Aunty was decluttering and just had to rip out this page from the June issue of Martha Stewart Living. SUCH a nifty idea for hanging temporary art on the wall, with painter’s tape!
Easy on, easy off, comes in all kinds of colors. Mahalo, Martha!
Soren Kierkegaard 1813-1855
One of Aunty’s favorite quotes is: Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards. (Soren Kierkegaard)
To wit, there are moments in history that come upon us as surprises, but after they occur, we get a different perspective looking back and thus realize that the outcomes were predictable because of what happened prior to.
The crash of 2008
A good example of this was what led to the housing crash in 2008. Real estate earlier was booming because everyone and anyone could qualify for mortgages. Daughter #1 bought her first house in Las Vegas with very little down, and she didn’t even have a real job yet! Prices of homes crept up and up and it seemed as if anyone who wasn’t buying as soon as possible was a dummy.
This was the era of subprime lending. It was too much, too fast, and too easy.
When the party ended, banks, homeowners, and communities were smashed. It was devastating, and bankruptcies were at record highs. During the peak, it was difficult to see that this housing bubble would burst, but once it did, it seemed inevitable.
From the rubble
In Michael Moore’s 2009 movie, “Capitalism, a Love Story”, investors who swooped in and scooped up properties that had suddenly lost more than half its former value were called vultures. Vultures were evil and vile, predators of poor victims on hard times. Uncle and Aunty went to see the movie and felt perplexed after the show – we were investors, not vultures.
We bought short sales, and rented back to the former owners. We bought bank foreclosures, helping to keep communities stable. We were careful and did not over extend ourselves. We invested using Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad principles.
Slowly, the market began to stabilize and improve. Looking back, an innovative and vibrant place like Las Vegas would survive, people always need a place to live in, and houses were of good quality selling for less than the cost to build. We unknowingly bought at the best time.
And now – Short window of opportunity
We just completed our home refinance – Hallelujah, happy dance, happy dance! It was grueling for Aunty because of our rather complex situation, but it was worth every paper scan and search now that it is complete. Our monthly expense for our mortgage is now much less than before. In Aunty’s opinion, the best deal in town are low mortgage interest rates – and they are not going to last much longer.
Can rates get lower? Very doubtful. Janet Yellen of the Federal Reserve Bank has been hinting about raising rates because our economy is improving.
Is our economy improving? Aunty thinks so. There are more new cars on the road now, more old furniture on the streets, meaning people are buying new things again.
Will rates go higher? Let’s see – hints by the person in control of rate hikes (Janet Yellen), people spending money again, housing prices climbing, job markets improving = good indicators that money will become more expensive via higher interest rates soon. [Aunty gets daily mortgage rate updates and interesting tidbits from paul.tamashiro@guaranteedrate.com. Email Paul if you also want to get daily updates. No pressure, just a very nice person.]
However, time is of the essence, and lenders are very strict.
Aunty and Noreen Ho (808) 398-8528
Not to despair, Noreen Ho to the rescue!
Aunty loves banks and bankers. Unfortunately, they don’t love Aunty. Remember the bank that says “yes?” Too many times, they checked out Aunty and say “no.” So rude.
It is because bankers must follow bank rules and are paid by salary. They can only offer you their own bank’s programs and cannot go shopping for you. Their number one bread and butter is their employer.
Mortgage brokers are free agents and are paid by commission. Their number one bread and butter is you, so if one lender says no, they will shop until they find one that wants you.
Noreen found us Provident Lending because they had the best rates, and a credit instead of points to pay! Aunty will tell you the truth, though. They are TOUGH and strict. However, once everything was in order, Noreen arranged the easy closing with Kevin of First American Title Company.
Noreen is THE best mortgage broker we have ever had the pleasure of using. We first met her because she was also a traveling notary public when we bought properties in Las Vegas and needed to sign docs. She is professional and also very nice. She really listens to what her client wants and will bend over backwards to get the job done. (She also looks MUCH better than this picture.)
Borrow to save, save to invest, invest to cash flow
Aunty should be retiring soon. Retired people will not qualify for mortgage loans because they do not have active income from paychecks. So…. refinance before you retire. If you are young and working, buy your parents’ home from them and then rent it out to them. Or, find an investment partner – they put in the down payment, you get the loan – profits and/or cash flow are split equitably.
You may think that it doesn’t make sense to have more, or extend more debt, but this is one of those look-back opportunities as interest rates begin to climb again. You will be glad you have a long term mortgage at historically low rates.
Loans are on sale but your banks are limiting supply. If you want to have the best mortgage broker working for you, please give Noreen Ho at Savvy Realty and Loans a call. (808) 398-8528. Tell her Aunty sent you and maybe we can all go to lunch together one of these days.
