If you  opened this Blog, because of the title "Tikis, Mai Tai, Don the Beachcomber" then you came to the right place. There wasn't enough room in the title for me to drop another name "Body Glove" , but let me tell you, I participated in an event with them a little over a year ago, and they still talk about it! The Mayor (Billy Kenoi) even showed up and proclaimed it National Body Glove Day. Tiki Shark Art and author S.P Grogan confirm dates for their Big Bash on the Big Island to celebrate new novel release:  Tiki Shark Art Inc., Big Island based, owned by Parker has confirmed that the book signing event will be held on March 6th from 6 PM to 9 PM at Kona Oceanfront Gallery on Ali Drive next to Bubba Gump - and on March 7 from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM at The Royal Kona Resort - Don The Beac... 02/19/2015

  West Hawaii Real Estate News for February 15, 2015. We are now halfway through  February and the January numbers are all in.  First I want to share my sunset photo from Thursday night    North Kona Home prices, for Single Family Homes in Kona went up 4.85% over last January, and looking at what actually sold....... Homes under $500,000. 14 sold, and only 2 of those were for cash.  Homes from $501,000 - $999,999. had 13 sales with only 2 of those being cash.  Homes over a Million, 8 sold, and 6 of those were for cash, pretty big percentage of cash sales when you look at the other brackets.  If you want to see the number of homes sold compared to last January, take a look at this Market Report  Taking a look at the Case Shiller Price Index, we seem to be right inline with national numbe... 02/15/2015

  Aquarium fish collectors and local citizens trying to protect reef fish populations along the Kona Coast have been literally fighting it out over the past few years. Not too long ago there was an underwater altercation on one of Kona's reefs where a fish collector attacked an activist who was trying to hinder the collection of reef fish. The collector pulled the breathing regulator out of the activists mouth, depriving her of an air supply. Fortunately, she was able to recover and swim to safety.  Lawmakers have introduced a number of bills ranging from a complete ban on fish collecting to restrictions on the number of collectors and limits on their catches. The latest news is that bill HB873 in a highly modified form, is the only one to move forward for further review in the State S... 02/13/2015

Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) with LUVA Real Estate, bringing you the Kailua Kona Real Estate Report for 2015.  According to the Hawaii Information Service (MLS), North Kona home sales, January 2015, increased by 28% over 2014 If you were to read reports by Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo and others, you might think that 2015 numbers will make 2007 look like 2013. Did that make any sense? Probably not, because I am still scratching my head. (Dennis Hopper – Flashback)   I prefer to give you “black and white” numbers, let you form your own opinion. Better yet, look these numbers over, call me for an appointment and let’s sit down and discuss what these really mean to you. While you are looking these over, please note that January 2015, also beat out (besides January 2014), January 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010... 02/10/2015

If you have ever stayed in a hotel or condo anywhere in Hawaii that provided the packets of so called "Kona Coffee", I bet you still remember that bitter taste. This experience is repeated thousands of times every day from the hotels of Waikiki to the condos on Kona's Alii Drive and it has Kona Coffee growers feeling bitter about the damage it does to their 100% Kona coffee brand.    A  law passed back in 1991 allows coffee packagers to use as little as 10% Kona Coffee beans in their product and still label it Kona Coffee. The result is a bag full of cheap, bitter coffee beans with a sprinkling of Kona coffee that is completely undetectable in the actual cup of coffee. If you want to try Kona coffee, make sure the bag says"100% Kona coffee beans". The 300 strong Kona Coffee Farmers Asso... 02/06/2015

Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) here from LUVA llc, bringing you our first "Deal of the Day" for 2015. If I had a dollar for every time I told a client that Foreclosures are not always the best deals,  well, I would have a lot of dollars.  Take a look at this fixer, we actually received a call from HGTV right after it came out and they asked to use it in an upcoming episode - which my seller quickly agreed to, good news is just the hype of it being filmed brought in multiple offers, with a selling price close to the asking price.  The upside to this one, was the view and the location/neighborhood, the downside was, it needed a roof, appliances, remodeling, updating........... Congratulations to the seller for pricing it right, and the buyer for all the hard work ahead!  The View: The House:  Ar... 01/14/2015

Aloha, Lance Owens here with LUVA Real Estate,  as I drove to the office this morning I was compelled to pull over and take this photo: Magic's, Alii Drive, Kailua Kona, HI Dec 1, 2014, 8:00am , air temp 75, water temp 80 . (sorry Bodyglove - no wetsuits needed)  So - how harsh are the winters in Hawaii ?  Daytime temperatures will hover in the low 80s, night times will dip into the low 70s and water temp will drop down into the lower 70s also.  Don't forget, with these huge mountains on the Big Island, it can go from Sea level to 2,000 feet in under 5 miles. As a rule of thumb, a loose rule, it will drop about 1  degree every 200 feet of elevation, so roughly at that 2,000 foot elevation you could be 10 degrees cooler.  OK - lets look at a condo directly across the street from this Bea... 12/01/2014

