11/9/2023Trump Tower Waikiki will soon come under new management and is expected - starting February 2024 - to operate under the name of Wakea Waikiki Beach and be part of Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts, which is a small group of hand-selected luxury hotels.
Buying a condo in Waikiki sight unseen from the mainland could have been a scary, stressful and risky endeavor. But thankfully we had George to manage the transaction and he went above and beyond to help us with every step of the process. Working with him and his team made the whole experience easy and efficient which set our minds at ease immediately. We will definitely return for our future real estate needs. Mahalo George!
Melissa & Dylan Way - Los Angeles, California
"....extremely responsive...." Our experience with Hawaii Living realtor Tracy Yamato was superb! He is conscientious, very knowledgeable, patient with our many questions, extremely responsive, and when we asked his opinion, he told us what he thought politely. One could not have a better realtor for Oahu and Honolulu! Bravo Tracy! William L - Las Vegas, NV
"....best realtor we've every worked with." Tanner Botts is hands down the best realtor we've ever worked with. He quickly earned our business by clearly demonstrating that he had listened to - and understood - what we were looking for. Being spread as far as 13 hours apart (!!) during the homebuying process could have led to a great deal of frustration...but Tanner's positive attitude, lightning-quick communication, and willingness to drop everything and head to a property of interest made things surprisingly easy. He walked us through properties via video chat, going the extra mile to touch and describe surfaces and finishes - as well as offering refreshingly candid opinions - helping us to always feel fully informed. Rather than checking out once the purchase was on a glide-path (as many realtors we've worked with tend to do..), Tanner maintained clear and regular communication, routinely offering to host conference calls to give us weekly updates and a forecast of upcoming events. At no point did we ever feel that Tanner simply saw us as a transaction. If we ever purchase or sell another property on Oahu, we will certainly utilize Tanner again! Eric B. - Georgia
“I cannot thank her enough.”
Michelle is an absolute gem!! My mom moved out of the country and left her home in Hawaii for me to sell. I’m in Nebraska, half a country and an ocean away. Michelle was able to remodel the condo up to selling standards, deal with a difficult homeowner’s association, and sell the condo within a few months. All I did was sign the paperwork! I cannot thank her enough!! I’m so grateful for all her help and highly recommend Michelle to anyone interested in selling or buying a home.
Rebecca Tackett – Omaha, Nebraska
"....tremendous work ethic." Tracy Yamato has assisted our family in a number of real estate transactions, most recently, the sale of a condominium. As many others have observed, Tracy is not only extremely knowledgeable about the state of the real estate market, but he has a tremendous work ethic. His assistance does not stop when the contract has been signed; he stays on top of all the important dates and details leading to closing, and is quick to notify you when issues arise and returns calls very quickly. He also has a sense of humor, particularly with regard to some of the quirks in Hawaii real estate transactions. And he surfs! Tom Gorak - Baltimore, MD
"....generous, beyond measure...." Aloha! We got to the finish line in our long distance transaction, with Tanner Botts, from Hawaii Living, representing us, in the best possible way! Hawaii Living should be your first choice for your local or long distance Real Estate needs.
Tanner was incredible, and generous, beyond measure, ‘with his time and dedication to meet our expectations. Underneath Tanner’s calm, welcoming and confident demeanor and attitude, he is a fierce tiger, perusing all of transactional details while demonstrating the finest elements of a First Rate Real Estate Professional.
This was not, in any way, a simple, straightforward transaction! However Tanner and Hawaii Living, kept all of our transaction timelines and details in focus and with constant communication and dedication to our ever changing transaction, it was as if it were Tanner’s only priority, to stay on track and on time.
Tanner made all of the arrangements for our long distance viewing of the property, in concert with the sellers agent, and made the whole experience as if we were right there in the room with him! It was incredible!!
We highly recommend Tanner Botts and Hawaii Living for your next Real Estate venture.
Mahalo Hawaii Living - Warm Aloha Tanner! Randy Burden and Larry Barnes - Gold River, CA
"....genuinely likeable...." Best Realtor ever! George is very experienced in the Waikiki Condominium market. He is knowledgeable, works hard, and a genuinely likable man. I am so happy I selected George as my Realtor and I highly recommend you do too. Jo Brown
"....worry free...." Michelle Johnson and Amber Brown are the dynamic duo that you need when looking for a property! My Ohana have bought 3 properties (so far) with their help. They're so amazing with taking care of ALL of our needs! Appreciate their 5 Star Service in understanding our needs, walking us through this process (and holding our hand when needed) so that it is essentially pretty worry free on our part. Mahalo ladies! Lily
"....patient and thoughtful...." We have had the pleasure of working with Tanner Botts on two separate transactions (one on the Buy side and one on the Sell side). Tanner was exceptionally professional, responsive and knowledgeable on both transactions. He is patient and thoughtful, always using a measured approach that reassures me whether I am buying a home or selling a home, he has our best interest in mind and not just trying to close a deal. I would not hesitate to use or recommend Tanner for future transactions. Joanne K - Irvine, CA
"....familar with the rules...."
I visited Oahu for 5 weeks in October 2020. I enjoyed my time so much that I started to dream about owning property in Waikiki. While I was there, I called realtor George Krischke, and right from the start, he was incredibly helpful. I was interested in purchasing a condo unit that I could use for vacations and also use as an investment property. George was so knowledgeable about the entire Waikiki area and was really familiar with the rules governing rental properties. He made several great recommendations about different locations to check out. He took me to view all of the properties I was interested in and went above and beyond making sure to answer all of my questions. I didn’t buy anything in a October, but the following March I was ready to make an offer! He helped walk me through everything and my offer was accepted with NO counter offer. During the escrow process, which is extremely long in Hawaii, he was always available to answer any questions I had and always got back to me the same day even though I live in California.
He helped facilitate the inspection and even went to videotape the walkthrough so I could see the property. Did I mention I bought the unit SIGHT UNSEEN?! George had checked it out for me and sent me a link to a video that he made just for me.
Using George as my realtor was fabulous. He did such a great job from the initial offer to the close, that I recommended him to my mom, who just closed on a unit in the same building. He did a superb job handling her entire transaction as well. Thank you, George. We highly recommend you!
Kristen Bohnet - Palm Desert, CA
"....knowledge how things really work...."
Tracy is an absolutely exceptional realtor. One the one hand, he's very professional, making himself available at many hours throughout the day, quickly responding to text, phone and email messages. At the same time, he's also a really nice local guy, who is easy and comfortable to talk with, loves to surf, and loves the islands and our culture. He obviously loves his work, and has made a lifetime study of the real estate business, and real estate in Hawai`i in particular - he has extensive knowledge of how things really work, and the ability to explain things so that his clients can easily understand and work smoothly through every step of the buying and selling processes. He listened thoughtfully to our needs and wants, tirelessly showed us places we might like (sometimes at a moment's notice), and then based on our reactions, honed in on finding the place that was exactly what we wanted. He also gave us guidance about how to find excellent people to do the property inspection, pest inspection, plumbing work, and other projects, and shared his ideas about DIY things he felt we could handle ourselves. Now that we've moved, it's a no-brainer to decide who we want as a realtor to sell our old place - Tracy has earned our trust and our respect. Kenny H. - Home Buyer, Wilhelmina Rise
"....above and beyond...." When making the decision to purchase in Hawaii for the first time, I was given excellent advice- “Find the best agent”. I did! Tanner Botts was attentive to our needs, always responded in a timely manner (even with the three hour time difference), very informative and has a great knowledge of the area we were interested in. Tanner went above and beyond assisting with walk throughs and other appointments when we were not on the island. I highly recommend Tanner and would absolutely use him again for my next purchase or sale. Teresa R - San Diego, CA
"....instantly received a reply...."
Customer Service at it's best! I thought buying a condo from a long distance would be hard and complicated. I went through the Hawaii Living website which is great, sent an email and instantly received a reply from Michelle.
Michelle was very personable and easy to work with. She listened and understood what I was looking for and best of all, she took me on virtual tours. Setting up virtual appointments were easy and Michelle was very flexible, considering the time difference from Denver, CO to Honolulu, HI. Michelle made working with her "virtually" very easy.
Michelle educated me on the Hawaii market and her knowledge of real-estate is excellent. Within a few weeks, I bought a place virtually and closing was quick and easy. Michelle's virtual tour and descriptions were spot on and with her expertise and assistance, she ensured that my condo would be move in ready when I got to Hawaii.
