Below is a chart that shows the number of Home Sales in the N Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii.  The data are over the last 5 years, starting with December 2002 and ending with December 2007.(Source:  Big Island MLS) John Petrella, REALTOR®ABR®, GRI, Broker/OwnerDirect: 808.640.3953Local@LocalHawaiiRealEstate.comLocal Hawaii Real EstateHonesty • Integrity • Commitment159 Keawe St., Suite 1Hilo, HI  96720REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. 02/18/2008

I woke up last night to the sound of the pounding surf, now I live about 4 blocks away, so when it wakes me up - you know its good. I grabbed my camera, coffee, laptop, and headed off to work this morning, my office is about 2 miles from home, down Alii Drive, and I had to pass 3 different surf breaks, so I pulled over and snapped these photos (if I would have had my camera yesterday - there was a pod of humpback whales just about another 50 feet out past the surfers - spectacular view) I actually started writing this yesterday morning - but just after I got in - I got the phone call we all love - " Lance - this is Kurt - go ahead and write up that house you showed me last night " So the pictures had to wait a day . That made me think about the rest of this article, wait a minute I cant... 02/16/2008

MLS Sales Statistics Median Sales Price     1,573,116 1,890,303 317,187 20.16%   1,614,498 1,889,400 274,902 17.03%     Oct-Dec # %   YEAR # % Big   4th Quarter Increase / Increase /   TO DATE Increase / Increase / Island   2006 2007   2006 2007 ENTIRE Residential 389,625 375,000 <14,625> <3.75%>   421,000 395,000 <26,000> <6.18%> Vacant Land 52,500 37,500 <15,000> <28.57%>   58,000 45,000 <13,000> <22.41%> Commercial 651,270 817,500 166,230 25.52%   580,000 850,000 270,000 46.55% Condominium 367,221 410,303 43,082 11.73%   426,498 394,900 <31,598> <7.41%> Business 112,500 250,000 137,500 122.22%   129,000 204,500 75,500 58.53% PUNA Residential 259,000 251,000 <8,000> <3.09%>   269,000 259,500 <9,500> <3.53%> Vacant Land 45,750 30,000 <15,750... 02/11/2008

MLS Sales Statistics Sales Volume     381,877,034 322,141,961 <59,735,073> <15.64%>   2,084,978,611 1,727,097,942 <357,880,669> <17.16%>     Oct-Dec # %   YEAR # % Big   4th Quarter Increase / Increase /   TO DATE Increase / Increase / Island   2006 2007   2006 2007 ENTIRE Residential 243,020,732 159,708,570 <83,312,162> <34.28%>   1,133,249,353 966,219,523 <167,029,830> <14.74%> Vacant Land 61,096,546 93,425,202 32,328,656 52.91%   463,514,271 417,601,264 <45,913,007> <9.91%> Commercial 3,921,620 3,360,000 <561,620> <14.32%>   44,491,710 36,500,000 <7,991,710> <17.96%> Condominium 73,125,136 65,398,189 <7,726,947> <10.57%>   439,465,277 302,281,155 <137,184,122> <31.22%> Business 713,000 250,000 <463,000> <64.94%>   4,258,000 4,496,000 238,0... 02/11/2008

Below is a chart that shows the number of parcels that sold in the N Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The data are over the last 5 years, starting with December 2002 and ending with December 2007.(Source:  Big Island MLS) John Petrella, REALTOR®ABR®, GRI, Broker/OwnerDirect: 808.640.3953Local@LocalHawaiiRealEstate.comLocal Hawaii Real EstateHonesty • Integrity • Commitment159 Keawe St., Suite 1Hilo, HI  96720REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. 02/09/2008

I have legitimate REO properties, and I get flagged down within 15 minutes of posting - is it jealous Realtors, or is it Craigslist ??? This is the short list on Kailua Kona Foreclosures, Short Sales, REO, Bank Owned Properties, If you are interested in a particular area, subdivision, or complex - please email me directly. It seems as though other agents were using the full list - So I will be just posting partial lists at this time and deal with clients on a one to one basis. Just email me below with your interest and I will get back to you. (The List is at the Bottom) Thank you for your support Aloha, and have a great day  Lance Owens (RS) (808) 936-8383 Lance@KonaHomeTeam.com www.KonaHomeTeam.com Copyright 8/6/2008 by Hawaii Information Service  MLS DATA   MLS # Tp St DOM    Taxkey T... 02/02/2008

