Kailua is known for its spectacular beaches and calm way of life.  The white-sandy beaches and calm-clear water offers the residents of Kailua a variety of recreational activities.  They can enjoy swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling. It is also possible to just relax and watch the sea turtles swim.

For more activities residents can go to Kailua Beach Park or drive just a short distance away to Lanikai Beach.  This beach has been voted numerous times to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the planet.

Residents can also do plenty of shopping in Kailua. There are plenty of boutiques, specialty, and grocery stores.  All homes in the town are in a close proximity to a shopping area.

There are also great restaurants for residents to enjoy.  Some of these are the breakfast restaurants Cinnamon’s and Crepes No Ka’Oi.  Great places to stop for lunch are Uahi Island Grill and The Food Company, and for dinner people can choose from different varieties such as Italian, Chinese, and Moroccan.

For families in the community they might like to send their kids to one of Kailua’s several private schools.  There are a few public schools available for parents that would prefer to go that route instead.

The average home in Kailua is around $650,000; however, there are prices much lower than that for people willing to look, especially for condos.  Those seeking pricier exclusive estates should expect to pay up into the millions, anywhere to $36 million.  People seeking real estate in Kailua should search for Oahu listings or they could end up looking for homes on the Big Island.

It is nearly impossible to mention all the reasons why Honolulu has become the ultimate tourist destinations in Hawaii. In this beautiful island, you will have lots of fun things to see and do that it may take you a lifetime to understand why it became the top destination in Hawaii. So, here are some of the reasons why buying a primary residence or secondary home in Honolulu is a great idea.

Scenic beaches and beautiful weather

Honolulu homes for sale are located near the pristine beaches of Hawaii. This makes Honolulu a paradise for tourists who wish to get away from the stresses of daily life. Its beaches are also located near stunning waterfalls and beautiful coves. With its prime location, it has become a perfect place for anyone who wishes to visit a quiet place where they can relax and feel reunited with nature. It also has a beautiful weather, with a temperature that ranges between 75 to 80 degrees all year round.

Culinary scenes and historical sites

The culinary scene of Honolulu features a great mix of modern and traditional flavors. With a lively mix of contemporary bistros and ethic restaurants, Honolulu is famous for serving world-class dishes that will surely tickle your senses. The area also has local eateries, which makes its culinary scene a big hit among visitors who enjoy exploring different kinds of food. History buffs also enjoy staying in Honolulu because of the Pearl Harbor War Memorial, Lolani Police District, and other historical sites.

High quality of life

Those who have decided to invest in Honolulu real estate will also enjoy a wide range of amenities. Public swimming pools, parks, golf courses, and other recreational areas give tourists and residents safe places to have fun. Most of these sites are also near the coastline so you will enjoy a panoramic view of its pristine, white sand beaches. Most of the residents in Honolulu will also enjoy a high quality of life because it has a great transportation system and an impressive per-capita income.

Fun things to do

Honolulu also keeps residents busy all year round because it offers lots of sights to see and things to do. The team of athletes in the University of Hawaii keeps all sports fans busy with home games at the Stan Sheriff Center and the Aloha Stadium. Both tourists and locals will also enjoy street fairs and cultural activities that will add a special touch to their unique Hawaii experience. Once you have decided to invest in Honolulu real estate, you can finally make the most out of everything this island has to offer.

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Why Invest in Hawaii Real Estate

The year 2012 proves to be a wise year to invest in Hawaii real estate.  With home sales rising to as much as 45.83% in Kauai last April and with Hawaii condos sold at a much more affordable rate, you can see a lot of potential in the real estate industry in Hawaii.

If you were to buy properties in Hawaii, the mere beauty of the island will awe and inspire you. You really don’t need much convincing to put your money in such prime investments. With price dropping off, you can really get the best value out of your money. You might buy a home property in Hawaii at a higher price but home property tax here is more than 30% less than in most states. That alone will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Living in Hawaii
Economy wise, you will never run out of things to make money in Hawaii. Tourist trade is by far the most popular and rewarding field to get into while you’re at the island. You can sell the beauty of Hawaii in more ways than one. For local business, the options are virtually limitless. The restaurant and hotel industry is still the main player in the area. With Chinese and Japanese investments pouring in, you can get into any business you can think of and be successful with proper planning.

Real Estate in Hawaii
Home properties and condos sales are increasing because of the inspiring nature that you can see all over the island and their earning potential. It is like being in your ideal paradise vacation every single day. Hawaii has always been a great place for couples, families and retirees for vacation or for long-term residence.

If you want to hit it real big in the island, you can decide to invest in vacant lands. Big Island is one of the major Hawaii real estate you need to look in to if you want this type of investments. It has virgin forests at one side and a spectacular sea view on the next. It is home to world class resorts with outstanding view of nature at its finest. Honolulu and Oahu are still great places to find luxury homes while you can still find agricultural tracts in parts of Maui.

Online Property Search
Thanks to today’s Internet technology, searching for Hawaii real estate does not need to be a hassle or expensive. You do not need to fly to Hawaii to shop for properties. Log online and you can see a number of Hawaii properties up for sale just by searching on Google.  Make sure that you look for quality and organized MLS (multiple listing service) websites that can guide you in finding available properties for sale, compare prices and give you tips on buying real estate in Hawaii.

