Even my hairdresser installed a Ring doorbell. She was very excited to show me videos of UPS guys dropping off packages on her cellphone. This seemed like an odd reason to fork out two hundred bucks for a video doorbell. But then, when you think about it, it's not the UPS guys you're worried about. It's the guys walking by your house who spot a package on your front porch and decide they should swipe it.But I don't worry about that at my house in Sacramento because we have a spot on our porch where passersby cannot view from the street. Now, in Hawaii, though, you could have all sorts of things going on long distance when your home is vacant. Even that was not the reason why I changed my mind about the Ring doorbell. My next door neighbor finally blew a gasket that must have been simmer... 03/26/2018

While an iPhone will work in a pinch to snap photos of flowers, people and other stationary things, wildlife is a whole 'nother story. I mean, I can sit on my lanai for hours and watch the geckos but try taking a picture of one. They won't wait for you to get close enough. Zooming doesn't really work well on an iPhone, nor does cropping in Photoshop, especially when the photo isn't clear enough to start with. This trip I brought my Canon Sureshot. It's got the most fantastic zoom lens I've ever seen. You can read more in my personal blog today and see a bunch more photographs I shot at this link: Why Shooting Photos of Geckos in Hawaii Presents Challenges. 03/25/2018

When you buy a new car, most people would test drive the vehicle prior to purchase, right? So, I think it only makes sense to try out a new paddle board before buying. All paddle boards are not the same. When you don't really know anything about a paddle board, you might not realize you should demo. I surely did not.Further, when you notice paddle boards on the water, most of them are a certain length, and rounded at the front, a typical width, and those would be the types of boards available at many rental places and resorts. My distant goals, ever since I first climbed aboard a paddle board, was to buy an SUV to transport the board and to buy my very own paddle board. Little did I realize at the time I formed that vision this would happen in Hawaii.It's an experience, however, I plann... 01/20/2018

It seems that everything we have at our house in Hawaii is so much nicer than the stuff at our house in Sacramento. But that's probably because it's newer. My husband keeps telling me that I live in Hawaii now, but I really don't. Just part of the year and a few weeks here and there. OK, maybe a couple of months at a time, but I still live and work in Sacramento.Although I do list homes in Sacramento while I am in Hawaii. I sell and close them from our house in Hawaii. So maybe I do live here part-time. Which is why I decided we needed to buy a gas grill. Hey, if I have to cook for myself. I dragged my husband off to Lowe's. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: The Charcoal vs Gas Grill Debate Comes Home to Roost.  01/16/2018

One of my team members shared the theory that when people get older (much older than me, for example), they are prepared to die. We engaged in this discussion because a client had told me his mother, who passed away last November at age 99, constantly complained every time she saw him, "Why am I not dead yet?" My grandmother was like that. She was totally ready to go and wished for it every day.I, on the other hand, am not prepared to die. If it happens, OK, I'll go with it, but I am not prepared. I have way too much living left to do. I'm just getting started, at my age, which is 65. But what would you do if you woke up to your cellphone sending you a government emergency alert that you're about to die?You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: Ballistic Missile Threat I... 01/14/2018

When I first began discussions with my husband about buying a house in Hawaii, I bought a few books from Amazon about moving to Hawaii. There were a few horror tales. I'll never forget the story about the woman who could not deal with flying B52 bombers smacking her in the face. And the fact trees can grow 10 feet almost overnight, coupled with the need for constant pest control.One book made it sound like a nightmare with the humidity, limited water, overpopulation of Oahu and sewer problems. It made me decide that Oahu is a fun island to visit, but I leaned more toward living in a city on a quieter island. Big Island has such diverse geography and climate zones, from 80 degrees on the beach to snow on Maunakea. Not to mention, the people are extremely friendly and trusting. It reminds... 01/12/2018

Most people would find it no trouble at all to go deep-sea fishing in Hawaii, particular with the hopes of reeling in a big fish like a marlin. But it's not as easy as it sounds. It seems even more difficult than fighting a bluefish in Maine. You don't just stand there with a rod and reel, which is what I thought when I first went fishing 7 years ago out of Honokohua Harbor.Nope, they strap you into a chair. That's so you don't go flying overboard when you get a bite and the fish takes off. Your fishing apparatus is also secured so you can't lose it. While I watched the wake behind the boat, my mind began to drift. I started to imagine, to my husband's horror, how a 15-foot marlin would look mounted on the wall over our sofa. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: You... 01/01/2018

