Ryan Oda

Stocks vs. Real Estate is a never-ending debate. Both are great financial vehicles and you should probably own both. There are two unique things about owning real estate. First, it is the use of leverage. Many people think you need at least 20% down for a conventional loan. That is not true. I have helped numerous buyers who had sub 20% down. For example, let's say you were buying a $350,000 condo. a 10% down payment would equal $35,000. You would need the $35,000 liquid plus

Oahu's housing market is still on fire. Many homes are selling for top dollar and there is still a lack of inventory. I know I must sound like a broken record. Buyers who decided to wait on the sideline have only hurt themselves. According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the median price for a single-family home and condo in May 2021 were $978,000 and $457,750 respectively. The same time last year, the median price were $797,000 (22.7% gain) and $399,000 (14.7% gain). Who

Honolulu Civil Beat recently reported on two property tax bills that would target non-resident owners. Due to our economic crisis, many believe we can tax our way out of our financial deficit. These two bills come at a unique time. Recently, the Honolulu Board of Realtors noted that the median single family home price is $920,000. Due to that, some people believe out of state buyers are pricing out locals from our housing market. In addition, some reports state that 25% of al

Here is February's housing update.

As a child, I would sit at my Great Grandma Tom's kitchen table. "Taipo," as we affectionately called her, lived next door to me. Since I often complained about the food my parents cooked, I would find myself at Taipo's house frequently. While sitting at the table, Taipo and my Uncle Sonny would start telling stories about "the olden days." Uncle Sonny, Taipo's oldest child, was the keeper of all the family stories and secrets. "Eh, Ryan," said Uncle Sonny as he adjusted his

Does anyone have a Dolorean? I would like to go back in time and buy single-family homes in Ewa Beach. Despite our COVID economy, single-family homes sales are doing very well in certain neighborhoods on Oahu. Homeowners might be leaving high rise condos to go back to back the suburbs. The Honolulu Board of Realtors recently released October's housing statistics. The median single family home price in Ewa Beach was $760,000 in October 2020; this was a 12% increase from the s

If you are a seller, the goal is to sell. If you are a buyer, the goal is to buy. Being in escrow can be an emotional process. Sellers want top dollar and buyers want a deal. Regardless if you are a buyer or seller, both parties have to finish the transaction at the same time. Every transaction is different — you might have to give or take. However, here are few things that can ruin a deal... Being Unrealistic If you are a seller, you have to price your home accordingly. It’

Facebook recently reminded me that I have been a homeowner for two years. It seemed like yesterday when my wife and I were signing our closing documents! Here are a few things that I learned... Mortgage Rates When we were looking at properties, mortgage rates were almost at 5%. When our offer was accepted, our mortgage lender informed us that rates went down. Rather than taking a gamble, we decided to lock in 4.65% at half a point. Around 6 months later, mortgage rates droppe

Here is November's housing updates.

Greg, Robin, and I closed three buyer transactions last week. One was an off market, new development, single family home in Windward Oahu. The second was a single-family home in town; our clients bought it below list price. The third was a vacant, residential land on the outer island. Our residential real estate market has held up well during the pandemic. Why? Mortgage rates are historically low. No one knows how long mortgage rates will stay in the 2-3% range. The clients w

COVID-19 hits hard again. Last week, Regal Cinemas announced they will close all 536 movie theaters in the United States. There are eight theaters in Hawaii with four on Oahu. With no end in sight, how will landlords relet these large spaces? Will landlords repurpose the space? Regal’s Iwilei location poses an unique situation. With people working from home and Regal closing, could Castle & Cooke repurpose their commercial space to residential? With much of Kaka’ako being bu

Here are October's housing updates.

Archimedes of Syracuse, the famous Greek mathematician, once said, "Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth." The use of leverage makes owning real estate unique. For example, let's say you have $100,000 cash. With that money, you could purchase a $100,000 home. In Honolulu, I doubt that will buy you more than a parking stall. The other, more common option is to get a mortgage through a lender. Most buyers try to put 20% down. If you were to buy a $500,000 condo, 2

Our housing market is usually one of the shining stars in our local economy. Despite COVID-19, Oahu's housing prices have remained steady or have increased in certain neighborhoods. While there were many uncertainties when the stay at home order was put in place, our housing market seems to have regained traction. One reason mortgage rates are in the 2-3% range is the FED is buying mortgage backed bonds. If this sounds familiar, the FED did something similar in the 2008 housi

The news can be depressing. COVID-19 cases are on the rise, businesses are suffering, and unemployment is still high. Despite all the chaos, Oahu's housing market is remaining steady. Although median single family and condo prices slightly decreased in June 2020 from the same time last year, some sellers are still receiving near full price offers. Every home and neighborhood are different. However, I have recently been on some exciting transactions. Just the other week, my c

Shortly after getting married, my wife and I decided to purchase our first home. Since we were planning to start a family, we decided to create our "must have" list. As we were writing down what was important to us, we both noticed our needs and wants changed. Over the past few years, Kaka'ako has been getting a lot of attention. The once industrial area is now the home to many luxury condos. After we got prequalified, we decided to checkout a bunch of condos. Midway through

Here is July's housing updates.

In 2008, I was in college during the subprime mortgage crisis. I recall being in class and my professor telling us there might be budget cuts and that our economy was going to have a significant negative impact. I was on tract to graduate on time, but suddenly became worried that I might not get my classes for the upcoming semester. Sometimes ignornance is bliss. I was too old to be naive, but also too young to fully comprehend what was really occurring. However, I knew the s

How has the pandemic shifted your perspective on homeownership?

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