Testimonials
Buyers Testimonials:
02/28/07
To Whom It May Concern:
The journey to buying your first home can be rather intimidating. In the beginning stages of our journey we had several conversations w/potential realtors, but felt they didn't quite have that caring, supportive, passionate attitude that we were looking for. Not to mention that comfortable feeling so that we wouldn't feel pressured into making the wrong decision.
A friend of ours highly recommended Kealoha Caldeira. She said that Kealoha was the type of realtor that wouldn't be satisfied until her client was. She also went on to say that Kealoha was very passionate about her job and possessed strong integrity. We couldn't wait to meet her.
Within days, we received a folder from Kealoha containing numerous letters of recommendations from satisfied customers, the awards Kealoha had won, a personalized letter to us and informationabout buying a new home. We were so impressed that someone would take the time to put this together for us and by the wonderful things that were said by her customers, we immediately called her to set up a meeting date.
We met Kealoha at Starbucks and there is no other way to describe the feeling we got within the first five minutes of meeting her except to say that she has this positive energy about her and you can instantly feel her passion and sincerity.
Our conversation w/Kealoha that day didn't feel like we were meeting her for the first time or that we were meeting our potential future realtor. It felt like we were catching up with anold friend. She shared many personal experiences w/us andhelped steer us in the right direction as to what we should be looking for. We didn't feel any pressure at all and the most important part is that we felt we could really trust her to help us make a very important decision for our future. We found our realtor!
Kealoha communicated in great detail w/us during the entire process of our home buying experience and always answered questions about things that we were unclear of. Without Kealoha's support, we wouldn't have had such an enjoyable experience. For Kealoha, this wasn't work, you could tell it was personal.
Today we closed on our house and of course Kealoha called to congratulate us and ensured that we were confortable w/everything. She added her personal touch once again.
Now we find ourselves wearing different shoes. We are those friends who are highly recommending Kealoha Caldeira as your realtor with that added personal touch.
Truly, Chevalier Place III and Dayna Ajala
11/23/06
We are writing with much gratitude and appreciation for the invaluable help and guidance we received infinding our first home in Hawaii. My wife and I both grew up in Hawaii and have been away from home, living on the mainland for the last 14 years. Over this period of time away from home, we had a chance to work with a handful realtors that exemplified a wide variety of professional strengths and weaknesses. After purchasing and selling a home in the ultra competitive bay area real estate market, we felt that we had a more than adequate amount of experience with the home purchasing process. This was until we had a chance to work with Kealoha Caldeira from Island Heritage Realty.
Never before have we had a realtor provide the level of service and compassion in the home buying process. From day one, we were treted like family and we knew from the start that we had made the right decision to work with her. Kealoha's experience of over 25 years in the Hawaii real estate market allowed us to find the home of our dreams during and extremely chaotic time of moving, selling a home, and air travel on a weekly basis while starting a new business venture. Her vast knowledge of the real estate market in different areas kept us focused on what mattered most, our goals and personal preferences. We were always provided witha flawless and unbiased analysis of the available properties on the market. Time and time again, Kealoha earned our trust by making sure that we were comfortable in the home buying process, always placing our best interests as her goal. Her keen business sense helped us avoid overpriced properties and allowed us to focus on the home we wanted most.
After finding the home we wanted, Kealoha's work intensified as she aggressively covered every detail imaginable. Her tenacious negotiation skills were unmatched as we successfully went into escrow after three counter offers on an amazing purchase price, almost ten percent below current appraisal value. Her dedicated follow up skills and constant coordination with the seller, homeowners association, escrow agent, and mortgage broker made the process painless and worry free for us as buyers. The entire process from beginning to end was an absolute pleasure due to the countless hours of hard work done by her on our behalf. Even after closing escrow and recording, Kealoha contined to follow up with whatever we needed, helping us with repairs, maintenance, and remodeling work as we speak.
