Waikiki During Quarantine

[HarryLopez]

My wife and I have been shopping for the last year or so. Our budget is $800K to $1.2M. This range is where all the demand is. You go above $1.2M and you start to see value. At $800K to $1.2M you're looking at a beater of a house. We are looking in two popular areas, North Shore and Kaimuki. We are loan qualified and have put in two offers. Both houses were such beaters I was really hoping we got outbid so I wouldn't have to do repairs or manage contractors. Luckily we did get out bid, by over $100K on each place. Lets see if we can get some value in this COVID market.

I will never complain about housing prices in Hawaii because it's the best place I've ever been, but whew it's rough out here. Jumbo loans for turds.

That being said, I got standup barrels 5min from my house in Kaimuki two days ago and took a nap in my yard yesterday. Currently renting a granny flat, 1 bedroom 700 sq ft. Private entrance, private yard.

In 2008, we bought one for 1.3. Wifey knew it was an Ossipoff, and she connected with the seller, so we got it before it went on the market. And, it needed a lot of 'fixing' up as well, which took a while. Kinda let everything ride knowing we may lose $ or make $ Ended up having to sell in 2014 though. 10-15 min walk to Kaikoos.

 

[griffinsurfboard]

At 74, and still in the food and beverage game. Started at 75 cents an hour in 1959 in California at 13 y/o. 60 years later it's certainly Not, the hourly wage but the tip $$$. Not a collage graduate, but my street smarts and hard work ethics have always, got me a job most anywhere. And, My house was paid off 13 years ago.

To me it seemed the hawaiian style was 40+ years ago was work easy ,be easy ,be happy

Not being aggressive in making money - which unfortunately ran over that Hawaiian way , local or Haole in the time I lived there -

 

[racer1]

In 2008, we bought one for 1.3. Wifey knew it was an Ossipoff, and she connected with the seller, so we got it before it went on the market. And, it needed a lot of 'fixing' up as well, which took a while. Kinda let everything ride knowing we may lose $ or make $ Ended up having to sell in 2014 though. 10-15 min walk to Kaikoos.

Um that's about the same walk for me. I can't think of any Ossipoff's near me. I hope you made money!

 

[oneula]

Like Greg said the world here is so different now really a dichonomy of the haves and have nots. The honolulu (townie) folks and the country/neighbor island folks. The business slave owners and the worker slaves with a bunch of "biblical cleansing of the temple merchants" in between. Not everyone here liked the big5, but at least they were paternally minded local decendants of white missionaries or sugar cane barons. They had some obscure ties to the land and to the people they were ruling financially. But today's new business slave owners aside now from a few local entities have no such ties to the land and people and any publically traded company only answers to stockholders who value nothing more than their ROE or ROI. It's different now in that way.
But it could get closer to the past if people wish it so.

 

[griffinsurfboard]

I guess you guys dont get what my wife experienced

Moved to Hawaii after 25 years of extreme high pressure in Irvine at the world wide company that corrects and makes functional business plans - retirement and benefits included .

What she saw and sometimes paid for thru taxes in Hawaii negated all the pluses of living there .

The golden ticket of Tourism has cushined that up for a long time .

Hawaii needs that tourism to survive - then make your changes in elected officials - they have been the enemy for a very Looong time

 

[griffinsurfboard]

I'm sure out of survival Hawaii will turn back to tourisnm with reasonable safety measures .

 

[Muscles]

What she saw and sometimes paid for thru taxes in Hawaii negated all the pluses of living there .

Not sure I follow what you're saying.

I lived in SOCAL and Hawaii. The state taxes are way higher in California. And some of the people who live in OC are some of the worst humans I've ever met.

 

[Muscles]

And yes, food and beverage is tough. I delivered Pizzas during my college years. Hard work and you deal with people who are complete sweet and delicious bag of skittles.

 

[griffinsurfboard]

Union overbenifits etc , Hawaiian Electric way out there

Tax dollars not going where they should

Just a whole bunch of crap that wont change .

Live with it and get things back to normal with all the simple to do covid protection procedures to prevent any more legislative shutdowns

 

[Muscles]

Union overbenifits etc , Hawaiian Electric way out there

Tax dollars not going where they should

California is the most liberal, insane, political left leaning, union controlled, democrat run state in the nation. It is probably the highest tax burden out of all 50 states.

