Hi Everyone- It's nice to be back! The last several months have been Crazy-Nuts! We have closed all of the properties we had planned to close with one more to close just before the end on November. I thank all higher powers for their assistance for them doing so!
Through this period, I, like most of you, have been watching our "Political Circus" doing what it do. I've laughed out loud, cried, scratched my head and said, "Huh?" and even shouted at the TV a couple of time (Because it really needed it!) in response to the silliness coming out of someone's mouth. A realtor outwardly sharing his political views is as about as proper and wanted as a Waiter in a Restaurant sharing with you that you look heavier or balder since he saw you last. These scenarios do not usually end well.
Party politics aside, the response from congress over their THREE plans/programs that have ALREADY BEEN PUT IN PLACE and their SURPRISE at the LACK of homeowners facing foreclosure taking advantage of these programs to improve their situations, was for me, a scratch my head followed by a shake and a "what in the HECK are they thinking???!!!" moment.
1. In just about the best case scenario, an organized, articulate and very intelligent homeowner face to face with a foreclosure is being barraged by phone calls from every debt collector they have ever heard of, are highly stressed out and probably pretty freaked out at and their being in the position of being close to losing their home. Then there are all of the secondary stress' of how they will deal with and live without credit, public shame and so on.
2. In the worst-case scenario, the homeowner is NOT an organized person. Is not sure what happened to make his mortgage payments go up so high or his personal income drop. His head is spinning just like the homeowner above, however, in this case, it is highly unlikely that even on a good day, he would be able to locate, apply, follow through and jump through the government's hoops (requests for personal financial information) to help himself to take advantage of one of the government's new homeowner assistance programs.
Please do not misunderstand me. Perhaps the problem up to now is that the politicians putting these programs together have never been through a foreclosure while trying to care for their families with small children. If this is the case, it's sort of like a person creating a self healing program for Cancer Patients' Emotional Sides without the writer ever having had Cancer and not knowing what feelings and thoughts these people are feeling or at what level of comprehension a victim could be reasonably expected to have.
The ART of Promotion (Asking a Nation of Homeowners in Trouble to Step Up and Embrace one of three programs to help themselves to save their homes, is actually NON-PROMOTION!) involves planning, execution and follow up to reassess weather the plan reached it's target and if you realized your desired results. These plans to help homeowners in trouble are going to be a very big part of what has to be fixed to get our economy moving in the right direction. Every American Homeowner In Trouble Should Have Heard So Much About Them, That Calling the 1 (800) Number To Start The Process Of Relief Should Have Been Second Nature! Once again, these important programs as well as future programs are what is going to CURE our DYEING ECONOMY. There is almost NOTHING more important for our Nation and Government to focus on right now.
On a side note, I am REALLY excited about the mandated switch to Digital for our TV's! All we have to do is call the government's 1 (800) Number on the Television Advertisements and they will send us a coupon for a discount on the converter box so we don't have to miss any of our favorite weekly TV Shows! How cool is that!
OH PLEASE! All of us knowing about the switch to Digital but having no clue how to, who to or where to call to take advantage of d different one of the government's programs which will save family's homes in the face of the WORST Financial Crisis in the history of our country? Where did we go so wrong???? Can someone help me understand?
Mike Ramsey Fujita RA, Vice President Realty Executives Oahu,
Mike@GreatHawaiianHomes.com (808) 630-1828.
I have been a big supporter of Honolulu's Lite-Rail project from way back when. It has taken so long to get this system going, I now have to wonder why we are not simply putting in more freeways? Our transportation department drilled a hole through the mountain that runs down the center of the island (Oahu), three times and each time they did they connected it to the only freeway we had, which is H1. They widened the road from Hawaii Kai and also connected it to H1. A newer (H2 twenty+ years old) freeway comes down the mountain from central Oahu and guess which highway they connected it to? Yup...H1.
Needless to say H1 is a mess from 5 AM to 10 AM, anytime around lunchtime, and then from 2 PM to 6:30 or 7 PM.
I guess my question is, how much will a rail system help our traffic? Doesn't it make sense to to build a new freeway system, one where you can get from one freeway to the other without simply being dumped into an already snarled traffic situation on the only existing cross town freeway?
