07-07-2006, 01:52 AM
Carrie: I have seen several homes in HSRE that I am interested in. My husband especially became more interested in it when I showed him your post and you mentioned PRIVATE WATER for I think "$20" a month! That made him put HSRE at the top of the list. I too believe greatly in intuition and the none-existence of coincidence. I know that when I find it I will know it and feel it. Whatever happens after that was just meant to be.
Buzz: Great advice you think much like my husband. His main focus is to be as balanced as possible. He is very laid back and easy going but extremely focused on NEVER being overextended! We balance things out I think because he brings me back down to reality when I lose focus of what it is we are looking for when moving to Hawaii. He reminds me that I once said "All I want is a humble home, a humble life, and than to LIVE not just exist!" Here we have a large home, a kind of large life, and we EXIST from season to season until the 2 month or less or actual summer time when we live for about 2 or 3 days out of the week and start getting ready to hibernate for another 9 months! I have no emotional attachment to our BIG house or anything else we own because it means nothing if you are not living. Those "mainland" east coast bad habits tend to creep up on you even if it¡¦s not your style. (Sometimes you become a product of your environment even if you fight tooth and nail no to) So yes, FOCUS is the key and I will keep that in mind. Mahalo!
Rebecca: What part of the east coast did you live in? I definitely understand what you are saying. I live in a city that just by mentioning it everyone AND I MEAN EVERYONE thinks the worse of. I grew up here and moved to a smaller town across the river my senior year in high school. I moved back when I sold the first home I bought after getting married and having kids (approximately 2 years ago). Everyone said I was crazy coming back to this place. I found a beautiful home in a "tiny" section of the city that is absolutely beautiful and removed from the "ghetto". Where I live is a world on its own. HOWEVER, if you walk several blocks in any direction you see things and people that you just do not want to be around. Our children don't see any of it because where we live is practically a park and anywhere we want to go we cut trough the park and end up in another town far removed from people or situations we do not want to see. So when you talk about undesirable areas believe me I know what you mean and I know what I do not want to be associated with or be around.
No need to apologize for being blunt or direct. I appreciate it and invite it because it is truth and there is nothing better than being true and real! I will know after probably half that time if it is a place where I want to be, based on what I wish to be removed from. I know that although at different levels or in a different way, undesirable areas in Hawaii are not the same as in NJ. But, I know that undesirable situations or people are the same all over the world. I do not mean this as a generalization. What I mean is that unless you are involved with and enjoy drugs, crime, loitering, obnoxious disrespectful noise, garbage, an unsafe feeling when walking down the street or letting your kids out, violence, and constant police presence on account of illegal or unsafe activity, than it is the same all around the world.
As to the real estate agent, I too had a horrible experience with a realtor when I tried selling my first home 2 years ago. I ended up selling it by owner and swear by that now. When I put my house up for sale about 4 weeks ago I did it by owner. Quickly I realized that it was not going to work because we are saving everything we can for the move. Since I really want things to speed up and can not afford to pay the advertising prices in the New York Times, or Star Ledger (400 to 500) for a small ad, I decided to list it with an agency. Already I am becoming disappointed with there service. My listing agent went on VACATION the week after we singed the paper work. I checked the ad last night on line and they made a mistake and listed it as having 2 full baths instead of 3. There was supposed to be a virtual tour and there is not. The pictures the guy took are not all on the website so the home can really not be appreciated through those pictures. I have not gotten a call yet, and to top it I was told I would have an open house set up for the 9th of this month and now its up in the air. I would not generalize and say all real-estate agents are shady at best, but, I have not had a great experience yet. I am giving these people until I come back from Hawaii. If they I have not heard anything from them I will be cancelling and putting the house up by owner again. On the up side, my gut as well as all the wonderful information I have heard about John Dirgo have me feeling absolutely great about my decision to work with him. No grudges against real-estate agents just the ones I worked with in the past and I think the one I am working with to sell my home now. LOL
Lee Dejongh: I will be working with John Dirgo as well and if that is how he works it will suit us fine as well. Most of the agents on this part of the country (including personal friends) are very high strong, fast talkers, fast paced, and pressuring. It might be an east coast thing, I don¡¦t know, but I can really do without it. Fast, is exactly what I am trying to get away from. Also, I keep hearing about it being cold when you get higher up the mountain. I know the higher you get the colder it will be. But, what exactly does cold mean to those of you living on the island? Is it cold night and day? Will I feel like I am still in NJ in the middle of February? ƒº
Lenny
Buzz: Great advice you think much like my husband. His main focus is to be as balanced as possible. He is very laid back and easy going but extremely focused on NEVER being overextended! We balance things out I think because he brings me back down to reality when I lose focus of what it is we are looking for when moving to Hawaii. He reminds me that I once said "All I want is a humble home, a humble life, and than to LIVE not just exist!" Here we have a large home, a kind of large life, and we EXIST from season to season until the 2 month or less or actual summer time when we live for about 2 or 3 days out of the week and start getting ready to hibernate for another 9 months! I have no emotional attachment to our BIG house or anything else we own because it means nothing if you are not living. Those "mainland" east coast bad habits tend to creep up on you even if it¡¦s not your style. (Sometimes you become a product of your environment even if you fight tooth and nail no to) So yes, FOCUS is the key and I will keep that in mind. Mahalo!
