Will the iPad Be a Realtor’s New Best Asset? Imagine Having Your Client Sign a Contract on a Convenient Portable Tablet? No Paper or Pen Involved.

Source: http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/

Rumored to be anywhere from $500-$1000 many Realtors will undoubtedly be wondering if they should make the switch to a tablet-like device. The launch of the all-in-one touch-screen tablet computer on will most likely spark the same excitement from agents and brokers that followed the iPhone’s launch in 2007. What would the Apple Tablet mean for Realtors?

1. Portability This may be the single biggest selling factor Apple will have when marketing to Realtors. A Realtor could easily slip the tablet into their bag or briefcase. If the tablet is as sleek and thin as rumored, it will be simpler to transport than a traditional laptop. Also, as agents are moving more and more away from a “traditional” office – something as light and portable as the tablet is sure to be enticing.

2. Paperless This topic has been talked about for a few years at least – but the tablet may be the catalyst to make it happen industry-wide. The tablet potentially will have the ability to easily pull up contracts and receive digital signatures on the spot. If this is the case, a client would be able to literally ‘sign’ their contract on the tablet – much like how they accept a UPS package by signing on the UPS ‘tablet. ‘ In addition, there is certainly the ‘impress ability’ factor – clients will certainly be impressed by their tech savvy agent.

3. Easy learning curve One thing I have heard over and over again by agents, is how easy the iPhone and other touch-screen smartphones were to learn. A short learning curve is key. The only downside I can foresee is that unfortunately, some agent website vendors and MLS still are not compatible with Safari. If the tablet sweeps the Realtor world by storm, vendors and MLS’ will have to sit up and take notice. As mentioned at Connect NYC – now is the time to take a hard look at your vendors and see if they are in line with the goals you have set for yourself for 2010.

Doug Davis Is Proud to Award Samantha DeCorte…

February 2, 2010

Samantha M. DeCorte of Doug Davis Realty in Honolulu is Honored as The Top Short Sales Agent for 2009.

HONOLULU, HI, February 2, 2010 – Samantha M. DeCorte, Realtor-Associate with Doug Davis Realty, has been awarded as the Top Short Sale Agent for 2009. Short Sales have become prevalent during these trying times, as they are an economical solution to possible home foreclosures.

With years of experience, Samantha has helped many homeowners with the step-by-step short sale process and negotiations with their bank.  “The Short Sale process is very detailed and time consuming.  It’s important to supply the accurate documentations to the bank and be very aggressive with follow up” says Samantha.

Samantha has also represented many Buyers in short-sale transactions that were looking for “Good Deals” – “I will always find my clients the best deals, sometimes it’s a short sale, sometimes it’s not, sometimes it’s on the market, sometimes it’s not”.  Samantha is always up-to-date and well informed of the inventory and prices throughout Oahu.  Her superb market knowledge has allowed her clients to have confidence in her ability to meet their real estate needs.

About Samantha M. DeCorte:

Samantha M. DeCorte has been in the Real Estate Business for 11 years and is one of the most recognized and respected names in Oahu Real Estate. Samantha started her career at Doug Davis Realty in 1999, and is an asset to the company’s continued success.

To contact Samantha, her number is 808-306-9604 or email: sdecorte@hotmail.com

About Doug Davis Realty, Inc.:

Doug Davis Realty is a boutique real estate firm on the island of Oahu located next to Diamond Head and Waikiki. With many years of experience in Oahu real estate and top selling agents, Doug Davis Realty offers unrivaled market knowledge and contract negotiation. Doug Davis Realty covers the entire island of Oahu – - including the luxury estates on Diamond Head, Black Point and Hawaii Kai. For more information on the services provided by Doug Davis Realty, please visit www.oahuexpert.com.

Doug Davis Realty

465 Kapahulu Ave, #106

Honolulu, HI 96815

808.955.1175

DougDavis@OahuExpert.com

Kindle, What? The iPad has Arrived.

Apple announces ‘iPad’ touchscreen tablet

Steve Jobs calls it ‘truly magical’ and ‘revolutionary’ device

By Suzanne Choney

msnbc.com

The tablet’s “most revolutionary impact is on the way people consume media in the home,” he said. “You take it from room to room, you dock it next to your bed, it becomes your alarm clock. You dock in the living room, it’s a photo frame and a video server for your TV; you dock it in the kitchen, and it displays your recipes for you.”