Joseph Garza - Denver, CO
"....commitments to make it happen." Michelle and Amber were awesome to work with.They made what could have been a difficult transaction, close stress free. I do not believe the sale would have gone through without their diligent work and their commitments to make it happen. I would definitely work with them again! They are the best! Scott Brazwell - Kailua, HI
"....went far and beyond...." My wife and I wanted to purchase a condo in Waikiki and luckily, we found Tanner Botts. He was so helpful from start to finish. Tanner Botts is, in my opinion, the epitome of what one would expect from a real estate agent, and then some. Tanner Botts showed us so many condos to help us make an informed decision. Even after we had found our ideal condo, he continued to show us other properties to make sure we were happy. Tanner Botts went far and beyond the expectations of the average real estate agent to ensure that his clients were happy. He even assisted in coordinating the renovation of the unit with contractor contacts because we were off island on the mainland. We have already recommended Tanner Botts to family members who plan to purchase property on the island. We have worked with other real estate agents on the mainland who turned out to be a real disappointment, but we are so happy with Tanner Botts. Tanner Botts has an outstanding work ethic and strives to meet the needs of his clients. Honestly, we would love to stay in contact with Tanner as we consider him a friend. Tanner Botts is a real asset to the community and Hawaii Living. Martin Harney - Los Angeles, CA
"....honest with us...." As first time homebuyers my other and half and I were really nervous and didn’t know what to expect but Amber and Michelle were absolutely wonderful to work with. They were honest with us, responded quickly (or if it was a long winded answer, gave us a time frame in which they’d be able to call and explain in detail) and also broke things down to make it easier to understand. We were able to find our home that ticked most of our boxes, in our desired area and relatively quick! We highly recommend! Tiare Hun - Kaneohe, HI
"....much insight into the market...."
George's wealth of knowledge and experience helped to facilitate a smooth transaction between buyer and seller. His research and experience give him much insight into the market, and I would highly recommend George Krischke for your real estate needs.
Wayne T - Honolulu, HI
"....did a great job for us."
Tracy Yamato did a GREAT job for us. We are telling everyone needing someone to handle a real estate transaction that they must meet Tracy Yamato!
Joseph & Dorraine K - Home Sellers, Kakaako
"....went above and beyond...." When making the decision to purchase in Hawaii for the first time, I was given excellent advice- “Find the best agent”. I did! Tanner Botts was attentive to our needs, always responded in a timely manner (even with the three hour time difference), very informative and has a great knowledge of the area we were interested in. Tanner went above and beyond assisting with walk throughs and other appointments when we were not on the island. I highly recommend Tanner and would absolutely use him again for my next purchase or sale. Teresa R - San Diego, CA
“....spent countless hours staging….” It was such a pleasing experience to deal with Michelle Brown Johnson! She is professional, patient, and very knowledgeable about the real estate market. Selling a property can be stressful. Michelle truly lives up to her slogan "Keep Calm and Let Michelle Sell It". She worked very hard and spent countless hours staging my property to make it look beautiful for the Open House. At the end of the day, her efforts paid off! We got offers from qualified buyers for the asking price before we had the Open House. Michelle truly looks out for what is in the best interest of her clients. I would highly recommend Michelle! Jovy Turman
"....punctual, personable and friendly...." In 40+ years of marriage, we have bought and sold real estate about a dozen times. In each case, the realtor did just what he or she was expected to do, no more - sometimes less. So, when we called Hawaii Living, we didn’t have big expectations. But Tanner turned out to be the best realtor yet. He’s punctual, personable and friendly, and he’s very thorough in getting everything done while remaining low key. He really went above and beyond in helping us through the purchase and adjusting to our new home in a new location. We highly recommend. James Carol White - Honolulu, HI
"....a man of integrity...."
I want to share my experience with Kristian Nielsen of Hawaii Living. I called from the mainland and Kristian answered the phone personally, no machine, no message, no waiting. I arranged to fly to Oahu and met with him. He showed me a few properties to give me options and educate me on the market. I went with a penthouse in Kakaako's Ward Village, a very prestigious new condo development area in Honolulu. Kristian was very creative in thinking of options in the build out as it is a project not net started. Then he proceeded to secure me a rental in a luxury condo in Waikiki based on his referral, which saved me a lot of qualifying annoyance. In the entire process, Kristian took great effort to educate me so that when I made decisions, I had all the information I needed. It was obvious, Kristian is a man of integrity and his goal was to get me exactly what I wanted being armed with all the facts. He is proactive, takes no shortcuts, and makes himself your personal real estate valet and whatever is needed, he handles with great care and graciousness. I plan to buy another condo in the next three years and am so glad I found the best of the best in Kristian Nielsen.
Julia Rose - Honolulu, HI
"....best realtor I have had."
This is the 6th home purchase of my life and George is by far the best realtor I have had. Passionate, knowledgable and responsive. He's one of the 1 % of people who are at the top of their profession. John D, New York
“....most important to me is his work ethics.”
Tracy is an exceptional and highly effectively real estate agent. Having more than 20 years working experiences, Tracy solved issues quickly and smoothly. He understands real estate market very well that he set a good price for selling my apartment; he knows how to negotiate and made a good deal. Tracy has very strong people skills and communication skills that able to pull people to work and get things done. A most importantly to me is his work ethnic that I can trust on him. He looked after my interest and answered my questions anytime, any moment.
Thanks Tracy helped me sold my apartment in 4/2019 ! and thank him of his patience and attentiveness on looking a house for me over the past 12 months. And surely, he did it ! With his help, I purchased a very nice single family house last month in 10/2019, with a very reasonable price and at very good location.
I know I had choices, but I would never want to consider any other agent to help me buy or sell properties other than Tracy !!
Ki Tung - Honolulu, HI
"....took care of everything...."
My realtor Michelle Brown Johnson was heroic. I was the trustee for my best friend who died. I had to sell her condo in Kailua. I live in New York. I had a series of illnesses and surgery, so I could not return to Hawaii once I left. Michelle emptied the house and sold, shipped, delivered, or donated the entire contents as appropriate. She staged it beautifully so that there was a bidding war and the condo sold over the asking price. Her communications with me were prompt and responsive. She took care of everything and charged only her expenses. I could not believe my luck with having chosen Michelle. You will feel the same.
Ellen Friedman - Manhattan, NY
"....current and real time knowledge...."
Look no farther! Trust Tanner Botts at Hawaii Living to sell your condo! He will go above and beyond. He will provide personalized, detailed and concierge type service to you. What a great experience I had with him. Selling your property/condo will not feel transactional, and he will take the time to explain everything to you. No pressure or stress here. He will jump right on it, and go at your pace. In my case, he sprung into action to get my condo on the market and listed, which is what I was looking for. He was motivated, detail oriented, and hard charging right out of the gates. I then knew I was in good hands, and did not have to micromanage him in selling my condo. He kept me well informed, and always picked up the phone or answered my text. This is a pet-peeve of mine. Tanner never blew me off, no matter what time I communicated with him (not too late or too early) That was very helpful, and reduced any potential stress with everything. Tanner was very professional, thorough, energetic, personale, had great people skills, has a good disposition, dressed well, and was easy to work with. I can not say the same about other realtors. As well, because he lives n Waikiki where my condo is, he was able to very responsive to showing the condo. This is important, as people often want to see the property that same day, or in a few hours. NO problem for Tanner, which Is why I had such good results in selling my condo. So, stick with someone who predominantly sells/lives in the area you are selling the unit, if possible. It made all the difference to me, in my opinion. He was like a Waikiki expert, which is good for not only the seller, but the potential buyers too. He has in depth, current and real time knowledge of the area, buildings and listings. I have heard nothing but good things about Hawaii Living, too. After contacting several large nation wide and other companies here on Oahu, I instantly knew I was in good hands with Tanner when I met him at my unit. And the fees and such are very reasonable and competitive too. All in all, what a pleasant and seamless experience I had with Tanner at every touch point through the process. Many Mahaoz Tanner
Jonathan Stone - Honolulu, HI
"....extremely knowledgeable...." If you are interested or even remotely curious about purchasing a condominium in Honolulu HI, which includes the popular areas of Waikiki, Ala Moana, Diamond Head and others, look no further than George Krischke and his Hawaii Living website.
George is extremely knowledgeable about the ins and outs of this market. Phone calls, emails or text, George responded to our specific questions about each building we were interested in, over the course of the year, while we were trying to decide where to live.
Much of the information we wanted came from George’s Hawaii Living website which provides an amazing amount of easy to access information. Found an interesting listing in a particular building and wonder if there are more? One click gives you all the current listings and a great description of the building. Want to check out all the condos that sold in that same building going back years? One more click gets you the info. Want Honolulu county data related to a certain unit? one more click.
We flew into Oahu the first of May looked at some condos, attended a few open houses, put in an offer the first week and closed escrow at the end of May and we were not on island for most of it. George kept us on track with all the important milestones.
Thanks George. David and Connie Block - Seattle, WA
"....exceptional realtor...." All the 5 star reviews about George are true! He is an exceptional realtor and a wealth of information on all things concerning real estate. George helped me buy a condo recently and did an awesome job from beginning to end. I recommend him highly and would definitely use him again. Thanks George! Nancy Williams - Austin, TX
"....really cares about his clients...." Wow! Kristian Nielsen with Hawaii Living is absolutely the greatest! He was very thorough in marketing and showcasing my condo and the outcome was a great success. My condo went into escrow only after a few days on the market with the best price. Kristian is one of the most professional, caring, and knowledgeable real estate broker in the business. His vast knowledge of O’ahu in particular Kaka’ako was extremely valuable in a favorable real estate outcome. He went above and beyond the call of duty and made sure the entire transaction went as smoothly as possible. Throughout the entire process, Kristian was extremely helpful, open, transparent and reliable and was always available to answer all my questions. He is absolutely wonderful to work with. It’s like having a friend on the “inside” that is working for you. Kristian really cares about his clients as well as the community and neighborhood he lives in. I highly recommend Kristian Nielsen with Hawaii Living to do any real estate transaction. He will continue to be my real estate broker for as long as I live in O’ahu. Tayebeh Knipp - Honolulu, HI
“....takes the time to share his knowledge…”
I was looking for a place in Waikiki . I have lived on Kauai for 42 years . I have bought and sold many properties. I came across George's web site Hawaii Living and was able to narrow down my search quite easily. Unbelievable the amount of information on this site. I knew then my search for a Realtor was over. George takes the time to share his knowledge and explain all the things we take for granted. He works seamlessly with others and is well respected by his fellow Realtor's . Simply put George is the best.
