Every neighborhood on this island moves at its own speed.

Yes. Most of my seller clients are not on the island when their home sells. Most documents are signed electronically, the deed is notarized wherever you are, showings and inspections are handled here, and we talk on a schedule that works for your time zone. The two things to plan early are repairs, which take longer to arrange from a distance, and HARPTA withholding, which applies to sellers who are not Hawaii residents. Start with the mainland owner guide.

HARPTA is Hawaii’s withholding on the sale proceeds of non-resident sellers. It is a prepayment toward state tax, not an extra tax, and a portion is often refunded after you file. The amount withheld, whether you qualify for a reduced amount, and how to file for the refund depend on your situation, so I give you the ranges and walk you through the forms, and your CPA confirms the numbers. Read more about HARPTA for out-of-state owners.

First, find out whether the property has to go through probate or passes outside it, for example through a trust. That decides who can sign and when the home can be listed. While that is being settled we can still prepare: a valuation, a look at the condition, and a timeline. I coordinate with your attorney so nothing is listed before it legally can be. See the probate and inherited property guide.

A buyer takes over the seller’s existing VA loan, including its interest rate, instead of getting a new mortgage. The buyer must qualify with the loan servicer, and the seller should understand what happens to their VA entitlement (the loan guarantee they can reuse on a future VA loan). When the existing rate is well below today’s rates, an assumable loan can make a home far more affordable. Learn how assumable loans work on Oahu, or see the current list of assumable listings.

It depends on three things: what your home would rent for compared with your payment, how long you expect to be away, and whether you want to be a landlord from another duty station. Sometimes selling is right. Sometimes keeping the home and its loan is the better financial move. I lay out both paths with real numbers so you can decide before the report date gets close. Start with the military and PCS guide.

A seller credit is money the seller agrees to put toward the buyer’s closing costs or rate buy-down. It lowers what the seller actually walks away with, but it does not show up in the recorded sale price. That is why two homes that both “sold for” the same price can net the seller very different amounts. My sold reports show the credits, so you see what homes really sold for. Get the sold report for your neighborhood.

Start with recent closed sales of similar homes nearby, adjusted for credits and condition, then look at what is active and competing with you. An online estimate is a useful first number. A conversation about your specific home, its lot, its view and its condition is what turns that number into a listing price. Try the instant valuation, then book a strategy call to go through it together.

Ask how they price a home and ask to see the data they use. Ask how they communicate when you are off-island. Ask what they do in the first two weeks of a listing. The answers tell you whether you are getting a plan or a promise. You can see how I work before we ever talk: my YouTube channel walks through real homes and real numbers every week.

All of them. I am based on the windward side and in East Honolulu, where I track Kailua and Hawaii Kai week by week, and I work with buyers and sellers island-wide: Kaneohe, the Diamond Head neighborhoods, Kapolei and Ewa Beach, and Mililani. The method is the same wherever the property is: current closed sales first, then a plan. Browse the neighborhood pages.

Nothing. It is a thirty-minute conversation, by Zoom or phone, about your situation and your options. You leave with a clear next step whether or not we work together. Pick a time that works for you.