Hawaii Business Magazine July 2022

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L O C A L LY O W N E D , L O C A L LY C O M M I T T E D SINCE 1955

TO” FO

ADUs a Trickle, Not a

R

“HO

W E I N B E R G F O U N D A T I O N P. 135 D I A B E T E S & A M P U T A T I O N S P. 139

FIRSTTIME BUYERS

FLOOD P. 100

P. 107

Rental Subsidies

EXPLAINING

LAND COURT

DURING COVID

P. 46

P. 38

PE RM IT SYSTE M :

A HELPFUL GUIDE TO N AV I G ATE R E A L E S TATE IN HAWAI‘I

SLOWEST IN U.S. P. 112

HAWAIIBUSINESS.COM

The Park Ward Village Residence 03 Living Room

Quality Interiors, Exceptional Views The Park Ward Village fosters a lifestyle focused on balance, harmony and connection.

Here, you can soak in the beauty of the island at the adjacent and surrounding parks. Indulge in your home’s modern interiors and stunning ocean views. Enjoy a collection of amenities for privacy, leisure and entertainment. Live at the center of it all, and spend more time doing what you love.

S T U D I O, O N E, T WO A N D T H R EE B ED RO O M S AVA I L A B L E INQUIRE THEPARKWARDVILLAGELIVING.COM | 808 500 9069 Offered by Ward Village Properties, LLC RB-21701

THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN OFFERING OR SOLICITATION OF SALE IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE PROJECT IS NOT REGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW OR WHERE SUCH OFFERING OR SOLICITATION WOULD OTHERWISE BE PROHIBITED BY LAW. WARD VILLAGE, A MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN HONOLULU, HAWAII, IS STILL BEING CONSTRUCTED. ANY VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF WARD VILLAGE OR THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS THEREIN, INCLUDING THEIR LOCATION, UNITS, COMMON ELEMENTS AND AMENITIES, MAY NOT ACCURATELY PORTRAY THE MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OR ITS CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS. ALL VISUAL DEPICTIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. THE DEVELOPER MAKES NO GUARANTEE, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WHATSOEVER THAT THE DEVELOPMENTS, FACILITIES OR IMPROVEMENTS OR FURNISHINGS AND APPLIANCES DEPICTED WILL ULTIMATELY APPEAR AS SHOWN OR EVEN BE INCLUDED AS A PART OF WARD VILLAGE OR ANY CONDOMINIUM PROJECT THEREIN. WARD VILLAGE PROPERTIES, LLC , RB-21701. COPYRIGHT ©2020. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNIT Y.

WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BOARD OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING.

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the

TOP PERFORMING REAL ESTATE AGENTS Mahalo for continuing to partner with Title Guaranty Hawaii.

TITLE GUARANTY OAHU ESCROW OFFICERS

Visit www.tghawaii.com

S PEC I A L PR O M OT I O N A L S ECT I O N ‘ AI N A PAUA H I : E N H A N C I N G CO M M U N I T Y R E S I L I E N C Y

Grounded in Culture K A M E H A M E H A S C H O O L S I S D E E P LY R O OT E D I N T H E L A N D L E G AC Y legacy of its founder Ke Ali‘i Bernice Pauahi Pākī Bishop.

An important part of Hawaiian identity, the ‘āina links us to the past, present and future.

Through responsible stewardship, Kamehameha Schools serves the lāhui with abundant educational opportunities supported by commercial real estate endeavors. Bringing life to sustainable communities by integrating ‘ike kūpuna (ancestral perspectives) also improves and protects the wellbeing of future generations.

“For over 135 years, our real estate portfolio has generated financial returns to support our educational mission, but it provides much more,” says Walter Thoemmes, Kamehameha Schools managing director of commercial real estate. “Our lands also provide education beyond the classroom and in environments that are grounded in culture, which enhances the resilience of community.”

Utilizing a placekeeping approach, the land’s history and cultural identity are prioritized. A reframing of the Western concept of “placemaking,” placekeeping builds community through an indigenous lens, rooted in aloha ‘āina, a deep and enduring respect for the land.

“Hawaiian placekeeping is part of our cultural foundation,” says Thoemmes.

Mo‘olelo of the land are embraced and traditional place names are used from conception through design. The look and feel, colors and architecture of a space are reflective of the land’s history. Sustainable practices ensure environmentally responsible stewardship.

“We all succeed, when we remain connected to heritage while addressing today’s needs and, most of all, providing hope for the future,” says Thoemmes. “Placekeeping is grounded in culture and is proving to drive both financial and non-financial returns that ultimately create resilient communities.”

Murals painted at different Kamehameha Schools commercial developments, such as Ku- ‘ono Marketplace at Ka- hala, help tell the mo‘olelo of each location.

“The communities we serve, the properties we manage, and the ‘a- ina we steward enhance these thriving communities by creating spaces that are true to who we are, where we come from and the legacy we leave behind for our keiki.”

S PEC I A L PR O M OT I O N A L S ECT I O N

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS

Hawaiian Placekeeping Creating authentic spaces grounded in cultural identity, connected by shared histories, and invested in an abundant future.

The Flats at Pu‘unui in Our Kaka‘ako

Hale‘iwa Store Lots

Keauhou Shopping Center

Keawalau, Waipahu

Kapa- lama Kai

Kapa‘akea

Embrace Change As leaders in Hawaii and beyond, our clients understand that change brings with it challenges and new opportunities for growth. And for 165 years, Carlsmith Ball has been a trusted partner, providing clients with the tools and innovative solutions they need to succeed.

CARLSMITH.COM HONOLULU • HILO • KONA • MAUI Managing Partner Laura Lucas

We thank each of y u.

At Hawai‘i Life, we’ve never had leaderboards or award ceremonies. Nobody’s going to be handed a trophy while the theme song to “Chariots of Fire” plays in the background. Because we focus on the quality of our work more than lighting up the scoreboard.

While we are grateful to Hawai’i Business Magazine for recognizing our top producers’ success, we’d like to stop and appreciate the hard work that goes into our profession at every level. Here’s to Hawai‘i Life’s crew... ...for every late night, last minute, or weekend emergency they’ve deftly handled to ensure their client successfully closes their purchase or sale. ...for every time they’ve helped someone move back home to Hawai‘i. ...for working tirelessly with first time homebuyers to finally purchase a home in the most frenetic and challenging real estate market in Hawai‘i’s history. ...for maintaining a strong sense of place and respect for Hawai‘i’s values and its people.

O‘ahu Maui Kauai Hawai‘i Island HawaiiLife.com

C E L E B R AT E A

Legacy IN TOURISM A benefit to raise scholarship funds for Universit y of Hawai‘i Travel Industr y Management students

2022 Honorees LEGACY IN TOURISM AWARD

TIM ALUMNI HALL OF HONOR AWARD

ROY YAMAGUCHI

DAVE EVANS

Chef and Founder Roy’s Worldwide, Eating House 1849, Humble Market Kitchin, GOEN Dining + Bar

Professor and Department Chair Hospitality and Tourism, Kapi‘olani CC

BBA ’79, MS ’06, PHD ’13

MAHALO

TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS Gold

ABC Stores Central Pacific Bank Daniel K. Hilton First Hawaiian Bank Jay H. Shidler on behalf of the Shidler College of Business Lawrence & Patricia Rodriguez Roberts Hawaii Roy’s Hawaii and Hawaii Food & Wine Festival

Silver

Alaska Airlines Halekulani Corporation Hawaiian Airlines Highgate Hawai’i Kualoa Private Nature Reserve Michael L. Lam and Terrence M. Lee Outrigger Hospitality Group Shidler Alumni Association Travel Industry Management Alumni Association ValueRock Realty Partners

Bronze

Aon Risk Services, Inc. of Hawaii Aqua-Aston Hospitality Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa Brookfield Properties G70 Hawaii Convention Center Hawai’i Lodging & Tourism Association Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau Hilton Hawaiian Village Kapi‘olani Community College, Hospitality and Tourism Program Kyo-ya Hotels, Marriott Waikiki Beach, and Ritz Carlton Marriott Vacations Worldwide Pacific Rim Concepts LLC Roy Yamaguchi Group of Restaurants Team Clean, Inc. Trinity Investments Tropic Fish Hawaii Trump International Hotel Waikiki United Laundry Service Waikiki Resort Hotel Y. Hata & Co. Limited

shidler.hawaii.edu/legacy-in-tourism Media Sponsor

Y u work with heart. ...for being the first independent residential real estate brokerage in Hawai‘i’s history to reach $3.69 billion in annual sales. ...for being the company that more sellers choose to list their property with than any other brokerage. ...for representing more sales at or above $3 million than any other brokerage in the state for 9 years running. ...for being much more like a boutique than a big box. More rebel than empire. For staying small, and still averaging over $10.75 million in sales per agent. ...for co-founding a global real estate network with one of the world’s most wellknown brands in Forbes Global Properties, in partnership with other top brokerages worldwide. ...for welcoming 2 million unique visitors every year to HawaiiLife.com. ...for consistently setting records for the highest residential sale prices in Hawai‘i’s history. ...for celebrating each others’ success, style, and differences.

O‘ahu Maui Kauai Hawai‘i Island HawaiiLife.com

07.22

FEATURES

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE LIBRARY; PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KELSEY IGE

Our report helps demystify Hawai‘i’s Land Court.

38

Why This State Program Worked Covid rent relief program helped tenants and landlords. One key: People who had experienced housing instability helped design the program.

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46

You Should Know the Basics of Land Court A longtime real estate attorney explains the advantages and challenges of Land Court, Hawai‘i’s legal “enigma.”

100

ADUs: Not a Flood, But Barely a Trickle ADUs seemed like one simple answer to Hawai‘i’s housing crisis, but the reality of accessory dwelling units was far more complicated.

107

Buy Your 1st Home?

Hard, Not Impossible Our guide to making it happen on O‘ahu, even without a big loan from your family.

Unconventional financing can help.

112

Building Permits Slowest in Nation A report by UH economists says building regulations here are the most onerous in the U.S., just as our home prices are the highest.

Y u give of yourself. ...for donating more than $300,000 to the Hawai‘i Life Charitable Fund and countless hours of volunteer time since the onset of Covid-19. ...for working so closely with the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, which gives grants to grass-roots, non-profit organizations across the island chain. ...for volunteering to remove thousands of pounds of garbage from Hawai‘i’s beaches and cleaning up highways and roads across the state. ...for stepping up to raise money for Hawai‘i’s Resilience funds to help support first responders in every community across Hawai‘i . ...for years of supporting the Hawai’i Land Trust and helping to conserve over 20,000 acres of land in perpetuity.

Let’s change the narrative and celebrate the tremendous efforts of all of our Hawai‘i Life team members who bring so much to their island communities.

Mahalo for all you do,

Matthew Beall, REALTOR(B), Principal Broker and CEO Hawai‘i Life

O‘ahu Maui Kauai Hawai‘i Island HawaiiLife.com

07.22

CONTENTS

32

PHOTO: COURTESY OF 808 CLEANUPS

Nonprofit With a Mission: 808 Cleanups This nonprofit cleans up beaches, hiking trails and other natural places.

One of its targets is invasive species.

Archaeology Isn’t at All Like Tomb Raider & Indiana Jones Windy Keala McElroy says local archaeology is often about analyzing poi pounders, a fishing village or wetland agriculture, and only rarely about bones.

20 Supreme Court Undercuts Local Non-Compete Contracts Employment attorney says the Hawai‘i ruling, which follows a national trend, should persuade employers to review noncompete agreements.

22

Outrigger’s Strategy for 2022: Upgrades and Acquisitions CEO Jeff Wagoner discusses major renovations, new properties purchased and the biggest challenge facing the tourism industry.

24 Two Perspectives on Caregiving and Work Part I: How to return to work after time off for parenting or caregiving.

Part II: How companies can support caregivers who work for them.

26

What’s Next for Weinberg Foundation after Retirement When Corbett Kalama steps down in December, the two new co-leaders plan to keep expanding rural funding and stabilizing the nonprofit’s real estate portfolio.

135 Diabetes’ Toll Includes Millions of Amputations The biggest impact in Hawai‘i is on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Can limb salvage reduce the number of amputations?

139

SPECI A L A DV ERTI SI NG SECTI ON S

Top Performers in Real Estate Realtors with elite skills and outstanding customer service 51 Kukulu Hale Awards Recognizing excellence in Hawai‘i’s commercial real estate industry 115

HAWAII BUSINESS (ISSN 0440-5056) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS. ©2022 PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANY UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADAPTATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND WILL RESULT IN LIABILITY OF UP TO $100,000. EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING AND BUSINESS OFFICES AT 1088 BISHOP STREET, SUITE LL2, HONOLULU, HI 96813. TELEPHONE (808) 534-7520. POSTMASTER: SEND ALL ADDRESS CHANGES TO HAWAII BUSINESS, P.O. BOX 913, HONOLULU, HI 96808. SUBSCRIBERS NOTIFY THE SAME OFFICE. PLEASE INCLUDE NEW ADDRESS AND OLD ADDRESS (MAILING LABEL PREFERRED) PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I, AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. SUBSCRIPTION: ONE YEAR $24.99 / TWO YEARS $34.99 / THREE YEARS $44.99. FOREIGN: ONE YEAR $53.99 (US FUNDS). FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES, ADDITIONAL RATES, INFORMATION, NOTIFICATION OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE, PLEASE CALL (800) 788-4230. JUNE/JULY 2022 VOL. 68/NO.10

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The path to your dream home starts here.

Your ASB banker will help get the mortgage that’s right for you.

Our mortgage loan programs include: • First Time Homebuyers • VA Loans • Jumbo Loans • Construction & Land Loans

To get started on the road to purchasing your home, visit asbhawaii.com/mortgage or scan the QR code.

NMLS #423168 © 2022 American Savings Bank, F.S.B.

REAL LIFE ANSWERS

F R O M

A N

T H E

O P E N

E D I T O R

M IN D

Why We Write: A Love Story

I

’M PROUD TO SAY THAT HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE is part of the mainstream media.

That may be a pejorative to some, but to me, my staff and, I hope, most of our readers, it means we fulfill a crucial public service by reporting on important local issues using facts and a diversity of sources who have expertise and experience with the topics we cover. We and our fellow mainstreamers play an essential part in this democracy.

Hawaii Business provides coverage in print, online, and through email newsletters, events, social media and podcasts – just about every way local people can learn about Hawai‘i.

We strive to provide fair and objective reporting, though we recognize that like everyone, we have biases. But we seek to correct for our biases by keeping an open mind – that’s what I call this monthly column – and including a range of topics and perspectives in our coverage.

One road map for me and my colleagues is the code of ethics from SPJ, the Society of Professional Journalists. You can read its 35 simply stated principles at spj. org/ethicscode.asp.

FOCUSED ON HAWAI‘I

The niche obligation of Hawaii Business Magazine is to serve the people of Hawai‘i. You may have noticed our mission statement – printed every month at the top of the masthead, on page 16 in this issue – has not changed since we introduced it about a decade ago: “Our goal is to strengthen the local economy and help our communities thrive.” I think that makes sense for a small business magazine that tries to serve as many people as we can with information and ideas.

The motto on our cover is also a pledge of our public service: “Locally Owned, Locally Committed Since 1955.” There are plenty of sources of national and international reporting; our focus is entirely on Hawai‘i.

That founding year, 1955, dates us and that’s OK. I get misty-eyed for traditional values like the Golden 14

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Rule, tolerance and patriotism, as well as diversity, equality and inclusion, and environmentalism.

For generations, local print media like traditional newspapers and magazines were often lucrative businesses to own. Unless you live in a cave, you know that is no longer true.

National print media have huge potential audiences – and therefore economies of scale – that local media do not.

But we are committed to Hawai‘i and local coverage.

Thankfully, our loyal readers ensure that we continue to survive and thrive. Mahalo to every one of you.

LONGTIME ROMANTIC AFFAIRS

Mahalo also to our owner, Duane Kurisu. He does not expect Hawaii Business Magazine to be a moneymaker; we simply need to be sustainable and continue our public service. I consider myself damn lucky to have this job and regret that so many former colleagues at other news outlets no longer work in this calling.

I was originally drawn to this profession by the role of reporters and editors during the Watergate crisis, and then while at my college newspaper, I fell head over heels in love – both with the news business and my wife of 41 years. Both are truly intoxicating.

We remain committed to deep-dive reports on crucial local issues: See May’s 12-page report on public education

by Associate Editor Cynthia Wessendorf and this month’s eight-page article on rental subsidies during the pandemic

by Staff Writer and Engagement Editor Noelle Fujii-Oride.

But we are spending more time and effort on midsize articles – three to five pages – and one- and two-pagers. It is a concession to what may be every human being’s diminished attention span in recent years – and a recognition that online readers rarely go long. You can bemoan shorter attention spans but you can’t ignore them.

We know you value your time. So whether we write long or short, we want to make every word count, tell you worthwhile things you don’t already know and make sure you understand Hawai‘i and its people a bit better each time.

STEVE PETRANIK EDITOR

Harvey J. Lung

Crystal K. Rose

Bruce D. Voss

Craig P. Wagnild

Michael C. Carroll

Ryan H. Engle

Adrian L. Lavarias

Sarah M. Love

Matthew C. Shannon

David R. Major

Christian D. Chambers

Real estate and construction legal expertise has a new name.

When it comes to real estate and construction law and litigation, no legal team in Hawaii has received more recognition than the firm formerly known as Bays Lung Rose Voss. We will continue to offer that same combination of strategic counsel, sheer determination and a focus on results under our new name, Lung Rose Voss Wagnild. To see all our credentials and how we can serve your interests, visit us at legalhawaii.com.

Topa Financial Center, 700 Bishop Street, 9th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 523-9000

•

legalhawaii.com

Problem solved.

HB EVENTS CONNECT WITH HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE L O C A L LY OW N E D , L O C A L LY C O M M I T T E D SINCE 1955.

Our goal is to strengthen the local economy and help our communities thrive.

Publisher CHERYL ONCEA cherylo@hawaiibusiness.com Editorial Editor STEVE PETRANIK stevep@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534−7584 Associate Editor CYNTHIA WESSENDORF cynthiaw@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534−7529 Staff Writer & Engagement Editor NOELLE FUJII-ORIDE

noellef@hawaiibusiness.com Staff Writer CHAVONNIE RAMOS chavonnier@hawaiibusiness.com Copy Editor ELROY GARCIA Interns VICTORIA BUDIONO, NIKKI ZAMANI

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2022 8:00AM TO 4:30PM | HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE FUTURE-READY – EMBRACING POSSIBILITIES. WELCOMING TRANSFORMATION AND REINVENTION. A F TER T WO Y E A R S OF ON LIN E A N D H Y BR ID EV ENTS, Hawaii Business, in partnership with First Hawaiian Bank, presents the 9th Annual Leadership Conference! Join us in-person for the state’s largest professional development conference. The full-day conference will feature forward-thinking, inspiring and empowering speakers from Hawai‘i and beyond. Experience insightful, valuable and innovative presentations and workshops as we reimagine and rebuild Hawai‘i’s future today.

FE ATU R E D S E S S I O N S :

• Transformational Leadership • Your Wellbeing is a Business Imperative • Retaining Employees: How to Manage the Revolving Door

• Developing Our Future Workforce Today • The Art of Negotiating • How to Shift Your Management Style to Lead More Effectively

• Redesigning Systems for Climate Repair • Fireside Chats with Top Business and Community Leaders • And more!

Register Now! Full conference details are available at HawaiiBusiness.com/LC2022 16

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Connect with us on social media: HawaiiBusiness HawaiiBusinessmagazine Hawaii Business is published by

President SCOTT SCHUMAKER scotts@pacificbasin.net • (808) 534−7541 Audience Development Director CHUCK TINDLE chuckt@pacificbasin.net • (808) 534−7521

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer DUANE KURISU

President and Chief Operating Officer SUSAN EICHOR

Chief Financial Officer KEN MIYASATO

PHOTO: COURTESY OF OCEANIT

9th Annual Leadership Conference

Design Creative Director KELSEY IGE kelseyi@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534−7179 Art Director MALLORY ADAMS-NAKAMURA malloryan@hawaiibusiness.com Digital Digital Marketing Director JOELLE CABASA joellec@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534−7531 Digital Media Manager TIANNA MORIMOTO tiannam@hawaiibusiness.com Photography Staff Photographer AARON YOSHINO Sales & Marketing Associate Publisher KENT COULES kentc@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 364−5869 Account Executive KELLIE MOE kelliem@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 364−5897 Account Executive MEA ALOHA SPADY meaalohas@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 364−6126 Advertising Project Manager MICHELLE OKADA michelleo@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534−7560 Events Director LOREN DOCTOLERO lorend@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534−7578 Circulation Circulation Manager KIM KOKI kimk@pacificbasin.net • (808) 534−7590

Congratulations TO ALL OF OUR AWARD-WINNING AGENTS!

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty agents and employees recently celebrated individual national awards and being named Most Productive Brokerage in the BHGRE national network for the 7th year in a row.

Congratulations to our agents recognized as Top Performers

by Hawaii Business magazine, and our 65 individual agents and agents teams who received national awards by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate for their outstanding production and customer service in 2021.

We would like to thank all of our agents and employees for going above and beyond to help their clients, community and each other. They are the heart of our company and helped us receive numerous national and local accolades, recognizing their commitment to providing exemplary service and professionalism every day. Mahalo!

KAHALA OFFICE

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KAHALA MALL KIOSK

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KAILUA OFFICE

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Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty 808.738.3600

Scan to search for homes, or visit:

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©2022 RB-18228 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. An Independently Owned and Operated Franchise.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty North Shore RB-21766, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty West RB-22126, and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty Valley Isle RB-21734 are affiliates of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty.

KAUAI

Congratulations Congratulationstotoour our Top TopPerformers!

Performers!

ANNEANNE ELIASON ELIASON RUTH RUTH S. MARVIN S. MARVINFRANFRAN MCDONALD MCDONALD REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S) | RS-75630| RS-75630

REALTOR(B) REALTOR(B) | RB-17731| RB-17731

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S) | RS-67009| RS-67009

REALTOR(B) REALTOR(B) | RB-21130| RB-21130

(808) 589-2040 (808) 589-2040

(808) 855-5808 (808) 855-5808

(808) 652-4422 (808) 652-4422

(808) 635-0165 (808) 635-0165

(808) 639-2263 (808) 639-2263

WRENWREN I. PERDUE I. PERDUE

DONNA DONNA RICE RICE R(B) | RB-17725 R(B) | RB-17725

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S) | RS-78254| RS-78254

(808) 652-6522 (808) 652-6522

(808) 651-2840 (808) 651-2840

(808) 482-9700 (808) 482-9700

STEVESTEVE L. COLE L. COLE REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S) | RS-28667| RS-28667

OAHU

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S) | RS-75502| RS-75502

REBA REBA ROY ROY

TIM MIRA TIM MIRA

HANNAH HANNAH SIROISSIROISJOYCE JOYCE D. WRIGHT D. WRIGHT FUNK FUNK REALTOR(B) REALTOR(B) | RB-15263| RB-15263

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S) | RS-75384| RS-75384

(808) 639-2367 (808) 639-2367

(808) 639-2767 (808) 639-2767

SUSAN SUSAN BOROCHOV BOROCHOV MYRAMYRA BRANDT BRANDT PATRICK PATRICK CHANDLER CHANDLER STEPHEN STEPHEN A. CIPRES A. CIPRES DAROUNY DAROUNY HU HU REALTOR-ASSOCIATE REALTOR-ASSOCIATE | RS-62433| RS-62433

REALTOR REALTOR | RB-14004| RB-14004

REALTOR REALTOR | RB-23308| RB-23308

FOUNDER,FOUNDER, REALTOR | REALTOR RB-20034| RB-20034

REALTOR REALTOR | RB-22625| RB-22625

(808) 478-0330 (808) 478-0330

(808) 224-3413 (808) 224-3413

(808) 650-3040 (808) 650-3040

(808) 295-5009 (808) 295-5009

(808) 225-0373 (808) 225-0373

MARY MARY LAVOIELAVOIE OLSONOLSON SEANSEAN LOPEZLOPEZ REALTOR-ASSOCIATE REALTOR-ASSOCIATE | RS-59202| RS-59202

REALTOR REALTOR | RB-20233| RB-20233

(808) 222-0072 (808) 222-0072

(808) 772-1405 (808) 772-1405

KAREN KAREN MAYER MAYER JANA JANA R. STAGGS R. STAGGS REALTOR REALTOR | RB-20538| RB-20538

(808) 286-9861 (808) 286-9861

BILL WARD BILL WARD

REALTOR-ASSOCIATE REALTOR-ASSOCIATE | RS-75264| RS-75264 REALTOR-ASSOCIATE REALTOR-ASSOCIATE | RS-75862| RS-75862

(808) 351-2993 (808) 351-2993

live livewho whoyou youareare

(808) 372-6986 (808) 372-6986

TRACYTRACY ABRAMS ABRAMS

KAREN KAREN E. BAIL E. BAIL

(808) 757-8104 (808) 757-8104

(808) 936-4640 (808) 936-4640

R(S) | RS-78699 R(S) | RS-78699

R(B) | RB-16072 R(B) | RB-16072

J. KHOURI-MORGAN J. KHOURI-MORGAN ERIK JACOBSON ERIK JACOBSONYVONNEYVONNE R(B) | RB-21678 R(B) | RB-21678

R(B) | RB-13392 R(B) | RB-13392

(808) 345-9033 (808) 345-9033

(808) 937-4466 (808) 937-4466

JENNIJENNI LEE LEE R(S) | RS-69239 R(S) | RS-69239

(808) 430-3022 (808) 430-3022

JON MCCUMSEY JON MCCUMSEYANNIEANNIE L. MENDOZA L. MENDOZADAVIDDAVID L. SKEELE L. SKEELE CRYSTAL CRYSTAL SOUZA SOUZAROBERT ROBERT D. WILKINSON D. WILKINSON R(B) | RB-21680 R(B) | RB-21680

R(S) | RS-71220 R(S) | RS-71220

R(B) | RB-12882 R(B) | RB-12882

R(S) | RS-64039 R(S) | RS-64039

R(B), BIC | R(B), RB-21193 BIC | RB-21193

(808) 747-4489 (808) 747-4489

(808) 557-5831 (808) 557-5831

(808) 938-8284 (808) 938-8284

(808) 640-0012 (808) 640-0012

(808) 987-6774 (808) 987-6774

MAUI

BIG ISLAND

We We are are proud proud to celebrate to celebrate the the exceptional exceptional Corcoran Corcoran Pacific Pacific Properties Properties agents agents whowho made made the the TopTop Performers Performers ListList in Real in Real Estate Estate in 2022. in 2022.

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PH OTO BY E LY S E B U T L E R

M Y

NAME: WINDY KEALA MCELROY

AGE:

JOB:

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ARCHAEOLOGIST

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A Pono Approach to Archaeology – Not at All Like Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones

BY V ICTOR IA B UD ION O

BEGINNINGS: McElroy was raised in Waimānalo and her first job was at Zippy’s while she was in high school. But when she started college at UH Mānoa, she had not chosen a field.

“Archaeology was the only subject that interested me in school, but I did not realize that it was capable of building myself a career.”

After years of study, she received her Ph.D. in anthropology from UH Mānoa in 2007, with a dissertation about the development of irrigated agriculture in Moloka‘i’s Wailau Valley.

After graduation, she worked for a couple of archaeology consulting firms on O‘ahu before launching her own business in 2009, called Keala Pono. Today, it operates on all Hawaiian Islands and on other Pacific islands such as Saipan and Guam.

METHODS AND APPROACHES: She describes Keala Pono as a cultural resource management firm with an ethically and culturally appropriate approach to archaeological research.

She and her team do archaeological inventories of sites for everyone from developers and construction companies to nonprofits and private landowners.

“I love going to work not know-

ing what I might find that day.”

The range of discoveries has meant analyzing poi pounders found on Kaua‘i and artifacts discovered in Nu‘alolo Kai, an ancient Hawaiian fishing village along the Nā Pali Coast that is only accessible by boat. She and her team have also advanced the archaeological classification of fish hooks and dated wetland agricultural features.

MISCONCEPTIONS: “In the movies,

you see Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones destroying and stealing things. That’s not what we do at all.”

She says valuable and irreplaceable archaeological sites around the world are destroyed each year through development, irresponsible tourism, looting and mismanagement. McElroy says her aim is to preserve and protect archaeological sites from further damage.

“Another misconception that many people have about archaeologists is that we always dig bones.”

Human burials are part of her company’s work, but “it’s a very small part of our job.”

THE PONO WAY: The English trans-

lation of “ke ala pono” is “the path to righteousness.” McElroy’s aim is to conduct archaeology research with high standards and

cultural sensitivity.

“We want to do archaeology the right way the first time. To preserve sites and take care of them the best way, the most pono way possible.”

She says involving the local community in her work gives her more perspective about the land she is working on. “We have done many community-training programs to get the community involved in our work.”

McElroy says she has led archaeological field training programs on O‘ahu, Moloka‘i and Hawai‘i Island, and presented her work to the Bishop Museum, the Royal Order of Kamehameha and Kamehameha Schools.

CHALLENGES: She also prides herself on operating a minority-owned, woman-owned small business. But it was hard at the start “because I was never trained on the boring business things, like taxes.”

So she hired specialists who could help her manage and understand those aspects and she learned a lot through the years.

“Now, I really enjoy every aspect of my job. It’s my passion and I love it.”

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CL ARITY AND CONCISENESS.

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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Hawai‘i Supreme Court Diminishes the Power of NonCompete Clauses An employment attorney says the ruling, which follows a national trend, should persuade business owners and employers to review non-compete agreements.

BY K AT H RYN D R U RY WAGN ER

I

N FEBRUARY, THE HAWAI‘I SUPREME COURT handed down a

landmark case on post-employment restrictive covenants, better known as “non-competes.”

The court had leaned toward enforcing non-competes in the past, but in Prudential Locations vs. Lorna Gagnon and Prestige Realty, it struck down Prudential’s non-compete clause, essentially saying “post-employment covenants are void unless you can show a very clear business protective purpose,” says attorney Bryan Andaya.

The court defined “protective purpose” as guarding close customer contacts, or proprietary or confidential information, says Andaya, an attorney specializing in labor and employment law and a director at ES&A, a Honolulu-based law firm.

“You have to be very specific about what you are trying to protect in order for it to be enforced,” he says.

The Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruling follows a national trend toward disfavoring non-competes in employment law. (Andaya explains that another type

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KELSEY IGE

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of non-compete, such as the kind used when a person buys a business, is something you “can and should have.”)

“More states are developing the view that employees, individuals, team members, should have the right to do their profession,” he says. “In California, non-competes are totally dead. Hawai‘i is not there yet. It holds open the possibility for protecting trade secrets and close customer relationships.”

One exception to that: HRS Section 480-4 bans non-compete and non-solicitation clauses in the technology industry. That law allows people in the tech field to pursue their careers more freely.

Any client-based business such as a real estate agency or beauty salon can benefit from having signed agreements with employees: “Really any business with a dedicated clientele where business development involves having a close relationship with customers,” Andaya explains.

“You have to draft it properly, though, and instead of a non-compete, it’s reframing the thinking toward non-solicitation agreements and confidentiality agreements. It’s fine to leave the company, just don’t solicit the clients.” Carefully crafted clauses can help protect customer lists, specialized manufacturing or even a signature chicken-katsu recipe.

Andaya was formerly president and COO of L&L Franchise Inc., something he says he brings up with his clients. “I didn’t have a non-compete at L&L but I had such aloha for the company and what it represents that I wouldn’t have ever considered setting up my own (company) to compete with them. If you really take care of your people and give them a sense of belonging, number one, they might not leave to begin with, and two, even if they do, they are more likely to be open and honest with you.”

Andaya suggests the following: • Review non-compete, confidentiality and non-solicitation provisions in employee agreements.

These are usually separate agreements signed by an employer and employee, and need to be specific.

Vague statements in an employee handbook, says Andaya, would likely not hold up in court.

• Establish systems and processes to

safeguard confidential information.

This might take the form of passwords or a key. And ensure consistency. For example, if one assistant manager has the password, all the assistant managers should have it.

• Invest in cybersecurity. “Everything should be backed up and then backed

up again in another location,” says Andaya. Consult with a lawyer on monitoring communications. You don’t want to wiretap an employee who has given notice but having systems in place means you’ll have concrete evidence if someone solicited your customers or runs off with that priceless katsu recipe.

With duct-free AC, your building gains more useable space.

Introducing VRF HVAC from Toshiba Carrier.

Toshiba Carrier VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) space-saving systems don’t require duct work and are easy to retrofit in any building. They help save money and energy by precisely balancing energy use to cooling demand. Toshiba Carrier VRF systems are backed by Carrier Hawaii, with locally stocked parts and service across the Hawaiian islands.

Locally owned distributor: Carrier Hawaii Kapolei Honolulu Kahului Kailua-Kona H AWA I I B U S I N ES S (808) 677-6339 • CarrierHawaii.com

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Outrigger’s Strategy for 2022: Upgrades and Acquisitions CEO Jeff Wagoner talks about major renovations in Waikīkī and Kona, new properties purchased in the Maldives and Thailand, and a major challenge facing the entire hospitality industry.

BY ST EV E P E T R A N I K

Outrigger Resorts’ newly acquired Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort.

H

AWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS

interviewing the CEOs of important local companies on their plans for a near future in which change and uncertainty often seem to be the only certainties.

Here is our conversation with Jeff Wagoner, CEO of the Outrigger Hospitality Group.

The interview has been lightly edited for conciseness.

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WHAT ARE YOUR MAJOR PLANS FOR 2022?

Two key areas are property enhancements and new resort acquisitions. We allocated $200 million to reinvest in our Hawai‘i assets and I’m pleased that after two years of headwinds, we’re back on track with fulfilling this plan.

On O‘ahu, our $80 million top-tobottom transformation of the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort is nearly

complete. Kani Ka Pila Grille has live Hawaiian music nightly and our new A‘o Cultural Center is a hub for celebrating Hawai‘i’s rich heritage. The project’s capstone is Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman, which is slated to open by year’s end.

On Hawai‘i Island, Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa, a 22-acre property that we acquired from Sheraton in July 2021, is in the planning stages of a remodel.

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received Hawai‘i Green Busi“This field has an cently ness awards and we’re on track to be first Hawai‘i hospitality brand incredibly broad the certified by Green Seal. global conservation platrange of career formOur called Outrigger’s Zone focuses on protecting coropportunities – (OZONE) al reefs because ocean stewardship to preserving the beauty from operations isandintegral health of our destinations. Our and management partnership with Kualoa Ranch for the Mālama Hawai‘i voluntourism to finance and initiative and Polynesian Voyaging Society for our A‘o Cultural Center marketing.” are a few examples of how we’re —Jeff Wagoner, CEO, Outrigger Hospitality Group

encouraging mindful, ultimately regenerative tourism.

We’re looking to invest $40 million into this oceanfront resort above Keauhou Bay – birthplace of King Kamehameha III – focusing on the area’s history and culture.

