Navigating Through the Hawaii Real Estate Market
By: admin
By Andrew Meislin | andrew@lauhalamortgage.com | www.LauhalaMortgage.com
I recently read that Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean will be filming their next film in Hawaii (Island of Kauai & Maui) . The film reminded me of two things; my younger years regatta sailing in a yacht club on Oahu; and how the real estate market is a regatta — where you are the captain of your ship. From 2000 through 2005, most owners in Hawaii had the good fortune of a gust to our backs as we sailed downwind. With our sails and forward shoot as full they could be, there did not seem to be an end to this pace. However, any good sailor can tell you as the wind shifts you may have to change directions as you continue to navigate your vessel. In some cases, fine-tuning your ship includes tightening the sails, pulling in the forward shoot, and battening down the hatches as you maintain a course that may include stormy seas and strong headwinds.
In sailing, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Of course all skippers know when your 
destination is up wind, a straight line can be a challenge with two viable options. Turnaround and loose ground as you head back to port, or attempt your destination through a series of calculated maneuvers called tacks. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a tack as course of action meant to minimize opposition to the attainment of a goal. Inother words, you may have to sail a zigzag path to find enough crosswind to get to your destination. The shortest distance between a real estate purchase and a profit is time. And the only way to get there is with cash. As a particular real estate market may change, you are faced with two options.
Regroup by selling you holdings at a loss, or forge forward by reorganizing your finances to better weather time. While your CPA, attorney, Realtor or mortgage broker can help you with suggestions, as the captain of your own ship, the
only person who can decide to make a change is yourself.
A full sale gives you the flexibility to keep moving. In real estate, your bank account is your sail, and your cash liquidity is your wind. As the captain, your job is to find the right wind to keep moving towards your goal; under any conditions. Whether your wind be ongoing cash flow, tapping into the equity of your real estate assets, or a combination of both, good navigation includes constant adjustments towards smoother waters. As you continue to navigate through the real estate market, the past has shown us, value in Hawaii propertyhas rewarded those who manage their finances, take risk, and find value when others have long headed back to port.