Real Estate agent on the Big Island? (rent, houses)

[TexasCasey]

Hi all,

I know that I have read a number of threads on here where one or two of the regular posters have identified yourselves as a RE agent on BI. For the life of me, of course, now I can't find any of those threads.

If this is you & you don't mind me asking just a couple of questions, I would love to talk... Maybe send me a DM??? I sure would apprectiate it.

Thanks,
Casey

[PukaFace]

Cynmkolohe is a big poster on all things real-estate related. Very helpful.

[hotzcatz]

Cynmkolohe and KonaKat are both real estate agents, I think, you could inquire about real estate with them. Still, other than asking general questions, my usual advice on buying Hawaiian real estate is RENT IN THE AREA FOR SIX MONTHS FIRST. The whole housing bubble has burst so there's no need to rush around buying stuff sight unseen anymore.

The islands are all mixed areas of different houses/peoples/climates and moving several streets over can even have a huge impact on the climate so don't buy ANYTHING without looking at it first. You can't tell the whole picture by looking at images, you need to go look in person. You can get the greatest building inspector and they will tell you about structural difficulties, but will they mention the surrounding neighborhood? Or the lack of surrounding neighborhood? Distance to stores? Distance to jobs? Noisy roosters, traffic or coqui frogs? Whether the lot has any soil on it or is it just lava rock? Buying a place to live is a huge decision and can't be made through anyone else's eyes, IMHO.

[cynmkolohe]

I completely agree with hotzcatz. There is no need to make a rushed decision and buying sight unseen can be full of complications--there is no way for someone else to see what you will see through your own eyes when you arrive.

For those who do have some experience here already, one of the best things an agent can offer you before you arrive is our MLS access. We can set you up to receive notifications of new listings and price reductions for areas you are interested in so that you can become very educated about the market trends in a particular area. The information that comes though in these emails is a bit more streamlined than what you get through the alohaliving website (was Hawaii Information Service), in my opinion, with links to the tax records and maps.