Aloha, Lance Owens (RB) with LUVA Real Estate.Over the past two years, significant demographic and economic shifts have occurred, influencing various aspects of the real estate market. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the combination of 7 million new-born babies, 3 million marriages, 1.5 million divorces, and 7 million people turning 65 has created dynamic changes in housing needs and availability. These life events often necessitate changes in living situations, such as upgrading to a larger home, downsizing, or relocating. Additionally, with 4 million deaths, the turnover of properties through inheritance or sale by estates further adds to the housing market dynamics.Moreover, the economic landscape has seen substantial movement with 6 million net new jobs and an as... 07/23/2024

We have been using YouTube as a platform to host many of the videos for our website for a few years.  While we have been able to get some views directly from YouTube, we do not get as many as we would like.Interestingly enough, YouTube has promoted several of our videos and they have gotten substantial more views than other videos without there being a significant different in videos.We use relevant hashtags on all of them and for the most part they are videos on scenic places on the Big Island of Hawaii so not necessarily is one video significantly more attractive than another.  Has anyone had any luck figuring out what might trigger YouTube to promote one video versus another?Here are two videos that we have posted that are pretty similar, but YouTube promoted one and not as much the ... 04/02/2024

E Komo Mai...Welcome to your exclusive upcountry retreat. Step into 40 acres of pure privacy, where the tranquility of your estate meets the vibrant pulse of Kamuela town just minutes away. Embrace the freedom of living without an HOA, allowing you to curate your lifestyle.Your custom-built haven awaits, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship with 18-foot cathedral ceilings, three inviting fireplaces, and a harmonious blend of Hardwood Maple, Travertine, and Quartz flooring. The kitchen is a culinary masterpiece, featuring custom Maple cabinets, Granite countertops, and top-of-the-line appliances. Large custom windows seamlessly connect the interior with the breathtaking outdoor landscape.Entertain in style with a 50,000-gallon saltwater pool, complete with a mosaic accent tile, cascading... 02/01/2024

When ChatGPT first came out I was hesitant to use it, but as more and more people began to use it I wanted to try it out.  Overall if I told it to give me a 500 word article on almost any of the properties we managed it came back about 90% correct.  For some of the properties it would get it confused with something else, but overall it was correct.  For example, we manage properties at a complex called Kolea, which is a Hawaiian word that is a bird and used in other developments so I had to be very specific for it to understand what I was talking about.Recently I got an email from our VRBO rep alerting us of the functionality of ChatGPT and that it is a great tool to generate the property descriptions for VRBO ads.Here was the question and thought I had.  For SEO purposes, one of the gr... 09/12/2023

Between 2005 and 2010 microsites were a must for search engine optimization.  A microsite is as it sounds, a smaller site specific to one of your keywords.  For example, I do vacation rentals on the Big Island of Hawaii.  I could have my main site to optimize for broader keywords and then have microsites for more specific keywords.  What this looked like for me was a site that covered an entire resort and then microsites that covered each community within that resort.  It worked great and I had top rankings in most of the keywords I was going for. Then around 2015 Google began to give less weight to the microsites and more weight to sites that had more content, which pushed companies to move all their content to one website.  They also gave less weight to the domain name itself.  I used... 06/24/2023

If you're thinking about buying or selling a house, it's important to know that it doesn't just affect your life, but also your community.The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales. The chart below illustrates that impact:In Hawaii that number almost quadrupled !As the visual shows, when a house is sold, it can make a big difference in the local economy. The impact comes largely from the workers required to build, update, and buy and sell homes. Robert Dietz, Chief Economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), explains how the housing industry adds jobs to a community: “The economic impact means housing is a significant job creator. In fact, for every single-family home built, eno... 06/15/2023

