More consumers planning to buy | Inman News

More consumers planning to buy | Inman News

7 Really, Really Good Reasons To Move To Hawaii

1. First off, this is considered a "chilly" winter day in Hawaii:

Not convinced? We thought it might take a bit more than that. We can hear your protestations now, and we have a response to each and every one of them.

2. "It's so far from my family and friends," you say.

Trust us; when you live in Hawaii, your friends and family come to you.

3. "'Polar vortex' aside, I think I might actually miss wintertime."

You're in luck. Just when you start to miss wintertime, the rest of America is in desperate need of sunshine. Put your home or apartment on VRBO during Hawaii's peak travel season (December-March) and your Colorado ski vacation will basically pay for itself, plus some extra pocket cash.

4. "I hear it's expensive in Hawaii."

It is. The cost of living in Hawaii is on par with New York City or San Francisco. But Hawaii has one, major advantage over those cities: life is lived more simply here. Your house doesn't need to be your everything because your life is lived outdoors; your car doesn't need to be a second home because you never drive for very long (they're islands, after all); you'll never need another pair of expensive shoes since slippers (aka, flip-flops) are acceptable everywhere; and all of your entertainment is practically free (hikes, snorkeling, camping, surfing, etc).

5. "I would never be able to find a job there."

Tourism is the biggest industry in the state, but it's definitely not the only gig in town. Hawaii's unique environment and location make it an epicenter for scientific and marine research, environmental technologyand sustainable living entrepreneurship, and government and security affairs. The state is bursting with interesting opportunities. After all, how else could people afford to live here?

6. "What about 'island fever'?"

It's real, and it probably will happen to you, just as it does on the island of Manhattan or whatever bubble you currently find yourself in. Thankfully, there are other islands within Hawaii (six major, inhabited ones), each with its own personality and unique set of activities. Getting friends together for a weekend inter-island trip is easy, cheap, and solves intermittent bouts of island fever. Longer trips to aforementioned winter wonderlands as well as Asia/Australia (you're halfway there already!) cure the more serious fevers.

PS - The Big Island alone has black sand beaches, an active volcano, and even snow!

7. "I'm not relaxed enough to live in Hawaii."

All we can say to this is don't knock it until you try it. People in Hawaiilive life to its fullest, taking advantage of the outdoors and challenging themselves to try new things. This active lifestyle is one of the main reasons it's the least stressed and most happy state in the country.

5 Reasons the Luxury Real Estate Market Is Booming

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Real Estate in 2014: A Need-to-Know Guide - The Fiscal Times

Real Estate in 2014: A Need-to-Know Guide

November 2013 Sales Statistics - Source: Realtors Association Maui

https://www.facebook.com/notes/maui-real-estate-808/november-2013-sales-statistics-source-realtors-association-maui/631137163609485

November 2013 Sales Statistics - Source: Realtors Association Maui

Residential sales declined to 74 homes sold while Condominium sales declined slightly to 96 units sold. Land sales came in at 22 lots sold.

The Residential home median price declined slightly to$522,500 while the Condo median price was $350,000. Land median price came in at $538,686.

Days on Market, Residential homes = 112, Condos = 128 DOM, Land = 273 DOM.

Year to Date:

Residential unit sales increased (903 homes sold / +49 units / +6% change YTD), average sold price =$771,028 (+14%YTD), median price = $530,250 (+14%YTD) and total dollar volume sold = $696,238,285(+20%YTD).

Condo unit sales increased (1,218 units / +107 units / +10%YTD), average sold price = $567,827 (+22%YTD),median price = $375,000 (+6%YTD). Total Condo dollar volume sold = $691,613,102 (+34% YTD).

Land lot sales increased (196 lots / +49 units / +33% YTD), average soldprice = $667,203 (+13%), median price = $400,000 (+14%), Total dollar volume = $130,771,747 (+51% YTD).

Total sales for immediate past 12 months: Residential = 987 (with 19.5% being REO or ShortSale), Condo = 1,360 (10.1% REO or SS), Land = 226 (11.5% REO or SS).

Current Absorption Rate base on this month’s Active/Pending-Continue to Show/Contingentstatus inventory divided by November Sales is:
Residential = 7.6 months, Condo = 7.6 months, Land = 17.6 months of inventory.

Healthiest State Rankings: Hawaii Tops 2013 List - Huffington Post Hawaii

Where you live could say a lot about your health habits -- and a new ranking reveals which states have it the best and worst.

On a whole, Americans are adopting healthier behaviors, such as stopping smoking and increasing physical activity, according to the report, published by the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention.

The report also shows that the percentage of smokers has dropped to 19.6 percent in the U.S. from 21.2 percent in the last year. And physical inactivity has dropped on a whole to 22.9 percent in the last year, down from 26.2 percent.