AS you sit there, watching the snow out your front window, wondering, should I let my wife back in, no I am sorry, that is something else, if you are wondering what to do for the next 6 months, look no further.  Call up your surfing buddies, get some cash together and you could own this one by Christmas day!  In case you are interested in what Christmas in Hawaii is like - here is a photo, Christmas Day, a few years back. Location is Lyman's Bay, Kailua Kona, HI - about 2,000 feet from your front door.  I don't think I see a single wet suit out there (sorry bodyglove).    OK, here is the house, See details below !    Here is another beach - about 3 miles away.  76-667 Ahu St # 56B,Kailua Kona, HI 96740 2 beds2 baths1,001 sqft  FOR SALE $425,000   One of the largest 2 bedroom 2 bath home... 11/26/2014

  New Building Construction Boosts Economy In West Hawaii  by Julie Ziemelis on August 21, 2014 in Kona News Kokua Roofing replacing roofs at the Keauhou Resort Good news-the economy in West Hawaii is improving. New construction, a leading indicator of an economic recovery, is picking up and looking strong for the foreseeable future. With the opening of the new nine-acre Kaiser Permanente Kona Medical Office on Honokohau Street in July and the flurry of building going on right now at the new Kohanaiki resort and Palamanui Community College, the sound of new construction is music to the local building industry’s ears. Other new building projects going up in West Hawaii include the new radiology building in downtown Kona, All’i Heights in Kona and Sunset Ridge and the Kamakoa Nui project,... 08/21/2014

Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) here with LUVA Real Estate We all wonder " Whats my home Worth" ? Well lets start by taking a look at what just sold today. Listed at $699,999 - SOLD at $700,000. I wanted to thank all the team members on this one, it was a long, hard escrow and if it wasn't for all the parties involved, this one never would have closed.  Thank you Mr Seller, Thank you Mr Buyer, Thank you Mr Buyers agent and a big thank you to my partner on a lot of these sales - Joreen Knox, you guys did one heck of a job keeping this one together.  If you are looking for a good team to sell your house, and you want to know "Whats my home worth" do yourself some justice, come in, sit down, and meet our team.  Here are some photos from todays sale. (More specs at bottom)  Bedrooms: 5   Baths: 4 [... 05/30/2014

You write a blog about it and hope to get a buyer!  Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) here with LUVA Real Estate and I was scanning today's hotsheet and came across a property that is considerably under-priced ($245,000) . This is a bank owned foreclosure, 3 acres of land only, in a gated community, 1800 foot elevation, and great coastline views! Property is zoned for agriculture - meaning horses are welcome. CC&Rs state you have must build 4,000 sqft under roof, but this can include your barn, garage, and lanai. I just purchased 3 acres in here myself, this is an awesome deal, wish I had another $300k, I would pick this up in heartbeat.  There is no time to waste - call me 808-936-8383  04/11/2014

Unless you live on the Big Island of Hawaii, or visited here lately, you probably have no idea what I am talking about. None of the other islands have active volcano's, so it's a word that is used mainly here on the Big Island.  Here is Wikipedia's defenition, (Funny, "Wiki" (pronounced [ˈwiti] or [ˈviti]) is a Hawaiian word meaning "fast" or "quick")  Pāhoehoe:  (/pəˈhoʊ.iːˈhoʊ.iː/; from Hawaiian [paːˈhoweˈhowe],[8] meaning "smooth, unbroken lava"), also spelled pahoehoe, is basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface. These surface features are due to the movement of very fluid lava under a congealing surface crust. The Hawaiian word was introduced as a technical term in geology by Clarence Dutton. Quick Link to Hawaii Volcano National Park  Here are some act... 02/26/2014

  Some-days you just have to stop and smell the roses, in this case the roses were the Pacific Ocean, and today is somehow better than yesterday, even after 30 years here. I just had to share it with all.  Photos taken about 20 minutes ago, along Alii Drive, at "Magics Beach" in Kailua Kona, HI You ever been to Disneyland "California Theme Park" and went on the ride, Soaring over California, do you remember all the wonderful smells, and how they changed as the theme changed? Well I wish I could do that for you here. Have a wonderful day, enjoy the photos, and if you want a condo across the street, just give me a call (last sale for a 2/2 was at $280,000 on 12/13/13 )    UPDATE: The evening looked so good, I had to go back down, here is a sunset photo from the same day.     12/18/2013