FULL ARTICLE

Honolulu, HI Overvalued Median House Prices-$605,300…

Source: CNNMoney.com

How undervalued is your city? Check the list

Atlantic City, N.J., is now the most overvalued metro area in the nation. At 30.2% over fair market, it is the only city in the dangerous 30%-plus category. Almost at that cutoff is Wenachee, Wash., at 28.9%. The third most overpriced area is Ocean City, N.J.

The most undervalued market is Las Vegas, where homes sell for 41.4% below fair market, followed by Vero Beach, Fla. (-39.8%), Merced, Calif. (-37.7%), and Cape Coral, Fla. (-36.8%).

These judgments are determined by comparing median home prices, local interest rates, population densities and income, plus historical premiums or discounts that areas have exhibited over time.

San Diego, for example, with its great weather and outdoor lifestyle, usually carries a premium, while prices in cold Rust Belt cities such as Detroit generally sell for less than its income stats would suggest.

“At the risk of immodesty, I must say the whole model has performed too well to believe,” said DeKaser.

“I’ve done some research that shows when you get a bubble, you don’t just return to normalcy,” he added. “You go past normalcy for a long period of undervaluation.”

There are psychological reasons for that, of course. In frothy run-ups, builders make big profits and tend to over-produce, resulting in inventory overhangs that dampen price appreciation after the bubble bursts. Plus, people lose confidence.

And lenders, who were pushing out mortgages hand-over-fist four years ago are tight-fisted today, making it harder to get a mortgage and so reducing demand for homes.

The bottom line, at least for a few years, is that the average buyer should forget about home purchases as investments. The good news is that, long-term, their home values should appreciate.

Miliani Shopping Center SOLD for $50.3 million by California based Stoneridge Capital Partners

By: Gene Park (Star Bulletin)

A Newport Beach, Calif.-based real estate investment company has bought its first Hawaii property, Mililani Shopping Center, from Alexander & Baldwin Inc.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM

Mililani Shopping Center, above, is the second all-cash transaction Stoneridge Capital Partners has had with Alexander & Baldwin Inc. in the past two months. In December, Stoneridge paid $20 million for the Village at Indian Wells, a retail center in Indian Wells, Calif.

Stoneridge Capital Partners, owned by the Merage family, paid $50.3 million in cash for the 31-year-old, 180,300-square-foot property.

“We think that market is a great long-term hold for us,” said Stoneridge Chief Executive Officer Greg Merage yesterday in a phone interview. “It has strong fundamentals and good occupancy in a stable, master-planned community.”

The final sale price was about $5 million less than A&B’s initial asking price. However, A&B purchased the property in 2002 from the Morita Co. for $30.2 million, which was $1 million less than what the previous owner paid for it.

A&B Properties President Norbert Buelsing said the center’s sale supports the company’s real-estate strategy of achieving favorable pricing in dispositions.

“During our eight-year ownership of Mililani, we focused on marketing programs to increase customer traffic and invested in facilities upgrades to improve the property’s value,” Buelsing said. “These initiatives resulted in a 39 percent increase in net rent and a 66 percent increase in average tenant sales, while maintaining a 98 percent average occupancy at the center.”

Alexander & Baldwin, one of Hawaii’s historic “Big Five” companies, was founded in the sugar business in the 1800s. With the decline of agriculture, its largest subsidiary is now Matson Navigation Co.

The center has about 50 tenants and is anchored by Foodland, Ross Dress for Less and 24 Hour Fitness. It was the first shopping center in Mililani, starting with offices in 1969 and retail in 1976.

Stoneridge’s chairman, Paul Merage, founded Chef America Inc., of Hot Pockets fame, and sold the company to Nestle in 2002 for $2.6 billion. Stoneridge was founded the year after.

Greg Merage said the company will make cosmetic improvements at the center, including landscaping, sidewalks, paint, parking and the roof. He said Stoneridge has allocated about $400 million to invest in the next few years, and Hawaii will be among its focus. He did not provide a figure for how much the company plans to invest in Mililani.

Mililani is Stoneridge’s second all-cash transaction with A&B Properties in the past two months. Last month, Stoneridge acquired the Village at Indian Wells, a 104,600-square-foot neighborhood retail center in Indian Wells, Calif., for $20 million.

“We’ve been pretty conservative and haven’t invested much in the last few years,” he said, saying that no acquisitions were made from 2006 through some of last year. “But we’ve been selling assets, repatriating investments abroad, and we’re just starting to get active again.

“Hopefully this is the first of many for us.”

