02-09-2011, 07:47 AM
I think part of it is that many people have criteria’s based on mainland standards, not local Hawaii standards. If I was to look at my mainland needs and compare it to availability on the Big Island, I would be hard pressed to find suitable homes outside the west side resort communities. This was evident awhile back when Angela and others on Punaweb looked over a preliminary house plan and their first reaction was basically My God, who needs a house that large on Hawaii, let alone in the Puna area? Did I need a 100 square foot walk in closet? A 150 sq foot master bath isn’t common. 3,000+ sq feet of lanai? 80 sq feet pantry? So much was based on mainland standards of living, something Hawaii does not have a large inventory of. I was basing my Hawaii needs on my mainland standards and that reduced the inventory from many to a select few.
Overtime I’ve adjusted to making my needs more Hawaii standard and suddenly a whole new group of properties were available. The more mainland, the less inventory. The more Hawaii, the larger the inventory. I guess it would be like looking for a doorman Park Avenue building on the Big Island; of course the inventory will be low.
I also started taking into consideration general appearance. I would never in a million years accept a house on the mainland with weather beaten paint. But in parts of the Big Island, a new paint job can look weather beaten in short order. Knowing that appearances can be a factor of weather and location, (even if built new, it would look that way in a year) I was able to focus less on the initial first impression dismay and concentrate on the actual property. So it didn’t matter as much what I’m seeing on the surface, it matters what’s underneath. Just like I once saw a home with a smaller catchment tank sitting in the yard. The first look at the appearance was ugly! But my RE Agent said that can be easily fixed with a Hale House built around it. If it was disguised as a structure, would that make a difference in first appearances? Now what if a concession was made to build a suitable covering?
Now, the lack of MLS inventory does not mean the lack of available properties. My Hawaii RE Agent does not provide just MLS but property list based on my needs. Many are not MLS properties but properties where the owner is willing to sell if the terms and conditions are right. One I’m currently looking at was once listed on the MLS but withdrawn. That didn’t stop my RE Agent from inquiring if the property is still available. They had it for sale once; maybe they are still willing to sell. If waiting for it to only appear on the MLS, a whole sub group won't appear.
I think the main thing is the relationship you have with your RE Agent.
Overtime I’ve adjusted to making my needs more Hawaii standard and suddenly a whole new group of properties were available. The more mainland, the less inventory. The more Hawaii, the larger the inventory. I guess it would be like looking for a doorman Park Avenue building on the Big Island; of course the inventory will be low.
I also started taking into consideration general appearance. I would never in a million years accept a house on the mainland with weather beaten paint. But in parts of the Big Island, a new paint job can look weather beaten in short order. Knowing that appearances can be a factor of weather and location, (even if built new, it would look that way in a year) I was able to focus less on the initial first impression dismay and concentrate on the actual property. So it didn’t matter as much what I’m seeing on the surface, it matters what’s underneath. Just like I once saw a home with a smaller catchment tank sitting in the yard. The first look at the appearance was ugly! But my RE Agent said that can be easily fixed with a Hale House built around it. If it was disguised as a structure, would that make a difference in first appearances? Now what if a concession was made to build a suitable covering?
Now, the lack of MLS inventory does not mean the lack of available properties. My Hawaii RE Agent does not provide just MLS but property list based on my needs. Many are not MLS properties but properties where the owner is willing to sell if the terms and conditions are right. One I’m currently looking at was once listed on the MLS but withdrawn. That didn’t stop my RE Agent from inquiring if the property is still available. They had it for sale once; maybe they are still willing to sell. If waiting for it to only appear on the MLS, a whole sub group won't appear.
I think the main thing is the relationship you have with your RE Agent.