I would like to apologize for the delay in updating this page over the summer. Unexpected family illness kept me on the mainland for longer than I anticipated, so we will have to make up for lost time.
Big Island Real Estate Market News
The market in Kona remains hot in spite of the recent increases in mortgage rates. If anything, it has fueled the fire! I think that many are deciding to take the plunge into Hawaiian property ownership before the rates increase even further. This has lent a “Gold Rush Fever” atmosphere to our market. In spite of this, many of the upper end homes are still moving slowly and, with price decreases, are looking increasingly attractive.
Aloha Festival
The annual Aloha Festival runs this year from August 23rd through September 28th. The festival was founded in 1947 and is celebrated statewide “to preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture and to celebrate Hawaii’s diverse customs and traditions, and the Aloha Spirit.”
The first weekend here on the Big Island featured the traditional investiture of the Royal Court with a Pikai, or royal bathing, and a crowning ritual at the rim of Halema’uma’u Caldera. Subsequent weekends will feature the appearance of the court at locations around the island as part of the celebration of specific facets of the Hawaiian culture.
Waikoloa Beach Resort is hosting a series of musical events during the Aloha Festival called “Return to Paradise’, which included the 11th annual Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival last weekend and will conclude on September 28th with Roy Sakuma’s Ukulele Festival. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.RTParadise.com
Various events around the Big Island will include craft fairs, hula fests, the Waimea Paniolo Parade and Festival, the Sam Choy Poke Festival and Contest, golf tournaments, and many demonstrations of various aspects Hawaiian culture.
The entire festival provides a wonderful opportunity for all of us to learn more about Hawaii and its rich history while fostering a sense of pride and appreciation for Hawaiian heritage.
