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:
Also, Kelly's blog is receiving many
accolades -- Aloha Living is featuring his posts as permanent
articles! So, don't miss out ... sign-up to receive regular
updates throughout the month from
Kelly's blog.
If you're not very familiar with signing-up for blogs, we've made it super
easy. Just click the email sign-up link in the right area, enter your email
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are also available.
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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Your
Big Island REALTOR®:
Kelly H. Moran
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Quality Big Island Real
Estate Service & Experience
for Over 20 Years!
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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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 Moving
to Hawaii
- By
Kelly H. Moran
Moving to Hawaii from anywhere
else is obviously something that must be done with a great
deal of planning and strategy. It is not the same as moving
across town or even to another mainland state. The logistics
involved are huge.
To make your move easier,
using a professional moving company is the best way to make
your move, but it is also the most costly. There are a
variety of ways to save money. One is bringing as little as
possible to Hawaii. That is not always practical, sometimes
you just want your art and furniture or your favorite sports
equipment to come along with you.
I have met some people who
sold all but the most precious things they owned and moved
to Hawaii by using the United States Post Office as their
mover. This is obviously the least expensive option, but
don’t forget that when you get here, you will have to
furnish your new home, have clothes to wear and cooking
tools, electronics and appliances. Those things are
available in Hawaii, but not always with the same variety
and pricing as on the mainland.
If you do decide to ship
things, using the USPS is the best option. If you can fit
things into a large flat rate Priority shipping box, the
goods will arrive from the mainland in a week or less. If
you have to go with Parcel Post or Media Mail (great way to
move your books and CD’s) they could take as long as 4-6
weeks to arrive. The post office supplies free Priority Mail
boxes and you can print postage labels from your home
computer. If you won’t be at your home to accept shipments,
you can send them c/o general delivery to your local post
office and pick them up when you arrive.
If you choose the “do it
yourself” method of moving, you need to contact one of the
shipping companies that provide containers.
Matson
is probably the largest container shipper with reliable
rates and frequent ships coming in and out of all ports in
Hawaii. Another large carrier is
Young
Brothers. Both of those companies ship cars but we will
talk about that in a separate post.
If you are considering a
moving company, there are some that specialize in Hawaii
moves and one of the most used companies for moves to Hawaii
is
West Point Relocation. Aside from them, most full
service moving companies can and do ship overseas. For
instance, if you have a typical 3 bedroom mainland home ...
CONTINUED >>> |
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Mortgage Rates
U.S. averages as of June 25, 2009:
30 yr. fixed: 5.42%
15 yr. fixed: 4.87%
1 yr. adj: 4.93%
View current rates
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Featured
Listing
Kawainui
Stream Estate
Kawainui Estate a custom residential oasis perched
above Kawainui Stream, centered at the base of Mauna
Kea and overlooking the cobalt blue Pacific.
Spectacular views all the way to the southern most
point of Hilo Bay! Casual yet elegant island oasis
with over 13,000 sq. ft. under roof.
For a
virtual tour and more information:
Click Here
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Island Webcams Added to the Hilo Brokers Website!
Webcams have been added
to the Hilo
Brokers website! To view them, hover over RESOURCES
and pick “Big
Island Webcams” for the choices.
Some of the webcams
include:
- Hilo Bay from Pacific
Tsunami Museum
- Volcano Golf Course
18th Hole
- USGS Halemau’mau Vent
Camera
- USGS Pu’u O’o Vent Rim
Camera
- Puako Bay
- University of Hawaii
in Hilo Kanaka’ole Hall
- University of Hawaii
in Hilo Main Entrance
- Mauna Kea Summit
Smithsonian Camera
- Various NOAA Mauna Loa
Observatory Cameras
- . . . and more.
Images
displayed represent last feed ...
CONTINUED
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$8000 First Time
Homebuyer Tax Credit
**Your Questions Answered**
We've had lots of questions
regarding the new $8000 first time homebuyer's tax credit,
so I wanted to provide the basic overview.
The new stimulus bill, the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed by President
Barack Obama on February 17, 2009, updates the previous
First Time Home Buyer Credit of 2008. Some important changes
include:
No repayment for the 2009 credit
if you do not sell before 3 years
Maximum credit increase from
$7,500 to 8,000 or 10% of the purchase price of the home
(whichever is smaller)
Qualifying dates include homes
bought between January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009
First time home buyer is defined
as someone who has not owned a principal residence in 3
years
Income limits apply, but those
earning more than the limits may qualify for a reduced
credit
The income restrictions are
based on the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on your tax return.