Two other hotel properties we’re upgrading are Waikiki Malia

by Outrigger and Ohana Waikiki East by Outrigger.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU AND THE TOURISM INDUSTRY FACE?

PHOTO: COURTESY OF OUTRIGGER RESORTS; ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES

YOU’VE ALSO ADDED TO YOUR OVERSEAS PROPERTIES.

Yes, we recently announced the acquisition of a five-star resort on a private island in the Maldives that is the epitome of barefoot luxury and a great addition to our portfolio.

And Outrigger purchased three resorts in Thailand last July; the properties in Phuket and Khao Lak reopened earlier this year following complete renovations and the third, in Koh Samui, is scheduled to reopen this summer.

ESCALATING PROBLEMS AND RAPID CHANGES MEAN HAWAI‘I AND THE WORLD ARE FACING A NEW ERA. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES FACING YOUR ORGANIZATION OR INDUSTRY?

I see tremendous opportunity in the ESG space (environmental, social, and governance) for Outrigger and the hospitality industry at large.

Five of Outrigger’s properties re-

It is inspiring the next generation to get excited about the hospitality industry. This field has an incredibly broad range of career opportunities – from operations and management to finance and marketing. My own career started with an overnight shift at a 1,000-room Marriott in L.A. and from there I was hooked. I loved every minute of my career and still do.

To meet current labor challenges we need to take exceptional care of our employees and work with others in Hawai‘i to help shed light on the benefits of the hospitality industry and the viability of a career in it.

THERE IS WIDESPREAD PESSIMISM ABOUT THE FUTURE. WHAT GIVES YOU OPTIMISM?

THE DOWNTOWN HONOLULU PARKING GUIDE IS BACK Need a parking space in the city for a month or just a day? Check our online guide, which includes locations, daily and monthly prices, and more information to find the right place at the right price.

Pandemic restrictions are gone or easing, and more workers are back to work in person at least some of the time. Go to our website to see the updated Downtown Honolulu Parking Guide, which includes 58 different lots and structures that you can use.

We cover public parking in the area bounded by Alapa‘i Street, Vineyard Boulevard, River Street and Nimitz Highway.

Starting May 27 at hawaiibusiness.com/parking-HNL

Outrigger celebrates its diamond anniversary in September: 75 years of capturing the hearts of travelers from around the globe. These last two years proved the power of travel and the desire to connect with people and cultures in meaningful ways. There’s no Zoom background that mimics the feeling of your toes in the sand or smell of a lei around your neck.

I’m optimistic for the future of travel with a new generation of travelers who want to see the world in an authentic and meaningful way.

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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Step by Step: Two Sides of Caregiving Part I: ProService Hawaii offers advice on how to successfully return to work after time off for caregiving

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WE SAW A MASS EXODUS OF PEOPLE, mainly women, leaving

the workforce to care for children and other loved ones during the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, the cost of child care and limited preschool options in Hawai‘i forced some parents to step back from work to focus on family responsibilities. And other employees left the workforce to care for elderly family members.

For many people, time away from the workforce is only temporary, and jumping back in can feel intimidating and stressful.

ProService offers these tips to help you overcome the uncertainty and make your transition easier.

1. DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING TIME AWAY

In a job interview, acknowledge your time away from the workforce and gaps in your resume. However, instead of dwelling on the gaps, keep the focus on why you’re the best person for the job. We’re lucky that many local company leaders act with compassion and aloha for their prospective employees. If an

C A R E G I V E R S

employer faults you for being a caregiver, you probably don’t want to work for that company.

gone are the days when employers viewed gaps in resumes as a ding. With new talent comes new skills and perspectives, which employers greatly value and appreciate.

2. ALIGN ON BENEFITS

While flexibility looks different across various fields or positions, the pandemic caused many companies to reinvent the rules and add new benefits to attract and retain workers. During your job search, study benefits packages, company values and an organization’s willingness and ability to be flexible.

Ask if perks that you want like flexible schedules, remote work, compressed workweeks, part-time work or other unique formats are available and encouraged. You might be surprised by an organization’s willingness to flex.

3. BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM

Talk about your return-to-work challenges with friends, colleagues, former classmates and family. Chances are they have faced a career pause and re-entry and can lend support or a friendly ear. On an island, relationships are everything so being open and transparent can help to ease worries and strengthen your network.

ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES

4. DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT

Stepping away from your career to care for a family member is admirable and speaks volumes about your character.

Time out for caregiving doesn’t mean you “fell behind,” nor does it void prior capabilities and current skills. Long

Part II: ProService Hawaii provides ways you can support caregivers who work for your company – or want to CAREGIVING ISN’T NEW. It’s just become harder to ignore in the workplace.

These last few years have emphasized how hard it is for parents and other caregivers to juggle work and family responsibilities. It has also shown that the right mix of policies and benefits, thoughtfully and clearly communicated, can go a long way in supporting (and retaining) employees and your bottom line.

Why? When employers try to help employees in ways that are truly meaningful to them, the results are improved performance, engagement and loyalty – the crown jewels of a healthy workplace.

Here are four steps for supporting caregivers in your workplace.

1. DESTIGMATIZE CAREGIVING FROM THE TOP DOWN

It’s common for employees to worry if caregiving will undermine their career trajectories or make them appear less committed. Encourage your senior leaders and managers to create a culture that is supportive of caregivers by being good role models.

This can include having positive attitudes toward taking leave, partaking in self-care activities, blocking off time to drop off kids at school, or leaving work early to see a child’s basketball game.

Small things like this can have a big impact on undoing the stigma (real or perceived) around caregiving that permeates many workplaces.

2. OFFER POLICIES AND BENEFITS THAT SUPPORT CAREGIVERS

Expanded child care responsibilities,

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multigenerational households and a large Baby Boomer population are all contributing to high rates of burnout, turnover and attrition. So while verbalizing the value of caregiving is important, it’s essential to back up your words with practical benefits that support working caregivers.

Employers can offer a variety of benefits, including financial ones like paid parental leave and stipends, or help caregivers cover their expenses with dependent care FSAs, pre-tax flexible spending accounts. You can also expand your paid time off or flexible schedule policy to accommodate the nuanced schedules caregivers may have. Create a private space for milk expressing and nursing. Not sure what to offer? Start an open dialogue with caregivers to see what support they need most.

3. INVESTIGATE WHAT FLEXIBILITY BENEFITS COULD LOOK LIKE

Before you rule this benefit out, know that every job, even an hourly job or shift work, can have some flexibility. If work from home or remote work aren’t options, be flexible with hours and scheduling. Try giving shift employees more advance notice about their schedules so they can plan for their other obligations, or use technology that gives them the ability to swap their work schedules more easily when they need flexibility.

Perhaps it’s offering part-time arrangements, project-based work or creating a “parent shift” (8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) for workers who can only work during typical school hours. Encourage your leaders to talk to employees and see what flexibility benefits might look like in your organization. Then shout it from the rooftops because flexibility is one of the most important benefits to workers today.

4. EMPATHY IS IMPORTANT

Above all else, supporting, retaining and attracting working caregivers in your organization requires empathy. Start by validating your employees’ caregiving challenges and provide a listening ear.

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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How and Why I Mentor: Patrick Powaser Helps Veterans Transition from Military to Civilian Careers His work as a psychologist and executive coach helps him uncover new jobs they might enjoy

BY NAT H A N B E K

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF PATRICK POWASER

M E N T O R I N G

M E N T O R I N G

T

URTLES ARE FAST AND NIMBLE

in the water but awkward and clumsy on land. Patrick Powaser, who is a licensed psychologist in Hawai‘i and Texas and an executive coach, says that observation guides how he mentors.

“If you try to teach a turtle to climb a tree, everyone’s going to be frustrated,” says Powaser, the founder of Ho‘ohana Coaching & Consulting.

After working for large companies for nearly 25 years, Powaser traded it all in for his own consulting practice in 2016. He now coaches clients in 13 time zones, operating mostly remotely from his office in Līhu‘e. He also volunteers with American Corporate Partners, assisting military personnel transitioning to civilian jobs.

Powaser says part of his responsibility as a volunteer is to listen and to understand what the military people he works with appreciated about their service and what they are ready to let

GIVE.

go. He also helps them find ways to take what they learned in the military and turn that into a marketable skill.

“If I can help them make that transition a little bit easier – to find people to talk to, develop their network and find a

“Those retiring from the military … can be assets in Hawai‘i’s civilian workforce.”

— Patrick Powaser, founder of Ho‘ohana Coaching & Consulting

role that’s going to make them happy in that next chapter of their career – that’s a win all the way around,” he says.

He says his main motivation for mentoring is his desire to give back.

And, he says, it helps knowing that many of those retiring from the military have specialized skills that can be assets in Hawai‘i’s civilian workforce.

“That’s a largely untapped resource for Hawai‘i,” he says, and “many of them want to be here and contribute.”

Now is the perfect time to shift careers because of all of the unpredictability and change over the last few years, Powaser says. However, he adds, finding a position that fits can take trial and error.

“Treat it all as an experiment,” he says. “If it doesn’t work, you’ll learn something from it.”

ARE YOU WILLING TO TALK TO A REPORTER ABOUT HOW AND WHY YOU MENTOR? LET US KNOW AT HAWAIIBUSINESS .COM/MENTORING

SERVE.

JOIN US. For 15 years...

Aloha United Way Society of Young Leaders have come together to support one another and our community. Building connections, building relationships, building the future. We lead with our hearts.

We are not an industry association or a networking group - we are joined by a desire to do good. We Give. We Serve. We Learn.

LEARN. SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE IN AUGUST Every year, we raise funds, collect supplies, and distribute school supplies to keiki in need. Support the drive. More at auw.org/syl H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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How to Find Success as a Hawai‘i Business on the Mainland Five guiding principles from the daughter of the founder of Sun Noodle, which has expanded to California and New Jersey W HEN YOU START A BU SIN ESS IN H AWAI‘I, expanding to the main-

land is just one of the milestones that might indicate success.

If your product or service is so well-loved locally that you have an opportunity to share it with new audiences, you have already achieved something that many business owners can only dream of. However, when faced with a mainland expansion, many business leaders find themselves compromising parts of their identities to appeal to a broader audience.

During Sun Noodle’s 40 years in business, it expanded from Hawai‘i to California and New Jersey, and earned the trust of customers from around the world. While it may seem daunting for local brands to appeal to mainland audiences, it also comes with an opportunity to showcase local values on a larger stage.

Here are five tips for Hawai‘i business leaders who want to adapt their local companies to a mainland audience or are struggling to succeed there: ESTABLISH A PURPOSE

My father, Hidehito Uki, founded Sun Noodle with a dream of sharing authentic Japanese noodles and local products, such as saimin, with the rest of the world. That is our mission and the guiding force behind all of our decisions.

Why do you do what you do?

Identify your company’s purpose,

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vision and mission, and your role in Hawai‘i and on the mainland will become much clearer.

Three Ways to Win in a Seller’s Market

INVEST IN CULTURE

Your purpose and values don’t mean much if you are not operating in alignment with those values at all locations. At Sun Noodle, no matter how big our ‘ohana grows, we always promote respect, quality and the aloha spirit in everything we do.

Your company culture stems from your values and should be actively reinforced wherever possible. For example, to reward hard work and show appreciation, Sun Noodle highlights employee accomplishments in our monthly newsletters.

SHARE YOUR ROOTS

Being from Hawai‘i is not only a differentiator, it is also an opportunity to tell your company’s backstory and provide more context for customers. Why was this company started? Who are the founders? What are their motivations? The more your customers know about you, the more trust and loyalty you can build.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Just as Hawai‘i’s audience is unique, the mainland has different regions, dialects, trends and audiences to cater to. If you try to target everyone, you’re not targeting anyone. Treat each new region as unique and worthy of customization, whether that means starting a regional newsletter or developing a separate brand voice.

ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES

LISTEN TO YOUR EMPLOYEES

The people you hire in a new location will most likely have a deeper understanding of their region’s differences and nuances.

Seek their opinions and feedback as an additional source of market research for local operations.

THIS MONTH’S EXPERT:

HISAE UKI, VP OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, SUN NOODLE

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T ’ S WID E LY KN OWN H OW C O M PE TITI V E

the current homebuying environment is. In fact, a home’s average days on market is currently around 11 days. That’s a challenge for prospective buyers.

But here are three ways to get a jump on the competition, according to Rusty Rasmussen, SVP and division manager for Central Pacific Bank’s Home Loans Division. #1 – Plan Ahead. Well before you start looking, talk with your personal financial team so you know what it’s going to take to make a winning offer. You’ll want to know how much you can safely stretch if it comes down to a bidding situation. Our team at CPB is happy to work with prospective homebuyers in advance of their homebuying journey. #2 – Be Ready to Bid. House shopping in this market means you have to be prepared. With how quickly homes are selling, being a pre-qualified homebuyer is a must. You don’t want your dream home to disappear while you wait. At CPB, we’ve made getting pre-qualified a quick and easy process, and it can be done online, over the phone, or in person.

that your offer is accepted. Your real estate agent will know how best to prepare the offer, and your loan officer will be able to tailor the financing and provide a prequalification letter to present a strong package to the seller.

Here at CPB, our team can help you navigate the loan process all the way through closing.

Rusty also advises people to stay positive. “If you plan ahead, you’ll know your sweet spot for exactly the right home for you. It may take a few tries, but the prepared homebuyer is always going to win.”

To learn more about home loans, visit cpb.bank/mortgage.

“Working with your real estate agent and loan officer, you can plan ahead to be sure that your offer is accepted.”

- RU S T Y R A S M U S S EN , S V P, D I V I S I O N M A N AG ER , C EN T R A L PAC IFI C BA N K H O M E LOA N S

Member FDIC

#3 – Team Up. Working with your real estate agent and loan officer, you can plan ahead to be sure H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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808 Cleanups Shares the Concept of Aloha ‘Āina

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HE GREATEST MESSAGE THAT 808 CLEANUPS SHARES is the

concept of aloha ‘āina,” says Kimeona Kane, director of community outreach for the nonprofit.

Michael Loftin founded 808 Cleanups with his friends in 2014, and they initially focused on restoring natural surfaces marred by graffiti. The nonprofit has since expanded to cleaning up beaches, hiking trails and other natural places from “mauka to makai.”

“I met Michael and the team out of embarrassment,” Kane says. “Their organization was cleaning up in my community at Waimānalo; I was so embarrassed that someone from outside our 32

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community had to come in and clean it.”

Soon after first volunteering with 808 Cleanups, Kane joined the executive board. His job concentrates on integrating Hawaiian cultures and values into the nonprofit’s work: honoring Native Hawaiian practices and helping preserve and restore sites that are valuable to their heritage.

The walls of the communication building in Pu‘u O Kaimukī Park were covered in graffiti before artist Solomon Enos led 808 Cleanups volunteers to complete a mural representing natural and astronomical elements significant to Hawaiian culture.

The organization continues to restore the park every Friday, providing supplies that volunteers use to remove

invasive species, care for native plants and organisms, and pick up litter. 808 Cleanups volunteers have collected almost 800,000 pounds of rubbish statewide, Kane says.

Those volunteers who are not of Native Hawaiian blood get the chance to learn more about Hawaiian culture, he says. “The opportunity to seek additional ways of grounding themselves, but also humbling themselves that they’re guests here in Hawai‘i.”

“Hopefully they can explore some of the deeper things to Hawai‘i that they didn’t care to see prior.”

Learn more or donate at 808cleanups.org.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF 808 CLEANUPS

BY VI C TOR IA B U D ION O

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How to Understand Important Changes in Flood Insurance Most people’s rates are going up a bit to reflect a more precise assessment of your risk, as determined by FEMA YOU MAY THINK OF TH E FEDERAL EMERGENCY MAN AGEMENT AGENCY as the peo-

ple who come to the rescue after a natural disaster. But FEMA is also the administrator of the National Flood Insurance Program.

FEMA implemented Risk Rating 2.0 for commercial buildings and homes effective Oct. 1, 2021. With that move, the agency says that all new flood policies and renewals starting April 2021 deliver rates that more accurately reflect current flood risks – and that fair pricing will help ensure the National Flood Insurance Program will be here for generations to come.

The new individualized approach uses current data, flood models and technology to assess risk factors for individual properties including the frequency of flooding, the types of floods expected, the distance to a flooding source and the

property’s elevation and cost to rebuild.

Based on FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0, 13% of policyholders in Hawai‘i will see lower premiums this year. The other policyholders will pay more: • 78% will pay up to $120 more a year.

• 5% will pay $120 to $240 more a year.

• 4% will pay more than $240 more a year.

Insurance companies participate in the National Flood Insurance Program by writing the policies that are purchased by property owners in Hawai‘i and nationwide.

Here are some of the factors that govern the rates that you will pay: • Buildings that are higher off the ground have lower risk, therefore the higher the first-floor height is above ground, the higher the discount.

• Home and building owners

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

H O W F E M A’ S R I S K R AT IN G 2 . 0 A F F E C T S H AWA I ‘ I P O L I C Y H O L D E R S

NFIP Policies in Force in Hawai‘i

61,400

Properties in Hawai‘i Not Covered by NFIP Policy

400,000

Average NFIP Payout in Hawai‘i in the Past 10 Years

$42,300

Average Individual Assistance Claim Payout in Hawai‘i in the Past 10 Years

$3,400

A DV I C E

F R O M

E X P E R T S

who are about to start the design and construction process – and want the lowest flood policy rates – should consider installing flood openings, elevating the building and placing all machinery and equipment on a higher floor if possible. (See FEMA’s discount guide chart at tinyurl.com/ guideFEMA.) In Hawai‘i, the high-risk flood hazard areas are in A and V Zones.

• A Zones have a 1% chance of flooding each year.

• V Zones are coastal zones that also have a 1% chance of flooding each year with additional hazards associated with storm-induced waves.

Flood insurance is mandatory for properties in the A and V Zones, unless they’re owned outright, free of mortgages and loans.

Hawai‘i Revised Statute 514B requires condominium boards to have flood insurance if their condos are in high-risk flood hazard areas such as the A and V Zones.

Todd Tamori, sales manager in Atlas Insurance Agency’s personal lines department, says Risk Rating 2.0 no longer uses general flood zones to calculate rates.

The rating will be more specific to each property based on variables such as distance to flooding sources, ground elevation of the first floor, foundation type and building replacement cost value.

Use your TMK (tax map key) here to find out which flood zone you are in: gis.hawaiinfip. org/FHAT This FEMA site lists the different flood zones: fema.gov/ glossary/flood-zones

THIS MONTH’S EXPERT:

ELAINE PANLILIO, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT ATLAS INSURANCE AGENCY

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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M A N A

U P

New Mana Up Cohort Features 11 Local Companies The startups are based on four islands and sell products ranging from alohawear and accessories to food, coloring books and puzzles

BY C HAVON N IE R A M OS

T

HE SEVENTH COHORT OF con-

sumer products accelerator Mana Up features 11 startups selling a diverse range of locally made products. Yes, there are companies that sell clothes and treats, but others offer products ranging from hand sanitizers to mushroom “superfoods.”

Mana-Up co-founder Meli James says it was a record-breaking year, with 135 companies applying to join the cohort.

“It’s been really wonderful to see not only the caliber of companies, but also the number of companies that started during the pandemic,” says James. She says a quarter of applicants started in the last 12 to 18 months.

Mana Up is resuming full in-person activities this year after moving its programs largely online in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

E-commerce was “game-changing and lifesaving” for many businesses, especially during Hawai‘i’s stay-at-home period in 2020, says James. Before the pandemic, 40% of the companies that had been part of earlier Mana Up cohorts earned more than half of their revenue from online sales.

That shot up to 70% in 2020.

Here are the 11 companies in the latest Mana Up cohort:

AVA + OLIVER (O‘AHU)

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LEXBREEZY (O‘AHU)

HAWAI‘I

Lexbreezy Hawai‘i is an alohawear company founded by Alexis Ahakuelo.

Ahakuelo, whose modern designs are geared toward younger generations, says she wants more people to include alohawear in their everyday outfits.

TAG ALOHA CO. (O‘AHU)

Tag Aloha Co. sells locally inspired beach bags and accessories made of organic cotton. Founders AJ White, Alana Penaroza and Kainoa Penaroza say they hope to spread awareness about sustainable practices. Their company is the first in the Islands to be certified by the global nonprofit Fairtrade.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MANA UP

Owner Emma Wo says she started ava + oliver because she wanted more gift-worthy options for babies and parents, including bibs, cups, changing mats and toys. Wo says that as part of the new cohort, she is eager to learn from business leaders and experts and from previous Mana Up graduates.

M A N A

U P

KAUAI SWEET SHOPPE (KAUA‘I)

Local confectionery Kauai Sweet Shoppe sells Hawai‘i-inspired caramel treats in many flavors. GM Chloe Blake says the business was originally a coffee shop, but pivoted in response to tourists looking for Kaua‘i-specific products. One of Blake’s goals is to expand the company’s reach internationally.

REVIVE GLASSWORKS (MAUI)

Matt Laundrie started Revive Glassworks with a goal of creating the state’s first glass factory, which could supply businesses with glassware. He turns used wine, beer and liquor bottles into drinking glasses, plates, candleholders and vases.

MĀLAMA MUSHROOMS (HAWAI‘I ISLAND)

Benjamin Lilibridge says he wants to help “save the world” with his mushroom business. Mālama Mushrooms features mushroom “superfood” products ranging from powder mixes, coffee and extracts that can be blended with food and drinks.

ADVANCE WILDLIFE EDUCATION (MAUI)

Advance Wildlife Education creates coloring books that highlight animals in Hawai‘i and across the Pacific. Owner Che Frausto says the company combines his passions for wildlife and art, and aims to spread awareness of how to support local animals.

PŌ NATURALS (HAWAI‘I ISLAND)

Alohilani Keohuloa’s Pō Naturals creates herbal products such as hand sanitizers, roller blends and body rubs using locally sourced ingredients. She encourages families to live healthy lifestyles by using natural products.

HAKU MAUI (MAUI)

Even before starting her business, Britney Texeira enjoyed the feelings of gratitude that people expressed when receiving her creations. That’s why

she founded the business. Today, Haku Maui creates custom handcrafted flower crowns that feature native plants and flowers grown around Texeira’s hometown of Makawao.

DAVID SHEPARD HAWAII (O‘AHU)

David Shepard’s self-named alohawear brand highlights native Hawaiian plants in its designs. One of his goals for the company is to be a platform to share conservation stories and educate people on the different plants native to the Islands.

SURF SHACK PUZZLES (O‘AHU)

Mahina Tuteur created Surf Shack Puzzles during

the stay-at-home phase of Hawai‘i’s pandemic in 2020, saying the puzzles were a great way to keep her family engaged and off electronic devices. The puzzles feature works by local female artists and are made from recycled board and printed with nontoxic ink.

Ahakuelo, the owner of Lexbreezy Hawai‘i, says she is excited to be part of Mana Up’s newest cohort. She wants to expand her business internationally and believes the accelerator will help because “they are really willing to take you under their wing and show you” how to run a business and how to connect with other companies that can help.

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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2O22

BEST PLACES TO WORK! Hawaii Business Magazine hosted its first in-person Best Places to Work celebration since 2019 on Friday, April 1, 2022 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

The event was made possible by Presenting Sponsor American Savings Bank; Award Sponsors UHA Health Insurance, Atlas Insurance Agency, ProService Hawaii, Alaska Airlines and Dave & Buster’s; Photo Sponsor Express Employment Professionals; Media Sponsor ESPN Honolulu and Nonprofit Sponsor Aloha United Way’s Society of Young Leaders. Most of the attendees were employees representing some of the 68 organizations that earned a spot on Hawaii Business’ prestigious 18th annual Best Places to Work list.

Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour prior to the dinner and awards program, replete with a DJ, games and prize wheels. Employees were able to once again celebrate their “Best Places” achievement with a photo opportunity in Hawaii Business’ giant and iconic Best Places to Work coffee mug.

Bowers + Kubota Consulting, WestPac Wealth Partners and Express Employment Professionals of Hawaii took home the top overall prizes in the Large, Medium and Small Company categories respectively.

“The rigorous selection process that determines which companies make the Best Places to Work list is based on a confidential survey of each organization’s employees,” said Hawaii Business Publisher Cheryl Oncea.

“Making the list is not easy. Making the list during the pandemic is nothing short of spectacular.”

Congratulations to all 68 companies that made this year’s list!

It was exhilarating celebrating in-person with so many remarkable companies dedicated to excellent workplace culture. We are thankful to our teammates for voting us a Best Place to Work in Hawai‘i 13 years in a row and giving us the opportunity to participate once again in the celebration!

We’re focused on creating a culture of inclusion, transparency, feedback, high performance, showing appreciation and keeping things fun. Combined with our unstuffy and collaborative environment, awardwinning benefits and work perks, our culture is one that makes people want to show up and do their best work every day.

Mahalo to Hawaii Business Magazine for continuing to promote outstanding workplace culture and being a strong voice for our business community!

— BETH WHITEHEAD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK

MAHALO TO OUR SPONSORS!

P R E S E N T E D BY :

“As this year’s Best Places to Work, Healthiest Workplace sponsor, we at UHA were honored to celebrate these wonderful companies that are recognized for their commitment and action to support the overall well-being of their people.

Congratulations to all the employers recognized as a Best Place to Work in Hawai‘i!”

— H OWA R D L E E , P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O , U H A H E A LT H INSURANCE

“It was an honor to sponsor an event that is focused on what our team believes in providing a great work place for our employees. We are thankful to be amongst such good company and we will continue to strive to provide one of Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work for our amazing team!”

— SUNNY CERELEJIA , M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , E X P R E S S E M P LOY M E N T PROFESSIONALS

“The 2022 Best Places to Work celebration will go down in the books as one of the most memorable events for our team. It was the first time we were able to gather and recognize how grateful we are for our employees, fellow nominees, and the Hawaii Business Magazine team in two years! Here’s to many more in-person celebrations to come!”

— CHASON ISHII, P R E S I D E N T, AT L A S I N S U R A N C E AG E N CY

AWA R D S P O N S O R S :

C O R P O R AT E P H OTO S P O N S O R :

“As a company that is all about people and has a reputation of being a great employer, Alaska Airlines was thrilled to be a part of this year’s Best Places to Work event to help honor Hawai‘i’s best companies and organizations. It was fun to finally be back in-person and be able to celebrate with friends that we haven’t seen in many months!”

— D A N I E L C H U N , D I R E C TO R OF SALES, COMMUNITY & P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S , AL ASK A AIRLINES

WHY THIS GOVERNMENT PROGRAM WORKED

Aura Reyes of Ka Po‘e o Kaka‘ako

M

BY NOE L L E F UJ I I - OR I DE PHOTOS BY A ARON YOSHINO

One of several key elements in the success of the state Covid rent relief program may have been that people who previously experienced housing instability were part of the decision-making. The Hawai‘i program was considered a national model and may have saved tens of thousands of people from losing their housing.

MOTHER OF FOUR AURA REYES lost her O‘ahu home over 10 years ago, but she can still remember the experience like it was yesterday.

“When you first come out on the street and when you first lose your home, it’s hard, it’s traumatic,” she says. “Just the uncertainty and the not knowing and the just – mentally, emotionally – just everything.”

She, her husband and children found housing in 2018.

In May 2020, Reyes was appointed to a state legislative subcommittee to address housing and homelessness during the pandemic. She wanted to help prevent tens of thousands of renter households from losing their homes like she did.

The group spent months creating a temporary state rent and mortgage relief program that ultimately distributed nearly $59 million on behalf of 13,700 households in three months. The program was considered a leader in distributing housing assistance funded by the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. An analysis by the Hawai‘i Budget and Policy Center found that the 2020 Hawai‘i program distributed more funds per capita than any other state effort in the country.

Those involved in designing and implementing the local program say several elements were integral to its success, including early collaborations among state government, nonprofits and others; the inclusion of people in the decision-making process who have experienced housing instability and homelessness; and strong support from the community.

“I think sometimes we do undercount the disasters that didn’t happen,” says Suzanne Skjold, chief operating officer at Aloha United Way, one of two nonprofits that distributed the assistance. “But this really did prevent tens of thousands of families from becoming potentially houseless, either temporarily or permanently. And I know … that is very often the ALICE (asset limited, income constrained, employed) population families who are working, who don’t have a lot of assets to be able to fall back on if they don’t have income.

“Programs like this that can fill that gap and help people to stay stable and in housing, it’s so critical. It’s exactly what we need to be doing to make sure that 50%, 60% of our pop-

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

39

ulation can continue to live in Hawai‘i and be able to thrive.”

U RG ENT N EED FO R H ELP

A dark cloud loomed over Hawai‘i as the Covid-19 pandemic dragged into May 2020: About 22% of Hawai‘i’s workforce was unemployed and the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that nearly 30% of Hawai‘i’s adults missed the previous month’s housing payment or had little confidence that their household could pay the next month’s rent or mortgage on time.

Things weren’t projected to improve as the year progressed. An analysis by UHERO, the UH Economic Research Organization, and the Hawai‘i Budget and Policy Center looked at the second half of 2020 and estimated that between 40,000 to 45,000 renter households would be unemployed, lose their increased unemployment benefits once federal pandemic unemployment compensation expired and would not be receiving other rental assistance come July 31. About 21,500 of these households would be at risk of losing their housing, including about 7,500 that would be at extreme risk.

It’s no surprise that several members of the legislative subcommittee on housing and homelessness felt a sense of urgency. But Gavin Thornton, executive director of the Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, says there was also optimism.

“The stuff that sticks out most to me was, I think, the hopeful feeling of the way that this shared crisis was bringing together all these different stakeholders and perspectives to really provide focus to the things that were most important at the time,” he says.

“WHEN YOU SEE THAT HALF OF HAWAI‘I RESIDENTS ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET, TO ME THAT SAYS PRETTY CLEARLY THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT PEOPLE’S BAD PERSONAL CHOICES. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.” GAVIN THORNTON,

Executive director, Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice

DIVERSE DECISION -MAKERS

Those stakeholders included CEOs and executives of banks and philanthropic organizations, nonprofit leaders, policy experts, and officials from the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp. and the governor’s office. Also at the decision-making table were people who had experienced housing instability and homelessness, like Reyes, who represented Ka Po‘e o Kaka‘ako, a group of current and formerly houseless individuals trying to change the way homelessness is addressed.

The subcommittee fell under the state House Select Committee on Covid-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness.

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James Koshiba of Hui Aloha

Thornton says it’s rare to see community members who have experienced housing instability or homelessness involved in decision-making, but the subcommittee’s chair, James Koshiba, thought it was important to include them.

Koshiba is a co-founder of Hui Aloha, which brings together houseless people and others to work on service projects. Several years ago, Koshiba spent a week living on Kaka‘ako’s streets to better understand the impacts of homelessness policies. That experience, he says, made him realize that some of the flaws in Hawai‘i’s housing and homelessness systems exist because of a disconnect between the goals of those systems, the people making decisions and the people experiencing the systems’ impacts.

By including individuals directly affected by homelessness and housing instability, other subcommittee members better understand what it’s like to get housing assistance in normal times, how the current systems’ rules impact those in need and the hoops they must jump through to get help, Koshiba says.

Their involvement also made the crisis tangible for group members who previously may not have personally known anyone who’s experienced housing instability or homelessness.

“If you went to a private school all your life and you never interacted with someone who was incarcerated or struggled with substances or lived on the street, lost their kids, that kind of thing, your reference points are different,” says subcommittee member Rose Rombawa.

“That’s not a reflection of any lack on a person’s intelligence, just maybe the need for an expanded perspective. And it’s absolutely transformative when you are able to have relationships across sectors, across class, across these different social dynamics.”

Meetings were opened by checking in with one another and using ice breakers, like “What’s one unexpected thing you learned about people on this committee or through this committee experience?”

Rombawa says that fostered a space of vulnerability and created a culture where members would relate to one another as people first, rather than just seeing one another based on their titles. She represented the Affordable Hawai‘i for All fellows, a group of people who have lived with housing instability and homelessness and now advocate for affordable housing policies.

“We’re sitting across the table from some of the biggest CEOs in the state to problem

solve and think through potential solutions,” she says. “It took a lot of stepping outside our individual roles and showing up as people, trying to do our part in this huge wave of Covid impacts.”

CREATIN G TH E PRO GRAM

The subcommittee’s main task was to create a statewide rental and mortgage assistance program to help stabilize the local economy and housing market during the pandemic.

Members spent several weeks in June crafting their proposal and included lessons learned from existing Covid relief programs run by Honolulu and Hawai‘i counties and nonprofits. Among the elements they wanted: Applicants should be allowed to self-attest their household income, a state agency should use a grantin-aid process – which is faster than going through procurement – to pass coronavirus relief funds to a nonprofit intermediary, and the nonprofit should get funds upfront to launch the program, rather than be reimbursed later.

This was when the duration and full impact of the pandemic were still uncertain, so the group also requested that the administering agency have the flexibility to change the program’s eligibility requirements, rules and assistance amounts to meet residents’ needs.

Charities Hawai‘i and Aloha United Way in mid-August. By that time, the governor had enacted a state moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent.

The program launched on Sept. 8 and would distribute monthly rent payments of up to $2,000 per household on O‘ahu and up to $1,500 per household in Hawai‘i, Maui and Kaua‘i counties. Households could also receive up to $500 for homeowner association fees. Payments would cover March 1 through Dec. 28, 2020, and go directly to landlords.

Full-time Hawai‘i residents had to have lost income because of the pandemic, and current household income could not exceed the area median income. That varies from place to place, but in Honolulu, that was $125,900 for a four-person household.

The program concluded on Dec. 31, 2020, with nearly $59 million distributed on behalf of 13,700 households. Most of the assistance, $42.1 million, helped

9,500 households on O‘ahu. More than 900 Kaua‘i households received $3.8 million, 2,500 Maui County households received over $10 million, and nearly 700 Hawai‘i Island households received more than $2.5 million.

Fifteen percent of households that received assistance reported having no income, and 68% were at 50% AMI or below, according to a joint press release from Catholic Charities Hawai‘i and Aloha United Way. About $8.6 million was spent on program administration, and the remaining $30 million was transferred to the state unemployment insurance fund, which was required by Act 9.

Iseri-Matsubara says the state probably could have distributed all of its allocated funds if it didn’t have the late December spending deadline from the state Legislature. The federal spending deadline was later extended to December 2021.

DEADLIN E TO SPEN D M ON EY

The state Legislature passed Act 9 in July 2020 to establish a temporary program to help with rent and housing and allocated $100 million in federal coronavirus relief money to fund it. The law also required the state to spend funds by the end of 2020, the same deadline set by the federal government. The Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp. was named program administrator – HHFDC’s first time administering rental assistance.

Denise Iseri-Mastubara, HHFDC’s executive director, says the agency went through an expedited procurement process to select the nonprofit intermediaries. Normally, procurement takes three to six months, but in the rent relief program’s case, a notice of funding availability was issued on July 2 and contracts were executed with Catholic

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

41

CON SIDERED ON E O F TH E BEST

Skjold of Aloha United Way says Hawai‘i’s program was considered one of the most successful rent assistance initiatives in the country due to the amount of money it distributed per capita, the speed at which funds were disbursed and the program’s flexibility to meet residents’ needs.

