House Hunting Should Be Fun – Think Outside the Box

Shopping for a Home in Hawaii

House hunting or any type of real estate shopping can be frustrating at times. Especially in the type of market we have today. With reduced inventory, we sometimes find ourselves up against multiple offers and stressful periods of uncertainty for the outcome.

There are times when you need to think outside the box and take a different path. Take, for example, a home I built in Kona Heavens. This was an area we had lived in before and found it to be ideal for us in terms of convenient locality, good elevation, and spacious lot sizes.

Get Creative in Your Search

Our hunt began by researching the area for vacant lots not currently listed with a realtor. I composed a brief introductory letter describing our desire to purchase and build our dream home then sent it off to about a dozen owners of record in the subdivision. Over a few weeks’ time, lo and behold, I received two replies. That in itself was exciting.

One owner was a bit unrealistic with their ask price but hey… they received an unsolicited request, so why not? The other property owner was a bit more coy. They responded back with a letter stating they were unsure what their future and intention was with that lot. Things had changed in their lives that caused them to reconsider their original plans and they may just like to sell.

Over the next six months, we engaged in small kine back and forth communications (small kine = not obnoxious or annoying) and ultimately came to a deal. Success! Here’s a crazy side note. The lot was so overgrown with tall vegetation, we didn’t really know if it had a good ocean view.

With machete in hand and the deed in our pocket, Audrey and I cut a path down to the bottom of the property line and quickly discovered — Oh YES — coastline and gorgeous view! That part may have seemed a bit dicey if a view was a mandatory requirement on your wish list, but we felt confident it would have one given the location. We proceeded to have the lot cleared and prepared for what would be house number two of our building experience.

So you see, the hunt can be conducted in different forms. Strategies can vary but the goal is always the same. In my next blog, I’ll talk about some of the challenges we faced designing this custom home.

Want to Make Hawaii Your Home?

Your Hawaii Life Dream might be to purchase an existing home or something completely different. I would be honored to speak with you about the details. Put my real estate experience to work for you. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. The links are at the top and bottom of this blog.

Aloha… mahalo and a hui hou