The findings are based on multiple sources of data, including the FBI, the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Education and the Census Bureau. Rankings are based on a number of criteria, including premature death, infant mortality, preventable hospitalizations, high school graduation rate, violent crime, health insurance, child poverty, obesity, diabetes, physical activity and immunizations.

Among other general findings:

- While 27.6 percent of adults are obese in the U.S., the percentage has not increased from the last year (it was 27.8 percent in 2012). The report also showed that 9.7 percent of adults have diabetes. 
- The infant mortality rate has decreased 39 percent since 1990.
- Fewer people are dying from heart-related disease; cardiovascular deaths decreased 36 percent since 1990. 
- Fewer people are also dying from cancer: Deaths from the disease decreased 3 percent since 1990.

Take a look at the list below to see the top 10 states and the bottom 10 states in the 2013 ranking:

Top 10:
1. Hawaii

- Fewer people in Hawaii are lighting up, with smoking prevalence decreasing to 14.6 percent of adults from 16.8 percent a year ago.
- Violent crime decreased from 287 offenses per 100,000 people, to 239 offenses per 100,000 people in the past year. 
- The state boasts the country's lowest rate of preventable hospitalizations.
-Infant mortality decreased in the last year to 6.9 deaths for every 1,000 live births, from 7.7 deaths for every 1,000 live births. 
- However, the state does have a high prevalence of binge drinking, as well as a low high school graduation rate. 
- Hawaii also ranked first in the healthiest state ranking last year.

For the full list, visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/healthiest-state-rankings_n_4412574.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009&ir=Hawaii

5 Hawaiian Words To Redefine Health, Happiness And Power In Your Life - huffingtonpost.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/hawaiian-health-and-happiness_n_3854391.html?ir=Healthy+Living

For many first-time visitors, Hawaii is a place where perfect weather and pristine beaches make for good vacationing and pretty postcards.

But Hawaii is much more than its idyllic setting. For native Hawaiians and those lucky enough to call the islands home, Hawaii is a way of life and a way of thinking. The native Hawaiian concepts of pono, aloha, aina, ohana and mana are crucial to understanding how Hawaii has consistently ranked as the least stressed and happiest state in America.

Apply these concepts to your own life and you may begin to understand what all the fuss is about.

1. Pono generally translates to righteousness. According to actor Jason Scott Lee, who grew up in Hawaii, living pono means living "with a conscious decision to do the right thing in terms of self, others, and the environment." The idea that moral character leads to happiness has been around since Aristotle, but few places incorporate the idea into everyday life as much as Hawaii. The importance of pono, or doing what is morally right and selfless, is even found in the state's motto: "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono," or "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."

2. Aloha: When you look up "aloha" in the Hawaiian dictionary, every warm and fuzzy word in the English language pops up: love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity. Aloha is most often used as a greeting or parting phrase to create an atmosphere of friendliness and love, but the aloha spirit is a part of everything in Hawaii: people surf with aloha, cook with aloha, and even write work emails with aloha. It's as if people in Hawaii are constantly surrounded by an affirmation or mantra to live life with love.

3. Aina means land. Life in Hawaii is lived outdoors -- malls, homes, offices, and even the airport are built with open-air walkways, large windows, or lanais (balconies or patios) so you're never fully indoors. Native Hawaiians see their identities and wellbeing entwined with the land, and so respecting it and living in it are of the utmost importance. You don't have to live in a tropical paradise to be connected to nature, however. A recent Canadian program initiated by the David Suzuki Foundation challenged participants to get out into nature for 30 minutes a day for 30 consecutive days. According to Dr. Elizabeth Nisbet who conducted the research, participants reported "significant increases in their sense of well-being, feeling more vitality and energy, while feelings of stress, negativity, and sleep disturbances were all reduced." Simply having lunch outside or taking a stroll through a park can help reconnect you to the aina.

4. Ohana, as the movie Lilo & Stitch taught us, means family. The word comes from oha, which is the highly revered taro plant, and it signifies that all ohana come from the same root. No matter how distantly ancient Hawaiians were related, they recognized that they all came from the same root and thus were all part of the same family. Ohana is more generally used to describe any group of people with a common bond; people in Hawaii have a community ohana, a friends ohana, even a work ohana. One of the clearest findings from happiness research is that humans are social creatures -- we need to feel like we're part of a group and that we have support and security. Imagine how differently you would feel if you approached your work colleagues like they were your family.

5. Mana translates to mean power, but the native Hawaiian concept of power doesn't equate to material possessions or what floor your office is on. Mana is a life energy that flows through all things and is highly individual: you have a chance to gain or lose mana in everything you do. In Fundamentals of Hawaiian Mysticism, Charlotte Berney explains that, "Having meaningful work to do, enjoying harmonious relationships with those around you, and being of service in some way all help to gather mana."

Perhaps one of the best examples of mana can be seen in the late Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye's life and career. The beloved Inouye was often described as soft-spoken, modest, and a man of integrity, and his mana led him to be the second longest-serving senator in U.S. history. His last word was "aloha."