Patrick Lynch - Kauai, HI
"....honesty and knowledge...." George is a diamond in his profession! His commitment to me as a client is what stood out throughout the experience of purchasing a new home. Coming from someone that works in client service and luxury sales, this is hard to find. I am always looking for someone to give exceptional service, and George truly impressed. From the beginning, George established trust with his honesty and knowledge in each conversation. These are things I value, and he was always made sure to check in, follow up, and communicate throughout each step of the process. I felt well informed at all times and this is really important when making such a big life decision. I found George through the hawaiiliving.com website and I was very fortunate to connect with him. If you want someone that is professional, attentive, and trustworthy, I highly recommend George! Kelly Hidano - Honolulu, HI
"....willing to go the extra mile...." Kristian Nielsen and the entire team at Hawaii Living made my selling experience easy and smooth. Great communication and follow up. Willing to go the extra mile to take care of their clients. Highly recommended! Daniel Sørensen - Honolulu, HI
"....by far the best agent...." George is the best Real Estate Agent period. Excellent communication, always responsive Goes above and beyond to help the sale Knows the market and how to attract buyers Great exposure to market Quick sale Overseas seller in a very difficult situation with a distressed condo. George helped me every step of the way with pricing, making the property marketable, marketing the property, lots of showings and a quick sale. I've sold many properties over the years, George is by far the best agent anywhere. So lucky he recently sold a unit in the condo bldg prior, i just picked him because of that. Larry R - Oxford, MI
"....excellent in communicatating...."
George was excellent in communicating through emails, phone calls and text messages. He kept us informed of what we needed to do to complete the sales contract. He was also very knowledgeable about resolving the inspection repairs needed. We highly recommend his services in your future real estate transactions.
Jean Suzuki - Honolulu, HI
"....transparency, honesty and commitment...." PHENOMENAL. This is not a word that I use lightly and considering this is my first review, this should speak volumes. If I was someone who would write reviews, unfortunately it would be to the tone of warning others of bad experiences that I would warn others to not be in... Coincidentally this is the opposite. George Krischke is deserving of the label phenomenal. He has found his profession, and in my opinion is one of the elites. His website is top-notch, and he makes himself readily available at all hours to ensure that his client’s needs are fulfilled. The process of purchasing your next home is a very significant decision and with that, trust is one of the most important traits in that process… George immediately gained my trust as he proved very shortly that he was thorough throughout our search to find our next residence. If transparency, honesty and commitment are valued with your next residence, than I would highly recommend George and hawaiiliving.com Mark Matsumoto - Honolulu, HI
"....always delivered." George was unfailingly helpful, knowledgeable, and conscientious. Since we were not in Hawaii when buying the condo, we really depended on him to learn about the condo, the building, and Hawaii requirements. He always delivered. Julia Miller - Saint Louis, MO
"....wealth of knowledge...."
We looked up agents prior to our trip to Honolulu, with a serious intention of buying an apt there. We did a google search & were impressed by his reviews. Tracy has a wealth of knowledge in real estate & , with his contacts, was able to arrange many viewings at short notices. Being unfamiliar with Honolulu, he was able to guide us to the appropriate area which really impressed us. We ended up liking the area so much that we decided to purchase another project which we were made aware of, by Tracy. He got us in at the right time!! We were privileged to have encountered Tracy Yamato.
JM Kwok - San Francisco, CA
"....beyond any service expectations."
If you are looking for a GREAT Realtor Look NO further! I have been waiting to buy a condo in Waikiki for many years. George not only sells many beautiful properties he owns many as well in areas that I am interested in and can give personal feedback from his experiences.
Please do your self a favor and read my experience with him. I have purchased properties all over the world and most of my experiences with others seemed to just be based on a commission earned.
George walked me through the intricacies of the nightly rental market in Hawaii. He not only helped me find a great ocean front property he went well beyond any service expectations.
George Helped remodel my condo, lined me up with contractors, actually followed there work on my behalf in the condo as I am out of state.
He paid attention to every detail of the remodel as if it was his own. His Lovely wife helped carry new beds furniture pieces etc.
He made the process so carefree and easy that I immediately bought another condo and yes George my realtor and yes once again he helped remodel and put this condo in the rental pool.
George, Thank you for everything you do, your attention to detail and actually bringing knowledge and caring to each interaction with your clients. Believe me trust in George he will not let you down and will guide you through the entire process.
Mahalo
Kevin D - Providence, UT
"....a lot of extra insight...."
Tracy helped me purchase my first condo and he could not have made it more simple or smooth! Additionally Tracy is an expert in Hawaii real estate and was able to provide me with a lot of extra insight I may not have received from another agent. THANK YOU Tracy for all your support in locking down this awesome purchase! Mahalo - Tyler B
Tyler B - Honolulu, HI
"....outstanding staging skills...."
Tracy Yamato is fantastic agent! Prompt response, outstanding staging skills, energetic, a lot of connections, kindness, and many more. I was lucky to find him! Thank you so much."
Yuko Kimura - Honolulu, HI
"....very thorough...."
George is really knowledgeable. He also put us in touch with his contractors who we were also very impressed with. He would inform us when deadlines were coming up. He is very thorough which we really appreciated.
Irma Suntay - Seattle, WA
"....educating me on the nuances...."
George did an excellent job educating me on the nuances of Hawaii real estate and helped me find the perfect vacation rental property for my goals.
Richie Zeng - Silicon Valley, CA
"....full of competent advice...."
George Krischke was our superb realtor in a transaction we completed earlier this month. He was extremely knowledgeable and full of competent advice as we meandered our way through the buying process in a record 15 days. He has researched and written numerous articles which appear on his web site. His impressive web site is actually how we came to know and use him as our realtor. We recommend him highly.
Linda Martyak - Honolulu, HI
"....patient and attentive...."
As another reviewer said, George is a diamond! You could not wish for a better realtor for, in my case, buying a condo for the first time. He literally walks you through everything, is more than willing to explain, has all the right tips to offer, is patient and attentive and at your service. He is well-known and well-respected by everyone in the real estate business here. Everyone we dealt with had only good things to say about him. I appreciated his in-depth knowledge of the market in Hawai'i, his honesty, his thoroughness, and last but certainly not least, his friendly manner. A heartfelt mahalo nui to you, George!
Maile Palisa - Honolulu, HI
"....honest, ethical and straightforward manner."
For my wife and I, Kristian Nielsen is the ultimate professional realtor. He is intelligent, articulate and a problem solver. Not only does he possess up-to-date comprehensive knowledge of condos in Honolulu and the general housing market, but also he has the capacity to apply that knowledge in an honest, ethical and straightforward manner. Kristian quickly and accurately assessed our needs and found a Honolulu condo that was perfectly aligned with our requirements. As a result of Kristian Nielsen’s diligent efforts, we now live in a great Honolulu condo.
Roy Panzarella - Honolulu, HI
"....nice, easy person to deal with."
We wanted to move back to Hawaii from Washington state so I went on line and found Hawaii Living and principal broker George Krischke. His response was quick, clear and detailed. We flew to Honolulu, he picked us up at the hotel the next day and spent the day showing us possible properties. This is a very difficult market in our category but George spent hours showing us possible properties, making recommendations. He very quickly understood our requirements and was able to save a lot of time.
We finally did find a Condo we wanted to buy and did all the negotiations "long distance" from Washington. We had a difficult seller but George kept us informed and up to date constantly and was able to put the deal together. I would recommend George 100 %. He is very knowledgeable and a professional in every sense of the word . And, besides that, he is a nice, easy persons to deal with!
Michael Parsons - Washington
"....wealth of knowledge...."
We found George through his Fantastic Hawaiiliving.com website which has numerous helpful articles. We had a deadline with selling our condo that we wanted to meet and George full filled it. We were from out of the country so we needed to be educated with the Hawaiian Real Estate this was achieved. A wealth of knowledge he is. We were well informed all the time. Always on time plus kept us updated. Quickly responded to our phone calls, texts and emails. We were so fortunate to have George sell our Condo - would definitely use him again plus highly recommend him. Hawaiiliving.com website helped us find George - just a great updated current website.
Aloha & Mahalo
John & Diane S - Vancouver, Canada
"....highly dependable and efficient." "Tracy is a top notch realtor. He communicates well, answers questions thoroughly, and keeps the buyer informed during every step of the purchasing process. Overall, he’s personable, highly dependable and efficient." Sharlene C - Honolulu, HI
"....knows the little nuances...." George helped us purchase an investment condo on Waikiki and I couldn't be happier! It's been a few months and the property is performing better than expected.
