Kauai's Coconut Coast Condos

Morgage loans don’t go through as smoothly as they do on television. If you’re turned down, don’t give up hope.

When a lender denies your application for a mortgage loan, they have to give the reasons in writing. The most common reasons are a poor credit report, you don’t make enough income, or you have too much debt. They may also deny the application because the house you are looking at doesn’t meet the criteria for the loan.

The most important thing to remember is a denied loan application doesn’t mean that you can’t buy a house. You just have to do something differently and work things out. Don’t get discouraged.

If your application was denied because of poor credit, you can get a free copy of your credit report from the credit agency or agencies that were used in the decision. Make sure that the things on the report are accurate. If they are not, dispute them. Take care of legitimate items on your credit report to improve the credit score. Cleaning up your credit may take some time, but your credit can improve to the lender’s acceptable level.

Income can be improved by changing jobs or getting a second job; however, the lender will require proof of stable income. In may take at least six months on a new a job to improve your status. Also, choosing a less expensive house or making a larger down payment may get you approved at your current income.

If you have too much debt, paying it down is your best option. If you have credit cards with a zero balance, the limit on them is considered since it is potential debt. Canceling the cards can improve your status quickly.

If all else fails, consider another lender. Different lenders have different criteria for lending money. Contacting the HUD office to find out about programs and resources can be beneficial as well.

Bamboo is a wonderful addition to any yard or garden, and for Hawaii residents, a favorite way to add some Asian flair to a property. Bamboo is actually part of the grass family, but it is definitely unique. It can be planted in pots, or in the ground, to add class to your landscaping. It is easy to plant bamboo and it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, making it a choice plant for many landscapers and homeowners.

Planting and Maintenance

To plant bamboo, all you need is a bamboo plant and soil that is enriched with compost and fertilizer. Bark chips and leaves are recommended for composting the soil, along with some nitrogen rich fertilizer in the spring or summer.

In the autumn, it will require fertilizer that isn’t rich in nitrogen and fertilization is not necessary in the winter. For spring and summer, a fertilizer that is rated 24-8-16 is recommended. In the fall, a rating of 3-10-10 is adequate.

When the plant is getting established, it may require watering twice per week, but after that watering it once a week is sufficient. However, if the leaves of the plant tend to curl, that’s a sign that it is dehydrated and it needs water.

Things to Watch Out For

Growing bamboo is not very challenging; however, you may run into problems that are easily solved. The main problems include dehydration and root rot. If the plant looks sick, it probably is.

Curling leaves are due to dehydration. In such a case, it isn’t getting enough water or the soil isn’t holding water. Adjusting you watering schedule may be sufficient, but you may need to add more mulch to make it easier for the roots to absorb the water.

Root rot will cause the bamboo to look sick and most likely, it will kill it. The best way to deal with root rot is to avoid it. The plant does require a lot of water, but watering too much can cause root rot. When they are planted in pots, the pot needs to be well-draining. The soil should be kept moist, but you don’t want it to be soaked. If the plant outgrows the pot, it needs to be replanted.

The utmost problem with bamboo is that it can be invasive and it is hard to get rid of if you decide you don’t want it. The roots and new shoots will have to be dug up and they usually have deep root system. Depriving them of water, if possible, is a good way to take care of invasive problems.

Over the past year, you have probably heard of Zillow and their magical Zestimator home valuation tool. It seems like these type of automated valuation tools are popping up all over the web these days, and while you may be tempted to rely on Zillow valuations when shopping for real estate in Hawaii, here are a few reasons you may want to work with a qualified real estate agent on Hawaii home valuations, and not expect Zillow to work like a magic bullet on Hawaii real estate.

The Condo Factor- Zillow is a great tool for evaluation generalized home values in highly homogenized housing markets. If you are looking for a cookie cutter single family house on the surburban mainland, the Zestimator may provide a relatively close home valuation for you.

In Hawaii, the property mix is heavy on the condo and muti-family side. At least 30% of the housing market in Hawaii is currently made up of condos, and at this time Zillow is not very accurate at finding individual condo units, and does not excel in multi-family type property.

Zillow is a GIS Map Based Product- So far, we have not found any of the national GIS map based products on the web to be reliable in plotting property in Hawaii. Often times, the map pin that is supposed to represent the subject property winds up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean or maps a completely different property as the one you’re trying to locate.

Zillow is a Website- As e-mail and the Internet become even more constant and natural parts of our daily lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest online trends and tools, and to forget the value of good old fashioned human experience. Zillow is a website, and can perform limited functions based on finite calculations and formulas. No website should be used to replace the years of hands on experience, market know-how, and personal knowledge of a qualified real estate agent.

So, when you’re serious about buying or selling real estate in Hawaii, pick up the phone, and give me a call. I’ll be happy to work with you on home valuations, provide you with comprehensive and accurate CMAs, and help you through every step of the transaction. Plus, if you’re in town, I’ll drive you out to see a few places, and together we’ll buy your dream condo or get top dollar for your existing Hawaii real estate. Who knows. I might even buy you a shaved ice or a hot cup of Kona coffee. Betcha Zillow can’t do that!