North Kona Home Sales » Living in Kona

KONA COFFEE LOVERS Please Step Up!

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:11:37 +0000

THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT Kona Coffee farmers is yours on Thursday. Next to tourism, Kona Coffee is our best known commodity. For many, it is what puts Kona on the map. The Kona Coffee Farmers Association is greatly concerned about the possibility of genetically modified coffee destroying their very valuable industry.

ON NOVEMBER 13TH, 10AM TO 6PM your testimony is requested at the Kona County Council office located behind Big Island Grill or the council office in Hilo. A County Council 9 to 0 vote to ban GMO Coffee & Taro on Hawaii Island was vetoed by Mayor Harry Kim. The purpose of this meeting is to override this veto. Six votes are required. This is an urgent matter.

YOUR TESTIMONY MAY BE SHORT, just ask to have the veto overridden.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS and other issues concerning Big Island farmers at Kona Coffee Farmers Association http://www.konacoffeefarmers.org

Joyce Murphy, RB Hawaiian Isle Real Estate LLC

808-443-4302 e-mail me@JoyceMurphyRealtor.com

www.GourmetCoffeeFarms.com and www.KonaBigIsland.com

GETTING YOUR KONA FIX? It is a Mystery

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:21:14 +0000

SO YOU LOVE KONA. You work and live for those magic weeks of vacation, that portion of your life you spend on the Orchid Isle. You check a local web cam several times every evening and read every word in the Friday West Hawaii Today, even though it’s a week old when it arrives. I’ve been there. I remember when my life was on the mainland and my heart was in Kona.

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE BARON R. BIRTCHER* , my new favorite mystery author. If you’re longing for Kona, run, don’t walk, to the nearest book store and demand; don’t just ask for, “Angels Fall”, a Mike Travis novel! Before the third chapter you will have focused your eyes on the slopes of Hualalai (I stole that from the book), smelled Kona coffee roasting and well, get the book!

SHORT OF BEING HERE, this is the best Kona fix you’ll find. Birtcher’s characters are believable, even familiar. He approaches controversial local issues with sympathy and Hawaiian culture with respect.

GET ”ANGELS FALL”! Read it. Let me know what you think. But please, don’t give away the ending!

BOOK STORE SOLD OUT? Find out where to buy “Angels Fall”* online HERE.

Joyce Murphy, Realtor Broker BIC
Accredited Luxury Home Specialist
Hawaiian Isle Real Estate LLC and Luxury Real Estate Florida, Inc.
“In Real Estate, Experience Counts!”
808-443-4302 / 808-327-1155
More Kona Real Estate Information at:
www.KonaBigIsland.com

Joyce@KonaBigIsland.com

NAALEHU May Cause Rapid Weight Gain!

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:31:14 +0000

BIG ISLAND RESIDENTS BEWARE! NA’ALEHU may be habit forming. Once you’ve seen the beauty of the countryside and tasted Na’alehu’s delights, you may find yourself looking forward to a Ka’u get-away. Soon you too may notice dimples on your butt, saddlebag thighs, double chins and a big belly. You can probably walk away from the bakery’s home made salads and sandwiches. Well, sometimes you can. It is possible to resist the exotic flavored ice-cream. At the pastry display, however, is where you may well lose your resolve! But I am getting ahead of myself.

A FEW YEARS BACK the real estate market was a-booming and life was incredibly hectic for Kona. On a rare day off, friend and fellow real estate agent, Jan Engle, introduced me to Ka’u. After visiting Whittington Park, we had a look at a piece of ocean front conservation land she had her eye on. I was smitten with the spring-green hills long before we got to the incredible Punalu’u Black Sand Beach at Mile Marker 56. Jan introduced me to her friend, Barb, who showed us around Colony One condos at Sea Mountain. We had lunch in Na’alehu before we went to see the Discovery Harbour lot Barb was ready to build on. By the time we passed South Point on our way back to Kona, I was SOLD!

