Hoali'i Kumulani Makakilo Kapolei

It started innocently enough.  "I wonder what's out there. . . "  If you're anything like us, this thought creeps in from time to time.  The walls get a little closer.  The ceilings a little lower.  The bathrooms a little scarce.  One MLS search later and you're in the full throws of House Fever.

This was the beginning of what is now our most favorite place in the world.  Our new home!

We're renting.  Dan wouldn't consider buying.  Something about our last home being brand new at $42 a square foot and not wanting to make the jump to $400+ a square foot.  I don't get it . . . but whatever.  Yet again we scored what we think is an incredible deal.  If we ever have to pay fair price for housing it will be a sad day for the Stanleys.

Here's how it works in Hawaii.  The owner of a home lists it with a Property Management Company, who then advertises the home.  It is usually posted for a week or two while they wait for people to make offers, based on the asking rent of the home.  At the end of the two weeks they compile all the offers and credit checks and present them to the owner, who then chooses the new tenant.

Here's how it works for the Stanleys.  We look for homes outside of our price range.  Then we tour the home and become convinced that we could never afford it.  Then we shoot in a major low-ball offer and expect to hear nothing about the home ever again.  Every once in a while we score big.  I have no idea how the owner is making a dime off of us and our silly offer, but here we are!

How it actually worked this time was we made the offer and a couple days later left for Christmas on the mainland.  Brilliant planning our our part.  We got the call in the middle of Big Family Christmas #1 that they had accepted our offer.  We about choked on our mashed potatoes.  They wanted us to move in on January 1.  This would be the day after Dan arrived back on the island.  The kids and I wouldn't arrive for another week after that.  Not only was our then current house NOT packed up, but the Christmas decorations were still up.  (If you've ever been to our house around Christmas, then you know what an ordeal that is.)  We negotiated to move in on the 11th, and Dan spent his week home alone packing the entire house.

On a side note, this was the easiest move I've ever had.  I now plan on being absent for the packing portion of all future moves.

 The kids and I landed in Hawaii on the 8th, we moved in on the 12th, and our first guests arrived on the 14th and 15th.  We're officially insane.

"Why?  We thought you loved your house!"  We've heard that a lot.  Truth is we DID love our house.  When it was just us.  However, we had company 9 weeks last year, and we already have company coming for 7 of the weeks this year.  We expect to have more when it's all said and done.  We LOVE company.  We also love not having to share a bathroom with a potty-training 3 year old boy when company is here.

The new pad is off-post.  We live in Hoali'i Kumulani Makakilo Kapolei.  Hahaha.  I just love saying that.  Makes me sound authentic Hawaiian.  It's just our street, subdivision, community and city.  Our new address actually is:

92-243 Hoali'i Pl.
Kapolei, HI 96707

Makakilo is an area built on the southern-most foothills of the Waianae Mountains.  This means we have a view.  And oh golly do we have a view.  We're talking Diamond Head, Honolulu, Pearl Harbor and the Ewa Plain all framed by the Pacific in one panoramic sweep.  Did I mention the sun rises right over Diamond Head this time of year?  We've taken a picture just about every morning.  Here are a few of the best ones, courtesy of Myra, my sister-in-law, who is our first official guest in the new place.

Come.  Come see.  We promise you your own bedroom with en suite bathroom.  No sharing with a potty-training 3 year old boy.  No sleeping across the hall from two toddlers who like to wake up in the middle of the night and yell random things to each other.  A view better than any you'd get from Waikiki.  Whale watching while you eat your breakfast.  The best weather on the island.  (You'd be surprised the difference 40 miles can make!)

Now accepting reservations for 2013-2014.  Your time is running out for free Hawaiian lodging.  You've already let one year slip away.  And if you came to visit us before, then it's time to come back.

Next blog on how to score free airfare . . .