The Blog
Real Oahu real estate numbers, explained.
Straightforward, data-driven writing on selling, buying, and pricing homes across Oahu: what the market is doing, and what it means for you.
Start Here
New here? Pick the path that sounds like you.
Four starting points, one for each kind of move.
01
Out-of-State Owner
Selling Oahu property from the mainland
HARPTA withholding, remote timelines, and the questions to ask before you list.
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03
Buying on Oahu
Skip today’s rate on nearly 100 Oahu homes
How loan assumption works, which listings currently qualify, and what to check before you write an offer on Oahu.
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02
Military & VA Buyers & Sellers
Buying, selling, or renting on PCS orders
VA loan assumption, the sell-or-rent call on PCS orders, and short sale options when timing is tight.
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04
Probate & Inherited Property
Settling an inherited home on Oahu
Probate timelines, HARPTA on inherited property, and what a personal representative can and cannot do.
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Two VA Loans at Once: What You Can Buy on Oahu
The VA lets you use the benefit again while you still hold another VA loan. Remaining entitlement, not eligibility, sets what you can buy here with…
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DTRIC Is Leaving Hawaii: What Oahu Homeowners Should Do
DTRIC homeowners non-renewals begin with anniversary dates in November 2026. Your renewal date is the deadline, not the announcement. What to check now.
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Mainland Probate, Oahu House: Do You Need a Second Probate?
The home state court does not clear title to Hawaii real property. Hawaii’s code has a lighter filing route than a second full probate, with one…
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FHA Loan Assumption on Oahu: The Assumable Loan Buyers Overlook
FHA loans are assumable on Oahu, letting a qualified buyer take over the seller’s rate without VA eligibility. Here is how the process actually works.
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Can You 1031 Exchange an Inherited Oahu Property? What HARPTA’s N-289 Actually Requires
Inherited Oahu real estate can qualify for a 1031 exchange, and filing Form N-289 can stop HARPTA withholding on the part that is a genuine exchange.
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Why Your Oahu Real Estate Agent Can’t Be Your 1031 Qualified Intermediary
A 1031 exchange requires an independent qualified intermediary. Your agent, attorney, or accountant usually can’t serve in that role. Here is why, and who can.
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What a Personal Representative Actually Pays: Probate Fees in Hawaii
Hawaii has no fixed probate fee schedule. Here is how personal representative and attorney fees actually get set, and a realistic cost range by estate size.
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Inheriting an Oahu Home With a Mortgage Still on It: Can You Keep the Seller’s Rate?
Inherited an Oahu home that still carries a mortgage? Federal law lets you keep the existing rate instead of refinancing. Here is how that actually works.
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Covering the Equity Gap on an Assumable Oahu Loan
The rate is the easy part. On an assumable Oahu loan you must cover the gap between price and loan balance, and second mortgages for it…
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Moving Off Island and Renting Out Your Oahu Home? What the Tax Bill Does Next
Renting out your Oahu home ends the exemption, but nobody removes it for you. You must report within 30 days, and the penalty is $300 a…
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You Inherited an Oahu Home. What Happens to the Property Tax Exemption?
A parent’s Honolulu home exemption ends at death, and somebody has to report it within 30 days. Miss it and the penalty is $300 a year…
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HARPTA Refunds: When You Actually Get the Withholding Back
Hawaii withholds 7.25% of your Oahu sale price at closing. Here are the three routes to getting it back, and why the cheapest one closes before…
Monthly Sold Report
See what Kailua and Hawaii Kai homes actually sold for.
Recorded prices next to prices after seller credits: data the portals never show.
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