LUVA Real Estate Blog

What if we told you that home sales had climbed a whopping 41% from last October? Well, it’s true, but we also were still in the grips of a lagging market due to the volcanic activity that ended in early August 2018. Next month, we should be seeing more realistic year over year pricing, but for this month, LUVA Real Estate will provide you with numbers from 2017, too.

Overall, what we are seeing is a continued lack of inventory under 1.6 million for single family homes. Homes priced lower than $550,000 in the North Kona area are going off the market within days of being listed. Well priced condominiums are also being quickly scooped up and it would appear sellers may be holding their homes until the winter market begins in mid December.

For single

November is ALL about Kona coffee and cultural and holiday events. If you enjoy coffee AND art, be sure to head up to the artists village of Holualoa for their coffee and art stroll and if you love a good race, register for the 1000% Pure Kona Coffee half marathon. LUVA Real Estate is hosting a food drive with Hawaii Food Basket for the month of November! Hawaii Food Basket is a local organization who provides food assistance to our community, by way of food pantries, supplemental food programs, and group meals. Please consider coming by the LUVA Real Estate offices with donations that go directly to help our local families in need.

WHAT: KONA COFFEE CULTURAL FESTIVAL

WHEN: November 1-10, 2019

For nearly 200 years much has been celebrated,

The culinary scene in West Hawaii is always in a state of flux as newcomers to the island seek to open new eateries, while other establishments sometime succumb to market forces or fickle tastes of tourists. LUVA Real Estate knows that the restaurants help make up the lifestyle that we all enjoy in West Hawaii.

Kai Eats and Drinks

Recently, there has been change afoot in the Kailua Village area. 20 year old Bubba Gump’s closed its doors earlier this year and the owner of Huggo’s decided to make a go of it in that location with a new restaurant named Kai Eats and Drinks, which will open in the next few months. The rumor is that the menu will feature family favorites of hamburgers and pizza to offer something a bit different than the Huggos or On the

Did you know that life expectancy in Hawaii is the highest in the nation? Women, on average, are living to 82.6 and men are living to 76.6. Many of the residents of Hawaii who are aging, have led active lives and people who are moving to the island to retire here, are also coming in relative good health to enjoy their later years being active on the island.

In fact, recently, LUVA Real Estate has been receiving quite a few inquiries from would-be retiring residents asking questions about moving to the island, what kind of senior services are offered, how can they help our island community through volunteerism and if they bring their elderly parents, are there care facilities and care providers available for them.

Silver Tsunami

First, let’s take

If you were to view homes on the local multiple listing service for homes and condos under $550k, you would see MANY of the homes are contingent, which means they are in escrow, which shows the condo market is very busy and lower priced homes are the sweet spot in the market right now.

According to the Hawaii Information Service statistics which were released this week, September 2019 showed a 97% increase in sales volume for single family homes and a 31% increase in condos in North Kona over September 2018, which could still be reflecting the aftermath in home prices after the eruption. The interesting thing to note from last year is that although the volume was down, the prices for homes did not drop drastically, as homeowners and investors were

The Kilauea eruption ended last August, and when the eruption ended, so did the sulfuric volcanic fog (VOG). When the VOG stopped, Hawaii Island enjoyed its first prolonged clean air experience in 33 years since the volcano first erupted in 1983. What the island may not have expected is a new weather pattern that some long time residents say was the weather pattern BEFORE the eruption in 1983, but may also be the start of a new normal due to a changing climate. Whatever the reason, choosing where you wish to buy a home on the Big Island to either avoid the heat or the rain, may take a bit more research.

While for most of Hawaii, the winter months are generally the rainiest, Kona's drier season is generally from November through March, while the rainy

Many of you on the mainland may be seeing pumpkin patches and drying corn fields as you head into October. For those of us who live in West Hawaii, we are seeing training runners/bikers and swimmers descending upon Kona as we gear up for IronMan in a few weeks! The town comes alive as thousands of athletes and their supporters enjoy Kona and points around the island. Later in the month, a brand new food festival is featuring Ube, purple sweet potatoes and on the same day, there is a vibrant cultural festival in Waikoloa Resort. Enjoy and LUVA Real Estate wishes you a very Happy Halloween!

WHAT: FIRST FRIDAY "ART AFTER DARK" EVENT

WHEN: Friday, October 4, 2019, from 5:30-8:30pm

WHERE: Holualoa Village

This little artists colony in the Kona

When the Hawaii Association of Realtors put a call out for Realtors to join together in beautification projects around the state for the annual Realtor Action Day, LUVA Real Estate agents jumped in to help at Konawaena Elementary School to assist in a campus improvement project. The LUVA team wheel-barrowed donated mulch, hacked out weeds and invasive grass to plant ti plants, and installed decorative pavers (while sweating A LOT!) on Saturday September 14th in Kealakekua for four hours to help the elementary school. Students are coming back to school today to find their entire courtyard transformed from run down crab grass and dirt that turned into mud most days, to new plants, delineated entry ways and space that exudes a sense of pride.

Mahalos to

With interest rates below 4%, the West Hawaii housing market is cooking along with the summer. Sales of condos and homes in North Kona are not only above where we were last year, but also above where the market was in 2017. (Median price for 2018 is skewed down because of the lasting impact of the four month eruption which ended in August, but affected the housing market until November.)

For single family homes in North Kona in August 2019, 49 homes sold, compared to 36 last year and 45 in August 2017, according to Hawaii Information Service statistics. For Condos, 39 sold last month, compared to 31 in 2018 and 35 in 2017. Year to date, single family home sales have increased 13.86% and for condos, the sales pace is up 14% from 2018.

For pricing,

The warm days of September in West Hawaii make you want to spend a little time in cooler climes around the island. This month there are many fun events in Holualoa and Waimea if you need a bit of a chill from sunning yourself on a warm beach in Kona! LUVA Real Estate agents can also show you new listings on the market in all temperate zones of West Hawaii! Just give us call!

WHAT: FIRST FRIDAY CELEBRATION

WHERE: Holualoa Village

WHEN: September 6, 2019

Holualoa Village galleries will feature new art and artists, tasty street eats and music all along Mamalahoa Highway through town during the monthly Art-After-Dark event from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. The village block party features art and artists in over a dozen galleries and shops, as well as