. It's the 14th Mitch, is it?

M: I believe so.

B: I believe so.

B: So, one of the fundraising projects right now is that for only $1,000, as Neil Everett said, you can buy a row of bleachers and you'll be able to put something on the sides of that. So, we actually purchased one and if you go to lahainalunahighschoolfoundation.org and take a look at it you can see what the different classes have done. So, Roy and I decided that we were going to pay the $1,000 for the first class, which was 1831. So, the class of 1831 is going to have their own bleacher. And so many people are coming in, there's the various classes have a big thing going on, struggling to get all the classes to participate, almost every class is. I think some of those other classes, it'd be fun, if somebody else thinks of the same idea. You know, where you might want to say, how a family for the class of 1832. You know, or whoever it is, somebody that you might want to honor in that way. Great idea for everybody.

M: Friday the 14th.

B: Yeah. That'll be kind of interesting thing happening.

M: Unfortunately, I think the game still had to be at War Memorial.

B: The is still going to be at, the first playoff game will be at War Memorial Stadium within a few days of that I believe. They just can't, they need to have every approval finalized before they can bring thousands of people up there. War Memorial will hold over seven thousand people and some of these big games, there's four thousand people from Lahaina that will show up at them. So, I think for everybody right now, that's where it's going to be, and don't ever think that the fundraising is over because we now need another three or four thousand seats up there in the next few years. So, it's not going to quit. But again, Election Day, Mitch, real estate, Lahainaluna.

M: Yeah, but I got a new great listing I want to tell you about.

B: Oh. Well, let's going to real estate right now. Perfect.

M: Yeah. It's 107 Pulelehua at Pineapple Hill Estates. It's a beautiful home, built around a courtyard reminiscent of Italian piazzos, and it's been price adjusted to $2,995,000, under 3 million dollars, for this great ocean view. 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, on I believe...

B: Twenty thousand.

B: We've been working for many, many, many years now with Hale Makua and Hale Makua, the same thing, it's one of the things that, as a community, we need to realize and understand that we do need to make contributions to almost all of these places, they can't run it themselves. You could say Lahainaluna High School is a public school but this field has not been funded by the government, it's been funded, primarily, by the community and by one person in particular. Now, the state has come up and has done, let's say, it's share also, or a small share. The same with Hale Makua, Hale Makua would have closed, I would bet years ago, if wasn't for your foundation and your group that have been funding and getting contributions.

M: Twenty thousand, six hundred and something square feet.

B: Yeah. Fabulous pool, great spa, it's an amazing house Mitch, good view, and again for West Maui twenty thousand square feet is huge. House just under four thousand square feet. What else, like you were saying, the entry, the courtyard. It's really amazing and it is a place, I think, that mostly everybody ends up sitting on the Lanai side where you're looking out to the view. But this area, I think in the morning, you'll have some morning sun that will be coming up, and it's just private and casual and sweet. Love it. I love the fact that the entry is a courtyard like that, Mitch. Fabulous. Anything else you got there?

M: Oh. Just want to congratulate the new owner on that cute little Lahaina house that Roy and I just closed on.

B: The Ui Place

M: Yeah. Nice little starter home for somebody in Lahaina. We need some more of those around. There's a lot of people that are looking in that range now, so...

B: It's a hard one. You know, in Lahaina, when you're talking about it, it's hard to find a home. Probably right now, if there's anything left under a million dollars, it's just a couple; there's just a few homes. But again, I think that anybody right now, owner occupant, that's looking to buy a home, interest rates are really good, you can get mortgages. You really need to be taking a look right now, whether you're doing some of the condos. There are some great condos that are right now, you know build down by that area by Barnes & Noble, where you go up to the Lahaina by pass. It's great for anybody with kids in school in Lahaina, those are a great location. Harder to find these homes but, Mitch, I thought that home was fabulous. I mean, if it had sat there any longer, I was going to force all of us to chip in and buy it. It was just fabulous.

M: Yeah., I could just see you getting Roy to move in there.

B: Well, we don't have to move in, because right now we're probably not going to do that, but you know, you never know the time that might come. That had an Ohana, it was a house. It was really a fabulous value, you guys did a great job on that.

M: It was a half a block from the ocean. You could have done your windsurfing out there.

B: I could have been windsurfing every day. What could have been better than that? Oh well...but again, think owner occupant. We got some great people that can help you figure out how to get qualified for a mortgage. So, call us 808-669-0070. Go to our website sakamotoproperties.com and you can find anything on our website. You can find everything that' s on the market through the board of Realtors and it's amazing what you can find. And again, 808-669-0070, our office manager will direct you to one of the agents or one us will be there at the office that can talk to you. Call us. Let us help you. The time is now and it's not going to be better.

M: That's true, and again, just to work on what you were saying. If you, or someone is thinking about buying or moving or something like that, you really need to get in touch with a lender and get some kind of idea as to what you need, what you need to get a better loan and so forth. If you start there, it makes any realtor, your realtor, our realtor, gives them a little better chance of finding exactly what fits your needs.

B: That's true. We always start with someone, if there's going to be a mortgage, you want to do it ahead of time, so that we can refer you to a couple of different lenders. Often the best person is your banker, you know maybe your with First Hawaiian Bank, Bank of Hawaii, whoever you typically work with, you can go in and ask them about mortgages, but call us. We can help you figure it out and you'll go in and you'll privately talk to them about what your assets are, how much cash you have. You know, maybe a lot of people, young people can end up with a gift from a family member to assist them with the down payment. But I think you can, we can help you figure out whether or not you can buy a place right now, and don't want until you can buy what you think is going to be your final resting place. Do it now. Get something that you can enjoy and fix up when you're still young and have a home. Everybody should have a home. American dream time on voting day.

