Realtor recommendation

[Unclemel]

Would be interested to know of a knowledgeable real estate person to help
with sale of some Nanawale vacant lots. Thanks in advance.

[terracore]

John Ericson at Remax. Out of 9 realtors we've used he was 1 of 2 I didn't fire, and I wouldn't recommend the other one.

Whoever you choose, recommend getting somebody who lives in Puna, or at least has recently.

[PaulW]

Unfortunately, there are no knowledgeable RE agents on the Big Island, at least in and around Puna.
I have never met a sorrier bunch of lazy and inept people. I would advise you to handle it yourself, if at all possible.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I have never met a sorrier bunch of lazy and inept people.

Don't hold back PaulW. I believe the rest of your warning goes something like this:
And if you step foot into their office... "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."

"You all just got a lot richer." Donald Trump, Dec 23, 2017, speaking to friends, donors, and sycophants who could afford the $200,000 yearly membership fee at Mar-a-Lago.

[kalakoa]

handle it yourself

If selling, perhaps it's best to hire an expert who can explain to potential buyers how it's "only 20 minutes to Hilo".

[Unclemel]

Thanks for the responses. My grandmother was in Hawaii in the 60’s and fell for a
sales presentation. She bought 4 lots in Nanawale and 2 lots in Milolii. She owned farms
in Illinois,but wasn’t much of a lot picker in Hawaii. Anyhow, it’s time to sell and be done with it.
Terracore....will probably give John a call. Thanks

[PaulW]

Has she been paying property tax all this time??

I have seen these people around, I really like their style:
http://hawaiirealestateteam.com/

May be worth a look.

Good stuff here:
http://hawaiirealestateteam.com/myths/

[Kenney]

Jared Gates at Big Island Land Co. is informed and honest.
If you decide to sell yourself, it’s a good idea to find a Real Estate Lawyer here, especially if you’re from another State where laws are different.
My neighbor is selling her property here from the mainland. She is using Peter Kubota and said his rates are reasonable and he was very helpful..

[Unclemel]

Paul W......yes ,the property tax has been paid all these years.. Just held on to them for sentimental
reasons,I guess. Got a lot of mileage out of ......hey,I got some land in Hawaii.. Everyone thinks you are the
second coming of Larry Ellison when in reality you have less money than Larry the Plumber. LOL

[terracore]

If you want to go the FSBO route, it's not that hard. I've both bought and sold without using a realtor (for raw land, the title company does most of the work anyway). I was a little nervous at first but after going through the process it's just a matter of submitting a standard sales contract to the title company and letting them finish the deal. Of course, YOU will be the one showing the properties to interested buyers instead of the realtor. Maybe not worth the hassle. But you will be using/paying for a title company regardless of whether or not you have a realtor. Usually the buyer and sellers split the title company fee 60/40 (or 40/60).

One thing you might want to consider before turning over 10% of the land value to a realtor is contacting the adjacent owners of the property via snail mail (their mailing addresses are usually on the tax assessor database). People like to have the first opportunity to purchase properties adjacent to their own.

Another thing you will have to consider (regardless if you use a realtor or not) is if you want to owner finance the properties. Getting raw land loans aren't like getting a mortgage- the banks consider them more or less unsecured loans and the interest rates are really high. Many properties are therefore owner financed. You can get a higher purchase price for the property PLUS monthly interest if you are willing to finance. Usually the buyer and seller split the cost of the finance company that receives payment from buyer and deposits it to seller. And if the buyer disappears or quits paying, you keep their down payment, all the payments they have made, all the interest they paid, and you get the property back to sell a second time. On the other hand if you discover that they were illegally smelting lead acid batteries on the property and it would be a superfund cleanup site if you reclaimed it- probably better to let them keep it.

There are two ways to owner finance- deed is transferred to the buyer and the title company files it with your lien on the property equal to the payoff amount subject to terms of the sale. This is usually the preferred way because the buyers are directly responsible for taxes, road fees etc. But if they default, the lien kicks in and you regain ownership of the property similar to a foreclosure. The other way is that you hold the deed until payment has been made in full, the easiest way to describe it is "rent to own" but you are still the property owner and responsible for payment of taxes, road fees, etc. Deciding which one is best for you? Large down payment- transfer deed. Small down payment- "rent to own". No down payment- find a different buyer.