HBuzz

Real Estate for Dummies

With Hawaii's real estate market still burning white hot, perplexed homeowners and buyers probably wish that someone had written a manual to explain the do's, don't's and what if's. Someone has. How to Buy & Sell Your Home in Hawaii, by Frances Lee Britten, is a comprehensive guide through the intricacies of the Islands' real estate world, everything from picking the right agent, tips for renegotiating after a home inspection and advice on how to spot a predator. The 324-page book is clearly written and features an easy-to-read layout that resembles those found in the popular For Dummies instructional books.

"I've been asked the same questions time and time again, while driving clients around in my car or meeting with them to discuss listing their properties," says Britten, a licensed real estate broker since 1983. "I explain such things as why a verbal offer means nothing and some red flags to look out for, among many other things."

Britten's book deals specifically with the intricacies of Hawaii's real estate world, including a chapter called "Only in Hawaii," which gives a brief overview of some Island idiosyncrasies. Such items include buying property on a lava flow or inundation area, Hawaii's multicultural mix and Native Hawaiians' love and respect of the aina.

"There are many situations that only occur in the Islands that newcomers may find intimidating, mysterious or just incomprehensible," says Britten. "The book should be helpful to those new residents as well as longtime kamaaina." The book is available at local bookstores and Amazon.com for $15.95.
- David K. Choo

A Salty Tale

The waters off Molokai are the most pollutant-free ever tested by the University of Hawaii, Kent Clampitt says, making the Friendly Isle a prime location for his newest company, Soul of the Sea. In December 2004, the company set up its first evaporation systems on the island to produce true Hawaiian sea salt from water collected off-shore.

Clampitt, who splits his time between Hawaii and California, wanted to help the Molokai community. He says Soul of the Sea, which has already created 17 new jobs, in packaging, bottling and processing, can help reduce Molokai's 8-percent unemployment rate.

Photo Courtesy: Tanya Mendija, Soul of the Sea

Water evaporates in custom-made Solar Seal evaporators, eliminating impurities and producing salt containing 84 percent sodium chloride and 16 percent trace minerals and electrolytes. This is a much more complex salt than typical table salt, which is mostly sodium chloride, and 75 percent less salt is required to achieve the same flavor, Clampitt says.

Soul of the Sea provides a six-week training program to produce certified master salt makers. In May, Soul of the Sea presented its first master salt maker, Cameron Hiro, with a $2,400 check for his first monthly harvest from his 100 Solar Seal evaporators.

The salt, currently sold at Hilo Hattie stores, will be available nationwide through Williams-Sonoma stores beginning in the fall.
- Lori Anne Tomonari

WeSellThings4U

When Tiffany Tanaka began posting items for friends on eBay, word spread. Soon, the service took up all her time, prompting her to create a business out of it called, We Sell Things 4 u (wesellthings4u.com).

Flash forward a year-and-a-half and the eBay posting company, housed in a 10,000-square-foot Queen Street building, has amassed a client base of over 2,000 sellers. As for the buyers, "It's too hard to keep track of the numbers coming in from all over the world," she says.

A $5 listing fee, per item, covers professional photography of the item, Web posting and shipping. The check, sans 20 percent to 30 percent of the sale, is mailed to the seller. We Sell Things 4 u moves 200 to 300 units a week and aims for 700 units per week by the end of this summer.

The biggest seller? Designer handbags. Bi-monthly visits to the Salvation Army warehouse provides many of these bags for Tanaka to sell while producing revenue for the nonprofit. A bag at the Salvation Army goes for $20 to $30 and Tanaka can get roughly $400. She has made contact with the Salvation Army in San Francisco, where she plans to open her next We Sell Things 4 u in 2006.