In choosing a MLS to use, make sure that their listings are updated. You do not want to waste your time inquiring about a property that is already sold! If you are looking for a reliable and up to date MLS website, you can check out Hawaiis.com. The site is very easy to navigate and user friendly.  You can find fresh listings from properties in Oahu, Big Island, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Search home and commercial properties of all islands in a single website. You will also get very valuable information by checking the latest news, info and market updates on Hawaii Real Estate.

More unsettling for potential buyers of Corona Del Mar properties is faltering demand for Orange County properties. According to a recent inventory report, demand for local properties in the past month and a half has fallen by nine percent despite the fact that the end of spring/beginning of summer is traditionally a strong time for home purchases. Additionally, of the 4,355 properties listed throughout Orange County in May 2011, a full 43% were distressed properties. These distressed properties, which are usually sold either as foreclosures or short sales, often depress the median sales price of the region and reflect continued economic uncertainty. Foreclosures have become less common in recent months, but lenders have increasingly embraced short sales as a way to clear distressed inventory before a foreclosure auction is necessary.

The Big island real estate market saw an increase in the number of Hawaii island condos sales even as a major real estate project headed towards auction. According to an October 5, 2010 article from Pacific Business News, “The number of single-family homes on the Big Island dipped slightly in September, while condominium sales rose by a quarter from the previous year, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service. There were 124 single-family homes sold on the Big Island last month, down from 127 sold during September 2009. The median price of a home, however, rose 11 percent to $251,000, up from $226,500 in September 2009. Condo sales jumped 25 percent in September to 40 units sold, up from 32 units sold during the same month last year. Prices for condos were down, however, with the median price falling 12 percent to $285,000, down from $325,000 in September 2009. The year-to-date figures show the same pattern for condo sales and prices, with sales volume up 69 percent and the median price, at $265,000, down 11 percent, according to Hawaii Information Service data. Homes sales for the first nine months of the year were up 30 percent, while the median price of $255,000 was down 4 percent.”

The “Ke Kailani” residential subdivision, which would have included dozens of Big Island homes for sale, seems to be headed for a foreclosure auction. According to a September 28, 2010 article from the Honolulu Star Advertiser, “Michael Fuchs had many hits as a former chief executive of HBO, but his dabbling in Hawaii real estate development appears headed for a bad ending. Unsold pieces of the Ke Kailani luxury residential subdivision developed by Fuchs at Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island are scheduled for a Nov. 18 foreclosure auction. Three local lenders, led by Bank of Hawaii, claim that Fuchs defaulted on $52 million in loans he took out to develop the project featuring 39 single-family home lots and 12 condominiums mostly fronting three golf fairways of Mauna Lani’s South Course. The planned auction involves 25 single-family home lots, land planned for eight condominium units and two completed condo units — all of which are being offered in bulk, not separately.”

Garden Grove real estate, found in a rather exclusive suburban community, has been facing largely the same financial situation as the rest of Orange County, California. One high point for Garden Grove real estate for sale is the median home price, according to a February 23, 2010 article in the OC Metro. The article noted that “Orange County’s median home price rose 13.6 percent in January, compared to the same time last year, according to stats released by the California Association of Realtors.” The piece, composed by Kristen Schott, continued to say that “The region’s home price hit $480,790 in the period, up from $423,100 in January 2009. But the median price fell 3.1 percent from December, when the number was $496,070. The pattern was also reflected statewide, according to C.A.R., which measures its statistics from MLS information. California’s median home price increased 15 percent to $287,440 in January.”

This same pattern for Garden Grove homes for sale was noted by a February 23, 2010 article in the Orange County Business Journal. That piece stated that “The median price of an existing Orange County home declined by more than $15,000 in January from December, thanks in large part to an influx of first-time home buyers snapping up more affordable homes, the California Association of Realtors said on Tuesday.” The article, written by mark Mueller, also noted that “Including condos, the median price of a home here in January was $370,000, a 6.8% decrease from December, and a 15% decrease from a year earlier, according to San Diego-based MDA DataQuick…”

One traditional market of market distress, the number of short sales, increased in January of 2010, indicating a potential trouble spot for Garden Grove real estate for sale. According to a March 1, 2010 post in the Orange County Register, “Orange County home sales for less than a residence’s total debt increased 33.8% in January from the year before, Southern California Multiple Listing Service figures show. The listing service reported that 487 of January’s deals were ‘short sales’ – or sales in which the purchase price is less than mortgage balance.

The Los Gatos homes for sale is very closely related to the trends of the greater Bay Area. Most indicators seem to suggest that the Bay Area real estate market is slowing, after a period of rapid growth towards the end of 2009. According to a February 19, 2010 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, “The Bay Area housing market lost some of its 2009 momentum in January, according to an authoritative real estate report, but prognosticators do not necessarily see a shift towards slower sales in 2010.” The piece, written by Robert Selna, continued to say that “Data analyzed by MDA DataQuick, a San Diego research firm, show that 4,853 new and resold houses and condominiums closed escrow in the nine-county Bay Area last month. That represented a decline of 38 percent from December and a 4 percent drop from January 2009.”