Today is November 23, 2006. It is Thanksgiving Day and as we write this letter from our office located in the home our dreams, we must take this opportunity to express how truly thankful we are for all of the love and hard work done by "Aunty K" for treating us like family and carrying us through the home purchasing process. We are confident that we are not the first, and will certaininly not be the last family to have the pleasure of working with such a wonderful friend and realtor. Thanks again, Aunty K!
Sincerely, Drake and Brandi Parker
10/25/06
We wanted to write to express our sincere appreciation for your help in finding us our very first home. From the beginning, after speaking with a variety of realtors at may open houses, you stood out. You took initiative at our very first meeting, and you just seemed like you were honest and you really cared - especially about helping the local people of Hawaii.
Thank you for offering us an objective viewpoint on each house we were interested in touring, thereby helping us with our decisions. As first-time home buyers, it was also important that we received education about the entire process of buying a home, and we thank you for "holding our hand" througout. You are indeed knowledgeable about aspects of realty, and furhtermore we were impressed by your willingness to research questions you couldn't answer right away. You were always expedient in returning our calls, as well.
In addition, aside from being friendly and accommodating, you have also demonstrated a "can do" attitude in addressing any issues that arose along the way. Because of your enormouse help, obvious experience, and integrity throughout the process, which we know can be stressful at times, we are deeply appreciative and would not hesitate to recommend your services to any prospective buyer.
We know you are dedicated to making your customers happy. We thank you for your patience and tenacity, and we pray God's continued blessings upon you and more successess to come. Mahalo!
Sincerely, Mr. & Mrs. Paul ad Mardelle Gustilo
5/25/06
Herman, Kaimana and i would like to express our warmest gratitude to you and your realty skills. We started off unsure and hesitant of the world of home purchase but ou made everything great. Thank you for your patience, knowledge, compassion and honesty.
Our home purchase started off rocky but you smoothed everything out and always made sure we were happy and educated. Your knowledge and experience always showed in your explanations and understanding. We are glad that we made the choice to have you represent us in the purchase of our first home. Our family will always be grateful to you.
We would be happy to refer you and your skills to all of our family and friends who will be taking the path of home purchase. We have been blessed having met you. Thank you for being a great realtor and a new found friend.
Aloha, The Troche's - Herman, Nicole and Kaimana
3/8/06
It was a great pleasure working with you. You've done an excellent job with our dual purchase. We've received an offer on our townhome within 2 weeks of it going on the market. You had us moving in to our new home within the next month. Everything went so smoothly, we couldn't ask for a better realtor.
Working with you was a great experience; you show a high degree of knowledge & passion of your profession. You're dedication is un-describable, when things got tough around the edges you were there to smooth them out. When things were over ourheads, you were there to put them in lames terms.
Thank you for everything, your hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated. We will recommend your services to our family and friends.
Sincerely, Wallace & Stephanie Young
12/8/05
Joyce and I were indeed very fortunate to have acquired your services, par excellence, that ultimately gave us thekey to our new residence inKane'ohe. In the short time from Open-House day on November 6, 2005 to closing December 8, 2005, the day the deed was recorded, you patiently steered us through this maze of transactions, paperwork, explanations in detail on any ambiguous terms and highlighting important details before initialing, assistance with clear, honest, and indisputable language on the disclosure statement, and frustrations in wheeling and dealing with the Seller's agent. You also totally understood at the time that the idea of buying never ever entered our minds. My first mpression was very negative - too much house, yard, glass, and money - the only positive was that three of my children lived nearby.
Nevertheless, you arrived on November 7, 2005 armed with the tools of your trade. You gave us the Full Report on the house including Public Records Info and Comparative Market Analysis of available and sold homes. You advised us on the initial offer and after some counter offers from both sides, we finalized, although at one point, we almost walked away. However, you cared enough to let us make up our own minds because you wanted us to be happy with our choice, sale or no sale.
