Hawaii Re-opening to Tourism on October 15th

Hawaii Welcomes Visitors

As the main hub of the Hawaiian Islands, it is no wonder Oahu is the most visited island. Hawaii serves up big city fun in a small island setting.  The Hawaii re-opening is just in time for the winter surf season. In other words, visitors can once again enjoy the best tropical venue the Unites States has to offer.

Winter Surf Session

Hawaii may be synonymous with surfing, but Oahu’s North Shore has earned special bragging rights as a hang 10 mecca. Whether guests head there to watch the waves or carve a few of their own, the destination offers unparalleled surfing thrills.  The North Shore is just a one-hour drive from the world famous Waikiki Beach.

The North Shore of Oahu comes to life in the fall and Oahu is opening its doors to tourism after seven months of lock down.  This seven mile miracle offers country living at its finest with tons of shops in historical Haleiwa town, outdoor activities, and beaches. Above all, in the wintertime, the North Shore is known for its picture perfect waves.

Hawaii Re-opening Test Program

Of course, the Hawaii re-opening still has concerns over COVID. Albeit the percentage of positive cases in Hawaii remains in the lower single digits. Similarly, Hawaii ranks in the lower percentile relative to the other states. Therefore to mitigate this concern, the Governor has implemented a testing program. The program allows visitors to arrive and test out of the 14-day mandatory quarantine period.  Travelers must taken a Food and Drug Administration-approved COVID-19 test from a CLIA lab.  The test result must be negative and within 72 hours of traveling to Hawaii in order to bypass a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine.

For the Hawaii re-opening, an accepted pre-arrival test is required of all arriving passengers who want to bypass the quarantine. The testing includes children of all ages. However, travelers who do not receive the results of their pre-arrivals test in time must stay in quarantine until they get their results back. The program is expected to expand the locations where travelers can get tested. Initially testing is available through CVS Pharmacy and through Kaiser Permanente.

Hawaii Re-opening Promotion

Hawaii is also actively working to safely open hiking trails, parks, attractions, restaurants and retail.  To promote the re-opening, we are offering a discount available through bookings on WaikikiStay.com.  Use promo code SAVE10 and get our low price guarantee. We offer a great selection of Waikiki vacation rentals for all budgets and family sizes. Our rentals are all right in the heart of Waikiki and all within walking distance to the world famous Waikiki Beach. Our vacation rental properties are privately owned and vary by amenities, building, square feet, number of guests, improvements, and views.

Home Buying Could Soon Beat Renting

“Home buying Could Soon Beat Renting” was the title of an article by John W. Schoen, Senior Producer of The Bottom Line on msnbc.com. The Bottom Line is known for breaking news and analysis of real estate and consumer issues.

John writes that “falling home prices have sent many would-be buyers to the sidelines. If all goes well, record low interest rates and rising rents may soon prompt some of them to take a second look at buying.” Historic, US Census Bureau, data on median monthly mortgage payments and median monthly rent payments depicts how affordable home ownership has become.

Photo by Serpstat on Pexels.com

Unfortunately, that’s a big “if,” according to Paul Diggle, Housing Eeconomist at Capital Economics. Much of the decision to buy a house still depends on your personal finances and preferences, your career or family life, or level of financial security. But if you’re comparing just the cost of owning and renting, buying a house may soon be the better choice, according to Diggle.

Until recently, home ownership was no bargain compared to renting, according to the analysis. A 33 percent drop fall in median home prices, a plunge in mortgage rates and 15 percent rise in rents since the housing crash has evened the scales. Today, the median monthly mortgage payment of about $700 has fallen to about the level of a median monthly rent check. If mortgage rates keep falling and rents keep rising, the equation will tip even further toward owning.

But that analysis doesn’t include the total cost of owning versus renting. A full accounting includes closing costs, maintenance, insurance and property taxes, tax savings from mortgage deductions, gains or losses from home equity, among other factors. Renters have to think about broker fees and future rent hikes. Both have to make assumptions about future trends in housing prices and rents.