“All the people who were in the weeds, we saw the challenges, the incredible amount of work, and the stress of doing this really quickly and without a blueprint,” she says.

“Although it was very difficult … in the end we did meet the needs for thousands and thousands of households and prevented even greater heartache from what Covid has already brought to the Islands.”

In fall 2020, nonprofit advocacy group Seattle for Growth hosted a Zoom call with housing providers from around the country to learn about Hawai‘i’s program. Director Roger Valdez wrote about the state’s efforts in a January 2021 Forbes article and says Hawai‘i is a great example for the rest of the country.

At the time, states and jurisdictions were preparing to receive $25 billion in federal emergency rent relief funding.

“I wanted to motivate people to go to their state and local government and say, ‘We need to do this the way Hawai‘i is doing it,’ which is to make it quick, make it electronic transfers” and, as much as possible, eliminate the intermediary steps to getting the money to people who need it, he says.

Seattle for Growth, which advocates for the creation of more housing of all types, had pushed for local and federal Covid rent relief. Valdez says, “What’s happened in the rest of the country is that most of the money either didn’t get spent or it got spent and it’s unclear exactly where it went and whether or not it actually solved the problem.”

An investigation by the Center for Public Integrity and The Associated Press published in June 2021 (tinyurl.com/ cvdrntrlf ) found that of the $2.6 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding set aside by states for rent relief, more than $425 million hadn’t made it into the pockets of tenants or landlords. They surveyed about

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70 state and local agencies.

“About $1 out of every $6 of that $2.6 billion wound up getting spent on other Covid-19-related expenses, such as protective equipment, police officers’ salaries and small-business loans,” the two organizations reported.

Property Profiles Inc. manages just over 1,300 rental units on O‘ahu. About 5% to 10% of its tenants experienced hardships because of the pandemic.

Shannon Heaven, a property manager and Realtor with the company, says the state program, as well as the county-level ones, have had a positive impact on the company’s tenants and property owners. She says there likely would have been a “tremendous amount” of property owners who would have had to sell their houses or default on their mortgages if there were no relief.

“When that happens, that takes away that housing unit for that renter, and we already have a shortage of housing in Hawai‘i, so it would have been very difficult,” she says.

A H ELPFU L PRO GRAM

Several of the subcommittee members and others involved in implementing the program say that collaboratively designing it with community stakeholders and nonprofits made a difference.

“This group was in front of the legislation and out in front of the actual program itself to make sure that all these issues were thought of,” says Rob Van Tassell, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Hawai‘i. “And I think that’s a reason why Hawai‘i led the nation, is because of all the forethought that went into this.”

In shaping its proposal, the subcommittee gathered information from a variety of stakeholders, including nonprofits that might ultimately implement the program. Typically, the people pushing programs through procurement are unable to consult with agencies that might bid for it, Koshiba says, but this time it was essential. Without that consultation, it’s likely the state would write things into the contract that would not work for the

RENT RELIEF BY THE NUMBERS

TOTAL H O U S E H O LDS H E LPE D

TOTAL AS S I STAN C E D I STR I B UTE D

R E NT AS S I STAN C E AS A % O F TOTAL

M O R TG AG E AS S I STAN C E AS A % O F TOTAL

H O M EOWN E R AS SOC IATI O N AS S I STAN C E AS A % O F TOTAL

O‘ahu

9,553

$42,124,967

87.3%

12.0%

0.7%

Hawai‘i Island

682

$2,538,012

87.1%

12.5%

0.4%

Kaua‘i

915

$3,835,391

87.1%

12.8%

0.2%

Maui

2,524

$10,034,293

85.4%

14.2%

0.4%

Moloka‘i

12

$44,479

98.2%

1.8%

0%

Lāna‘i

35

$96,137

84.2

15.8%

0%

Total

13,721

$58,673,278

87.0%

12.4%

0.6%

Source: Hawai‘i Housing and Finance Development Corp.; numbers as of January 20, 2022

implementing agencies, thus slowing the program’s launch, he says.

“Those are examples of how the system in normal times, doing business as usual, is designed to minimize fraud, minimize risk to the state of a federal audit or a lawsuit or bad press,” he says. “And those systems exist for good reason in normal times. But in a time of crisis, if you’re operating that way, we’ll never respond to the needs in a timely way or in a way that actually fits what the community needs.”

Another major change was providing the nonprofit intermediaries with some advance funds to pay for staff and IT systems and to start delivering assistance.

Typically, nonprofit partners are reimbursed, but for a program this big, they generally don’t have enough cash to carry on if they have to wait to be reimbursed.

Skjold says HHFDC listened to what the nonprofits needed and pivoted so the assistance could be distributed as quickly as possible.

“There had to be a huge amount of trust, and we knew we had to select the right partners,” Iseri-Matsubara says. “And that’s why we went through procurement, setting up parameters that you had to have so much experience, so much capacity because we knew this was going to be a short takeoff.” The Aloha United Way and Catholic Charities Hawai‘i ran their own housing assistance programs before Covid. And AUW was one of three nonprofits that administered Honolulu’s Covid-19 hardship and relief fund for households.

Another bright spot was the communication between HHFDC and leaders of CCH and AUW, Iseri-Matsubara says. The group talked weekly, discussing things like how they could streamline the application procedure and why there were fewer requests for back rent than anticipated.

“If there was any one lesson around this, I think it’s how essential it is during the set up and the launch and the sort of how are things going, to have that backand-forth. Really candid communication was so critical,” Skjold says. “And it sounds like an easy thing to say, but that’s actually not typical, when you get government contracts, to have regular weekly check-ins.”

There was also a commitment among the program’s leaders to find a way to make the program work. “We were operating in uncharted waters during a

pandemic,” Iseri-Matsubara says. “We needed to act fast and in a responsible manner or people were going to be evicted – no time to be perfect.”

The broader community also pitched in. Several business and community leaders answered Iseri-Matsubara’s weekend phone calls to spread the word about the program, and AUW and CCH worked with several community organizations and credit unions to reach different populations and process applications.

“BUILDIN G A SHIP WHILE YO U ’RE SAILIN G IT”

Creating a rent relief program of unprecedented scale is hard, and several challenges had to be addressed.

“We’re figuring things out as we go, so it’s like building the ship while you’re sailing it,” Iseri-Mastubara says, adding the process was complicated as the U.S. Treasury changed how coronavirus relief monies could be spent. For example, it wasn’t clear initially whether funds could be used for mortgage payments.

There was also initial confusion about what period the housing assistance could cover. Act 9 specified that assistance could be distributed between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020. Koshiba says the state’s interpretation was that back rent before Aug. 1 couldn’t be covered. Subcommittee members pushed against that because renters would still be evicted later for past-due payments. By October, the program started covering back rent prior to Aug. 1.

The program also reached capacity quickly after receiving more than 18,300 applications in its first five weeks. In that time, it approved about $6 million and disbursed less than half of that. The program temporarily stopped accepting applications in mid-October so it could catch up.

A report on lessons learned prepared by the subcommittee (tinyurl.com/hirntrlflsn) says the primary challenges included issues with the program’s database; the intermediaries were still hiring, training and making space for staff during the program’s first five weeks; income verification was slowing processing time; many landlords were initially unable or unwilling to submit form W-9s; and a system had to be created to check whether applicants had received Covid housing assis-

tance through other federal funding and were therefore ineligible. The program switched to self-attestation of income in October, Koshiba says, and processed applications quicker in the following months.

Authors of the subcommittee’s lessons learned report also wrote that the strain of implementing the program under “extraordinary stress and time constraints” pushed “many to their breaking point, with staff at all levels facing vicarious trauma and burnout.”

“We had to live and breathe it,” Iseri-Matsubara says.

STRESS AN D BU RN - O UT

A January 2021 report commissioned by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, “Covid and Cares Act: Lessons for and from Hawai‘i’s Nonprofit Sector,” (tinyurl. com/HIcovidnpft) echoed the strain local nonprofits faced as they distributed coronavirus relief funds. The report is based mostly on interviews with staff/leaders at 16 nonprofits that received nearly $265 million through the coronavirus relief fund or other federal programs.

“Constraints imposed by federal Covid-19 relief spending deadlines, strict interpretations of federal law, process variation between different levels of government, burdensome paperwork and several other factors have strained many organizations,” the report’s authors wrote.

“Reaching a breaking point and facing stress and burn-out, some staff left their jobs for their own mental health. More than anything, organizations have had to face longstanding issues inherent to Hawai‘i’s government funding infrastructure, rooted in a heavy risk management focus and a measure of a lack of trust.”

LAN DLO RD PARTICIPATION

One challenge was getting landlords to participate.

A UH Economic Research Organization survey conducted in November 2020 (tinyurl.com/HIrentmkt) suggested that about 36% of landlords and property managers were participating in the state rent relief program, and nearly 40% were participating in at least one rent relief program. Honolulu and Hawai‘i counties, as well as the Council for Native Hawaiian

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

43

Advancement, had their own rent relief programs running at the same time. The survey’s responses came from 181 landlords and property managers who collectively represented 6,167 rental units.

Philip Garboden, UH Mānoa’s affordable housing professor and author of the November UHERO study, says landlords probably didn’t want to participate for several reasons.

Some may have been renting out unpermitted structures, like ADUs, while others may have felt like they were being taken advantage of by tenants and just wanted them to leave.

Some were also initially hesitant because they didn’t understand how their taxes would be impacted or why the nonprofit was asking for so much information, CCH’s Van Tassell says. Landlords had to provide contact information, W-9 information and confirm the amount owed. He adds that landlords wanted to do the right thing and the nonprofit’s outreach efforts helped make many of them more comfortable with the program.

The Honolulu Board of Realtors helped with that outreach. Heaven, the property manager and Realtor and immediate past president of the board, says many HBR members contacted mom and pop landlords to help them with the paperwork and educate them about the program.

She says there was a learning curve for both landlords and tenants. “You have to think a lot of these tenants had never been late before, had never not been able to pay rent before,” she says.

“And on the flip side, some of my landlords … they don’t have extra income to be able to continue paying a mortgage when a tenant isn’t paying rent.”

TAKEAWAYS

One of the top lessons from creating the rent relief program is that future decision-making to address Hawai‘i’s housing crisis should include people most impacted by the crisis.

Hawai‘i faces its current problems, in large part, because those perspectives have been excluded from decision-making, Thornton says. The Hawai‘i Appleseed Center executive says society often values traditional expertise over lived experience, and people tend to assign personal blame to folks struggling under the current system.

“The reality is yes, we do make choices that positively or adversely impact our individual lives,” he says. “But when you see that half of

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“THE RENT RELIEF PROGRAM, YES, IT INITIALLY HELPED THAT CRISIS, BUT IT DIDN’T ADDRESS THE PAST PROBLEM THAT WAS ALREADY THERE.” TRACEY WILTGEN,

Executive director, Mediation Center of the Pacific

Hawai‘i residents are struggling to make ends meet, to me that says pretty clearly this is not just about people’s bad personal choices. This is a systemic problem.”

Jeff Gilbreath, executive director of Hawai‘i Community Lending and a subcommittee member, says a lot of the energy behind creating the rent relief program came from community members who had experienced housing instability and homelessness. And he saw business leaders and policy leaders look to those community members, as well as community-based nonprofits, to lead the way.

Garboden, who has been part of several housing-related working groups, says he’s almost nostalgic for how well the subcommittee members worked together and operated in good faith. Sometimes, legislative-appointed committees barely get off the ground because everyone is so upset before discussions even begin.

But including the voices of people with lived experience is only the first step, says Rombawa, whose background is in social work, substance abuse counseling, loan processing and marketing.

“If we can’t even get to a place where we’re creating space for the lived experience folks, then we’re not anywhere closer to solving the big issues,” she says.

Koshiba says the lesson for the community and for government and business institutions is twofold. One is that Hawai‘i’s institutions need to be ready to partner with the community when there’s another crisis. That means government needs to recognize that it can’t do it alone and must prioritize community needs, even if doing so increases potential legal risk.

The other lesson is that the community must acknowledge its collective responsibility to address Hawai‘i’s housing and homelessness issues.

“All of this urgency and attention that we brought to it during the pandemic and the same lessons about having to adapt to an emergency, that’s how we need to be operating to solve this problem,” Koshiba says.

CONTIN U ED AN D FUTU RE N EED

The pandemic shined an even brighter spotlight on the state’s ALICE households that even in normal times barely make enough to get by.

“Noticing that probably half of our state does not have the savings to be able to cover their monthly expenses the following

ANOTHER COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO COVID HOUSING RELIEF

O

n Hawai‘i Island, tight collaboration between the county government and a group of local nonprofits has helped the island respond to tropical storms, hurricanes and volcanic eruptions.

In 2020, the county worked with Hawai‘i Community Lending, which served as an intermediary and oversaw five on-island organizations that would disburse funds under the Hawai‘i County Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program. Sharon Hirota, a specialist with the county Office of Housing and Community Development, says the island’s nonprofits drove the collaborative design of the program.

All the nonprofit partners used the same application, data management system, set of policies and outreach plan. Hirota says that made disbursing aid efficient and kept the money on the island.

“It’s hard to say that but we really wanted to make sure that at a time where people were losing their jobs or having reduction in hours, how do we keep the money here on Hawai‘i Island and how do we ensure that those who may have lost hours within their community-based organizations were able to keep full-time employment?” she asks.

We Just Listened Jeff Gilbreath, executive director of Hawai‘i Community Lending, adds that the nonprofits’ existing relationships with residents made it easier to connect with applicants, many of whom had never applied for aid before.

month, to me that should be a wake-up call,” Skjold says. “That’s a big concern.

We have families working full time and unable to save that kind of funds to be able to pay their rent if they have an unexpected crisis.”

Other Covid rent relief programs continue to run today, with the largest ones administered by the counties. They were introduced in April 2021 and are funded by the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program, or ERA. As of April 25, 2022, the programs had collectively distributed $212 million to nearly 19,600 households statewide.

Some ERA funds can be used to help people whose hardships have occurred within the last two years but not as a direct result of Covid. Previously, applicants had to have experienced hardship directly from the pandemic.

Garboden, who was also a subcommittee member, says the fact that Hawai‘i hasn’t seen a large bump in evictions since the eviction moratorium ended is a testament to the temporary rent relief programs’ effectiveness over the last two years.

He points to pre-pandemic figures:

The program ran from August through December 2020 and distributed $10.96 million to 1,729 households.

“As much as I read, ‘Oh it’s the county’s program,’ it’s not us, it’s them,” Hirota says, referring to the local nonprofits. “We just listened and we relied on their expertise and what they were hearing on the streets and making adjustments as appropriate. So it’s more on them. Kudos to all of them.”

The county has carried forward this collaborative approach to its current rent and utility assistance program, which began in April 2021 and has so far distributed nearly $15.6 million to almost 2,000 households.

Gilbreath says Hawai‘i Island is the only county using this intermediary approach. And the country’s hui of six nonprofits has now grown to 11, with some of the organizations focusing on housing stability services

208 summary possession cases in January 2020 and 212 in February 2020. The numbers have decreased since, with a low of 26 cases in May 2020. There were 143 cases in August 2021 – the month the eviction moratorium expired – and 179 in September 2021. Garboden’s numbers only go until February 2022, but they show the number of monthly eviction cases are just below pre-pandemic levels.

TENANTS AN D LAN DLO RDS

Receiving rent assistance also helped tenants and landlords settle disagreements. Tracey Wiltgen, executive director of the Mediation Center of the Pacific and a subcommittee member, says she saw several hundred tenants pull out of mediation efforts once they received assistance. But part of that was because the state’s eviction moratorium on nonpayment of rent was in place.

The moratorium expired on Aug. 6, 2021. Since then, the center has mediated 940 cases – about 86% of which resulted in agreements. Wiltgen says that’s a result of Act 57, which took effect in August 2021 and requires landlords to

like landlord-tenant mediation, financial counseling and community navigation. In community navigation, trained community members help clients connect with housing assistance and other services.

Hirota says she’s heard lots of stories about how families have benefited from the county’s rent relief programs.

“One mother told me, ‘I was ready to tell my kid you have to go live with Grandma and Grandpa because me and Dad got to go on the streets. Like we cannot take any more calls from the landlord.’” Hirota recalls the mother saying, “You guys came and got me caught up and we can be made a family.”

Hirota adds: “We don’t hear all of them, but when you do it’s so satisfying to say this is why we do what we do, because it’s keeping our families safe and keeping families together.”

let tenants mediate evictions for nonpayment of rent.

She says it’s a positive sign that so many tenants and landlords are willing to negotiate and have reached agreements. But, she adds, receiving rent assistance is only a short-term fix.

She expects to soon see some tenants max out on rent relief. Federal rules only allow residents to receive federally funded rent relief for up to 18 months.

She says some of those tenants are in a better position now and will be able to pay their rent on time after the assistance ends. Others recognize they will not be able to pay their rent and are looking at different housing options.

“I think the rent relief program only solved part of the problem,” she says. “It addressed the immediate problem that things overnight got worse. People lost their jobs or were downsized or some of them had to stay home with their kids because of sheltering in place. So what was already a bad situation became a dire situation. So the rent relief program, yes, it initially helped that crisis, but it didn’t address the past problem that was already there.”

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

45

YOU SHOU LD KNOW THE BAS ICS OF

For those involved in real estate transactions, understanding the fundamentals is key. Here, a longtime real estate attorney explains the advantages – protecting against squatters rights is one – and challenges of Land Court.

by Roy Kodani

M

ANY PEOPLE IN HAWAI‘I HAVE HEARD OF LAND COURT, but

only a few truly understand it.

Even experienced attorneys can struggle to comprehend its intricacies. Gary W. B. Chang, current judge of the Hawai‘i Land Court, included a warning in his article about it in the September 2017 issue of the Hawaii Bar Journal.

“The greatest challenge for professionals who dabble in the area of Land Court, is that such dabblers are typically not inclined to invest the time to acquire expertise in land court matters. As a consequence, they struggle to navigate their way through what they view as a morass of confusion and frustration,” Chang wrote.

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The Hawai‘i Land Court was established by the territorial Legislature in 1903, and is mainly a recordation system based on the Australian Torrens title system, according to a 1983 Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruling involving the estate of James Campbell. (tinyurl.com/HILandCourt) In the same case, the Supreme Court said Land Court remains a “system for registration of land under which, upon the landowner’s application, the court may, after appropriate proceedings, direct the issuance of a certificate of title.”

Only a few American states have tailored their recordation systems to the Torrens structure, but all or parts of more than a dozen countries including Canada, Ireland and New

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES, BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE LIBRARY; PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KELSEY IGE

La__nd Court, Ha__wa__i‘i’s Legal “Enigma”

Zealand have adopted similar systems.

To this day, any document or conveyance instrument that relates to Hawai‘i Land Court real estate says “Torrens” on the fees receipt paid at the Bureau of Conveyances.

Two Types of Property

I

N HAWAI‘I THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF REAL PROPERTY for recordation purposes: One is designated Land Court property, and the second is designated Regular System property. The fair market value of the property is not dependent on the category, although there are substantial benefits to being designated as Land Court property.

In a 1997 Hawai‘i Supreme Court decision concerning two properties on Ala Wai Boulevard, the court stated: “The fundamental difference between certificate of title issued by the land court for registered property and recordation of title at bureau of conveyances is that Land Court certificate of title is conclusive and unimpeachable with regard to all matters contained therein.” (tinyurl.com/AlaWaiCase) The Supreme Court said the Land Court was expressly established to have “exclusive original jurisdiction of all applications for the registration of title to land and easements or rights in land and possessed in fee simple within the State, and power to hear and determine all questions arising upon such applications.”

Judge Chang’s informative and comprehensive article in the September 2017 issue of the Hawaii Bar Journal is titled: “Land Court: Demystifying An Enigma.”

In it, he explained, “The Hawai‘i land court system consists of two components: (1) an adjudicatory arm (that decides all contested and uncontested issues pertaining to Land Court title) and (2) a recording arm (that records Land Court title documents and registers title). The adjudicatory arm is headed by the land court judge (adjudication) and the registrar of the Land Court (administration), while the recording arm is headed by the assistant registrar.”

In the Hawai‘i judicial system, there is a judicial circuit for each of the major islands, but not for Land Court. “There is only one registrar and one Land Court judge for the entire state and they are both located in Honolulu,” Chang wrote.

Another interesting twist is who appoints these people.

“Organizationally, the registrar and the assistant registrar of the Land Court are created under two separate branches of government. The assistant registrar, where land court title documents are recorded, is under the executive branch (governor) and the registrar of the Land Court and the Land Court judge are under the judicial branch (chief justice).”

Protects Against Trespassers

A

NOTHER LEGAL BENEFIT OF A LAND COURT property is that it cannot be claimed by adverse possession or prescription. But under Hawai‘i law, trespassers are statutorily allowed to gain legal title to non-Land Court property if: 1. There is actual possession, that is, the trespasser is physically present on the land, treating it as his or her own.

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2. The possession is exclusive and continuous for 20 uninterrupted years.

3. The claim must be “hostile,” (that is, the trespasser must either make an honest mistake, occupy the land with or without knowledge that it is private property) or be aware of his or her trespassing.

4. The possession of property is open (it cannot be secret).

Another fascinating twist: The trespasser is not required to pay real property tax on the property.

Title Insurance

Y

OU MAY WONDER: IF REAL PROPERTY is registered as

Land Court property in Hawai‘i under strict and comprehensive statutory requirements, do you still need title insurance for such property? Yes, and here’s why.

A reliable local company, which is part of a national title insurance company (it provides this information on condition it not be named), explains that title insurance is protection that assures that the rights and interests to the property are as expected, that the transfer of ownership is smoothly completed and that the new owner receives protection from future claims against the property.

“It is the most effective, most accepted and least expensive way to protect property ownership. … The title to the property could be seriously threatened or lost completely by hazards which are considered hidden risks, which include omissions in public records, forgery, fraud and other errors.”

The local title company explains the necessity for a title search before a policy of title insurance is issued: “The title company must review the numerous public records concerning the property being sold or financed. … The search determines if there are rights or claims that may have an impact upon the title such as unpaid taxes, unsatisfied mortgages, judgments, tax liens against the current or past owners, easements, restrictions and court actions. These recorded defects, liens, and encumbrances are included in a ‘preliminary report’ to applicable parties. Once reported, these matters can be accepted, resolved or extinguished prior to the closing of the transaction.”

There are two types of title insurance, as explained by the same local title company: an “owners policy,” which covers the homebuyer for the full amount paid for the property, and a “lenders policy,” which covers the lending institution over the life of the loan. When purchased at the same time, a substantial discount is given in the combined cost of the two policies. Unlike other forms of insurance, Roy Kodani, a former deputy attorney general for the state, the title insurance policy has been a practicing attorney requires only one moderin Hawai‘i for four decades. ate premium for a policy to He has been an examiner of protect you or your heirs for titles for the Land Court since as long as you own the prop1973 and a licensed real estate broker for over 25 years. His erty. There are no renewal book, “Open House: A Guide premiums and no expirato Buying and Selling Hawaii tion date. Title insurance is Real Estate,” was published by a unique form of insurance the University of Hawai‘i Press. that provides coverage for

Complex, Expensive and Rare In essence, Land Court property is registered real estate, and to register real estate is complex and expensive. In modern times, it is rare for a property to be registered.

Here are the 11 statutory requirements to register real property, based on Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, Section 501-23:

1. The application to register the land in Land Court must be in writing, signed, and sworn to by the applicant or a person duly authorized to act on the applicant’s behalf.

2. The application must contain a legal description of the land, which is a metes and bounds legal description certified by a licensed surveyor.

3. The application shall contain a statement of the estate or explain the interest of the applicant in the land.

4. It is further required that the application indicates whether the applicant is married, and if married, the full name of the spouse, the time and place of the, and the name of the official performing the marriage.

5. If unmarried, whether the applicant was married, and when, where, and by what court the divorce was granted.

6. The application is required to indicate the names and addresses of the adjoining owners and occupants, if known.

7. If unknown, the application must indicate the search that was made to find the adjoining owners and occupants.

8. Together with the application, the applicant is required to file a plan of the land, and all original muniments of title within the applicant’s control.

9. The applicant must also file with the application a complete abstract of title of the land on forms furnished by the Land Court and

in accordance with Land Court rules.

10. Immediately after the filing of the application, the Land Court will enter an order referring it to one of the examiners of title, who will search the records and investigate all facts mentioned in the application, or brought to the examiner’s notice and file a report on the result of the search and investigation, and the examiner’s opinion on the title.

11. Before granting a final decree of registration, the judge of the Land Court will require a map of the land to be registered to be filed.

The map may be required to show all data necessary to enable the survey lines to be reproduced on the ground. The map must contain such data (as survey lines or field notes) from enduring monuments, and that the destruction of temporary monuments will not be impracticable to enforce a Land Court decree on the map. The names, as far as known, of the owners and occupants of the adjoining lands shall be indicated on the map, and all parcels of land owned by the adjoining properties’ owners shall be marked on the ground and their boundaries defined by metes and bounds with such easements or rights of way existing on the ground. The distances and functions of necessary angles must be shown definitely, not approximately.

future claims or losses due to title defects created by some past event (i.e., events prior to the acquisition of the property). Title insurance policies are issued by two mainland title companies. One is by the American Land Title Association, an ALTA policy, and the other is by the California Land Title Association, a CLTA policy. The fees for both insurance policies are the same.

Legal documents and instruments filed with the Land Court section of the Hawai‘i Bureau of Conveyances will be delayed for years before they are reviewed by the Land Court section of the Bureau of Conveyances.

After the legal document or instrument is filed, a “second look” of the filed legal document and instrument is conducted by the staff of the Land Court section of the Bureau of Conveyances to be sure that it is in accordance with Land Court records. Although Land Court records are now kept and maintained electronically, the work requires exact and stringent review. The backlog now for the “second look” is about six to seven years.

However, the title insurance for the Land Court property commences at the filing of the legal document or instrument. That’s why title insurance is essential.

A crucial document issued by the Land Court is the Transfer Certificate of Title, or TCT, which includes all prior information related to the property.

The TCT is the heart and soul of the Land Court system and like an Asian family register, the TCT includes and covers all information, past and present.

Advice from an Expert

I

N AN INTERVIEW, JEFFREY S. GRAD, one of Hawai‘i’s foremost real estate and conveyancing experts, was asked how to maneuver through the maze and complexity of the Land Court system. Grad says that as a guide to Land Court issues, he reviews and researches the Hawaii Conveyance Manual, which was written and compiled by several local real estate law experts. (Reference copies are available at the UH Mānoa law library, and at the main and Hilo branches of the State Library.) He also relies on the Hawaii Real Estate Manual, which consists of three volumes, also written and compiled by local real estate law experts.

(Reference copies are available at several branches of the State Library.)

When faced with a Land Court issue, Grad says, “As a practical matter I rely on the opinion of Hawai‘i title companies, which in most instances are connected to or are subsidiaries of national title companies, which act as the insurer of real estate titles.

“Their opinions and recommendations are critical to obtain title insurance in Hawai‘i. The document or the court pleading must conform to and comply with the standard policies and practices required by the terms and conditions of a title insurance policy.”

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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Hawaii Business Magazine 2 0 2 2 TO P P E R F O R M E R S

We are so proud to congratulate our agents on this accomplishment.

Big Island of Hawaii DONNA DURYEA

REALTOR® Salesperson KAREN FERRARA

REALTOR® Salesperson MOLLY HARRIS

REBECCA HIRSCHKELIIHOOMALU

REALTOR® Broker DAISUKE ‘KAI’ IOH

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EMIL KNYSH

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PINKERT & LORATTA

NICOLE VINCENT

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KELLY SHAW

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Kauai SEAN AHEARN

HEATHER FORD

JIM KARLOVSKY

RONI MARLEY

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BRADY BEYERS

AMY FRAZIER

ERIC KING

HAUNANI SULLIVAN

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BILLY ECKERT

SUSAN HIGGINS

REALTOR® Salesperson

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Maui DEBBIE ARAKAKI

GREG BURNS

DAVE FUTCH

DENNIS & MARTHA RUSH

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JESSICA BAKER

DEANNA DAVIS

ERIC LITTLEJOHN

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MARK SUKEL & ROBYN CURLETTI

CHRISTOPHER BARCA

JENNIFER EDWARDS

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Oahu ORION BARELS

JOEL CAVASSO

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TEAM SIU + CAMACHO

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Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

TOP PERFORMERS in

REAL ESTATE 2022

Hawaii Business Magazine identified the leading real estate companies and invited them to submit their Top Performers. This section profiles these Top Performers in real estate, as well as Top Mortgage Companies. Consider these agents and companies when preparing to make your next real estate transaction.

Top Performers List P.52

Top Performers Profiles P.56

51

2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate List

The Top Performers List Starts Here:

ISLAND KEY:

FIRM

Mark Waite

BEACHOLOGY

Scott D. Larimer Etsuko Morita Fields Lila Marino-Camacho Caroline Faringer Greg Kerner

John Schamber Eric Olson Nancy Young-Vieira

Howard Meguro

Michelle Nouchi Ogata Rachel Barnette Dianne Ho Bosworth Sue Jo

Larry & Leah Chun Sean Takamori

Colin Lee Neil Kuioka

Joe Castaneda

Scott Carvill Patty Bell J U LY 2 0 2 2

Ilona Coffey Dani Dooley Kelly Liberator Michael Liberatore Joel Koetje Shannon French

Roy Sakamoto

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE REALTY WEST

Rhonda Smith-Sanchez Gary Mooers Geoffrey J. Cook

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE REALTY VALLEY ISLE

Riette G. Jenkins

Tracy Allen

Dano Sayles (Sayles Team)

Anne Oliver

Team Melinda Pinter

Molly Harris Karen Ferrara Donna Duryea Daisuke ‘Kai’ Ioh Rebecca Keliihoomalu Emil Knysh Kelly Shaw Pinkert & Loratta Nicole Vincent Jim Karlovsky Sean Ahearn Roni Marley

Mary Anne Fitch Raymond Chin

Your Island Homes Team (Myra Yamada, Robynn Roberts, Brandy Saulnier)

Kristina Vaughn-Hazard

Carol Simon Robert Myers

Team Mikiko Terahira

Billy Eckert Amy Frazier Susan Higgins Eric King Brady Beyers Heather Ford Haunani Sullivan Anne Hogan Perry

COLDWELL BANKER ISLAND PROPERTIES MAUI (TEAM) COLDWELL BANKER REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn James Chan Orion Barels Joel Cavasso Michael Shower

COMPASS (INDIVIDUALS)

Leslie-Ann Yokouchi

Rick Shaw

Team Derek Kamm

Team Jackie Hasegawa COLDWELL BANKER ISLAND PROPERTIES HAWAI‘I ISLAND (TEAM)

Brenda Crawford

CARVILL SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Erin Clapper

Derinda Thatcher (Team Sold Kona)

Nancy Callahan

Brett K. Aka

John Peterson

Team Tess de Jesus

Travis Scott

COLDWELL BANKER ISLAND PROPERTIES - MAUI (INDIVIDUALS)

Taryn Loo & Jeff Char

Beth Chang

COMPASS (INDIVIDUALS)

Jaymes Song

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE REALTY (TEAMS)

Scott Adams

Regan Matsumura

Robert Charles

Myron Kiriu

Ruth Manzano Javier

COMPASS (TEAMS)

Vera Wang

Glenn Takase

COLDWELL BANKER ISLAND PROPERTIES - KAUAI

Margarita Munden

Tommy Kim

COMPASS (INDIVIDUALS)

Rolanda Li Racoma

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Kim Wong Balisacan

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES HAWAII REALTY (TEAMS)

Kathleen Oldfather

Grace M. Koreyasu

Kainoa Lee

Diane O. Ito

Rick Oliver

FIRM

Maria Kawananakoa

Carla Womack

Team Bradley & McCann

Mathew Ngo

AGENT N A ME

Mary Browne-Burris

Kendall DiDonato

Maria DelaCruz & Johanna

FIRM

Marco Silva

Elizabeth Perry Rick Maxey and Nanea Maxey

52

Ann Cuseo

KAUA‘I

COLDWELL BANKER REALTY (TEAMS)

Suzy Hemmings

Maureen O’Guin

*Names in BOLD are profiled in section

HAWAI‘I ISLAND

COLDWELL BANKER ISLAND PROPERTIES HAWAI‘I ISLAND (INDIVIDUALS)

Karen Robertshaw

AGENT N A ME

Kelly Allen BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES HAWAII REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Kelly La‘a

MAUI

COLDWELL BANKER REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Mary Beddow

O‘AHU

CARVILL SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

AGENT N A ME

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Top Performers in Real Estate List

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

AGENT N A ME

FIRM

AGENT N A ME

Sean Ginella

Karen Mayer

Alesia Barnes Team

Patrick Chandler Isaiah Cureton

CURETON REALTY

Jason Carey Sean Yano

COMPASS (TEAMS)

Team Siu + Camacho

COMPASS (INDIVIDUALS)

Mami Takeda

CORCORAN PACIFIC PROPERTIES

AGENT N A ME

Debbie Arakaki

Christopher Barca Dave Futch Deanna Davis

Robyn Curletti and Mark Sukel

COMPASS HAWAII (TEAMS)

Dennis Rush & Martha Rush Yvonne Khouri-Morgan Crystal Souza

Karen Bail Tracy Abrams Jon McCumsey Erik Jacobson Robert Wilkinson Hannah Sirois Joyce Wright Funk

Reba Roy Tim Mira Wren Perdue Steve Cole Fran McDonald Jeanne Dunn

Myra Brandt Jana Staggs

Teresa M. Nelle Becky Hanna

Jene Green

Myers/Patterson Group, Bob Myers / Suzanne Patterson

Renee Hill Neal Norman

Esther Park Kusunoki

Ben Welborn

Scott Startsman

Lauren Pingree

Jenny Chen

Tiffany Spencer

Heather Selvitelle

Lori Decker Jill Caisey Roberta Haas

Jennifer Lucien Kimm Hirahara Lectie Altman

Amy Marvin

Aileen Rodriguez-Chizer

Judy Shiroma

Drew Read

JJ Leininger

Hatsumi Campbell

Dave Richardson

Pamela Maeda

Josh Jerman

Grant Kapono Kanoho

Tom Tezak

Joy Yonemura Oda

Leslie MacKenzie Smith

Nicholas Kawakami

Bradley MacArthur Jeremy Stice Owen Langer

Charlene Ikeda Lorraine Fukumae Joycelyn Banas

Anna Severson

Ann Noguchi

Jeannine Carr

Jamie Apuna

Pamela Reader

Roy Matsui

Noel Pietsch Shaw

Clint Hansen

Julianna Garris

Bob Hansen

Cynthia Nash Jeanie Schmaltz Dan Madden Erik Hinshaw Cathy Possedi

KONA RESORT PROPERTIES

Gladys Baran Velva Ribble-Padgett Kimberly Gale Steve Hurwitz Jake Chancer

MAUNA KEA REALTY – A HAWAI‘I LIFE COMPANY

Stephen Cipres

Sam Utley

Jeanna Rimmer

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Mary Lavoie

CORCORAN PACIFIC PROPERTIES CORCORAN PACIFIC PROPERTIES

Susan Borochov

Mike Despard

Mino McLean

LIST SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Jane Ford

Erika Stuart

Heidi Dollinger

MARCUS REALTY

Donna Rice

Wendy R. Peterson

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Ruth Marvin

CORCORAN PACIFIC PROPERTIES

Anne Eliason

Jan Nores

LIST SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

David Skeele

Alex Cortez Rob Shelton

Beth Robinson

HAWAI‘I LIFE (TEAM)

Ryan MacLaughlin Courtney M. Brown

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Annie Mendoza

CORCORAN PACIFIC PROPERTIES

Jenni Lee

Top Maui Homes (Lydia Pedro and Alana Rucynski)

Denise Nakanishi

Linda Hussey

Jessica Baker

Fawn Bertram

Carrie Nicholson

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Greg Burns

Darouny Hu

David Lundstrom

ISLAND SOTHEBY'S REALTY

Jennifer Edwards

COMPASS HAWAII (INDIVIDUALS)

Eric Littlejohn

Bill Ward

FIRM

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Sean Lopez

Ben Fieman

FIRM

2O22

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate List

ISLAND KEY:

O‘AHU

AGENT N A ME

MAUI

HAWAI‘I ISLAND FIRM

Robert Chancer James Sullivan

AGENT N A ME

Brian Axelrod

Rajiv Jetley

James Francis Hanley

Robert Vernon Vickie Williams Roberta Wakisaka-Fellezs

Tom Malloy

Chris Fidelibus

OAHURE.COM

Leonard Couzijn

Miranda Oldham Bryn Kaufman

Kelsey Charles

Justin Marshall

RE/MAX HONOLULU

Shannon Severance

Rose Delfin Cindy Griffey Kathy Christiansen Diandra Dickinson Whitney Harvey

Hawai‘i Real Estate News Read news and insights about Hawai‘i real estate every Tuesday TO SUBSCRIBE, VISIT HAWAIIBU SINESS.COM/H R EN

Locally Owned, Locally Committed

REAL BROKER, LLC VENTURE SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

PREMIER ISLAND PROPERTIES

Kristen Hann

Min Yong

Sharrisa Chun

Doreen Trudeau

Cindy Wild

AGENT N A ME

Vineeta Jetley

Wanida Tienchai Don Phrompeng

FIRM

RE/MAX HONOLULU

James Allison

*Names in BOLD are profiled in section

Gayle Ching Aleathea A. Lai & Megan J. MacArthur

FIRM

VENTURE SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Nicolaas Schenk

MAUNA KEA REALTY – A HAWAI‘I LIFE COMPANY

Frank Schenk

KAUA‘I

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

VENTURE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (TEAM)

P R E S E N T E D BY

Join host Unyong Nakata as she talks with some of Hawai‘i’s most influential business and community leaders.

