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Aloha to all of our Owners!
There is a lot to be thankful for living on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. We are grateful to Hurricanes Iselle, Julio and Ana for being gentle with us and will hopefully ride out the rest of hurricane season without any more close encounters.
Are you trick or treating tonight for Halloween? We will be shepherding our keiki along Weliweli Tract on the south side and wish you all a safe and happy Halloween! It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This is typically the time when fewer visitors are on island so take advantage of any vacancies in your calendars to touch-up and update your Rental Properties with fresh paint, art and accessories, replace tired fans and rusty fixtures, etc. This will ensure that your property is perfectly presentable for the Peak Season commencing December 15th when most of you will be booked back to back and will not want to disturb your guests with pesky maintenance issues. Please feel free to discuss your renovation and upgrade ideas with us. We can help determine where they will have the maximum impact for the enjoyment of your vacation rental guests and for the long term maintenance plan for your property.
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Poipu Beach Athletic Club a hit with Owners!
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Many of our owners have been enjoying the hospitality and amenities of Poipu Beach Athletic Club. An owner recently described her RawYoga Class with Erin in the newly renovated Zen Den at the Club, and expressed her delight when Anthony, the General Manager, hand-delivered fresh pressed juice in chilled mason jars to everyone at the end of their session. He had concocted it himself from apples, strawberries and grapes. At her next class they were presented with fresh pressed honeydew melon juice with a touch of mint! Apparently, this flavorful jar of natural goodness is a regular treat to compliment the Yoga class.
This personal service and attention to detail is appreciated by our guests that utilize the Club. We have had wonderful positive feedback from visitors grateful for access to a fitness club to maintain their workout routines especially when they are indulging themselves on vacation. For guests that have a late departure flight, the club will be a convenient option to a late check-out which is not always available. The club will store their baggage and provide a venue for recreation and relaxation for their last hours on island. Soon the restaurant and the new gym facilities, showers and lockers will be available. Click here to read more about the proposed club expansion.
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Once again the Garden Island receives international acclaim!
Travel + Leisure magazine announced its World's Best Awards for 2014, which include everything from best islands and cities to hotels, airlines, cruises and more.
Last year, Kauai placed 7th out of the best islands on the planet but moved up to 3rd place this year! Three out of the top 5 Islands in the world were from Hawaii.
The small island of Santorini, Greece topped the list, followed by Maui in second. Other Hawaiian islands in the Top 10 are Big Island (4th) and Oahu (6th).
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No Moo-Poo in Maha'ulepu!
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 As many of our property Owners on Kauai have their Vacation Rental Investments located in the Poipu area, we thought you'd be interested in Friends of Maha'ulepu. It is a non-profit comprised of a group of concerned citizens (local and beyond) who are contributing their time and talents to protect the natural beauty of this pristine coastal valley. Their latest challenge has been responding to the proposed large industrial scale dairy, operated by Hawaii Dairy Farms (HDF), that wants to bring 2,000 dairy cows to a 582 acre parcel less than a mile from the coastline. The white sand beaches and coral reefs of Maha'ulepu are currently free of any development. The grave concern for the Friends of Maha'ulepu, is the risk to the ecosystem and all of the protected and endangered species- many of them endemic- who make their home there. The waterways too, are at risk, both streams and ocean, from pollutant runoff when either irrigation or heavy rains fall on the farm's clay soils. Also at risk, is the health of the visitors and residents who enjoy fishing, swimming, and surfing in the area adjacent to the farm, and may be exposed to harmful bacteria from the cattle's waste. They have been working diligently to persuade authorities and HDF, that starting with a smaller scale operation would best protect Maha'ulepu, since HDF is unable to identify any dairy operation in the United States that even comes close to the stocking and grazing density that they are proposing.
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Increasing Income in the Slow Season
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During April through June 15 and September through December 15 (with the exception of October) the dreaded slow season is here. It's the time when most people wait until the last minute to book their vacations and some of them don't even think about a vacation until something or someone ignites their interest. This is when getting creative and being flexible is necessary. Guests are hunting for a bargain and are paying as low as $2000/mo at some properties. After taxes and fees that is about a $40/night net to owner.
