"....ensuring you have all the facts...." It’s with immense pleasure that I share my experience with Tracy, a realtor who I wholeheartedly endorse for anyone navigating the O‘ahu real estate market. From day one, communication with Tracy was refreshingly easy. He listens intently, articulates his points clearly, and ensures that every question is answered with precision.
Tracy’s expertise in the local property market is unparalleled. He has a vast network of contacts that proves invaluable in every transaction. It’s not just about having a realtor with knowledge; it’s about having one who can harness that knowledge to connect you with the right people and opportunities.
Over the course of our four-year acquaintance, Tracy has patiently worked to understand our specific needs. For my wife and me, relocating from Texas meant finding a home that wasn't just a space to live, but a place that resonated with our lifestyle and aspirations. Tracy’s approach to real estate goes beyond the transactional aspect; he has an intuitive grasp of what makes a house a home for his clients.
He has been an anchor, offering candid and practical advice. His straightforward feedback has been crucial in helping us discern the best choices for us amidst a sea of possibilities. Navigating the technicalities of real estate can be daunting, but Tracy provided us with the guidance and support needed to understand the finer points, ensuring we made well-informed decisions.
Our professional relationship with Tracy has evolved into a cherished friendship. His integrity and dedication are evident in his every action. He's a realtor who gives you the unvarnished truth, ensuring you have all the facts to make decisions that are right for you.
As our long and sometimes challenging journey to find the perfect home comes to a close, we reflect on the path we’ve traveled with gratitude. Tracy has been more than a realtor; he has been a trusted advisor, a confidant, and a friend. We’re profoundly grateful for his relentless dedication to our cause.
Mahalo, Tracy, for your exceptional service and for being an integral part of our life-changing adventure to find our dream home in the beautiful state of Hawai‘i. I highly recommend. Naoto Ueno - Houston, TX
"Exceptional realtor." George was excellent to work with. He helped us sell my dad's house. George made the entire process comfortable and worry-free. His superior knowledgeable and patient had it easy for us. I've used George on 3 sells so far and was never disappointed. I definitely recommend George to anyone who is looking to sell or purchase properties in Hawaii. Exceptional realtor! Raymond Jardine
"....magician in the housing market." I can't praise George of Hawaii Living enough! Working with him was an absolute pleasure. He's not just a realtor; he's a magician in the housing market. With his expertise and dedication, George found us the perfect investment property that checked off all our boxes. From start to finish, he guided us seamlessly through the process, leaving no stone unturned. George's knowledge of the market is unparalleled, and his network of contacts for inspections, handyman work, and property management is invaluable. Communication with George is effortless; he's always available to answer questions and provide updates with a friendly demeanor. Without a doubt, I'll be reaching out to George for future real estate endeavors, and I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone seeking a top-notch realtor. Thank you, George, for exceeding all expectations! Christine Falsetti - Sunnyvale, CA
"....communicated everything well...." Most efficient group out there when looking for a new home. Jessica, Michelle and Amber communicated everything well and helped me find my first place. Would recommend to anyone struggling to find a place anywhere on Oahu. Jensen Tsuruda - Honolulu, HI
"....super knowledgeable...." George was excellent to work with. He helped us find the condo unit we wanted at a good price in Waikiki which we just happily closed. George made the entire process comfortable and worry-free. He is super knowledgeable about the local real estate market. He provided us with inside knowledge about each building we saw. He answered all of our calls and texts, and was at every showing waiting for us. Since we came from out of state, George walked us through the entire purchasing process and schedules in detail. And he timely kept on with every step during the closing process. I will definitely recommend George to anyone who is looking to sell or purchase properties in Hawaii. Howard S - New York, NY
"....extremely responsive...." Our experience with Hawaii Living realtor Tracy Yamato was superb! He is conscientious, very knowledgeable, patient with our many questions, extremely responsive, and when we asked his opinion, he told us what he thought politely. One could not have a better realtor for Oahu and Honolulu! Bravo Tracy! William L - Las Vegas, NV
"....best realtor we've every worked with." Tanner Botts is hands down the best realtor we've ever worked with. He quickly earned our business by clearly demonstrating that he had listened to - and understood - what we were looking for. Being spread as far as 13 hours apart (!!) during the homebuying process could have led to a great deal of frustration...but Tanner's positive attitude, lightning-quick communication, and willingness to drop everything and head to a property of interest made things surprisingly easy. He walked us through properties via video chat, going the extra mile to touch and describe surfaces and finishes - as well as offering refreshingly candid opinions - helping us to always feel fully informed. Rather than checking out once the purchase was on a glide-path (as many realtors we've worked with tend to do..), Tanner maintained clear and regular communication, routinely offering to host conference calls to give us weekly updates and a forecast of upcoming events. At no point did we ever feel that Tanner simply saw us as a transaction. If we ever purchase or sell another property on Oahu, we will certainly utilize Tanner again! Eric B. - Georgia
“I cannot thank her enough.”
