# Hawaii Life [TV Show]



## slip (Dec 22, 2014)

We actually looked at the unit at Kauai Kailani that they ended out choosing.
Even though they didn't follow through in the end. The one thing that I was 
Surprised at was that the unit didn't show as small as it really was. It's only
590 sq. ft and they have been selling right around asking price of $236,000.


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## artringwald (Dec 22, 2014)

Thinking of a permanent relocation?


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## slip (Dec 22, 2014)

Would love to. We have some things we have to take care of first but you
Never know. Maybe in retirement, maybe a little sooner and if not we can always
Dream.


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## DaveNV (Dec 22, 2014)

Haven't seen that episode. The problem I have with the Hawaii Life show is that it's fake.  They don't show the buyers properties they can afford, or that fit their shopping list.  Instead, they show the buyers the stupidest, ugliest, most unlikely properties!  They make it seem like the few they show are the only properties for sale on the island.  

Maybe they're the only listings the Hawaii Life real estate agency has, or maybe they're the listings the showing agent has, or maybe they're trying to make it more dramatic, but it all seems so unrealistic.  If I was a buyer who wanted a home in Lahaina, I'd be seriously pissed off if they wasted my time showing me properties in Kula. A two-plus hour commute time?  Seriously? 

But yes, of course I'll watch, even if I'm screaming at the TV.  It's Hawaii, right?  

Dave


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## artringwald (Dec 22, 2014)

Not only are they fake, all the HGTV real estate shows have the same script:


What's on your wish list?
It's going to be hard to meet your requirements with that budget.
I'll go back to the office, I think I have some great properties for you.
Oh, I love this open space.
This kitchen/bathroom is really dated.
It's enough closet space for my clothes, but where will yours go.
It's not close enough to the beach, I need to be close to the beach.
We need to make a decision.
Which house can we eliminate?
We love our house, it's the best decision we ever made.

Having said that, Hawaii Life is still my favorite because of the high def scenery, and because they often include video of some local activity. I'll keep watching it ever if DW won't let me mute the sound track.


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## slip (Dec 22, 2014)

All reality TV is fake. I watch for moments like I had to see the same area
And in this case the same unit I saw. What I don't like about the show is the
Financial reality is ignored. I don't see how these people can afford these 
$400,000 places on the jobs that they say they have on the show.


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## artringwald (Dec 22, 2014)

slip said:


> All reality TV is fake. I watch for moments like I had to see the same area
> And in this case the same unit I saw. What I don't like about the show is the
> Financial reality is ignored. I don't see how these people can afford these
> $400,000 places on the jobs that they say they have on the show.



Inheritance? I don't see how anyone can afford housing on Oahu.


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## slip (Dec 22, 2014)

Art

I thought the same thing but there are just too many on that show that don't 
Really add up. Unless they are like a lot of stories you here about where they
Don't plan well so they don't stay there long. I would think that happens a lot.


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## DeniseM (Dec 22, 2014)

I think that it depends on where you are from, and the housing prices you are used to.  In California, $400K is not high for a house.


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## wilma (Dec 22, 2014)

In the SF bay area $400,000 doesn't buy much!
What I find funny about these shows is that the people are shown 3-4 houses and then they quickly make up their mind. Whenever my spouse and I have purchased a new home we have looked at 30-40 houses and spend days deliberating.


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## slip (Dec 22, 2014)

But the jobs they have sure wouldn't support buying a $400,000 no matter
Where you are.


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## Passepartout (Dec 22, 2014)

Please refer to my signature. 

Jim


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## LisaRex (Dec 22, 2014)

I don't understand how some of the middle-class people (e.g. a dive instructor) they depict can afford these houses, either.  The hardest to understand is the Canadian housing prices.  A 2 bdrm bungalow is 2x as expensive as the 4 bdrm home we raised our kids in, and we struggled to make those payments early on. At least in Hawaii, energy costs should be minimal if you can live without heat or a/c, all the plants you buy are perennials, clothing expenses are minimal compared to those of us who have to dress for 4 seasons, and property taxes are very reasonable thanks to the TS owners! 