First learned about George from his HawaiiLiving.com website. It's a treasure trove of information so be sure to peruse that thoroughly. After deciding it was time to buy, I reached out to George. He suggested a few properties that fit our criteria and when we made offers, he upheld his fiduciary duty to us as buyers. He never overbid and even talked us out of over offering. He made sure the contract terms were favorable to us. Finally, he knows the little nuances that only someone who's been in the business for a long time would understand, like residential versus investment tax structures, individual condo peculiarities/HOA, local politics that could affect rentals, etc.
After closing, George helped set up the property so it would rent. He was so thorough and responsive that I was overly impressed. As a mainland buyer, I was very worried about how this transaction would unfold, but George made it super easy at every step. I didn't even have to fly to Hawaii!
If you're thinking of buying, George is your realtor! Peter Jun - Menlo Park, CA
"....truly a gem...." I cannot recommend my fave duo enough! Amber & Michelle are truly a gem. We are so thankful to have gotten in contact with them both. They truly took the wheel and made our first time homebuyers experience stressfree! Desha-Ann Kealoha - Waianae, HI
"....true expert...." Tracy is a great realtor, true expert for all high-rise condos here. Dehai Tao - Honolulu, HI
"....top-notched knowledge...."
We had a great experience working with George Krischke from Hawaii Living. George is keen on details, responsive to all your inquiries and concerns, professional, timely, and provided excellent service. His top-notched knowledge for his profession helped us to quickly purchase our new home. We are most grateful.
Loretta Jardine - Austin, Texas
“....amazing input about everything.”
We are so lucky to have found Michelle Brown,the best realtor ever! Our experience with Michelle started before we even arrived in Oahu. She spent time on the phone with my mother and me, who were hoping to move to Hawaii for our retirement. Having not been to Hawaii in decades Michelle took the time to let us know about all the different neighborhoods on Hawaii. Based on our input (budget, ideal home, ideal location), Michelle provided ideas on neighborhoods that might fit our wants/needs and what type of home we might expect to find within our budget. You can tell this isn’t just a numbers job for her; Michelle brings with her a keen understanding of people and an ability to discern the needs of her clients while they are making one of the biggest life decisions.
To start, we came to Hawaii for a few weeks, looking in each of the neighborhoods we selected and checking out listings while Michelle spent time talking about the pros/cons of the different things we saw in each house/community. We had very specific needs as home shoppers, So many questions!! Michelle’s knowledge about local communities and the various types of homes was absolutely indispensable. One of the many things that set Michelle apart from any realtor we have ever met (we have each bought and sold several houses) was the fact that she also had such amazing input about everything from the details of each property and ideas for how we could make a property work for us (with the correct layout for us, landscaping ideas, etc.).
We went back to the Mainland to finalize our move, and Michelle took care of us even after the house closed! She generously let is ship a faucet sent to her house and she had it installed for us, she hired the painters, negotiated a great rate for us, oversaw the painting of our entire house, even down to which types of paints we should use because we weren’t knowledgeable about the importance of the humidity and salt air... all before our arrival to our new home. She also put us in contact with our Loan officer, and she facilitated all aspects of the loan process.
Most important for us, Michelle was always honest about what she thought about each property; she was always available and helpful, and we always knew that she truly had our best interests at heart. She made us feel as as if we were her only clients ( thought we know that is not the case)She always cheerfully had the time to not only show us properties, but to give advice and to help us with logistics. She never pressured us to buy any property; and she even suggested that we might go home and think about it before we bought a house… However we left Hawaii with the perfect place in the perfect neighborhood. We could not be happier.
Michelle is beyond Amazing!! We cannot recommend her enough and we are so grateful that Michelle helping guide us into the best part of our lives.. We couldn’t have done it without her!
L Lcooljew
“...staging of our vacant unit was spectacular.”
I conducted extensive research (sales track record, optimal pricing strategies etc.) before deciding to work with Tracy to sell our condo. Whether it was the research or pure luck, Tracy turned out to be an excellent choice. First of all, he is very thorough and responsive. As for marketing: a) the staging of our vacant unit was spectacular, b) he uses an excellent photographer, c) he knows which demographic to prioritize for the location/type of residence etc. and d) he is well-connected in the real estate community. Furthermore, his years of experience in various market conditions really helped in setting a good price during a transitional time in the market. Having bought and sold a few other properties in CA and HI, I'm convinced Tracy's expertise enabled us to not only receive multiple offers within days of listing the unit but also to get the best price possible. He truly is "the full package". Mahalo Tracy!
Edwin Noma - Home Seller, Kakaako
"....stress free experience." George was amazing to deal with. We live in Canada and George handled the sale of our condo and made a it stress free experience. Marko D - Edmonton, Canada
"....staging services for me and made this process super easy...."
I was in a situation where I needed to sell my aging Parents' condo in Waikiki as their Sucessor Trustee and the agent at Hawaii Living, Kristian Nielsen came to the rescue. I live on Maui and so preparing the condo was going to be a challenge in itself, but Kristian set up all the cleaning, hauling, repairing and staging services for me and made this process super easy! He and his assistant Tanner Botts both worked very diligently for this sale and their professionalism is second to none. They communicated very well and often, which helped me to stay in the loop as the sale progressed. I have nothing but good things to say about them and how they navigated this situation. I highly recommend Hawaii Living and Kristian and Tanner for your real estate needs.
Thomas Lower - Maui
"....much simpler with his knowledge...."
We were so fortunate to have George as our Realtor for the relocation of our residences in Honolulu. George’s experince in the industry was evident from our first meeting. Being able to purchase, sell and facilitate our exchange all within close to 40 days from beginning to end was truly a pleasure and made so much simpler with his knowledge and assistance. We would recommend his services without hesitation to anyone.
Jack Barr - Vancouver, CA
“....most knowledgeable and helpful realtor…”
George Krischke at Hawaii Living is by far the most knowledgeable and helpful realtor I've worked with. Doing a search from mainland, I needed someone who could educate me on the real estate market in Hawaii and guide me through the buying process. Working with George, I had the confidence and peace of mind to complete the transaction. I'd recommend George to anyone and hope to work with him again in the future.
Felicia Yom - Edgewater, NJ
“....she treated us like family….”
Hawaii Living (Realtor Michelle Brown Johnson) was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! She made the process of buying and selling our home such a wonderful experience! From the very beginning -- she treated us like family and we immediately felt so comfortable with her! Although home buying and selling can be an extremely stressful time -- Michelle made us feel at ease throughout the entire process! If unforeseen bumps arose (which, I'm sure did -- but I can't seem to remember any!), she would smooth them out immediately! Michelle always kept the lines of communication open with us - - letting us know what we can expect and when we can expect it. She was true to her word and did everything she said she would -- and more!! Aside from being a top notch realtor -- who comes with many years of experience AND is well versed in the Hawaii housing market -- Michelle is also very caring, compassionate and truly valued us as people. She genuinely cared about my family and I -- both personally AND in our wants/needs in buying and selling our home. It was such a pleasure to work with her and I would HIGHLY recommend her to all my family, friends, and even strangers off the street, LOL!! She really is THAT GREAT of a realtor and as a person :)
Sagapolutele Noe
"...absolutely phenomenal."
I can’t say enough about George as he is absolutely phenomenal! In all my 25 years purchasing properties, he is one of the few rare outstanding elite agents that is genuine, extremely generous of his time in sharing his experiences, superb knowledge of the market, attentive, thorough, wonderful demeanor, honest, passionate about his work and helping his clients, great follow-through, professional, has the client's best interest, and without any pressure. He has written numerous articles that are extremely informative and resourceful in his site. Therefore, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GEORGE for all your selling and purchasing needs, as he is what I call, a diamond in the rough. Thank you George!
Ivy Apt - San Diego, CA
"...consummate professional..."
Kristian was our realtor when we bought and sold our first condo, and for the purchase of our second condo. These transactions were seamless even though conducted from the mainland. He is a consummate professional and was diligent in looking out for our best interests.
Corey Chong - California
"...asssisted in all aspects..."
I had found a property of interest and needed a Realtor to assist with purchase. After failed attempts with other realtors, George stepped-up after the first call and we had a final closing in less than two months. George assisted in all aspects of the purchase, a great benefit since I'm a buyer out of state. Great knowledge and depth of resources.
Bob Aparicio - Westminster, CA
“....you made our dream come true.”
George is fantastic, patient, knowledgeable, very helpful and handled every aspect of our purchase of our Condo in Honolulu. We could not have asked for a better realtor. I would recommend him to anyone who wants to purchase, sell or even rent in Hawaii. Mahalo George you made our dream come true!
Susan Collida - Long Beach, CA
“....incredible salesman.”
George Krischke is one of the most knowledgeable real estate salesman I've ever hired to sell property. If your reading this review wondering who this guy is, stop reading and hire him. Simple as that. George will guide you through all tasks of what it takes to begin selling your property. He will honor your request, educate you, and perform on time and represent you all the way to the finish line. Very incredible salesman. And reasonable rates too. Thanks again George. I will keep in touch when i need to buy or sell another property.
Stan Andreasen - Seattle, WA
“....fantastic staging of the apartment.”