When the time came to put our St Louis house on the market, it was a given that you alone would be the one to represent us. When reality set in, all of our immediate family had personal, sad, happy, and mized emotions as we recalled fond memories and good and not so good times of 55 years on the hill.
So, we followed your advice by having the entire house painted, inside and out, installed new flooring and carpeting, took care of needed repair work, and anything else requiring attention. On February 5, 2006, the house was in unoccupied, move-in condition and you held your first open house. We were optimistic at first because comparable asking prices of homes on the hill as well those recently sold were encouraging and we were hoping to find a qualified buyer real soon. But the market turned to buyer and sales were slowing, homes were plentiful, and we had to become motivated sellers even though we earlier had set a sell deadline for September 2006 and it was met because on August 15, 2006, we successfully closed with your Escrow Officer who also made arrangements to payoff our mortgage balance from the proceeds as a favor to you I would also add to your cadre of co-professionals, your Loan Officer who qualified us for the loan in a quick and efficient manner, your Home Inspector who did a thorough job and reported findings that needed attention and prioritized them, your Electrician who updated wiring and did additional services we requested, your Moving Specialist who did it all without incident, your Handyman who took care of incidentals in a professional manner, also your Termite Inspector and Surveyor. And best of all and well deserved, they expressed their pleasure in working with you.
Throughout this entire, stressful, and awesome experience of buying, signing, haggling, packing, sorting, trashing, moving, prepping, and finally selling in eight anxious months is not what 70-and-80 somethings normally do but we can truly say now that we are extremley pleased with how it all turned out and all to the better. To the many praiseworthy testimonials bestowed upon you by grateful clients, I would add the qualities that best describe your dedication to your profession: responsibility, respectability, resourcefulness, reliablity, and resilience.
We know that we would not ever want to try this again but who knows? We did it once before on an impulse withno idea what was in store for us. If so, we will certainly request your services again and will gladly refer anyone who cold and would benefit from your services. Whenever you signed off at our meetings, you always asked us if we are happy? Yes, Ke, we are happy -
Yours truly, E. and Joyce Kalai
06/09/05
Brenda and I would like to express our sincere gratitude to you for guiding us through the perilous 1031 exchange process.
From the beginning when we asked you to be our realtor your professionalism, experience, integrity, and attention to detail were qualities we wanted representing us. Your Calendar of events kept us inform of what was going on, we knew what, where and when from the beginning to the end. Every detail explained thoroughly in sequential steps.
When the seller had thing in her favor, you negotiated the contract back and forth with our best interest at heart; your intervention, and experience leveled the playing field. The working relationship you have with other agencies and network of professional contacts made financing and closing a breeze. . .Your reputation in the industry and no nonsense approach have allowed clients like us to benefit tremendously. In our 1031 exchange you went above and beyond your area of responsibility. Your professional advice helped us get our Hilo realtor on track so we could close on time.
We are looking forward to our next Real Estate transaction in the coming weeks. We are confident that you will do an outstanding job again, and we are highly recommending you to family and friends.
Sincerely,
Edwin & Brenda Kalilikane
09/30/04
In today's low inventory tight market fast pace, buy, sell, list, trade, and exchange, being in escrow for 7 months can leave a buyer wide open to doubts, confusion, worry, anticipation, and even constipation.
Ms. Kealoha was in control of our transaction from the moment our offer was accepted. With her commitment to close every transaction and her outstanding proven record of that commitment any and every doubt that the seller and the seller's agent had had been relinquished. She took the bull by the horns and walked us through the insurmountable confusion that plagued us especially with a transaction of this length.
Worry was another menacing factor for us with the threat of interest rates on an up swing and the high demand placed on a tight market and prices soaring to unreachable heights, Ms. Kealoha was phenomenal and extremely confident every step of the way. In anticipation of delays and more delays and everything that could and would to wrong, Ms. Kealoha was able to diminish problems with minimal apprehension and smooth application. Keeping all parties level headed and able to meet deadlines ensuring us another step closer to closing.
