Oahu low flush $100 toilet rebate will expire this year

Have you replaced your toilet lately?  If you've been thinking about it, now is a good time to get it done.

Ten years ago, the City and County of Honolulu decided to offer a rebate to people replacing their toilets with a low-flush toilet.  The rebate is $100 for toilets installed no later than June 30, 2008.  The application form must be filed with the City and County no later than July 1, 2008.

The new generation of low flush toilets works great

You may remember the first generation of low-flush toilets didn't work very well and often required more than one flush to clear the bowl.  I'm happy to say that the newer toilets work great!  I'm no toilet expert, but professionals told me to buy a…

Keo's Thai Cuisine

This popular restaurant has been on Oahu since 1981. Keo's used to be at the corner of Date Street and Kapahulu Avenue, where a Starbucks is now located.  In 1997 the restaurant moved to Waikiki at 2028 Kuhio Avenue, where it intersects with Kuamoo Street.

Parking is by valet service.  In this area, street parking is in short supply and it will save you some hassles to use the valet. 

If you're planning for an early dinner, checkout the Dining Out section in Sunday's Honolulu Advertiser for early bird coupons.

We ate at Keo's during the holidays on a weekend evening.  The service was good and Keo personally greeted customers. 

We ordered the panang curry, cashew chicken and pad thai noodles.  We also ordered sticky rice for…

Deadline for filing Oahu tax appeals is 1/15/08

If you're a homeowner on Oahu and want to appeal your assessed property value, the deadline is next Tuesday!  Your letter must be postmarked by that date or you'll have to wait until next year and try again.  The tax assessment office does not accept appeals sent by fax. 

The form for filing appeals is BFS-RP-P-51.  You can download it at our website: http://www.oahumls.net/realestatefaq.php.

Please note that there's a $25 fee payable to the City and County of Honolulu for filing an appeal.

Good Luck!

Mike Bates

Hawaiian Winters - it's not always sunny here

Two thousand and seven was a pretty dry year in Hawaii.  Ironic, because in 2006 we had the "40 days and nights" of rain in March and April.  

On December 4, 2007 we got another heavy dose of rain.  I woke up around 2 a.m. to the sound of wind and rain, pelting the south side of our home.  It was unusual because Hawaii normally experiences trade winds, which come from the northeast.  The rain was traveling in a near horizontal pattern, flying into our south-facing windows and covering the kitchen floor with water.

I looked outside to check on our two dogs.  Our kitchen porch is covered, but with this unusual strong wind and rain from the south the porch was soaked.  And so were our two dogs.  The dogs…

Jason Scott Lee in Honolulu

Last Friday night my girlfriend and I were eating dinner at a favorite restaurant in Kapahulu, a neighborhood near Diamond Head in Honolulu.

We were just about finished eating and my girlfriend noticed Jason Scott Lee was sitting down with friends.  We're both Bruce Lee fans and really enjoyed Jason's portrayal of him in the movie, Dragon.

Lucky for us, I had my camera in the car.  I walked to the car, came back and paid the bill and then we looked in Jason's direction.  My girlfriend was nervous about asking for a photo, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. 

I walked over to his table and asked if I could get a picture of Jason with my girlfriend.  He said yes, then his friend offered to take the photo and I could be in the…

Heavenly Hana is happening!

Why do I say that?  Because Hana is a favored area for people that want to be away from the crowds.  The most famous example is probably Oprah Winfrey.  Olivia Harrison (George Harrison's wife - George passed away in 2001) also has property in Hana.

I've been looking at properties with customers in Hana lately and it's interesting to see people that like this life of seclusion.  Okay, Kahului is a 2-hour (or less) drive and only about 20 minutes by airplane.  Being a Honolulu resident, I am more used to driving a couple of miles and getting what I need at the big box stores.  Also, work is plentiful in Honolulu.  In Hana... there probably aren't so many jobs.

Hana town has a population of about 1,000 and another 2,000 or so…

Makaha Valley recovers from a recent fire

A month ago Oahu was lacking rain and the leeward areas of the island were drying up.  At times like this brush fires are common events.

One month ago today a fire spread in Makaha Valley.  Residents of Makaha Valley Towers got a spectacular view of the fire.  I spoke with some residents yesterday and they said it caused some dust and odor but otherwise was not a scary situation.

Since the fire we've had some rain and oh, what a difference.  Here's a photo of the Makaha mountainside that was burned to a crisp last month.  Now it's lush and green again. 

Makaha is a great location for getting away from the big city (Honolulu) and you'll also find that homes and condos are more affordable.  It's a 35-mile…

Hawaii's real estate statistics for September 2007 were published last week and foreclosures have doubled compared to a year earlier.  Shocking?  It sounds bad but Hawaii still ranks as the state with the 10th lowest rate of foreclosures in the U.S.

In September there were 135 foreclosure filings in Hawaii, or one filing per 3,638 homes.  Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate with one filing per 185 households for a total of 5,504.  Total foreclosures in the nation for September were 223,538.

Okay, let's get back to Hawaii.  Prices are high here and they always have been, compared to the majority of mainland cities.  What can we do to find a good deal on a home?  Are foreclosures the way to go? 

Beware of foreclosure advertisements placed by real…