How I Serve Those Who Serve – Military Buyers in Hawaii

Military Move Season

Summertime is prime time for PCS moves to and from Hawaii. So many service members serve tours on Oahu, from Schofield Barracks, to Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam, to Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. 

Those of us who have been here a while recognize the signs of the season. As school is ending, For Rent and For Sale signs pop up more regularly in our neighborhoods. The parade of flatbed trucks with empty shipping containers pull up in front of neighbors’ homes. 

The hotel lobbies are full of families with forty bags and a full assortment of baby gear, who look like they came for a month instead of vacationing for a week. A few weeks later those same families will stand in front of their new homes and watch with trepidation as the moving company cracks the seal on their own shipping containers to see what did and didn’t survive the ocean voyage.

Many families are willing to jump in and live the full Hawaii Life experience out in the community. And many also recognize the unique investment potential that exists in this market, either because they know about the VA Loan benefit, they plan to retire here, or because they’re confident they can rent to other military personnel or vacationers when they leave.

As a leader of Hawaii Life’s Military Team of agents, I help service members during their PCS in the following ways:

Pre-Move Support

Military families regularly find me online or are referred to me through agents at their current duty stations and can feel free to ask me many kinds of questions about their upcoming PCS experience. Among the most common are:

• Where should I live?
• How will I afford Hawaii?
• Is the traffic really that bad?
• Where should my children go to school?

 
I also set up search portals for you to show available listings meeting your precise needs. We often discuss the advantages of one location over another, so you can develop preferences for neighborhoods even before arriving on the island.

If you find a home online you’re very interested in and may consider making an offer, I love to visit the home and tour you through it using FaceTime or Skype tools. I have a buyer right now who is building a home in Makaha who visited the site one time, but all of her finish selections and construction milestone walk-throughs have been by Skype!

I connect you with reliable lenders who are knowledgeable about VA Loans, so you can be pre-approved for a loan before you land, to minimize any down-time. I understand the value of conserving your TLA money, and wanting to limit your time living in a hotel. I also know you often have a long-term relationship with USAA or NFCU, and can explain the strategies for using those lenders in Hawaii.

I block out time on my calendar around your arrival date, so I am dedicated to your home search.

Upon Arrival

I schedule in-person meetings with you, usually at your hotel or lodge, to discuss the current market conditions, the availability of suitable homes, and the transaction processes.

I take you on the grand tour, showing you several homes that meet your needs and budget. The most important thing you can do is be ready to go! The market does move quickly here, and in some price ranges and locations, it’s a competitive scene. I suggest strategies, not only for offering on the home you want, but for making sure your offer is accepted!

I work to make sure you can move in to your new home in the shortest amount of time possible. I understand how important it is to get your family settled and to get to work at your new duty station.

Long-Term Relationship

I make sure you have what you need at the end of the transaction. I have a network of contractors and vendors I can provide for you to rely on.

I help acclimate you to the community by providing information about your interests, such as restaurants, events, social activities, “Best Places,” etc.

When it’s time for you to move away from Hawaii, not only I am available to list your home for sale, I also interview agents at your next duty station who will help you find your next home.

I look forward to hearing your questions, and to working with you on your upcoming PCS to Hawaii!