Real Estate Journal - March 16, 2020 by Real Estate Journal

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MARCH 16, 2020 ISSUE | REJGUAM.COM 

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Properties to love

Refined residence The right stuff Finding the right home

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PAGE 12

The doctor is in Upcycling household items

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PAGE 16

Need to know Short-term rentals

t INDEX PROPERTIES TO LOVE....................................................4 THE RIGHT STUFF...........................................................6 PROBLEM PREVENTION................................................8 THE DOCTOR IS IN.........................................................12 VILLAGES........................................................................14 NEED TO KNOW.............................................................16

The house has an attached two car garage. Photos courtesy of Today’s Realty

PROPERTIES TO LOVE

THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

THE SKINNY 306 ROSARION LIANG TUGON YIGO, GUAM 96929 $495,000 Inside • 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms • 2,400 square feet living space, 2,023 square meter lot • Stainless steel appliances included Outside • Ocean view from second floor • Solar panels • Fenced in yard, gate and long driveway What’s cool • Close to Andersen Air Force base • Private master balcony • Walk in closets in bedrooms How to make this your own (quickly) Contact: Beverly A. Brady Today’s Realty Call: 671-688-8550 Email: beverly@brady.realtor

A jetted tub and walk-in shower are in the master bathroom.

The updated kitchen boasts stainless steel appliances. Photos courtesy of Today’s Realty

THE RIGHT STUFF | FINDING THE RIGHT HOME

THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

A home to fit your needs Buying a home is a milestone in a person’s life, and this important decision requires m u c h thought, planning Miller and saving to obtain the home that meets their needs. The first thing they should consider before diving into the home market is financing. A home is a long-term investment that requires a lot of saving — before, during and after the process. In some cases, downsizing on personal expenses may be necessary to meet those steep, upfront payments and monthly mortgage bills. Maria Miller, principal broker of Horizon Properties Inc., said it’s best for people to start planning for a new home early on, so that they will have

more time to map out their financial restructuring. Aside from buying the house, there are more things to consider, such as purchasing and maintaining appliances, buying furniture and keeping the plumbing and electrical systems in working order. These additional costs are often overlooked in the process of house hunting, so Miller suggested saving up to prepare for them. “Newer homes will need less repairs and older homes, probably more,” she said. “At some point, components like the air conditioner and appliances will need to be replaced, which could crush a homeowner’s budget if they are not expecting them.” Miller also advised that people move away from the “dream home” mentality, as it may prevent a prospective homeowner from finding a more affordable home that meets their needs. A good realtor will try as much as possible to connect a client with the home they envision, but will also be realistic in

Aside from the cost of the home, homeowners should also prepare their finances for buying furniture and maintaining appliances.

Photo by John I. Borja

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THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

finding a space that won’t exhaust an individual’s income. “I had one buyer looking for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a pool, so I asked what he needed the pool for. Did the pool have to be attached to the house or can I find him a home close to the Hagåtña pool? I think when looking for a home, people need to really think about what they need and how they can make the most use of a home they can afford,” Miller said. Cierra Camacho, a 26-year-old homeowner, said she had been planning to have her home built on family land ever since she was a child. Now six months into living in her Chalan Pago home, Camacho said there were a few challenges she did not realize she would encounter: space and maintenance. Her home is 860 square feet with two bedrooms and one bathroom. With her household slowly growing, she anticipates that she would need to expand her house later on. “Settling into the house was a challenge,” she said. “You think of the initial investment of buying or building a house, but filling it up is another whole mind-blowing thing,” she said. Camacho rented an apartment prior to her home, and that helped her gauge how much space she needed to store her possessions. The struggle came when she wanted to pick up a new hobby but realized she needed more space in her home for it. “This house is definitely a starter level home, initially set for just myself and my dog. But now I have my ‘other half,’ and there’s the possibility of kids in the future. So I would need to expand in the future,” she said. Future planning aside, Camacho said she is happy with the freedom she has to style her home. She focused on the design of her kitchen first, from textures to colors, and made the rest of her home design follow suit. This helped her easily communicate with design consultants on the interior layout. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this at my apartment, because I knew that the changes wouldn’t be permanent,” she said. “It’s much better in the long run to own a home than to keep paying rent, because other than the initial costs, my mortgage payments are less than what I paid for rent. Bear the burden of it now to reap the benefits later.” Miller said a good way to gauge affordability of a home is through the debt-to-income ratio. When comparing how much a person gets paid to how much they pay each month, the ideal percentage is at or below 36%. Lower debt-to-income ratios can lead to lower mortgage rates, she said. p