It did not take me long to figure out why there is nothing growing in several areas of our garden in Hawaii. Of course, like any buyer, I can't help but wonder if this is something the seller knew and failed to disclose or forgot to tell me. I find it really odd that when I dig through the volcanic soil about 6 inches in those areas, I encounter water.These are not big pools of water but it is constant. Maybe there is a reason that Kona has a Water Garden Club, according to the Bonsai Schefflera I found. He said: when you have lemons, make lemonade. Which is the same thing as my motto: When it rains on your parade, parade in the rain. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: Umbrella Trees are the Perfect Solution to Wet Gardens. 12/29/2017

Conversation around the dinner table with my neighbors in Kona was quite entertaining this Christmas. One neighbor is building a Tiny House and plans to travel around the mainland, towing her Tiny House, giving lectures to single women babyboomers about realizing dreams. Talk about life-changing events. Even though much of our conversation centered on living in Hawaii, why all of us bought homes on the island, and a little bit about my home state of Minnesota (everybody, except my neighbor's sister-in-law, comes from Minnesota, you betcha), we ended the dinner by turning the conversation to real estate. It always ends up being about real estate. Or, maybe it's just because a Sacramento Realtor is in the room.You know, somebody will say something like: do you think interest rates are goi... 12/26/2017

When I asked my neighbor, who is also my Christmas dinner host, if I could bring a liliko'i cake as dessert, she was fairly adamant that I not leave the remainder of the cake at her house. First, I think she was assuming I would bring an enormous cake, and second, she apparently has about as much willpower as I do. LOL. None of us really need more sweet things in our life. Too much sugar wreaks havoc when you get older. Not to mention the calories. My neighbor told me she's having another friend over the day after Christmas for leftovers, so I suggested she just give what's left of the cake, if any, to him. You can read more in my personal blog today and see a different photo of how I came into possession of the cake at this link: My Liliko'i Opera Cake Makes a Fine Christmas Dessert. 12/25/2017

What I've discovered is some people love red ginger and some do not. I've heard some landscapers warn against red ginger because it's so invasive and spreads like crazy. Several I had spoken to suggested planting soap ginger instead. There are not a lot of commercial places to buy plants in Kailua-Kona. It's more about who you know and family nurseries.A family nursery is just what you think it is. You go over to somebody's house in Kona, and they dig up something from their yard.I've been studying the various types of ginger. I'm attracted to it because it flowers for a long time and doesn't require a lot of fussing and because I can't grow it in Sacramento. Something should fill a spot in my garden that seems a bit wet. Sure enough, when I dug down about 8 inches, I found water. Could... 12/13/2017

The best tip for finding a gardener in Hawaii was right under my nose, and I didn't think of it for months. Instead, I just kept paying the guy who wasn't even the gardener I was supposed to be working with. I only know this because I talked to my neighbor, Don, to tell him I was unhappy with the gardener he referred and discovered it's not the same guy who does his garden.Apparently, the number I called was correct, but another person answered and said he was working for the intended person. He sends over a crew once a month but they always look like they just rolled out of bed. There are no set days or time of month they show up. Although, I have heard from my neighbors that I'm not supposed to let the gardener know when I'm On Island or they'll just come the day before and skip other... 12/06/2017

How ruthless can a person be? I have discovered recently exactly what I am capable of. Although I don't win a bravery award like my team member, Barbara Dow. When she lived in Serrano, a gated community in El Dorado Hills, she had to chop off the heads of rattlesnakes. I imagine she used an ax. I did not ask about her tool of destruction.That area was infested with rattlesnakes, and I don't know how under control it is today. The biggest number of rattlesnakes killed in one day by Barbara was about 20. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: To Kill a Gecko Alleviated Home Seller's Frustration. 12/03/2017

