Ryan Oda

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

Is the luxury housing marketing cooling down? The Honolulu Board of REALTORS® recently released March’s Local Market Update. Within the Diamond Head region, comparing the 2016 median price to the 2017 median price: There was a 6.1% decrease in the Aina Haina Area. There was a 20.5% decrease in the Kahala Area. There was a 24% decrease in Niu Valley. There was a 23.3% decrease in Waialae Iki. There was a 11.1% decrease in Kuliouou. In addition, even though Kaimuki isn’t usuall

Is the luxury housing market slowing down? The Honolulu Board of REALTORS® recently released January’s Local Market Update. As I was reading this report, I noticed a few things. In the Kapahulu – Diamond Head region, there was a 44% decrease in closed sales and a 10% decrease in the median sales price (single-family homes) from the same time last year. In addition, within the Waialae – Kahala region, there was a 30% decrease in closed sales and a 7% decrease in the median sal

While scrolling through my Facebook feed, I stumbled on a Civil Beat article that discussed how many teachers are struggling to earn a living in Hawaii. The article hit home since I have numerous friends who are in the education field. At one point in my life, I aspired to be a teacher. As I read the article, I could only shake my head in frustration. Teaching is a noble profession. However, for whatever the reasons, teachers across the nation are underpaid, overworked, and a

There’s a large following of people who question if affordable housing is actually helpful to first time home buyers. Here are the concerns: - The gap to qualify is tiny. The HCDA and HHFDC have their own respective formulas to determine if you financially qualify for an affordable housing unit. As one of the Kapiolani Residence salesperson told my client, “there isn’t much wiggle room.” - Shared Appreciate Equity (HHFDC) and Shared Equity (HCDA). Many prospective Buy

Howard Hughes recently announced that prospective buyers can pick up their Ke Kilohana application packet starting from Saturday, March 26, 2016 at the Ke Kilohana Sales Gallery. Applications can be picked up from March 26 to April 3rd. When complete, your application must be hand delivered back to the Ke Kilohana Sales Gallery. The lottery will be held on April 15. In order to qualify for the lottery, you need to: 1. Complete your application. 2. Get prequalified from one of

Ke Kilohana recently released their floor plans for their upcoming affordable housing condo in Ward Village. There are 9 floor plans for 1-bed units. The 1-bed units range from 461 SQ FT to 511 SQ FT. There are 7 floor plans for 2-bed units. The 2-bed units range from 728 SQ FT to 800 SQ FT. All 2-bed units come with 2 full bathrooms. Lastly, there are 4 floor plans for 3-bed units. The 3-bed units range from 977 SQ FT to 1,173 SQ FT. All 3-bed units come with 2 full bathroom

The cancellation of Vida was a shock to the real estate community. This is not the beginning of the end for Hawaii’s real estate boom. I believe there’s just a larger demand for housing at a lower price point. As a REALTOR®, many of my clients are millennial first-time homebuyers. As young professionals, it’s challenging for my clients to enter the market when the median single family home price (in 2015) was $700,000. Now, add student loans to the mix. As its constantly stat