THE RIGHT STUFF | FINDING THE RIGHT HOME

This two-bedroom, one-bathroom Chalan Pago home was built and owned by firsttime homeowner Cierra Camacho. 20-FHB-HELOC_March-April_REJ_Size7.5"X10".pdf

One way to design a home is to choose one section, such as the kitchen, as a focal point and have the rest of the house follow suit. 1

3/10/20

3:55 PM Photos by John I. Borja

PROBLEM PREVENTION | MOVING IN

THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

Inspecting your home Moving into a new home is an equal amount of excitement and stress, and the long list of things to do may hinder a homeowner in carefully looking through the space to find potential issues that could worsen over time. The different components of a home — plumbing, cooling, electrical and foundation, among others — can be overbearing for a homeowner to assess, along with the cost for hiring a specialist for each component. That’s where a home inspector can help. “If you go to your general practitioner for your routine physical, they’ll examine you from top to toe. If there’s something that doesn’t look right, they’ll refer you to a specialist. That’s what I do for homes,” said Jay “Tiger” Blakley, certified home inspector and owner and operator of Tiger’s Technical Home Inspections. Like other qualified home inspectors, Blakley does a thorough examination of the

state of the house, keeping an eye out for any outdated or worn systems that can compromise the safety of the residents. After his analysis is complete, he compiles a report of his observations and recommendations for the homeowner to consider before moving in. Ceiling cracks, plumbing leaks and faulty electrical systems are some of the most common problems found in a home, Blakley said, but a big concern to look out for is moisture intrusion. Guam’s humid weather makes it easy for moisture to travel inside the home, and that leads to water stains, rust and cracks in the concrete from swollen rebar. “Check all the openings in the homes, like your doors and windows, and make sure they are sealed properly. Pipes on the roof should also be sealed, especially around the base, so that no extra moisture comes in,” Blakley said. A bad roof can also allow

moisture to seep through the home’s structure, and that is typically the first thing home inspectors check. Shino Thomas, project manager of Marianas Coating, recommended that homeowners periodically check for any visible cracks, discoloration, peeling, spalls or bubbles on the roof, as they indicate that the roof is due for a new sealant and coat. Thomas said silicone-based elastomeric paint and coating are best for Guam homes. “A thick roof coating will go a long way in preventing erosion of roof concrete,” Shino said. He added that a wellmaintained roof could also help in reducing the temperature of the home’s interior, which reduces energy used to keep the house cool. Furthermore, preventing moisture from getting into the home reduces the probability of mold and mildew growth. Aside from looking at the house itself, homeowners should

Proper roof sealant and coating can go a long way in maintaining the health and support of a roof.

also check outdoors for potential hazards. Blakley said he checks driveways, vegetation and surface drainage around the house. The house’s elevation is also something to consider, as it could determine whether or not the space will flood after heavy rain. Electronic gates and garage doors should be tested routinely to ensure functionality, he said. Home inspection reports are not necessarily requirements for the homeowners to resolve, Blakley said, but it is an important guide that they should consider when planning to move into a home, especially for the long term. And a proper home inspection can be less straining on the wallet. “It could cost a fortune to have individual specialists check up on a home when they may not have been needed in the first place,” Blakley said. p

Thermal scanner imagery can indicate water leaks or faulty electrical circuits in a home. Photo courtesy of Marianas Coating

Photos courtesy of Tiger’s Technical Home Inspections

THE DOCTOR IS IN | UPCYCLING HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

Abracadabra — new goods from old Although buying new items for the home can freshen up a living space, repurposing old materials is cost-efficient and extends the lifetime of pieces that would otherwise end up in the landfill. With a bit of creativity and research, most household items can be upcycled. Upcycle That, an online resource that curates do-it-yourself craft guides, defines upcycling as “taking something that’s considered waste and repurposing it. The upcycled item often becomes more functional or beautiful than what it previously was.” Co-founders Judy Rom and Jacques Karsten put together a collection of how-to blogs to share with people what they can repurpose and add to their home. According to the founders, upcycling can be broken down

into what is being used — wood, leather, plastic, glass — and what is being made, like furniture or gardening tools. Homeowners can browse www.upcyclethat.com to find tips on how to maximize their current resources. Ykhyristian Dela Cruz, founder of Saving Sirena, tries as much as possible to reduce waste in her household by repurposing items she no longer needs. To date, she and her partner have made tables, garden materials, chicken cages, plant pots and jewelry holders out of things they found around the house or acquired from somewhere else. “Once an item has used up its purpose, there’s two questions you need to ask yourself: ‘What can I make of it?’ and ‘What do I need?” Dela Cruz said.