I have worked with Tracy on two purchases and two sales all with excellent results. The latest situation involved the very difficult timing of the sale of one apartment with the already contracted purchase of another, contingent on the proceeds of the sale. In addition, he was able to negotiate the sale to allow me to stay in the sold unit until the new unit was ready!
Tracy was able to accomplish this through his experience, knowledge of the market and through very hard work.
I am sure the excellent results were largely due to his fantastic staging of the apartment, photography, preparation of beautiful sales literature and continuous marketing efforts. He is dependable, extremely responsive and great problem-solver. He also made sure to keep me informed and answered any questions I had regarding the process. I would strongly recommend Tracy to anybody buying or selling.
Rick Beall
"....at ease throughout the process."
George was extremely helpful with the sell of my condo. Being out-of-state, he made the process less burdensome for me. George's professionalism, expertise, and resourcefulness helped put me at ease throughout the process. Linh Tran - Palm Desert, CA
"....so patient and kind...."
My wife and I primarily worked with Yuko and Kristian. As first time buyers they were very patient with us and understanding with all the questions that we had. Despite us (well mostly me) being picky, they were incredibly patient and answered all the questions we both had. Even request that in retrospect was maybe a unconventional, they handled it well, supported us and even went forward to asking sellers agents these questions on our behalf. We enjoyed Kristians experience and knowledge, and we especially enjoyed how patient, kind, and relaxing/non pressure like demeanor that Yuko had with us when we worked with her. Even though it took a while for us to find the right place (which we are incredibly happy at) she was so patient and kind with us with all the showings. You guys are a great business to work with!
Eric Lee - Honolulu, HI
"....breath of fresh air."
What an experience. If you had an experience like the way we had, you sure don't mind buying or selling your home anytime. We had bought and sold homes before but our previous experiences were nowhere close to this. Michelle has been a "breath of fresh air". She was acting like she was buying the home for herself and her family. The way she worked on our behalf is beyond compare and description. Her team especially Amber was just as helpful and much more. We are so very thankful to GOD that we found Michelle and Amber. Our family and friends have something to look forward to - the same awesome experinece we had when they're ready.
Constante Flora
“....exemplary and outstanding.”
I just wanted to let you know, that the service you provided through George Krischke was exemplary and outstanding. We would have never closed this escrow without his patience and knowledge. We will be your client for all our real estate needs, as long as he remains a broker with your company. Both my husband and I can not thank him enough and you can be proud to have a person of that caliber represent you. Thank you.
Erika & Robert Brunson - Bell Air, CA
"We learned a lot from him....."
George was a truly knowledgable realtor that we were blessed to have been able to work with during our first purchase. He was courteous and followed up with us during our hunt. It was a difficult process for us but George was understanding and a joy to work with. George worked so quickly that the whole process passed in a blink of an eye and we had to part ways. We learned a lot from him and would definitely ask him to represent us should we sell.
Mio Shimada - Hong Kong
"Patience and positivity...."
Thanks to George. His experience and reliability enabled us to work through the unique challenges of this home purchase. Patience and positivity are his strong assets. It was assuring to have an agent like George working with us.
Gerald Epp - Vancouver, Canada
"....down to earth and does an amazing job...."
Just closed on a property. Tracy was as good as it gets. Honest, dependable, followed up on all details. Helped with small things that made our purchase transaction easier. He is down to earth and does an amazing job; cheerful and fun to be around too. We were able to close on time even though we were not in Hawaii at the time of closing.
John & Marla M - Homebuyers, Makakilo
"....abundance of useful knowledge...."
Tracy did such an outstanding job helping me purchase my first home, I recently used him again to purchase my second home. Being a first time home buyer I had no clue where to start. Tracy helped guide me through the process and made it so simple for me to understand. He has an abundance of useful knowledge and experience to help you find the right home. If you are looking for a reliable and trustworthy agent, Tracy is the right fit for you.
Dana T - Homebuyer, Kapiolani
"....above and beyond any regular responsibilities."
Tracy Yamato has been our realtor for approximately ten years now. He helped us purchase our first property in Oahu. He paved the way in establishing contacts starting from someone representing us in the offer to purchase, to mortgage companies, and last but not the least the rental agents. Presently, he helped us with selling our condo unit. He staged the entire unit, making it look really attractive to potential buyers. As a result, it was seen by a buyer who has been looking for a property for a couple of years. They were ecstatic that they have finally found a property that is in line with their expectations. We believe that it was Tracy ‘s planning and strategy that brought about this transaction. Once the offer was brought to our attention Tracy continued working hard thru the process until it reached its completion. We think Tracy to be a special realtor who would work with his clients above and beyond any regular responsibilities. In addition to the above mentioned transactions, he is now helping us purchase another condominium unit. As usual, he is looking after our interest. We would have missed a couple of steps, because the seller missed to inform us, if he was not as involved as usual. We believe he will see us thru the end of this purchase completely satisfied again. Mahalo Tracy for your endless help.
Herbert Y - Homebuyer & Home Seller, Kakaako
".....amazed and pleased with the outcome."
Like many homeowners who are contemplating downsizing but are unsure and hesitant, we decided to meet with Tracy Yamato who was recommended to us as the most knowledgeable condo expert in Hawaii. His insights and experiences showed us the possibilities and we gained a new perspective about the real estate market. We were enthused to make the move and tasked him with meeting our specific needs. Tracy Made us feel comfortable and confident about our decision to sell our home and simultaneously purchase a new home. He was straightforward in explaining what we should anticipate, thorough in answering our questions, and patient in showing us properties. He never ‘gave up’ on us as clients, nor did experience any pressure to make a decision. During the process of selling our home, Tracy kept us in constant communication to ensure all matters were handled properly and in a timely manner. He provided guidance on the ‘de-cluttering’ of our home and personally staged the property for the open house showings. We were amazed and pleased with the outcome. Issues arose during the negotiations of the two transactions but Tracy immediately advised us as what needed to be done for each situation. He contacted the appropriate individuals to address the concerns and made certain that everything was properly documented. Tracy was always available to answer our questions and soothe our frazzled nerves. He kept us updated throughout the processes. Upon the sale of our home and transition to our new home, Tracy made all arrangements to professionally clean the home for the new owners. He was definitely there to minimize any problems and stress for us. To further ensure the enjoyment of our new home, Tracy purchased Home Warranty coverage for our appliances and home systems. We are very happy with our decision and we know that Tracy is responsible. His service and commitment to his clients are commendable. His professionalism and integrity in handling the sale of our home and purchase of a new home are exceptional as Tracy went ‘over and beyond’ what one would expect from a Realtor. Tracy truly embodies the attributes of an exemplary Realtor for the 21st century.
Wilene and Alison L - Homebuyer Kakaako & Home Seller Waipio
Tracy is the absolute BEST realtor we have ever worked with! He walked us through every step of the process and maximized our potential for sale by staging our property beyond our expectations! By the time the property went on the market, we accepted an offer HIGHER than the asking price within the first week, setting a new high-price record for condos in the entire 19 year history of our building!!! If you’re thinking of selling, Tracy is definitely the only call you need to make. He’ll take it from there and you’ll know he will get you top dollar!
Jim B - Home Seller in Kakaako
"....very talented in home decor and with colors...."
The following is my review from selecting and working with Tracy Yamato as my real estate agent for the recent sale of my Hawaii property. I could not be happier with the real estate services received in working with Tracy Yamato from prior to listing to close. Tracy took the initiative to enter my home while I was away, obtained an excellent handyman to do minor but important work to prepare my home for going onto the market and for needed granite cleaning/polishing of master bathroom countertop important for the sale and beautifying of my home. He then took a lot of time and added beautiful decor items to my existing furniture which attracted many prospective buyers to my home for showings immediately upon photographing and listing. Tracy is very talented in home decor and with colors, which I appreciated as it maximized my home’s beauty and market value. He is, also, very efficient and always available in taking care of multiple matters that arise, which minimize the stress involved in selling a home. Tracy, also, was right on target with range of sales prices, and his lowest price quoted for my property was higher than another agent’s highest price. He provides hands-on involvement above and beyond the norm and works to the maximum to ensure that the sale goes through from beginning to close. For all of the foregoing reasons, I highly recommend Tracy Yamato as an agent for real estate services. He excelled in providing my real estate services and achieving results above my expectations in record time for which I am very thankful.
Dr Carol M - Home Seller, Waikiki
“....directed us to the right property….”
Great real estate agent. We were very particular and specific about what we wanted and in what price range and Tracy directed us to the right property for us. We had only a very short time to find what we wanted. He handled all of the details and it was a trouble free transaction. He kept us posted on what was going on and gave us some tips that helped a great deal. On time closing, we are thrilled.
Marla McCall
"....cool, collected and very organized."