HO STED BY :

SP E CI AL G U E ST S I N C LU D E :

Unyong Nakata, Nakata Advisory, LLC

Susan Yamada Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Hawai‘i

Meli James Mana Up

John Fink Aloha United Way

LISTEN NOW AVA I LA BLE E V E RY OT HE R T HU R S DAY O N TH ESE PO D CA ST PL AT FO R M S : Locally Owned, Locally Committed

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

rett is a dedicated Real Estate Agent, with a unique approach to real estate. As a former Manager in the Honolulu Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young, he has the strategic negotiation skills necessary to set him apart in the industry. His “advisory over sales” approach focuses on deep market analysis and truly putting his clients’ best interest in mind. He understands how technical real estate in Hawai‘i can be and is passionate about managing risk through engagement with other professionals (i.e. geotechnical engineers, electricians, attorneys, etc.). He strongly believes that technology will continue to change the real estate industry, and is passionate about implementing innovative marketing solutions.

Brett and his team are ranked in the Top 1% of teams in the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network. However, Brett is most proud of his client service awards. He has been awarded Honolulu Magazine’s Best in Real Estate, which is based on personal recommendations for customer service and satisfaction from real clients and their peers.

Additionally, he is the winner of the Honolulu Board of Realtors Aloha ‘Āina REALTOR® Awards Program. For this award, judges reviewed and evaluated more than 1,100 client nominations in order to select the winners.

These winners are REALTORS® who have gone above

and beyond in service to their clients and who maintain the highest ethical standards.

2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

Brett K. Aka RS-75473

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Aloha! I can’t express enough gratitude to my family, friends and clients for their continued trust and support! When I made the transition from my long-time career at Ernst & Young’s Honolulu Office to real estate, I never could have imagined my real estate business would grow so fast. I’ve always known that I have a very “different” approach to real estate, which truly focuses on advising families to align their real estate goals to their long-term personal and financial goals. I’m just as ready to advise someone not to buy/sell, so long as the decision is made with the right planning and data. This is a challenging business and I never could have imagined that this approach would have such results!

However, the most rewarding part of this business is the personal time I get to spend with clients and our meaningful conversations. Real estate decisions are often some of the largest financial decision a family can make, and I take my relationships with clients very seriously.

Finally, I’d like to acknowledge all of the support from BHGRE Advantage Realty Ohana, and especially my team members, Kandace Achong and Katherine Martines. The two of them help me focus on what I do best: research and negotiation. Also, with a collaborative culture, we continue to push our processes and services to help our clients even further. Many thanks Kandace and Katherine!–BRETT

Better Homes and Gardens Advantage Realty (808) 753-3923 | bretta@betterhawaii.com akahomeshawaii.com @brett— aka Brett K. Aka, Oahu Real Estate

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O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Myron Kiriu Realtor®, CEO, Owner, RB-17242

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yron Kiriu has over 32 years of Hawai‘i real estate experience and is consistently one of the top 5 agents in the state. Having successfully closed over 2,200 transactions, Myron works diligently with his “client first” approach to real estate. He utilizes a very talented team of real estate professionals and the latest technology to effectively service each of his clients based on their unique needs.

He is honored to be included among Hawaii Business Magazine’s Top Performers this year and the past three years. Myron is a 12 year recipient of the Top 100 Realtor award, the Better Homes and Garden Real Estate® (BHGRE) award for #1 Broker-Led team in the Nation; was also named #1 Realtor on O‘ahu by Hawaii Business Magazine; and was voted “Hawaii’s Best” Realtor seven times by Honolulu Star-Advertiser readers.

A UC Berkeley alumnus and former CPA with KPMG Peat Marwick (Honolulu) and PriceWaterhouse/Coopers (San Francisco), Myron brings a wealth of experience and a keen financial insight to every transaction.

Myron is the CEO and co-owner of BHGRE Advantage Realty along with his wife and business partner Ambur Kim Kiriu. While leading the company

for the past 18 years, the firm has consistently received a host of accolades: Named seven times as one of Hawai‘i’s “Best Places to Work” by Hawaii Business Magazine; voted a “Hawaii’s Best” Real Estate Firm 12 times by Honolulu Star-Advertiser readers; Voted “Best of Honolulu” Real Estate Firm by Honolulu Magazine readers 10 times; and received the BHGRE Most Productive Brokerage Award for the past 6 years.

“I’d like to give a great big mahalo to our amazing clients for their trust in us and for allowing us to be part of their lives. Our commitment to our clients goes back over 32 years. Ambur and I had a vision to create a company that placed our clients’ interest as its top priority and have carefully built a team and a company that have the same heart and shared values. We’d like to thank and share this honor with our Real Estate Agents and the Support Staff at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty.

To our fellow agents, thank you for working with us as we all strive to make our clients’ dreams come true. As always, I want to give a special thank you to my wife Ambur who has been a constant source of love and support to me.

Without Ambur, none of this would be possible.” – MYRON

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty Kahala Mall, Upper Level 4211 Waialae Ave., Box 9050, Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 864-9000 | myronk@betterhawaii.com MyronKiriu.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Scott Adams Realtor–Associate, RS-66472

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isa and I would like to express our sincerest thanks to our friends and clients for your trust and confidence over the years. It’s been an honor and blessing!”

The Adams Group is a full-service team specializing in residential sales on O‘ahu. Their strong local ties and decades of sales, construction, and investment experience has put Scott and his team among the Top100 Producers on O‘ahu for 15 years.

Services include: • Relocation Assistance • Coordinating Repairs/Renovations • 1031 and Investment Strategies • VA Purchases

• Voted Best In Real Estate, 9 Years (Honolulu Magazine) • Voted Hawai‘i’s Best Real Estate Firm 11 Years in a Row (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) • Voted Best of Honolulu Real Estate Firm 8 Years (Honolulu Magazine) “Scott goes above and beyond what you would expect from a realtor. Not only did he get the highest price ever recorded (in the neighborhood) for my parents’ home, he helped them prepare their property to sell, handling all the repairs, document updates, and maintenance that was needed. He also helped my parents move and sell their belongings. He was extremely patient and positive throughout the entire process…” – Carla W. (Seller)

They have helped hundreds of families reach their real estate goals in the most successful and stress-free way possible. Let them show you how. Call Scott or meet the team at their KAILUA, KAHALA, or KAPOLEI Office.

“I was especially impressed by Scott’s extensive knowledge of the local market, network of contacts and analytical approach. Our home purchase was fraught with difficulties and at a high risk of falling through, but Scott put in the work and carried us through...” – Brett J. (Buyer)

• Top 100 Realtors on O‘ahu, 15 Years (Honolulu Board of Realtors) • Top Performer/Top 100 Realtors in Hawai‘i, 10 Years (Hawaii Business Magazine)

“Scott Adams is the best Realtor I’ve dealt with in four states.

His knowledge and commitment to providing superior customer service is unmatched. I highly recommend him.”

– Aaron Q. (Buyer)

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty (808) 779-5135 | ScottA@BetterHawaii.com www.HiHomes.com Offices in K AHALA, K AILUA and K APOLEI

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O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Larry & Leah Chun Realtor® -Associates, RS-80009, RS-80010

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onsistently one of the Top 1% of Realtors in the national Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate® network, Larry and Leah Chun are multiple year recipients of the Homelight Top Producer designation and multiple year Aloha ‘Āina Award Nominees. They enjoy representing clients at all stages of their real estate journey, from first-time buyers to seasoned investors. Experienced professionals in the public and private sectors, they bring a “people first” attitude to everything they do because they believe everyone deserves great service.

Raised in Kailua, Larry double majored in Economics and Business Management at Portland State University before returning home to O‘ahu. Prior to Real Estate, he worked in dynamic and high impact roles for department heads and C-suite executives. These included the opening team for Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, serving his country in a counter terrorism national security role in Washington DC, and leading the acquisition for Young Laundry and Dry Cleaning while at United Laundry Services. This broad range of experience has equipped him to effectively handle any situation when representing buyers and sellers.

Raised in Lā‘ie on the North Shore of O‘ahu, Leah

majored in Business Administration – Management and Marketing at the University of Portland before returning home to O‘ahu. After a successful career in Human Resources at HFM FoodService and United Laundry Services, she joined BHGRE in 2017 managing 200+ escrows for a high performing team, before starting a team with her husband Larry. Her expertise in customer service and escrow transaction management help to provide a high touch experience for clients.

Together they are excited and proud to provide excellent concierge-level service to everyone.

“We would like to thank all our clients for trusting us with their real estate transactions. We would not have the opportunity to receive this acknowledgement without them. The continued impact of the pandemic is perpetually changing the real estate market and we have been able to reshape the way we do business, adapt to our clients’ quickly changing needs, and mitigate uncertainty.

Throughout all this, we continue to provide high level service to all our clients: some repeat faces and new ones as well!” – LARRY & LEAH

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty 4211 Waialae Ave., Box 9050 Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 291-2051 | LarryC@betterhawaii.com www.OahusRealtor.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Joe Castaneda Principal Broker, RB-23007

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ationally recognized as one of the top performing agents nationwide in the BHGRE brand, Principal Broker, Joe Castaneda is based out of the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty West office in Kapolei but serves Oahu clients islandwide. With over 10 years of combined real estate and mortgage experience Joe possesses a unique real estate perspective and is consistently a top performing real estate agent on Oahu.

From an early age, Joe saw the real estate process from a client perspective as his family moved throughout Hawaii and California over two dozen times. A former mortgage loan originator and graduate of the Shidler College of Business at UH Manoa with a double major in Finance and International Business, he brings a wealth of financial knowledge and insight to every transaction.

After a short time in lending he transitioned back into a real estate career at BHGRE Advantage Realty’s Kahala office and moved to their Kapolei office after obtaining his broker’s license where he is currently the Principal Broker. Besides running a successful real estate business, Joe mentors and trains top producing agents at the company and takes pride in their

successes in the industry. An active member of the real estate community and Treasurer of YPN, he enjoys giving back to the industry and connecting with Oahu’s next generation of agents.

“Joe is very knowledgeable, easy to work with and most importantly, he really listened to our concerns and patiently answered all the million questions we had. He really accommodated our needs and he made the sale a smooth process despite the short timeline and during this uncertain time of the pandemic. We highly recommend Joe to anyone and everyone, either selling or buying! We’re truly grateful for all his help!”-JON B. (SELLER) “Joe Castaneda sets himself apart from other agents as an outstanding professional that has tailored his craft. He’s always available and provides legitimate advice that can be used to make decisions. He will absolutely provide you with above and beyond service that makes purchasing a home feel simple and easy.”-RIKI R. (BUYER)

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty West 91-5431 Kapolei Parkway, Box 1109 Kapolei, HI, 96707 (808) 351-8394 | JoeC@BetterHawaii.com www.HawaiiStartsHere.com

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Drew w to finish neighbo price on market perspect entire p Drew to

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Jeff Char RB-23468, SRES, ABR, MRP

Taryn Loo RB-23478

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ahalo nui loa to our clients, ‘ohana and friends for their support throughout the years! We are extremely grateful for the opportunities to assist individuals, couples, families and companies through the home buying or selling process.

We strive to provide an excellent experience before, during and after your transaction. With innovative technology, a unique set of tools and outstanding office support, we are equipped to serve you well for a smooth real estate transaction—including repairs and staging or obtaining financing, if needed; contract negotiations; due diligence; and the escrow and closing processes. Combining our client-first philosophy, years of experience, proactive listening, local market knowledge, marketing savvy and professionalism, we hope to help you with your real estate needs!

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty 4211 Waialae Ave. #9050 Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 372-2282 | JeffC@BetterHawaii.com PrimePropertiesHawaii.com

Neil Kuioka (R) Broker-in-Charge, RB-21695

“We are truly THANKFUL to all of our clients for helping make it one of the busiest but best years for us in 2021. We are so appreciative that many past and new clients entrusted us to assist them with their real estate needs. THANK YOU for your confidence and belief in us to be your real estate agents. We would not be here if not for all of you!”—NEIL & KERRI (RS-77631)

N

eil is a Broker-in-Charge at BHGRE Advantage Realty, and has consistently been recognized as the Top 1% of all affiliated agents and teams in the Better Homes and Gardens® real estate network. Team Kuioka has over 20+ years of real estate experience and has seen the many changes in the market. They are prepared to help any client with their short and long term real estate goals.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty 4211 Waialae Ave., #9050 Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 (808) 722-6345 | NeilK@betterhawaii.com www.NeilKuiokaHomes.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Sue Jo Realtor-Associate, SRES, RS-78530

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lients represented by Sue describe her as a trustworthy, knowledgeable, and dedicated agent that provides an incomparable level of service exceeding their expectations. It is no surprise that Sue gained recognition as one of the Top Realtors® with her most recent achievement receiving the 2021 Emerald Award, the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s highest national award.

Sue’s well-rounded background is what makes her a one-of-a-kind Real Estate Agent. She has a Finance Degree with approximately a decade of corporate experience. She also has a strong passion in arts and attained a Masters Degree in Innovative Strategies. Sue was born and raised in Asia but also lived many years in the US, which makes her truly bilingual. Sue will strive to set new standards as a service-oriented Real Estate professional that keeps her clients’ best interest at heart.

“I am truly blessed to be able to wake up every morning with excitement to service my clients in achieving one of their biggest life goals. I owe my best to my clients.”

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty (808) 253-8477 | SueJ@betterhawaii.com www.SuesHIHomes.com

Scott D. Larimer RS-72031

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home purchase or sale is one of the most important financial transactions you will experience in life. Scott understands this and provides his professional expertise, market knowledge and personal commitment to guide you through the process seamlessly. He has successfully listed and sold homes on O‘ahu since 2009 and is proud to be in the Founders Circle of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hawai‘i Realty with the distinction of being a Chairman’s Circle Award winner 7 years in a row. Experience, negotiation skills, strategy and market knowledge – these combined elements establish the foundation of his success as a specialist in the luxury property market both single family homes and condominiums throughout the island of O‘ahu. It is this dedication which has earned him the designation of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Luxury Collection Specialist. Scott is here to deliver an amazing experience seeing you through to realize your Real Estate dreams and goals.

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Scott D. Larimer Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hawai‘i Realty Luxury Collection Specialist, CIPS, SRES ® (808) 723-5554 | Scott@bhhshawaii.com www.ScottLarimer.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Kelly La‘a RS#70070, CRS, e-PRO Luxury Collection Specialist

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s an avid real estate investor, I’ve been on all sides of the real estate market... buyer, seller, Realtor and investor. My experience in the Hawai‘i market, coupled with my contacts as a professional entrepreneur and years of business experience, all provide you with the proven RESULTS you deserve! That is why I’ve been helping all your family and friends with their real estate needs for years, and I’d love help you, too! So, give me a call or a text 808-368-2714, or follow me @kellylaa! Let’s get started TODAY! “Kelly goes above and beyond. Even with having sold 3 homes, she was so knowledgeable and her experience is unparalleled. She is a true asset to the company. Very professional and streamlined in every situation.”

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 46 Ho’olai St., Kailua, HI 96734 (808) 368-2714 | KellyLaa@aol.com www.KellyLaa.com

John Peterson

Fir

Vice President, REALTOR® CRS, CHMS, Intl Presidents Premier Luxury Property Specialist RB-12469

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ommitted to providing clients the highest level of service and integrity, John has a track record of success. Specializing in the sale of high-end residential property, his professionalism and market knowledge have earned him awards consistently throughout his career.

As a Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Specialist, he is able to connect his listings with buyers throughout the world and has a multifaceted marketing and advertising plan for his listings.

John’s detailed in-depth knowledge of neighborhoods and properties gives his clients an advantage in this ever-changing market. John strives to guide his clients through the real estate process smoothly and represents both buyers and sellers to reach their real estate goals.

Coldwell Banker Realty Diamond Head Kahala Office (808) 220-5555 john@residencehawaii.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Ruth Manzano Javier Realtor®, Principal Broker, RB-00001

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uth Manzano Javier, a real estate veteran, has extensive experience in a wide array of real estate transactions. Ruth exemplifies commitment, integrity and honesty and makes the client’s personal real estate needs her own.

As a Filipino immigrant, Ruth experienced the stress and confusion from purchasing for the first time and ever since that experience, she vowed to make the homebuying process less intimidating and daunting.

To this day, she stands by that vow and her promise has resulted in hundreds of families owning their own piece of paradise.

Ruth takes pride in being a part of the homeownership journey for these families, whether they are first time homebuyers or seasoned investors.

Ruth’s passion, commitment and hands-on approach has consistently set her apart from the rest of the crowd and most recently she’s been identified by Hawaii Business Magazine as one of Hawaii’s Top Performers in Real Estate.

“Ruth is great! She did a wonderful job for us. Very knowledgeable and professional. She made us feel like family.

Every interaction and request was fulfilled in a timely manner and we were able to get a ton of offers and a really good price for our home. We were very grateful to her for making the process of selling our house a very smooth and easy transition. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy a home or sell their home. Thank you so much Ruth for all of your help, generosity, and hard work!”

–DUARTE & MARIAH GOMEZ

“Ruth made our homebuying and selling experience painless. She was very courteous, responsive, knowledgeable, considerate, and thoughtful. She was such a delight. She has legitimate connections and will do all she can so you get the best you can get for your investment. You will come out of your experience happy and with a new friend.”

–JAY AND ETHEL DONLIN

Coldwell Banker Realty | Agent License: RS-74535 4460 Kapolei Parkway, Ste. 310 | Kapolei, HI 96707 (808) 753-7211 | ruthm@cbrealty.com www.ruthsellshawaiihomes.com

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O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Tracy Allen Vice President, RA, RS-46610 Global Luxury Ambassador, Luxury Property Specialist, International President’s Premier, Society of Excellence, Top Producer, Coldwell Banker Realty

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racy Allen knows real estate. As an industry the only Coldwell Banker agent in Hawai‘i and one of just leader with 33 years of dedication, Tracy is 54 individuals, or less than one per 40,000 NRT Coldwell honored to be the #1 Individual Sales Agent Banker independent sales associates, in the United States to in Hawai‘i and #5 Individual Sales Agent in receive this honor not only once, but six times. In addition, North America for Coldwell Banker Realty. With over $206 she placed among the top ten sales associates, ranking fifth Million in closed sales in 2021, Tracy’s extensive market overall among more than 85,000 Coldwell Banker agents knowledge and skill have consistently placed her among internationally based on closed sales. Tracy also received the the elite of Hawai‘i’s Realtors.

International President’s Premier award. This designation Tracy’s clients have a distinct advantage. Her in-depth acknowledges the performance of the top one percent of all construction, design and staging experience, superior Coldwell Banker sales associates in North America. Tracy people skills and determination to indulge her clients with repeatedly dominates the luxury sales market and is the Top exceptional service set her apart. She can transform the Producer of Coldwell Banker Realty in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. look of your property, negotiate the terms to your benefit, If you are looking to achieve the highest sales price and help you achieve a successful closing at top dollar. possible in today’s exciting marketplace and RESULTS Tracy is a leader in her profession with prestigious matter, Call Tracy Today! accolades for her skill, expertise, and results. In addition to holding the record for the highest closed residential sales on the entire Island of O‘ahu, Tracy consistently ranks in the top 1% among her colleagues locally and nationally. Tracy was bestowed NRT’s prestigious Society of Excellence Award for achieving an exceptional level of sales in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and again in 2021, representing the very 3787 Diamond Head Road Honolulu, Hawai‘i 3249 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, Hawai‘i top tier of sales performance. Tracy is Closed Sale: $19,600,000 FS

Closed Sale: $17,000,000 FS

Coldwell Banker Realty 1314 South King Street, 2nd Floor Honolulu, HI 96814 (808) 927-6415 | Tracy@cbrealty.com www.TracyAllenHawaii.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Melinda Pinter REALTOR®, ABR, CHMS, CRS, GRI, Vice President, RB-17445

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elinda is honored to again be listed in Hawaii Business Magazine’s Top Performers in Real Estate. She brings a depth of knowledge and experience, a strong business and academic background, and a total commitment to client satisfaction to her work buying and selling properties. Melinda specializes in condominiums, oceanfront/beachfront properties, vacant lands, foreclosures, relocations and single-family homes throughout the island of O‘ahu.

Melinda has consistently ranked among the top agents at Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, and over the past two decades has been recognized as the Top Listor, Top Salesperson and Top Producer. She has been named to the International President’s Premier, an award of excellence received by fewer than 1% of Coldwell Banker agents worldwide.

“We’re so grateful for your patience, hard work and assistance,” said one of Melinda’s clients after a recent real estate transaction. “You made our purchase of the house stress-free and we feel we got the best value.”

In fact, most of Melinda’s business comes from the referrals of her satisfied past customers.

Additionally, Melinda has nine team members working with her. “They are dedicated, hardworking and committed to providing our clients with exceptional service,” observes Melinda.

Her professionalism and passion are further complemented by the continual training and seminars she attends, sponsored by lenders, title companies and Coldwell Banker. She holds a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation and is a graduate of the Real Estate Institute (GRI). She also has a master’s degree in Public Administration and a B.S. in Commerce.

“My favorite part of my job is turning over the keys to clients and seeing how happy they are for realizing their dream of homeownership after many years of renting or staying in a house with their relatives or friends,” says Melinda.

Ready to realize your own real estate dream? Give Melinda a call today!

Coldwell Banker 98-211 Pali Momi St., Ste. 411 Aiea, HI 96701 (808) 220-6730 | melindap@cbrealty.com www.melindap.cbintouch.com

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O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Tommy Kim REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®, RS-76201 Luxury Property Specialist

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ommy Kim’s ten-year career as a professional golfer saw him play the 2001 Sony Open and professional events across the country and Japan. That experience created a solid foundation for the high standards and strong work ethic, that carried over to his career as a real estate professional. Born and raised on O‘ahu, he and his wife returned to Hawai‘i in 2014. Tommy is fulfilling his dream to help people and brings his commitment to excellence to the clients he serves. When working with Tommy, he ensures his clients will receive the best, from professional cleaners, stagers, and photographers, Tommy ensures his clients’ success, whether they are buying or selling. “It’s all about trust and the relationships we share and build together,” Tommy says. He is dedicated to delivering an unparalleled level of service to his clients, from first time buyers already living in the Islands to mainland and international clients.

Tommy’s commitment to excellence is demonstrated in his achievements over the course of his nine-year real estate career. Last year he closed $40M in sales and was recognized with the prestigious Coldwell Banker 2021 International President’s Premier award, representing the top 1% of Coldwell Banker® Agents worldwide. Additional honors include ranking in the Top 500 agents in Realogy Brokerage Nationwide in 2021, and winning the International President’s Circle Award in 2019 and 2020.

Keller Williams Honolulu

TOP PERFORMER OAHU 2019

“I am honored to be included among Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2022 Top Performers in real estate and owe this recognition to my loyal and supportive clients who allowed me to be a part of their lives. It has been an honor and privilege to work with so many wonderful friends, family and clients through the years and I am thankful for their continued trust and support. Special thanks to Patti Nakagawa, CBR Branch Manager for your incredible support and leadership. Saving the best for last, huge thanks to my lovely wife Melanie and our two wonderful kids Tk & Olivia who make this all possible.”—TOMMY “Tommy Kim did an amazing job finding us a property that met our needs, helping us negotiate contract terms, and ensuring that all of our questions and concerns were answered. Tommy worked diligently day and night covering every detail of our transaction. There were several stressful issues with the sellers wanting to lease back and then not, with the inspector missing the lanai door track/wheel problems, and with the unit not being cleaned for our final walk through, but Tommy handled each one quickly and smoothly. Another thing that impressed us about Tommy are his strong relationships with other Realtors and home installation/repair vendors; they trust and like working with him and his clients. My husband and I were truly impressed with Tommy’s expertise, thoroughness and thoughtfulness. Coldwell Banker is lucky to have such an exceptional agent. - JANE K.

Coldwell Banker Realty 1314 S. King Street 2ndFloor, Honolulu, HI 96814 (808) 779-1416 | tommy.kim@cbrealty.com tommykimhawaii.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Alesia Barnes Realtor—Broker, RB-22312

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s a Broker, entrepreneur, and real estate investor, Alesia Barnes blends Aloha spirit with professional excellence. Representing the best in luxury real estate, Alesia makes her clients a priority, dedicating herself to find everyone their own slice of paradise.

Fondly referred to as “Ms. Aloha,” Alesia and her hand-selected team provide the most exceptional concierge-level service, representing both buyers and sellers of distinguished properties throughout Hawai‘i. Alesia’s ambition and extensive knowledge of specialized markets consistently has her ranked as a top real estate agent-broker in the state of Hawai‘i, with her own monthly segment on the American Dream TV show on CBS. As an industry leader, Alesia and Team at COMPASS have adapted to the newest business models real estate has to offer. Equipped with cutting edge technologies and unmatched industry expertise, Alesia and her Team stand apart from their competitors, making their clients’ home buying or selling experience one of a kind.

Call Alesia, she is ready to go to work for you today!

ALESIA BARNES TEAM AT

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Kalei Wodehouse, Chelsey Doria, Olivia Sadeler, Julien Paillusseau, Alesia Barnes, Maikalani Kahana, Jovanna Giannasio-Fern, Aaron Bussinger

Alesia Barnes, RB 22312 CRS, MRP, CLHM-Guild, Top 100 4211 Waialae Avenue, Suite H-8 Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 397-7928 | alesia@barneshawaii.com www.alesiabarnes.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Jason Carey Luxury Real Estate Advisor, CLHMS Founding Agent of COMPASS Hawaii

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s a Founding Agent of COMPASS Hawaii, Jason Carey has steadily earned a reputation as a top-producing Real Estate agent in the luxury lifestyle sector. Jason has continuously built his business by forming lasting relationships with his clients through impeccable service, extensive market knowledge, and uncompromising client standards. Jason has earned a reputation of professionalism and integrity, working with high-profile clientele worldwide.

A trusted expert in the Hawaii luxury residential market, Jason has closed over $200 million in real estate transactions, offering stunning properties in cherished locales. His success is a direct result of his commitment to client advocacy, transparency, and dedication to make each one of his clients a top priority.

Jason prides himself on effective communication, devoted to helping his clients through each stage of every transaction.

Jason is a native to California in South Orange County and has lived in Hawaii for the past 15 years. An avid surfer, waterman, and passionate family man, Jason utilizes his unique knowledge of Hawaii’s beachside communities to help his clients find their dream home.

Combined with COMPASS’ industry-leading tools and programs, Jason elevates the agent-client experience, providing the ultimate client satisfaction.

We are so grateful to have found Jason Carey to represent us in selling our home. Jason was kind, knowledgeable, and listened to our requests. He was able to effectively communicate and bridged the gap between buyer and seller. Jason remained motivated and energetic throughout the entire experience, working hard to sell our home. It was a pleasure having Jason as our agent, he is a true professionaland excellent choice to represent anyone buying or selling a home.-J. SWAN I have done many real estate transactions over the years with several different agents. Jason was the best one I ever had. He is thorough and always follows through. His team is very professional and a pleasure to work with. He truly loves his work and will deliver as promised. - T. MCKINSTRY

Sold - Secluded Oceanfront Estate on the North Shore of Oahu

(808) 679-1698 jason.carey@compass.com careyluxury.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Malia Siu & Lisa Camacho Malia Siu

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Lisa Camacho

loha and Welcome, We know that in real estate, especially on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, every sale is unique

and special. Thank you for letting us share our Kamaaina knowledge, vast experience, and personal resources with you. Building relationships through communication, trust, discretion and hard work is why we LOVE being a Realtor. Give us a call to start your journey in Real Estate.

Meet Team SiuCamacho Here

It is my pleasure to recommend to you the highly professional and effective duo of Malia Siu and Lisa Camacho. They assisted me in the sale of my home-beginning to end with exceptional results. In short, they exceeded my expectations and delivered an outstanding performance!!!

Malia and Lisa offered invaluable guidance that allowed me to position myself well with the counter offers. Their exceptional follow-through continued throughout the escrow process, the inspections, the clearing out of personal property etc. Although I could not stay on the island until the close of escrow, they drove the transaction to its successful conclusion and the communication continued remotely unabated. Bottom line, SiuCamacho are highly performing professionals, on “top-of-their-game,” while being wonderful human beings that are enjoyable to be with! I can simply say that not once did I ever feel “ remorse” in working with the two of them!!! –DR. ANDREI SACHS

COMPASS–O‘ahu Office 4211 Waialae Avenue, Suite H-8, Honolulu HI 96816 Malia Siu l RB 20592 | (808) 479-8418 Malia.Siu@compass.com Lisa Camacho | RB 23625 | (808) 348-0468 Lisa.Camacho@compass.com www.siucamacho.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Susan Borochov REALTOR® ASSOCIATE, ABR, CHMS, CRS, GRI Vice President | Luxury Specialist | Top 100 Hawai‘i REALTOR Hall of Fame, 6x Aloha ‘Āina REALTOR®’s Award Winner

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ften described as authentic, Susan balances work and fun while bringing an impressive energy to represent her buyers and sellers.

Born and raised on O‘ahu, Susan has an in-depth knowledge of the market. She has proven results from day one in her career, being recognized as a top producing agent and winning multiple awards for her achievements.

Susan takes the time to get to know her clients on a level that’s unique to each of them. This is evidenced by her being the first ever five-time recipient of the prestigious Aloha ‘Āina REALTOR® Award. Only 10 agents per year are given this award which honors and publicly recognizes REALTORS® based on their high level of service and dedication to their clients. She feels fortunate to do what she loves, and she gives all the credit to others.

“I am very grateful to my wonderful clients for giving me the opportunity to work with them, allowing me to enjoy my passion,” Susan says. “They are not only my clients, but they have also become my friends. I also want to thank all of my colleagues in this industry for making my job so enjoyable.”

Service You Want, Results You Deserve; From Condos to Estates.

“Susan’s EXTENSIVE knowledge of Honolulu real estate, and her vast experience, were INCREDIBLY pivotal in not only superbly negotiating our deal, but throughout the ENTIRE process. Her contacts throughout the service industry here were part of the reason we got a massive credit in the closing for rehab costs! On time, on the ball, and watching your back, simply put, she’s the best agent I’ve worked with in my 25 years of buying and selling properties.

I can’t recommend her highly enough.”— DAVID D. “Susan was such a huge help from the beginning to the end.

She works from her heart and truly cares. She has an excellent understanding on how to stage and guided us so our home showed well, her negotiating and logic skills amazed to reason with our buyers and she was there making sure our cleaners did a good job to ensure the buyers would move into a clean home.

She was not only our REALTOR® but also became our friend.

We highly recommend to call her! She is very hands on which direct agents should all be and she tries hard to make it positive for boths sides. I am a business owner, I know what a good and hard working person is and that is Susan Borochov.”

— CHARLES K.

“Susan works very very hard to make your dream come true. I highly recommend her for a number of reasons, e.g., unreal work ethic, clear and effective communication, extremely smart and able to problem solve like a pro and has a great sense of humor. Our family agent for life now.”

— SPENCER R.

Corcoran Pacific Properties- Kahala Office 4211 Waialae Ave, Ste. 106, Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 478-0330 Susan@susanborochov.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Sean Lopez RB-20233

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native of Oahu, Sean is a top producing Realtor/Broker with Corcoran Pacific Properties. For the past 18+ years, he has established an outstanding reputation for serving both buyers and sellers with a combination of preparedness, local market expertise and a proven marketing approach. Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and Nevada for several years, Sean also gained perspective of life away from the islands, which allows him to better understand the needs of mainland clients looking for a home in Hawaii.

Currently, Sean specializes in residential sales in the East, Metro and Windward Oahu neighborhoods.

When not working, Sean enjoys spending time at the beach with his family, golfing, surfing, traveling and coaching grade school basketball.

“Hawaii is the perfect place to live an active lifestyle. The weather is nearly always accommodating, and the Island has an endless supply of beaches, parks and golf courses!”