Income restrictions include:
Individuals/Single Head of
Household – income no more than $75,000
Married couples filing Joint
return – income no more than $150,000
The 2009 First-Time Homebuyer Tax
Credit is claimed on IRS Form 5405 and filed with your 2009
federal tax return. Tax forms can be found at
www.irs.gov.
On May 29th, NAR announced
FHA-approved lenders received the go-ahead to develop
bridge-loan products that enable first-time buyers to use the
benefits of the federal tax credit upfront, according to
eagerly awaited guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development on so-called home buyer tax credit loans.
Under the guidance, FHA-approved
lenders can develop bridge loans that home buyers can use to
help cover their closing costs, buy down their interest rate, or
put down more than the minimum 3.5 percent. The loans can't be
used to cover the minimum 3.5 percent, senior HUD officials told
reporters..
Thus, buyers applying for
FHA-backed financing with an FHA-approved lender that offers a
bridge-loan program can get a bridge loan to bring down the
upfront costs of buying a home significantly but would still
have to come up with the minimum 3.5 percent downpayment.
There remain many sources of
assistance for buyers needing help with the 3.5 percent
downpayment, including many state and local government
instrumentalities and nonprofit lenders.
In addition, some state
housing finance agencies have developed ...
CONTINUED >>>
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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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More
Articles
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Campaign To Extend and Expand Housing Tax Credit
A
campaign to extend and expand the housing tax credit officially got
underway on Capitol Hill last month.
Bills have now been introduced in both the Senate and the House to
open up the credit, to all buyers, keep it on the books through next
year, and get rid of the current income limitations.
On the House side, two Texas congressional representatives - one a
Democrat, the other a Republican - have filed bills calling for a
broadening of the first-time buyer credit to cover all home
purchasers in the coming year, whether they already own houses or
not.
Democratic Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas wants to
extend the November 30 expiration date for the credit through the
end of 2010. Her bill would also remove the income limits of the
current program, which start phasing down the amount of the credit
at $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for married couples.
CONTINUED >>>
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Upcoming
Island Calendar of Events
NATIONAL PARKS FOR FREE
Summer is family vacation time, and three Hawai'i
Island National Parks – Hawai'i Volcanoes, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau
and Haleakala – are waiving entry fees on three weekends, one
each month in June, July and August. Last year, America’s 391
national parks attracted more than 275 million recreational
visits, and of those, 1.3 million were to Hawai‘i Volcanoes
National Park. At Hawai‘i Volcanoes, visitors can hike, bike,
picnic, bird and volcano watch, and join in one or more of a
dozen ranger-led activities offered daily. The remaining free-entrance
weekends are July 18-19, and
August 15-16, 2009.
For more information, see:
Three Entrance-Free Weekends Announced at Hawai'i National Parks
47TH ANNUAL PARKER RANCH INDEPENDENCE
WEEKEND RODEO
Date: Friday, July 3rd
Place: Parker Ranch Arena, Waimea
This Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau’s Kahili
award-winning Independence Weekend tradition includes
action-packed rodeo events, keiki (children) activities, ono
(delicious) food and more. Parker Ranch paniolo (Hawaiian
cowboys) are joined by other Big Island paniolo for a corral of
traditional rodeo events from 9:00 a.m. until noon at Parker
Ranch Arena, Waimea. Celebrate Independence Weekend - Hawaiian
style! Tickets available in advance at the Parker Ranch Store
and at the gate on July 3. Children 10 and under are free..
For more information, see
Parker
Ranch or call (808) 885-5669.
ZOO FAMILY FUN DAY
(FREE!)
Date: Saturday, July 25th
Time: 9am-4pm
Place: Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens, Located off Hwy 11 in
Hilo
A great chance for both kids and adults to enjoy the only
natural tropical rainforest zoo in the United States! This
summer zoo party includes food, shave ice, games, crafts,
entertainment, petting zoo (1:30-2:30) and a feeding of Namaste,
the zoo’s rare white tiger (3:30). Get to know the unique and
fascinating plant and animal collections found here. 9 a.m. – 4
p.m. at the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens in Hilo. Zoo
Entrance is Always Free!
For more information see
Pana'ewa
Rainforest Zoo & Gardens
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Kelly H. Moran
CCIM, CIPS, REALTOR®
E-mail:
Kelly@Hilo-Brokers.com
Web: www.KellyMoran.com or
www.Hilo-Brokers.com
Office: 808-969-9400 x11
Toll Free: 800-769-4456 x11
Mobile: 808-938-5757
Fax: 808-969-7900 |
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Hilo
Brokers, Ltd.
808-969-9400
400 Hualani St.
Bldg 21
Hilo, Hawaii, 96720
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Equal Housing Opportunity
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