One slick way to pull in buyers, I've gotta hand it to Hualalai Realty. I suppose some people would call it false advertising, but I would like to have our reservation at the Four Seasons Hualalai renewed next year, so I'm not gonna gripe.
I will say that when I saw Real Estate Tour included on my list of activities at the Four Seasons, my heart went all aflutter. It said "Join us for a look into the "private side" of Hualalai. Reservations required." Wow, were do I sign up? I called Hualalai Realty and asked if I could join the tour. The sales representative -- they don't call them agents, I guess -- asked what I would like to see.
Well, I haven't noticed any listings under $2.6 in this vicinity, I said. He assured me there were definitely some homes for sale in Hualalai for right around 2 million. My lucky stars! There is something affordable in Hualalai. Who woulda thunk? In fact, if I wanted, he could also show me an oceanfront home for $25 million.
That seemed like a good spread in price points. But I wanted to make sure this was a tour, an open house of sorts, and not an enticement disguised as a tour. So, I was upfront with the guy and told him I had no intention of buying a $25-million oceanfront home in Hualalai, but nonetheless would love to see it. I disclosed that I am a real estate broker from California and also a writer for the New York Times' website About.com, and maybe i would write about it.
Then, he told me the $25 million oceanfront was not his listing and he would not show it to me. He was willing, though, to give me the phone number of the listing agent.
You know what guys? I just wanted to take advantage of the Activities List that was distributed to my room with the morning paper. I thought a Real Estate Tour sounded like fun, even though my husband cringed when he spotted my eyes light up. You got to the part about the real estate tour, didn't you? He laughed. And I could see he was busy at work trying to come up with an excuse to get out of going. Turns out he didn't have to try too hard because I nipped it in the bud for him.
I didn't want to make a lei or go to a yoga class. I wanted to join the Real Estate Tour, darn it.
Instead, we are back to Operation Mongoose. Those sneaky little mongooses (mongeeses?) are everywhere on this island. We don't want to capture one to take home with us or anything, we just want a photograph. I guess the photo below is the best we are going to get. Adam shot it at The Fairmont Orchid, right next to the golf course:
Photo: Adam Weintraub
---
Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
The bait-and-switch is also called "local charm." I experienced the same thing at the St. Regis in Princeville last summer. Agent met me in the lobby, we talked about "the tour." Decided to sit by the pool instead.
Aloha!
Yep, the good old tried and true "bait and switch". In this case looking for the really healthy money folks. Your hubby did good with the mongoose pic. It's kinda posing for him.
I have to say, that really does sound like a sleazy operation. But when you live in a resort location, I guess prospecting methods considered above board are vastly different.
So are the Four Seasons and Hualalai Realty affiliated with each other? I don't get how the Four Seasons would benefit by having you buy a house. I guess I'm reading way too much into this. Mongeese on the Big Island and Roosters on Kauai.
Hey Elizabeth - There is a cute little story about mongoose on Hawaii. It seems they weren't native to the islands. But some brainiac decided to import them in so they could get the rat population under control. The problem however is mongoose meander about during day hours, while rats wander during the night. I understand the two rarely meet.
Hey Cynthia: Yes, they are connected somehow. Hualalai Realty sells the properties that are situated within the resort area, and the HOA sort of shares the amenities at Four Seasons.
Hi Myrl: LOL, I heard that story, and I suspect it is true because it's in the guidebook.