Corcoran Pacific Properties (808) 772-1405 Sean@CorcoranPacific.com AlohaSean.com

Karen Mayer Realtor®, RB-20538, ABR, MRP, CLHMS, SRES, PSA, HSE

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aren Mayer has been representing home buyers and sellers of O‘ahu beach communities for over 15 years. A graduate of North Carolina’s Duke University, she grew up in a small coastal town in Connecticut, giving her a blend of New England’s discipline and the southern spirit of cooperation, loyalty and perseverance. She brings her clients a lifetime of entrepreneurial experience, marketing expertise and fierce competitive dedication to getting the job done and doing it right; always focusing on setting a higher bar and being the best in the market. With decades of in-the-trenches marketing expertise, Karen possesses the skills necessary to leverage market knowledge and is known for her keen valuation instincts and attention to detail. Karen’s clients say that she is “cool-headed, professional, strategic and patient.” “We believed she had our best interests first.” “She really cares about her clients and wants to see them happy.”

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Corcoran Pacific Properties 419-B Kuulei Rd, Kailua, HI 96734 (808) 286-9861 karen.mayer@corcoranpacific.com EliteOahuHomes.com corcoranpacific.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Myra Brandt Oahu Partner, Realtor®, CIPS, CLHMS, CRB, CRS, GRI, SRES, RB-14004

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hank you to my clients for the trust you have placed in me. I am grateful for your friendship and to have your life be a part of my life. Mahalo also to our dedicated team who embrace our values of service, mastery, integrity and commitment to our community.” — MY RA BRANDT Growing up in Honolulu with a focused career in real estate since 1982, Myra is confident to represent clients in any neighborhood on the island. Understanding your difference, she is able to custom fit real solutions and find the perfect place where you can begin or continue to grow and prosper.

Corcoran Pacific Properties 4211 Waialae Ave., Suite 106 Honolulu, HI 96816 Cell (808) 224-3413 | Office (808) 589-2040 myra@brandts.com

As the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, Turo empowers Hawai i residents to share the Aloha Spirit while earning money from their underutilized cars. Locals and visitors alike get access to mobility options around the island, all while putting dollars back into the local economy.

Jocelyn, Turo host

Honolulu, HI H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Joy Yonemura Oda Realtor, CRS, SRES, GRI Vice-President Residential Division RB-18630

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ith a wealth of experience that spans over twenty years as a broker, Joy K. Yonemura Oda has received the Honolulu Board of Realtors Aloha ‘Āina Award twice in recognition of her outstanding service to her clients.

Joy was also awarded the coveted “Certified Residential Specialist Realtor of the Year Award” by her peers: Real Estate members, Council, and business leaders. A natural communicator, her clients appreciate her robust knowledge of the market, her professionalism, and her high level of service to both buyers and sellers. The Jamias Family, lifelong friends and clients share, “We trust Joy-Joy with our real estate investments.” Her clients highlight how working with her is both seamless and enjoyable. Dedicated to continued learning and education, Joy shares her insights with clients, mentees, and colleagues, giving back to the community through volunteering, providing professional leadership, and she generously supports her Hawaii community through charitable contributions with her pledge to make “A Donation for Every Transaction.”

Marcus Realty 1045 Mapunapuna Street Honolulu, Hawaii 95819 (808) 226-0332 JoyY@marcushawaii.com www.marcushawaii.com

Pamela Maeda RA, AVP, SRES, Realtor Associate, RS-81309

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rowing up on the island of O‘ahu, Pamela epitomizes integrity, energy, hard work, and creative service.

Leveraging her more than 25 years of successful sales and marketing experience working with a diversity of customers, Pamela is known for outstanding client service, creative marketing techniques, personal touches and as a skilled negotiator with the client’s best interests at heart. She provides a partnership experience and thrives in challenging situations.

Pamela believes in always setting a good example to her four children which includes giving back. Beginning in her 20’s, Pamela was a member of the United Cerebral Palsy Organization and continues to be an active supporter of multiple nonprofits.

In her free time when she isn’t attending her children’s sports activities or playing with her three dogs Jerry, Elvis and Nala, she loves to read, hike, CrossFit, yoga, and take guitar lessons.

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Client testimonial:

“Pamela is an amazing agent and took care of us all the way from finding, viewing, and purchasing. Even after the closing she continued to help us with things we needed to do with our new home. I was impressed with her energy and knowledge of the market and her patience in helping us find the perfect home.”

Marcus Realty (808) 284-5545 PamelaM@marcushawaii.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

David M. Lundstrom RB-22709, Broker In Charge, O‘ahu Military Specialized Team Leader Hawai‘i Life, Director of Agent Services

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want to thank my many clients for choosing me as their real estate agent and broker.

None of my professional experiences have been as rewarding as being a part of an elite group of Brokers in Hawaii and a Broker-in-Charge at Hawai‘i Life. This role has allowed me to combine all my many business skills to serve my clients and our statewide team of agents.

Moving my family to O‘ahu from Colorado in 2013 was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. My previous career as a successful entrepreneur took me from Chicago to Miami to Colorado, and then to Honolulu.

I recently stepped into the role of Director Of Agent Services, leading Hawai‘i Life’s transaction management and listing services team statewide. As a certified Military Relocation Professional, I’m also proud to lead the Hawai‘i Life Military Specialized Team. I’m a member of the Hawai‘i Life Zillow Team, and I have helped clients buy and sell properties all over the island.

Keeping my clients informed, updated, and providing a clear understanding of the real estate process is my number one goal. Customer service is vitally important in all aspects of the real estate transaction. I strive to keep

improving and constantly perfect my craft and contract skills to serve my clients better.

I believe in treating people as you would want to be treated. This philosophy has been a big part of my business life since day one. I look forward to helping you either buy, sell, or learn more about the real estate process in Hawai‘i.

“We moved to O‘ahu during the pandemic and trying to find a house during quarantine orders was not possible.

We found ourselves shopping online for a home. David helped us navigate the ins and outs of buying in Hawai‘i.

We never thought we would buy a home “virtually,” but David was incredibly accommodating from FaceTime walkthroughs to measuring rooms. Any time we had a question, he immediately responded with the answer, or researched the question and got back to us quickly. He knows his neighborhood, and made us feel comfortable buying “sight unseen.” He has gone far and above the normal responsibilities of a Realtor. Even after we closed on the house, he is still making sure we are well taken care of now that we are in our new home. David is top notch.”

–‘EWA BEACH RESIDENT

(808) 352-3099 davidlundstrom@hawaiilife.com David.HawaiiLife.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Julianna Garris REALTOR, CLHMS, CRS, SRES, Broker-in-Charge; RB-17280

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awai‘i Life and The Choi Group would like to congratulate Julianna Garris for being a leader in O‘ahu luxury home sales and

another year’s recognition on the Hawaii Business list of top-performing O‘ahu agents. She has built her reputation by providing exceptional service for over 30 years. “I’ve been privileged to work with so many amazing clients throughout my career,” says Garris.

Her personalized approach merges her professional wisdom, a wealth of hands-on experience, and a genuine interest in people, who she says are the heart and soul of her business. Her expertise and client relationships are enhanced by Hawai‘i Life’s leading-edge technology, global reach, and marketing capabilities. Garris also credits her career success to the steadfast support of staff and a team of talented real estate professionals.

“Julie was also an excellent negotiator. She knew the market pricing better than others we interviewed with, and her knowledge and suggested price of where to list to meet our timeframe was perfect. She worked masterfully and with integrity in assisting us in getting an excellent offer. She managed through issues calmly and fairly enabling the sale to continue to move forward smoothly.”

– GINGERICH FAMILY

“Hawaii is filled with many able bodied realtors, but you cannot find a better advocate than Julianna Garris... Just as Michaelangelo could see through the exterior of his marble blocks to find the hidden masterpiece, Julianna possesses that same x-ray vision in viewing properties.”

– ROBERT C. KLAPPER, M.D.

“Thank you for placing us in our new home at Koko Isle in Hawaii Kai. Purchasing a home in Honolulu is quite a daunting task. Low inventory, high prices and an endless sea of paperwork and anxiety. Somehow, you make it look easy.

You have a commitment to excellence and go that extra mile to make sure your clients have the best chance at getting the keys to their dream home.”

– GARY BELL, DC

The Choi Group with Hawai‘i Life julie@garrishawaii.com (808) 255-7143 | www.Choi.HawaiiLife.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Noel Pietsch Shaw MBA, S. Realtor-Associate, RS-75888

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HANK YOU Hawaii Business Magazine for this nomination and recognition! Although 2021 was a unique and challenging year globally due to the continuation of the Covid pandemic, it again was banner year for Hawai’i Real Estate, and a record year for me personally. These coveted islands and Honolulu became even more sought after as a place of refuge and reprieve, which in turn prompted a surge in the luxury real estate market on Oahu. The past year has taught me that a technology-forward approach combined with a lifetime of local expertise and valuable island-wide connections remain the most powerful means of helping my clientele secure the most successful buying and selling results. Looking to the horizon for 2022, it remains a seller’s market on Oahu. Extremely low inventory of high-quality single-family homes and luxury condos makes for an opportune time for homeowners seeking to take advantage of a strong market. – feel free to reach out to me to discuss your Real Estate needs or visit one of my listing.

SOLD $5,400,000 | 4360 Kahala Ave, Honolulu 96816 4 Beds/4.5 Baths, 4,680 sqft Living, 13,500 sqft Land

ACTIVE $6,200,000 | 1388 Ala Moana Blvd., #3300, Honolulu 96814 2 Beds/2.5 Baths, 1,982 sqft Living, 491 sqft Lanai

(808) 221-8889 noelshaw@hawaiilife.com www.noelshaw.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Isaiah Cureton Esq., M.B.A., Realtor, Principal Broker/ Owner, RB-23323

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saiah Cureton, Esq., is a practicing attorney and Real Estate broker. Isaiah specializes in all Real Estate-related matters and provides his clients with unparalleled service. Isaiah is best known for his excellent communication skills, knowledge of the law, and an understanding of business and financial implications in Real Estate.

In 2021, amid the pandemic, Cureton Realty was launched as a full-service brokerage with the goal of providing our clients an experience of law-firm quality. The mission of Cureton Realty is to empower our clients to conduct Real Estate transactions with confidence, with support from excellent agents and a quality of service only rivaled by law firms. We are committed to provide a refined and curated service and

ensure our clients succeed in all their Real Estate goals.

Isaiah is an accomplished attorney and broker who brings knowledge and strategy to the home buying and selling process. Drawing from years of experience acquired while working at law firms, congressional offices, and top-performing brokerages, he can assist clients in any matter relating to Real Estate. Isaiah has a well-known reputation for zealously advocating for his clients and going above and beyond in all respects.

Isaiah received his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Shidler College of Business, and high school diploma from Castle High School.

Everyone deserves the highest level of representation, especially with purchases as significant as your property – Call today.

Cureton Realty 345 Queen Street Suite 707 Honolulu HI 96813 (808) 225-0570 | isaiah@curetonhi.com www.curetonhi.com IG: @isaiahawaii | facebook.com/curetonrealty

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Esther Park Kusunoki Senior Vice President , REALTOR® ABR, CRS, GRI, SRS, RB-21002

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sther Park Kusunoki has made a name for herself within Hawai‘i’s real estate community. She is known for her dedication to her clients, welcoming demeanor and extensive knowledge of the industry. Her outstanding track record of achievement and conscientious, results-driven approach has singled her out as an industry leader and one of the top brokers in Hawai‘i.

Every year since 2014, Esther has been recognized as a List Sotheby’s International Realty Highest Overall Sales Top Producer, an annual awards program that highlights distinguished individuals who provide exceptional service and market knowledge to buyers and sellers nation-wide. Today, Esther is an innovative leader in the industry, specializing in the high-end luxury market and multi-family apartment buildings.

Esther has perfected the craft of building strong relationships with colleagues and clients alike, and has built a powerful global network over the course of her career. Integrity is at the core of everything Esther does, ensuring the goals she sets for herself and for her business match the level of service and value she offers her clients.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate, contact Esther Park Kusunoki today!

Work with Esther and you will receive: • Exemplary, luxury service at every price point, in every stage of life, and in every area in the market.

Luxury is an experience.

• A top producing real estate professional who knows your neighborhood and is prepared for Hawai‘i’s constantly changing market providing unparalleled industry knowledge and expertise.

• Access to the influential and renowned Sotheby’s International Realty® global network.

• Effective marketing that will get your home the attention it deserves.

525 Moaniala Street, Honolulu, HI 96821 Sold for $4,300,000

4211 Waialae Ave Suite 8060 | Honolulu, HI 96816 Cell: 808 489-6733 Email: epark@listsir.com | www.estherparkrealtor.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Drew Read HI LICENSE RS-67769

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rew’s honesty, integrity and knowledge coupled with his exceptional service make him a great Realtor!

Drew has experience with real estate in both Hawai‘i and the Mainland. He started out buying properties for investment purposes and discovered a true passion for the industry. Drew was first exposed to real estate as a child, when his father worked as an architect and general contractor of custom homes. This early introduction gave Drew an appreciation for quality craftsmanship and architectural design.

Drew received a degree from the University of Utah in recreational tourism and geology. He has traveled extensively throughout the world and enjoys experiencing many different cultures and countries. Drew has been a professional guide for more than fifteen years in many different pursuits, including Scuba Dive Master, Surfing Guide and Grand Canyon Expedition Leader.

As a guide, Drew was responsible for the care and well-being of his clients, and he has carried this sense of responsibility over into his real estate business.

With his dependability, loyalty, expertise and attention to detail, Drew goes above and beyond to understand his clients’ needs and consistently exceed their expectations. His commitment to professional service combined with his enthusiasm and integrity make Drew an excellent guide to real estate.

Drew was amazing to work with from start to finish! He sold our home for a record neighborhood high and negotiated a great price on our replacement property. His market knowledge, attention to detail and perspective was priceless and he made the entire process fun! I would recommend Drew to anyone!–KEN AND PATRICIA 2017

Drew Listed and Sold this Hawaii Kai home in 2021 for an All-Time Neighborhood High!

List Sotheby’s International Realty 4211 Waialae Avenue, Suite 8060 Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 782-3636 | drewread@listsir.com drewread.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu + Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Heather Selvitelle Heather Selvitelle, RB-22771 Broker, Vice President, MRP

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eather is known for her professionalism and energetic advocacy of her clients’ interests. Her 20+ years and more than $200 million in sales have consistently earned Heather Top 100 Awards, Top Producer Awards, and Aloha ‘Āina Nominations.

Heather’s clients trust her to guide them clearly and concisely through the complex process of either buying or selling a home or investment property.

She specializes in providing luxury service at all price points and has built a strong referral-based business.

“Heather could not have been more important to making my most recent purchase a success. She navigated multiple hurdles quickly, negotiated fiercely, and exceeded my expectations at every turn. Her commitment to me and not simply the transaction made all the difference. Heather is the only agent I will use to buy another property or sell any of my properties.”–ROBERT K.

List Sotheby’s International Realty 4211 Waialae Ave., Suite 8060 Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 282-1764 heather@surfhawaiianhomes.com www.surfhawaiianhomes.com

Jan Nores Realtor-Salesperson, RS-64842

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hank you to all my clients! I love my job and was lucky to find my lifelong career when I was 30 years old. I now have over 38 years of searching, prodding, and designing along with my clients to find their perfect fit! I’m an admitted property junkie. Real estate feeds my creative side, which is always on the hunt for an opportunity to make something from nothing — perhaps taking that fixer-upper to a fresh new start. My job allows me to meet people, take the time to get to know them, and learn what is important in their search for a new home, business or investment. My husband and I designed and built our dream home in Puako, on the Big Island. Every evening, we walk across to the sand to catch the sunset, and we pinch ourselves. Combining a lifestyle of work and play is absolutely heaven on Earth, and my greatest joy is to share it with my clients, friends, and family. Mahalo.

(808) 895-5445 Jan@HawaiiLife.com www.JanNores.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Carrie Nicholson Realtor-Broker, BIC, RB-19302 Director, Hawaii Life One – Big Island Hawaii Life – Forbes Global Properties

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AHALO Hawaii Business Magazine for the recognition of Top Performer in 2022.

Hawaii has continued to be an exceptional place to find refuge and to be remote. The high-end luxury market has been in demand like we’ve never seen before with record breaking sales throughout the State of Hawaii. I could have never anticipated the level of real estate activity that we’ve experienced this past year, which led to my personal sales volume of over $144 Million in 2021.

Over the past few years, I’ve incorporated an indirect approach to helping my clientele buy and/or sell real estate virtually using updated technology. Sharing my expertise as a local resident, providing first-hand knowledge and an in-depth understanding of the market has helped my clientele make informed decisions about choosing a home in the community. Feel free to contact me to schedule a private tour or chat about your real estate needs!

“It was a pleasure working with Carrie on our past few transactions. She is an expert in her market, and she provides the knowledge, service, and advice to help her clients make well informed decisions efficiently and with confidence. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for the best real estate professional in the community.” ~ S.M. KUKIO HOMEOWNER

Stunning compound in Kailua Bay with 1,000 linear feet of ocean frontage, 21.81 Acres with 12,000 Interior square feet. Listed for $49 million, Sold for $43 million.

Listed by Carrie Nicholson, R(B) Hawaii Life, Sold by Neal Norman, R(B) Hawaii Life MLS#652552

Kaupulehu Phase I, Lot 1A, direct oceanfront parcel with 3.64 Acres. Listed for $35 million, Sold for $33.750 million. Listed by Carrie Nicholson, R(B), Hawaii Life, Sold by Kukio Properties MLS#657148

(808) 896-9749 | Carrie@HawaiiLife.com Carrie-Nicholson.com | @carrierealestate

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Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Denise S. Nakanishi REALTOR® (B) 17031 ABR, CRS, GRI, EPRO

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hen it comes to moving property on the East side of Hawai‘i Island, Team Nakanishi has their fingers firmly on the pulse of the market. Under the watchful eye of Denise Nakanishi, the team’s sales numbers have surpassed 1,500 homes and $364 million in sales since Denise began her career in 1990.

Denise attributes the genesis of her success to the discipline she learned as an active duty military officer.

“The military taught me the value of hard work, but I also learned that you can accomplish a great deal more by working together, setting goals and taking ‘mission orders.’ I learned to discover ways to get things done instead of looking for reasons you can’t succeed. I learned to be mission-oriented…When I put a client in my car, I remind them that I’m on a mission…and to stop me if they get hungry or thirsty.” One value “Major Mom” tries to instill in her team is never to “sell” anything. “I feel our job is to assist. We treat our clients like they are family.”

Denise has been recognized by industry experts with awards such as: Realtor of the Year, Best of East Hawai‘i, and Zillow’s Premier Agent, just to name a few.

“We always evolve our marketing plan to stay ahead of the pack to dominate our market. The digital platform has complemented exposure for my real estate

advice column, which appears weekly in the Hawai‘iTribune Herald and on HawaiiLife.com.”

Joining Team Nakanishi’s success is Denise’s daughter Kealohanui (Nui) Browning and Danny Krause, who are all fully involved in the community. Denise devotes a great deal of time to Veteran’s causes, Nui is very involved with the local chamber, while Danny stays busy rehabbing homes. “We all love being part of the team. We love what we do and where we are!”

Team Nakanishi L-R: Shari Todd, Ash Tsuji, Carol Silva, Suzy Sternlicht, Denise Nakanishi, Nui Browning, Danny Krause, April Taylor, Zach Heltz

Team Nakanishi - Hawai‘i Life 500 Kalanianaole Hwy. #100, Hilo HI 96720 (808) 854-1570 TeamNakanishi.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Kelly Shaw RB-21516, CRS, GRI, e-PRO®, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist 2021 CRS of the Year Award

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elly is honored to once again be named one of Hawai‘i’s Top Performers. As a Realtor® on the Big Island with over 17 years of experience, Kelly is committed to helping her clients fulfill their dreams of home ownership. Kelly specializes in residential real estate on the west side of the Big Island, specifically, Kailua Kona, Holualoa and South Kona.

Her thriving business has been nurtured and built almost entirely by referrals from past satisfied clients. She has a passion for learning and takes several continuing education classes each year to stay current on new real estate trends in order to better serve both buyers and sellers.

Kelly loves living on the Big Island and is involved in numerous professional and service organizations within the community. She balances her work with relaxation by snorkeling, hiking and enjoying Hawai‘i’s natural beauty.

“Kelly was awesome. Very attentive and responded quickly.

Extremely thorough in all aspects of the home buying process. We have bought and sold several properties and she is hands down one of the best and most professional realtors we’ve had the honor to work with. On behalf of the Douglas family, thank you Kelly!” – S. DOUGLAS

“Kelly helped us find a home that we love, in a very challenging market. We purchased the home from the mainland, and Kelly was exceptionally helpful, prompt and responsive throughout the entire process. She showed us a ton of homes throughout our search and was very patient with us. She found the house that we purchased before it hit the market, which allowed us to make an offer quickly and secured the home. We will use Kelly for a future home purchase or sale on the island, and would recommend her to anyone!” – T. PARSONS

Represented Buyer- Hualalai Colony | 75-409 Puia Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

COMPASS Aloha Service with a New York Flair (808) 960-4636 | kelly.shaw@compass.com www.BuyAHomeInKona.com

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Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Donna Duryea Realtor®, RS-62459 Founding Agent of COMPASS Hawaii CLHMS™, CRS, GRI, ABR Luxury Specialist Founding Member of REALM Global

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orn and raised in Honolulu and a 20year resident of Hilo, Donna Duryea fully embodies the spirit of Aloha. As a 6-time Top 100 agent and 3-year recipient of the Top Producer award in the State of Hawai’i, Donna’s experience speaks for itself. She relishes in each personal connection she makes, while representing a diverse spectrum of buyers and sellers.

Donna considers herself incredibly blessed to have grown up in Hawai’i. Like most youth here, she spent her free time hiking lush trails, surfing and hanging out at her favorite beaches. She is proud to call Hawai’i home and that love for the islands has led to her passion in real estate.

Donna started college at the University of Hawai’i, before heading to Colorado after her sophomore year.

She spent 31 years on the mainland with stints in Aspen, NYC and Bozeman, Montana. Hawai’i called her back home in January of 2001 and her family settled in Hilo where her love for real estate blossomed.

As of 2022, Donna has closed over $283 million in sales with over 793 transactions. If you ask Donna, it’s never been about the numbers, it’s about her

clients. Donna loves people, learning their unique stories and is passionately committed to making their dreams come true.

Donna is a founding agent of COMPASS Hawai’i and the leader of The Duryea Team, located on both Hawai’i Island and Oahu. She and her team are dedicated to creating a legacy of helping people find their place to call home.

Namaste, a 47.5 acre estate with 1/2 mile of oceanfront in Pahala on Hawai’i Island.

Nepalese-inspired 3,080 Sqft home with 3 bed /3.5 bath.

(808) 987-4511 donna@theduryeateam.com theduryeateam.com instagram.com/theduryeateam

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2O22

Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Nicole Vincent Realtor® Broker, MBA, CLHMS RB-20189

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here are many who claim to be Hawai‘i luxury property experts, but Nicole has the track record, island heritage, and unmatched experience to have earned the title. Licensed since 2002, Nicole holds the distinction of being among the top-producing real estate agents for Hawai‘i Island and Statewide.

In October 2020 Nicole joined a select group of exceptional agents as a founding member of COMPASS Hawaii, the most innovative and cutting-edge brokerage in the industry.

Nicole specializes in luxury estate properties along the Big Island’s Kohala Coast. Her extensive local knowledge, strong personal connections, and real estate acumen are valuable assets in helping her clients achieve their own unique vision of the island lifestyle from upcountry Waimea to the coastal resort communities. Her professional and personable nature makes her an unparalleled resource and advocate for those looking to buy or sell luxury real estate on the Big Island.

In her free time, you will find Nicole on the ocean with her family deep-sea fishing, or stand-up and paddling canoe.

$550m+

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Top 100

$21m

Total Sales Volume

Total Transactions

Annually ranked as Hawai‘i’s Top Agents

Highest Career Sale Kūki‘o – 72-3041 Kakapa Place

“Nicole is quite simply everything one seeks in a real estate professional. She combines an incredible aloha spirit with outstanding advice, understanding, perseverance and knowledge.

We totally enjoyed and appreciated every aspect of our work with her to achieve our Hawai‘i home ownership dreams.”

— KOHANAIKI HOMEOWNER, MICHAEL AND KATHI MAYER

Kohanaiki - Hinahina 8 73-4816 Hinahina Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Offered at $4,449,000 ~ Under Contract

COMPASS 75-5991 Palani Road, Suite 2008 Kailua Kona, HI 96740 (808)895-5455 | nicole@nicolevincent.com www.nicolevincent.com

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Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Kris Hazard

Kristina R. Vaughn-Hazard ABR, SRS, GRI, CCRE Hawaii Broker License RB 23095

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orking exclusively in the KeauhouKailua Kona area Kris Hazard knows her market! Kris says “The Big Island of Hawai‘i is an incredibly diverse island. In order to have the best local knowledge for my clients, I concentrate my business here in the North Kona District. Making a decision to live in an area involves much more than numbers data.

It also includes questions: “What is there to do here?”

“Where to go for specific services?” and “What’s it like to live here?” Since this is where I live, work and play, I can help my clients with those answers!

The mantra that drives Kris’ business decisions is “If it is good for my clients, it is good for me.” This message resonates with clients, which is why more than 85% of her business is repeat and referral.

Kris’ personal attention to the details of her listings start with consulting with the owners to see where their plan will take them, then working on the plan to get them there. Whether it is staging for photos and showings, arranging repairs, and service vendors, helping coordinate packers, movers and cleaners, Kris is on hand to coordinate! She is always looking for the positive outcome, even when sometimes it seems impossible to pull off.

In her free time to enjoy living on the Kona Coast,

Kris, and her husband Jim, are active outrigger canoe paddlers with Kai‘opua Canoe Club. Kris also volunteers in the Kona community through Rotary Club of Kona, Mitsubishi PGA tournament, and Kai‘opua Canoe Club’s community outreach.

“To one of the best Realtors in West Hawai‘i! What a pleasure to work with a ‘true professional’ from start to finish. I really don’t think her day ever ends. Kris tackles the sale of your home as if it was her own property. So thankful to have used her services.”—DOMINIC & BARBARA

Kona Bay Estates 75-5486 Kona Bay Drive, Kailua Kona HI 96740 New Listing! $4,999,999 Oceanfront - 3BRM 3 BATH plus guest studio - 2 car garage

COMPASS 75-5991 Palani Rd Suite 2008-B, Kailua-Kona HI 96740 (808) 895-1364 krizhazard@compass.com krishazard.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Marco A. Silva Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Certified Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist ®, CLHMS Certified Residential Specialist, CRS Certified Negotiation Expert, CNE

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ocusing his expertise on Kona’s luxury real estate market, including Hualalai Resort and the resort communities of the Kohala Coast, Marco has extensive experience and knowledge of these affluent communities.

To put it simply, Marco SELLS high-end real estate.

He consistently ranks in the top percentages of Hawaii Island Realtors for sales volume production and a number of closed transactions.

A highly trained resource for his clients, Marco is a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, Certified Residential Specialist, and Certified Negotiation Expert.

As part of the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury network, Marco is able to utilize Coldwell Banker’s unparalleled global reach for his clients. Exemplary properties require extraordinary marketing.

Marco has built a tremendous referral network from past clients, friends, and family, who appreciate his work ethic, attention to detail and personable demeanor. His Big Island roots and connections in the local community allow him the honor of working with clients who currently call Hawaii home and those who join us from around the world.

Honesty and integrity are the two founding principles of Marco’s business. His foremost concern is YOU and your family, and he works exceptionally hard to that end.

When you are ready to discuss high-end real estate on Hawaii Island, make sure you speak with Marco.

2021 Realtor® of the Year West Hawai’i Association of Realtors® 2021, 2020, 2019 Hawai’i Island Top Producing Agent Coldwell Banker Island Properties, Hawai’i Island

Coldwell Banker Island Properties, Kona 75-5799 Alii Drive #A3 Kailua Kona HI 96740 (808) 557-8921 | Marco@KonaLuxuryRealEstate.com MarcoInKona.com

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Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Jenni Lee Realtor®, RS-69239

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he foundation of Jenni’s success is on finding a balance between her career and her passion for animals. From assisting families with their real estate goals to being a proud supporter of the Hawai‘i Island Humane Society, Jenni is adamant about cultivating relationships and giving back wholeheartedly.

With over 16 years as a Kona real estate expert, Jenni brings her polished reputation to serve various clientele with expertise on vacant land, luxury homes, and everything in between. Together with her team, she treats her clients to an unparalleled level of professionalism and customer service with Aloha.

A multitude of clients have shared their testimony regarding Jenni’s added care in service. Some include her compelling staging talents, assisting buyers with temporary rental property, picking up pets from the Kona airport for a stress-free arrival, and her extended team of industry experts.

Her success speaks for itself, Jenni has donated over $20 thousand dollars to Hawai‘i Island Humane Society to help the Big Island shelter animals this year.

Also, you will see Jenni Lee every Thursday in the local newspaper promoting the “Pet of the Week.” She also donates her time to serve on the Hawai‘i Island

Humane Society Board of Directors.

You can learn more about Jenni’s exceptional service and community involvement on her website at www.konaluxuryproperties.com

Jenni takes great pleasure in making her clients’ dreams come true for the entire family including their fur babies. “Beau” rolling with excitement at his new Hawai‘i home.

Corcoran Pacific Properties 75-5905 Walua Rd., Ste.9 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 (808) 430-3022 | jenni.lee@corcoranpacific.com www.KonaLuxuryProperties.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Erik Jacobson REALTOR®, RB-21678

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he Jacobson Team works together on the West side of Hawai‘i Island. Erik & Romy Jacobson have called Hawai‘i home for over 25 years and truly enjoy sharing their love of the island and the lifestyle with their clientele. Whether working with island residents or folks coming from the mainland, the joy of helping people achieve their real estate dreams is what drives this husband & wife team.

The Jacobson Team, Erik and Romy Jacobson

“We love where we live and what we do everyday! It is an honor to work with such amazing clients and colleagues.”— ERIK & ROMY In addition to working as successful REALTOR®s, Erik & Romy enjoy time spent traveling, sailing, and going to live music events.

Corcoran Pacific Properties Hawai’i Island (808) 345-9033 Erik@JacobsonTeamHawaii.com www.JacobsonTeamHawaii.com

Tracy Abrams CLHMS, RS-78699

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ith more than 20 years of real estate sales success on Hawaii Island’s Kona-Kohala Coast, Tracy’s achievements continue in 2022. A dedicated realty professional, Tracy tallied more than $45 million in sales in the first quarter of this year, earning the second highest performance status in the state for that period. She focuses primarily on properties in the prestigious luxury residential resorts dotting the west side’s coastline, including Kukio, Hualalai Resort and Mauna Lani. Highly respected for attention to detail and marketing skills, Tracy is committed to protecting clients’ privacy through each transaction. In addition to her extensive experience with real estate sales, Tracy possesses an impressive background in luxury vacation home rentals, long-term leases and property management. She shares her love and knowledge of Hawaii Island with clients while working tirelessly to exceed their expectations for a home in paradise that enhances their personal lifestyle.

Live Who You Are

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Corcoran Pacific Properties (808) 757-8104 Tracy.Abrams@CorcoranPacific.com www.corcoranpacific.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Maui

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Gladys N. Baran Realtor® RS-81649 MRP, Green Certified

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ruly Blessed and Grateful for the opportunity to serve my clients and for their trust in me in all their real estate goals in Hawaii.

Gladys is a local born and raised on the island of Oahu. Newly married to her husband Scott and four amazing children. Growing up on the island has allowed many experiences with local and military friends coming and going which allowed Gladys to specialize in first time home buyers and VA buyers. Working in the hospitality business prior to becoming a Real Estate Agent has allowed her to shine in her excellent customer service with a touch of aloha and provide outstanding communication skills while strategizing the best scenarios for all parties involved.

Gladys provides knowledge of the current market trends and helps her clients understand the process of buying or selling their home. Gladys goes beyond the call for her clients and carries a strong work ethic.

Gladys’s goal is to Always Exceed Expectations.

above and beyond by scouring the local market so that the day a home that met my criteria was listed as active, we were there to look at it. In a very aggressive market, she helped me make competitive offers but also ensured that I was not going to get in over my head. In the end it was her genuine care for my happiness and the long hours she put in that led to me purchasing and living in my dream home.

Thank you for everything!”–ADAM COWAN

“Working with Gladys was the most enjoyable home buying experience I have ever had. She was always available to answer my questions, was able to show me homes I was interested in around my busy schedule, and genuinely took the time to learn exactly what I was looking for in a home and incorporate those things into her searches. She went

Maui Luxury Real Estate 161 Wailea Ike Pl A-106 Wailea, HI 96753 (808) 600-7882 Baran808RealEstate@gmail.com

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2O22

Top Performers in Real Estate

Maui

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Lydia Pedro REALTOR BROKER

Alana Rucynski REALTOR SALESPERSON

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ydia Petro and Alana Rucynski were colleagues for ten years before establishing Top Maui Homes, combining their shared values and experience to create a leading real estate team. With an unparalleled knowledge and understanding of Maui’s real estate market, Top Maui Homes specialize in helping their clients realize their real estate needs. Their outstanding staging expertise shows properties in their best light to attain top value.

Recognized as members of Maui’s Top 3% of Agents in both 2020 and 2021, Lydia and Alana are industry leaders. In 2019 Alana was named Realtor Salesperson of the Year by the Realtors Association of Maui. In 2020 Darla Philips joined the team. Top Maui Homes has grown to a team of four Realtors® with Terri Nicholson coming on board. All four team members share the same energy, passion and values to deliver a complete sales and marketing experience to achieve their clients’ goals. They are in tune with and adept at navigating clients’ unique needs and circumstances.

Giving back to the Maui community is a priority

Lydia Pedro (808) 283-8192 LydiaPedro@hawaiilife.com TopMauiHomes.com

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for the team and they are always out in the community making Maui a better place. “Alana and her teammates are rockstars! In a very competitive market, Alana gave me excellent advice that led to success,” attests client Patti Hirami. “We specialize in you, our clients,” says Lydia Pedro. “We understand that each person, each relationship, and each situation is different, and we tailor how we work together to help you find your specific best solution.”

Lydia and Alana helped us to secure this oceanfront property on Sugar Beach.

– BRUCE & WHITNEY ULTSCH

Alana Rucynski (808) 298-7455 AlanaRucynski@hawaiilife.co TopMauiHomes.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Maui

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Josh Jerman REALTOR-BROKER, RB-19728

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want to thank my loyal clients for choosing my team to represent their Maui real estate interests. Raised in Upcountry Maui, I bring 18 years of proven success in real estate sales. I also want to thank my team, including sales partners Tim Stice, R(B), Rich Wu, R(S), Souksamlane Jerman, R(S) and Executive Assistant Tammie Matsuura. Together, we run like a well-oiled machine. We ranked as Hawai‘i’s #1 small team in 2021, reaching $75.6M in sales (Real Trends) and surpassed $150M in sales in 2021. Over the years, we have adapted swiftly to the changes in both the real estate market and the industry. I graduated cum laude with two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Washington. I’ve since traveled to 24 countries (and counting). I’ve hiked to Machu Picchu and Mount Everest Base Camp, canoed the Amazon River and swam in the Ganges, sailed in the South Pacific, trekked in the North Pole and touched the Great Wall of China. I developed an appreciation, awareness, and respect for all people throughout my adventures and was inspired to return home to serve my community. I have earned a solid reputation for professionalism, personal integrity, and hard work.