Nonetheless, I'll admit I still watch "Hawaii Life" mainly because of the scenery. :whoopie: <- That's my hula icon

In re to reality, I enjoy a lot of HGTV shows, but I really do wonder if any of them reflect reality.  For instance, "Flip or Flop" gives the impression that you can renovate an entire house, including landscaping, for $35-40,000.  And if you install travertine tile and upgraded appliances, you'll end up with a bidding war, and pocketing $70k! Uh huh. Next time, Tarek and Christine, how about employing licensed, legal, bonded/insured laborers and report back what kind of profit you make, because I've renovated 3 piece bathrooms that were more expensive than what you reportedly paid for a custom kitchen.

Then we have "Vacation Home for Free," which lures folks who've saved ~$100,000 or less into purchasing $500k-700k homes, by using the minimum allowed towards the DP, and committing the rest towards "smart, renter-friendly" renovations. Their premise is that once they spruce up the joint, their rental will command top dollar, and all the owner has to do is rent out x number of weeks during prime season, and that will be sufficient to cover their annual mortgage, interest, property taxes and HOA fees.  Voila! A vacation home for free!

I mean, how irresponsible is that?  What they DON'T mention is:


As the economy goes up and the economy goes down, so do rental rates. 
It's very unlikely to book every week in prime season for prime season rates.
In order to get those renters, they'll either have to pay to advertise on a site like VRBO and commit hours fielding calls and emails from prospective renters OR they'll have to employ a professional rental agency to do that on their behalf.*
They'll also have to hire a local property manager* who will take care of issues as they arise.  How many of these owners envisioned trying to find a  plumber in another state who can fix a leaky toilet TODAY, or fielding 2am phone calls from drunk renters who want to know how to turn on the hot tub.  
That while most people are responsible, there will be renters who will treat their home like a flop house, and end up doing more damage to the place than they paid in rent, or who won't care that leaving the sauna on 24/7 just added $1000 to your monthly utility bill.

Just ONCE, I'd like them to produce a reality show that actually reflect reality, instead of the sanitized, glamorized version of it.  Wouldn't that be a great show?

*FYI, my neighbor uses a professional rental/local agent combination firm for her vacation home in Hilton Head. They charge 55% of the rental rate for their services.


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## Ron98GT (Dec 22, 2014)

artringwald said:


> Not only are they fake, all the HGTV real estate shows have the same script:
> 
> 
> What's on your wish list?
> ...


The worst offender is "Love It or List It". That show has the same identical script from show-to-show: I can't stand it.   I won't watch it.


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## Ron98GT (Dec 22, 2014)

wilma said:


> In the SF bay area $400,000 doesn't buy much!
> What I find funny about these shows is that the people are shown 3-4 houses and then they quickly make up their mind. Whenever my spouse and I have purchased a new home we have looked at 30-40 houses and spend days deliberating.


They're shown more than 3 or 4 houses, for TV they just show 3 or 4, have the buyers eliminate one, and then pick one.  If you listen, you'll hear the Realtor say things like "we have a lot of houses to see" or "we've seen a lot of houses".

It Reality TV.  If you watch the Property Brothers, they briefly show the buyers walking into or out-of multiple house to show the fatigue factor, all the shows, like Hawaii Life, should do the same.


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## Ron98GT (Dec 22, 2014)

slip said:


> I don't see how these people can afford these
> $400,000 places on the jobs that they say they have on the show.


40 year mortgages?

http://www.zillow.com/mortgage-rates/finding-the-right-loan/what-is-a-40-year-fixed-mortgage/


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## vacationhopeful (Dec 22, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> The worst offender is "Love It or List It". That show has the same identical script from show-to-show: I can't stand it.   I won't watch it.



Or the two regular hosts --- they try pitting the weekly homeowners against each other. And they NEVER, EVER mention the COSTS to sell their home (RE commission, points to buy the new one, 2 sets of settlement costs) - they make like it is trading in a car ... "oh, I want THAT MODEL and here are the keys to my current MODEL...".


