HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE ON THE BIG ISLAND?

During our pre-purchase consultation, we'll go over everything to make buying a home a stress-free experience.

Buying a home on Hawaii’s Big Island starts with the big picture. Let yourself imagine the housing possibilities available to you by shoring up where you stand financially.

+ Determine how much to spend

Knowing how much you will spend on your Big Island home is a crucial guidepost throughout the process, giving you a way to organize and assess your options. Regardless of what you are able to qualify for, always leave yourself some breathing room with your mortgage payment.

+ Get prequalified

If you plan to finance your Big Island home purchase, start the mortgage loan process well before buying a home -- even before the bidding process. When searching for loan options, remember that not all lenders are created equal and regulations may vary from state to state.

+ Go local

Live on the Big Island suggests you find a local lender to prequalify you!

We'll formulate the perfect plan of action that ensures you find your beautiful dream home!

Now that you’ve set a price, it’s time to create an action plan for finding your perfect Big Island home.

+ Jot down your wants and needs

Make a list of how you envision your new Big Island home and what is important to you and your lifestyle. Start with the basics, such as home features and location. Then consider the flourishes that will make your Hawaiian home extraordinary: A floating garden? Beachfront vista? Hideaway haven along the rugged coast? Now’s the time to dream about all the Big Island possibilities!

+ Pinpoint your ideal neighborhood

Life on the Big Island is as diverse as its lush surroundings. In Holualoa, residents are drawn to the lush landscapes, seascapes, and tight-knit communities. On the Kohala Coast, it’s the championship golf courses, private clubhouses, lavish spas, and white sand beaches that residents relish. Explore the nuances of Hawaii’s Mainland and get a feel for Big Island life with my custom Area Guide. This guide lets you search by properties, current events, environment, day-to-day activities, and lifestyles of individual neighborhoods.

It's time to get to work! We'll leave no stone unturned in our search of Hawaii's Big Island for your perfect home.

Now on to the main event: finding and viewing homes! The majority of homebuyers begin their search online—and my website is designed with your dreams in mind. From property information to lifestyle guides, your streamlined exploration starts here.

Live on the Big Island’s website allows you to…

• Explore details about specific neighborhoods to give you a feel for the lifestyle of the area.
• Focus on the west side of the Big Island. Other Big Island real estate websites focus on all the islands, while Live on the Big Island prefers an in-depth look at our area of expertise.
• Complete access to your Live On The Big Island Account

+ Begin your search

A hassle-free local search experience begins with this site. Simply create your Live On The Big Island Account, and explore your possibilities!

Your account is completely free and allows you to save your searches, see instant updates for your home criteria, receive email updates about the newest properties on the market, and share your finds with friends.

Giving you an in-depth view of the homes, Big Island life, neighborhoods, and location, Live on the Big Island delivers an honest, clutter-free place to search for homes. All listings are in real time and up-to-date with the market, and can be viewed in full on your mobile device or tablet.

+ Enjoy instant mobile accessibility

Live on the Big Island is the only local real estate site on the Big Island optimized for mobile devices. Try it for yourself, and search for your new Big Island home, no matter where you are!

+ Find your home

Once you have a list of homes you are interested in, simply contact me for your property tour—it’s as simple as that.

We'll formulate the perfect plan of action that ensures you find your beautiful dream home!

Now that you’ve found your Big Island dream home, the next step is to make an offer. After that, I’ll help you decide the appropriate earnest money deposit, and then it’s time to sign the purchase contract.

+ Make an offer

You’ve found your Big Island dream home, and you’re ready to make it your own. Together, we’ll establish the best offer to make. Sometimes it is okay to make an offer that is lower than the asking price, but if you are in a hurry to buy, your heart is set on a house, or you know there are other offers on the table, you may want to offer the full asking price.

From this point, I will assist you in negotiating with the seller, and once the final offer is accepted, we’ll move into the next phase.

+ Decide your earnest money deposit

Once you’ve determined your offering price, you’ll need to decide on the size of the deposit to make with your offer. This earnest money deposit should show the seller you are serious. I will help you decide the appropriate amount to offer.

+ Acceptance of the offer

After the seller accepts your offer, you will sign a legal and binding obligation to purchase the property if contingencies are met. The contract outlines the details of the transaction, including a description of the property, the selling price, the date of closing, and any applicable contingencies.

We'll schedule inspections and review the outcomes with you to ensure the property you're interested is a smart investment.

During this phase, we’ll square away property inspections, repairs, and finalize the financial side of your purchase. I work with you every step of the way, making sure the process is smooth and stress-free.

+ Open escrow

After you and the seller agree to terms of a sale, the sale goes into escrow, which can take several weeks (30-45 days) to reach closing. During this period, the escrow agent and the escrow company act as a neutral third party, serving as a custodian for funds and documents, providing a clearing house for payment of demands, and completing clerical details for the closing.

+ Secure your loan

You will secure a final loan commitment from your lender, who will work closely with you to get all of the needed documentation. The lender will also have the property appraised to verify that the offer price does not exceed market value.

+ Complete your due diligence

Your due diligence period is your time to perform inspections and negotiate repairs.

+ Arrange inspections

I will coordinate a home inspection with an experienced inspector who will examine the property from top to bottom and deliver a detailed report with the findings. Based on that report, we will submit a formal repair request to the seller asking that these items be corrected before closing.

+ Square away the closing documentation

Before you can close on your new home, you will need some paperwork. This includes a title search to make sure the title is clear, and title insurance to protect you and the lender. You will also need to secure homeowners insurance and possibly other riders such as hurricane, flood or wind policies.

+ Review the closing statement

This is a tentative HUD-1, a document that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires to account for all financial aspects surrounding the sale and purchase of a home. It provides a list of the funds that are paid at closing. Both you and the seller will need a copy of this statement at least several days prior to closing.

+ Know the closing costs

One of the last things to check off your list is to pay the closing costs for the professional services associated with buying the property. Keep in mind that your closing funds should be in the form of a cashier’s check and made payable to the title company or escrow office in the amount requested. A wire transfer is also acceptable. The total amount of closing costs varies but may include: a loan origination fee, an appraisal fee, the cost of a credit report, a lender’s inspection fee, the cost of title insurance, a mortgage broker fee, taxes, and a fee for document preparation. Your lender is required to give you prior notice of fees associated with your loan.

+ Set a signing date

You will sign your escrow instructions and deed. A signing packet will be sent to parties, not in Hawaii. The appointment should take only 30 to 45 minutes. You will be informed of the amount you will need to pay for the closing payment.

+ Prepare for closing time

At least three days prior to closing you will need to do a walk-through to ensure no major systems are broken or have been damaged since the initial inspection. By the time your closing day arrives, we’ve already put all the major pieces in place—it’s just a matter of finishing touches.

+ Change your address and utilities

Simply file a change of address form online with the post office, and notify anyone who regularly sends bills of your new address. Next, contact all your utility companies and arrange to have service end in your old home the day after you move out, and begin in your new home on the day of closing.

I’ll get you to the closing table with a smile on your face! We'll make the experience of getting the keys to your new home a fulfilling one.

Time to make everything official and get the keys to your new Big Island home! Typically, title transfers occur at 8:30 a.m. on the day of recordation. This is when you take possession of the property.

+ Move in

You are ready to step through the doors, and raise a toast to your beautiful, new Big Island home!

Ready to get started? Contact me, and I’ll show you around!