In 2019, I was named Realtor Broker of the Year by the Realtors Association of Maui. Prior to that, I was also honored as the recipient of Maui County’s Young Business Person of the Year Award for 2012. I have held numerous positions with the Realtors Association of Maui (RAM) since 2005, including Director-at-Large

(6 years) and I currently serve as co-chair of Professional Standards. Additionally, I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Hawaii Association of Realtors (HAR).

My wife and I founded the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation, which has donated more than $55,000 to college-bound high school students across Maui County.

I’m dedicated to delivering the highest level of customer service to achieve the best results for my clients. I want to thank the Maui community which sustains me personally and professionally.

588 Kulaiwi Drive, Wailuku, Maui - 12.8M Gated award-winning estate set on a mountain top for ultimate privacy and security with sweeping views of the central isthmus and the north and south shorelines. This vantage point is unmatched by any other on Maui. Open spaces allow trade winds to circulate for a natural, healthy open-air environment, and the use of clerestory windows brings outside light into the home. The property embodies the aloha spirit of island lifestyle with maximum privacy.

(808) 283-2222 Josh@HawaiiLife.com Josh.HawaiiLife.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

Maui

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Dave Richardson REALTOR-BROKER, RB-10780

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ne of Hawaii Business Magazine’s ‘Top 100 Realtors’ since 2006, Dave Richardson has been a top-producing broker on Maui for 40 years. He takes joy in building closeknit relationships with his clients that have transcended the business realm and have grown into friendships. Dave has worked on high-profile transactions that included the National Park Service and Bank of Hawai‘i’s trust as his clients. Dave’s ability to ensure that his clients’ transactions are smooth and effortless is a tribute to his extensive experience, his exceptional market knowledge, and his long-standing dedication to his profession.

• Hawai‘i Life is the Top Producing Real Estate Agency for the State of Hawai‘i with sales over $3 Billion in 2021 • Dave was Maui’s Top Producing Agent for Hawai‘i Life in 2021 with Over $146 Million in Closed Transactions • Over 40 Years in Maui Real Estate • Closed Over $1 Billion in Sales • Focusing on South Maui Oceanfront and EstateType Properties.

“Selling one’s home is very stressful. With David’s expertise, attention, professionalism and communication, we experienced a smooth transaction. David’s knowledge of the local market was exceptional and of great value. The smallest details were handled immediately and efficiently. A bonus to the process was being treated like family.” – THE BUCKLEYS

4557 Makena Road, Keahou at Makena For Sale $22.5 Million.

Keahou at Makena boasts 7 exclusive lots of 3 acres plus. Located on a small knoll, this gated home provides a sense of privacy yet offers sweeping ocean/sunset views that span for miles. Minutes from world class resorts, fine dining premier shopping and 3 championship golf courses, this 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath enjoys a single level lifestyle. The home is being sold furnished and is turnkey. Stroll across the street to a crescent white sand beach or lounge by the resort Style pool.

Hawai‘i Life (808) 870-9916 | Dave@HawaiiLife.com MauiOceanfront.com

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Maui + Kaua‘i

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Anna Severson REALTOR-BROKER, RB-23178

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ama‘āina, mother, real estate broker, and banana bread maker.

I offer local style, global reach, and Maui market expertise to my clients. Like many of us at Hawai‘i Life, I have deep roots in the islands, and my business thrives on referrals from my ‘ohana, hui, and past clients. So here is an official mahalo nui for your ongoing introductions and support. I live in Puamana, Lahaina, with my family, where we love to get in the ocean and do our best to be stewards of the islands.

I am honored to represent Hawai‘i’s most innovative real estate team: Hawai‘i Life. My membership in Forbes Global Properties connects luxury home sellers with the extraordinary 133 million monthly visitors to Forbes’ digital platform. Imua!

(808) 280-1390 annaseverson@hawaiilife.com HawaiiLife.com/AnnaSeverson

Steve Cole REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®, GREEN, ILHM, RS-28667

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teve first obtained his real estate license in Hawai‘i in 1981.

His intimate knowledge of Kaua‘i comes from exploring the deepest recesses of its green interior to every inch of its coastline and the expanse of its green and blue backyard. As an adventurer on land and respected waterman, he learned the value of teamwork, discipline and focus in the sport of outrigger canoe paddling and has carried those values into his real estate career. Through his work with building & selling luxury custom homes, Condominium Property Regime (CPR) projects and other developments, he has earned the respect and trust of some of the best contractors and developers on Kaua‘i. He’s been a trailblazer in protecting, preserving and educating visitors about the ocean. Steve has lived in Hawai‘i all his life. He started developing properties at a young age and truly enjoys helping his clients buy and sell real estate.

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Corcoran Pacific Properties 4222 Waileia Pl., Princeville, Hi. 96722 (808) 635-1409 steve.cole@corcoranpacific.com www.kauairealestatebiz.com

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Top Performers in Real Estate

Kaua‘i

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Sean Ahearn & Jim Karlovsky Kaua‘i Real Estate Brokers

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t’s with great gratitude and good fortune that we have been recognized as a Hawaii Business Magazine Top Performers designee yet again this year. It’s quite an honor and we’re humbled.

We really appreciate the trust and confidence placed in Ahearn Karlovsky by our valued clients - it’s a significant responsibility and one that we take very seriously.

We’re very grateful to all the folks at COMPASS for their continued support and also grateful to the other Kaua‘i realtors and the various real estate professionals from escrow to inspection to lending that cooperated and participated with us in this past year’s transactions. Thank you all very much – a challenging year to say the least.

Each transaction represents a huge effort by all involved and is a significant accomplishment in their own right. Best of luck to everyone in 2022 – stay safe out there.

More than $450 million sold on Kaua‘i.

Sean Ahearn, RB Jim Karlovsky, RB aloha@akkauai.com 800.808.6373

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COMPASS 2555 Ala Namahana Parkway Kilauea, HI 96754 ahearnkarlovsky.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

HOUSE OF FINANCE, INC. Left: The House of Finance team.

Below: The Casaminas – Founders Roland (left) and Evelyn (center right) and Clarice and Matt.

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ouse of Finance’s mission to help Hawai‘i families achieve homeownership has not changed since its foundation in 1995 and that commitment to put families first makes them a highly trusted mortgage lender. Reliability, honesty and follow through, is what their reputation is built on.

Eliminate the Hassle Clients love House of Finance because they make the loan process easier.

An experienced staff allows House of Finance to streamline the process – saving customers’ time, headaches and money. In fact, customer feedback commonly praises staff for going above and beyond to make the loan process fast and pain free, all while welcoming them like family.

Community Pillar Supporting education and the community is a guiding principle for House of Finance and Roland &

Evelyn Casamina – company founders and owners. They gave $250,000 to UH Foundation in 2020 to enhance the undergraduate leadership center at Shidler College of Business, Roland’s alma mater. An additional $10,000 was donated to the Filipino Community Center, where Roland serves as President Emeritus.

House of Finance was able to help numerous other community members and organizations too.

Finance President and CEO Roland Casamina wants the community to know that House of Finance is here to help. “If you have questions about or problems with your loan – we have the answers. We are here to take care of you and help you in every way.”

Service in a Time of Uncertainty Events of 2020 shook everything up and Hawai‘i’s housing market was no exception. The historically low interest rates triggered an influx of home purchases and refinances as families were eager to save money. House of Finance was ready to help and worked tirelessly through the ups and downs to secure loans for customers during a time of uncertainty when every dollar saved, counted.

At the end of the day, House of

NMLS 378949

House of Finance 2300 N. King St., Honolulu, HI 96819 (808) 847-8493 hofhawaii.com @houseoffi nancehi

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EVENT SERIES

Mahalo to our virtual and in-person attendees, panelists and sponsors for making our April event at the Prince Waikiki a success!

PRESENTED BY

Almost 200 people gathered in-person and virtually at the Prince Waikiki on April 21st for a lively panel discussion on regenerative tourism as part of Hawaii Business Magazine’s “Need to Know” event series.

As tourists return to Hawai‘i in full force, the conversation centered around managing the impact on community and local resources; educating visitors on local culture; and improving the overall experience for guests and residents.

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

STUDENT SPONSOR

“As an airline that welcomes guests to Hawai‘i, we want to make sure that mālama is top of mind. Care is at the core of who we are at Alaska Airlines, and we were thrilled to support this important event to discuss what regenerative tourism could look like for Hawai‘i and how we can all work together to achieve it. While these conversations are needed, we are excited to partner with local organizations like the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, travel2change and Kanu Hawai‘i to help turn these ideas and values of mālama into action for our guests and our communities.”

— DAN I EL C H U N , AL AS K A AI R L I N ES

“As we are all hopeful in seeing the pandemic impacts lighten, the lure of our beautiful islands is set to welcome back tourism with a renewed posture called Regenerative Tourism! It’s the perfect balance to benefit the quality of life for both locals and tourists.

The profound panel discussions and positive feedback from many of the series participants on this most important topic, highlight the need to educate and participate when and where we are able. The exclamatory message from this event is, “it is ALL of our responsibility to understand how we can contribute to the cause, while continuing to share Aloha with welcoming arms to our island visitors.”

“With over 20 years of specialized hospitality design focused experience, I see initiatives for architects when we engage in thoughtful tourism-related discussions with clients, developers, and the community. We can each find ways in contributing to the cause in the areas we serve,” said G70 Principal Craig Takahata, AIA . “There is much to learn about responsible stewardship of Hawai‘i’s natural and cultural assets for regenerative tourism.

It’s equally important to understand how we can reciprocate this responsibility as tourists to other destinations as well.” — C R A I G TA K A H ATA , P R I N C I PA L , S E N I O R P R O J E C T D E S I G N E R , G70 , P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R

“Regenerative tourism is core to our mission at Turo. As the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, Turo empowers Hawai‘i residents to earn money from their underutilized cars while providing locals and visitors access to an amazing experience. We are also committing to making car travel more sustainable by off-setting 100% of our estimated global carbon emissions. On behalf of our local hosts, we are grateful to participate in this important conversation and will continue taking our kuleana seriously.”

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ISLAND PACIFIC ACADEMY

— ANDR E HAD DAD , CEO, T UR O

Island Pacific Academy students met with panelists in the student session.

“IPA is honored and grateful to partner with Hawaii Business Magazine to be able to be the Student Sponsor for the “Need to Know Series” and this event on a new sustainable or regenerative tourism model. We are all aware that the hospitality and tourism industry continues to be one of Hawai‘i’s largest revenue generating industries for our State. Coming out of COVID pandemic we also realized the direct impact of our current perspective of tourism in Hawai‘i and the impact it had on our economy and many families in Hawai‘i.

We have a fabulous opportunity as a State to explore a regenerative model of tourism for the people of Hawai‘i and for the tourists that come to visit our State that could be truly sustainable and regenerative.” — GERALD TERAMAE, ISLAND PACIFIC ACADEMY

ADUs Seemed Like a Simple Solution to Hawai‘i’s Housing Crisis

But the reality of accessory dwelling units was far more complicated. Instead of a flood of affordable housing units, we got a trickle. Some people think regulatory changes and other adjustments could boost the numbers, but at least one

by N O E L L E F U J I I - O R I D E I L LU S T R AT I O N S BY K E L S E Y I G E nonprofit now pins its hopes elsewhere.

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Tucked away IN TH E BE ACHSIDE TOW N OF K A ILUA

stands a dark green house with a large carport, clean lawn and a second story with a wraparound lānai that gives occupants picturesque views of the Ko‘olau and Olomana mountains.

You wouldn’t know by looking at it, but the second story is an 800-squarefoot accessory dwelling unit, a second residential unit on the lot with its own kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. These types of units can be attached to the primary house or detached, and can be rented to anyone – related or unrelated to the homeowner.

ADUs are a key piece of some jurisdictions’ attempts to add housing. California, Oregon and Vermont recently passed statewide laws to relax ADU regulations. And several cities have either passed their own laws, such as Bremerton, Washington, and Missoula, Montana, or are considering them.

Hawai‘i has allowed second dwellings on certain residential lots since the early 1980s, though it wasn’t until the 2010s that counties started making it easier for homeowners to build ADUs. Today, each county specifies where ADUs can be built, what they can be used for and the public infrastructure required to service them.

Several community groups, homeowners and government officials have pushed for ADUs because they can add affordable housing without drastically altering the character of neighborhoods.

However, many advocates also acknowl102

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edge that ADUs have had a limited impact since they’re built individually rather than at scale. In addition, infrastructure limitations and other challenges prevent some homeowners who want ADUs from building them.

Today there are more than 7,700 ADUs across the state – a little more than 1% of the estimated housing supply in 2020. County officials say most are being used for long-term renting.

About 850 are on O‘ahu, which began allowing ADUs in 2015. The units are often used by the adult kids of the owners, or aging parents, or they’re rented out to create additional income, says Marshall Hickox, president of Homeworks Construction, the company that built the Kailua ADU mentioned in the opening paragraph.

“We were seeing all sorts of social dynamics happening with the ADU bill being passed, and they were all very, very positive,” Hickox says.

The 7,737 ADUs statewide do not include ‘ohana units, which can only be occupied by family members, or guest houses, which under county laws are smaller and generally can’t have kitchen facilities.

More Housing Kathy Hudson and her husband bought their Kailua house in 1988; back then, she says, it was the “worst house on the block.” The exterior hadn’t been paint-

ed in years and the kitchen countertops were made of floor tiles.

Several projects turned the house into their forever home, Hudson says, and they added a one-bedroom, one-bathroom ADU in 2017 to help fund their retirement.

“It was the best idea we could have had for that property,” she says.

The couple has lived on the mainland for the last few years. County rules prevent them from renting out the primary house and the ADU at the same time, so they’re renting out the main house and stay in the ADU when they visit. They plan to eventually move back into the main house and rent out the ADU. The Hudsons took advantage of the 2015 Honolulu law that allows ADUs in areas designated for residential and country use and has since resulted in 852 permitted ADUs. (Areas zoned as “country” can be used for some agricultural activities, low density residential development, and some support services and uses.)

Previously, the rules only permitted ‘ohana units, which had been limited to family members since 1992. According to the Department of Planning and Permitting, there were 254 ‘ohana units given permits on O‘ahu from January 2000 to May 2021. The department says it doesn’t know how many units were permitted before 2000 as its computers don’t have records before then.

The 2015 law was part of then-Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s affordable housing strategy. It allows ADUs up to 400 square feet to be built on lots between 3,500 and 4,999 square feet, and up to 800 square feet if the lot is 5,000 square feet or larger. The size limits are meant to keep the units affordable to renters, Caldwell says.

Lots must be supported by adequate wastewater, water supply and transportation services, and one off-street parking space must be provided for each unless located close to a rail station. The ADUs can only be used as long-term rentals.

In addition to O‘ahu’s 852 units, more than 1,392 ADUs have been built in Maui County, 4,051 on Hawai‘i Island and 1,442

on Kaua‘i. Michele Chouteau McLean, Maui County’s Planning Department director, says the county’s ADU inventory does not include units built between 1982 and 1994. The number of those units is unknown because those records are on Maui’s old permit system.

Maui and Hawai‘i counties call their ADUs “accessory dwellings” and “ ‘ohana dwelling units” respectively, but this story refers to them as ADUs since they are not limited to family members and meet the basic requirements of having their own kitchens and living areas.

Kaua‘i’s ADUs include 24 additional rental units – a type of ADU up to 800 square feet that can only be used as a long-term rental. The county began allowing them in 2018 in hopes of addressing its need for thousands of new housing units. The county does not limit the sizes of regular ADUs. Ka‘āina Hull, Kaua‘i County Planning Department director, says owners of qualifying residential lots can build attached or detached rental units for every dwelling on their property. For example, a 1-acre residential lot that’s zoned for four dwellings per acre can have four dwelling units, plus an affordable rental unit for each of those units.

Permitting officials with each county believe most of their ADUs are used for long-term renting. Honolulu hasn’t allowed new ADUs to be used as vacation rentals for the past seven years, and Maui for the past four, though some older ADUs on Maui may be legal vacation rentals. McLean doesn’t know how many fall into that category, but the county had only issued 338 permits for vacation rentals as of early April and not all the permits are for ADUs. Kaua‘i County says 28 ADUs located in the island’s visitor destination areas – places where short-term rentals are allowed – can be used as legal vacation rentals. Hawai‘i County allows ADUs to be used as vacation rentals in certain areas as well, but Zendo Kern, Hawai‘i County planning director, says he’s unsure how many are used that way.

In Demand

waii, says the local building industry has seen a lot of interest in ADUs among homeowners. DR Horton offers ADUs for some of its Ho‘opili homes, and some builders now include ADU designs and services in their standard offerings.

HK Construction offers three ADU packages between 700 and 799 square feet. VP Alan Twu says the designs, which are often modified to fit homeowners’ lots and requirements, have helped clients see what’s possible.

Homeworks Construction’s Hickox says a large part of his business before 2015 focused on multifamily homes, in which two families share a central kitchen but have their own living rooms and bedrooms. The ADU law met the high demand for that combination of independent but close-by living, he says.

And he points to a trend he noticed early on: Homeowners would often move into their newly built ADU and rent out the main house.

“That happened enough times that I started to notice that OK, A, we must be doing a good job that they like the ADU, it looks great, and, B, hey, that kind of makes sense,” he says. “That’s kind of the opposite situation where it just shows how diverse and how helpful this law that came into effect is. … The ultimate goal is creating more affordable homes, more affordable rentals across the island.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Accessory dwelling units are sometimes called granny flats, ‘ohana units, guest cottages and in-law suites. But county rules distinguish between ADUs and other types of secondary dwellings.

Accessory dwelling unit/

additional dwelling unit: A secondary residential unit attached to the main house or detached, with its own kitchen, bedroom and bathroom facilities.

ADUs can be rented to anyone regardless of their relation to the homeowner.

In a March 2022 survey of Honolulu Board of Realtors members, 89% of respondents said ADUs are at least somewhat important to buyers and 92% said an existing ADU raises a property’s value. However, 3% said an ADU lowers property value because it negatively impacts street parking, creates permitting or building code issues, or goes unused.

“Families are doing it just because they want their kids to be able to stay home in Hawai‘i and not leave the island, so it can be positive,” says Chad Takesue, 2022 president of the Honolulu Board of Realtors and a partner with Locations Hawaii. “It just has to be managed well because, as you said, there are other impacts when you add density to any neighborhood.”

Keone Ball, 2022 president of the Realtors Association of Maui, says properties with ADUs are probably the most desirable real estate as the Valley Isle struggles with high prices and a lack of housing. According to the Maui association’s data, 181 properties with ADUs sold in 2020 – about 17% of single-family home sales. In 2021, the number increased to 296 properties with ADUs – about 21% of single-family home sales.

“It allows our local property owners to be part of the housing solutions that Maui needs and provides economic benefit to our local property owners who really carry a significant tax burden in Maui

‘Ohana unit: A secondary dwelling that can only be occupied by family members. Honolulu is the only county that distinguishes between an ADU and an ‘ohana unit. ‘Ohana units must meet the zoning district’s requirements and have two off-street parking stalls.

There is no maximum ‘ohana unit size. O‘ahu ‘ohana units permitted

before Sept. 10, 1992, do not have a family occupancy requirement.

Guest house: A second unit on a property that is less than 500 square feet and generally does not have kitchen facilities. Honolulu, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i counties regulate them. Kaua‘i is the only county that allows kitchens in its guest houses.

Daryl Takamiya, 2022 president of the Building Industry Association of HaH AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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County,” says Jason Economou, the association’s government affairs director.

Building Challenges

The push to add ADUs across the state has been met with challenges, and some of the county officials and builders Hawaii Business spoke with acknowledge that more could be done to increase production.

When the 2015 Honolulu law was being discussed, it was estimated that 20,000 ADUs could eventually be built. As of today, 1,322 ADU permits have been issued but only 852 have been built.

“There’s a reason people aren’t building,” says Honolulu planning and permitting director Dean Uchida. Many single-family homes in urban Honolulu were built years ago when old building codes were in place. Those properties and their neighborhoods aren’t up to today’s standards to have an ADU. For example, the homes must be on streets that are at least 20 feet wide and have at least 13.5 feet of vertical clearance to allow fire trucks in.

Otherwise, a single-family home or ADU must receive a variance from the fire chief and have a fire sprinkler system, which is costly, BIA Hawaii’s Takamiya says.

Another challenge on all islands is sewer capacity. Kern says most of Hawai‘i Island’s rural areas and some urban ones don’t have sewer systems. The state Department of Health only allows one individual wastewater system, such as septic, on a 10,000-square-foot lot. And an individual system maxes out at five bedrooms. That means a house and ADU that exceeds those limits needs to be served by two septic systems if they are located on a lot of at least 20,000 square feet. Otherwise, they need to be served by a sewer system.

Takamiya, who is also senior project engineer of Castle & Cooke Homes, says

for developers, ADUs count against the number of housing units they can connect to sewer, water and electrical infrastructure because ADUs are counted like a regular house, despite their smaller size.

“So if you’re a developer and you’re doing a master planned community, like Ho‘opili, you have to decide: Is it worth building these ADUs if it’s like I’m building another unit, like another condo or another house,” he says, adding that Castle & Cooke does not plan to provide ADUs in its Koa Ridge development.

Caldwell, who served as Honolulu’s

housing across the island and projects come in and you find out you have no sewer capacity,” he says. “So if we can identify areas where you have capacity, chances are developers will be very available to start putting up some affordable housing.”

Ultimately, it’s up to the individual homeowner whether to add an ADU – and for some the cost may be too great.

Adam Roversi, Kaua‘i County Housing Agency director, says he hears that construction costs are $330 per square foot at their lowest, so an 800-square-foot ARU would cost at least $264,000. At allowed rental rates, it might take more than 10 years for homeowners to pay off the construction costs.

Homeowners might also have to dig up landscaping, create trenches or otherwise alter their properties to qualify for ADUs, Takamiya adds.

O‘ahu and Kaua‘i have tried to incentivize the construction of ADUs by waiving building permit, sewer and other fees, which can save homeowners thousands of dollars.

Kaua‘i County’s Affordable ARU program only applies to additional rental units whose rents do not exceed the maximum housing cost based on 90% of Kaua‘i’s median household income.

That means the owner of a three-bedroom ARU can only charge $2,107 a month if the owner pays all utilities. If the tenant pays any utilities, the rent is capped at $1,826.

The program began accepting applications in 2021 and 16 applicants have been approved, though construction has yet to be completed on any of the projects. Roversi thinks one reason why so few homeowners have participated is because the required allowable rents won’t cover a homeowner’s construction costs.

“The square footage cost is just too much,” he says. “You got to take out too

“Families are doing it just because they want their kids to be able to stay home in Hawai‘i and not leave the island, so it can be positive.”

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C H A D TA K E S U E 2022 president, Honolulu Board of Realtors

mayor from 2013 to 2021, says lack of sewer capacity was a major reason why some ADU applications were initially denied in Windward O‘ahu. Capacity grew once the city completed its $375 million gravity sewer tunnel between Kāne‘ohe and Kailua in 2018, and applicants whose permits were originally denied were encouraged to reapply.

Uchida says his department is working with the county Department of Environmental Services to identify areas on O‘ahu where existing sewer capacity can serve new housing units.

“We avoid what happened with the ADUs where we said we want affordable

much of a loan that you can’t afford to rent it at those reduced rates.”

ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS ACROSS THE STATE

Impact of Community Rules Restrictive covenants that govern some residential neighborhoods also prohibit homeowners from building ADUs even if their properties qualify under their county’s zoning rules and there’s sufficient infrastructure.

Uchida says that’s true for some of O‘ahu’s master-planned communities because they generally want to maintain the character of their single-family neighborhoods. That’s why there are many ADUs in Honolulu, Pearl City and Waipahu, but not in Mililani and other areas.

The Mililani Town Association covers about 15,800 single-family homes and townhouses. According to its covenants, only one residence is allowed per lot. However, a guest suite or similar facility without a kitchen can be attached to the main house.

The Villages of Kapolei Association, which includes about 3,000 single-family homes, plus several apartment and condo complexes, has similar rules. GM Laurence Sussman says the association is not against ADUs, but the community’s single-family lots were not designed for two dwellings. Homeowners can build extensions, but they must connect to the rest of the house.

“It has to be contiguous with the house and has to follow the design plans,” he says. “Now if they have a door that goes from the living room to the next room and then a door that goes to the outside, that would be up to our design review committee to make those decisions.”

Typically, the counties have not interfered with private covenants that restrict ADUs, but the Kaua‘i County Council in March unanimously passed a bill that bans new developments from prohibiting ADUs and ARUs in their covenants. The county’s mayor signed it into law March 15. The law does not affect existing covenants.

Kaua‘i Councilmember Luke Evslin co-introduced the bill after hearing concerns from constituents. Neither he nor officials at the planning department know exactly how many Kaua‘i neigh-

Here’s how many ADUs exist in each county:

4,051 Hawai‘i

1,392* Maui

852

O‘ahu

1,442** Kaua‘i

Total

Key:

= 100 ADUs

7,737

*Maui data is from 1994 to 2021. An unknown number of ADUs were built between 1982 and 1994. **24 of Kaua‘i’s total are additional rental units, a type of ADU that’s specifically used as a long-term rental.

Note: Numbers are as of March 31, 2022.

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ADUs ON THE RISE NATIONWIDE Homes with ADUs made up 4.2% of the U.S. homes sold on multiple listing service boards in 2019 – that’s about 70,000 homes.

In 2000, only 1.1% of homes sold on MLS boards, or fewer than 9,000, had ADUs. SOURCE : “Granny Flats, Garage

Apartments, In-Law Suites: Identifying Accessory Dwelling Units from Real Estate Listing Descriptions Using Text Mining,” Freddie Mac, July 2020

borhoods prohibit ADUs, but they say it’s a problem.

“It’s really the units that have not been built because of it or the people who cannot buy into a neighborhood because they can’t partition the house and make a rental unit,” Evslin says of the covenants’ impacts.

He adds: “It’s just recognition that we can only do so much through zoning if the covenants are just going to take the place of zoning and become just as restrictive as they used to be.”

Key Partial Solution Evslin purchased his first home before he began serving on the Kaua‘i County Council in 2019: a two-story house in Līhu‘e with an existing illegal rental downstairs. Kaua‘i’s 2018 additional rental unit law turned that illegal rental into a legal one.

“Now I’m a proud homeowner with the downstairs half of my house rented to a tenant,” he says. “And I think often it’s the only way that, for the most part, everybody but high-income earners on Kaua‘i could afford a house is to be able to partition it and add a rental unit.”

Many of the officials and stakeholders we spoke with agree that ADUs are not the cure-all to Hawai‘i’s housing crisis but will play an important role.

Gavin Thornton is executive director of the Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law 106

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and Economic Justice, a Honolulu-based nonprofit that strongly supported the 2015 ADU bill. He says the organization used to believe that ADUs represented an opportunity to create affordable housing without government subsidies but has since shifted its advocacy to publicly funded affordable housing.

He says market-driven solutions like ADUs are not enough, based on income levels and the scale of affordable homes needed.

The Hawai‘i Housing and Finance Development Corp.’s latest Housing Planning Study, issued in 2019, found that the Islands will need about 50,000 more housing units between 2020 and 2025. A little more than 19,000 of those units would be for people at or below 60% of area median income – that’s $72,480 a year for a family of four in Honolulu.

The various county officials also recognize that Hawai‘i’s housing shortage is pushing some people to live in housing that’s not permitted or not meant for long-term dwelling. McLean says she believes there are still a number of unpermitted ADUs in Maui County, where homeowners have converted bedrooms or garages without permits.

The county’s 2018 ADU law increased the maximum ADU size and allowed more ADUs on larger lots. McLean says the bill sought to broaden the opportunities for people to build ADUs and also help legitimize the ones that don’t have permits.

Guest houses are another type of secondary unit: They are smaller than 500 square feet and generally don’t have kitchens. To provide another affordable housing option, in 2019 Kaua‘i began allowing guest houses to have kitchens. In addition, Hull, the Kaua‘i County Planning Department director, says that most guest houses his department saw before 2019 already had illegal kitchens.

“If there are black markets for homes, that means there are actual government regulations that prevent that supply from meeting its market,” Hull says. “And so when we were looking at the guest house situation, it was like they’re already living in it, they’re using a kitchen, technically it’s our own regulations that make that an illegal dwell-

ing unit, so let’s normalize that ability to utilize guest houses for habitable purposes because they’re already being used for that.”

More ADUs Needed Other efforts are in the works to build more ADUs. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is preparing to launch a five-year pilot program to allow lessees on certain residential homestead lots to build ADUs. These units can be rented to lessees’ family members or to a renter with at least 50% Hawaiian blood.

Cedric Duarte, information and community relations officer for DHHL, says this is in response to a handful of requests from beneficiaries who wanted to build ADUs after Honolulu passed its 2015 law.

And Hawai‘i County is updating its zoning code to clarify its ADU rules and encourage their construction. Hawai‘i County saw its ADU production peak in 1991, a year when 581 units were built.

Planning director Kern says he’s not sure what explains that jump, but ADU production has significantly decreased since. Between 1996 and 2008, only six to 20 were built per year. And from 2008 to 2020, only four to nine units were built per year.

“Even though we’re in a housing crisis right now, we haven’t seen a big uptick in ‘ohana units here,” Kern says.

Today, most of the county’s ADUs are in Puna, North Kona and South Hilo.

On Kaua‘i, Evslin says he’s focused on making it easier for residents to build ADUs and additional rental units so more housing can be unlocked in existing communities. In recent years, he’s co-introduced a package of bills that make up the county’s Affordable ARU program; some of the bills’ initiatives are partly based on his experience of paying expensive fees for his own additional rental unit.

“So much of the solution, I think, can be built in a way that doesn’t really transform what our communities look and feel like, but they can be a way to ensure that the people who live in our communities are not displaced by high housing costs,” he says.

WANT TO BUY YOUR FIRST HOME? IT’S HARD BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Here’s how you can make it happen on O‘ahu, even without a big loan from your family. Many of the financing options and resources are available statewide.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

BY JA N IS M AG IN M EIER D IER CK S

Condo construction in the Ala Moana neighborhood on O‘ahu.

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IT SEEMS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOW TO BUY YOUR FIRST HOUSE OR CONDOMINIUM ON O‘AHU.

her 541-square-foot unit for $294,000 with 10% down and a mortgage from First Hawaiian Bank at 2.75% last fall, before interest rates rose this year.

She was also fortunate that both of her parents, George and Chikako Lobley, are Realtors who advised her through the process. Lobley says it’s important to find a Realtor who’s passionate about working with first-time homebuyers.

“My best piece of advice for firsttime homebuyers, Millennials, is definitely partner or find your sources who can give you all the information on affordable housing available in the market,” says Lobley. “It’s really worthwhile keeping an eye on the market because some affordable projects are great. I feel like I’ve been very lucky with this place.”

HIS FAVORITE GROUP

HOMES ARE SELLING AS FAST AS THEY ARE LISTED, prices have increased by

20% over the past year for single-family homes and by 12% for condos and, mortgage rates are rising. From early January through April, those rates rose faster than at any time in the past 35 years.

But local real estate experts point to some entryways: New condominiums being built in Kaka‘ako and the Ala Moana area are geared toward first-time buyers, as are single-family homes and townhomes in Central and West O‘ahu. And if you don’t have help from parents or other family members, financing options are available to help a first-timer get a mortgage with less than a 20% down payment – a big hurdle for most people.

And professionals can guide novices through the process, from pulling that first credit report to signing for a mortgage and closing the deal.

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FIRST-TIME JOURNEY

Two years after choosing a studio unit in a new condominium tower called The Central Ala Moana, first-time homebuyer Sami Lobley got the keys to her brandnew condo in November and has settled in with her dog, a shiba inu named Nami.

Lobley, 30, took advantage of the affordable units that developer SamKoo offered at The Central for buyers earning 80% to 140% of Honolulu’s area median income. Her road to homeownership began by submitting an application in 2019, which was then selected in a lottery, and getting prequalified for a mortgage by her bank.

While the building was under construction, she tightened her spending – the Covid-19 pandemic actually helped – and shopped for a favorable rate on a mortgage and was fortunate to close on

Realtor Abe Lee, owner and broker in charge of Century 21 iProperties, which was the exclusive broker on The Central, says first-time homebuyers are his favorite group to work with because they need the most help.

“I would rather have 10 people at $300,000 and make commissions on $3 million in sales than one person who did a $3 million deal,” he says.

Lee says he refers many of his firsttime clients to the Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center, a nonprofit that supports first-time homebuyers statewide and educates them about the homebuying process and how their credit scores can determine what and where they can buy. Lobley and other buyers at The Central and other affordable projects were also offered classes and support from HHOC. Lee recalls one client who went through the HHOC process and bought a condo in Whitmore Village near Wahiawā for $220,000.

“He was the first in his family to buy a condo or a house. Everybody else was renting all their lives,” Lee says.

He has had numerous successes with first-time buyers; some were helped with down payments from family so they could qualify for a higher price. But he also worked with clients who were repeatedly outbid on homes in their price range.

PHOTOS: SHEPHERD’S PHOTO COURTESY OF HOMEBRIDGE; MIYAMOTO’S PHOTO COURTESY OF HAWAI‘I HOMEOWNERSHIP CENTER

START THE CONVERSATION

Keri Shepherd, Honolulu area manager with the mortgage firm Homebridge, says she sees a lot of people who say they’re waiting for the perfect time to buy. But just like everything else in life, there’s no perfect time to buy a home.

She encourages people to start the conversation with a lender about qualifying for a mortgage and even have them pull what is called a soft credit report to get an idea of where they stand. Some people learn they need to wait, but others learn they’re in a better position than they thought, she says.

“Some people are surprised at how much they can actually qualify for,” she says.

However, Shepherd cautions that using an app such as Credit Karma won’t give prospective homebuyers an accurate picture of their credit.

“Credit Karma is not a good gauge for mortgage readiness,” she says.

“They use a different credit-scoring engine than we do, they use a different model, they don’t take into consideration the same things that we do.”

Because of that, clients may be lulled into believing their credit scores are higher than they actually are when they apply for mortgages.

“It’s having a real conversation with somebody that can actually help you and allowing them to pull your credit because that’s the credit that we’re going to look at,” Shepherd says.

“Don’t be afraid to have your credit pulled. It’s a necessary part of the homebuying process, and one credit pull here or there is not going to negatively affect your credit where you can’t buy something.”