During the purchase process, Tracy was cool, collected and very organized. He made sure that we knew what was going on and that we understood some of the most complex issues. And he let us know where stress points might be, although we pretty much avoided all of them. My wife and I say that it was the most stress-free purchase ever. That’s mostly due to Tracy. We met Tracy almost by chance. He showed us an apartment that we were intrigued by and something clicked. Tracy was different from the other agent. He was receptive to our questions, honest in his responses and there was no sense of crass calculation by an off-key salesman. He was very human, understanding what we were looking for, and patient. He warned us about the negatives of different places and suggested what work would be necessary. He also addressed our questions about potential resale in the future, which is a challenging issue in a market that risen so fast. He also shared his excitement about certain places, and it came across as very genuine. After we found a place that we liked, he took us to another house because he knew it would fit our needs. It was of great interest, but we stuck with the place that we had put a bid on. And that helped to confirm to us that the place we had found was the place that we wanted. It was the opposite of an agent who drives people to buy NOW in a frenzied market.
Eric P - Home Seller, Maunalani Heights
"....always responded to my calls and text messages immediately..."
Tracy Yamato is an outstanding Realtor in many ways. The purchase of a home is a multifaceted process that often a buyer does not fully anticipate until he/she is in the midst of it. What I really appreciated about Tracy is that from the very beginning to the very end he was with me every step of the way guiding me with his knowledge and supporting me with his attention and care. When I look back on the last 6 months, I do not think I would have been able to continue being a single parent, running my own professional practice, and doing a lot of volunteer work connected with my child’s activities, all while buying and moving into a new residence if Tracy had not been my realtor! Tracy has extensive market knowledge as the result of being a Realtor for 24 years and from performing many other roles that relate to real estate (project salesperson, investor, property manager, landlord). Not a day went by without Tracy giving me many options to consider buying, and when we did walkthroughs of the potential properties to buy he was quick to point out how each of them could be improved. When it was time to put in an offer to purchase a home in the condominium building that Tracy had originally recommended, Tracy worked hard to secure my home for me because another offer came in at the same time for the same dollar amount. The documents in connection with the purchase of a home are overwhelming, even for an attorney like me when I am trying to run my law practice. Tracy helped me through this onerous process by highlighting deadlines and documents that I had to pay attention to. Throughout the buying process, the moving process, and the settling in process, Tracy always responded to my calls and text messages immediately (or as soon as he was available if he was meeting with another client). As a family law attorney, I am used to being the professional who helps clients through rough times. Tracy really helped me to see from a client’s perspective how a conscientious, go the extra mile, approachable, and caring professional can make all the difference in what would otherwise be an overwhelming experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Tracy Yamato of Coldwell Banker to anyone who is considering buying or selling a home. Not only is Tracy Yamato the ultimate professional who you want on your side, but he is also a great friend!
Jacqueline K - Homebuyer, Kakaako
"....phenomenal job on a tight schedule."
Tracy Yamato did a phenomenal job on a tight schedule. We were simultaneously coordinating not only the sale of our home in Hawaii, but also the purchase of a home in San Diego. Tracy and Tammy helped get the Hawaii transaction closed in time so that I met important deadlines for the San Diego escrow. Tracy’s referrals and staging services also were terrific–the home was fixed-up and showed beautifully, and we received a lot of positive feedback and multiple offers. I will be calling Tracy again if/when it is time to purchase an investment property in Honolulu.
Zachary & Laura G - Home Sellers, Kakaako
"....very knowledgeable in his field."
Tracy was very instrumental in listing, showing & selling our family home at Pacific Heights. He is very knowledgeable in his field. I would recommend Tracy to anyone selling or needing to purchase a home
Tina Pia - Home Seller, Pacific Heights
"....makes himself available litterally any time."
Tracy gets it done! My wife and I just bought our first home and we COULDN’T BE HAPPIER with the outcome. We were complete “newbies” to the real estate game, and Tracy put in the effort to go the EXTRA MILE for us from the get go. He makes himself AVAILABLE LITERALLY ANY TIME and responds to inquiries typically within 15min, even when he is on the road. From the moment we started working with him, Tracy hooked us into his real estate website and began daily (if not more frequent) UPDATES with changes in the market. He will BEND OVER BACKWARDS to get clients out to see properties as quickly as possible, and has an extensive NETWORK with other agents, which makes facilitating negotiations a breeze. We ended up getting our place for 50k LESS than what we had originally bid. Tracy has been doing this for a long time on Oahu and it shows in his ATTENTION TO DETAIL and SPEED with which he gets things done. I would definitely work with Tracy again, should we ever decide to leave!
Joshua J - Homebuyer, Palolo
"....he knows A LOT about this industry."
If you are looking for a real estate agent, Tracy Yamato is the one my wife and I would strongly recommend. We were first time home buyers and our knowledge on home buying was very minimal. We first met Tracy at an open house. He was very friendly and easy to talk to so we asked him if he could be our agent. We were glad that we asked him because he knows A LOT about this industry. He would always notify us on what’s coming ahead and kept us on our toes on places we might be interested in. I mean, this guy doesn’t know when to rest! That’s how hard Tracy worked for us and he always went the extra mile. He was very easy to work with and continues to work with us even after we bought our home. I don’t think there is a whole lot of people out there who would take the time like Tracy to make sure that we understand each step of the way because it can get pretty stressful with documents and information you are not familiar with. But, with Tracy’s expertise and professionalism, our home buying process went really smoothly and we are really glad that we had the chance to work with him!
Wes & Sonia A - Homebuyers, Kakaako
“....condo expertise incredibly helpful…”
Tracy is a true Hawaii real estate expert. He helped me with my first home purchase - a studio in Makiki - and I had a great experience. His local knowledge and condo expertise were incredibly helpful, and he was super attentive throughout the whole process. Highly recommend!
Justin Smith - Honolulu
“....helpful in overseeing last minute work….”
My husband is from Hawaii but we now live in Minnesota, so when it came time to list our family home in Honolulu, we found George and Hawaii Living on the internet. Although we conducted business from a distance and never met, George was very easy to contact and kept us abreast of all of the details. George was especially helpful in overseeing last minute work with a contractor and staging the property. We got an offer within a week of the open house and closed at the price we expected. We appreciated his hard work and friendliness, and we are happy to recommend his business!!
Peggy Chun - Minnesato
"....understood what I wanted...."
Very professional and knowledgeable. Tracy understood what I wanted and how to work with me.
Susan S - Honolulu, HI
“Throughout, George stuck with me.”
A word about Mr. George Krischke. He is the best. I was not an easy client. It took us two and a half years and my four visits to Oahu to conclude the right purchase. Throughout, George stuck with me. He combined commitment, professionality, candor, and alacrity. And he forged the very positive financing relationship which I was fortunate to establish with a local Federal Credit Union. Mr. Krischke is likewise a gentleman and a scholar. I hold him in high esteem.
Robert Ross
“....extremely patient with us….”
George Krischke walked us through the sale of our condo from the beginning to the end. This was our first time selling a property, and he was extremely patient with us and always made us feel comfortable with asking (many!) questions. Not only is George extremely knowledgeable, he is also very motivated in that he helped us stage our home and he hired a professional photographer to help us make our condo look its best when it was time to list and show. In less than a week of listing and only one open house, we were able to accrue FIVE offers over-asking price! Needless to say we were thrilled with our experience with George and we would highly recommend him to anyone who needs a dependable, sincere, and honest realtor. Thank you George!
Crystal & Larry Cook
“....looking out for your best interest…”
Buying a home is one of the biggest investment most people will ever make, as is finding a real estate agent.
Both my wife and I had our fair share of experiences in both buying and selling. The process in both is both time consuming, exhausting and stressful. Thankfully, we met a great realtor, Michelle, to work with. She is outstanding when it comes to looking out for your best interest and will go above and beyond to make you at ease and make the home buying experience fun.. She is very respectful and answers questions in a timely manner. She has a strong work ethic, and sincerely cares and not like most where all they see in you is money. If that’s what you are looking for, Michelle is the one to work with.
Furthermore, since knowing Michelle, about 5-6 years ago, she has help me and my wife buy 2 homes and sell a house. She also has help out friends and family. Most recently in 2018 in which she helped my parents sell and buy their new home . She has also kept in touch after all and called multiple times just to see how all were doing.
We will definitely be looking forward to working with her again in the very near future, as we are relocating back to the islands.
- Sales Family
“...made sure I was comfortable…..”
Yuko was very attentive and made sure I was comfortable with my decisions during the entire process. Together with Kristian, they would make sure I had the necessary information about the market to make an informed decision, especially with me being new to the Islands. Although it was by chance that I stumbled upon Hawaii Living, I am glad that I did and would recommend their services to anyone.
Nobuko S - Honolulu, HI
“...outstanding in every way.”
Awesome website and people. I was assigned Michelle Johnson as my realtor who was outstanding in every way. Since this was my first experience entering into buying a property I was very worried and confused with what needed to be done. Michelle walked me through it step by step and had everything set into place. All I literally had to do was sign the papers and drop off my down payment. She took care of everything else (inspections, repairs, cleaning, etc.). I would like to purchase another property in the future and I will be using her service again. Highly recommend.
- trent310808
“...depth of experience and wealth of knowledge…”
I write this with great pleasure. Tracy Yamato possess the depth of experience and wealth of knowledge that’s invaluable in today’s ever changing and challenging real estate market.