Michelle is an absolute gem!! My mom moved out of the country and left her home in Hawaii for me to sell. I’m in Nebraska, half a country and an ocean away. Michelle was able to remodel the condo up to selling standards, deal with a difficult homeowner’s association, and sell the condo within a few months. All I did was sign the paperwork! I cannot thank her enough!! I’m so grateful for all her help and highly recommend Michelle to anyone interested in selling or buying a home.
Rebecca Tackett – Omaha, Nebraska
"....tremendous work ethic." Tracy Yamato has assisted our family in a number of real estate transactions, most recently, the sale of a condominium. As many others have observed, Tracy is not only extremely knowledgeable about the state of the real estate market, but he has a tremendous work ethic. His assistance does not stop when the contract has been signed; he stays on top of all the important dates and details leading to closing, and is quick to notify you when issues arise and returns calls very quickly. He also has a sense of humor, particularly with regard to some of the quirks in Hawaii real estate transactions. And he surfs! Tom Gorak - Baltimore, MD
"....treasurable experience." George Krischke is a conscientious and dedicated realtor. He worked with me to make sure that the property I chose met my expectations. George goes the extra mile for his clients. His determination, skills, knowledge, intelligence, wit, and sense of humor made buying my condo a treasurable experience. Arlene Cohen - Las Vegas, NV
"....full of knowledge...." We finally did it!!!! We worked with Tracey Yamato at Hawaii Living to get through one of the most confusing processes I've ever been a part of... WOW! Thank goodness for Tracey! Buying a home has been a dream but the actual process is WAY more involved than you might imagine. It can takes months of scouring properties before finding the home you love and only then does the real work begin. Deadlines, paperwork, inspections, contractors to schedule, do's, don'ts etc. etc. etc... it was crazy. There is so much to know and so much paperwork to understand we truly couldn't have done this without Tracey by our side. It is legitimately a full time job to handle all of the deadlines and inspections and there is just no way my partner and I could have kept up with our actual jobs while also managing all of this. Thank goodness Tracey was there every step of the way and so full of knowledge about every little thing that we could have possibly needed to know about. Thank you Tracey for all you did
1/23/2024Victoria Place is expected to be completed this year - November - with 3 bulk closings scheduled: Nov. 6, 13 & 20.
1/16/2024Trump Tower Waikiki was originally to be rebranded as Wakea Waikiki Beach, but the plans changed and the new name - from Feb 7th - will be Ka Lai Waikiki Beach.
1/12/2024 The City of Honolulu lost a lawsuit, in which the City wanted to change the minimum rental period for residential properties, on Oahu, from the current 30 day minimum to 90 days.
12/12/2023 Many condos on Oahu do not have sufficient hurricane insurance coverage and most lenders will not lend on such condos - read more (source: Hawaii Business Magazine).
11/9/2023Trump Tower Waikiki will soon come under new management and is expected - starting February 2024 - to operate under the name of Wakea Waikiki Beach and be part of Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts, which is a small group of hand-selected luxury hotels.
11/1/2023 Who pays conveyance tax, how much is it and how does it work? Read here on our Blog.
10/30/2023 Waikiki vacation rental units had an average occupancy of 65.1% Sept 2023 vs 78.6% Sept 2019 - see more data here (source: Dept. of Business, Economic Development & Tourism).
10/30/2023 Honolulu City is working to connect more homes that are currently on cesspool to the City's main sewer system - read more (source: Civil Beat).
10/27/2023 Developers have a hard time selling affordable housing units, due to strict qualification guidelines - read more (source: Civil Beat)
10/19/2023 New condo hotel coming to Kapiolani Blvd - read more here (source: KITV)
10/19/2023Alia is close to 80% sold and construction is expected to commence before year-end.