We can call the AR Express. It sould start downtown and end downtown and go all the way around the entire island. This will cut traffic congestion by 50% as long as it has four lanes in both directions.
Has rail worked to cut congestion in your city?
Cheers-
Mike
...sent via iphone, sitting in traffic...
The Real Estate Market on Oahu has been fairly stable. As residential mortgage interest rates have moved up, home prices have dipped a bit. The US Government took over Mortgage Giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two days ago in an effort to stabilize the country's real estate market. What took many of us by surprise was that they lowered mortgage interest rate by nearly a 1/2 point!
For homebuyers with good credit, with FICO scores in the 700's, 30 year Fixed Rate Mortgages are available again at 6% with 0 points! Combine this with the large amount of homes on the market and you have a winning combination!
My favorite mortgage broker called me with the great news yesterday afternoon and I wanted to pass it along. Tana Feeley is a VP at Central Pacific HomeLoans and she is one of the best Mortgage Brokers I have ever worked with, and I have worked with many of them. She is the only person I know that might be able to actually return phone calls Faster than me!
The main thing, when you are shopping for a mortgage is that you are comfortable with whomever you are
working with. It is always a good thing to shop around to be sure you are getting the best deal. Compare money out of pocket at closing and monthly payments. Don't look too hard at the Interest Rate because many companies stick in various charges and fees that will actually increase your monthly payments.
Have a great day.
Cheers- Mike
Hulupala Project Management was created to assist our clients
with their need for honest and straight foreword Residential Project Management on Oahu.
In even a relitively simple residential renovation, there are many "Sub-Contractors" and each has a specific area of expertise. We will help you select the right team for your requirements. Hulupala Project Management is not a General Contractor, rather we will help you select the right General Contractor, Architect, Pool Company to refinish your pool and all of the other Sub-Contractors you will need for your sucessful renovation project.
A Project Manager is like the conductor of a symphony. By coordinating each individual part, we create harmo
ny and a high level of efficiency. We work to supervise the onsite team of sub-contractors and their employees and hold them accountable to Timelines, Budgets and Professionalism.
Here is a more specific outline of our duties;
Hulupala Project Management plans, directs, and coordinates activities of projects to ensure that goals or objectives of projects are accomplished within prescribed time frame and funding parameters. We may report to a director and we may have supervisors reporting to this position.
Hulupala Project Management reviews project proposals or plans to determine time frames, funding limitations, procedures for accomplishing projects, staffing requirements, and allotment of available resources to various phases of projects. We establish work plans and multi-disciplinary staffing for each phase of project, and arrange for recruitment or assignment of project personnel.
Hulupala Project Management manages project supervisors/leaders assigned to specific projects. Confers with project staff to outline work plan and to assign duties, responsibilities, and scope of authority. We may manage sub-contractors and their workforce. We direct and coordinate activities of project personnel to ensure project progresses on schedule and within prescribed budget. Reviews status reports prepared by project personnel and modifies schedules or plans as required. Prepares project reports for management, client, or others. Confers with project personnel to provide technical advice and to resolve problems.
Hulupala
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for assistance in renovating your residential property.
The first platform I ever used for getting our information on to the "Information Super Highway" (Sorry for using the 1980's term) was Active Rain. It is still one of the best ways to get information out to your target market. There is a new and much smaller platform slowly growing across the World as w
e speak. It is called WOMF or Word Of Mouth Forum.
Not all communities are lucky enough to have a WOMF of thrie own, but Hawaii is one of the lucky places. The main difference with WOMF and AR is that each posting is reviewed for content and there is no self promotion or negative comments allowed. It is a place for people in a community to go when they have questions about anything. As a Realtor, I can write posts about anything Real Estate as long as I don't ask people to call me or talk about the 
services I provide. I am able to buy a small Banner Ad and these Ads are actually free right now. My Ad matches my Avatar or WOMF Face so people know that I am the same person the wrote the posts.
The other main thing I love about WOMF is that it is 100% directed at and to my community, or the areas I sell Real Estate in. Every person on WOMF, 18 and over, could be a client of mine. On AR I can reach thousands and thousands of people but they are spread all over the country. Most of the time the best I can hope for is a referral.
In their own words, this is how WOMF describes themselves.
Aloha Hawaii!