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## Ron98GT (Dec 22, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> Or the two regular hosts --- they try pitting the weekly homeowners against each other. And they NEVER, EVER mention the COSTS to sell their home (RE commission, points to buy the new one, 2 sets of settlement costs) - they make like it is trading in a car ... "oh, I want THAT MODEL and here are the keys to my current MODEL...".


The shows in Canada, I believe Toronto.  They are 100 year old homes with nothing but problems.  With the houses being so old, nothing is to code. And it's always "My neighborhood, my neighborhood", what's with this "It has to be in my neighborhood" crap?

Ever notice that the price of homes in Canada is about the same as in Hawaii, if not more?  How does a basic Canadian family afford $800K to $1M for a simple home? Do they use 40 year mortgages? The Hawaii/Canadian mortgage question bewilders me. When I figure it out, I'll retire to Hawaii.


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## vacationhopeful (Dec 22, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> The shows in Canada, I believe Toronto.  They are 100 year old homes with nothing but problems.  With the houses being so old, nothing is to code. And it's always "My neighborhood, my neighborhood", what's with this "It has to be in my neighborhood" crap?
> 
> Ever notice that the price of homes in Canada is about the same as in Hawaii, if not more?  How does a basic Canadian family afford $800K to $1M for a simple home? Do they use 40 year mortgages? The Hawaii/Canadian mortgage question bewilders me. When I figure it out, I'll retire to Hawaii.



Interest only loans? 

Yes, I recall a lot of the "my neighborhood", too. And I sit there yelling at the TV ... you don't need no TV show to show you stuff down the street from you!!!


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## slip (Dec 22, 2014)

LisaRex said:


> I don't understand how some of the middle-class people (e.g. a dive instructor) they depict can afford these houses, either.  The hardest to understand is the Canadian housing prices.  A 2 bdrm bungalow is 2x as expensive as the 4 bdrm home we raised our kids in, and we struggled to make those payments early on. At least in Hawaii, energy costs should be minimal if you can live without heat or a/c, all the plants you buy are perennials, clothing expenses are minimal compared to those of us who have to dress for 4 seasons, and property taxes are very reasonable thanks to the TS owners!
> 
> Nonetheless, I'll admit I still watch "Hawaii Life" mainly because of the scenery. :whoopie: <- That's my hula icon
> 
> ...


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## b2bailey (Dec 22, 2014)

artringwald said:


> Not only are they fake, all the HGTV real estate shows have the same script:
> 
> 
> What's on your wish list?
> ...


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## Ron98GT (Dec 22, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> Interest only loans?
> 
> Ouch!!! I didn't even consider that ugly, unthinkable, option.
> 
> Yes, I recall a lot of the "my neighborhood", too. And I sit there yelling at the TV ... you don't need no TV show to show you stuff down the street from you!!!



:hysterical: Yeah, it drives me and the wife crazy every every time we hear them complain about the new house NOT being in THEIR neighborhood: get a (new) life. :rofl:  At that point, I have to change the channel


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## DaveNV (Dec 22, 2014)

You guys are all making me feel great! All this time I thought it was just me shouting at the TV. 

I watch all these shows, because I like renovating houses. (My own, not one belonging to someone else.)  And I love Hawaii, so I watch any and all real estate shows about the Islands. But I have never felt what they're showing on TV is realistic.  

Now, when you figure out how I can afford to retire in Hawaii, let me know, will ya? I'm ready anytime. 

Dave


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## gnorth16 (Dec 22, 2014)

I have never heard of interest only loans in Canada, and last I checked 40 year loans are out the window.  During our relocation, we built a house but had to qualify for both mortgages in case the one in Edmonton didn't sell.  We refinanced over 35 years which was the max and covered both with a 1 year mortgage until we sold one, then renewed with a 15 year amortization. 

House prices are stupid in any city in Canada, especially Toronto and Vancouver.  I always dreamed of living in a half million dollar house, I just never expected it to be a cookie cutter, ho hum, suburbanite home.


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## gnorth16 (Dec 22, 2014)

To those posting about the TV show "Vacation House for Free"...

What really gets me is the "Prime rental season" is the weeks you want to rent for top dollar, but they are also the same weeks you want to be using your own rental.  What is the point of having a place if you can only use it during the times you can't go/don't want to go????