Aunty was stuck while cleaning up. Some things were hard to throw out or give away.
One of these things was this cute party favor from a graduation party that we went to a few years ago. It was such a good idea, very simple, very graduation-y, and so it was kept in order to share the idea with some mother putting on a party for her child’s graduation one of these days.
It is made with disposable plastic dixie cups with lids. Squares of colored cardstock are attached to the lid with round head paper fasteners with miniature tassels. The cups are filled with mints or candy. When the lids are attached, they look like cute little graduation caps!
Hope y’all can use this. Aunty is SO glad to post this because now it can finally be tossed out and the concept is saved. One down in the clean up, many more to go.
Congratulations to all the graduates out there!
Recently, the house next door to us was for sale. Aunty wanted it. Wanted it bad. We put in an offer that was higher than asking price with generous concessions and a very big mortgage. With some rehabbing and modifications, this house could be rented out with a little bit of a positive income.
The owners decided to go with another offer and sent us a counteroffer which they would use as backup. Aunty was devastated and feeling desperate. “Call the agent! What will it take to get the house?! Do it now!”
That night was one of anxiety and frustration, and great disappointment.
In the morning, Uncle’s picture of his oio catch many years ago (before we got married) was propped in front of Aunty while eating her typical breakfast of Honey Bunches of Oats and coffee. This was a favorite picture. In it, you could see the joy of the catch in Uncle’s whole being.
The ones that got away
Uncle loved the ocean. In his younger days, he would surf, surf, and surf. Later, he would surf less and fish, fish, and fish, always from shore since he didn’t like fishing on boats.
Most of the time, he wouldn’t catch a thing. Sometimes he would catch a great haul, sometimes a little haul.
However, the ones that gave him the greatest pleasure were the big ones that took his line out and got away. These, according to Uncle, were HUGE (and they got bigger with each telling).
Opposites attract
Uncle was always very thoughtful in his decisions. Aunty usually does not think and would let emotion and instinct rule. We were quite the opposites and perfect for each other. Aunty would jump, Uncle would hold the bungee cord.
Owning the house next to us would have been great (JUMP), and it would also be a big financial burden with potential cash flow (BUNGEE).
Lesson from the fisherman
While gazing at Uncle’s picture, a realization dawned on Aunty. Not getting the house next door was like the big fish that got away. It was okay. Maybe even, better than okay.
In the morning light, looking at Uncle’s broad smile, peace and acceptance washed over the disappointment of losing the house. It was time to cut the line and enjoy the process.
There will be always be other opportunities. Sometimes you catch a good one, sometimes not.
As for the big ones that got away – just keep on fishing for an even better one.
September 2015 update: TWO more really great properties came up on the market – one was THE picture postcard from Aunty’s google page – beachpark frontage with grassy lot and busted up old house with a little lanai on the beach side that could take all of your cares away. Another one on a special street in Kaimuki with an old cute house in a killer location and HUGE pirie mango tree on a level lot that would have been perfect as Aunty gets older. But alas, they also got away.
Fellow blogger Kay posts on an almost daily basis about her life, travels, trials and tribulations. One of Kay’s recent posts was about her husband’s $20 fruit picker. Aunty commented on it and wanted to share pictures of the one she bought from Koolau Farmers. It was pricey – at $33. However, after trying the standard fruit pickers and bruising adjacent-to-the-ripe papayas, Aunty caved in and got the Koolau special picker in lime green.
It is a simple tool, perhaps something that could be made at home, but Aunty felt that it wanted to be bought and, most importantly, it works wonderfully!
The attached bottom wooden block has a screw in thingee to accommodate telescoping poles, mop handles, etc. A galvanized metal strip is riveted on the side of the can with a forked end to cut the fruit stems close to the tree.
Our prolific papaya tree is a bit strange. It has no seeds, and 3 papayas grow off of one stalk, so it has been quite challenging to pick as the tree got taller and taller. We have no clue where or how the tree started, but the fruit is smooth, fleshy and sweet like solo papayas. The tree is a keeper and getting taller and taller.
Aunty’s neck gets kinda sore looking up while aiming the forked strip just under the stalk but, once in place, an upward motion with the pole slices the appendage cleanly and the papayas tumble into the can. Easy peasy!
Here’s a tip for creative cooks out there: Add cubes of green papaya to stews, curries, soups, and stir fry instead of potatoes. The texture is wonderful. I bet if Princess Pupule knew to cook with papaya, she wouldn’t be giving them away.