Tracy represented me on the sale of a condominium in Honolulu. While acting as my agent, he proved himself to be diligent, creative, and dedicated in marketing my property. He is a true professional with exceptional local knowledge. Before listing the property for sale, we had several pre-sales meetings and planning sessions. Tracy patiently guided me through the marketing and sales process necessary to achieve a successful sale of my property. Because of this preparation, I received two (2) offers immediately after our first open house and chose a full price offer with a 30 day close. From the onset of the offer to the days before the close of escrow, Tracy would keep me informed and communicated all the necessary steps and procedures towards the closing of the sale. He also worked with the buyer’s agent with same diligent and professional manner in keeping an open line of communication so there wouldn’t be contractual issues or misunderstandings, thereby avoiding any difficult situations.
Having the experience of working with Tracy Yamato, I can attest that he is a very sincere, caring, and trustworthy person providing a dedicated service to his clients and profession.
Sheldon Low
"You will not be dissapointed."
I’ve been a client of Tracy’s since 2001 with several purchases and sales of real estate. He’s always been an amazing realtor with a great understanding of the Honolulu market, good insights, and excellent and prompt communicator. But he really out did himself with my last condo sale in March 2018. He did a spectacular job of staging my rental property. When I saw the photos, it looked like they were photos from some home and design magazine. He went above and beyond by helping to get contractors to fix things needing repairs (and done at below market rates), getting the unit staged and ready for market quickly, and finding tenants to temporarily occupy the unit while it was being sold. There was another similar unit (with same floor plan) being sold a few floors up from me. But even though the price of the higher unit was similar, many prospective buyers were interested in my property more, which I credit to the staging. So in the end the buyer bought my unit, even though a higher unit was similarly priced. I highly recommend Tracy as a real estate broker. You will not be disappointed.
David K - Homebuyer & Home Seller
"....listened to our concerns."
George Krischke of Honolulu HI 5, now Hawaii Living, helped us remotely sell our Waikiki condo in a short time with little stress. George was patient answering our questions and went above and beyond to help us get a handyman, painter and a carpet installer to get the condo ready to put on the market. We have sold other properties and have worked with a variety of realtors. We found George to be professional, gave excellent advise and listened to our concerns. We will definitely call George when we are ready to buy or sell again in Hawaii. Thank you George.
Phil Herlihey - Roscoe, IL
"...quite the negotiate and very attentive to our needs."
Listed our luxury home with Kristen Nielsen in June '17. We expected it to be for sale for at least 6 months. We had an accepted offer within 3 weeks. It was the smoothest transaction. Found Kristen to be quite the negotiator and very attentive to our needs. We would highly recommend him for your real estate needs.
Kathy & Harvey Migdal - Scottsdale, AZ
"...went above and beyond to help me."
I wanted to thank Amber and Michelle for helping me purchase my new home in Spinnaker Place in Ewa Beach. It was a very stressful time for me to move from Arizona to be with my family for health reasons. Also as an elderly person, I was unsure with the buying process. I am very grateful to Amber and Michelle for guiding and helping me thru the whole process. I put my trust them and they went above and beyond to help me. I recommend anyone who is interested in buying a home to work with Amber and Michelle.
Patti Dowling - Sedona, AZ
"....responsive and knowledgeable..."
Excellent service by George, helped us a lot in selling our property in Hawaii. Smooth transaction, very responsive and knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate transactions. I highly recommend his service.
Marylou Takahashi - San Francisco, CA
"....professional, helpful and knowledgeable."
We live in the mainland, our realtor, Kristian Nielsen, helped us purchase a condominium in Honolulu in July. He is awesome. He is extremely professional, helpful and knowledgeable. I highly recommend his service.
Allan Chan - West Linn, Oregon
"Wish everyone is as good."
Highly professional and attentive to details. Great realtor to work with. Wish everyone is as good.
Michael Lam - California
"Without him, it would still be on the market."
George helped me sell my difficult property. He expertly navigated the all the road blocks to get this property closed. Without him, it would still be on the market. I would say to anyone looking for a honest, hard working real estate profession, go with the best. That's why would ONLY use him.
E EdStewin - Honolulu, HI
"....gives you all pertinent facts...."
Tracy is our go to real estate agent. He was our agent when we bought our house in Hawaii Kai and most recently, a condo in Waikiki. He's also currently looking for property for us in the Aina Haina area. He is extremely well informed on the various properties on the island as well as local rules, regulations and laws that might be relevant to the property you are interested in. He has great referral sources and insight on pros/cons of a prospective property. He doesn't try to sell you on a property, just gives you all the pertinent facts so you can make an informed decision. Great guy, easy going and most importantly, keeps your best interest in mind.""
Rich S - Home Buyer, Waikiki and Hawaii Kai
"....excellent and detailed explanations...."
George Krischke has assisted us with buying our first home in Hawaii. It was a pleasure to work with George in buying our home. He’s a very kind and smart person, and also a very knowledgeable real estate broker, with a lot of experiences. He helped us at every step of the way, providing excellent and detailed explanations of our options. He was very thoughtful about where we should position our offer price, based on recent comps and his understanding of the market and the quality of the specific unit. We are extremely happy to have been able to work with George, and will certainly go to him for our next real estate needs. Very highly recommended.
Eveleen Kong - Honolulu, HI
"....genuinely cared about my family and I...."
Honolulu HI5 (Realtor Michelle Brown Johnson) was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! She made the process of buying and selling our home such a wonderful experience! From the very beginning -- she treated us like family and we immediately felt so comfortable with her! Although home buying and selling can be an extremely stressful time -- Michelle made us feel at ease throughout the entire process! If unforeseen bumps arose (which, I'm sure did -- but I can't seem to remember any!), she would smooth them out immediately! Michelle always kept the lines of communication open with us - - letting us know what we can expect and when we can expect it. She was true to her word and did everything she said she would -- and more!! Aside from being a top notch realtor -- who comes with many years of experience AND is well versed in the Hawaii housing market -- Michelle is also very caring, compassionate and truly valued us as people. She genuinely cared about my family and I -- both personally AND in our wants/needs in buying and selling our home. It was such a pleasure to work with her and I would HIGHLY recommend her to all my family, friends, and even strangers off the street, LOL!! She really is THAT GREAT of a realtor and as a person.
Noelani & Damien Sagapolutele - Ewa Beach, HI
"....essential to our success...."
George Krischke cannot be praised enough for helping us find our dream home in Waikiki. His expertise in the Hawaii real estate market was essential to our success in this endeavor. Throughout escrow, George was there for us on our behalf, steering us through a number of unexpected obstacles as we approached closing. His consummate professionalism, patience and dedication to his clients saw us through what seemed like some stormy seas to us at the time. Today we find ourselves at home in our 33rd floor condominium, awestruck by the views. Thank you George for your exemplary professional service!
Tom Espe - Tuscan, AZ
"....a good negotiator...."
Kristian helped me purchase a condo in Kakaako this year. He is an expert on this particular aspect of the Honolulu real estate market and is also a good negotiator. He had patience with me through some offers that didn't make it into escrow, and ultimately helped me settle on a unit I purchased sight unseen while traveling for work on the mainland (he made a video tour of the place for me). We worked together for several months this year and he provided excellent service. My interests were protected through a tricky transaction, and he was very responsive to questions/concerns, even when I was in a different time zone. I would recommend him to anyone interested in jumping in to the competitive market for condos in Kakaako.
Janet Summers - Honolulu, HI
"....stress less experience...."
I give Michelle 5 stars, she made our experience in finding and purchasing our home a wonderful and stress less experience. I'm a raving fan and will refer everyone I know who wants to purchase or sell a home. Mahalo May.
May Rose Hawelu - Waipahu, HI
“....extremely high capability....”
We were very fortunate to have Kristian and Yuko of Hawaii Living support us in our Honolulu property purchase. Kristian and Yuko provided us incredible support in the capacity of:
Buyer’s agent,
Furniture and fittings sourcing agent; and Project managers co-ordinating the complete renovation of the apartment post-purchase.
Kristian and Yuko displayed several key strengths; they were:
Relaxed, patient, approachable and highly professional;
Thorough in explaining the dynamics / purchasing nuances of the Honolulu property market;
Constantly alert to Honolulu-centric purchasing considerations to inform and prepare us as offshore buyers;
Always clear, timely and completely transparent in their communications and notices re next steps / deliverables required; and
Simply put, very nice people to deal with.
Kristian and Yuko further through their network of contacts offered invaluable introductions to furniture providers, renovation specialists and advisors -- whose credentials we assessed in order to determine the provider/ specialist / advisor was fit for purpose.
Kristian and Yuko were excellent throughout our purchase / renovation process. We had a seamless and completely ‘no-surprise’ approach largely due to Kristian and Yuko’s professionalism and extremely high capability.
There is no way we could have executed the purchase, renovation, furniture purchasing and delivery without Kristian and Yuko’s excellence and support. We strongly recommend Kristian and Yuko of Hawaii Living – thank you so much guys, we couldn’t have done this without your wonderful guidance and support!
Simon & Nicola – New Zealand
"....understands this market very well...."
George did a great job identifying condos that met the criteria I mentioned to him. After picking the condo I was interested in, George helped me at every step of the purchase and was always extremely responsive. Since George has been a realtor for many years in Honolulu, he understands this market very well. I would definitely work with George again.
Michel - Honolulu, HI
"....very professional & knowledgeable...."