BEFORE LONG MY HUSBAND was in the truck and we had looked at every lot for sale in Discovery Harbour. Ecstatic to find a subdivision this far from city life, yet still “on the grid”, we picked our lot and bought it. Next we started looking for house plans and began dreaming of our Ka’u hide-away. Over the next few years, whenever we found the time, we made our way to Na’alehu to admire our hide-away home-site, dream a little and eat at the Punalu’u Bake Shop.

OVER TIME WE ATE OUR WAY to dimples, doubles and saddlebags. On our last trip we brought home a baker’s dozen malassadas, a loaf of coconut bread and half dozen pieces of bread pudding. That was in addition to what we ate while we were there. Realizing we cannot resist the bake goods at Na’alehu. My husband at last declared, “Sell the lot!”

IF YOU HAVE THE IRON WILL to resist the temptation of heavenly pastries or a really high metabolism, and the desire to build a get-away with stunning views; I have a lot for sale in Discovery Harbour. The golf course is closed for now, so I put the sales flyer for the lot on our new golf balls. E-mail DiscoveryHarbour414@KonaBigIsland.com and include your address if you want me to mail you a “golf ball sales flyer”.

If you want to test your resolve without driving to Ka’u or even coming to Hawaii, the bake shop sells goodies on-line. Click the photo or link above but remember, you have been warned about rapid weight gain.

Aloha and Mahalo,

Joyce Murphy, Realtor Broker BIC
Hawaiian Isle Real Estate LLC and Luxury Real Estate Florida, Inc.
“In Real Estate, Experience Counts!”
808-443-4302 / 808-327-1155
Joyce@KonaBigIsland.com

More Kona Real Estate Information at:
www.LuxuryRealEstateHI.com

INDEPENDENCE on THE BIG ISLAND

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:08:43 +0000

When it is the 4^th of July, you will find me in Waiamea at the Parker Ranch for the annual Independence Day Rodeo. This year is the celebration of the Paniolo (Hawaiian Cowboy). Later in the day an estimated $40K was raised for charity during Waikoloa Beach Resort’s annual Fourth of July Rubber Duckie Race and Extravaganza. In Kailua-Kona, our annual parade was the largest in my memory with about 50 entries. After sunset all other fireworks paled beside Madame Pele’s magnificent display at Kilauea. It is tauted as the most spectacular eruption in decades.

At Mauna Lani Resort hundreds of spectators looked on as five honu were released into the ocean. There they will live out the rest of their lives, free to do whatever turtles are inclined to do. In the aftermath of all that celebration, I find myself contemplating how well it suits my nature to live where independence is cherished. Is it any wonder I work as an “Independent Contractor”? I just don’t like being controlled.

Lately I am feeling irritable about being dependant on oil. You see, I am old enough to have lived through the last really big oil scare. I recall most of the details of the passive solar home I hoped to build. I remember American made muscle cars giving way to fuel efficient foreign imports. I wrote articles on making solar collectors. Like so many “Baby Boomers”, I had great ideas about changing our dependence on fossil fuels. We knew in the 1970’s that we were depleting the ozone. We understood about acid rain, global warming and the greenhouse effect. Funny how much more oil we seemed to find in the 1980’s and 90’s. We got busy with other things and failed ourselves. I guess we counted on the catalytic converter and earth day to save the planet. We all had good intentions but we did little or nothing to make a cleaner world happen. We looked to the EPA to take care of our world and complained when it tried.

When Hink Rogers, founder of Blue Planet Foundation, recently said his goal is eliminate the use of all fossil fuel, it was a just shocking. Later I started thinking, what more perfect place to make a serious effort to do just that, than The Big Island. The higher gas and electric prices climb, the more convinced I am, the time to start is right now. I’m not talking about just recycling cans – mercury filled light bulbs – solar hot water – hybrid car – every little bit helps ecology. I’m thinking we should set our goal at full blown – geothermal – photovoltaic – electric car – Fossil Fuel Independence on The Big Island!Joyce Murphy, Realtor Broker BIC
Hawaiian Isle Real Estate LLC and Luxury Real Estate Florida, Inc.
“AWARD WINNING REPRESENTATION!”
808-443-4302 / 808-327-1155
Joyce@KonaBigIsland.com

More Kona Real Estate Information at:
www.LuxuryRealEstateHI.com

WHY ARE SO MANY FOR SALE?