Rebecca: What part of the east coast did you live in? I definitely understand what you are saying. I live in a city that just by mentioning it everyone AND I MEAN EVERYONE thinks the worse of. I grew up here and moved to a smaller town across the river my senior year in high school. I moved back when I sold the first home I bought after getting married and having kids (approximately 2 years ago). Everyone said I was crazy coming back to this place. I found a beautiful home in a "tiny" section of the city that is absolutely beautiful and removed from the "ghetto". Where I live is a world on its own. HOWEVER, if you walk several blocks in any direction you see things and people that you just do not want to be around. Our children don't see any of it because where we live is practically a park and anywhere we want to go we cut trough the park and end up in another town far removed from people or situations we do not want to see. So when you talk about undesirable areas believe me I know what you mean and I know what I do not want to be associated with or be around.
No need to apologize for being blunt or direct. I appreciate it and invite it because it is truth and there is nothing better than being true and real! I will know after probably half that time if it is a place where I want to be, based on what I wish to be removed from. I know that although at different levels or in a different way, undesirable areas in Hawaii are not the same as in NJ. But, I know that undesirable situations or people are the same all over the world. I do not mean this as a generalization. What I mean is that unless you are involved with and enjoy drugs, crime, loitering, obnoxious disrespectful noise, garbage, an unsafe feeling when walking down the street or letting your kids out, violence, and constant police presence on account of illegal or unsafe activity, than it is the same all around the world.
As to the real estate agent, I too had a horrible experience with a realtor when I tried selling my first home 2 years ago. I ended up selling it by owner and swear by that now. When I put my house up for sale about 4 weeks ago I did it by owner. Quickly I realized that it was not going to work because we are saving everything we can for the move. Since I really want things to speed up and can not afford to pay the advertising prices in the New York Times, or Star Ledger (400 to 500) for a small ad, I decided to list it with an agency. Already I am becoming disappointed with there service. My listing agent went on VACATION the week after we singed the paper work. I checked the ad last night on line and they made a mistake and listed it as having 2 full baths instead of 3. There was supposed to be a virtual tour and there is not. The pictures the guy took are not all on the website so the home can really not be appreciated through those pictures. I have not gotten a call yet, and to top it I was told I would have an open house set up for the 9th of this month and now its up in the air. I would not generalize and say all real-estate agents are shady at best, but, I have not had a great experience yet. I am giving these people until I come back from Hawaii. If they I have not heard anything from them I will be cancelling and putting the house up by owner again. On the up side, my gut as well as all the wonderful information I have heard about John Dirgo have me feeling absolutely great about my decision to work with him. No grudges against real-estate agents just the ones I worked with in the past and I think the one I am working with to sell my home now. LOL
Lee Dejongh: I will be working with John Dirgo as well and if that is how he works it will suit us fine as well. Most of the agents on this part of the country (including personal friends) are very high strong, fast talkers, fast paced, and pressuring. It might be an east coast thing, I don¡¦t know, but I can really do without it. Fast, is exactly what I am trying to get away from. Also, I keep hearing about it being cold when you get higher up the mountain. I know the higher you get the colder it will be. But, what exactly does cold mean to those of you living on the island? Is it cold night and day? Will I feel like I am still in NJ in the middle of February? ƒº
Lenny
Lenny