Let me begin with...It's an extremely difficult time right now, not only for Hawaii and the US, but for the whole world. Your stress and feelings of isolation and "when will this end" are not yours alone. We are fervently praying for full restoration from this major health crisis.
We have a lot of people asking us:
-"How can you see homes for sale in Hawaii while under during coronavirus?"
-"How can you can you buy a house while in quarantine in Hawaii?"
-"Do you have to stay in your hotel room during quarantine in Hawaii?"
Here is an official statement from the Governor...
"Governor David Ige has ordered that all persons entering the State of Hawai'i to self-quarantine for 14 days or for the duration of their stay in Hawai'i, whichever is shorter. Upon arrival, residents are required to quarantine in a designated location in their residence. Visitors will quarantine in their hotel room, rented lodging or in a room if staying at a residence. Quarantined individuals may only leave their designated location for medical emergencies or to seek medical care. Failure to comply with all rules and protocols related to quarantines is punishable by fines of up to $5,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year."
How can you buy Hawaii real estate during Covid?
I have helped many people "look" at homes through face time and videos while they're in quarantine, or still on the mainland. While not everyone is ready to make an offer based on a video, some people actually are buying homes while not having seen them in person. It's quite common with our beloved military folks who sometimes just want to be able to walk into their own home when they first arrive on Oahu. We do extensive video walk throughs so that the buyer can truly see what is happening in the house, and of course you get a professional home inspection done after the offer has been accepted.
Hawaii is very dependent on tourism as it's major economic industry. It provides approx. 21% of the state's economy, with many of Hawaii's largest industries revolving around the constant flow of tourists.
Initially when the government "shut down" the state to tourists, locals were happy and we have really enjoyed having the beaches and establishments to ourselves. But that is long gone as we only want our 'normal' Hawaii back. To be able to go to the mall, or our favorite restaurants again and see everyone flourishing and enjoying each other. But, with interest rates so low right now, many local buyers are able to take great advantage of the lack of competition from mainland and international buyers.
Like most of the mainland, the Hawaii real estate market is hot right now. We still have more buyers than homes for sale (inventory), so that makes for multiple offers on some homes (in micro markets) and time crunches to get in to see the new listings that come up for sale. We recently had a listing with 29 offers - all over asking!
If you have questions about this, or any aspect of real estate here OR on the mainland, please don't hesitate to call us. We want to be able to help answer your questions, and ease your mind during this crazy time.
I'm looking forward to the day where I can give my friends and clients a big hug again. That is truly what Hawaii is about. ALOHA.