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:46:03 +0000

A NEW CLIENT RECENTLY ASKED WHY she saw so many units available in Alii Lani. The answer I gave her was a bit complicated. I have reprinted it here.

FIRST ALII LANI IS A HUGE COMPLEX and so a normal percentage of units on the market there appears to be a lot when you just look at Realtor.com. Many units that might have already sold are piling up in this very slow market. That exaggerates the appearance even more. When supply and demand comes into play a big supply develops in a market where there is not much demand. Usually that triggers price reductions – and those have happened. In this Kona market some of the sellers purchased near the top of the market and cannot reduce their prices without taking a loss. Some of those who are upside down cannot sell without bringing cash to the table. Many of the sellers can pay the payments indefinitely. Some sellers are original purchasers who paid a fraction of what they are asking for the units. Their condos may cost very little to keep, and those sellers very often wait out the market. As a rule the Hawaiian buyer is well heeled and so we don’t get a lot of panic selling here. There are always a few individuals who have a need or strong desire to sell. Some simply see a better use for their investment dollar. Those sellers sometimes undercut the market and sell pretty quickly. The challenge for the buyer is recognising a great price and getting to those offerings quickly.

ALII LANI IS IN COMPITITION with newer products. The design at Alii Lani is cute as a button. They are just perfect for their original target market. People I know who own them are very happy with their condos. But they were not built to be a high-end product. For example, air conditioning when provided is by way of window Ac’s. I sometimes hear complaints about noise between the units. Newer complexes like Kona Sea Ridge, Alii Cove and Alii Park Place have come on the market in the past few years. Each newer complex offered more in the way of size, amenities and quality materials. Some of the Alii Lani owners would like to move on to those newer complexes. As with the market throughout the nation, people are having difficulty finding a buyer so they can move up. Some of the listings you see there are people who don’t have to sell. If they get their price they will move up to the more luxurious new properties. Many will happily remain as Alii Lani until they can sell on their own terms.

THE ALII LANI CONDOS ARE QUITE NICE. They are a bit small but make wonderful second homes. They are a great place to get your foot in Hawaii. If you are interested in pursuing a purchase there I will send photos, listings, a site plan and the history of sales in that complex over the past couple of years so you can look for patterns. This may be the perfect time to either get a great price or to shop for the most desirable units within the complex.

Joyce Murphy, Realtor Broker BIC
Hawaiian Isle Real Estate LLC and Luxury Real Estate Florida, Inc.
“In Real Estate, Experience Counts!”
808-443-4302 / 808-327-1155
More Kona Real Estate Information at Joyce@KonaBigIsland.com
www.LuxuryRealEstateHI.com

HAWAII PROPERTY TAX – Big Island Rates

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:25:29 +0000

BLACK PEBBLE BEACH – Sounds Amazing!

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:07:24 +0000

BLACK PEBBLE BEACH, located at the base of Kona Paradise, is one of Kona’s most unusual Big Island beaches. Small smooth stones massage your feet as you walk. The music the pebbles make as the water recedes is just delightful. Best yet, an ocean entry is easy here for swimmers, snorkelers and divers too. There were divers suiting up the morning we were here.
Black Pebble Beach
LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF BLACK PEBBLE BEACH!

Black Pebble Beach
IS IT BAD LUCK TO TAKE HAWAIIAN ROCKS WITH YOU? That is the common belief. Postal service and airport officials claim to have boxes of Pele’s rocks that have been returned in hope of reversing bad luck back to good.