In no means was this transaction, easy or simple or smooth or short. Ms. Kealoha worked hard to help us realize a dream of a lifetime. Such was the way in which Ms. Kealoha conducted business. Ms. Kealoha, not only applied her self, she was accountable and took her job to high levels. We are ever so grateful to her for being the paste that kept our transaction glued.
Ms. Kealoha advised us that the list price was justified and provided comparables of other closed properties helping us to understand the market and to make an offer that would secure acceptance. Ms. Kealoha went over the DROA explicitly and exhaustively. She made plain the complications and answered the many questions we had enabling us to clearly understand the extent of the contract. She exhibited patience and was willing to entertain any questions or concern and provide the full impact of each contingency triggering urgency where necessary.
Ms. Kealoha constantly keep us informed of what was or wasn't happening. She provided us with copies of every piece of paper we signed and other paper we did not sign too. Ms. Kealoha and the seller's agent worked hand in hand trying to pull it altogether. We never had to call her for an update. She just knew and it was provided in a timely manner.
Ms. Kealoha anticipated the time frames and ensured that we were given at least 3-4 names of home inspectors, insurance agents and appraisers, termite companies and pool people. She had a good handle on each company and knew either the head personal and/or the owners personally. She was able to give us an approximate price so we were not blind sided. This made us feel comfortable and prepared us financially.
Ms. Kealoha did not hesitate when she felt that we were not being dealt a fair hand she went to bat for us. She was articulate, sensitive, reasonable and affluent. All in all, it is a battle of compromise, meeting of minds, communication and commitment ensuring the high levels of good business practice.
Arthur and Allene Uesugi
Waianae, Hawaii
09/29/04
My nominee for the 2004 Aloha Aina Peoples Choice Award is Kealoha Caldeira of Island Heritage Realty.
I am a first-time homebuyer. For the past few years, I have considered purchasing a home but was apprehensive about making such a huge commitment. I knew one certainty: if I didn't take the chance, my goals would never be realized.
Who do you trust to guide you in this endeavor? I was fortunate to meet up with Kealoha -- she was my agent. I felt entirely confident that Kealoha would look our for my best interests. Her knowledge, experience, and willingness to go that extra mile made the entire purchase process relatively painless.
Very sensibly, credit reporting and budgeting were the first items on the list. When I felt intimidate by the impact to my personal finances, Kealoha assured me and suggested several options to meet my new expenses. In no time at all, the pre-qualifying was done, and the whirlwind began. One day we went to look at property, the next day an offer was made, and a short time later, I moved in.
Buying a home was a real education for me. Kealoha make the time to answer my questions and explain every detail. She made sure I was comfortable with each decision, and she was mindful of all deadlines. When obstacles arose, Kealoha truthfully explained the situation and immediately called upon her professional contacts to address the issues. Her caring attitude, thoroughness, and reliability are the very reasons I want to nominate Kealoha for your award. In my eyes, she is the clear choice to win!
Sincerely,
Liliana Kalai
Sellers Testimonials:
November 2006
Dear Ke,
...On August 15, 2006, we successfully closed with your Escrow Officer who also made arrangements to payoff our mortgage balance from the proceeds as a favor to you. I would also add to your cadre of co-professional, your Loan Officer who qualified us for the loan in a quick and efficient manner, your Home Inspector who did a through job and reported findings that needed attention and prioritized them, your Electrician who updated wiring and did additional services we requested, your Moving Specialist who did it all without incident, your Handyman who took care of incidentals in a professional manner, also your Termite Inspector and Surveyor. And best of all and well deserved, they expressed their pleasure in working with you.
Throughout this entire, stressful, and awesome experience of buying, signing, haggling, packing, sorting, trashing, moving, prepping, and finally selling in eight anxious months is not what 70- and 80-somethings normally do, but we can truly say now that we are extremely pleased with how it all turned out and all to the better. To the many praiseworthy testimonials bestowed upon you by grateful clients, I would add the qualities that best describe your dedication to your profession: responsibility, respectability, resourcefulness, reliability, and resilience.
