Project Hawaii is a 501 C3 that operates on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu. Every year, each child asks Santa for a special gift and we Secret Santas make sure they receive it. Our group only provides Secret Santas for Big Island children. If you’re interested in participating this year, let me know how many children, approximate ages, little girl or little boy or teen. If you would like to have someone else do the shopping, head over to their website at https://www.helpthehomelesskeiki.org/ or send a check to: Project Hawaii P.O. Box 1844 Kea'au, HI 96749-1844 While the time for Secret Santa has passed - Deadline was December 15th. Please keep the children in mind and donate to Project Hawaii or request to participate next year! Let me know if you’re interested in helping out. Mahalo nui loa, Mary Mary Spears www.maryspears.com PO Box 847 Kamuela, HI 96743 (808) 987-0357

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Aloha Friends, Family and clients, Lissette and I support a few organizations on the Big Island that primarily involve our island’s youth. I thought you might be interested in this seasonal time of giving, where we also remember the many gifts and blessings we’ve been fortunate enough to receive. Please read on for further details of each group's efforts and contact information for your reference. Aloha, Rick   Aloha and Happy December, Before we head into the heart of the holiday season, I wanted to ask for a moment of your time to consider making an end-of-calendar year gift to the Parker Fund. And if you've already given, mahalo nui loa! The Parker Fund makes all things "Parker" possible - it funds extracurriculars, classroom supplies, financial aid, campus beautification and safety, and so much more. It goes beyond what tuition can support and is the gift that gives right back to our school ʻohana. I hope you will reflect on the value Parker School to you and our island community and make an ann...

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While some may speculate the recent volcanic activity of Mauna Loa is influencing the Big Island's housing market, longer view trends are showing a sustained slowdown since the peak of last year's housing craze (02/2021) and the increase in rising mortgage interest rates (01/2022). Year-over-year, there were 96 less homes for sale (-29%) as sales activity returned to pre-pandemic ranges. Most notably, median days on market for single-family homes have been consistently going up from a recent low of 11 days in June to 37 days in November.  Brief Overview: Island of Hawaii Unit Sales Stats for November 2022 VS. November 2021 TOTAL SALES Single Family Homes – Total sales of 170 single family homes marks a decrease of 26% units in comparison to November 2021. Condos –30 total sold - down 59% from 2021 numbers. Land – 119 total sales of land offerings representing a decrease of 48% when compared against 2021 sales for November. NEW LISTINGS Single Family Homes – 177 new listings. Condos – 56 units in November 2022...

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Lissette and I went to dinner with friends at Merriman's restaurant in Waimea on Sunday evening. We had no idea, like anyone else, what was brewing inside the world's largest and most active volcano, Mauna Loa. We awoke to text messages from friends and family members across the globe asking if we were okay on Monday morning, with links to the Mauna Loa volcano news less than 50 miles from our front door. After laying dormant for almost 40 years, Mauna Loa erupted at 11:30 PM, Sunday HST. In the slideshow of photos above, you can see the view from our driveway toward Saddle Road, which subdivides the island east to west, at 5000' of altitude. Mauna Kea is on the left, and Mauna Loa is on the right with the orange glow. You can also see it during the day, evident by a smoke plume in the same direction. We have traveled the 200+ mile round trip to the Volcanoes National Park to see Kilauea Volcano lava for two decades. Still, we never expected to see lava from our driveway emanating from Mauna Loa. We should have suspected this ...

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As summer comes to an end the Big Island real estate market continues to cool as sales activity returns to pre-pandemic levels. Even though the total number of transactions were down 30% year over year, median sales price remained flat. With interest rates nearing 7%, buyers are not particularly motivated to purchase while sellers who locked in 2.75% - 3.5% mortgages or paid cash are even more unlikely to sell anytime soon. Brief Overview: Island of Hawaii Unit Sales Stats for October 2022 VS. October 2021 TOTAL SALES Single Family Homes – Total sales of 180 single family homes marks a decrease of 31% units in comparison to October 2021. Condos – 46 total sold is down 44% from previous 2021 numbers. Land – 179 total sales of land offerings representing a decrease of 24% when compared against 2021 sales for October NEW LISTINGS Single Family Homes – 201 new listings. Condos – 45 units in October 2022 Single Family Homes Specific Stats: Median Sales Price: $510,000 in October 2022. An increase of 6% over me...

