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#1 – Get your financing before you locate your home.
#2 – Look at the community, not just the house.
#3 – Be fair with your first offer. Trying to low-ball a Seller can backfire.
#4 – Always get a home inspection.
#5 – Do not alienate the Sellers of the home by nitpicking every little detail during the sale.

Buyers Say They Want To Find A Good Deal... But That Isn't Enough Information!

1.  Shopping for Property.  If I can get a good picture of what you really want and can afford, as your Big Island real estate agent I can send you the MLS listings that best match your goals. I've seen some e-clients focus on the "Cheapest Price", while in doing so may miss the Better Value property. Sometimes they spend hours shopping in a certain price range and then say, "I'm not seeing what I want".  What they want may be just a little above the price range where we have been looking. Hoping that a Seller will "just give it to me for less" sounds nice, but almost never happens in real life. I have also seen clients spend hours searching for that "Perfect House", but it turned out to be in a different location, or it didn't come up in our MLS search because it didn't match the criteria which was entered.We can accomplish your goal much more easily if we start off looking in the right price range for the property that you want, and in the right location that best fits your needs.   Great Price but Unfortunate Location

2.  What Are You Really Looking For?  A piece of land to build a house or acreage for a farm business or private retreat?  A fixer or a simple starter home, a medium priced ready-to-move-into or a newer home that doesn't need much work, or something special, perhaps with an ocean view?  How far from town, shopping, school, hospital or an airport?  How do you feel about unpaved roads and rain water catchment systems?  If I have a good idea of what you want, as your real estate agent, I can help simplify the process by sending over some possible choices from our multiple listing service for you to review.   Big Island FAQ

• Sorting through the Opportunities:  I can enter your desired criteria into the search boxes of our MLS, and send you regular property updates that match as they come online.  I can also sort for specific words in the listing remarks such as "farm" "fruit trees" "privacy" "stream" "ocean view" "foreclosure", etc.  However, this type of search is limited to the comments which the listing agent has entered into the listing remarks. If there are too many listings, we can narrow our search.  If not enough interesting properties show up, we can increase the possibilities by adjusting the price or adding alternative areas.  If a specific property is of interest, let me know so I can research additional information!  If you just want to see "What is Available for the Money", you can get a quick idea by checking out my listings.   See My Listings

• Our MLS listings are best used as a guide to what is available in the price range. Almost all of my e-clients end up tossing out 90% of what they have seen online once they get here, do their neighborhood driveby, and get a real picture of what is what and where the properties are.  It does help however to keep a list of the most interesting opportunities so I can check to see which ones are still available when you arrive.  It generally works out best when we sit down at the computer together to sort thru the MLS and narrow down from the hundreds of listings to a manageable number of properties. Many clients ask for maps to explore the areas on their own, and then we get back together to start booking appointments on the best possibilities.

• How negotiable are the asking prices? In a recent survey of closed transactions, I found that sale prices on the Big Island of Hawaii average 94% of asking prices.  "Contingent Upon Sale" and "Low-Ball Offers" are generally not being accepted in our local Hawaii real estate market.  

• Short Sales and Foreclosures.  They sound like a good deal.  Sometimes they are, sometimes not, taking into consideration the amount of repair work that the property needs.  On a Short Sale, the Seller is trying to get a lower loan payoff amount from the amount they owe. It can take 60 to 90 days, or longer, for the Seller to reach a payoff agreement with their lien holders, and it doesn't always happen. The Lien Holder can still ask the Seller (or Buyer) to cover certain expenses out of pocket, or for the Buyer to increase their offer. You often will have 30 days to close after a short sale agreement is reached. On a Foreclosure, the Bank already owns the property. They want to see proof of funds or a loan pre-approval letter prior to or with your offer. They often request that you close quickly after an offer is accepted, or require that you pay a penalty for any delay on your end. However, the Bank may not be able to close in time and can be slow to reply with documents and information.  So it is a " hurry and wait" situation. It can drive a Buyer crazy!   What is a Short Sale   What is a Foreclosure

• What about "For Sale By Owner" properties?  I can work with you though a Buyers Representation Agreement, which means you have hired me to be your real estate agent.  Often the Seller pays my fee, sometimes it is the Buyer, sometimes it is shared - it's negotiable and something we consider when we write up our offer.  I get paid for spending the time with you to learn about the Big Island, researching and comparing if the property is a good value, and assisting as your agent though the offer and escrow process.   Why Use a Realtor®

• How is the Real Estate Agent paid?  Hawaii Real Estate Agents are self-employed.  Most Buyers are not only looking at houses, but also shopping for the agent whom they want to work with.  I hope to be the one!  But that is my point.  I'm glad to answer quick questions.  However, at some point early in our work, I need to know that I am going to be the agent you go through when you buy a property.  I get NUMEROUS inquiries about Hawaii real estate, so I need to be somewhat prudent with my time so that I can be available to my clients for showings, researching, negotiating, and handling the many issues that come up with the inspection, loan and escrows.  I only get paid for my time and expense when we close a property transaction.  Thank you for understanding!   About Me

Summary:  Figure out our finances first.  Look for the best area on the Big Island based on your price range and the criteria that is important to you. Together, we search for the best opportunities in the right area - not necessarily the cheapest priced property.  Our Big Island is wonderful and full of opportunity - from something modest to something special - we have a property for just about everyone!

I hope this information is helpful to you in your search to buy a home or land here on the Big Island of Hawaii.  As your Big island agent, we can work as a team to help you narrow down to what you really hope to find, and get your piece of paradise.  Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii.  Thank you for visiting my HiloAgent.com website.  - Kevin

Hilo - Hamakua - Puna - Kona - Kohala - Kau

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