WOMF is about you. Your experiences, your opinions and your expertise. We want to hear what you have to say. Go ahead...Register and WOMF. It's easy!!
The Voice of UsTM
WOMF is about our community talking to itself. Please pass this site on to friends you value the opinion of and ask them to do the same. The more we share the better it is for everybody. Mahalo!
I have talked as great deal with the WOMF Office on the Mainland and Lee Marshall is a wonderful guy. He is passionate about WOMF and Hawaii WOMF. We are very lucky to have a piece of our own of a world wide platform like Hawaii WOMF. I am starting a WOMF Club here in Honolulu. We will be focusing on helping businesses understand how to use and make the most of the Internet Marketing and the WOMF Platform. If you would like to be a part of our group, please email me at Mike@GreatHawaiianHomes.com or phone me at (808) 630-1828.
Cheers-
Mike
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Mike & Gayle are Residential Property Specialists for Realty Executives Oahu where Mike is the VP. They also wrote REO's Training Program and Coach & Teach other Realtors. Their Client's SAVE Money!
Michael Ramsey Fujita and Gayle Fujita Ramsey, Realtor-Associates, are Award Winning, Top Producers for Realty Executives Oahu (REO). Mike & Gayle always give 20% of their commissions back to their Buyer Clients!
Mike is the Vice President for Realty Executives Oahu and Gayle, the Director of Realtor Development, wrote Realty Executives Oahu's "Executive In Training" Program training manuals and teaching guide lines. They are also Residential Property Specialists for REO. This means that they are not only licensed by the State of Hawaii, but that they have far exceeded their set of Established Performance Criteria in the areas of Luxury Homes and Single Family Homes Marketing and Sales. Basically, without all of the fancy words and professional terms, this means they can handle all of your Real Estate Needs whether you are looking to buy or sell property.
Mike and Gayle were the Top Producers for REO for 2007, are members of the Top 1% Club and have won numerous other awards for Customer Service and have even won the coveted "Best of Honolulu". When you work with Mike and Gayle you can expect to find Real Estate Professionals that will Listen to you, Creative and Aggressive Marketing and Execution of the Plan and Strategy the Created Just For You, Realtors that put themselves out there and make it easy for other Realtors to show their clients your home, Insightful Recommendations and Advice and PROMPT call backs when you phone them with questions, if they were unable to pick up your call when you made it; just to name a few things that set Mike & Gayle apart from other Real Estate Professionals. The Key to their success is Mike's ability to get the details about your property in front of Qualified and Ready Buyers. Mike and Gayle's success as a Buyer's Agent comes from their ability to find properties, which at times were not even on the market, for their clients.
Mike and Gayle are Marketing Experts. They spend far more of their own money on Marketing than most other Real Estate Professionals. This expense is NEVER paid by their Clients. They can do this because most agents have to pay a large percentage of their commissions to their Brokers or the company they work for. Mike and Gayle do not have this expense so they spend that money on Advertising and Marketing. The end result is that their clients win.
Mike and Gayle are Residential Property Specialists for Realty Executives Oahu, in fact Gayle is the Director of Realtor Development which means she educates other Realtors on how to properly serve their clients in Residential Markets around Oahu. Mike has been in Hawaii for nearly thirty years and Gayle was born on Oahu. They know every nook and cranny of the island.
Each area of Oahu, Honolulu City and County, is different. Schools, Shopping, Entertainment, Restaurants, Child Friendly Neighborhoods, Pet Friendly Buildings, Laid Back Lifestyle, Busy City Living. Each client we work with shares with us those things which are important to them and then we go and find the properties with the right fit. Often, their clients will want to be in a specific neighborhood on Oahu and the right home is not on the market. This is when Mike starts to Knock on Doors. They will go to nearly any length to fill their clients needs.
Mike and Gayle's main area of Expertise is simple. It's making their clients Smile.
