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What is going to be the effect of Covid-19 on Hawaii Real Estate Market? As we all know a major component of the economy in Hawaii is tourism and world wide it has ground to a halt. In a previous newsletter I had predicted that a very light recession at the beginning of 2021 would occur and it looked like we were on that trajectory. That is until Covid-19 hit us. The reality is now a worldwide recession caused by the WWIII Covid-19 war we are fighting. The recovery will also be similar to what has been experienced after the occurence of major or previous world wars.

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Knowledge is Wealth! So would be a round-trip time-travel ticket to 1986 when the DPP (Department Planning and Permitting) first started issuing NUCs (Non-conforming Use Certificates) for homes and condos outside of resort areas - as a temporary solution - in order for them to legally engage in B&B (Bed & Breakfast) and TVU (Transient Vacation Unit) rentals; collectively known as STR (short term rentals) businesses. During the Honolulu Board of Realtors Agent Forum on July 11th, addressing Bill 89 - the City Council's solution for the contentious and prolific STR businesses -

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Knowledge is Wealth! So would be a round trip time travel ticket to 2029 for a day and then back to 2019 again. Imagine all the possibilities; stocks, real estate, precious metals etc. you could invest in knowing what would give you the highest rate of return and make you wealthy. There are certainly a few buildings and single family home neighborhoods on Oahu that I would have liked to have invested in - now with hindsight 20/20.

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Knowledge is Wealth! The topic of this month's newsletter is meant to be an important update of the May 2018 Buyers' or Sellers' Market Analyses for many neighborhoods on Oahu. For both Buyers and Sellers it is important to know if you are buying or selling in a Buyers' Market or Sellers' Market - strategies should be planned accordingly!

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Knowledge is Wealth! So would be luxury homes on elastic rubber bands that actually fell in price in economic downturns (bust cycle) and snapped back upwards during economic upturns (boom cycles such as we are in now). After all, this is how the normal world works in free and fair markets. The same rules would also apply to almost all real estate EXCEPT luxury homes which is a market that seems to exist in a parallel universe encumbered with different laws of market physics.

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Knowledge is Wealth! So would be a time machine that takes you back to 1980 to see your grandparents. In an imaginative journey you take 5 X one ounce gold eagle coins with you, exchange them for 1980 $s and then proceed to buy 225 shares of Apple stock for $22 each (total investment of $4,950) and then have your grandparents create an irrevocable trust fund with you as the sole beneficiary with the plan to let the whole 225 shares ride for 38 years!

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At average yearly appreciation rates of 4.5% for condos (4.6% for homes) on Oahu in the last 30 years that $250K condo back in 2003 would be worth almost double that amount now. In this month's Hawaii Damon Newsletter we will look at several East Oahu neighborhoods (both condos and homes) while giving a general overview of the market status in the rest of Oahu. Depending on your real estate goals you can then strategize accordingly. This is required reading for anyone looking to buy or sell property in Hawaii!

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US-China-World Trade Eruption vis a vis Hawaii Real Estate & Japan's Mitigating Role? - Knowledge is Wealth! So would be a crystal ball, especially one that could predict the ramifications of the US administration's last week announcement of slapping $60B in tariffs on Chinese products (just to start). One might wonder how this could possibly affect real estate in Hawaii. For those of you who have followed my newsletters, we have learned how interest rates, T-Bill yields, inflation, exchange rates and various other economic factors can affect the real estate market in general and here in Hawaii in particular. We can now add world trade and the health of it thereof as another important factor.

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Best Schools on Oahu - Private vs Public & Property Values - Knowledge is Wealth! So are schools, especially exceptional ones, and if you happen to live near one the value of that learning institution is no doubt built into the price of your home. However, when schools go through a dramatic educational platform change - with the right mix of properties and demographics in the neighborhoods around such schools - it could profoundly affect the demand and thereby value of the homes within the immediate vicinity. This phenomenon is actually occurring right here in a certain area of Oahu and most of the lucky parents who are currently sending their children to these schools (hint: they are public) do not realize it.

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Tax Reform vis-a-vis Hawaii Property Prices & Your Financial Bottom Line - If you are in the market to buy a new home or sell your current home this month's Hawaii Damon newsletter is a must read. The new tax reform starting in 2018 will definitely affect the real estate market in general - the reasons for which it will have a bigger impact in Hawaii compared to the US average - will be explained. I will delve into how it could impact your bottom line and how to possibly and strategically reduce your tax burden vis-a-vis the new and existing tax rules*. We will first look at the MID (Mortgage Interest Deduction) newly limited to $750,000 on a new home loan which is down from $1,000,000.