THE CONVERSATION
Owning a home can be a significant financial and personal responsibility and it could require careful planning and attention. If you want to be proactive, you should consider these three things:
Estate Planning
Owning real estate in a trust can be a savvy estate planning decision for several reasons. First and foremost, it can help protect your assets and ensure that they are distributed according to your wishes after your death. When you create a trust, you transfer ownership of your property to the trust, which is managed by a trustee of your choosing. In addition, placing your home in a trust can prevent probate too.
If you are interested in speaking to an estate planning attorney, I highly recommend:
Travis Agustin
Agustin Hawaii Law, LLLC
PO Box 12071, Honolulu, Hawaii 96828
Life Insurance
Like estate planning, discussing life insurance can be a sensitive subject. Purchasing a policy might be beneficial, especially if you have dependents, because it can provide financial support in case of your unexpected death. This can help ensure your loved ones can continue to pay the mortgage and other expenses.
Home Maintenance
Owning a home can be like owning a car. Being proactive on repairs and maintenance is an essential part of homeownership because:
It could save you money in the long run. Taking care of small repairs and maintenance tasks as they arise can prevent more significant and costly problems down the line. For example, fixing a leaky faucet right away can prevent water damage and the need for more extensive plumbing repairs.
It could increase your property value. When you eventually sell, your home might standout compared to other comps because it is well maintained.
It could improve your quality of life and reduce your stress. Let's be honest. Living in a tidy and well maintained home can give you peace of mind. It's that simple.
TIBITS
There are three types of condo meetings. One of them is an association meeting. These types of meetings must be held at least once a year; only owners can attend. Notice of the meeting must be delivered at least 14 days prior to the meeting. This is usually done via mail and email.
During the association meeting, the following might be discussed:
Governance and reports.
Common area maintenance.
Financial matters (maintenance fee, budget, etc).
Board election.
Amendments to the governing documents (For example, your condo association might amend the house rules to allow it to be pet friendly).
Most importantly, as an owner, you are allowed to participate in this process. It might be beneficial to attend the association meetings because it will allow you to stay informed on what is happening.
Fun fact: Did you know the association meetings usually use the Robert's Rules of Order?
HOME MAINTENANCE
I recently purchased the Shark Navigator Deluxe NV360. This product was highly recommend from Forward Realty's in-house property managers, Blaise and Michele Nakagawa.
Nothing was wrong with our Bissell vacuum. It was over a decade old and it worked perfectly fine. To be honest, as a money conscious person, it was a little difficult for me to get rid of a perfectly working vacuum. However, to my surprise, the Shark vacuum cleaner was on sale for $149.99! The original price is $219.90 -- what a deal.
Long story short, I am thoroughly impressed by the Shark vacuum because:
Powerful suction. We vacuum multiple times a week and I was impressed on how much dust this vacuum picked up.
The "pod" detaches and it allows you to vacuum stairs and other hard to get places.
There is a HEPA filter that keeps the dust inside the canister.
Very easy to use and assemble.
You can use this vacuum on carpet and bare floors.
JUNE MARKET STATS
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
$800,000 | $770,000 | $979,000 | $1,100,000 | ? |
Due to the debt ceiling situation, mortgage rates jumped sharply to over 7% last month
OPPORTUNITIES
Last month, Kamehameha Schools (KS) presented at the HBR's East Oahu Regional Meeting. In the upcoming years, KS will be developing real estate throughout Oahu. Here are two projects.
Kaka'ako
Approved in 2009, KS's Kaka'ako masterplan consists of 9 full blocks. Block A, B, E, and F are developed. The remaining blocks will consists of market residential and workforce/affordable units.
Waipahu
Right off the Waipahu rail station, KS will be developing kupuna and Ohana housing targeting 30-60% AMI. In total, over 500 affordable units will be created. In addition, there will be over 50,000 square feet of commercial mix use space.
Stay safe and healthy.
-Ryan
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