Mike and Gayle went above and beyond for us. We have sold two properties with them and we are very happy we did. RSF 2008
I was on the Mainland so Mike emailed me dozens of properties to view. I flew over to Honolulu and I wanted to see 12 of the properties in one day and Mike made it happen. There was one property that I loved and we were in escrow the next day. I own many properties in California and Washington State, Mike and Gayle were the best Realtors I have ever worked with, I feel like I got Two Realtors for One! CC 2007
I have known Mike and Gayle for years and needed to sell an Apartment Building. I was too busy to deal with most of the process and Mike and Gayle worked around my busy work schedule to make the sale happen! GL 2008
I was a Realtor in Arizona and knew nothing about Hawaii. Mike met us when we got off the plane and took us for an Island Tour. We feel in love with Kailua. Thank you Mike and Gayle. S & C 2007
What We Offer Buyer Clients
Your home is probably one of the biggest purchases you and your family will ever make. Deciding on the right neighborhood, the right time, the right amount of mortgage payments you can live with and even which home you will come to know as your own. It is our job to guide you through the entire process. From helping you find the right property to helping with the financing process, to making sure each and every real estate professional you come in contact with is working in your very best interest. This is what you can expect from us:
Our services are FREE to you because the Seller pays all Real Estate Commissions.
We Rebate our Buyer Clients 20% of our commissions! This is given to you as a credit at closing. You may apply the money to the Principle of your new home or use it as you see fit, it's your money!
When choosing a new home, it will be helpful to know if the list price is Fair Market Value, Priced Over Fair Market Value or a Real Bargain! Our high tech approach to valuation will give you this information Before we even visit the property for the first time.
We will go through the Purchase Contract and ALL Addendums with you before you sign anything. You will also find a great deal of information about the Purchase Contract and its Contingency Descriptions on our website at http://www.GreatHawaiianHomes.com . This way, if you choose to become familiar with this document, you can.
We will give you recommendations on Real Estate Professionals whom are available to you. We maintain NO affiliation with any of these Professionals, they are simply the best at what they do in our opinion.
Buyer's Agent. Every buyer needs a buyer's agent that is dedicated to THEIR best interest. As Realtors, and members of the National Association of Realtors and the Honolulu Board of Realtors, we are duty bound and Licensed by the State of Hawaii to Protect your Best Interest at ALL Times.
We work with Mainland Buyers from time to time. This is easily accomplished by use of Posted Video Tours of homes they have selected to see more of from our emails, emailing of documents, faxing of documents by way of our Toll Free Fax Line, and by excellent communication skills. We have and can also email pdf Slideshows of homes for Mainland Buyers directly to their inbox.
Once we have fully explained the various contracts to you and you make an informed decision as to your acceptance or rejection of them, we will do the face to face negotiating with the Seller's Agent for you to be sure you are getting the best terms the Seller will give. We do our best to keep your transaction as stress free and pleasant as possible.
Not only will we walk through every home together, we will review all inspection reports generated during your transaction. It is important that you know exactly what you are buying and its condition, even inside the walls!
We are proud to have represented a great many families in their purchases of new homes. You will have the full benefit of our years of experience as Realtors acting as Buyer's Agents. We promise not to hold anything back from you...ever.
Our website at http://www.GreatHawaiianHomes.com is a big advantage to buyers. It explains the buying process in detail and many clients have to us for assistance because they like our website so much. It is very down to earth, just like us. Let's chat over coffee...
What We Offer Our Seller Clients
Actually Selling Real Property in Hawaii is an art. The property must show well and help potential Buyers use their imaginations as they walk through it. They have to see themselves in the home in order to create an emotional attachment to it. On top of this, the home must also be priced correctly. Any Real Estate Agent can come to your home and tell you what you want to hear. Many home owners feel their homes are worth far above Market Value when this is simply not the case. Here are some things that do NOT set Market Value. The Price the seller paid for the home, the amount of money the seller wants to make on the sale of their home, the seller's Pride in Ownership. The only thing that can set the Market Value of a Home is when there is a Meeting of the Minds and the Potential Buyer Offers a Price and the Seller Accepts the Offer to Sell. This mutually agreed upon Price is the Market Value.
It is in your and our best interest to get the best price possible for your home in today's market. If you want to test the market to see if your home will sell at an above market price, we wish you the best of luck, there are thousands of Realtors that will take your listing. We take listings to sell them. We will pull sales of homes that are very much like yours, and determine the "Center Point Price" of all of these homes. We will then Suggest a Listing Price Based on These Numbers.
Here is a list of what our Seller Clients can expect from us...
Open escrow to start closing process (when applicable).
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