Yours truly,
Edwin & Joyce Kala`i
9/29/06
Aloha kakou:
It is a pleasure to write to you on behalf of Ms. Kealoha Caldeira, the realtor who handled a recent Kaimuki property sale for my family in Hilo. I understand that you have teamed with First Hawaiian Bank and The Honolulu Advertiser to honor excellence in the real estate industry, Ms. Caldeira is a strong candidate.
As you can well imagine, selling a piece of property on another island was a challenge because of the distance from Hilo and my family’s unfamiliarity with real estate transactions My 75-year-old mother, particularly, had many concerns –perhaps even doubts—about who to trust to handle the sale. We were thrilled to learn that our childhood hanai family member, Kealoha Caldeira, was a realtor.
Contracting Kealoha became the first step in a process that was handled very professionally. My mother felt her fears dissipate because of Kealoha's special approach, i.e., her ability to communicate complex laws and propose strategies that made sense in today's market.
We always felt that Kealoha was acting on our behalf with an approach that was marked by good communication, honesty, and a dynamic energy. She was in contact with us repeatedly, keeping us aware of changes in trends, letting us know how things were progressing and making suggestions that helped us weigh one decision against another. Her approach can be characterized by the old acronym, “TLC.” We felt the respect she had for our decisions and the concern she deeply felt about a positive outcome.
Our family would like to see Kealoha honored for her tireless dedication to her profession. She deserves recognition for adhering to high standards and maintaing a professional approach at every turn - and there were many turns and twists in this sale! We learned quickly that we could rely on Kealoha to guide us through the rocky times. Her personal approach was such a comfort!
Please consider this a hearty recommendation for the quality of work done by Kealoha Caldeira. We believe that we’re not alone in receiving such care. Kealoha’s diligence is her mode of operating. It shone through in all our meetings, phone calls, and deliberations. We rest assured that it is a quality that defines Kealoha and all that she accomplishes.
`O au me ka `o ia I`o,
(Professor) Jackie Pualani Johnson
Hilo, Hawaii
8/14/06
Dear clients,
I would like to extend a gracious referral of Kealoha and the hard, dedicated, professional and conscientious work that she will do for you in your real estate needs.
She handled a tough and arduous sell of property for me and made sure everything went through even though our first buyers backed out. Her efforts were top notch and she worked another deal to completion as well as helpedmake things right with me and the first buyers. She will help correspond with you on details, by phone, e-mail, letters and faxes and always goes by to check on the property (as I was on the mainland), of which she stepped up to even take care of minor repairs as well. Kealoha will also make sure the title company and others are doing the right thing for you.
I hope that she can help you with your needs and you will find that she stands up to a code of ethics and is very dedicated to her craft. Do not hesitate in using Kealoha for your realtor as I found my experiences with her to be very good.
My best wishes and aloha spirit,
John E. Younger
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
7/15/06
My wife and I would like to express our thanks for your assistance in the sale of our home in Waipio Gentry.
From our first meeting with you, we ould tell that you were someone we could trust. That became evident as you continued to provide us with insights on the market, advice on creating important "curb appeal", and recommendations for pricing strategies.
We truly appreciated your persistence in organizing the numerous open houses (rain or shine) that introduced our hose to many potential buyers. In today’s world where everything seems to be done by email or text messages, hour open communication by a hone call was refreshing. It made us feel that our home sale was as important to you as it was to us.
Once again, thank you for all your effort, and we both would certainly recommend you as a realtor.
Sincerely,
Lani & Colleen Furuya-Smithson
10/21/05
Mahalo for guiding us in every step of the real estate transaction from the open houses to the actual closing of the property. Without your knowledge& assistance in helping us make important decisions, we would have never been able to sell this property within 2 months. Selling our property in the condition of an “as is” is a difficult task, but you gave us your positive attitude that it can be done as long as we have the patience. Well, it paid off & we are very satisfied with you being our realtor.