I recently starting using ChatGPT to see what it was all about.  At this point it seems to offer a little more insight than Siri, but can offer a lot of information.  Here is what it had to say to describe the area where we manage condos.  Does it properly describe your location and business?Kolea at Waikoloa is a luxury resort community located in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area on the Big Island of Hawaii. It offers a collection of upscale vacation rentals, including villas and townhomes, along with a range of amenities and access to the beautiful surrounding area.Kolea is known for its prime location near Anaehoomalu Bay (A-Bay), which features a stunning sandy beach and offers various water activities such as swimming, snorkeling, and stand-up paddleboarding. The resort community its... 06/01/2023

I have been doing the SEO for our vacation rental company for the past 20 years and the complexity of it has grown enormously to the point that I am not sure where it is headed.On Site Keywords and Meta DataSEO seemed to really start out pretty simple.  What your website was about, what your domain was, what your URL was, and what your title and meta description was seemed to really directly effect your rankings.  You could make a simple change to the title of a given page and you would see your rankings increase.As people began buying all the relevant domains and keyword stuffing everything Google moved on to........Links, links, and more linksWhat sites and how many were linking to your website had a drastic effect on your rankings.  People begin to buy links from anyone and everyone.... 05/26/2023

Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) with LUVA Real Estate, along with our partners at KCM, bringing you the latest in real estate news and events.For many of us, visiting the same vacation spot every year has become a summer tradition that is fun, relaxing, and restful. If this sounds like you, now is the time to consider your plans and determine whether buying a vacation home this year makes more sense than renting one again. According to Forbes, "if the idea of vacationing at the same place every year makes you feel instantly relaxed, buying a vacation home might be a wise move."To help you decide if making a move like this is right for you, let's explore why you may want to consider purchasing a vacation home today.Benefits of Owning Your Vacation Home: No worries about finding a place to stay: ... 05/23/2023

Recently Google did an update to their ads.  This has caused two primary things in searches in our market.  First, the number of ads that are showing up for any given search term has increased drastically causing the organic searches to drop almost halfway down the first page.Second, while the number of ads have increased there are also several that are irrelevant to the search term.  The method of placement seems to do more so on budget than relevance.  Has anyone else seen something similar in their market area? 05/18/2023

Everywhere you look, people are talking about a potential recession. And if you’re planning to buy or sell a house, this may leave you wondering if your plans are still a wise move. To help ease your mind, experts are saying that if we do officially enter a recession, it’ll be mild and short. As the Federal Reserve explained in their March meeting: “. . . the staff’s projection at the time of the March meeting included a mild recession starting later this year, with a recovery over the subsequent two years.” While a recession may be on the horizon, it won’t be one for the housing market record books like the crash in 2008. What we have to remember is that a recession doesn’t always lead to a housing crisis.To prove it, let’s look at the historical data of what happened in real estate du... 05/02/2023

Aloha and welcome to the latest in real estate news and trends. I'm Lance Owens (RS) of LUVA Real Estate, and I'm excited to share insights from our partners at KCM. We're dedicated to keeping you informed about the ever-changing real estate market so that you can make informed decisions. Let's dive into the latest updates. (the chart above is local numbers)The current state of the housing market is uncertain and constantly evolving. As we head into the spring months, you may have questions about what to expect in terms of inventory, pricing, and mortgage rates. Here’s what industry experts have to say:According to Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, competition among buyers is increasing, and housing supply typically grows during the spring. This is also a time when many people a... 04/25/2023

Some Highlights Since inflation is increasing the cost of goods and services, it may make sense to look for an energy-efficient home. Energy prices have increased over the last year, so look for energy-efficient features in your home search. If you’re looking to buy a home this year, let’s connect so you have a partner to help you consider which features are most important to you. 04/21/2023

Aloha, Lance Owens (RS) with LUVA Real Estate and our partners at KCM, there have been a lot of shifts in the housing market recently. Mortgage rates rose dramatically last year, impacting many people’s ability to buy a home. And after several years of rapid price appreciation, home prices finally peaked last summer (not in Kona median price last year $985k, today $1.277m ) . These changes led to a rise in headlines saying prices would end up crashing.Even though we’re no longer seeing the buyer frenzy that drove home values up during the pandemic, prices have been relatively flat at the national level. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), doesn’t expect that to change: “[H]ome prices will be steady in most parts of the country with a minor change... 04/05/2023

