Big Island land grab...

[cynmkolohe]

Hi kawika,

I'm going to DM some info to you!

With aloha,

Cynthia

[alaskangrown]

WEll, we went over and checked it out!

We've decided two things:

If you are looking to spend less than $50K, realtors are pretty worthless.
Puna is the place for us.

I'd been to the other islands, but so far, I like the BI the best. We spent days perusing all the Puna Subdivisons, and though we LOVED Pahoa town, and liked the prices in Leilani Estates, the 'conditions' of living there were terrifying and stifling to our lifestyle, so we moved on. Fern Acres had too many ferns, not enough trees. Orchidlands and Hawaiian Acres were too pricey, and had bad light pollution from Hilo.

Then I found Fern Forest, and we fell in love. It's quiet, laid-back, and thickly forested, cheap and cooler. We're excited to start building next fall, and look forward to living on the island.

[cynmkolohe]

For those who may read this later...I can assure you that there are many Hilo and Puna agents who take all clients seriously, no matter the price point of the property in question.

[Balad1]

Originally Posted by cynmkolohe

For those who may read this later...I can assure you that there are many Hilo and Puna agents who take all clients seriously, no matter the price point of the property in question.

There are many real estate people that make a living selling and reselling low end properties/land in Puna and Ka'u.

[cynmkolohe]

Well, yes. By definition, a real estate agent/Realtor who specializes in East Hawaii would naturally make a living selling and possibly re-selling property in Puna and, at times, in Ka'u. Some agents in my office have re-sold the same properties a couple of times. Usually, that is because they earned the trust of the buyer when the buyer made the purchase...so when it comes time for the buyer to be the seller, they contact the agent they have decided to trust.

There can be a number of reasons why an agent would get the same listing more than once. Job transfer, move-up buyers looking for a larger home, someone who leaves the island for personal reasons, someone who decides it just isn't for them....the list is extensive.

In any case, an ethical RE agent will give the same effort and consideration to each client, no matter what the price point. Marketing strategy for listings will be different, but the level of professionalism should be the same.

[wickedwahine]

All these posts are quite helpful. Mahalo! Have just returned from home search. Have chosen Mountain View. Until AFTER you have come and driven the roads & observed the locals....don't EVEN assume you can get the idea from books, forums or on line hours! THEN....think about this folks....more scarey than tsunamis or lava flows......just TRY to get FINANCING on a catchment water dependant property! No VA....no FHA.....no USDA! 90 some odd percent of the big island falls into this category!

[CyberCity]

As I posted in the other thread you questioned about financing:
"First Hawaiian Bank will loan if there is a water tank in place. But remember that you'll want to firm up an insurance company before you put in the tank, so that you meet their minimum size requirements. (No insurance = no loan.)"

Are you working with a realtor? They should be able to help walk you though the funding options, and even have referrals, IF they are a knowledgeable and well -connected realtor.