KNOWLEDGE IS CRUCIAL

The Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center is another good place to start when thinking about buying your first home. The organization charges a lifetime membership fee of $60 per household – the Honolulu Board of Realtors currently covers $50 of that for anyone who comes to HHOC through a referral – and provides Zoom classes, workshops and coaching for peo-

Keri Shepherd

Reina Miyamoto

ple who want to become homeowners.

The organization likes to say homeownership can be achieved one homebrewed cup of coffee at a time. Most people who seek help don’t come with an accurate picture of their finances, says Executive Director Reina Miyamoto.

“The majority of people don’t have a real budget in terms of actually analyzing their expenses. We call it a spending plan,” Miyamoto says. “Debt is also an impacting factor, whether it’s credit card debt, student loans, car loans. A lot of folks don’t understand how their monthly debt payments impact how much they can buy and what the lender will calculate as an affordable or qualified monthly payment for them based on their gross income and debt payments.”

That knowledge helps buyers work to pay down debt and make and stick to a budget – including small things that add up like making coffee at home instead of buying a daily latte or bringing a homemade lunch to work. That helps them build savings for a down payment and qualify for a loan.

OTHER HELP FOR BUYERS

$91,500 That’s the area median income for a single person in Honolulu in 2022 as set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The overall AMI for the City & County of Honolulu is $113,300, but that is adjusted for household size for the purposes of setting income qualifications for affordable rents and home prices.

Low income is considered to be below 80% AMI. That would be under $73,200 a year for a single person and under $104,480 for a family of four.

Go to tinyurl.com/HUDIncomeHI to see AMI data for each county.

Source: Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corp.

Clients also learn about buyer assistance programs, for example, loan products that allow for lower or zero down payments; VA loans for veterans; and U.S. Department of Agriculture loans that can finance 100% of a purchase for qualified buyers in eligible rural areas.

“Knowing that there’s assistance available can help out too, in terms of cobbling together what might be available,” Miyamoto says.

Prospective buyers can also learn about affordable housing programs and what’s involved, such as the mortgage credit certificate program, which allows a buyer to purchase an existing home by reducing the amount of federal income tax they pay, or affordable units offered in new construction projects such as The Central Ala Moana.

Both of those programs have time restrictions: At The Central Ala Moana, for example, Lobley would have to share any appreciation in her unit if she were to sell before the end of the 10-year period specified under the state law known as Hawai‘i Revised Statutes 201H.

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YES, BUYING CAN BE SCARY

Anina Quaranto, a Realtor with Locations who works with many first-time homebuyers and was a member of the brokerage team for Ke Kilohana, The Howard Hughes Corp.’s first reserved housing tower at Ward Village, acknowledges that buying a first home is unnerving.

“Regardless of the current market that we’re in right now – the escalating interest rates, world events – so many factors play into it, but regardless, the experience of a first-time homebuyer is always going to be scary.”

The numbers alone can generate anxiety: The median price for single-family homes now tops $1 million and for condos is above $500,000; the average rate on 30-year mortgages went from historic lows in 2021 to over 5% – much of that increase from January to April this year, marking the fastest increase since 1987.

But that also means that half of all homes and condos sold for less than those prices. Quaranto likens this year’s situation to 2018, when interest rates were also 4% to 5%.

“Back in 2018, a lot of my first-time homebuyers did get into the market at that time, too,” she says. “Now, when I

Anina Quaranto

Holden Lau

show them graphs of when interest rates were like 17% and 18%, then they understand that 4%, 5%, maybe even 6%, that’s still a really competitive rate.”

Quaranto advises her clients not to focus so much on the interest rate, but rather on what kind of monthly payment they are comfortable with.

“From there, we can work backward and see locations, price points, loan products that are going to work best, provide them all the information necessary so that they can then make a comfortable and confident decision, whether they decide to buy, they decide to wait or we decide to try new projects,” she says.

Holden Lau is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty and a member of the brokerage team for The Park on Ke‘eaumoku, which will have 972 units in two 44-story towers, including about 137 affordable units. He says interest rates are making it more difficult for first-time buyers to find a new home.

“The difficulty with being a first-time homebuyer is interest rates,” he says.

“They’re really sensitive to interest rates.”

Every increase in interest rates means a reduction in buying power for some of those buyers.

“If you were looking in the $500,000s six months ago, you’re certainly looking at the $400,000s now, if not high $300,000s,” he says.

That means buyers may have to shift their sights from a 20-year-old condo

WHAT IS CONSIDERED “AFFORDABLE HOUSING”?

The term affordable housing may conjure images of public housing projects for some, but the fact is that many professionals in Hawai‘i, including teachers, police officers and Downtown office workers, qualify for affordable housing based on their incomes.

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Housing for people with moderate incomes is also sometimes called workforce or reserved housing.

Honolulu’s area median family income is $113,300 in 2022, according to the Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corp., which administers the state’s affordable housing

programs for all four counties. Go to tinyurl.com/HUDIncomeHI to see AMI data for each county.

Honolulu’s 100% AMI for a single person is $91,500, $104,500 for a couple and $130,600 for a family of four.

PHOTOS: QUARANTO’S PHOTO COURTESY OF LOCATIONS; LAU’S PHOTO COURTESY OF COLDWELL BANKER REALTY

Other buildings, such as those developed in Kaka‘ako under Hawaii Community Development Authority rules, have shorter buyback periods.

from $600,000 to $800,000, were also first-time homebuyers; their average age was 37.

He adds that even some single-family homes priced above $1 million went to first-time buyers.

The Koa Ridge homes are taking about five months to build, so buyers can get into a new home much faster than into a condo tower, which takes at least two years to build.

GO WEST FOR NEW HOMES Waiting that long can affect affordability if interest rates rise, but Lee says Almost all first-timers who want a townit’s still worth it to buy your first home. home or single-family home must head “I’ve been saying this for the last to Central and West O‘ahu, where thou40, 50 years,” Lee says. “If you have a sands of new homes are being built, indecent job, you’re not afraid that you’re cluding Ho‘opili by D.R. Horton’s Schulgoing to lose your job, and you can make er Division, Gentry Homes subdivisions the monthly payments then you should in ‘Ewa Beach and soon in Kalaeloa, and buy. … I tell them if you can afford it, Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i’s Koa Ridge. better start moving.”

Koa Ridge will have 3,500 homes Lobley says she feels privispread over 576 acres from Waipi‘o to leged and blessed to have been able Mililani at full buildout. Most of the to buy her first home. first-time homebuyers there Her advice to friends and have purchased affordable others is to get their budtownhome units in the projgets together and start ect’s Malina section, priced saving money. between $380,000 and “Don’t be extrav$580,000. agant when you’re in But Garret Matsunathe whole homebuying mi, VP of residential opprocess,” she says. “If erations at Castle & Cooke your ultimate goal is to Hawai‘i, says about 45% of own a property here, start the buyers at Walea, a marmaking changes now in ket-priced townhome neighyour finances.” borhood where prices ranged Garret Matsunami

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CASTLE & COOKE HAWAI‘I; ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES

in Kaka‘ako to a 50-year-old building in Makiki or Mō‘ili‘ili.

Lau says he’s seen little interest from first-timers in the Ke‘eaumoku project’s market-priced units because a 20% down payment is required for those units, but he says the 137 units that will be offered as affordable are geared to first-time buyers.

So, for a project that targets people making 80% to 140% of the AMI, the income range for a:

SINGLE IS $73,200 TO $128,100.

COUPLE IS $83,600 TO $146,300.

FAMILY OF THREE IS $94,080 TO $164,640.

FAMILY OF FOUR IS $104,480 TO $182,840.

LEARN MORE Resources for first-time homebuyers and details about affordable housing can be found here:

HAWAI‘I HOMEOWNERSHIP CENTER: hihomeownership.org HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY RESERVED HOUSING: tinyurl.com/HCDArules HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT CORP.: dbedt.hawaii.gov/hhfdc LOCATIONS FAQ ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING: tinyurl.com/2p98cstj

Some of the recent projects built for that segment include Ke Kilohana at Ward Village, Kapiolani Residence and The Central Ala Moana on Kapi‘olani Boulevard. New projects that have units aimed at such buyers include The Park on Ke‘eaumoku and Ulana Ward Village and Ililani in Kaka‘ako.

One thing prospective buyers should know about affordable homes is that they carry restrictions on resales, often called a buyback or shared equity, that come with the unit in exchange for the discounted price upfront. The time period can vary, depending on which program’s rules the developer is using, but most, such as for The Central and Koa Ridge, are 10 years.

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P E REMPI TT. D

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R E G U L AT I N G

C O N S T R U C T I O N

Hawai‘i’s Building Permit Delays Top the Nation, Study Shows A report by UH economists says building regulations here are the most onerous in the U.S., just as our home prices are the highest.

BY JAN IS M AGIN MEIERDIERCKS

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KELSEY IGE

A

RECENT PUBLICATION BY HAWAI‘I economists found the state

to be the most heavily regulated in the nation when it comes to homebuilding and that the average delay in issuing building permits is three times longer than the sample average.

The brief by UHERO, the UH Economic Research Organization, comes as no surprise to members of Hawai‘i’s real estate, development and construction communities – or anyone who has tried to build an addition or a new house only to encounter layers of state and county regulations and long permit delays.

“Any way you slice it, Hawai‘i’s regulatory environment is much more restrictive than the average area, the average community, across the country,” UHERO Executive Director Carl Bonham says in a video on the UHERO website.

UHERO assessed Hawai‘i’s four main counties using the tools of the Wharton Residential Land Use Regulatory Index, which surveys public officials to measure the stringency of local homebuilding regulations. The Wharton index included the City and County of Honolulu in its national index until 2018.

When UHERO factors in local data, Hawai‘i is far higher on the Wharton index than New Jersey, the state with the next most stringent regulations.

Meanwhile, the median single-family home price of more than $1 million in three of the four counties also makes

Hawai‘i the state with the highest median home value.

Hawai‘i County has the biggest regulatory burden among all counties measured nationwide, followed by four California counties; Maui County is No. 6, Kaua‘i 9 and Honolulu 11.

LAYERS OF REGULATIONS

Bonham notes that while the data shows a correlation between regulations and high home prices, it doesn’t prove that regulations caused the high prices.

However, Bonham adds: “At the national level, researchers have concluded that there is a causal relationship and that’s driving higher home prices in places that have very extensive restrictive regulations.” UHERO says it plans further research into how Hawai‘i’s regulations and prices are connected.

UHERO notes that developers of multifamily properties, from affordable rental apartments to high-end condominium towers, must seek special permission from regulatory agencies such as county planning and permitting departments and the Hawai‘i Housing Finance & Development Corp. – and, in some areas of O‘ahu, the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority or the Honolulu City Council – a process that can be extremely complicated.

“Regulation can be counterproductive if it places a large burden on developers,” UHERO says in the brief. “While we might prefer developers to provide

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large units with generous amenities at low prices, requiring developers to meet overly rigid guidelines will result in many projects failing to go forward at all.”

permits for one- and two-family homes on O‘ahu to be issued within 60 days.

A LOT OF POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT

A bill in this year’s Legislature that is backed by the statewide Hawai‘i Realtors association aims to start tackling the problem by creating a statewide working group, including members of the regulatory agencies, to increase coordination on housing and zoning issues, and would require the counties to submit a biennial report on efforts to remove regulatory barriers to building housing.

House Bill 1837, dubbed “Yes in My Back Yard” or YIMBY, was passed by the state Legislature in May and pending the governor’s approval at the time the magazine went to press. The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting submitted written testimony to the state Senate Ways and Means Committee last month opposing the bill and defending the city’s right to impose its own regulations.

Bonham offers several options to reduce permit delays, such as “setting targets for how long it will take to get a permit through the process and implementing new rules that make it less onerous to get approval for something that doesn’t require a variance.”

“Think about a standard building, say a low-rise building going to be targeted at median-income households or below, so it’s going to have an affordable housing component,” he says. “Make it so that it simply is approved, it doesn’t have to go through months and months and months of regulatory process.”

New regulations are still being created. Two years ago, the Honolulu City Council passed Bill 25, which created regulations for energy conservation for residential and commercial buildings. Among the new requirements: at least 25% of all parking stalls in new multifamily buildings be “electric vehicle charger ready,” with exceptions for low-income housing.

Regulations on the treatment of stormwater have already increased infrastructure costs for new construction projects. And the City and County of Honolulu is creating a new stormwater utility, which will levy a fee on every property on O‘ahu.

UHERO found that for nine of a dozen subindexes in the Wharton index, the state average level of regulation is more onerous than in the average American community. UHERO says Hawai‘i ranks poorly in the three areas deemed most statistically important: court involvement, state and local political involvement, and local political pressure.

Hawai‘i has seven times the affordable housing requirements for new construction than the national average. And developers of affordable rentals face some of the most restrictive regulations of all just to secure enough financing through tax credits and other sources such as the state’s rental housing revolving fund.

“Many jurisdictions in the U.S. have no affordable housing regulations at all, but even compared to highly regulated markets, Hawai‘i counties stand out for pervasiveness of affordable housing requirements,” UHERO says in the brief.

“Affordable housing requirements reduce the revenue generated by new projects, reducing the incentive to produce new housing.”

Permit delays also stand out. Hawai‘i homebuilders wait three times longer for permits, on average, than those in other states, which drives up costs significantly, creating uncertainty and serving as a disincentive to build new projects, says the UHERO brief.

“Even when you look at the most regulated markets in the country, Hawai‘i’s permit delays are almost two times longer,” Bonham says. “We’re talking about between a year and a year and a half between applying for a permit and getting approval.”

Long delays for permits have gone on for decades, and efforts to streamline services in recent years haven’t resulted in meaningful improvements. Those efforts include third-party review of permits, allowing contractors and homeowners to route their own residential permit applications through Honolulu agencies for approvals and a 2018 law that requires

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YIMBY LEGISLATION

“Even when you look at the most regulated markets in the country, Hawai‘i’s permit delays are almost two times longer.”

— Carl Bonham, executive director, UHERO

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2O22

Kukulu Hale AWARDS

RECOGNIZING E XCELLENCE IN HAWAI ‘ I ’ S COMMERCIAL RE AL ES TAT E INDU S TRY

For 25 Years

Congratulations to all the Kukulu Hale Awards Participants!

Together, We Build Community.

TH E VI L L AGE AT KOA R I D G E

Castle & Cooke is proud to be among the distinguished companies honored at this year’s Kukulu Hale Awards.

Individually, we build homes, schools, shopping centers, and more. Together, we build community— Investing in Hawai‘i.

Creating Communities.

Delivering Dreams.

places where people come together to live, learn, work, play, and share experiences.

WWW.KOARIDGE.COM

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Table of Contents

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NAIOP HAWAII’S 25 TH ANNUAL

Kukulu Hale

AWAR D S

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Kukulu Hale Award Sponsors

For the past 25 years, NAIOP Hawaii has celebrated excellence in Hawai‘i’s commercial real estate industry.

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Developer of the Year

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Outstanding Service Award

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Lifetime Achievement Award

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Kukulu Hale Award Winners

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Brokerage Firm of the Year

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NAIOP Hawaii Chapter Awards

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Distinguished Entries

Our annual Kukulu Hale Awards recognize individuals and organizations that, through their projects and professional achievements, have contributed to Hawai‘i’s economic growth and enriched our community.

We invite you to read about this year’s awardees and distinguished entries in the following pages. Special honorees include Castle & Cooke Hawaii, Developer of the Year; Joseph Farrell FAIA, Lifetime Achievement; Kevin Carney, Outstanding Service Award; and Commercial Asset Advisors, Brokerage Firm of the Year.

On behalf of our board of directors and the NAIOP Hawaii’s 180plus members, I extend deepest gratitude to our Kukulu Hale sponsors, jurors and committee members. Their generous support makes this year’s program possible. Mahalo!

J EN N I FER CAM P, AIA

2022 President, NAIOP Hawaii

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Corporate Sponsors 2022 Board of Directors

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2O22 Kukulu Hale Jurors

Photo, from left: Reyn Tanaka, Todd Apo, Tammie Oka, Serge Krivatsy, Lisa Ayabe, Chris Hong

Todd Apo

Chris Hong, AIA

Tammie Oka

Vice President, Community Partnerships & Public Affairs, Hawai‘i Community Foundation

Principal, EH Architecture

Proposal Lead, Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

Lisa Ayabe Partner, Cades Schutte

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Jennifer Camp and Catherine Camp, Co-Chairs

2022 KUKULU HALE AWARDS

Serge Krivatsy Director, Planning & Development Commercial Real Estate Division, Kamehameha Schools

Hilarie Alomar Liana Dietz Haunani Fujimoto Larry Heim

Mike Imanaka Glen Kaneshige Courtney Kim Bryan Li

Reyn Tanaka Asset Manager, WKF, Inc.

Mele Pochereva Barbie Rosario Sunny Rosario Christine Sanpei

Leighton Yuen

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2O22 Kukulu Hale Awards Sponsors I LI MA S PO N SO RS

MAI LE S PO N SO RS

PI K AKE S PO N SO RS

Old Republic Title & Escrow Title Guaranty Hawaii

MAHALO TO THIS YEAR’S HONOREES FOR

honorees

BUILDING HOPE AND HOMES.

Kevin Carney Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i

Bank of Hawai‘i congratulates Kukulu Hale Major Award winners, EAH’s Kevin Carney and Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i, for inspiring us all and making a difference in the lives of so many people in our community.

NAIOP HAWAII

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DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR – KU HO‘OKELA AWARD

Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i, Inc.

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fter breaking ground in 2017 and launching the first home sales in July 2020, Castle & Cooke’s 576-acre Koa Ridge development – an innovative, mixed-use community in Central O‘ahu – is visibly coming to life. As of midApril, more than 300 homes in the first four residential neighborhoods have been sold and more than 200 families have moved in. Another 100 homes are expected to go on the market this year.

Filling the demand for light industrial/commercial property, 12 parcels in the 10.7-acre Koa Ridge Business Park sold out and closed within 12 months.

Tenant construction will begin in late 2022/early 2023.

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“We are excited to see the progress and strong demand for Koa Ridge, after years of careful planning with community input,” said Harry Saunders, Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i president. “Home buyers share in the same values we embrace, with a focus on

sustainability and health and wellness.”

Billed as Hawai‘i’s first “surban” community, Koa Ridge is designed as a completely walkable community where the wide, open spaces of suburban living will blend seamlessly with a vibrant urban core. Shopping and dining, healthcare campus and other services, schools, jobs and public amenities all will be within walking distance of each other.

A variety of residential neighborhoods varying in price points and style, offer multi-generational appeal, from starter homes for young professionals to 3- and 4-bedroom single family homes. Approximately 30 percent of the planned 3,500 residential units will

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help fill the need for affordable housing, including affordable rental units for kupuna.

Castle & Cooke estimates it will take another 10 years to complete the build-out of Koa Ridge, with a total cost of about $2.5 billion. Next up for the pipeline is the planning and design of new, mid-rise condominiums that will be offered near the Village Green.

“Castle & Cooke’s local roots and long-term relationships with Hawai‘i contractors, engineers and consultants informed the planning of Koa Ridge and continue to contribute to, and guide our success,” explained Garret Matsunami, vice president, residential operations. “Designed and built by local companies, there currently are more than 400 union workers onsite in various trades plus the additional support from architects, engineers, suppliers and trucking companies that help us bring Koa Ridge to life.”

Components of the Koa Ridge Community Plan Residential (PROGRE S SING IN PHAS E S, WITH 25 0 UNITS C O M P L E T E D) At least 3,500 residential units in

neighborhoods that offer a variety of home styles and price points; 30% of units in the Honolulu City & County’s affordable housing range.

Koa Ridge Business Park ( I N P R O G R E S S) Project is sold out, with 12

parcels (466,000 SF of light industrial/commercial IMX-1 parcels) on 10.7 acres. Infrastructure is completed; tenant construction may start late this year or early 2023.

Commercial ( F U T U R E ) The Village will off er shopping, dining and entertainment options around a large centrally located open-air gathering space for recreation and events. Grocery store, big box retailer, restaurants and financial services are planned for a 30-acre commercial center known as The Gateway at Koa Ridge.

Healthcare Campus ( F U T U R E ) 16-acre campus planned for a “hospital of the future,” a joint venture of a consortium of development partners.

Community Center ( F U T U R E ) Multi-purpose recreation center for Koa Ridge residents.

Parks and School ( F U T U R E ) Anticipated completion of Kalahikiola Park and the Village Green by 2023. The large community park and a planned elementary school to follow.

Ho‘ala Trail Opposite page: Artist’s rendering depicts the Koa Ridge master plan, once completed; above: artist’s vision of the Village Green, the “heart” of Koa Ridge where residents can shop, dine, gather and be entertained; Koa Ridge will offer a variety of home styles and price points, like this detached single-family home in the Nanea neighborhood.

( I N P R O G R E S S) 7.5 miles of pathways for

pedestrians and cyclists is being built alongside each neighborhood as the community is built out, connecting residential neighborhoods, commercial centers, school, parks and other amenities.

NAIOP HAWAII

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OUTSTAN DI NG S ERVICE AWAR D

Kevin Carney, (PB), NAHP-E Vice President, Special Projects, Hawai‘i, EAH Housing ITHIN THE COURSE

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OF A CAREER THAT HAS SPANNED 40

YEARS of Hawai‘i real estate development and management experience, Kevin Carney has dedicated the past 25 years to addressing the state’s affordable housing shortage. In 1997 he joined EAH Housing – one of the largest and most respected nonprofit housing development and management organizations in the western United States – and opened its Hawai‘i office.

Carney has been instrumental in advocating for affordable housing and serving low-income communities. He began with helping to preserve the affordability of two properties (499 units) on O‘ahu, and EAH Housing now manages 2,336 units, 26 properties on the

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islands of Kaua‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu. EAH has three more projects totaling 280 units in their development pipeline which will extend their operations to the Big Island. Carney also has dedicated time working with various advocacy groups to address Hawai‘i’s housing issues and help shape policy. With a deep understanding of the need to work within the systems that exist in the community, his thoughtful demeanor and straight-forward personality bring a voice of reality and reason to the table.

Carney will retire from EAH Housing in 2022. NAIOP Hawaii asked him to share his reflections and insights on his career and Hawai‘i’s affordable housing industry.

How did you become interested in the affordable housing industry?

KC: I had no special calling. I was laid

off by my previous employer, Kemper Real Estate Management, after we transitioned all our leasehold assets back to Kamehameha Schools. I was responding to various potential opportunities, including EAH Housing, and they expressed interest. I knew nothing about affordable rental housing when I started, and I was a one-man office with no one to ask. I spent a great deal of time reading HUD manuals focused on property management and learning about the various financing sources for developing affordable rental housing.

How has Hawai‘i’s affordable housing industry evolved over the last couple of decades?

KC: I should point out that EAH Hous-

ing is a non-profit affordable RENTAL housing developer, manager, and resident services provider. We are not engaged in for-sale housing, and we have never sold one of our properties in our 54-year history. We are experienced and professional, particularly in the

management of our properties. EAH is a strong supporter of professional education for all our staff, which now numbers over 700 in California and Hawai‘i.

We focus on training and professional development. EAH University is a training program focused on our internal compliance and operating systems.

Our industry also has become more competitive with more local and mainland for-profit and non-profit companies getting engaged in primarily developing affordable rental housing specifically at the 60% AMI level and below. Unfortunately, we all compete for the same funding sources, which have not increased in size as they are primarily sources from the federal government and are allocated on a pro-capita basis. Despite this, the need for affordable housing in Hawai‘i continues to be at an all-time high and affordable housing developers have limited resources to address this need.

Which EAH projects stand out as particularly successful or innovative?

KC: There continues to be huge demand

for affordable rental housing serving incomes at 60% AMI and below, allowing our projects to become 100% leased within 90 days or less. As to innovative projects I would list the following: • Ola Ka Ilima Artspace Lofts (84 units located in Kaka‘ako) has a preference for artists and contains 12 Housing First units serving the formerly homeless.

• Nohona Hale (111 units, also in Kaka‘ako) was built on less than 10,000 square feet. The units are referred to as micro-units consisting of 270 square feet plus a 70-square-foot lānai. Nohona also has the first or one of the first vertical PV systems installed on affordable rental housing.

• Hale Na Koa ‘O Hanakahi (92

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units) breaks ground later this year in Hilo. This is a senior project (62 years and up) with a preference for veterans and their surviving spouses. As a veteran myself, I am very excited to see this project moving forward.

• Villages of Moa‘e Ku (192 units in ‘Ewa) built on 15 acres in three phases on land purchased from the City and County of Honolulu.

This 2-story garden style project has a technology lounge, community room, and a full time resident services coordinator.

Do you have a favorite story about an EAH project that has changed a family’s life or a community?

KC: We have changed many families’

lives over our history in California and Hawai‘i. Many years ago, we created an EAH Scholarship Program that provides a 4-year scholarship to graduating high school seniors whose families live in our properties. As a result, we have helped to create college graduates from low- income families that most likely would never have had the opportunity of a college education. I should also point out that EAH pioneered the concept of Computer Learning Centers in our properties in the mid-1990s.

Victoria, a student at California Lutheran University in Southern California and EAH Housing Scholarship Program recipient, has been living with her parents at Kukui Tower, where she grew up in Honolulu. Her dream is to become a songwriter and music producer.

She told us, “I feel very lucky to not just have had a roof over my head, but for the other opportunities, like the EAH scholarship, the computer lab, the park and swimming pool downstairs, and to have friends living only a minute away — all in a safe environment.”

LI FETI M E ACH I EVEM ENT – HO LO PO NO AWAR D

Joseph Farrell, FAIA

J

oseph “Joe” Farrell, FAIA, was a beloved and highly respected architect, in Hawai‘i and beyond, for more than five decades.

HE ARRIVED IN HONOLULU IN 1961, starting as a designer at AHL (then Lemmon, Freeth, Haines, and Jones), and quickly rose to an associate and then to principal of the firm. Although he retired from AHL in 2015, he never truly left the profession. His passing in August 2021 left a void in the design community, but his legacy will long be remembered.

As a young man with an architecture degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Farrell became one of the youngest members of the “Sarasota School of Architecture,” a midcentury modernism group of Sarasota-based architects who worked alongside famed architect Paul Rudolph. Farrell was passionate about architecture, relentless in his pursuit of excellence, and was often described as a visionary – seeing what others didn’t. Over the years he amassed dozens of design awards and recognitions. Among his notable projects are the Honolulu Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse Complex, ASB Tower in Honolulu, Pacific Guardian Center, and the Capitol of the Federated States of Micronesia.

In 2020, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows awarded Farrell the prestigious designation of Design Fellow of AIA (FAIA), describing him as “an internationally recognized Subtropical Modernist, [who] has dedicated 50 years to respectfully designing inspired projects that uniquely combine fostering the preservation of nature, Isle history, and the visionary reformation of open space for community use.”

NAIOP Hawaii is honored to celebrate Joe Farrell’s lifetime of accomplishments with its prestigious Holo Pono Award.

NAIOP HAWAII

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2O22 KUKULU HALE AWARD

Winners

N EW PROJ ECT AWAR D – CO M M ERCIAL /OTH ER OVER 40,000 S F

N EW PROJ ECT AWAR D – CO M M ERCIAL /OTH ER 40,000 S F O R LE S S

Koa‘e Makana

Straub Medical Center – Kapolei Clinic & Urgent Care

Entrant: American Savings Bank Developer/Owner: Mark Development Inc. / Koa‘e Workforce Housing LP Lead Design Firm: Marc Ventura AIA LLC General Contractor: Shioi Construction, Inc. & Goodfellow Bros., Inc.

K

OA‘E MAKANA PROVIDES A MIX of affordable housing opportunities (rentals & homeownership) for Kaua‘i’s workforce. Located along Po‘ipū Road between historic Koloa Town and the newer Kukui‘ula Shopping Village and Po‘ipū resort area, the project was built on an 11.2-acre site owned by the County of Kaua‘i and designated for affordable housing. Koa‘e Makana offers 134 units in 23 garden style, two-story walk-up buildings along with 292 off street parking stalls, a community center building with laundry room, an outdoor recreation and playground area, and gazebos.

JU ROR S ’ S TAT E M E N T : Koa’e Makana was by far the best award submittal. The team succeeded in going above and beyond to provide much-needed affordable housing on Kaua‘i, and they exceeded requirements by providing 33 vouchers for Section 8 housing (below 5% AMI). It also provides 37 renters with a for-purchase option, making affordable ownership a possibility. Thoughtful design, too.

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Entrant: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. Developer/Owner: Hawai‘i Pacific Health Lead Design Firm: AHL General Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.

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TRATEGICALLY LOCATED IN THE TOWN CEN-

TER at Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei, this new health care facility is one of Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s most comprehensive family clinics, offering a variety of services that fill the West O‘ahu community’s need for quality health care. The 16,645 SF buildout of the existing shell space located at The Grove features a decorative, noise-mitigating “green wall,” decorative wood curved ceiling, 35 treatment rooms, offices, conference spaces, waiting rooms, x-ray room, laboratory and a stunning oak and glass rail staircase in the grand entrance.

JURORS ’ S TAT EM ENT : Nordic PCL clearly met its project goals for the new clinic. Great use of virtual design technology to identify constructability issues throughout the project. It was impressive that the team was able to complete construction within five months.

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2O22 KUKULU HALE AWARD

Winners

R ENOVATIO N AWAR D – CO M M ERCIAL /OTH ER OVER 40,000 S F

R ENOVATIO N AWAR D – CO M M ERCIAL /OTH ER 40,000 S F O R LE S S

The Queen Emma

White Sands Hotel

Entrant: Ahe Group, LLC Developer/Owner: Ahe Equity Fund I LLC and MacDonald Ladd Development LLC / Queen Emma Partners LP Lead Design Firm: Design Partners Incorporated General Contractor: Swinerton Builders

Entrant: American Savings Bank Developer/Owner: White Sands Owner LLC / Benjamin Rafter Lead Design Firm: Vanguard Theory General Contractor: Coral Pacific Construction LLC

T

HE QUEEN EMMA, affectionately coined “the

Pimple” building, sat abandoned, a symbol of downtown Honolulu blight. Ahe Group imagined a new future – adaptive reuse of the 1964 offices into affordable rental housing. In 2017 Ahe Group embarked on their effort to entitle, design, finance and construct Queen Emma. Conversion of the building required cutting windows on the mauka masonry wall to create a double loaded corridor, a unique challenge on a zero-lot line. Over 5,000 people applied for the 71 units, and today 125 people call Queen Emma home. The most import result – affordable housing for 61 years.

JU RO R S ’ S TAT E M E N T : Hats off to the team for complet-

ing this difficult renovation with zero laydown space. It was impressive that the team was able to convert the former office building into a new affordable housing apartment. An exceptional award entry because of the successful and creative transformation of the project despite challenges and adversity.

T

HE WHITE SANDS PROJECT WAS DESIGNED

to fully restore the last vintage walkup hotel in Waikīkī. Instead of tearing the site down, ownership – consisting of no private equity and mostly local Hawai‘i investors – embraced the Waikīkī of the jet age by renovating to a 1960s theme and adding back elements of the hotel that would have existed 60 years ago. The result is a refreshing departure from Waikīkī’s hustle, bustle and concrete jungle; a time warp to when Waikīkī’s pace was slow and guests stayed for weeks in a green oasis of trees, foliage and water.

JURORS ’ S TAT EM ENT : The hotel gives a nod to yesteryear and the old Hawai‘i many hospitality developments strive for. The project provided value for the client and its guests and transports us back in time with a refreshing flare. It was impressive that the team was able to incorporate so many sustainable elements, including 350 rooftop solar panels on the project. We also appreciate that a local artist and chef are part of the mix.

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2O22 KUKULU HALE AWARD

Winners

PU B LIC/GOVER N M ENT PROJ ECT AWAR D

PU B LIC/GOVER N M ENT PROJ ECT AWAR D

Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, Hale Kiho‘iho‘i, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

Solomon Elementary School

Entrant: WCIT Architecture, Inc. Developer/Owner: University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Lead Design Firm: WCIT Architecture, Inc. General Contractor: Isemoto Contracting

A

S A VITAL ADDITION TO A GROWING CAMPUS

at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, the new 45,000 SF Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy building represents a significant commitment and investment by the State of Hawai‘i. Continuing the genealogy of generations of Native Hawaiians who have made Hilo a center of healing, the building provides a new foundation for the emerging school (established in 2007) and will be a catalyst for the sustained growth of the health sciences program.

JU ROR S ’ S TAT E M E N T : The 44,969 SF building is an architectural marvel that provides a modern home to Hawai‘i’s only pharmacy college.

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Entrant: Mitsunaga & Associates, Inc. Developer/Owner: State of Hawai‘i – Department of Education Lead Design Firm: Mitsunaga & Associates, Inc. General Contractor: Swinerton Builders

S

OLOMON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’S VISION is to “Inspire and Nurture the Whole Child.”

Located on Schofield Barracks Army base, the existing school was approaching its 50th anniversary, but had become dilapidated and no longer served the needs of its community. The new school provides a new model for learning, with 21st century technological innovation as the centerpiece of its design.

Classrooms offer flexibility for team teaching; learning hubs outside of classrooms as well as outdoor learning areas allow more opportunities for student creativity and innovation; and a covered playcourt supports the school’s physical education curriculum and school gatherings.

JURORS ’ S TAT EM ENT : Completing construction on an active

school campus is a challenge for any project team. It was impressive how the team phased construction by building a new classroom building on the existing play field, then later demolished the existing buildings to construct a new play field. The incorporation of colorful walkways to help provide circulation patterns was also refreshing.

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2O22 KUKULU HALE AWARD

Winners

NO N PRO FIT PROJ ECT AWAR D

G R EEN B U I LDI NG AWAR D

University of Hawai‘i Life Sciences Building

Honouliuli Middle School – Phase 1

Entrants: G70 and Layton Construction Company Developer/Owner: University of Hawai‘i Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Layton Construction Company

Entrant: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. Developer/Owner: State of Hawai‘i, Department of Education Lead Design Firm: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. in collaboration with the Miller Hull Partnership General Contractor: Nan Inc.

T

HE LIFE SCIENCES BUILDING is a new state-of-

the-art facility with flexibility built into the design to allow for the ever-changing needs of research and teaching as technology is constantly making new strides in the fields of life sciences. Previously the Biology, Microbiology, Botany, and Pacific Biosciences Research Center departments were sprinkled around the campus in older, inadequate spaces that prevented departments from receiving grants for further research. Now these departments are housed under one roof to promote interdisciplinary collaboration. This project is on track to receive LEED Silver certification and will have a low lifecycle cost for the university.

JU RO R S ’ S TAT E M E N T : The design team clearly met the owner’s project goals by consolidating previously spread out life sciences departments into one location.

The 76,000 SF building is unique for a science building, as it provides gathering spaces and open plazas for students to gather.

H

ONOULIULI MIDDLE SCHOOL IS LOCATED WITHIN the East Kapolei Master Plan Devel-

opment Project area. The first phase of the school’s construction was completed and occupied in August, 2020. Planning involved a strong community-based design and charrette process. When finished, the school will provide 126,000 SF of educational program area for an enrollment of 1,050. This is the first whole-school project in Hawai‘i to achieve Hawai‘i-Collaborative for High Performance Schools (HICHPS) Verified certification. HI-CHPS schools are high performance learning environments that are healthy, comfortable, conserve energy, water and resources, safe, adaptable and easy to operate and maintain.