Casa De Emdeko has that charming, old Hawaii feel - oceanfront complex located in Kailua Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Welcome to another complex in our series of Condos' on the Big Island of Hawaii that make for a great second home/vacation rental. This complex features two beautiful swimming pools, one of which is a saltwater pool situated right next to the ocean, offering guests a truly unique swimming experience. Ocean Front pool Casa De Emdeko One of the best things about Casa De Emdeko is that they allow short-term vacation rentals, making it the perfect place for those looking for a comfortable and convenient home away from home on their Hawaiian vacation, and for guests when you are renting it out. The complex features a couple of different units, one-bedroom, and two-bedro... 04/03/2023

 If you’ve been considering selling your home, you may be wondering which home improvements you should tackle to increase your home’s value before it goes on the market. While there are many home renovations that can add appeal to your home, it’s important to know which projects will increase your property value and which won’t.That’s why Redfin has reached out to real estate professionals like me to help you determine which home improvement projects are worth your investment. Check out my insight on 12 Home Renovations That Don’t Add Value (and What to Do Instead). 03/28/2023

Hey, forget about picturing yourself lounging on a Hawaiian beach - we're talking "Vacation NODE" here (not MODE). You know, that thing that nobody seems to be able to explain. Well, it's the latest proposal from the Hawaii County Council Members and honestly, it's got me shaking in my slippahs (flip-flops) .I mean, have you ever been to a parade and seen the clowns throwing candy to the kids? That's basically what's happening as this draft gets added to the new TAR bill (which, by the way, is on its 4th draft and hasn't been released yet). They're saying not to worry about losing your "hosted rental" status - just get it designated as a "vacation node." But let's be real, rezoning your property can take years and it's not a common occurrence. Plus, you might be giving up current proper... 03/22/2023

Selective enforcement refers to the practice of enforcing rules or laws selectively, rather than consistently applying them to everyone in a fair and equal manner. In the context of the County of Hawaii enforcing permitting rules to certain homeowners (TAR or STVR) and not others, it means that the county is choosing to enforce the rules only against certain homeowners while ignoring others who are similarly situated.This selective enforcement can be problematic because it can lead to unfair treatment of individuals or groups, depending on who is being targeted and who is being ignored. It can also create a sense of distrust and resentment among those who are being targeted.In this case, if the County of Hawaii is enforcing permitting, parking, and many more rules before allowing homeow... 03/21/2023

I wish we did write write this one, but we didn't.With full permission from Joshua Montgomery I am reposting his letter - here: Chairwoman Heather Kimball and Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz have published the third draft of their proposal to heavily regulate homestays and farmstays here on Hawaii. These regulations are separate from Bill 108 which passed in 2018 and addressed the issue of absentee owned vacation rentals.  Since 2018 absentee owners have been tightly regulated and remain regulated today.Their proposal is targeted at local families and farmers who rent a room or an ohana to visitors.  They are targeting Kupuna who rely on visitor rentals as part of their retirement. They are targeting young families who can only afford a home if they rent a portion to visitors.  They a... 03/20/2023

We believe everyone should feel confident when buying and selling a home. So we have teamed with KCM and bring you a new guide every quarter.Five quick tips ( download guides for more expert advice) Get pre-approved for a mortgage: This will give you an idea of how much you can afford to spend on a home and help you narrow down your search. Hire a reputable real estate agent: A good agent can guide you through the home buying or selling process, negotiate on your behalf, and help you navigate any issues that may arise. Do your research: Before making an offer on a home, do your due diligence. Research the neighborhood, the home's history, and any potential issues that may affect its value. Be prepared to negotiate: Both buyers and sellers should be prepared to negotiate. As a buyer, yo... 03/03/2023