Best Realtor on BI? (Hilo, Waimea: for sale, rentals, houses)

[Nwcid]

I am planning on making a trip over the end of July. The point of this trip is to look at jobs, housing, schools, costs, ect. Taking a look at the island from a living standpoint vs vacation.

Because of the work the GF and I do we will probably have to rent the first year or so we live on the island. Are there realtors that help you find rental places and then help you find a house to buy down the road? If so is there one or two good ones to talk to?

Thanks,
John

[KimberlyReutov]

We have talked with five or six agencies. Aloha Coast Realty have been the most helpful.

[KaraBenNemsi]

The 'best' realtor is the one who finds and closes the deal for you to your satisfaction, so you will later end up with your own 'best' recommendation.

Harry Pritikin has a great newsletter with all new listings send out a few times per month. He's around for quite some time and knows the ups and downs. Including rentals and leasehold vs fee simple. Knows much about contracting and permits. Don't mistake his honesty for grumpiness.

[Nwcid]

Good point about "the best". I guess I should rephrase it as "who are the quality agencies/agents" and "Are there any to stay away from"?

It is easy to see a flashy website during an online search but that is far from making them good.

[Fredesch]

The Hilo paper Hawaii Tribune Herald has an e edition which are pictures of the paper. I read it on an iPad for free. If you read the e editon you can see classified ads for places to rent and realtors advertising rentals. Since the ads are for a printed paper, they are geared toward folks in the area.

For some reason if I try to read the tribune e editon from a laptop, it wants me to subscribe, so the free version may be restricted to "mobile" devices.

[laurarice]

Patty Kam at Prudential, hands down. and I have worked with A LOT of realtors.

[mdand3boys]

"Best" realtor will vary based upon WHERE you want to by. Kona is a long way from Hilo or Puna Districts. You want a realtor that knows the part of the island you are looking at.

[RugbyDave]

I know it might seem petty to some people, but before I secured my housing on the Island, I worked with a variety of realtors - I was amazed at how some of them had such a poor grasp of grammar or even basic syntax (how sentences go together). I'm not saying that should mark anyone's talents in their fields, but it mad me a tad leery.

One other thing you may want to look out for is whether they will answer all your questions, or just skip/ignore. Most will say "I can't answer that" or "I'm not sure", but if they outright skip over some of your questions or ignore them, I'd be leery too. I know Day-Lum has a strict policy about not answering any questions about the neighborhoods/buildings. If you think that's ok, I wouldn't argue with you. However, for me, it was a pretty big red flag. I mean, I wanted to find someone that raved about their place and couldn't wait to talk about the location/safety/etc. Again, I'm not condemning Day-Lum's practice, and I can see why they do it (objectivity/different people have different experiences), however, for me, I wanted something a bit more than just:

Originally Posted by RugbyDave versus Day-Lum, round 3

Me: So, I see the building has a lot of tenants. Is it loud?
Day-Lum: Oh, sorry sir, I can't really say. I don't live there.
Me: No, I know that, just wondering what others have said.
DL: ....
Me: Ok, well, is it safe?
DL: Most of Hilo is very safe, and just petty theft. You can check the .gov website for statistics.
Me: Oh, um, I'm not really looking for broad statistics, more, like, about the specific building that I will be paying you money to rent...
DL: Sorry sir, I can't say.
Me: Ok, well is the area pretty nice at least?
DL: Sorry sir, we're not allowed to say.
Me: You can't even say if the area is nice?
DL: All of Hilo is beautiful, and you're right by the beach and close to Prince Kuhio.
Me: Yeah, I can see that from google maps, but...
......

That's not word-for-word, but pretty damn close. This may be totally cool for some people, but not for me, especially since I haven't lived on the BI for years and was wondering how certain areas may have changed. I chose to just spend a bit more on renting and get a nicer place outside of the city a little.

Oh, you can ask for references if you feel like it - you may think it's annoying them, but you must remember, on an Island, your name/reputation can definitely precede you! Most realtors here have the best intentions, as this is their livelihood. These are just some things I noticed as I was going through the same process you're about to. I ended up lucking out and finding a homeowner direct.

Also also also, if you go with a homeowner, please ask for them to prove that they own/can rent the place (taxes, etc). I was talking to one homeowner on email and when I asked that question on the third email, I didn't hear back from him. Now, I'm not saying that means he was being dishonest, but I'm not not saying that either

[Nwcid]

Maybe my expectations are too broad. Right now I have 2 problems. First is in the first year we will probably be Hilo side (renting) for my training. After that it kinda depends on what area I get place at.

I personally would like to be on the Kona side but housing seems much higher over there. I was hoping to be within about 30 min of there as I would like to land a part time job at a dive shop. That being part of my plan I would like to be able to see houses that fit that need to see if it fits our long term goals. If it comes down to the fact I can't afford to live on that side that might change our moving.

I want to be able to see realistic houses/areas that we can afford if we move.

It sounds like I might need to look up a couple different ones and see.

[RugbyDave]

Definitely the best choice is to just settle in Hilo for your training and then on the weekend/free time, head out and check out what we have to offer throughout the BI. I am partial to Waimea and Hilo side, as KK is just too dry and arid for me. Plus the vog is really rough sometimes. For me, Waimea is perfect because you're about an hour from both towns (Hilo, and KK), and yet you are also close to some great beaches (Hapuna etc). Still, I prefer to be no more 'west' than Waimea

I think it sounds like you have a great plan so far my friend. Do not be afraid of Puna area, or even up the flanks of Mauna Loa around Hilo (towards Waiakea-Uka). There are some beautiful gems hidden up these windward hills! Hāmākua coast is beautiful, and there are some amazing places up past Wainaku (towards Pāpa'ikou, Pepe'ekeo). I personally love the drive up the Hāmākua from Hilo towards Honoka'a, and often see FOR SALE signs. Just a thought, brother!

Good luck with realtors. You may find people at your training/work have some 'ohana/hanai that are realtors, so don't count that out as well, friend!