Clayton & Halili Balisbisana
Dear Kealoha,
I would like to thank you for all the work you did to help me sell my property in Mililani. I've worked with other realtors in the past and have never had someone go beyond the call so many times as you've had. You bent over backwards to get all the details in order, even when I asked for multiple things at the last minute.
I would definitely recommend that others call you for their real estate needs. You only had my best interest in mind whenever I needed you.
Your professionalism is appreciated. Anyone who needs your services should call only you. My neighbors are also looking at selling soon and they already have your business card.
Thanks again Kealoha. Take Care.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Ishimine
05/23/05
Dear Kealoha,
Thank you for making the sale of my property a pleasant experience. I live in the mainland and this distance could add more problems. If there were any, you handled it with such professionalism I was unaware of any obstacles.
I appreciated your knowledge of the marketplace. You knew exactly what the market value was and I got the value plus a quick sale. Your prompt actions to ordering all documents made the process run with ease. You were also great in assisting me with drafting the letters I needed to write to my management agency. You kept me well-informed throughout the whole process so I had no doubt what stage the sale was in. You were responsive to not only my concerns but also to the tenant who was also the buyer.
I have mentioned the knowledge and expertise that you brought to the sale of my unit. I now want to express my thank you for your personal qualities that made the sale a success for all parties. You made yourself always available, you respented my interests and you were certainly very easy to talk to and those qualities were genuine.
I would certainly recommend you to my friend and relatives.
Thank you again for providing me a great service.
Sincerely yours,
Susan Oberdorfer
Discovery Bay, CA
01/24/05
Dear Kealoha,
I would like to take the time to thank you for your assistance in helping me in the sale of my property. You were very dependable, knowledgeable and kind throughout the transaction. Your hard work and dedication made the sale go smoothly and I am grateful for this.
I appreciate the great lengths you took to assist me in my time of need, including: taking me to purchase a new stove, driving me to appointments to meet the tenant, and assisting me in the termination of the tenant¿s lease. I thank you for your patience and the time you took to answer all my question throughout our transaction.
In the future, I will continue to use you in the sale of my properties. I would highly recommend you to my family and friend because of your excellent job in selling my condo.
Sincerely,
Chau Ferguson
01/10/05
Today is recording day! No, we¿re not musicians cutting a CD¿we¿re finalizing the sale of our first purchased home.
A few short months ago we contracted the sevices of Kealoha Caldeira to assist us in the sale of our property. From our initial meeting we came away confident that we had certainly selected the right person. Kealoha¿s knowledge of the industry and what we can expect as sellers was indeed impressive. Needless to say, the downside was also mentioned but her upbeat and positive professionalism put our concerns and worries to rest. In hind sight, it certainly confirms that the results of the strategy laid out by our agent reflect the skills and experience of a true veteran of the industry. Our ¿best interest¿ was always her foremost consideration.
Even the best laid plans go amiss at times. Our house, upon inspection have more that just ¿wear and tear¿ damage that could be corrected with cosmetic touch ups covered by the deposit. Although the house was to be sold ¿as is¿ a few things needed professional attention. Kealoha was able to arrange the repair and replacement of these items in an extremely cost effective and timely manner.
Everything done from start to completion was not only done with our affirmation but also documented and signed when necessary. Kealoha not only explained the situation but walked us through the steps of every change that came about. Many evenings were spent on our dining table where Kealoha would come over to explain an occurrence and secure signatures.
Trustworthy, a person of integrity and hard-working describes our agent. We have certainly learned a lot about the real estate industry in these past few months not only from correspondence presented and issued but through personal contact with our agent, Kealoha Caldeira.
Mahalo & Aloha,
Ashford H. Kekaula
Iris I. Kekaula