We do, on occasion, get that one condo or home that sits empty for the entire month, which is never acceptable to us. So what do we do? We create discounts and place them anywhere that allows specials, facebook, Craig's List, FlipKey, airbnb, our GVR website, www.alohagvr.com, www.hawaiigaga.com, eblast to past guests, guest newsletter specials, blogs on www.alohashare.com which can be shared on facebook, photos on Instagram with "End of the Year Sale," and notifying the agents on which properties' owners are happy with some income and "use your good judgment." We don't have to go to $40 a night, thank goodness, but 50% off works. This is also a time when the Realtors can do vacation rental "open house" to capture some business next year from the returning off-season guests.
Free cars help a lot. We get many calls asking if we are the ones with the free car. When you are advertising during a time that competition is heavy, it's essential to stand out from the thousands of ads out there. People like the idea of one call or reservation takes care of housing and transportation.
We have analyzed different strategies and find that when we give our agents a little flexibility during the off season and they know the properties that are willing to discount heavily to keep income that the net to owner usually ends up being a little higher. This doesn't apply to some properties that are so unique or have a large following, but is a good strategy for non view properties and properties that are new to the rental pool.
Linda Sylvester (RB) Owner Liaison
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Find Unique gifts from Kauai
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When you Shop at Aloha Share 10% of the purchase price
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Vintage Leiko Clutch
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is donated to Kauai Surfrider or Hawaii Wildlife Fund. These non-profits help to remove plastic and nets from our islands' beaches and to protect Hawaii's Honu and endangered Monk Seals. Help us raise funds to support these causes that greatly benefit our Visitor Industry and personal business investments on Kauai. Vintage aloha fabric clutches handmade on the North Shore by Leiko Kauai make unique and authentic island gifts of Aloha. An exquisite plein air painting, by talented local artist Eileen Kechloian, can exquisitely enhance a room in your home or vacation rental property. Surprise a friend with a gift of hand cut rubies and pearls delicately fashioned into elegant creations by jewelry designer Rhonda Sqyures.
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"Sealy Dan" - Eileen Kechloian Emerald Waterfall - Rhonda Squyres
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More Choices to Shop on Kauai!
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In 2013, Kukui Grove Center signed new leases with America's Mattress, Taco Del Mar, Pier 1 Imports, Sports Authority, and Haleakala Solar. A few weeks ago, Ross Dress for Less opened to a discount hungry crowd in the location formerly filled by Sears. Ross is great for finding special deals on designer brand bed linens, towels, housewares, etc. This means more options available for outfitting your vacation properties!
 
Furnishing a vacation rental on Kauai used to be limited to what could be found at Island Liquidators or Otsukas. Many owners resorted to shipping items from the Mainland or sending over a Matson crate after a special shopping excursion to Honolulu.
Those days are over, thanks to Aspire Furniture! Now firmly established on Kauai, Aspire Furniture has a reputation for quality items and friendly service. Cindy McGee, co owner and interior designer, would love to assist you with your interior design decisions. Cindy has a solid understanding of the Kauai vacation rental lifestyle. Cindy creates lasting, comfortable interiors that get rave reviews from the visitors who stay in the units which she has furnished.
Aspire Furniture is located in Lihue and is a design driven, multi line showroom handling furnishings for interiors and exteriors.
Click to visit ASPIRE FURNITURE
Kauai's Home Furnishing & Interior Design Destination
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MLS Kauai Real Estate Sales Statistics
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2014 Third Quarter Number of Sales 
Sold July - September
Residential - 123
Vacant Land - 42
Condominium - 75
Year to Date Comparison with Last Year
There has been an increase of 16.18% in the number of sales of vacant land this year to date compared to last year and a decrease of 4.10% in the number of condominium sales. Residential sales have increased by 4.97%
YTD Median Sales Price
Residential - $530,000 up 2.91%
Vacant Land - $332,500 up 10.83%
Condominium $344,000 up 14.67%
Market Statistics are obtained from Hawaii Information service and are, therefore, not independently verified.
View our Real Estate Listings and Kauai MLS at www.kauailistings.com
We welcome you to call us with all your real estate needs and questions.
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