Imagine waking up to cool, crisp air and Mauna Kea views. Waimea is delightfully cool and green. The temperatures at my place range between the low 50’s (on some nights) and the high 70’s at this time of year. They will rise a bit as the summer progresses, but I don’t expect to see highs above 85, and the nights should remain cool. There are cooler places on the Big Island, but none as conveniently located, with schools, a hospital, a theater, and two observatory headquarters in town, not to mention the amazing beaches along the Kohala Coast.
We’re getting a bit more rain at my place than last month-2” so far this month-but when it gets drizzly my daughter, who is not a fan, just heads for the beach-about a half hour away. I’m happy to have the rain. The plants and the ducks love it. The altitude (about 2800’) and rain are what keep Waimea delightfully cool and green!
Here’s a 40 acre listing in West Waikoekoe, which is very close to where I live and should have the same weather:
Here’s a lovely home, on 1.5+ acres, about 5 minutes from town, but with similar weather:
Nohomalu Place, Waimea Home Just Listed- Big Island, Hawaii
This place has a whole house dehumidifier, which keeps it warm and dry even during extended rainy periods.
Generally, our weather changes pretty frequently. Sometimes we’ll have sunny skies, interrupted by brief downpours, and then more sun. Some days will be overcast and cool. Others sunny and much warmer. But you can count on change, and if it isn’t coming fast enough, you don’t have to travel far to find completely different weather!
In the current Waimea area market, it is a great time to sell, but tough on buyers. There is low inventory to choose from and buyers must prepare before seeking property. Because of the low inventory, sellers are getting what they ask for, as long as it’s within reason. Buyers are having a very tough time finding anything, and they are paying top dollar if they are lucky enough to secure a property.
Just How Ruthless is the Hawaii Buyer’s Market?
Property in Escrow: Waiaka Place, Waimea, Hawaii
Some buyers are having a hard time understanding just how tough the current Hawaii real estate market is. This is not a time to put in a low offer, “just to see”. Study the market for just a little while and you will learn that properties are selling very quickly, for list or above.
I have not yet received an offer where a large earnest money deposit would be forfeited to the seller if the deal fell through, but I’m not going to be surprised to see that term.
At this point, if you must sell a home in order to buy a new home (a home sale contingency), you should be prepared to put up a large deposit and be willing to forfeit it should your existing home not sell.
I have sellers who just rejected an offer from a buyer who indicated he was willing to pay far more than the list price but included a home sale contingency. The sellers were able to reject it because another very strong offer had been submitted even before the property was listed on the MLS.
In a Market Tough on Buyers, Prepare!
Buyers who can’t afford to buy a property while still owning another property should be looking into bridge loans. They should also know their budget and share the information with their agent. If financing is needed, arrange it before looking at properties since there won’t be time to obtain it after choosing a property. The sellers will likely go with someone who is paying cash or submits a pre-qualification letter with their offer, so it is best to remove every possible contingency from an offers. They should be prepared to pay list or above.
Truthfully, bargain hunters need to sit this market out. The market is likely to soften a bit as interest rates rise, and cash may once again justify a slightly lower contract price.
Property Under Contract: Naalehu, Hawaii Judy S. Howard Corcoran Profile
For questions and inquiries, give me a call or email me at Judy@livinginwaimea.com. To learn more about me and my background, read more or watch my introduction video here.
Living on the Big Island is unlike living anywhere else. Here are 5 things you should learn before deciding to move to Waimea, or anywhere else on the Big Island.
List of Items to Consider Before Deciding To Move To The Big Island
So here they are. Not all apply to everyone, but they should all be considered for further research.
Learn what’s going on in the County and State governments that might change the area you’re thinking about. Subscribe to one of the local papers’ free email of headlines. West Hawaii Today and The Hilo Tribune are the two main papers on the Island. Civil Beat covers the State, and does an excellent job of reporting on the major issues we face. You can get a free email of headlines from any or all of them.
Health care is scarce around here. Primary care physicians are hard to find, and specialists usually come from Oahu, or require you to travel there to be seen. Some surgeons will see patients here, but require you to fly to Oahu for surgery. Investigate carefully, especially if you have any health issues that require frequent care!
Be very careful to look past the “headlines” when it comes to schools. I wrote about this in an earlier blog. Since then, my daughter, who graduated from Parker in 2016 and headed for Dartmouth, has come back home. I’ve had a chance to ask her what she thinks about the preparation she got at Parker. She says the academics at Dartmouth were no problem, although there were subjects that were completely new to her while many of the other students had taken AP classes in those subjects at their high schools. There just isn’t as much breadth of coverage at a smaller school. What really threw her, though, was the “culture”. She was not at all prepared for the cut throat social scene she found there. If your kid is set on an Ivy League school, at the very least, get them as much supplemental tutoring and course work as you can afford. It may mean you rarely see them, since much of the supplemental work will be at camps on the mainland, but they will be much more comfortable once they get to college.