And Hawaii was the problem?

 

[teeroi]

California pays way more taxes than services received. While Hawaii gets way more federal services than taxes paid out. Huge military spending here.

11 states pay more in federal taxes than they get back — here's how every state fares

Are you paying more in federal taxes than what you receive back in federal benefits? We took a look.

www.google.com

 

[griffinsurfboard]

California is the most liberal, insane, political left leaning, union controlled, democrat run state in the nation. It is probably the highest tax burden out of all 50 states.

And Hawaii was the problem?

Bernie knows

California being bad does not make things better for you

She ran the Irvine office for 25 years .
Certified by the IRS twice a year
This company deals in pure #'s not reports or media , they are the problem solvers world wide .

I'm done -

Get your tourism dollars back safely and then do what you can to have better goverment .

 

[Muscles]

Bernie knows

California being bad does not make things better for you

She ran the Irvine office for 25 years .
Certified by the IRS twice a year
This company deals in pure #'s not reports or media , they are the problem solvers world wide .

I'm done -

Get your tourism dollars back safely and then do what you can to have better goverment .

Enjoy Florida. I'm going to go surf country.

 

[bluemarlin04]

Enjoy Florida. I'm going to go surf country.

I’m not opposed to the mainland. But I would never ever ever live in Florida.

 

[obslop]

California is the most liberal, insane, political left leaning, union controlled, democrat run state in the nation. It is probably the highest tax burden out of all 50 states.

And Hawaii was the problem?

CA 5th or 6th largest economy in the world; USA needs CA more than CA needs USA.

 

[Muscles]

CA 5th or 6th largest economy in the world; USA needs CA more than CA needs USA.

I don't care for politics. In fact, I hate politics. I'm more of a just tell me where to send my taxes person.

Just find it hilarious someone was complaining about our beautiful state of Hawaii and its problems when compared to California. We know about our problems. We don't need highly paid transplants telling us about them.

 

[Kaido]

At 74, and still in the food and beverage game. Started at 75 cents an hour in 1959 in California at 13 y/o. 60 years later it's certainly Not, the hourly wage but the tip $$$. Not a collage graduate, but my street smarts and hard work ethics have always, got me a job most anywhere. And, My house was paid off 13 years ago.

I think you said you used to work at Huggos PPK? Bongo Bens across the street announced they are closing for good. Can't see too many restaurants surviving here with low capacity. Hopefully landlords will try to work with them.

 

[griffinsurfboard]

Just find it hilarious someone was complaining about our beautiful state of Hawaii and its problems when compared to California. We know about our problems. We don't need highly paid transplants telling us about them.

Thats not what my wife is doing if your refering to her . She knows how messed up Cali ;-) is being there 25 years .

She wanted to move to Florida to have more money to travel in her retirement .
We had lots of travel plans , making boards with others at many of these places too .
Covid has cancelled much of this .
Enjoy your surf , being stuck there is a win

 

[PPK96754]

I think you said you used to work at Huggos PPK? Bongo Bens across the street announced they are closing for good. Can't see too many restaurants surviving here with low capacity. Hopefully landlords will try to work with them.

Huggo's will be ok. Old money there. The Kona Inn restaurant is old school with a view. They'll be ok. There's sooo many restaurants along Ali'i Drive I bet 40 - 50 % will close or have already. And that upper Keauhou area above Keauhou Bay with all the restaurants in the malls I bet will fold, leaving only Foodland and the gas station. A few of the old plate lunch places that "locals" go to will come back. A friend out in Ocean View who has the only restaurant down there, will reopen with a smaller menu for the time being and go from there. It's the visitor flow for him with travelers going from Kona to the Volcano's National Park area or the other way from Hilo. Retiree's and locals living down there. My Mom and Uncle bought a bunch of "a'a lava" property down there for peanuts in the 1970's. It will be a while before any sort of visitor count will get down that way.

 

[teeroi]

Enjoy your surf , being stuck there is a win

We’re not “stuck” here we live here. Words matter. Carry on.