Kona Kohala Blog

REAL ESTATE:  Prices continue to move down but the average selling price is moving up, confused?  Since the mini-recovery has been going on, beginning about July or '09, we've seen most activity in the under $400K range for both Single Family Residences (SFR's) and condos but now that's changing.

While 65% of the active listing are now under $1M, 34% are between $500K and $999K whereas, in the recent past, the bulk of those listings were under $500K.  That piece of the pie now represents just 31% of the market.

Sales have continued to improve with North Kona SFR's being up 42% and condos up 96%.  In South Kohala SFR sales are up 3.85% and condos up 74%.  Falling prices continue to push sales as they have been all along.  Median prices have fallen <5%> for SFR's in North Kona and <21.5%> for condos.  In South Kohala SFR's have lost <9%> of their value and condos are down <15.44%>.

Tourism has been picking up a little throughout the islands with Oahu and Hawaii Islands seeing the biggest increases.  Like most recovery efforts we've seen lately we don't expect to see it continue.  People have just grown tired of not spending money so every once in a while, they throw off the frugal jacket and spend a little on something lavish, like a Hawaii vacation.

POLITICS:  While the rest of us struggle, our elite seem to be doing just fine.  Our president is on his 5th or 6th vacation now having done such a wonderful job in the gulf, improving the employment picture and spending his way through over $700 Billion of stimulus funds.  Of course he wasn't really involved in the gulf recovery was he?  The employment numbers have only gotten worse, where are we now, 9.5%.  Oh, and the stimulus money really hasn't been spent, has it, at least not for much that's worked to stimulate the economy.  What has he been doing?

Princess Pelosi still insists on a private jet at her disposal.  You never know when she's going to have to get back to Washington in a hurry.  Prince Harry may be on his way out.  It seems the people of Nevada are getting tired of his inactivity.  All of this republicans blaming democrats and democrats blaming republicans is play acting for the general public.

Not a one of these clowns have done anything to help us out of the mess we're in.  Just who's come up with a plan to stimulate our economy, no one.  Who's working for anything but pork for their constituents so they can get reelected?  Are we really that dumb that we keep falling for the crap these politicians put out?  It seems so, we keep reelecting them.  When is that going to change.  We only have this one more opportunity in November.  If we don't do it then we are on a fast track to hell.  America as we know it is pretty much doomed.  We will have shown that we condone the actions of the government, that we're okay with the lack of work on our behalf, that we're okay with the politicos taking care of themselves and not us.  If they're still around after this election we will have given them free reign to do whatever they want to do with no accountability to we the people.  We will have gotten the government we deserve.  How sad is that?