MLS Sales Statistics Number of Sales     374 286 <88> <23.53%>   5309 4138 <1171> <22.06%>     MONTH OF # %   YEAR # % Big   December Increase / Increase /   TO DATE Increase / Increase / Island   2006 2007   2006 2007 ENTIRE Residential 174 119 <55> <31.61%>   2084 1677 <407> <19.53%> Vacant Land 148 134 <14> <9.46%>   2402 1910 <492> <20.48%> Commercial 2 1 <1> <50.00%>   49 22 <27> <55.10%> Condominium 47 31 <16> <34.04%>   750 516 <234> <31.20%> Business 3 1 <2> <66.67%>   24 13 <11> <45.83%> PUNA Residential 59 30 <29> <49.15%>   653 542 <111> <17.00%> Vacant Land 100 98 <2> <2.00%>   1421 1269 <152> <10.70%> Commercial 0 0 0     7 2 <5> <71.43%> Condominium 0 0 0     1 0 <1> <100.00%> Business 0 1 1 0.00%   5 1 <4> <80.00%> SOUTH HILO R... 01/24/2008

Are you looking for a Realtor with experience in short sales? Tired of dealing with the banks ?  (kind of a stupid question - but I had to ask it ) Better yet - tired of outdated - misguided - information, from - RealtyTrac - Yahoo - and the yest of them (you ever wonder why someone that just isnt with it - is called a Yahoo????) Well I WAS, I tried them all and fired them all - if you want something done right - you do it your self! I have compiled current information - one by one (not forward you a report from one of those YAHOOS) and I try to visit all of them, and see if they realy are a bargain - amazing how many of them really are not. So if you are truly interested - please take the time to sign up on my website (no spam sent - only what you ask for) Use the word SHORTSALE in you... 01/11/2008

Not to waste to much of your time, just ran some quick figures for a client, and was a little surprised by the outcome!Currently we have 394 Condos for sale in North Kona (mostly Kailua Kona) - and for the month of December - as of today 12/31/07 - only 14 have sold!  With that I will leave you with a photo of Mauna Kea yesterday - what a treat living here, We left our 80 degree weather, took a 2 hour car ride, and played in the snow Aloha and have a great day   Lance Owens (RS)(808) 936-8383Lance@KonaHomeTeam.comhttp://www.konahometeam.com/Aloha Kona Realty Inc. 78-6740 Alii Drive 12/31/2007

Even in Hawaii it snows, its funny how many people don't realize that we have snow her on the Big Island, every year. Some years are better than others, but it always happens. I have even seen it snow low enough to cover 3 mountain tops here - what a beautiful scene that is, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai, that happened my first year here - didn't realize how special that was, and didn't take the time to photograph it.But this is why I love the Big island so much, we have rain forest, deserts, Lava fields, and of course the snow - if you want it. I have watched my outside temp gauge on my truck, go from 85 degrees when I leave my house, until 2 hours later at the top of Mauna Kea, being down in the 20s, always nice to thaw out at the beach afterwards though.I didn't get a chance to go u... 11/06/2007

The 2007 Ford Ironman has come and gone, and according to most - Kona is the most prestigious race of the year, with its sometimes very hot weather, its sometimes rough seas, and the high winds of Waikoloa, it tends to take the best of the best to win at this race. In fact quite a few favorites were eliminated early in the race this year. (for more on the race follow this link)   http://www.konahometeam.com/bin/web/real_estate?acnt=AR153261&ZKEY=&action=ACTIVATE_FRAMES&button=+West+Hawaii+Today+-+%28Local+Newspaper+%29&linkout_sourcepage=LOCAL_INFO&tm=&linkout=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.westhawaiitoday.com%2F (let me know if this linkl does not work - I tried under my login - so you dont have to register)There is plenty of articles to read about that - but what about the real estate effects, the ... 10/15/2007

The Condo market Certainly taking a lot harder hit than housing market, but still not to bad. You figure we usually follow Oahu's trend, and looking at the newspaper reporting of Condo sales in Honolulu - Overall, O'ahu's median condo price is up 4.8 percent to $325,000. Ours is not as Rosy as that - but here are the numbers! These are just for the month of September.North Kona Condo's - Number of sales  2006 = 28,     2007 = 18   <-35.71%> North Kona Condo's - Sales Volume in Dollars 2006 = $10,673,522       2007 = $7,026,513  <-34.17%> North Kona Condo  - Median Sales Price 2006 = $355,472        2007 = $332,500    <-6.46%>So, even though we are not as low as Honolulu yet, we are pretty close. But believe me, if you see what you get here for $350,000 vs Honolulu, No comparison - Kona ... 10/05/2007

Its that time of year again, people from all over the world, Swimming, Biking, Running around Kona ! Its been a great boost for the economy every year - especially after 9-11, there was just a handful of people that didn't make it that year, mostly because they were called to duty. So THANK YOU Ironman. Enough said about that, the reality of living here, and having to deal with - basically shutting down Kona on race day - Well its just easier to get out of town - EARLY that day!So I just wanted to pass on a really cool thing to do that day - Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refugeopen House. They only open the gates to the public once a year, and believe me - I went last year - I questioned my wife on her sanity - the last thing I wanted to do, was to drive up that mountain and spend th... 10/05/2007