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Sales on the Big Island have certainly slowed as there were only 244 total single-family home and condo sales in September 2022, down 47% from the peak of 456 combined sales in March 2021. Prior to the pandemic, total sales activity ranged from 200-260 sales per month, so the current decline is in line with normal levels. Even though properties are taking nearly two weeks longer to sell, prices are holding strong. Brief Overview: Island of Hawaii Unit Sales Stats for September 2022 VS. September 2021 TOTAL SALES Single Family Homes – Total sales of 198 single family homes marks a decrease of 27% units in comparison to September 2021. Condos – Down 44% in sales. 46 total sold. Land – 172 total sales of land offerings representing a decrease of 28% when compared against 2021 sales for September NEW LISTINGS Single Family Homes – 213 units with a 21% decrease over previous 2021 period. Condos – Down 45% for new listings. 44 units in 2022 Single Family Homes Specific Stats: Median Sales Price: $538,000 in Sep...

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The Big Island real estate market is following national and statewide trends as sales activity decreased 25% year over year with only a slight increase from August (243) to August (257). Other key indicators including median sales prices remained relatively flat as both buyers and sellers continue to let the macro economic market conditions play out. Brief Overview: Island of Hawaii Unit Sales Stats for August 2022 VS. August 2021 TOTAL SALES Single Family Homes – Total sales of 200 single family homes. Down 25% compared to August 2021. Condos – Down 37% in sales. 57 total sold. Land – 193 total sales of land offerings representing a decrease of 29% when compared against 2021 sales for August NEW LISTINGS Single Family Homes – 214 units with a 29% decrease over previous 2021 period. Condos – Down 46% for new listings. 43 units in 2022 Single Family Homes Specific Stats: Median Sales Price: $484,000 in August 2022 a slight decrease of 2% over median prices from August 2021. Days on Market: 22 days on mar...

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Buyers are regaining control on the Big Island as median sales prices continued their decline from recent highs while days on market increases. Since July 1st, of the 678 combined single-family homes and condos listed for sale, 21.6% have seen a price reduction. Properties that are priced accordingly and present well are continuing to sell quickly. Brief Overview: Island of Hawaii Unit Sales Stats for July 2022 VS. July 2021 TOTAL SALES Single Family Homes – Down 31% in sales - totaling 180 units. July 2021 saw 261 sales. Condos – Down 23% in sales. 63 total closed. Land – 211 total sales of land offerings representing a decrease of 27% when compared against 2021 sales for July. NEW LISTINGS Single Family Homes – Down 7% with 238 units. Condos – Down 15% for new listings. 60 units in 2022 Land – Down 17%. 256 vs. 310 for 2021. Single Family Homes Specific Stats: Median Sales Price: $456,000 in July 2022 an increase of 7% over median prices from July 2021. Days on Market: 19 days on market for July 20...

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Year to date, the Big Island real estate market has remained very consistent with little fluctuation in total sales, median sales price and days on market. Island-wide, the median sales price for condos ($567K) surpassed single-family homes ($523K) in May 2022, with a 26% increase in price compared to this time last year, and with 13% fewer total sales (94) for the month. Given its vast size, it's important to consider the neighborhood level nuances whether you plan to buy or sell here. Brief Overview: Island of Hawaii Unit Sales Stats for May 2022 VS. May 2021 Single Family Homes – Down only 1% in total sales - totaling 256 units. Condos – Down 42% in sales. 94 total closed. Land – 287 total sales of land representing an increase of 30 units (+12%) when compared against 2021 sales for that month. Single Family Homes Specific Stats: Median Sales Price: $523,000 in May 2022 an increase of 5% over median prices from May 2021.. Days on Market: 12 days on market for May 2022. Down 79% from May 2021 which saw 57...

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My swim coach, Dave Prutow and friend Rachel dive together frequently and capture amazing sea life in action. Check out this video and article regarding Dave untangling a juvenile, white tip reef shark from the reef. It had been hooked by typical fishing gear that subsequently wrapped itself and the shark around the coral. As my friend Ray likes to say, “Humans”….:( https://youtu.be/XLQoSCFPD2E

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