Aunty met Pam Chambers at a Patsy Mink Center for Business and Leadership event, the first of 4 Personal Pathways at the Richards Street YWCA. Pam’s subject was about business etiquette. It was terrific! Aunty plans to sign up for at least 2 more in the series, the next one will teach Aunty how to be intriguing…. (auwe, Aunty can’t go – too busy putting in a kitchen. Maybe Aunty will wear sunglasses during construction – doesn’t that sound intriguing?)
One of the tips that Pam gave was to arrive 30 minutes before an event to network and meet with 1) the most important person in the room, 2) the most intimidating person in the room, and 3) the most interesting (or cutest) person in the room.
After Pam’s excellent presentation ended, Aunty wanted to meet 1) the most important person in the room – Pam Chambers. It took awhile to get to where she was, and it looked like she was ready to leave, surrounded by her fans and friends. So Aunty wriggled in and as she ended a story about accepting and enjoying her silver grey hair, Aunty piped in, “Me too!”
One of the woman there pointed out what her hair looks like before she goes to see her hairdresser, the clash of new growth and old color. Aunty shared her tip about fast color, passed out her HonoluluAunty.com business cards, and promised an update on her blog, and here it is.
Aunty fighting grey
It is a pain to color hair roots. Unfortunately it is a necessary chore because it looks terrible when the white new growth shows in stark contrast to the old colored parts, kinda like a skunk stripe. About once a month, the tedious task of applying color with gloves, waiting, rinsing, and conditioning would be done.
One day, Aunty started thinking of how to fix her part of white in her sea of dark hair because she had to go out and did not have the time or energy to color her roots. Aunty went into her craft room and grabbed a stamp pad of brownish copper since it was close to Aunty’s current hair color dye.
With gentle strokes of the pad, being careful not to get the color on skin, grey hair began to disappear like brushstrokes.
It worked!
This is a great temporary fix – not perfect but great for a one night stand when you really need to look like your hair is one color instead of in need of a trip to L’Oreal.
Tacky with room for improvement
Aunty used ColorBox chalks in the video below. The shape of the stamp pad is easy to hold and apply with precision. It wipes/washes out easily with water but feels a bit sticky and tacky with a tendency to rub off so use sparingly and wipe away when you get home to prevent rubbing color where you do not want (i.e. your pillow case). Do not use permanent ink stamp pads – those are not good on your skin or hair.
Aunty will do a bit more research on other types of stamp inks and types later when time allows a trip to our local Ben Franklin craft store. If you have success or disaster with other brands, please leave a comment below so others can learn and share.
And now, for the ladies at the YWCA, Here’s Aunty!
Aunty likes to talk to strangers, especially when waiting in lines or when nothing is going on.
At Kozo Sushi Kahala, Aunty was next to KITV4’s strikingly beautiful news anchor, Yunji deNies. Yunji was one of the MCs at the recent Cherry Blossom Festival Ball, so not only was she kinda famous, she was also kinda connected, if you understand local da kinds.
Anywho, Yunji was really nice and friendly, and she also shared a great tip with Aunty! It is the Bishop Estate’s free Malama app that gives discounts at many businesses that are located on Bishop Estate properties (i.e. LOTS of places such as most of the shopping centers and malls). The neat thing about it is how it can pull up the discounts based on where you are geographically on the islands. She whipped out her iPhone, and she got her sushi platter at Kozo for a special price!
It was so easy to download the Malama app. If you have a hard time doing so, visit the helpful people at any Apple Store. Update note: This app freezes if you have the latest operating system on iPhones. Aunty didn’t upgrade to the ios8 so her Malama app still works. Hopefully the good folks at Kamehameha Schools fix this glitch in the near future.
Key elements of the Mālama Card iPhone Application:
All Mālama Card merchants are located on Kamehameha Schools’ commercial properties. These properties include Royal Hawaiian Center, Windward Mall, Pearlridge Center, Kahala Mall, Kapālama Shopping Center, as well as Waipahu, Waiakamilo, Kaka’ako, Keauhou, and Hawai’i Kai. Income from the school’s commercial leases fund KS’ campus and community outreach programs throughout the state.
Kamehameha Schools is a private, educational, charitable trust founded and endowed by the legacy of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Kamehameha Schools operates a statewide educational system enrolling more than 6,900 students of Hawaiian ancestry at K-12 campuses on O’ahu, Maui and Hawai’i and 31 preschool sites statewide. Approximately 37,500 additional Hawaiian learners are served each year through a range of other Kamehameha Schools’ outreach programs, community collaborations and financial aid opportunities in Hawai’i and across the continental United States.
Isn’t this a nifty app to have – save money at all kinds of places, all over Hawaii, for free? Yunji got her Kozo Sushi Kahala discount on sushi platters right off the bat. Next time, Aunty will too, as well as 10% off at one of Aunty’s favorite lunch places next door, Ba-Le (note update: Ba-Le doesn’t honor the discount. Oh well, it is still one of Aunty’s favorites – their beef stew is delicious as well as their tofu sandwich.)
