As with so many of the articles I write, the inspiration comes from actual events I come across. Recently I received a call from a real estate agent because I am the President of my community association. The agent is selling a home in my neighborhood and wanted to know what restrictions were in place…

Zillow is the big behemoth in online real estate. One of the first companies to feature real estate listings, Zillow’s website gets more traffic that the official site for realtors. One of the huge features on Zillow’s site is the Zestimate. It is a computer driven artificial intelligence (AI) system that allows you to plug…

With over 500 newsletters published, I try my best not to repeat myself and always offer fresh knowledge and insight. Occasionally, like today, it’s a good idea to circle back on important do’s and don’ts when applying for a mortgage (or any other type of credit). This is especially true when it comes to mortgages,…

I have specialized in Condo-Hotel, Condo-tel, or Condotel (all the same) financing for over 20 years. I was also asked by the State of Hawaii to write the questions covering condotels on the test taken by those wishing to provide mortgage financing in our state. I have also argued over the years with many a…

As we all try and put 2020 behind us – the lock downs, the empty streets, and the closed businesses, we do see hope in the flood of economic activity and Hawaii once again being a tourist mecca. This ray of good news has sprung hope to many who were greatly impacted financially. When interest…

I have witnessed both the boom and bust of Hawaii’s real estate market over my 25 years of providing mortgage financing. The issues are always the same, and yet this time, there are a couple of new wrinkles. Hawaii’s real estate market is no different right now when compared to the mainland. There’s a frenzy…

With Hawaii’s skyrocketing home prices, the question on everyone mind is if they will qualify for that higher loan amount. That’s why the question I am asked the most frequently is “How Much Do I Qualify For?” It always brings a smile to my face and a frown to my forehead when I get a…

Is it just me or do you find that there’s always a certain product or service being advertised, where that company bombards radio and TV with countless ads – then disappear after their initial splash? From “buying” a star and naming after someone, extended car warranties, tuning up your PC, and identity theft, some commercials…

Real life scenarios help with the topics I write about. Today’s topic happened not once, but twice in the past 10 days. While you may think today’s topic might not apply to you, read on, because even if you are a resident of Hawaii, you will want to make sure you have access to the…

With home prices soaring and inventory of homes for sale at record lows, many families are looking inward to their existing home to see if revitalizing what they already have can be changed to suit their needs. The task of even thinking of ripping open your home may be too much for many. If you…