Finally, if at all possible, figure out a way to stay in the areas you are interested in. Rentals are difficult to find, and usually require a lease term of at least 6 months. Vacation Rentals in residential areas are becoming sparse, as a result of the recent County ordinance, but bed and breakfasts are still allowed at this time. There are huge differences, even in Waimea, between the dry side and the wet side, and within different subdivisions. But perhaps Waikoloa would be a better fit, or Kona? Take the time, and spend the money, to figure it out before you buy.
These 5 things you should learn before deciding to move to Waimea are just a start, of course. Please feel free to reach out with questions. I’ll do my best to help!
There are some differences this Christmas in Waimea, COVID-style. It is quieter, but still quite festive and lovely. There are many more people out and about than there were on last Memorial Day weekend, but we are nowhere close to the pre-COVID level of activity.
Church Row, quiet this year without the Christmas tree sale
We’ve always hustled over to Church Row in Waimea the day after Thanksgiving to buy our trees. (If you don’t get there pretty early, you may be disappointed.).
This year, the Chong family did not set up their tree stand. Rumor has it that because of the travel restrictions, and the relatively poor quality and limited number of trees available in Oregon, they decided it was not worth the effort of flying over to select trees.
I know of people who bought their trees at Costco in Kona, but were very disappointed in the quality. I followed a friend’s advice and drove into Kuhio Village, which is a Hawaiian homes land subdivision in Waimea, and found quite a lovely collection of trees. Not only that, but I bumped into a dear old friend and was able to catch up with her.
Another Great Christmas Tree Place!
No Christmas Parade this year. Usually, on the first Saturday of December, many of the truckers in the area decorate their semis, and smaller trucks, with lights, and pull floats through the center of town at dusk. Kids and their parents line the street, and collect a ton of candy thrown by the people on the floats. Families stake out their spots pretty early in the morning, and by evening it is standing room only. There are sidewalk sales at the shopping centers, and the town is a little too packed for my liking. But folks have fun.
Even without the events, big and small, that usually mark the season, the town feels festive. The pop up store with locally produced crafts seems to be doing a good business. They’ve got some lovely things in there. The shopping centers are decorated, and Christmas music is playing all over.
There are more tourists and returning college kids in town, which can be nerve-wracking while we’re all facing the possibility of infection, but they are almost universally abiding by our mask rule and their joy at being here is infectious!
People seem jollier than they’ve been in a while, and the weather has cooperated with some chilly nights, a little snow on Mauna Kea, and some sparkling clear, warm days.
Do you require frequent medical visits, specialists, and accessible treatment options? Before moving to Hawaii it is helpful to know your options and prepare for what’s covered by your insurance, what requires inter-Island travel, and alternative healthcare options.
Medical facilities and insurance coverage can be limited depending on where you live and waiting times vary depending on what care you need. There is a doctor shortage on the Big Island, and in Hawaii generally, and when it comes to specialist care (dermatologist, podiatrist, rheumatologist, neurologist, Mohs surgeon, etc.) it is common to drive long distances, fly to Oahu for care that’s covered by insurance, or to pay cash for services on the Big Island.
Why Pay “Out-Of-Pocket”?
While cash pay sounds scary, so is paying a high insurance premium that doesn’t cover services you need. With rising insurance premiums, consider progressive ways healthcare clinics provide efficient and quality care with cash pay models. So, where do you start?
First, know that there are wonderful traveling nurses, doctors, physician assistants, and specialists on the Island that provide excellent care. Some offer partial insurance reimbursement plans, yearly membership benefits, and virtual visits.
Some residents opt-out of traditional insurance and use catastrophic insurance with high deductibles and pay cash for specialized care. If you need traditional insurance coverage, start looking online here to check your options based on income.
Last Things to Consider
Do you require frequent checkups? Dental care, specialized visits, and will you live closer to Waimea, Kona, Waikoloa, or Hilo? Look into clinics nearby and what insurance or plans they take. In Hilo, one of my personal favorites is Mahinakealo Dermatology (because when you live in Hawaii, you need a Dermatology clinic). Marne Carmichael Walsh PA-C provides the most detailed and patient-focused care in the Hilo community. While Mahinakealo Dermatology offers reasonable cash pay options and reimbursements now, the office will take HMSA, HMAA, and UHA at the start of 2021.
In Kona, Elite Smiles Dental has a discount program for individuals and families with a small yearly fee. In Waimea, Iris Integrative Health has successfully created an affordable subscription healthcare model clinic utilizing western and naturopathic medicine.
There are three main hospitals in Hawaii: North Hawaii Community Hospital Queens Medical Center in Waimea, the Kona Community Hospital down South, and The Hilo Medical Center on the Eastside of the Island. Urgent care clinics are also commonly used for quick care and family medicine concerns.
There are many factors involved, so be prepared to make shifts as you consider life on the Big Island. Many local residents are happy with the healthcare quality on Island, but it is best to know your options and avoid the frustration of having insurance that not all offices take because it is “out of network.” So, is there a clinic or doctor you go to on the Big Island? There are many more to mention, so be sure to share in the comments.
Contact me Here to learn more about available listings and information about life on the Big Island of Hawaii.