Mahalo much, Yunji! So glad to have a nice new niece!
Parmarion martensi
Do you have “symptoms that are flu-like and usually start with a headache, most often severe, and stiffness in the neck? There may be fever, joint pain, fatigue and nausea. The skin may feel itchy, like something crawling under it, and then become extremely sensitive to touch.”
Aunty has a little garden that is somewhat successful and sometimes not. Currently there are 3 kale “trees”, chili plants, Thai basil, and a crop of manoa lettuce. The other day we harvested 3 heads of lettuce and had a fresh salad with dinner.
Rosie’s boyfriend had a little cute slug on his leaf and we threw it out. Daughter #1 had rinsed the leaves off minimally in a colander and was chided to carefully wash each leaf next time.
Serendipity
The very next day, Aunty’s good friend Bocho sent an email about the invasion of Rat Lungworms in Hawaii. Yeow!! That cute little slug kinda looked like the one in the picture…
The good news for Honolulu folks is that problem seems endemic to the Big Island, the carriers are rats and flatworms. It is not so much the species of slugs and/or worms that are the problem. It is the parasite that they contain, even in their slime trails.
Information shared
Aunty sent off the link to the Rat Lungworm article to the kids, and daughter #3 reported having a headache and swollen gums. Yikes!
Fortunately swollen gums are not listed as a symptom, BUT, better to be safe and treat it as a possibility of disorder.
Parasites, parasites, everywhere
We ALL have parasites. Some scientists that believe that parasites cause all diseases. When our bodies are in balance with a strong immune system, parasites are kept at bay. Sometimes, parasites can become invasive to the point of disease.
When Aunty was a little girl growing up in Palolo Valley, Mother used to make us take a powdered concoction in a paper envelope whenever “worms” were suspected. The telltale signs were skin trails that showed up under our skin. Not sure what kind of worms we had – possibly ring worms from running around barefoot, climbing trees and wading in streams – but we downed the powder, and worms be gone.
Boost and Blast
Aunty has a cabinet full of herbs and supplements waiting for their day of usefulness. Daughter #3 will be de-wormed and de-parasited with a product called “Paratox”. Her immune system will be boosted with echinacea and other immune boosting supplements. She will be detoxified with teas and drink a lot of water.
This protocol will have the effect of blasting, cleansing and boosting, which is good in any situation.
Nature
Our bodies are amazing creations of complex workings. Nature is amazingly marvelous, and simple. Living in Hawaii, Aunty’s only beef with Nature is, why do we have mosquitos and flies?
Humans are both productive and destructive. Wonderful man made discoveries are sometimes re-engineered, warped, or overused. Antibiotics fit this description.
IAO (in Aunty’s opinion), we are straying too far away from nature for our problems. But, that is a post that will fill another page in the future.
To do
For now, Aunty will ask that you make sure you wash each leaf of lettuce thoroughly before eating. If you have any of the above symptoms, please seek treatment.
Update
The link to the rat lungworm article is no longer working. Not sure what happened. It may be that the number of cases is very limited – seems like there was one bad case in 2009 and 9 more in 2011, all of them from the Big Island – so the powers that be decided to pull the article.
Anywho, here’s a link to a health alert article from a Public Health LabLog about Hawaii’s rat lungworm problem.
From duckling…
Aunty has had life on hold for the last few months and Sunday night was a pushing point out of the house since our youngest was crowned a princess in the Cherry Blossom Festival Ball!
It brought back a long ago memory at her preschool graduation ceremony 20 years ago. Dressed in mini cap and gowns, each graduate had their shining moment on stage at which they shared their life goals as 5 year olds. Some said they wanted to be doctors, bus drivers, or mommies.
Rosie announced that she was going to be a princess!
Congratulations, Princess Rosie!
Princess Rosie of the 63rd Cherry Blossom Festival Court, 3rd from right next to Queen Kim
Aunty is getting to the age of having her mother’s body. Slow, achy, stiff, and sedentary. Lately, this happens in the morning, then disappears during the day once activities get going.
It isn’t fun, becoming one’s mother. We rather be forever young, but it isn’t going to happen without some help.
Today’s email from LiveInTheNow.com was about a muscle (fascia) causing pain, and the answer to it was stretching. Somehow, we all know that stretching is good for us, but how many of us actually do it?
An handy pictorial chart of stretches had Aunty whipping through most of them. Many were familiar, all of them easy. The credits went to a site that was no longer accessible, so mahalo anyways to the uncredited originator.
Here’s the chart, happy stretching, to your youthful health!