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## vacationhopeful (Dec 22, 2014)

One of the people who I know who owns a beachfront condo on the Atlantic Ocean ... has to use it the last 2 weeks of June every year.

That is HIGH SCHOOL graduation weeks in that state ... their HS students' parents have a history of renting beach condos - lying to the owners claiming it is a family vacation - with the rental unit being destroyed at the start of the short Summer rental season by their recent HS graduation seniors and their "friends".

The parents are known to checkin and take the keys --- the HS graduates show up later that afternoon. 

SO, only she and her sister-in-law get those 2 weeks at the beach condo .... the other 8 weeks has to cover the 12 months of mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities.


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## LisaRex (Dec 22, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> The worst offender is "Love It or List It". That show has the same identical script from show-to-show: I can't stand it.   I won't watch it.



I actually watch that show because I love Hilary's designs.  She does great work, especially compared to Matt from "Vacation Home for Free" who may be a good contractor, but needs a decent interior designer. (Where, oh where, is Candace Olsen when you need her?) But, I so agree that the fabricated melodrama and formulaic scripts have to go!

P.S. And Hilary at least hammers home the reality that unforeseen problems can wreck a budget. I mean, people need to know that $65k may cover a bathroom, a basement and a kitchen with a load-bearing wall that needs to be moved, but that's well BEFORE Angus breaks the news about the the knob-and-tube wiring!


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## DaveNV (Dec 22, 2014)

LisaRex said:


> P.S. And Hilary at least hammers home the reality that unforeseen problems can wreck a budget. I mean, people need to know that $65k may cover a bathroom, a basement and a kitchen with a load-bearing wall that needs to be moved, but that's well BEFORE Angus breaks the news about the the knob-and-tube wiring!





That show at least tells people like it really is.  But I don't understand why the homeowners act like it's Hillary's fault that their house is a wreck. If they live in a hundred year old house, they should EXPECT it to be a mess inside the walls, or in the plumbing or foundation. Age will do that to a home.  But some of these homeowners are so nasty to her, it's like she was misleading them somehow. I often wonder why she doesn't slap them senseless and walk out the door. 

Dave


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## vacationhopeful (Dec 23, 2014)

It is partly the homeowners who THINK they know everything .... I look at a house built before 1950 & I KNOW it has knob & tube wiring behind the walls - esp the ceiling lights, bathroom(s) and up to the attic ... the places never touched by rehab "artists" or home improvement geniuses. Then there is the era of NON-GROUNDED electric wiring .... thru the early 1970s. Which switches us then to ALUMINIUM wiring for about 15-20 years.

And you want to look at plumbing NEXT - lead drain pipes, galvanized supply & drain pipes, 60+ year old cast iron drain pipes, or just regular OLD threaded iron supply lines. Plus, you then need to understand black ABS warps & the white stuff (who knows which white stuff?). Plus, look at what a plumbing contractor MIGHT have cut out of the wood structure when THOSE plumbers installed whatever pipes YEARS AGO!

Next, look thru a basement very carefully ... I don't care if the basement has been converted into living space. Open up those ceilings & walls with a person who TRULY understands structural issues. Single 2x4 studs do not support a 2 storied home with furniture & people because a low bidding guy said "No problem; I can open that up." Basements either provide a view of the internals of your home or HIDE it flaws very well.

I have a house built of stuff a guy carried home in his lunch box from work. (a slight simple way of saving, stuff he carted home from his work by the trailer load). Steel floor joists, steel wall joists, and steel attic rafters -- all covered by a floor grade wire mesh (the stuff put down to pour concrete floors on) for the plaster installation. Oh, the 2+ story building is red brick - also, just like an entire office complex at the local oil refinery built about the same time. :ignore: And the basement is short of short in height - seems the owner had his 4 HS sons HAND DIG the basement one summer. 

Basicly, my contractors and I ALL AGREE on one thing - if the end of the world super attack is going to happen in 2 hours or less, THAT is the building to be huddled down in. NONE of them like doing any work in that place - but they all respect the solid-ness of that place.


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## rpw (Dec 23, 2014)

*Another thing they rarely mention.....*

Taxes and HOA fees.