M: We have another great listing at 11 Hua Nui Way in Kahana there. Great house, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, it's about twenty-three hundred square feet. I remember the greatest thing about that is, it also has twenty-three square foot garage underneath.

B: It's great house was built so that's it's elevated so that the downstairs, you can't really convert it to living space but you can do almost anything you want down there. You know, there's no Ohanas or anything in the neighborhood. A great space.

M: I could fill that garage without living there.

B: I know you could Mitch. We have it filled right now, just so you know. We have it filled. But it's a great house, worth taking a look at, if you're looking for something in that range, a million two, seventy-five. Very close to the ocean, you can carry surf boards over, boogie boards, you could go over with a... anything you got, any water toy you could carry over there.

M: You could put your whole quiver of surf boards in there Betty.

B: Yes. We do have surf boards, we're not quite using them but...

M: And all of Roy's golf clubs.

B: Golf clubs?

M: Clubs.

B: Oh! In the garage.

M: In the garage.

B: I was thinking in the water. Okay, yes we could, we could put everything in there and we have a lot of stuff in there. You know, another great Napili listing is 30 and 34 Kili Nahe Street. You know, which is down on the corner of the lower road and Napilihau Street, below the Napili shopping center. Really, this is a great house, fabulous Ohana, fairly new. It is rented right now, listed at $985,000. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths in the main house and then there is a really great Ohana. Twenty- three hundred, twenty - four hundred square feet on about a quarter of an acre. So, give us a call to view that, 808-669-0070. You know, call us and let us help you figure out what it is that works for you. We can kind of throw out a bunch of different listings, that's hard for anyone to really remember. But part of the key is, call, call us, call the agent that you've worked with in the past. If you're looking for us, again 808-669-0070, sakamotoproperties.com.

M: You know, another thing about that listing that you were just talking about Betty, is that a lot of people don't realize that the income that's produced from the ohana can help qualify on your loan.

B: You know, you're right. Everybody does lose track of that and it is vital that you consider that and that you realize it.

M: Because you go, nine hundred I can't do that. Well, maybe you can since there maybe some good revenue coming in from the ohana.

B: Yeah. Great. It's great revenue on that. I wish I had the figures, but call us and we will get it to you. You know, I think we should go back momentarily to Election Day. We've got just a few minutes left here, maybe almost five, but it is so important that people vote. They are saying that the voters of Hawaii are not great about getting the vote out and that maybe, because we are kind of in way, a state where one side usually wins, but I think it's still so important. You know, we can't go there. I think it's important that we make our votes, we get it out there. We've all been watching television you know, GMO yes, GMO no, we've seen tons of different things in the newspapers. I mean, most of us had no clue what we were going to do. Hopefully, and again, you've got five to six hours left to look the issues up, read them over and make your own decision about what should be done. But don't you think Mitch, I mean, there has never been more television coverage about what to do, what you should do, what you should vote for, who are the people, but it's time. Look it up and make your own decisions and get out there and vote. Do it. Obviously, this is it. You don't vote tomorrow, too late.

M: That's right. There are a couple on there that you know, a few of the things on the ballot, we've seen more than we need to see on TV on both sides. There are a couple on there that I wished I had spent a little more time understanding. Not the big ones on TV but some of the others.

B: I agree with you Mitch.

M: Get out there and vote.

B: Yeah, I think if you, if you have that have that opportunity still, do it. If you need a ride, call someone. Hey, one other thing for Lahainaluna, and I always forget about this one. Lahainaluna High School and the friends of Lahainaluna football are partnering with Lahaina's newest restaurant, Sugar Cane Maui, to help the kids on the west side. Every Sunday brunch during the football season, you know and that means the NFL football season, they're going to donate 20% of its profits or 20% of its food proceeds to the Lahainaluna Foundation and friends of the Lahainaluna football to assist with educational and athletic programs at Lahainaluna. The location is 736 Front Street. They are saying, reservations are encouraged, I don't have a number for you, but go hungry and wear red and red, you know red.

M: Red.

B: I'm pink.

M: I'm blue.

B: But, we're now at the one minute or one and a half minute warning. So, do you have any other quick thing you want to shout out Mitch?

M: I've been to that restaurant and I like that's where the old Blue Max used to be.

B: Oh. That's right. We've all been around since the Blue Max was around.

M: But we do have another listing I need to talk about.

B: You better make it fast. You got about forty seconds.

M: The great one in upcountry at 1266 Lower Kimo. Fantastic views, great little 3 bedroom, 3bath house. 20,000 square feet of land, 1600 square feet of house and that's about all I can say.

B: Okay, I think we are there anyway, we are now at the one minute warning. So again, get out and vote, call us, call Mitch Mitchell or Roy and Betty Sakamoto 808-669-0070. Check us out at sakamotoproperties.com. Keep checking us out because we are going to be making some new and exciting changes to our website in the coming months. I'm not really sure if it's going to happen until the new year.

M: Meyer Computer.

B: Meyer Computer. Exactly. They're doing it. If you're looking for help with a website call those guys because if you look about Meyer Computer or meyercomputer.com. They are amazing the stuff they have the ability to do. Any real estate broker should use them because they are so good about getting us hooked up.

M: Wait a minute Betty. Stop telling the other ones, because they...

B: They're going to be it too.

M: Yeah, they get the extra help from them.

B: Whatever, it's good. Everybody deserves it. Now, we're coming up again to Danny Couch and please vote. It's so, so important and women of course, we vote. We're not going to be back in the era where women don't vote. You know, hold your head up high, get out there today. And a special Aloha thank you Danny Couch for letting us use your song as we come and go, cause we do love Hawaii.

M: Aloha!

B: Aloha!