Honolulu and Oahu
No matter where you’re from you’ve probably heard of Honolulu. Unless you’ve spend time in Hawaii, however, you may never have heard of Oahu. In reality, what most people call “Honolulu” is actually the island of Oahu. That is, the names are used interchangeably these days to mean the entire island on which the capital of Hawaii sits. Technically, though, Honolulu makes up only one small part of the island of Oahu – the urban center on the island’s southeastern shore.
The local government structure on Oahu backs up the practice of calling the whole island “Honolulu.” Established as a consolidated city-county in 1907, the City and County of Honolulu is divided into nine administrative districts that encompass the entire island of Oahu. Honolulu’s urban district serves as the state’s largest city and capital, while the county consists of a diverse group of unincorporated subdivisions, which are unofficial towns and cities. Some are surfing paradises and tourist havens, like North Shore and Waikiki, and others, like Kailua and Mililani, are residential bedroom communities for business professionals seeking a quieter life.
The spectacular scenery that dominates Honolulu, as well as its laid-back island vibe, makes it a desirable real estate hotspot. Today the housing trend in Honolulu is still strong compared to some mainland areas. In fact, according to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, in 2013 the residential real estate market continued to enjoy strong sales,
with thousands of homes changing hands at a median home price of $575,000.
Testimonials
“Team Lally helped me with the shortsale of an underwater, upsidedown mortgage. I am so glad I found them. Thanks.”
“Team-Lally Rocks! It’s great to be considered a part of the Team-Lally family! After 13 years away from Hawaii, and looking for a house on the Ewa plain, we hooked up with a Team Lally realtor who was showing a house that we visited. Throughout the buying process, the knowledgeable staff addressed any problems that we encountered and concerns that we raised. We left the process feeling that our interests were properly represented and protected. This is the very thing that we expect from my realtor and weren’t disappointed. Our relationship didn’t end there. Through customer appreciation events (great food and prizes), newsletters and other resources, we stay connected. Also, if we have a question about market trends or need a contact for everything from a mortgage broker for refinancing or a plumber, we send an email or pick up a phone for a quick response—in practice, this team is really a network of businesses that work well together to meet the many needs of the customer. This is what the relationship between customer and realtor should look like, but seldom does. If we buy or sell again, we know who we’re calling—Team Lally! Joe & Tammy Waligura.”
“Loved working with them! They completely understood the Military lifestyle and our needs and concerns! They were there to answer every question and help us work out any issues that came up resulting in an Excellent Sales Experience!”
“First conversation with Attilio Leonardi was a no pressure sales call. He was patient with all my questions, not hurried, and very knowledgeable about the short sale process. That helped establish trust and confidence in hiring their team. Other members of the team, with special mention to Howard Nett, all contributed to the successful negotiation. The short sale process was all together long and tedious; but as long as you commit to your part as a seller (i.e. providing necessary paperwork in a timely manner), team Lally will make the process as smooth and painless as possible with their professionalism.”
“We interviewed three different Realtors and we Team Lally were incredibly organized and impressive. We hired them to help us find a home in Hawaii. They had such great local knowledge and incredibly responsive. True Professionals!! Unfortunately, my job situation changed and we ended up not buying a home, but if we are coming back we know who we would work with. Team Lally is #1 in our book!”
“I walked away from my property three years ago and assumed that it would get foreclosed upon or just disappear….Three years later I was contacted by a tenant that was being rented the condo from a company that was operating illegally and claimed to have ownership of it….I contacted Team Lally and they were able to navigate these very difficult waters: me not having paid my mortgage for three years, a company claiming ownership, the condo association not happy because they were not paid for three years…Team Lally worked through all of this to complete a short sale of the property and I paid virtually nothing…I worked with other real estate companies in the past and Team Lally blows them away, I would highly recommend them for all your real estate needs”
“Working with Team Lally was fantastic! Celeste helped us to buy a new home and Adrienne and Atillio helped us to sell a home. Team Lally was responsive to all of our needs and questions. Team Lally exceeded our expectations!”
“Aloha! Calen at Team Lally has worked with my husband and I since day 1 of our search for our home. She was always so prompt with emails, house listings and also giving us an unbiased and honest opinion. She’s extremely knowledgeable about real estate and was constantly patient if we had any questions. She would always make sure that we could get the most bout of our money and would constantly be negotiating for us with our best interests at heart. She was on top of things and I didn’t have to go hunting for her or feel alone in this process. Our experience with working with Calen at Team Lally has been such a pleasant and personal experience that anyone should be blessed with! Elizabeth and Justin Munson”
“We had a friend that asked who could help their move to paradise. It sounds cool however they were stressed. After making a couple of calls, I knew who they needed to call. Team Lally exceeded their expectations and after the first call the stress level went way down. Thanks for your help. We can’t wait to make our visit and give you a hug in person.”
“We used Team Lally for BOTH Buying and selling our home, and without a doubt, would use and recommend them time and time again! They made each process easy and enjoyable, and was always there to answer any and all questions or concerns we had. Can’t give a stellar enough review to the excellent Team. Above and beyond, definitely customer service orientated! Thank you guys for all you have done for us!”