9/30/2023Sky Ala Moana West (residential tower) has 3 scheduled bulk closing rounds: Oct 12, 18 & 24. Renaissance Residences (Sky Ala Moana East) has all units scheduled to record December 11th and the Renaissance Hotel is scheduled to open January 2024.
9/15/2023Launiu, ultra-luxury condo, coming soon. Register your interest.
9/11/2023 Remaining inventory in Kuilei Place - market rate units - range in price from $671,000 to $1,275,000 across 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. There are also some affordable units available ranging in price from $680,000 to $813,000 across 2 and 3 bedroom units.
9/8/2023Ililani is on track for March 2024 completion and currently 97% of the units are sold.
9/8/2023Alia construction site is under preparation and official ground breaking is expected in the very near future.
8/9/2023 Buyers of Renaissance Residences are scheduled to take ownership December this year.
8/3/2023 DPP's median processing time for a building permit application is close to 200 days. The City has a Bill out, which, if passed, would allow the DPP to increase the use 3rd parties to help review applications to speed up the process (source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser).
7/26/2023 Honolulu's City Council is debating whether owners of 'monster' homes, built without appropriate building permits, should be forced to demolish such homes.
5/15/2023Sky Ala Moana West has 3 scheduled bulk closing dates - Oct 12, Oct 18, Oct 24 - and Renaissance closings expected either Dec 15th or early January.
5/15/2023 The first release of Kanalani at Hoopili homes are now available for sale - 3BR to 4BR floor plans.
4/28/2023 More homeowners, in default on their mortgage, may qualify to modify their 30 year mortgage to a 40 year term in order to reduce the monthly payments and increase the likelihood of being able to stay in their home.
4/27/2023 1BR - 3BR condos are now offered at Nahele at Hoopili for owner-occupants only.
4/7/2023 Progress on Ward Village's Auahi St sidewalk widening project, which will include just 1 car lane in either direction, dedicated bike lanes and inviting green landscaping.
4/7/2023 The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has reportedly rejected Hawaii State's $165M proposal to eliminate the possibility of building highrises on land they own, oceanside of Ala Moana Blvd in Kakaako (since 2006 there has been a ban on residential developments on this land).
4/5/2023 Hawaii State has reportedly offered $165M to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to keep highrises from never being built on land they own in Kakaako on the oceanside of Ala Moana Blvd.
3/28/2023 The DPP has, reportedly, hired a collection agency - Aargon - to help crack down on illegal vacation rentals.
3/27/2023Kuilei Place affordable housing application deadline is April 16th.
3/14/2023The Launiu Ward Village is a new luxury project we anticipate will be offered in the near future.
3/10/2023 Only 6 homes left at Hooulu, a neighborhood within Hoopili, starting at $842K for a 3BR home with 1,132 sf.
3/7/2023The Flats at Sky Ala Moana (affordable housing units) now offers some units with reduced restrictions periods and no shared equity.
3/4/2023 Oahu real estate price trends - click here for details.
3/4/2023 Bill 4 proposes that the residentially zoned properties on Oahu that may legally run short-term rentals, e.g. Waikiki Banyan, Waikiki Sunset, and all NUC properties, will pay a higher property tax rate than the current residential rate. The new rate is expected to be less than the Hotel Resort tax rate (currently 1.39% of assessed value), which is the rate for legal short-term rental properties within the Hotel Resort zone, e.g. Ilikai, Waikiki Shore. etc. When the Bill becomes law, it might take effect July 2024 at the earliest.
3/3/2023 The average 30 year US mortgage rate is at 6.65% - a year ago it was 3.76%.
2/24/2023 The Alia owner-occupant round is almost done, which means the remaining inventory becomes unrestricted (anyone can purchase).
2/24/2023 Shoreline setback requirements for oceanfront developments on Oahu are currently 40 ft from the high watermark. Starting July 2024 this will increase to between 60 to 130 ft (Bill 41 & 42), subject to Honolulu's Mayor signing the Bills in to law.
1/27/2023 Kuilei Place, a proposed mixed used project (market rate and restricted income units), obtained permit fee exemptions to built at 2599 Kapiolani Blvd - read more on Civil Beat.
1/27/2023Alia owner-occupant sales starts tomorrow, Jan 28th.
1/23/2023Alia is a new luxury condo coming to Kakaako. Reach out to learn more.