For one project, Dela Cruz said her partner found an old bookshelf with only the metal frame still intact. With some work, they separated the bookshelf to create two different pieces: a table and a chicken cage. For the table, Dela Cruz acquired a wooden pallet that was broken down into single planks to create two levels for the table. The chicken cage was made by attaching chicken wire around the remaining part of the bookshelf frame. “There were no more scraps after that. We utilized everything,” she said. “What would have happened if that bookshelf was thrown away? It’s great material that can be used for something else.” Dela Cruz also turned an old bathtub into a bed for her tomato garden. The tub’s drain hole is

great at maintaining the amount of water needed for the tomatoes to thrive, she said. The tub also became a focal piece in her garden, which she surrounds with other plants that are growing in reused plastic containers. She makes use of natural resources around her home to make her own accessories, too. To organize her jewelry, Dela Cruz crafted a small hanging board out of bamboo and twine made from pieces of the native pågo tree. So before throwing out old, unused furniture and household items, homeowners can first think about how those materials can be repurposed into something better and usable for their home. p

This two-leveled table was made from the metal frame of a bookshelf and wooden pallets cut down to single planks.

Saving Sirena founder Ykhyristian Dela Cruz made a jewelry holder out of bamboo and twine she made from the native pågo tree.

An unused bathtub can be used as a tomato bed and a focal piece in the garden. Photos courtesy of Saving Sirena

VILL AGES | INARAJAN

THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

The village of tranquility and heritage Located on the southeastern coast of Guam, the village of Inarajan encapsulates the island’s history with remnants of Lujan World War II, the Spanish era and ancient CHamoru society. As with other southern villages, Inarajan has kept its tranquil environment, and its residents enjoy quaint living spaces close to the ocean. Its preservation is so enduring that it was listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places, according to Guampedia. “Inarajan is a close-knit community and we continue to perpetuate our language and culture,” said Mayor Doris F. Lujan. With few commercial areas in the district, the village creates a peaceful space where residents and visitors alike are welcome to

learn about the island’s history and CHamoru culture. The Gef Pa’go Cultural Village is where one can find demonstrations of traditional CHamoru arts and cooking, including usage of the historic Hotnu Bakery. Inarajan also has several hiking and swimming spots for families to enjoy. The village has more residential and agricultural properties than commercial. Tahereh “Tara” Golbarani, a realtor with Century 21 Commonwealth Realty, said the village has a mix of traditional historic homes and modern family homes, which gives an array of options for prospective residents. There are several large parcels of land currently being advertised for commercial ventures, such as wind farms, she said. “Although property prices on island have increased, you can still find some good bargains in Inarajan,” Golbarani said. “The favorable land prices can open possibilities for building additional residential homes or visitor-oriented business ventures that showcase the cultural aspect

of the area.” But the push for more commercial development is not so demanding at this time, Lujan said, b e c a u s e the village’s Golbarani infrastructure needs to be approved to accommodate more activity. “Commercial development means population expansion, and we have to ensure that we can accommodate the needs of the community, particularly the health and safety of all residents,” Lujan said. Regardless of business activity in the south, the mayor said she welcomes all to stop by Inarajan and interact with its people to have a greater appreciation for Guam’s heritage. p

INARAJAN POPULATION: 2,273 SCHOOLS: • Inarajan Elementary School, Inarajan Middle School

RECREATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: • Salaglula Pools, Bear Rock, Hotnu Bakery, Gef Pa’go Cultural Village, Coconut Festival, Feast of Saint Joseph

HISTORICAL LANDMARKS: • Gadao’s Cave, Baptist Church ruins, St. Joseph Church

PROPERTY AVAILABILITY AND PRICE RANGE: • 3 homes for rent, from $2,200 to $2,450 • 1 home for sale, $325,000 • 18 plots of land for sale, from $30,000 to $2.98 million

MAYOR: Doris F. Lujan

Gadao’s Cave is a popular sight to see in this southern village.

St. Joseph’s Church in Inarajan is a tranquil sight in this southern village.

The village has many salaglula pools. Photos by John I. Borja

NEED TO KNOW | SHORT - TERM RENTALS

THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

This Tumon condominium unit can be used as an Airbnb, or short-term rental unit, for travelers who prefer a home-style space over a hotel.

