Tips for Hiring an Architect in Hawaii

Selling Your Oahu Home? Get a free home value report

Buying a Oahu home? Search all homes for sale

Today, we talk about selecting an architectural style for a recently purchased lot.

• Select a style and type of house prior to hiring an architect. Most architects prefer to work in one style.
• Browse online and in magazines for styles that would compliment your lot. These examples can provide you with the features. When you find those examples, research the architect that build those houses. Are they in your area? Are they accessible?
• Look at three architects before picking one. What happens in the beginning is crucial to the end result.

Thanks so much! I look forward to talking with you soon.

Financing Your New Construction Home

Selling Your Oahu Home? Get a free home value report

Buying a Oahu home? Search all homes for sale

After you've found the lot of your dreams, the next step is determining how you're going to purchase it and finance the building procedure.

First, go to your local banker and talk about your plan. Typically you want to buy the lot or the tear-down house with cash, and then finance the build and convert that loan into a permanent mortgage. This way, you don't have to deal with double-billing.

Again, you're looking to determine what your build cost will be. At that point, you need to hire an architect, lay out what you want, and how much you want to spend. Typically, architects charge between 10% and 20% of the build cost. Included in the architect's services is management of the general contractor and builder to make sure everything is done according to plan.

At that point, your architect will help you find a builder. If you have any other questions about the new construction process, please give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

Can We Help You Find Your Perfect Lot?

Selling Your Oahu Home? Get a free home value report

Buying a Oahu home? Search all homes for sale

Aloha! After listening to my last two videos on buying and building a home, you know it takes a while to find that perfect lot, perfect architect/builder, and all the other details that go into it. A smart thing to do if you are in this situation is hiring a real estate agent, who essentially works for free on this end. That’s because their commission is actually paid by the seller of the property for helping you find the perfect lot.

He or she often has contacts and knows about properties that are maybe a little off the beaten path or in secret locations in a given area. When it comes to the type of agent you should hire, we recommend looking for a CRS real estate agent, which is the highest designation you can get. It stands for certified residential specialist, and they do broker price opinions as well as regular sales.

When someone comes to me, if I don’t have a home that I’m working with a developer on, we do searches in the local area to find something appropriate. If you’re looking to find a lot here on Oahu, your best bet is visiting your friendly broker or agent, like myself. If you have any questions for me or about my team, feel free to give us a call or send us an email any time.