Joyce Murphy, Realtor Broker BIC
Hawaiian Isle Real Estate LLC
Luxury Real Estate Florida, Inc.
In Real Estate, Experience Counts
808-443-4302 / 808-327-1155
More Kona Real Estate Information at:
www.LuxuryRealEstateHI.com

THE BEACH BOYS – “Kona Coast” Song

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:29:11 +0000

DID YOU KNOW A SONG CALLED, “KONA COAST” was released by The Beach Boys in 1978? Knowing that they built a home on The Big Island during the late 1970’s, I wondered it they ever wrote anything out our beautiful island. If you listen closely you will notice that in “California Girls” they sing “I dig a French bikini on Hawaiian Island girls by a palm tree in the sand.” Other than that reference, Google turned up “Kona Coast”.

I HOPE I AM NOT BREAKING ANY LAWS by printing this. Here are the lyrics to the first verse. I do not know exactly who wrote it, but this is the what I found.

It’s been my secret passion to try it
In captain cook fashion, I can’t deny it
I want to spend my winters on the kona coast in hawaii
For years I saved my pennies and planned it
The great pacific ocean we’ll span it
I wanna go surfin’ where I dig it the most, in hawaii

I’VE NEVER HEARD “Kona Coast” but I sure would like to hear it. I tried to find a CD with the song. It does not appear to exist on an LP or CD. I did find one single for sale in the UK. I haven’t had a record player in years so that wouldn’t do me much good. Does anyone out there know if there is a CD with Kona Coast on it or if I can buy the song for my i-pod?

BIG ISLAND TRADITION – Parker Ranch Rodeo

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:12:26 +0000

ALOHA KONA! IF THIS IS THE BIG ISLAND AND IT IS JULY 4TH I must be in Kamuela at Parker Ranch Rodeo! If you have not yet discovered Rodeo in Hawaii, you are in for a great treat. This year’s festivities began with a bit of history. Chris Kanazawa, CEO made a tribute to John Palmer Parker. Did you know he began with only two acres of land 160 years ago?

UNIQULY HAWAIIAN EVENTS LIKE POO WAI U are structured around the Paniolo experience on The Big Island. This year for the first time a mainland entry, Warren Ranch from Wyoming, joined the local cowboys. For the second year in a row, Nahea Brenneman rode her beautiful Paint, Raelyn, to win the 1/8 Mile Horse Race. This year West Hawaii Concrete team was the fastest to dress a calf.

BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN VISTAS were clouded over during most of the event. The fine mist we encountered on the way to the ranch was welcome after the fires near Waimea earlier in the week. As always we found good food, fun and the Spirit of Aloho at Parker Ranch. We will be back in the fall when the Rodeo benefits a scholarship program for the children of Parker Ranch. I am looking forward to Calf Sorting and hope to see you there too. Contact me if you need dates, times or directions.

THE BEACH BOYS – Name that tune?

Joyce Murphy Realtor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 06:59:33 +0000

DID YOU KNOW THAT IN THE MID 1970′S THE BEACH BOYS built a retreat on The Big Island of Hawaii? According to local residents the band would set up on the tennis court and play their hit songs for wonderful parties hosted on the grounds of the secluded estate.

CAN YOU MATCH THESE WORDS with The Beach Boys hit song they are taken from?

1. I dig a French bikini on Hawaii Island girls by a palm tree in the sand.

2. I feel so lonesome. I want to go home.

3. Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go.

4. There’s a place where I can go and tell my troubles to.

5. None of the guys go steady ’cause it wouldn’t be right to leave your best girl home on a Saturday night.

A. “In My Room”
B. “Sloop John B”
C. “I Get Around”
D. “California Girls”
E. “Kokomo”

THE LAST BEACH BOYS trivia question is multiple choice.

Which CD or Album contains all the songs listed above?
A. The Warmth of the Sun
B. Sounds of Summer
C. 20 Good Vibrations Greatest Hits 1
D. 20 Good Vibrations Greatest Hits 2

WANT THE ANSWERS? Contact me! If you have stories or photos of the time when the popular Rock and Roll group occupied their Kona estate, please share them with us.