Thinking of Selling your Home on the Big Island!?Anyone preparing their home for sale in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii knows that it can be a daunting, very complicated process. More than just great curbside appeal, you as the Seller will have to navigate the negotiations, showings, security, open houses AND when you finally get an accepted contract (Hooray) - now you've got the escrow process, timelines, inspections...etc.  You can do it! AND we are here to assist as well. :) A Quick-Start Guide to Marketing your Home in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: Price  your Property competitively - Even though Hawaii real estate inventory is low on the Big Island, buyer's tend to be a little more cautious AND unless it is a cash sale, you will have to have an appraisal.  The lender will make sure the buyer is not ov... 12/06/2013

Sometimes I feel like TripAdvisor must be published in Hawaii, not just in Hawaii, but on the Big Island of Hawaii , we win so many "travelers choice" awards, it just doesn't seem fair.  Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) here with LUVA Real Estate and let me concur, I moved to Hawaii in 1984 and traveled to all the islands, many times, and just fell in love with Kailua Kona, so much so, I told my wife on our 1999 visit that this was it, I wanted to be here, living, working, within a year - and the rest is history. Follow the link to the actual article, and if I can help, even if its just a question about a good restaurant, or beach to go to, please feel free to contact me.  This photo of Manini'owali Beach (Kua Bay) is courtesy of TripAdvisor     This photo of Manini'owali Beach (Kua Bay) is cour... 12/04/2013

Are you looking to find that 'perfect' luxury vacation rental in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii? There are a couple of ways to go about this...you can either do it on your own, private individual or licensed real estate brokerage that specializes in luxury vacation rentals and management. If you rent on your own, you assume the liability and in many cases have no idea of the property or reputation.  You could end up in a miserable situation, with lost time, money and fun.  Life is short! Here’s a few reasons why to rent through a Hawaii licensed property management agency to find the best luxury vacation rentals in Hawaii: Agencies and Agents work very hard to earn your trust and their lively-hood depends on their reputations.  It is in their best interest to take great skill and care working with... 12/03/2013

Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) here with LUVA Real Estate , I know we all wonder "whats my home worth" ? Well, keeping up on the market trends, keeps you up on market values, so we are bringing you October 2013 MLS reports for the Kailua Kona area.  Home Sales: Down <40%> , but don't let that kid you. INVENTORY, Inventory, inventory! Currently we have 209 homes for sale in Kona, and of those 209, only one of them, (Fee Simple), is listed under $300,000, 11 more are priced between $300-$400,000. and the other 198, well 82 of them are priced from $1,000,000 to $12,900,000. Sales Volume: The amount of money exchanging hands for the 2 Octobers, went from $30 million down to $14 million - down <52%> . It goes hand in hand with the number of sales - YTD is still up about 35%, even with such a bad mo... 11/11/2013

Come join us for our "First Friday Pau Hana", November 8, 2013, 5pm to sunset. This will be an open forum on video strategies, search engine optimization and whole lot of pupus, refreshments and fun! With the emergence of micro-video apps like Twitter’s Vine and now Instagram’s video sharing feature, we’ll be seeing a rocketing movement toward real-time video sharing.  We’re talking 3-15 second snippets.  Come on down to learn more... LUVA Real Estate provides complimentary marketing classes and seminars each month to assist REALTORS® from West Hawaii, regardless of brokerage affiliation in an effort to maintain, sustain and get a little traction in the ever-changing technological landscape present in our world today. Contact Yuki Laliberte, R(S) to sign up for our next LUVA RE/Tech U c... 11/07/2013

If you are looking for an evening out on the Big Island of Hawaii that has everything: Happy Hour with good food and a wide variety of drinks including a Mai Tai for $3, live music, conviviality, and a sunset right there at the ocean in front of you, then there is none better than "Huggo's On The Rocks" in Kailua-Kona. Caption: that little bit of fluff is "Little Doll", a Maltese owned by a friend of mine here on The Big Island. As you might expect, we got a lot of attention. An inter-island cruise ship was anchored right outside the bay area and, right on cue, it sailed into the sunset to its next destination. Awesome. What a fabulous place to meet. Happy Hour actually starts at 3 PM. Why wait? Probably most of the patrons at Huggo's are visitors who take full advantage of its "casual"... 11/06/2013

As the world moves ever faster there is an even greater need to ‘get outta of the rat race’. Luxury travelers, corporate leaders and their teams are moving off the beaten path to find space AND authentic, personalized experiences;  They are looking for peace of mind. Corporate retreats, luxury travel and personal expeditions are making a comeback especially on the Big Island of Hawaii.We at LUVA Real Estate, based in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii are consistently stiving to be well placed-ready, willing and able to help ‘make your teams come true’. Ask and you shall receive! We offer our guests access to the most exclusive, private, luxury vacation rentals, signature concierge services, personal staff and yes, we even plan amazing weddings and surprise birthday parties. We absolutely love what we... 11/05/2013