Barbara Abe, Your Hawaii Kai Realtor

The Makeke o Maunalua Farmers' Market has a new name, but its mission remains to serve as the weekly community social for East Oahu residents to support local farmers.  Opened a month ago in the parking lot of Kaiser High, it is now called the Hawaii Kai Farmers Market and has a definite community focus.In addition to fruits and ...

Of 372 cities tracked by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Honolulu continues to have good numbers.  The seasonally not-adjusted rate of 5.2% for Honolulu tied it with Billings, MT, as the 14th lowest, according to figures released by the agency. Bismark, N.D., had the distinction of having the lowest level of joblessness of the cities at ...

You've probably seen on my Hawaii Kai Local Events page the solar open houses recently held in Hawaii Kai.  Solar has a strong foothold here, and obviously Hawaii has the resource to make it a big industry.  I've wondered for years why every house didn't have a solar hot water heater, but I guess the time is finally ...

During weekends in May, all nationwide Costcos will be raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, to assist local hospitals with essential equipment. The Hawaii Kai Costco is attracting donations with music and food events contributed by area restaurants. The money raised will go to the Kapiolani Medical Center for women and ...

The city of Honolulu wants to establish a Board of Water Supply base yard in east Oahu, and oe of the sites under consideration is within Koko Head District Park.  The proposed site is less than 1,000 feet from homes on Kekupua Street and would occupy roughly two of 19 acres once used by Job Corps, a youth job training facility. City ...

HB 1808 has been introduced in the Legislature to control shoreline access, and stop illegal acquisition of beachfront shoreline by homeowners.  Both sides see a need to keep beach access free of barriers to the public. The bill passed out of the House and was sent to the Senate, where the committees on Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian ...

The Honolulu Advertiser reports that Hawai'i is one of 29 states that have joined with the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition to call for policies increasing the amount of renewable energy use and for more support for improvements to electric transmission systems.  The goal is 20% of their electricity from sustainable sources.  ...

The news this week brought the sad tale of an 82-year-old Aiea man who gave his power of attorney to an acquaintance, who then used it to strip his bank account, get credit cards in his name, and a reverse mortgage that put him in debt over $750,000. While the theft is under investigation by the state Dept. of Human Services Adult Protective ...

The Hawaii Geographic Information Coordinating Council will award a $1,000 scholarship to a deserving student who shows an appreciation for and understanding of geography and geographic information systems. Applications for the Mark Lierman Memorial Scholarship are available at www.higicc.camp8.org/awards and must be postmarked no later than April ...

A recent article in RisMedia explored home trends for this coming year.  They discuss several developments you may see some or all of in Hawaii Kai. 1.  Glitsy Glamour is out, Comfort is In:  home crafts and homey touches. 2.  Black walls.  Smaller rooms can look larger with a black wall.  Use crisp white trim ...