Aloha!
We have a wonderful assortment of articles, Big Island Calendar of Events, resources, tips and industry
updates for you this month and we hope you enjoy. Some of these include:
In addition to Kelly's Blog (www.HawaiiBigIslandBlog.com),
you can now also follow him on Twitter @hilobrokers!
If you are having any difficulty reading the newsletter below, you may view
the current (and past) newsletter here:
http://www.hilobrokersnews.com
In addition to the featured articles, don't forget to dig a little deeper
for additional articles located in the "Daily News & Advice" area, as well
as the "More Articles" section.
Mahalo,
Kelly & the Hilo Brokers, Ltd. Team
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Some Articles Copyright © 2009 Realty
Times
All Rights Reserved.
Hilo Brokers, Ltd.
400 Hualani St.,
Bldg 21
Hilo, Hawaii, 96720
Office:
808-969-9400
Direct: 808-938-5757
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Quality Big Island Real
Estate Service & Experience
for Over 20 Years!
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Your
Big Island REALTOR®:
Kelly H. Moran
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 Big
Island Scenic Drives
- By
Kelly H. Moran This
month I focused on a series of three blog posts detailing
some favorite Big Island Scenic Drives.
Here is an overview of these
three articles:
The (Very) Scenic Drive
The four-mile alternative to Hwy 19 between Papaikou and
Pepeekeo has long been one of my favorite places on the Big
Island. The road is narrow and winding, with many one-lane
bridges, so you have to drive it slowly – the better to
appreciate all the lush vegetation, the many streams and
waterfalls, and the stunning vistas of knife-edged ridges
and sheer rocky cliffs along the coast.
Maps and road signs proclaim
...
CONTINUED >>>
Along the
Puna Coast
Now I’d like to take you on another – and longer – scenic
drive, along the coast of the Puna district. If you take Hwy
130 from Kea’au, and keep going straight, past Pahoa, you’ll
end up at Kalapana, where the current eruption of Kilauea is
extruding lava into the Pacific. By day, all you see is
white clouds of steam and smoke, but after dark, you realize
that the hot lava, exploding as it hits cold seawater, is
actually vividly colored with yellows, oranges and reds.
Most people just drive there directly, especially if they
are showing visitors around. But I suggest ...
 .
CONTINUED >>>
The "Red" Road That Isn't
Until just a few years ago, Hwy 137 along the Puna coast was
paved with locally quarried red cinder. Though it’s
conventionally paved now, a rather standard gray-black
color, local folks still call it “The Red Road.”
And it’s still very narrow,
with many blind hills and curves, weaving and undulating
through stands of giant mango trees. Pay attention, and
drive carefully ...
CONTINUED >>>
(Read all the articles in this series here) |
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Mortgage Rates
U.S. averages as of November 25, 2009:
30 yr. fixed: 4.78%
15 yr. fixed: 4.29%
1 yr. adj: 4.35%
View current rates
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Featured
Listing
Affordable Oceanfront
Build Your Dream Home!
The perfect-sized parcel
for the oceanfront home of your dreams. Located in
Ninole a beautiful small village located just 19
miles north of Hilo on the spectacular and scenic
Hamakua Coastline. This unique bluffside property
rises above the ocean and offers panoramic views
where you can see sunrises daily over the Pacific.
East Hawaii offers the most affordable oceanfront
properties in Hawaii. Make your dream come true
today!
Click
Here for More Info
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Hilo Brokers iPhone Real
Estate Search Application
- By
Kelly H. Moran
 Great news!
We’ve
created a new, customized, FREE, iPhone application that
allows you to search hawaii real estate from your iPhone.
To
download from your iPhone:
On your
iPhone, go to the iPhone Apps Store, Tap Search, tap the
search field and enter “hilo brokers”, then tap Search.
The Hilo Brokers App page will display and you can
download from there.
To
download the application via PC/Mac, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/hilobrokersiphone
Alternatively, you may go directly to the iTunes store
and search for “hilo brokers”.
"I
downloaded the app and it's your website exactly! It's
very cool!"
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Should I Take My Home Off the Market
During the Holidays?
 When
you look at your calendar you may find the months already overloaded
with seasonal obligations -- shopping, entertaining, children's
pageants, charity work, decorating the house, and so much more. If
you are also trying to sell your home, you are under extra pressure
to keep your home in "showtime" condition. And that could be the
last thing you need before the holiday spirit is broken.
It is understandable why you would be
tempted to take your home off the market during the holidays. And
the list of justifications is long. If you are too busy, buyers may
be also, and you may find your efforts unrewarded with not enough
showings. And what if you do get an offer? You may be faced with the
possibility of packing and moving during the busiest time of the
year. Besides, you can give your house a rest, and it will have
better momentum after the holidays. Better to just pack it in and
start fresh in January, right?
But wait!
Most top Realtors agree that taking your
home off the market during the Christmas season is a mistake. The
house surely isn't going to sell off the market! What is the
advantage of that? So you're busy. Let your Realtor do the work. You
can leave in the morning, go to work, go shopping, and let your
Realtor take care of things.
