Everything I Wish Every Family Knew Before They Landed

Hawaiʻi home prices are among the highest in the nation, which means the zero down feature saves Military Buyers a significant amount compared to conventional financing. The VA loan is not limited to starter homes. On Oʻahu it is used routinely across the full range of the market, especially with full entitlement.

To qualify you need to meet the VA service requirements, obtain a Certificate of Eligibility, and work with a VA approved lender. Your Realtor should also be experienced with VA transactions, because they move differently here than conventional deals do.

The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 eliminated VA loan limits for borrowers with full entitlement. That is a meaningful advantage on Oʻahu, where median prices sit well above the national figure.

If you have partial remaining entitlement from a prior VA loan you have not paid off, the conforming loan limit for Honolulu County applies. Borrowing above that threshold would require putting down 25 percent of the difference. Most Buyers on full entitlement never encounter this.

The Funding Fee is waived entirely for Veterans with a service connected disability rating of 10 percent or higher, for surviving spouses of Veterans who died in service, and in certain other qualifying circumstances. Always confirm your exemption status with your lender before closing, and verify current fee percentages, since they are set by the VA and can change.

Even with the fee rolled in, a VA loan is usually a stronger financial product than a conventional loan at 5 to 10 percent down, largely because it eliminates monthly private mortgage insurance entirely.

Some Sellers still carry outdated assumptions about VA appraisals or required repairs. An experienced Realtor knows how to address those concerns directly in the offer and during negotiation, and that local knowledge changes outcomes.

VA appraisals carry Minimum Property Requirements the home has to meet. Part of my job is identifying properties likely to run into VA appraisal complications before you ever write on them.

Assumptions require lender approval along with credit and income qualification. You cannot simply take over a loan without underwriting. If a non Veteran assumes the loan, the Seller's entitlement stays tied to that loan until it is paid off, which is a serious consideration for the Seller.

This is one of the most underused strategies available to Military Buyers right now. Ask me to flag assumable listings that fit what you are looking for.

If your score is not where you want it, a good local lender can walk you through an improvement plan months before your orders arrive. Common approaches include paying down revolving balances, disputing errors, and avoiding new hard inquiries. Even a modest improvement can change your rate in a market at these price points.

Lenders also evaluate your debt to income ratio. How your base pay and allowances are counted varies, so it is worth understanding that math with your lender before you start shopping.

Escrow and title: A neutral third party escrow company manages closing. No attorney is required. The escrow officer handles funds, documents, and coordination between everyone involved.

Timeline: A standard financed transaction closes in roughly 30 to 45 days from accepted offer. VA transactions often run 45 to 60 days because of the appraisal process. Build that into your PCS planning.

Earnest money: Deposits here typically run 1 to 3 percent of the purchase price, paid into escrow early. That money needs to be liquid and ready at the time you write the offer.

Termite inspection: This is not optional here. Get a full WDO report from a licensed inspector separately from your general inspection. VA lenders typically require it regardless.

Roof condition: UV exposure, trade winds, and heavy seasonal rain accelerate wear. Always get a remaining life estimate. Roof replacement on this island is expensive.

Additional dwelling units: If a home has a second unit, verify its permitting status with the City and County of Honolulu. Unpermitted work creates complications for VA appraisals, insurance, and future resale.

When a Tidewater notice is issued, the agents typically have 48 hours to submit supporting comparables. An agent who knows the local market can assemble a compelling set quickly, and that window is not the moment to be learning the process.

If the appraisal comes in below the contract price, you have options: renegotiate with the Seller, cover the gap in cash, or exit under your appraisal contingency. I structure offers with that possibility in mind from the start.

The main line items are title insurance for both lender and owner policies, the VA Funding Fee which can be rolled into the loan, prepaid property taxes and insurance, and lender origination fees.

Origination fees vary significantly between lenders, so always compare Loan Estimates from at least two. Negotiating Seller concessions toward closing costs is a standard strategy and I evaluate it on every offer we write.

The three active communities are:

• Hoʻopili by D.R. Horton, spanning Ewa Beach and Kapolei
• Kaʻulu by Gentry in Kalaeloa
• Koa Ridge by Castle & Cooke in Waipiʻo

An overview of all three, including what is releasing and how the process differs from a resale, lives on the new construction guide. Pricing and release timing move constantly, so I keep that current by hand rather than publishing figures that go stale.

The PCS specific consideration is timing. A home already under roof can work cleanly with a report date. A lot that has not broken ground may not. We look at build stage before we look at floor plans.

Because assignment is address based, school zone research belongs early in your neighborhood decision rather than late. I can pull the assigned campuses for any specific property you are considering.

Here is what I will not do, and I want to be direct about why. I will not rank schools for you or tell you which campus is better than another. Fair Housing law is clear that a Realtor cannot use school characterizations to steer Buyers toward or away from communities, and that is a line I hold carefully. What I will do is tell you exactly which campuses serve an address, point you to the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, where the enrollment boundaries and the published performance reports live, and let your Family draw its own conclusions.

Always verify current boundaries directly with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education before you write an offer. Boundaries are adjusted periodically, and a listing description is not a reliable source for this.

Private preschool and daycare options exist throughout the residential communities, though cost and availability vary. Hawaiʻi's cost of living extends here too, and this is a meaningful budget line worth planning for in advance.

Military OneSource provides childcare referral services specifically for relocating Families. Use it early in your planning rather than after you land.

In practice the difference looks like this:

• Screening properties for VA appraisal risk before you invest time in them
• Knowing which VA lenders on island close cleanly and which create delays
• Having an actual remote buying process rather than an improvised one
• Structuring Seller concessions correctly on a VA offer
• Catching leasehold and permitting issues before they become your problem
• Telling you what your specific commute actually looks like at 5:45am

This is the largest financial decision most Families make during a PCS, in an unfamiliar market, on a compressed timeline, often from thousands of miles away. That is not the moment for someone who works with Military clients occasionally.

Following the 2024 NAR settlement changes, written Buyer agency agreements are required before touring homes. I will walk you through mine so the terms are clear before we start.

Having your own representation protects your interests. A listing agent owes their fiduciary duty to the Seller. For an out of state Buyer navigating an unfamiliar market, having someone whose obligation runs to you is not optional.

This applies with particular force to new construction. The representative at a builder's sales office works for the builder, and you must register your Buyer's Agent before your first visit.

A few more worth asking:

• How do you support Buyers purchasing from the mainland without visiting first?
• What is the biggest mistake you see Families make when moving here, and how do you prevent it?
• Can you walk me through a VA transaction that got complicated and what you did?
• How do you handle communication across time zones?

Trust how the conversation feels. You should come away feeling guided rather than sold to. This decision deserves that 💜