My neighbor in Hawaii casually mentioned that he found his car on the island of Oahu rather than Big Island. He picked it up himself at Kawaihae Harbor. I guess it depends on what kind of car a person buys as to whether it is more cost effective to buy a car on Oahu, as it might not apply to all vehicles. I researched only Subarus.At first, I thought it would be difficult but it was easy. I picked out the make, model, year, options and color, and called a dealer in Maui. I suppose I could have called the Subaru dealer on Oahu, but decided that maybe smaller was better, more personalized service. Since I never called anybody on Oahu, I'll never know; it was just a hunch. You can read more of this story and view more photographs in my personal blog today at this link: How to Ship a Subaru... 12/02/2017

Well meaning people will tell you all sorts of things about buying a car in Hawaii. Several have suggested that I purchase a much older car because somehow I guess they think I would prefer to drive an already rusted-out vehicle. No, thank you, I would like to watch my brand new car slowly rust away myself. (There is also a dealer option called electromagnetic corrosion protection, that I hope is more than the tap of a magic wand.)Others have suggested I lease a car because then I can continue to pay $6,000 a year in lease payments for the rest of my life, yet always drive a new vehicle every 5 years. None of those options is workable for me. I'd rather buy a reliable car that is new and not overly expensive nor dirt cheap. But what a learning experience it has been. You can read more i... 10/12/2017

My last full day in Kailua-Kona was fairly busy, given the fact that when I got up that morning, I didn't really have a plan. Well, my plan was to finish up a few loads of laundry. But my manciure appointment from Friday got pushed to Saturday because the old pipes finally burst at the nail salon, so there was no water. Things just piled up from there. Including the notion that I was not really planning to buy a car. Sometimes, opportunity knocks, and you jump on it. You can see all of the photos and read more in my personal blog today at this link: Photos From my Last Day at Kailua-Kona. 09/11/2017

Posted on September 8, 2017 - 08:34 AM by Lance Owens   AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS FOR NORTH KONA: Homes: Up 6%   Condos: Up 7%   Land: Up 3%  Below is a look at all the Big Island of Hawaii YTD Sales - Single Family Homes ​​​​​​​  Might as well throw in a sunset photo, taken this week in Kona, Lower Lako Street area.  09/08/2017

I happen to think this gadget my sister recommended is very helpful to use at our house in Hawaii, but it would be useful anywhere. Although, I had a really odd thing happen a few days ago that never happens in Sacramento. In Sacramento, where our summertime temperatures can reach a scorching 115, I often leave our garden hose under pressure. That's so I don't have to turn on the spigot. I can just pick up the hose, turn the nozzle to spray and fill our bird bath.Naturally, I did the same thing at our house in Hawaii, where the temperatures range from 70 to 85. I glanced out the front door and whammo, a waterfall of water erupted in our garden. Like somebody had dumped a swimming pool over the palm trees! The hose burst. Blew a big hole. Boiled in the sun. It was a brand new hose, too, ... 09/08/2017

My husband is not much of a shopper for material goods. A farmer's market, yes, but not stuff to wear or things for the house in Hawaii. Yet, we ventured out to buy a new sofa and a few area rugs yesterday, which we managed to spend four hours doing.This is after I pulled a listing from MLS entry and canceled photos at the last minute. I've been talking to this particular seller for several years now, and when he said his brother was on board, I thought it meant they wanted to sell. Evidently, not at this time. I wondered why this seller said it would be good if his brother didn't need to sign the listing agreement, now that I reflect, LOL.You can read more about this in my personal blog today and see more photos at this link: Stopping at Kona Brewing After Closing a Home in Elk Grove. 09/02/2017

OK, this is like only the tip of the iceburg of things one can see on a Natural Energy Laboratory Tour in Kona, Hawaii. Ever since we visited the Seahorse Farm last winter, I've wanted to do the NEL tours. We finally got our chance yesterday.It's not just the magic of converting sea water into energy that happens at the Makai OTEC, but it's also visiting some of the other hundred or so companies at the HOST Park, served by the Ocean Thermal Energy Center. I managed to capture several photos of a rare monk seal in the wild, plus an amazing up-close shot of an octopus. You can read more in my personal blog today at this link: Kona Natural Energy Laboratory Tours Amaze and Astound. 08/30/2017