The holidays are a wonderful selling
period. Why? Because most people take off work sometime during the
season. The husband and wife are both off and want to see houses.
Most agents like the holidays because the buyers have more time, and
they can look at homes together.
Before you take your home off the
market, consider the following points...
CONTINUED >>>
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Enroll Today!
Kelly's Blog
is now available.
Read online, RSS feed, or receive easy email notifications of
new posts. Just use the handy Subscribe links in the
blog's right hand column.
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Tips for an Eco Friendly Holiday
It's
hard to believe, but according to Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of
the book, "Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We
Really Are," between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, Americans
throw away a million extra tons of garbage each week. During the
season of giving, it sure seems like we're taking a lot from Mother
Nature. Here are some suggestions of ways to go green this holiday
season, and you just might save some green in the meantime.
Start with your gift giving. You may not have ever thought about it
before, but some gifts are certainly more eco-friendly than others.
Giving an experience, like tickets to a ballgame or an art exhibit,
create much less waste than complicated toys and gadgets. And some
of the best gifts can be ...
CONTINUED >>>
Wondering
What
Your Home is Worth?
Let us show you
Daily News and Advice
Read about the events shaping the Real Estate
market today, find current interest rates, or browse the
extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some
of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.
Market Snapshots Are Here
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Upcoming
Island Calendar of Events
 MYSTERY OF THE CHRISTMAS STAR
Date: Daily through 12/31/09
Time: 3:00pm
Place: Hilo’s high-tech Imiloa Astronomy Center planetarium
Contact: (808)
969-9700 or visit
www.imiloahawaii.org.
For the holiday season, 'Imiloa returns "Mystery of the Star" to
the planetarium dome for daily showings. Mystery of the
Christmas Star takes audiences on a journey back 2000 years to
Bethlehem to discover a possible scientific explanation for the
star the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus. This program
investigates recorded sightings of significant astronomical
events during the time of the birth of Christ. Investigators
will see which of these signs in the sky could have been
remarkable enough to cause the wise men to travel across the
desert from Babylon just to see a newborn King. This modern
retelling of the Christmas story is sure to charm and captivate
audiences of all ages. “They go back in time mapping out
these sequential recorded events from the Babylonian
astrological traditions and theorize the possible true nature of
the ‘Christmas Star’,” notes Dr. Richard Crowe,
Astronomer-in-Residence, at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, and
professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Hawai‘i
at Hilo.
 ARTISAN FARMS
TOUR
Date: Through 12/31/09
Time: By appointment only, 8:45am-12:30pm
Place: Ahualoa,
Northeast Coast of Hawaii
Contact: (808) 775-1000
or (808) 775-1171 or visit
www.hawaiianartisanfarms.com
Ahualoa, on the Hamakua Coast, has long been an active
agricultural region of Hawaii Island. Come visit three working
farms and experience three of the unique local flavors of
Ahualoa. The morning starts with coffee and fresh baked banana
bread at Long Ears Hawaiian Coffee. Next you will drive just up
the road to enjoy tea and goodies at Mauna Kea Tea Garden.
Finally, another short trip up the road will bring you to
Volcano Island Honey Company, where your morning will end on a
sweet note. By appointment only.
10TH ANNUAL INVITATIONAL WREATH EXHIBIT
Date: Daily through 1/3/2010
Time: 9am-5pm
Place: Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National
Park
Admission: Free (Park entrance fees apply).
Contact: 808-967-7565 or
www.volcanoartcenter.org
Working in a wide variety of media and materials, Gallery
artists present their unique and highly creative collection of
one-of-a-kind wreaths, from the whimsical to the traditional!
 LASER BEATLES / LASER ZEPPELIN
Date: Friday evenings through 1/8/2010
Time: "Laser Beatles": 7:30pm; "Laser Zeppelin": 9:00pm
Place: Hilo’s high-tech
Imiloa Astronomy Center planetarium
Admission: $10 per show.
Contact: (808) 969-9700
or visit
www.imiloahawaii.org
Two "music experience" shows, featuring songs by the Beatles and
Led Zeppelin using lasers to create a multi-sensory concert
program of color, sound and music, images, and special effects.
 ALOHA
SATURDAYS
Date: 1/9/2010
Time: Noon-4pm
Admission: Free
Place: Kalakaua Park in Hilo
Contact: (808) 961-5711 or visit
www.ehcc.org
These monthly programs feature musical performances by Hawaii
Island musicians and hula halau, along with presentations by
community groups. Also featured are authentic arts and crafts
vendors and food booths.
 DJANGO
REINHARDT GYPSY JAZZ FESTIVAL
Date: 1/23/2010
Place: Le Hot Club De Hilo
Contact: Hal Glatzer at
hal@halglatzer.com or John Nussbaum at
mkjguitars@apolloproject.org.
Le Hot Club De Hilo will host a Gypsy Jazz Festival in honor of
famed guitarist Django Reinhardt’s 100th birthday. This event is
expected to feature performers from Honolulu and beyond.
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