1/5/2023 It appears the City has decided property owners who are allowed to run short-term rentals must register their units here if a building's original permits were for anything but a hotel. If a building's original permits were for a hotel, then no need to register.
10/27/2022 Owner's of legal short-term rentals in the County of Honolulu (Oahu) must register their unit(s) with the City on this website - exceptions are NUC holders, Hotels and Timeshare units. Read more details here.
10/27/2022Kalae owner-occupant sales (165 units) will begin tomorrow, Friday, 9am, and prospects or their agents may start lining up now at the Ward Village sales office.
10/14/2022 A preliminary injunction was granted by a judge, which prevents the City from implementing the ordinance that would change min rental terms, for most Oahu properties, from 30 to 90 days - read more here.
9/26/2022Kalae, a new ultra-luxury Ward Village condo project, sales gallery is now open.
9/21/2022Koula - luxury condo in Ward Village - is completed and the first owners are moving in.
9/13/2022 During the 9.7.2022 court hearing to challenge Bill 41’s 90-day rule, Judge Watson instructed both parties to meet with U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader and work out a resolution by 10.23.2022. - Bill 41 updates here.
9/13/2022 Alia, a new luxury condo to be developed in Kakaako, is expected to start sales Q4 2022.
7/19/2022 Bill 41 has been legally challenged. For now, Bill 41's enforcement date has been pushed back to 4.23.2023. Updates here.
7/14/2022 The State has a plan for developing around the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor - read more here.
6/17/2022Ritz-Carlton Waikiki is planning to remodel all units in the hotel rental program in the fall of 2023.
5/26/2022Bill 41 - An overview of important aspects of this Bill (concerns Oahu short-term renting rules).
5/17/2022Cottages at Mauna Olu is a unique community of single-family homes on Oahu's west coast. Unique in that the project allows for short-term vacation renting.
5/17/2022Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance has reportedly engaged an attorney to initiate legal action against the City & County of Honolulu for changing the minmium legal rental term, required per tenant, from 30 days to 90 days, for most residential properties / neighborhoods.
5/12/2022The Park Ward Village is expected to begin construction in the second half of 2022.
5/11/2022
Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
4/29/2022 An elevated pedestrian walking path above Ala Moana Blvd (between Kamakee and Ward Ave - click here and see page 11) is expected to start construction May 2, 2022 with an anticpated completed late 2023.
4/25/2022 Don't forget the new OTAT tax, levied on rental income for Oahu properties - read more here.
4/22/2022 Construction progress photo: Sky Ala Moana.
4/18/2022 Developer files documents to develop Ala Moana Plaza; a 40 story condo at 451 Piikoi St - read more here.
4/14/2022 Honolulu City Council approves Bill 41, which will increase the minimum rental terms for most properties on Oahu, from their current 30 days to 90 days, if signed into law by Honolulu's mayor - read more here.
4/6/2022 DPP's Director steps away from working on Bill 41 (short-term rental legislation) - read more on Civiil Beat.
4/1/2022 Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
3/23/2022 2 new condos projects - Kahuina and Alia - are expected to be offered in 'Our Kaako' later this year - read more here.
3/1/2022 From today, Japanese nationals traveling back to Japan - from Hawaii - are not subject to any quarantine, if vaccinated with 1 booster shot. Details in Japanese here.
11/9/2021The Park Ward Village was 64% presold by the end of Q3 (Oct 31st) and a total of 316 Ward Village residences went under contract with the developer Q3.
10/28/2021 Ultra-luxury condo Victoria Place is almost sold out - just 2 x 1BR units left.
6/3/2021 Read details about The Park Ward Village and sign up for a virtual tour of this upcoming luxury project.
5/27/2021 Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism projects Hawaii's economy will grow 3.5% this year, 3% in 2022 and 2.3% in 2023.
5/26/2021Bill 20 proposes 5 tiers to the Residential A property tax rate.
5/14/2021 In person showings now available for new Ward Village projects at the IBM showroom (virtual showings continue).
We exclude Leasehold data from this market analysis because Leasehold properties do not compare with regular Fee Simple properties.
We use median instead of the average because it depicts more accurately a central tendency to the sample size. Example: Take 5 numbers - 3, 5, 7, 9, 21. The median is 7 (the middle number) and the average is 9 (sum of all divided by 5).
We count days on market from listing date through closing date.