Her we are in October already, another month under our belts! Well the Sept figures are in , and not bad at all, actually pretty good. Considering what the Newspapers try to portray??? Yesterday's front page newspaper - BIG ISLAND ECONOMY SLOWING - !!! You know, if I were a tourist here on vacation - I would think it is a lot worse than it really is. I mean - SLOWING - what exactly does that mean? Does it mean we are only flying in 200 people a day instead of 300  from Oahu to help fill positions. Does it mean that maybe we can open up Wendy's Keauhou - because their is finally someone to staff it, or maybe - well I could on and on - I will save that for another day. OK Number of North Kona Residential Sales = 2006 (36)  2007 (32) - <11.11%> Sales Volume North Kona Residential Sales = 2... 10/05/2007

Just a few interesting numbers I put together, when presenting an offer on a house, was priced at $525,000, and just had a price reduction down to $485,000, and my offer was for $440,000 + seller pays all closing costs. here are the numbers61 homes in Kailua Kona, under $500,000 , (north Kona) area currently listed as active13 new listings in the last 30 days9 sales reported in the last 30 days24 price reductions7%  drop on median Home prices from Jan - July (-$5,000. a month drop) When I presented this and a few more facts (just cant remember right now). The sellers had a change in heart and agreed to sell it at  $450,000 + seller pays $5,000 towards closing cost. Every-time I look at the Numbers, you see it in a different way, just depends what side your on. If your looking for a buye... 09/27/2007

Below is a graph of the number of homes that sold in our North Kona Real Estate District (or District #7) of the Big Island of Hawaii.  The data are over the last 5 years, starting with July 2002 and ending with July 2007.  (Source:  Big Island MLS) John Petrella, REALTOR®ABR®, GRI, Principal BrokerDirect: 808.640.3953Toll Free:  888.935.4633Local Hawaii Real EstateHonesty Integrity Committment159 Keawe St., Suite 1Hilo, HI 96720REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. 09/22/2007

Sometimes we get caught up in the day to day routines of our jobs, that we forget to slow down , take a deep breath, and appreciate what we have. Well this just happened to me! But I have had so many comments on my 2 newest listings, that it made me sit back and smell the roses. I re-looked at my strategies, looked at my listings, took the comments to heart, and realized that I am really lucky. One of my listings is $60,000 less than a unit right next door, I happened to ask the Realtor that was showing my unit, if she had seen the one next door yet, she looked back at her listing sheet, and said it wasn't on there, I took a look at it and said, OH you stopped your search at $500,000. - thats why. The Realtor and her clients questioned me as to why mine was so much less than the one nex... 09/21/2007

Below is a graph of the number of parcels which were sold in our North Kona Real Estate District (or District #7) of the Big Island of Hawaii.  The data are over the last 5 years, starting with July 2002 and ending with July 2007.  (Source:  Big Island MLS) John Petrella, REALTOR®ABR®, GRI, Principal Broker Direct: 808.640.3953Toll Free:  888.935.4633Local Hawaii Real EstateHonesty Integrity Committment159 Keawe St., Suite 1Hilo, HI 96720REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. 09/07/2007

AlohaJust a mid month Update on Kailua Kona, Housing market, homes up to $25,000,000 Current single family Homes for sale Priced from $1. - $500,000 There are 55 active listings Priced from $501,000 - $600,000 = 58 active listingsPriced from $601,000 - $700,000 = 54 active listingsPriced from $701,000 - $800,000 = 39 active listingsPriced from $801,000 - $900,000 = 31 active listingsPriced from $901,000 - 1,000,000 = 18 active listings Priced From $1,000,000 - $1,250,000 = 19 active listings Priced from $1,251,000 - $1,500,000 = 29 active listings Priced from $1,501,000 - $2,000,000 = 37 active listingsPriced from $2,000,000 - $3,000,000 = 30 active listingsPriced from $3,000,000 - $5,000,000 = 14 active listings Priced from $5,000,000 - $10,000,000 = 6 active listingsPriced from $10,00... 08/16/2007

While the rest of the state is in a drought, and under water restrictions - Kona just keeps the rain coming, it has been an unbelievable summer here in Kona, I have not turned on my sprinklers for months, and I can't keep up with the lawn, everywhere you look - grass grows 6 feet tall, trees are green, I can't even take my little path down to Banyans surf spot - the weeds are so TALL! In the 8 years that I have lived here, I used to typically run my A/C from Easter to Halloween; it's only been on 3 times this year.When I speak to the Kona old timers - I mean really old timers, they tell me that this is way Kona used to be, all the time! They talk about how they used to run around as kids, playing in the tall fields of grass, and how the cows would graze all the way down into Kona, thing... 08/10/2007