A February 18, 2010 article in the Contra Costa Times noted that there is mixed news facing the greater Bay Area real estate market as well as Los Gatos homes for sale. This piece found that “Bay Area home prices rose in January for the fourth-straight month on a year-to-year basis while the number of home sales dropped below what they were a year ago for the first time in 17 months. But whether the sales slowdown stems from a lower number of homes for sale due to banks holding onto foreclosed properties or cooling buyer interest is unclear.” The article, written by Eve Mitchell, continued to say that “From December to January, home sales dropped 38 percent. While home sales typically fall off between those two months, the average decline has been 28 percent, according to DataQuick records that go back to 1988.”

A February 19, 2010 article in the Mercury News presented a more positive outlook for Los Gatos real estate, finding that “…most experts interviewed said the recovery that started last year is likely to continue later this year, citing an increase in home prices in the same report and a shift to a more sustainable mix of homes on the market, with fewer foreclosures.”

The Costa Mesa real estate market, which is heavily dependent on the larger and inclusive Orange County real estate market, faced some moderately bad news in a report released by ForeclosureRadar.com, which indicated that the number of foreclosures in the region increased slightly from December of 2009 to January of 2010. This trend was reported in a February 16, 2010 article in the OC Metro, which stated that “In addition, 523 properties were returned to banks, up 86 from December but down 193 from January 2009. And 303 homes were sold to a third party, up 81 from December and 183 from the same time last year, according to the report.” The founder and CEO of ForeclosureRadar.com, Sean O’Toole, also said that “With delinquent payments rising, foreclosures slowing and foreclosure alternatives failing, it appears the foreclosure crisis will be with us for many years to come.”

A related indicator for Costa Mesa homes for sale, the number of short sales, spiked much more sharply in January of 2010. According to a March 1, 2010 article in the Orange County Register, “Orange County home sales for less than a residence’s total debt increased 33.8% in January from the year before, Southern California Multiple Listing Service figures show.” The piece, written by Jeff Collins, continued to note that “The listing service reported that 487 of January’s deals were ‘short sales’ – or sales in which the purchase price is less than mortgage balance. That’s nearly 28% of all Orange County resales traded through the MLS.”

One positive note for Costa Mesa real estate was reported by Kristen Schott of the OC Metro, who wrote that “Orange County’s median home price rose 13.6 percent in January, compared to the same time last year, according to stats released by the California Association of Realtors. The region’s home price hit $480,790 in the period, up from $423,100 in January 2009.” The February 23, 2010 piece continued to state that “But the median price fell 3.1 percent from December, when the number was $496,070. The pattern was also reflected statewide, according to C.A.R., which measures its statistics from MLS Information. California’s median home price increased 15 percent to $287,440 in January.”

San Bruno, a community just south of San Francisco, has seen its real estate market rising and falling throughout the past several years, with the economic recession of the past couple of years plaguing the market, like most others in the state of California, as foreclosures and market inventory have risen and prices have plummeted.

According to statistics from the San Mateo County Association of Realtors, in February, there were 28 new listings, putting the current inventory of San Bruno homes for sale at 62. up from January’s inventory of 54. There were 18 closed sales in February, up from 12 in January. The homes spent an average of 26 days on the market before selling, a marked increase of 81 days average in January.

The average sale price for San Bruno real estate in February was just over $530,000, down slightly from just over $556,200 in January, but the median price was $539,500 in February, up from $530,000 in January.

Looking back at the previous year, San Bruno had a total of 207 sales in 2009, down from 228 sales for the year in 2008. Prices showed signs of a struggle throughout the year: The 2009 median sales price was $543,000, down from 2008′s figure of $600,000. And total sales volume was down by more than $20 million for the full year from the previous one.

An unincorporated community in Santa Cruz, the community of Aptos, California, has seen, like many cities across the nation, a dent put into its housing market over the past two years. With the onset of the recession across the U.S. home prices here, like elsewhere, fell, while foreclosures rose and inventory began stockpiling.

Because Aptos is a rather small community, it can be difficult to extrapolate reliable information from its housing statistics. For example, at the end of the year in December 2009, according to the Santa Cruz Association of Realtors information, the average and median price of home sold was $525,000. Upon further scrutiny, however, we can see that there was only one home sold in December – for a price of $525,000. Meanwhile, there were two new homes listed in December for a total of five homes on the market, with each home spending an average of 4.8 months listed before being sold.

Looking back to November, statistics show that there were two Aptos homes for sale closed upon, with an average and median price of $456,000. During that month, there were seven homes on the market, spending an average of just 2.6 months listed before selling.

Some earlier statistics from November of 2008 show that despite the minimal information, the Aptos real estate has improved since the worst days during the crisis. In November 2008, there was one closed home sale, which had a price of almost $238,000, much lower than the prices seen in the last few months of 2009. Based on this information, it would be logical to say the market has seen its bottom and is now on its way back up.