A&B Properties also said it acquired the Meadows on the Parkway Shopping Center, a 216,400 square-foot retail center in Boulder, Colo., for $30.8 million.

Struggling to pay your FHA mortgage?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Struggling to pay your FHA mortgage? Now you no longer have to be late with your payments to get help.

On Friday, the Federal Housing Administration announced that it will assist borrowers before they become delinquent. All you need do is prove your problems were caused by a reduction of income from a job loss, fewer paid hours, slashed wages or a decline in self-employed business earnings.

You may also qualify because of a change in household circumstances, such as a death or disability.

“The FHA has always required lenders to establish early contact with delinquent borrowers to discuss the reason for missing a payment and to evaluate reinstatement options,” FHA Commissioner David Stevens said in a prepared statement. “Now servicers will have additional options for those borrowers who seek help before they go delinquent, which increases the likelihood that the borrower will be able to retain their home.”

The workouts available include forbearance, in which lenders agree to postpone or reduce payments for a specified period. This does not actually forgive the payments, they are just added to balance later in the mortgage term.

In more severe cases, borrowers may qualify for permanent payment reductions. This may be done by increasing the length of the loan, reducing the interest rate or even forgiving principal — or a combination of any of the three.

Source: CNNmoney.com

Just Another Day’s Work…If The Ocean Is Your Office.

And you end the day $2500 richer for enjoying what Hawaii offers best – It’s waves.

Okay, you do have to surf monstrous waves and win the men’s Sunset Open Contest, but its what Myles Padaca does. And he’s good at it. Check out Padaca in action:

Source: HonoluluAdvertiser.com

New Single-Family Residence Record in Hawaii – $26 mil

$26 Million Home Sold at Hualalai Sets 2009 Record

Press Release Source: Hualalai Resort On Tuesday January 19, 2010, 12:00 pm EST

KONA, Hawaii–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hualalai Resort, an award-winning residential resort community on the North Kona Coast of the Big Island, today reported the record-breaking sale of a single-family residence for $26.25 million. The sale was the largest in 2009 in the state of Hawaii for a single home and the largest residential real estate transaction in Hualalai’s 13-year history. Total real estate sales transactions for 2009 at Hualalai Resort exceeded $150 million.

The five-bedroom home sits on a one-of-a-kind oceanfront location and offers unsurpassed views of Hualalai Mountain, the Island of Maui, the 16th and 17th greens of the Hualalai Golf Course and the South-Kona coastline. Natural lava rock walls surround the 49,136 square-foot perimeter, which includes 48 palm trees, botanical gardens, four lava rock outdoor shower gardens, two ocean-side hot tubs and one cold plunge pool. The approximately 8,630 square-foot home includes five and one-half bathrooms; great room with pocket glass, screen and operable louvered doors and open-air dining room and living room pavilion.

“We are thrilled to announce the largest single sale in Hualalai’s history and delighted with the continued interest we’ve seen recently,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, CEO of Hualalai Resort. “With five transactions exceeding $10 million, including this record-breaking sale, Hualalai Realty did an outstanding job in 2009 despite a very difficult economic environment. We believe that these sales reflect buyers’ confidence in the significant investments we have made at Hualalai, which include an extensive $40 million resort-wide enhancement. Our buyers recognize that the Hualalai lifestyle is rare and extremely special.”

Real estate prices range from $2 million to $30 million. For more information, visit www.hualalairesort.com or www.hualalairealty.com.

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Cher’s Kona Ocean Front Home was SOLD yesterday for…

Source:LA Times
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/02/home/la-hm-hotprop2-2010jan02

“The 3/4 -acre property at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, on Hawaii’s Big Island, overlooks the ocean and the Hualalai Golf Course. A traditional island front gate leads to a courtyard and the main residence, with its great room, dining room, kitchen, expansive master bedroom suite and infinity pool.

“You’re into the house before you get to the house,” she said of the configuration. Grass with travertine paving stones and palms, as well as the sounds of water, set a tranquil ambience.

“I tried to just build it to have a welcoming feeling,” Cher said.” …

Unlike in a traditional sale, in which the seller pays a commission to a real estate agent, the buyer will pay a 10% premium, which is the industry standard. There will be no minimum opening bid, and Cher’s property is set to be auctioned along with two other houses and two home sites. Details of the auction and all the properties are available at www.CherHawaiiAuction.com.

Only registered bidders bringing $250,000 in certified or pre-wired funds can vie for the entertainer’s house, which the auction house expects to go for between $8 million and $12 million.”

And, she’s never even lived in her island dream home…