Photo courtesy of Ellen’s Realty

Turning your property into an Airbnb Nowadays, travelers are becoming more and more accustomed to choosing Airbnb, or short-term rental units, over hotel rooms, and Guam hosts are seeing some success in this business. “It’s a successful trend in Guam,” said Ellen Wilkinson, principal broker of Ellen’s Realty. “When you travel, you don’t want to feel like a tourist. You want to feel like you’re at home, and that’s the point of Airbnb.” There are currently more than 300 Guam listings on the Airbnb website. Single-family homes, duplexes, four-plexes, condominiums and even boathouses are among the selection of units that travelers can choose from in the Guam market.

So how does one go about becoming an Airbnb host? The first step is to visit the Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation Wilkinson to apply for a license. Depending on how the property is going to be used, DRT may either issue a bed-and-breakfast or short-term rental license. Each license has its own set of rules and regulations that must be followed, including an inspection from the Guam Department of Public Works

and the Guam Fire Department. A i r b n b properties typically fall under the shortterm rental category. Once a Lai license is obtained, the property owner can sign up to be an Airbnb host through the marketplace website. Room pricing and accommodations vary between hosts, but property owners should keep in mind that Airbnb has a 3% service fee for hosts. After officially becoming a

host, the property owner can then work on preparing their home for guests. Realtor Mu Wen “Asa” Lai was a full-time Airbnb host before joining Ellen’s Realty, and she has several recommendations to ensure a property is in tip-top shape to accommodate short-term stays. “You’re very involved as the host, but sometimes, people contract others to manage their Airbnb,” Lai said. “Of course, the property must be furnished. This may include buying linen, bedding, kitchen supplies and other items. You should also write down very detailed house rules so your guests know how to operate your household items and keep the house clean.” continued on page 18

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NEED TO KNOW | SHORT - TERM RENTALS

THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL

PUBLISHER Maureen N. Maratita EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Morgan Legel CONTENT COORDINATOR John I. Borja CREATIVE CONTENT MANAGER Vikki Fong DESIGN & PRODUCTION Conrad Calma Luisa Joy Castro Sean Davis Vandrick Veloria MEDIA SALES MANAGER Mike Mafnas SENIOR MEDIA SALES Kevin Iwashita ADMINISTRATION Tricia Scott

More than 300 Guam listings can be found on the Airbnb website.

DIRECTOR Ken Duenas MANAGING DIRECTOR Marcos W. Fong

The Real Estate Journal — March 16, 2020. Entire contents copyrighted 2019 by Glimpses Media. The Real Estate Journal is published monthly by Glimpses Media. 161 US Army Juan C. Fejeran St., Barrigada Heights, Guam 96913. (671) 649-0883; Fax (671) 649-8883. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Glimpses Media, P.O. Box 3191, Hagåtña, Guam 96932. Send e-mail to glimpses@glimpsesofguam.com. All rights reserved. No material may be printed in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher. Printed by Guam Daily Post LLC, on Guam. In the Northern Mariana Islands, contact Glimpses Media at Glimpses of Saipan Inc., 2nd Floor Transpac Business Center, Middle Road, Gualo Rai, Saipan, MP 96950, or call (670) 235-7645; Fax (670) 234-1801. Send e-mail to subscriptions@ glimpsesofguam.com.

Glimpses Media includes Guam Business Magazine, Marianas Business Journal, MBJ Life, The Real Estate Journal, Beach Road Magazine, Buenas, Drive Guam Magazine and Pocket Deals. Glimpses of Guam Inc. Mission Statement: To connect people with information.

Photo by John I. Borja

continued from page 16

Lai added that if there is a security system within the property, guests should be made aware of that. It is also ideal for the host to write down directions to the nearest grocery stores and transit stops, if needed. Lai said she would often provide a one-time supply of consumable products, like toiletries, for her guests. Each traveler’s personality is different, so Lai contacts her guests before arrival to get an idea of how they will use the property and how many people will be coming. Although Airbnb insures its hosts’ properties, it is advised to keep valuable items out of the property to avoid trouble. Compared to long-term leases, short-term rentals can be very strenuous, Wilkinson said. A person’s lifestyle and financial situation are important factors in determining whether or not someone is cut out to be a host. “If you have a demanding job, like a lawyer or a doctor, there’s no way you can operate an Airbnb. You always have to make sure your property is maintained. And when the guests are there and they need your help, of course you have to be there for them. That is why some people become full-time Airbnb hosts,” Wilkinson said. p

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W: 671.649.4361 | F: 671.646.0832 | 1700 Army Dr, Ste 101, Dededo, GU