Holy crap.  One show had a nice condo, not too big, not too small.  Not a bad price for Hawaii really.  

I thought, hey, lets take a look at that.

Found out that $300,000 condo came with a $1200 a month HOA.

Deliver a golf course, fantastic pool, etc and I'd expect that, but this was just a condo with a fairly crappy pool.


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## Henry M. (Dec 23, 2014)

Just saw on hawaiilife.com that the Kilauea Lodge is up for sale. $5.9million!

When I looked at condos on Maui and the Big Island it seemed like the HOA dues were all between $800 and high $900's. I would expect a lot from a property asking $1,200.


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## mjm1 (Dec 24, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> The worst offender is "Love It or List It". That show has the same identical script from show-to-show: I can't stand it.   I won't watch it.



My DW and I feel the same way. We find the two representatives very annoying as well. Like you, we won't watch it any longer.

Mike


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## artringwald (Dec 25, 2014)

The only HGTV show I like that doesn't have palm trees is Rehab Addict. I enjoy watching her look for stuff in the salvage warehouse that might work in her latest project.


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## Jim Bryan (Dec 25, 2014)

"Rehab Addict" is hands down my favorite. If I had an old house, she is the one I would want to rehab it.


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## GeorgeJ. (Dec 30, 2014)

gnorth16 said:


> To those posting about the TV show "Vacation House for Free"...
> 
> What really gets me is the "Prime rental season" is the weeks you want to rent for top dollar, but they are also the same weeks you want to be using your own rental.  What is the point of having a place if you can only use it during the times you can't go/don't want to go????



I have seen most of the episodes of Vacation House For Free. If you are going to use some of the prime summer weeks, then you need to rent off-peak weeks at a lower cost to make up for it. I had a vacation home rental manager take a look at a Southern California house on the beach that I was interested in. The "prime rental season" was about 10 weeks from mid-June to late August. I believe she gave me a figure of about $3500 a week gross on those weeks. Less prime weeks at $1500-2000 a week. And during winter months, she thought it could be rented to Canadians who come to that area every winter for about $2000 a month. So the prime weeks would add up to about $35,000 if you could rent all 10. If you can bring in another $15,000 during the off-peak times of 42 more weeks, you could grab a few of those summer weeks for yourself along with additional off-peak weeks to come up with that $35,000 if that's what was needed to pay for everything and have a "Vacation House For Free". 

So the answer is buy in a location that can be rented year-round even if the off-peak weeks rent for a LOT less than peak weeks. And use that rental income to cover you for any peak time you want to use yourself.

Like the TV show, the location I was looking at needed about $50,000 worth of renovations according to the rental manager. So the first year wouldn't have paid for itself -- it all would have gone toward the construction and new furnishings. But my brother is a contractor and could have done much of the work so it would have cost me less than the $50,000...


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## Bee (Dec 30, 2014)

My husband and I stopped, while riding bikes, at an open house in that condo conversion development in Kapaa. Those units were ridiculously small. We also saw the Hawaii Life show where the couple supposedly chose that unit. It made no sense, as there was clearly a better choice, (price and size). It was no surprise that they did not follow through and purchase the unit. I'm not sure there's any reality in these reality shows!  With that said, I will still watch Hawaii Life and the ocean front  property shows.

Bee


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## rpw (Dec 31, 2014)

*The choices you make*



gnorth16 said:


> To those posting about the TV show "Vacation House for Free"...
> 
> What really gets me is the "Prime rental season" is the weeks you want to rent for top dollar, but they are also the same weeks you want to be using your own rental.  What is the point of having a place if you can only use it during the times you can't go/don't want to go????



Would you rather have the money or the week?  If you want the week you can have it, but now you would have to pay for that out of your own pocket.

We bought a place in Vegas.  It was a dump, needed a lot of work, but it pays for its monthly expenses (HOA, Utilities) and is slowly paying back the mortgage.  The wife wanted to spend Xmas out there.  I asked if she was willing to pay the rent for the month.  Of course she said no so the guy who is living there is going to pay it and we are going to stay home.

Life is full of trade offs.


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