JURORS ’ S TAT EM ENT : The project met ASHARE Standard 55 and provided thermal comfort as well as a central commons area. A thoughtful design and creative way of maximizing optimal cross ventilation.

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2O22 KUKULU HALE AWARD

K

G R EEN B U I LDI NG AWAR D

Kohala High School STEM/ Science Facility Entrant: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. Developer/Owner: State of Hawai‘i, Department of Education Lead Design Firm: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. General Contractor: F&H Construction

Winners

OHAL A HIGH SCHOOL SERVES THE RURAL

agricultural communities of North Kohala and Kapa‘au on Hawai‘i Island. The school has a long tradition of integrating agricultural and vocational learning with traditional curricula. Completed in 2019, the STEM/Science complex provides 10,045 SF of new educational program area for the school’s Physical Science, Biochemistry and Natural Resources programs along with two general classrooms for an average enrollment of 300. The project achieved HI-CHPS Verified certification in 2020. HI-CHPS schools are high performance learning environments that are healthy, comfortable, conserve energy, water and resources, safe, adaptable and easy to operate and maintain.

JURORS ’ S TAT EM ENT : The team’s use of mixed-mode ventilation from May through October and November through April was very thoughtful. It was impressive that the team was able to achieve a 45.5% annual energy reduction in comparison to required code compliance. A great sense of place that responds to the community vernacular.

About NAIOP Hawaii AIOP, THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION,

is the leading organization for developers, owners and investors of office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate. NAIOP comprises 20,000+ members and more than 50 chapters and provides strong advocacy, education and business opportunities through a powerful North American network. Its sister organization, the NAIOP Research Foundation, is one of the industry’s leading think tanks dedicated to conducting research assessing the trends, economic viability and needs of the built environment.

The Hawai‘i Chapter of NAIOP was chartered in 1988 and began with only a handful of members. Today, the chapter has more than 180 members, including many of Hawai‘i’s most influential developers, owners, investors, lenders, designers, attorneys, asset managers and other industry leaders. As the recognized forum for current issues that impact commercial real estate in Hawai‘i, NAIOP Hawaii strives to play an active role in our members’ professional development by sharing information on best practices, legislation and the latest developments in the real estate community and by providing numerous opportunities for networking at both the local and national levels.

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CONTAC T U S:

NAIOP Hawaii PO Box 1601 Honolulu HI 96806 Barbie M.W. Rosario, Executive Director barbie@naiophawaii.org www.naiophawaii.org

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B RO KER AG E FI R M O F TH E YEAR

Commercial Asset Advisors team, from left: Kevin Ko, Craig Neher, Jay Elicker, Sean Tadaki, Stacey Sakakihara, David Asakura, Lisa Asakura, Sean Kettley and Sean Do.

Commercial Asset Advisors

F

ounded in 2011 by David Asakura and Sean Tadaki, Commercial Asset Advisors (CAA) celebrated its 10th anniversary last year after having brokered several headline-worthy transactions since mid-2020.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE TWO L AND PURCHASES BY AMAZON: a 14-acre former vehicle storage property in Kalihi Kai and a 49-acre parcel at Campbell Harborside Industrial - sites where the ecommerce giant plans to build a last mile delivery site and distribution center, respectively. The two acquisitions totaled over $200 million. Last November, Jay Elicker, Senior Vice President at CAA, brokered the sale of an undeveloped 123-acre parcel slated for an industrial park within the

Royal Kunia Phase II subdivision. Then in January, David Asakura handled the disposition of the 18-acre, 406-unit Oasis Townhomes in Waipahu.

CAA handles some of the largest and most complex sales and leasing transactions in the state. “We quietly and effectively do our job while maintaining focus on our clients’ needs,” says Sean Tadaki, the firm’s managing partner. Its client list, built through long-standing relationships, reads like a who’s who of local and national

companies across business and government sectors: Kaiser Permanente, Hawaii Dental Service, Commercial Plumbing, Lockheed Martin, McKesson, University of Hawaii, the City and County of Honolulu, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiian Airlines

“

I have the utmost trust in Jay and CAA. They know their business, are extremely hard working, and they have the highest moral standards.”

— Randy Hiraki, Commercial Plumbing, Inc.

and, of course, Amazon, among others.

After running a two-person firm for nearly five years, the co-founders have carefully built a multi-talented brokerage and asset advisory team that now numbers seven brokers, supported by a controller and creative director. Jay Elicker, Sean Do and Kevin Ko make up Industrial Group Hawaii, with a focus on warehouse, logistics, distribution, and industrial land. Sean Kettley and Craig Neher are office and healthcare specialists with a keen knowledge of occupiers for such space.

The lean but highly productive team has shown its advantage in a market that can turn quickly. The nimble nature of the brokerage allows it to quickly assess options and opportunities that best serve its clients.

“We’ve been able to create a unique company culture where we share ideas and look at issues from different angles to find meaningful solutions for our clients. The synergy created by our highly specialized and hard-working team is like no other,” Tadaki says. “Bottom line - our team is made up of genuinely good people who care about our clients and support one another.”

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CHAPTER AWARDS 2021 M EM B ER O F TH E YEAR

Cathy Camp Executive Vice President, Real Estate, Central Pacific Bank For the past two years as chapter president, Cathy led the chapter through challenging times. With her deep industry knowledge and long-standing commitment to NAIOP Hawaii’s mission, she agreed to serving a second term and devoted considerable time to ensure that the organization remained relevant to its members and financially strong throughout the pandemic.

2021 M EM B ER CO M PANY O F TH E YEAR

Honblue consistently shows its true colors as a reliable and enduring partner with NAIOP Hawaii.

Mahalo to the Honblue team and President Larry Heim for always “being there” for our organization – for website support, printing services and support of our chapter events and fundraisers.

2021 D EVELOPI N G LEADER OF THE YEAR

Chris Fong Senior Investment Associate, Tradewind Capital Group Chris is an enthusiastic advocate of NAIOP Hawaii’s Developing Leaders program. His infectious excitement about the program’s benefits and opportunities for young professionals helped boost its membership last year. As the program’s new co-chair for 2022 we look forward to his continued enthusiasm and leadership.

Congratulations to all the 2022 NAIOP Kūkulu Hale Participants & Awardees!

G70.DESIGN

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University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Life Sciences Building

In remembrance Joseph (Joe) Farrell, FAIA a visionary in Hawai‘i modernist architecture

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DISTINGUISHED ENTRIES

‘Aikahi Park Shopping Center – Phase One Entrants: G70 and Alexander & Baldwin Developer/Owner: Alexander & Baldwin Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Maryl Group Construction, Inc.

Ala Moana Hotel by Mantra Entrant: InForm Design Developer/Owner: Association of Apartment Owners of Ala Moana Hotel Condominium Lead Design Firm: InForm Design General Contractor: Layton Construction Company LLC

American Savings Bank, Kalihi Branch Entrant: InForm Design Developer/Owner: American Savings Bank F.S.B. Lead Design Firm: InForm Design General Contractor: Ralph S. Inouye

Andaz Maui, Wailea – Ilikai Villas Entrant: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. and WCIT Architecture, Inc. Developer/Owner: Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Lead Design Firm: WCIT Architecture, Inc. General Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction Inc.

Arluis Wedding Diamond Head Chapel Entrant: G70 Developer/Owner: Good Luck International Corporation, dba Arluis Wedding Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

Azure Ala Moana Entrant: Design Partners Incorporated Developer/Owner: Azure Ala Moana LLC Lead Design Firm: Design Partners Incorporated General Contractor: Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

Central Pacific Bank Main Branch Renovation Entrant: Nordic PCL Construction Inc. Developer/Owner: Central Pacific Bank Lead Design Firm: MGA Architecture General Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction Inc.

First Hawaiian Bank Pearlridge Entrant: WCIT Architecture, Inc Developer/Owner: First Hawaiian Bank Lead Design Firm: WCIT Architecture, Inc. General Contractor: J. Kadowaki, Inc.

Hana Koa Brewing Co. Entrant: InForm Design Developer/Owner: Hana Koa Brewing Co. Lead Design Firm: InForm Design General Contractor: JBA Construction LLC

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DISTINGUISHED ENTRIES

Hawaii Employer’s Mutual Insurance Company (HEMIC) Tower Renovation Entrant: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. Developer/Owner: HEMIC Lead Design Firm: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. General Contractor: J. Kadowaki, Inc.

Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC) Flagship Building Entrant: Alexander & Baldwin Developer/Owner: Alexander & Baldwin Lead Design Firm: Armstrong Design Group General Contractor: Armstrong Builders LLC

Ku‘ono Marketplace at Kahala Entrant: MGA Architecture LLC Developer/Owner: Kamehameha Schools Lead Design Firm: MGA Architecture LLC General Contractor: Allied Builders System

Puna Kai Shopping Center Entrant: American Savings Bank Developer/Owner: Gary L. Pinkston / Willow Plaza LLC Lead Design Firm: Riehm Owensby Planners Architects LLC General Contractor: Meridian Pacific Ltd.

Kama‘oku Kauhale Entrant: Design Partners Incorporated Developer/Owner: HomeAid Hawaii/Hawaii Public Housing Authority Lead Design Firm: Design Partners Incorporated General Contractor: S&G Construction

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NAIOP HAWAII 2O22 CORPORATE SPONSORS PL ATI N U M S PO N SO R S

American Savings Bank Avalon Group Cades Schutte LLP Honblue The Howard Hughes Corporation Imanaka Asato LLLC NAREIT Hawaii Newmark Grubb CBI Inc. Riggs Distributing Settle Meyer Law GO LD S PO N SO R S

A.C. Kobayashi, Inc. Alexander & Baldwin AON Bank of Hawaii BlackSand Capital LLC Central Pacific Bank D.R. Horton Hawaii First Hawaiian Bank Hawaiian Electric Hensel Phelps Construction Co. hi-arch-y llp Kamehameha Schools

NAIOP HAWAII 2O22 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Jennifer Camp President-Elect Serge Krivatsy Vice President Reyn Tanaka Secretary George Leong

Layton Construction Company LLC MGA Architecture RIM Architects SSFM International Unlimited Construction Services, Inc. The Wilhelm Group WRNS Studio

Layton Construction Company LLC MacNaughton MW Group, Ltd. Nordic PCL Construction PRP The RMR Group Swinerton S I LVE R S PO N SO R S

Atlas Insurance Agency Carlsmith Ball LLP Castle & Cooke Hawaii Commercial Asset Advisors Cushman & Wakefield ChaneyBrooks Design Partners, Inc. Goodfellow Bros.

Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel G70 Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company Hawaiiana Management Company Highridge Costa Ikaika an Osmose Company KAI Hawaii, Inc.

Treasurer Tony Mizuno Immediate Past President Cathy Camp Second Past President Bryan Li National Board Representative Todd Apo

B RO NZE S PO N SO R S

Allied Builders System Brookfield Properties Colliers International Hawaii General Contractors Association of Hawaii Island Energy Services James Campbell Company Law Offices of Nancy Grekin Old Republic Title & Escrow Philpotts Interiors Premier Restoration Hawaii R.M. Towill Corporation SamKoo Pacific Title Guaranty of Hawaii, Inc. WATG Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

Directors Lisa Ayabe Daniel Cody Francisco Gutierrez Ken Hayashida Larry Heim Mitchell Imanaka Glen Kaneshige Steve Kelly Scott Settle Jan Yokota Executive Director Barbie Rosario

Legislative Liaison Mike Kido Developing Leaders Co-Chairs Liz Carlson Chris Fong

WEINBERG

Passing the Torch at the Weinberg Foundation When Corbett Kalama retires in December, two co-leaders plan to keep expanding rural funding and stabilizing the real estate portfolio.

PHOTO BY: AARON YOSHINO

BY CY N T H I A W E S S E N D ORF

T

HE NAMES HARRY AND JEANETTE WEINBERG are ubiq-

uitous in the Islands, displayed prominently on buildings of many of the state’s premier nonprofits.

On O‘ahu, that includes the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii in ‘Ewa Beach, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i in Makiki, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i in Mō‘ili‘ili, the Mānoa Heritage Center’s Visitor Educa-

tion Hale and Kupu’s Ho‘okupu Center at Kewalo Basin. These nonprofits and many others have been funded by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

Since Harry Weinberg’s death in 1990, the foundation has given about $365 million to Hawai‘i nonprofits in the form of grants for building projects, programming and operating expenses – the legacy of a self-made billionaire who moved to Hawai‘i in 1968 with his wife, Jeanette.

FOUNDAT ION

Weinberg was born in 1908 in what’s now Ukraine, one of seven children of Jewish parents who immigrated to Baltimore when he was a small child.

He skipped formal education after the sixth grade and went to work, turning a gift for spotting opportunity into a growing fortune.

During the Depression, according to a New York Times obituary, he bought distressed properties in Baltimore and held on to them until the market rebounded. In 1941, he purchased a large tire store that turned a profit when wartime scarcity made tires more valuable.

He began buying and selling shares in transit companies in the late ’40s, including the Honolulu Rail Transit Co. in the mid-’50s, which he eventually sold to the City and County of Honolulu.

Before jet travel, when Hawai‘i had few visitors and real estate buyers, Weinberg was able to snatch up commercial properties for bargain prices, as well as shares in Hawai‘i companies. At shareholder meetings, he pushed aggressively for change, which could rub people the wrong way, especially those in Honolulu’s inner circles.

“I think of him as the original activist investor. He would get on the board and really push the organization to be better managed, more efficient,” says Giorgio Caldarone, who currently manages the foundation’s more than $1 billion real estate portfolio, most of which is located on O‘ahu and Maui. The Hawai‘i portfolio funds about a third of the foundation’s total $130 billion in annual grants, he says.

KALAMA’S ENDURING IMPACT

Despite its largesse, the Weinberg Foundation used to keep a low profile in Hawai‘i, says Caldarone. That changed, he says, when Corbett Kalama joined the Hawai‘i office as VP of real estate investments and community affairs in 2013; he was elevated to executive VP in 2018.

The foundation has offices in both Honolulu and Baltimore, and funds projects in Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, northeastern Pennsylvania and across Hawai‘i. The overall mission is to help people out of poverty.

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FOUNDAT ION

“Corbett was critical in changing the way the office was run. … He worked to improve the overall morale and just bringing people together and blending our operations into one foundation so we’re not duplicating everything,” explains Caldarone.

He knows Kalama from his years working in asset management and planning and development with Kamehameha Schools, where Kalama was a trustee from 2007 to 2019. In 2018, Caldarone moved to the Weinberg Foundation as managing director of Hawai‘i real estate.

“Corbett has got an amazing heart and is a tireless advocate for anyone who is less fortunate,” says Caldarone. “He is also a warrior who fights for what is right.”

Marisa Castuera Hayase joined the foundation in 2019 as program director after years spearheading Storyline Consulting, where she did strategic planning for the state Department of Education, Hawai‘i P-20, the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and other groups. She finds inspiration in Kalama’s down-to-earth leadership style.

“He really operates from a sense of valuing every person in our community.

He’s just as likely to seek counsel from a neighbor who’s unsheltered and living on the streets as he is from a banking president,” says Hayase. “I wish there were more leaders like him who really cared deeply about listening to so many different perspectives from people of so

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many different walks of life.”

At the end of the year, Kalama will retire and Hayase and Caldarone will colead the Hawai‘i office starting in January 2023. Hayase will assume the title of managing director of Hawai‘i programs and communications, while Caldarone will become VP of Hawai‘i operations and real estate.

They will build on the directions that took root when Kalama came on board after more than three decades with First Hawaiian Bank. His last position there was leading the bank’s Wealth Management Group, where he oversaw 250 employees and about $10 billion in assets.

COMMUNITY AND SHARING

Kalama, like Weinberg, comes from humble roots. He grew up in a small house in Kailua as one of 11 children.

His father was a plumber, draftsman and musician, and his mother was a wellknown kumu hula.

Despite being poor, he remembers his early life as also being incredibly rich. He went fishing in Kailua Bay and learned what to harvest, and when. He knew everyone in his tight, multiethnic neighborhood and he loved reading National Geographic to learn about the outside world. At home, he internalized the lessons of community and sharing as his family opened its house to people who had less than they did, including the homeless.

To this day, Kalama goes out of his way to seek out unsheltered people – in San Francisco’s Mission District, on Hotel Street, under bridges in Kāne‘ohe – talking to them and letting them know they are seen and valued, the way others have valued him.

One early experience that sticks with him is when four military guys “adopted” him for the day. They also gave him the only new things he had ever received: a football and helmet.

“They told me through their actions that my life had value,” recalls Kalama.

“They just spent four hours with me, but it changed my entire life because it told me to keep pushing, they see you.”

As a kid, he regularly took Weinberg’s HRT bus to town, the only public transportation across the Ko‘olau Range.

He says he was intrigued with Weinberg, who was often in the newspapers

and seemed “larger than life.” Little did he know that he would become the foundation’s banker in 1990, or that he would join the foundation himself decades after that.

“In all the different leadership training, they talk about challenging the process,” says Kalama. “Harry was the best at it. He challenged the process, but he had a noble motive in mind, and that was caring for people.”

MORE GRANTS TO NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Broadly, the Weinberg Foundation funds nonprofits working in the areas of housing, health, jobs, education and community services. The philanthropy serves a range of people, including the elderly, women at risk and their children, people with disabilities, veterans and the Jewish community.

In Hawai‘i, Hayase oversees $12 million in grants each year, up from the $10 million that was distributed previously.

She says funding strategies have moved from an O‘ahu-centric approach to one focused on rural communities across the state, many on the Neighbor Islands.

In 2021, 81% of new Hawai‘i-based grants approved by the foundation went to rural projects, totaling $7.93 million; 60% of new, approved grants went to nonprofits on the Neighbor Islands, totaling $5.81 million. In the past, only about 20% of funding left O‘ahu.

“We want to make sure that we’re supporting our Neighbor Island communities, especially in the more rural and remote areas of the Islands that tend to have wonderful community-based programs and solutions, but that sometimes go unrecognized,” says Hayase.

In a new initiative, her team is helping organizations tap into federal resources dedicated to rural areas. Many of these federal grants and loans require local matching funds, which can be difficult to locate.

Last year, for example, the foundation awarded $500,000 to the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i, which was the 20% match required for the state library system to access $3.3 million from an FCC program that helps schools and libraries expand internet access.

The state Department of Health then partnered with the library system to create telehealth hubs at those newly con-

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE HARRY AND JEANETTE WEINBERG FOUNDATION

WEINBERG

nected libraries in rural and low-income communities, further increasing the impact of the foundation’s initial grant.

All told, she says Weinberg Foundation grants awarded in 2021 “directly supported nonprofits in drawing down and allocating over $33.5 million in federal funding into Hawai‘i’s communities.”

A LIFELINE FOR NONPROFITS

From 2019 to 2021, the Hawai‘i office distributed grants to 66 organizations, ranging from $50,000 to Ka Hale A Ke Ola on Maui to locate permanent housing for the homeless, to $650,000 to West Hawaii Community Health Center on Hawai‘i Island for renovations, and $1.75 million to Ma‘o Organic Farms on O‘ahu to buy

Opposite Page: Jeanette & Harry Weinberg Left: Marisa Castuera Hayase Above: Giorgio Caldarone

more land and build a processing facility.

These grants can be a lifeline for small nonprofits. Megan Fox, executive director of Mālama Kaua‘i, a food hub linking local farmers with customers, says the foundation was one of her organization’s first big donors. Last year, the nonprofit received a $150,000 capital grant.

“It’s very challenging to find capital investment opportunities for food systems projects, and to have them at the table so early really helped us to open other doors,” explains Fox. And Hayase and her team are not just passively sifting through applications. She says they get into the community and actively search for groups that are doing valuable work.

Fox has benefited from that proactive approach. “They don’t just write checks, they also advocate for your project with others. … They do so much to bring the funder community together and help their grantees see their ultimate vision H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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FOUNDAT ION

OVERVIEW OF 2021 HAWAI‘I GRANTMAKING CAPITAL $4,850,000

PROGRAM $3,580,000

GRANT APPROVALS

BY GRANT TYPE

OPERATING $1,295,000

COMMUNITY SERVICES $4,240,000

HEALTH $2,000,000

GRANT APPROVALS

BY FOCUS AREA

JOBS $250,000 EDUCATION $1,180,000

THROUGHOUT HAWAI‘I $2,780,000

GRANT APPROVALS

BY ISLAND

MAUI $1,100,000 KAUA‘I $150,000

HAWAI‘I ISLAND $1,775,000

Notes: $12 million was distributed in Hawai‘i last year. The figures above reflect only new grants approved in that year; multi-year grants awarded earlier that were also paid out in 2021 are not included in the graphs. Source: Weinberg Foundation Grantmaking Snapshot, March 2022.

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Halekulani Hotel in Waikīkī.

Caldarone says the foundation has sold some of its properties lately in order to stabilize the portfolio, which means the properties are “in good shape in the sense that they’ve got their deferred maintenance addressed, their capital needs are being addressed, occupancy is high for that given market and type. Once you get there, you’re in what I would call a steady state.”

His focus now is on actively investing in the properties and ensuring that they’re productive, “because there’s so much riding on the performance. We’ve got to make sure that we’re providing enough income yield to help support our overall grant-making.”

“IN ALL THE DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP TRAINING, THEY TALK ABOUT CHALLENGING THE PROCESS. HARRY (WEINBERG) WAS THE BEST AT IT. HE CHALLENGED THE PROCESS.” CORBETT KALAMA, Executive VP – Hawai‘i office, Weinberg Foundation

HOUSING $2,055,000

O’AHU $3,920,000

realized. We absolutely couldn’t be so far along in our project without their support and guidance.”

In 2020, Ceeds of Peace received a $357,500 multi-year grant for its Resilient Communities, Schools and Families Project. The pilot program helps six rural elementary schools implement social-emotional learning while bringing an array of educational and social services to kids who are struggling.

Scott Nishimoto, executive director of Ceeds of Peace, explains that “the Weinberg Foundation was one of the earliest funders to believe in our work.

The trust that they showed in us has helped us gain the trust of other funders, partners and schools.”

Says Hayase: “We’re really interested in being a part of community solutions.

We have to be finding ways to collaborate, to convene people, and to be good listeners and good learners.”

STABILIZING THE REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO

The foundation’s grant-making is financed through a diversified portfolio, with more than a third derived from real estate holdings, says Caldarone. Nearly all of those properties are located in Hawai‘i, and the proceeds go into a pool for distribution nationally.

The Hawai‘i portfolio is made up of “a lot of small and midsize assets. It flies below the radar to some degree,” he says.

“What I tell people is, if our name is on the property, we don’t own it.”

About 20% are ground leases in the industrial retail sector; the rest are directly owned and operated properties.

Among them are the Aiea Shopping Center, an industrial complex on Sand Island Road and the former Hilo Hattie headquarters on Nimitz Highway, as well as ground leases for the Outlets of Maui in Lahaina and parts of the

COMMITTED TO HAWAI‘I

Kalama says his work with the Weinberg Foundation has been some of the most important of his life. And his life has been marked by accomplishments, including addressing 9,000 attendees from across the globe at the International Union for Conservation of Nature conference hosted in Honolulu in 2016. He also spoke at the 19th meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, in Honolulu in 2011, which then-President Barack Obama and then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended.

He says he’s thrilled with the new team stepping in – “they’re very, very effective” – and is confident that the foundation’s impact in the Islands will continue to grow.

“The Weinberg story in Hawai‘i is a never-ending story that has just strengthened year after year,” says Kalama. “And now with the team of Marisa and Giorgio, and the depth that we brought to our organization, the commitment of the foundation to Hawai‘i is in perpetuity. You know, Harry just loved this place.”

DIABETES

AND

AMPUTATIONS

Diabetes’ Enormous Toll Includes Millions of Amputations Every thirty seconds, an American loses a limb due to diabetes-related complications. The biggest impact in Hawai‘i is on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Can limb salvage reduce the number of amputations?

BY NI K KI Z A M A N I

O

ver 2,500 limbs are lost every day in the U.S., more than 60% of them by diabetes patients.

In fact, one-fourth of all people diagnosed with diabetes will eventually lose part of their lower extremities, says Dr. Nazila Azordegan, clinical pathologist at Henry Ford Health in Michigan.

People of all ages are affected, but the elderly suffer the most. “One in four people over the age of 65 will develop type 2 diabetes over their lifetime,” says Azordegan.

In Hawai‘i, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are particularly hard hit. Research from UH’s John A. Burns School of Medicine (tinyurl.com/DiabetesHI) shows that 22.4% of Native Hawaiians in Hawai‘i are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and an additional 15% have been diagnosed as prediabetic.

Diabetes is a dangerous disease that affects the vascular system and leads to high risks for developing cardiovascular disease, diseases of the retina and kidney, neuropathy, and lower limb amputation.

A common outcome is diabetic foot syndrome, which often leads to amputation. Most cases result from simple abrasions of the foot that are left untreated, due to neuropathy and vascular disease.

When preventive measures fail and the disease progresses, patients and their doctors must often resort to a full foot amputation, and half of amputation patients die within five years. Dr. David Lee, a podiatrist based in Lahaina, says, “84% of lower extremity amputations are preceded by ulcerations.”

PREVENTIVE TREATMENTS

But there is hope. “Annual diabetic foot exams can prevent 50% of amputations,” he says, adding, “With appropriate education, treatment and follow-up observations, most patients would be healed before their foot ulcers become high-risk for amputation.”

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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A MP UTAT IONS

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes costs the U.S. health care system $327 billion a year.

“The cost of diabetes treatment and its comorbidities exceeds that of cancer,” Lee says. Plus, the chance of dying within five years after the first amputation is 50%. An above-knee amputation brings the same mortality rate within three years.

“Once a patient undergoes a standard below-knee amputation, the metabolic stress on the patient’s body permanently increases by 28%,” says Dr. Christian Kikuchi, an orthopedic surgeon based in Honolulu.

Full limb amputations increase the risk for heart failure and depression.

“As sophisticated as prosthetic technology has come, there is a psychological impact of amputation. Apart from the psychological problem, going straight to amputation is not an ideal medical treatment option,” explains Dr. Kikuchi.

Amputation results in permanent physical changes in terms of metabolic and physical demands for the patient.

“It’s very well known within orthopedics that with amputations the patient’s metabolic demand increases in direct relation to the level of amputation performed,” Kikuchi says.

ONE ALTERNATIVE

An alternative to amputation is limb salvage: a surgical technique that results in an overall reduction of major limb amputation. Limb salvage is described as an aggressive limb preservation management for patients with diabetic foot ulcers. “The goal of limb salvage is to restore enough foot to allow the patient to ambulate safely,” Lee says.

Lee describes the criteria for a diabetic foot syndrome patient to be a surgical candidate for limb salvage: “A foot can be saved if there is proper circulation to support healing, adequate remaining tissue to cover the bone, and enough bone to walk on after the surgery.” If these criteria are not met, a full below-knee amputation would be required.

Right: Dr. David Lee

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PH OTO BY RYA N S I P H E R S

DIABETES

AND

AM PUTATIONS

“THE GOAL OF LIMB SALVAGE IS TO RESTORE ENOUGH FOOT TO ALLOW THE PATIENT TO AMBULATE SAFELY.” DR. DAVID LEE, podiatrist

Limb salvage is not widely practiced or accepted due to the cost in time and money, the procedure’s complexity and the lengthy recovery time.

“The procedures themselves are technically complex to execute, so you need a surgeon who has a high level of surgical expertise and training to be able to execute these procedures safely,” Kikuchi says.

“On the socioeconomic side, these surgeries are quite involved in terms of both financial and time cost.”

Recovery often takes six months to a year. “Often, limb-salvage recovery patients are on unemployment, temporary disability or Medicaid service. Social services are quite heavily utilized,” Kikuchi says.

Moreover, many patients die, and successful preservation of the foot is difficult. Typical short-term complications of limb salvage include infections and fractures which may lead to a higher-level amputation on the foot or leg.

“There is a 25-55% morbidity in this patient population. They have multiple medical problems, which creates a very harsh environment for the leg and the body’s ability to heal. This is directly linked to the patient’s ability to heal from these surgeries,” Kikuchi explains.

A VILLAGE APPROACH

Managing these patients requires a multidisciplinary team approach by vascular surgeons, internal medicine, primary care, infectious disease, prosthetics and dieticians.

“It requires a village approach,” says Lee. Furthermore, patients fail to grasp the proper care of limb salvage wounds.

Providers who practice diabetic limb salvage are often accused of “nibbling away the foot,” because they sometimes perform subsequent amputations and

wound treatments called debridements.

Diabetic foot ulcers are typically hidden beneath calluses which are often surrounded by dead tissue. Debridements are performed to remove this dead skin to promote proper healing, causing a “bloody mess in the clinical exam room” says Dr. Lee. Afterwards, it appears that the wound has increased in size, making patients believe the wound has worsened.

“It becomes very difficult to get them to trust me and the process,” says Lee, who performs limb salvage procedures. Obtaining trust in the patient-provider relationship is the most challenging obstacle to overcome, he says, and this drawback discourages many surgeons from performing limb salvage.

“FOOD CAN HURT YOU”

After diabetic limb salvage, the healing process can take a few months to years and is largely dependent on patients and their habits. Interestingly, patients who undergo diabetic limb salvage do not experience phantom-limb syndrome. This is because they already lost sensation in the foot prior to the procedure due to their diabetes.

“My patients who occasionally feel a phantom limb describe it more as a novelty rather than a pain,” says Lee. Azordegan, Kikuchi and Lee all emphasize patient education and preventive actions like a healthy diet to prevent the onset and progression of severe diabetes.

“It is hard to grasp the concept that food can hurt you,” Lee says. In his 10 years of practice in Hawai‘i, he has noticed that patients who are well educated on diabetes are more likely to be diligent in keeping healthy habits and diets. That is the most successful way to prevent diabetes, amputation and limb salvage.

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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S H O T

TIME: 5:30 P.M.

PHOTOGRAPHER: JAY JAVIER

LOCATION: ORITA’S BUILDING, WAI‘ANAE

Rolling Out the West Side Mākeke Mario Patino, founder of Patino Graphic Design, front, launched his pop-up marketplace on May 7.

Here, he poses with sponsors, from left, Jarrin Bannister and Melissa Macabantad from Lissa’s Treats, Tom and

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Eileen Zolen from Z’s Bakery & Deli, and Malia Ramiro from Rim Lickah. Seventeen vendors sold food, jewelry and other products at the Wai‘anae event, which Patino hopes to repeat.

Patino runs a growing design studio in Mākaha and

has created logos for Camp Pālehua, Akana Bros. Construction, Hawaiian Pastele Co., Lū‘au Hale Hoaloha at Mauna Lani and others. He also offers consulting services on marketing, branding and social media.

He moved to the Leeward

Coast with his Mākaha-born wife, who he met in art classes at UH Mānoa. “We love the West Side. This is the reason we try so hard to uplift and shine a spotlight on this area.” patino.biz

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Hawai‘i Nonprofits Join Forces to Tackle ALICE A N E W C O H O R T O F O R G A N I Z A T I O N S A R E L O O K I N G F O R WAY S T O I M P R O V E SYSTEMIC ECONOMIC INEQUITIES IN THE ISL ANDS.

ALICE Initiative cohort member RYSE Hawai‘i helps youth get off the streets and move past homelessness.

Photo: Courtesy RYSE Hawai‘i

W

HEN A SENIOR CITIZEN IN pandemic to 59 percent by the end of 2020. her 80s named Siletha came The problem is the focus of the ALrecently to the Waikīkī ComICE Initiative, a new funding partnership munity Center (WCC), she was desperate. between the Hawai‘i Community FounSiletha’s monthly Social Security income dation (HCF) and Aloha United Way. was far below what she The initiative’s needed to get by. She 2022-24 cohort was “The fact that we have worked as a caregiver to announced in April, so many households make ends meet, but it was and includes 17 Hawai‘i living paycheck barely enough to live on. nonprofit organizations to paycheck on a Then her landlord raised that will receive a comsurvival budget her rent. She was suddenly bined $4.5 million over increases the risk facing homelessness. the next three years.

To WCC president Funds will be used for of the middle class Caroline Hayashi, it’s a continuing to leave programs addressing familiar story.

Hawai‘i, and that has key issues facing ALICE “We see a lot of sehouseholds, including a direct impact on the financial instability and niors who are above poveconomy.” erty, who are still working, lack of access to affordyet they struggle to make  M I C H E L L E K A U H A N E , H AWA I ‘ I able housing.

C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D AT I O N ends meet,” she says.

“These are our Siletha is part of neighbors, our aunHawai‘i’s growing ALICE ties and uncles, our population—the acronym stands for Asset friends,” says Michelle Kauhane, HCF Limited, Income Constrained, Emchief impact officer. “At the same time, ployed. This group of individuals who are the fact that we have so many households working but still struggling grew from 42 living paycheck to paycheck on a survival percent of Hawai‘i’s population before the budget increases the risk of the middle

class continuing to leave Hawai‘i, and that has a direct impact on the economy.”

As one of the 17 organizations in the 2022-24 ALICE Initiative cohort, Waikīkī Community Center will use its funding to help clients build emergency funds through a matched savings program and offer financial education. WCC also provides case management and helps clients find and qualify for other programs and resources.

In addition to providing funds, the initiative brings cohort members together to work as a collective, sharing insights and resources to magnify their efforts, notes Kauhane. “ALICE is too complex of an issue for any one organization to address alone,” she says.

John Fink, CEO of Aloha United Way, agrees. “Through this collective approach, we can address complex social problems and systemic barriers that no single entity or sector is able to address on its own.

This is not a grantor/grantee model, but rather an innovation that requires longterm partnerships that build trust, collaboration, shared resources, and metrics.”

Collective effort is how WCC was eventually able to help Siletha. After temporarily matching her with a roommate, WCC helped her apply for affordable housing waitlists and lotteries, and eventually she qualified for a unit in a new building.

They then helped her qualify for grants from other agencies to cover her security deposit and moving costs, helped her find higher paying employment, and organized church volunteers to help her move.

“It’s a cliché to say that we all have to work together, but it’s true,” WCC’s Hayashi says. “Even the biggest agencies can’t provide all the solutions in-house to help each person. The ALICE Initiative really gives us an opportunity to broaden that universe of agencies we work with.”

T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T T H E A L I C E I N I T I AT I V E , V I S I T H AWA I I C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D AT I O N . O R G/S T R E N G T H E N I N G/A L I C E  I N I T I AT I V E

At Hawai‘i Life, we may be the leading real estate company in both listings and sales in Hawai‘i, but it’s our heart that matters most. We’d like to not only congratulate Hawai’i Business Magazine’s Top Performers, but also to stop and appreciate the hard work that goes into our profession at every level— Mahalo to our team, clients, and peers across the island chain.

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