Jim & I have worked with George Krischke, Honolulu HI5, for several years, purchasing & selling a high end condo. He is very professional & knowledgeable with the Hawaii real estate market. He would be the first one we would call if we planned on buying or selling any of our properties. We highly recommend him & Honolulu HI5.
Janet & Jim Johnson - Anchorage, AK
"....shows how dedicated and professional...."
My wife and I just purchased a condo in Waikiki and George Krischke of Hawaii Living was our Real Estate broker. George is a very professional, knowledgeable agent and was there for us every step of the way. We are extremely satisfied with how we were treated and would recommend George to friends and family. George is still in contact with us today even though it has been nearly a month since closing date. This shows how dedicated and professional George is with his clients.
Paul Will - Honolulu, HI
"....sounds advise was invaluable...."
We recently purchased a condo in Honolulu and had the good fortune to work with Kristian Nielsen.
He us an outstanding realtor, professional, competent, and conscientious, with a broad knowledge of the real estate market. He always responded promptly to any questions we had, and his sound advise was invaluable in addressing any difficulties that arose as well as negotiating the contract. Of all the realtors we have worked with over the years, we can say, without hesitation, that Kristian is by far the best; and we would recommend him highly to anyone seeking to sell or purchase property in Honolulu.
Michael and Peggy M. - NY
"....responsive, hoest and hard working...."
We have bought and sold many homes, including 3 now in Hawaii, and worked with many Realtors. George is one of the most responsive, honest, and hard working Realtors we have had the pleasure of working with. George is a credit to the real estate profession and can be depended on to get the job done, and done right. George worked extremely hard to ensure we got the property and the deal we wanted, and because of his hard work and due diligence, we actually closed early.
Mike Hasselle
"....completed smoothly and without issue...."
George Krischke is a true professional. My husband is a licensed NV real estate agent, and George worked with him to ensure that the transaction was completed smoothly and without issue. This is the second time we have worked with George, and we would not hesitate to recommend him to our family, friends and colleagues.
Barb Falvey - Las Vegas, NV
"....patiently waited for us to make the rigth choice...."
We were very lucky to have Mr. Kristian Nielsen of Honolulu Hi5 as our realtor. By chance we met him as he was working as the selling agent for a unit in the Waipuna. Although we were not able to buy that unit, Mr. Nielsen offered to help us find a unit that was comparable or even better. After showing us many different places, he patiently waited for us to make the right choice. We even cancelled two different offers before we found the ideal home for us at the Harbor Court. We used the loan agent, home inspector, and moving service that Mr. Nielsen recommended to us. All turned out to be honest and hard working professional. If you are looking to buy or sell, please give Mr. Nielsen a chance to serve you. He is by far the best agent we have had, taking into account the multiple relocations we have endured due to military life.
Willow Mai - Honolulu, HI
"....smile and heart full of Aloha."
We met George at an open house and was immediately impressed with his knowledge of the real estate market and Waikiki vacation rentals. He listened to our parameters and within a day had a list of units for us to view and we made an offer that same day. He is a conciencious professional who will do all that he can to bring your transaction to a successful close. He does all this with a smile and heart full of Aloha!
The Fujimori's
"....fast and efficient...."
Hi Kristian,
Great Job selling my 4 Units in Moana Pacific, fast and efficient, one more to go in Symphony.
Thanks again.
Thomas Sorensen - Honolulu, HI
“....knowledgeable, dedicated and professional.”
My agent Yuko was very helpful, committed and very responsive to my needs. It was a pleasure working with her to find the perfect place! She is knowledgeable, dedicated and professional!
George Krischke went far beyond my expectations in selling my home and worked tirelessly to do anything and everything that was needed. He was the seller's broker when I bought the house 11 years before and was the first and only realtor I thought to call when it came time for me sell. I can't say enough for the professional, friendly, get-it-done attitude George brought to the difficult game of real estate sales. If you choose George to sell your home or help you buy, you will be very happy with the results. Thanks much George!
Gwen Purdy - Honolulu, HI
"....always there looking out for what we needed to know...."
I just wanted to thank you for all you have done for us in selling our Hawaii property. You have been the kind of person who I admire, first! You were always there looking out for what we needed to know in order to make the best decisions possible.
We remain a ‘George’ fan and as time goes by and we know someone who could use an ‘excellent’ realtor, we will recommend.
With the very best for you and yours,
Bob Herberger - Palms Springs, CA
"....In Honolulu at this time, that doesn't happen too often...."
When we were looking for an apartment in our building to purchase, we decided to contact Kristian Nielsen. It was a great choice. We were very specific in what we were looking for, and rather than convince to look elsewhere, Kristian agreed to keep his eyes open for a listing that fit our needs. When an apartment came on the market that might be right for us, Kristin let us know right away, and arranged for us to see it before the first open house. That was really valuable because apartments in our building have been selling rapidly. The apartment we saw was not in the greatest condition, and rather than try and "sell us", Kristian was very realistic about what would be required, in time and money, to make it pleasant. When we decided to go ahead and make an offer, Kristian was very savvy. He readily agreed that the asking price was excessive, even though we knew that if the unit stayed on the market someone would surely snatch it up. Kristian sounded out the sellers agent and based on that he suggested what our opening offer should be. He was right on target. In the end, with a minimum of negotiation, we agreed on a purchase price about 7% under the asking price. In Honolulu at this time, that doesn't happen too often! After our purchase closed, Kristian also gave us great advice and several recommendations as to finding a contractor to help us fix things up a bit. We are now living in our new home, and it's pretty fabulous. We're lucky we found Kristian. I am quite certain no other agent could have gotten us in to our new home. I recommend him wholeheartedly. In fact, if we ever decide to sell, he'll be the one I will call.
Akiko & Jeff Tash - Honolulu, HI
"....made a rather difficult process seamless."
George Krischke did an amazing job of helping me sell my mom's condo in Hawaii after she passed away. He communicated regularly and walked me through the entire process. He clearly explained what we were doing (and why we had to do it) during each phase of the sale. I live in California and have no knowledge of the Hawaii real estate market. George's knowledge of the local market and real estate law saved me thousands of dollars. George even took the time to go to the attorney's office to pick up paperwork, ensuring escrow closed on time. He made a rather difficult process seamless. If I ever have the need to buy or sell real estate in Hawaii again, Hawaii Living will be my first call. Thank you, George!
Todd Cook - Santa Rosa, CA
"....made me feel like family...."
Just would like to say the type of Real Estate person Michelle Brown is. She is a terrific person not only in her selling ability but also as a friend that helped me through the entire process of the sale of my home. I felt very comfortable with her and she made me feel like family. Michelle has a positive attitude and I know she will go far and possibly either own or run HawaiiHI5 agency.
I met Michelle when my partner and I were looking for a home on Oahu and she was always there to guide us in the right direction and very prompt on showing up at the real estate we were interested in. The market at that time did not have any homes that really caught our eyes and we seen several that wasn’t worth the price the owners were asking and Michelle was there to let us know about the pros and cons of what we were looking at. So we decided to move from Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii. This is when I agreed with Michelle to sell my home on Oahu and she did a very great job and I would recommend her to anyone either looking to buy or selling. She really knows what she is doing and she does it well. Like your company name I give a HI5 to Michelle on the selling of my home.
Thank you,
Clayton Souza - Ewa Beach, HI
"....exceptionally knowledgeable...."
George is exceptionally knowledgeable about the Waikiki market. He guided us through the acquisition of a condo and helped us understand important details of our purchase allowing us to feel confident about our decision. We highly recommend his services and look forward to working with him again.
Anonymous - Honolulu, HI
"....impressed with how well versed you were with the area...."
Hi Kristian, I want to thank you for helping me become a homeowner again. I've been looking for a property for the past 2 years; I worked with numerous real estate agents, viewed several properties and even made offers on some of them but all those efforts were unsuccessful. One day I was reading an Ad about your firm and decided to give you a call to see if you could assist me with my search. I was so impressed with how well versed you were with the area. In just a matter of a week, I was able to pick a unit that I wanted to purchase. Making a reasonable offer on the property was critical but you did the 'homework' and came up with an offer that worked for both me and the seller. I was very impressed with that because it was in the offer phase that my previous attempts to buy failed. The step by step guidance you provided during the closing process was invaluable, I had very little to worry about because you took care of almost everything. I appreciate the follow-up to make sure things are going well at my new place and the updates on the developments around the area, specifically, the Whole Foods project.
I couldn't ask for a better agent to work with. Mahalo nui!
Cecilia Balinsat Lucas - Honolulu, HI
"....professional, meticulous and a pleasure....."
During the past two years, George Krischke has helped us both buying and selling. In both instances he was extremely professional, meticulous and a pleasure to work with. He has extensive knowledge of the local market and we were able to get an excellent price both in buying and selling. The transactions were fast and he helped us through every detail with care and expertise. We wouldn't dream of using any other real estate agent in Honolulu.
David and Julia - New Zealand
"....developing an attractive marketing package...."
Kristian, I want to thank you for your professional approach to the sale of our Condo. We appreciate you keeping us fully informed as to market conditions, showings and developing an attractive marketing package for the property. Closing was a breeze with your assistance even though we were 3,000 miles away.
Warmest,
Earl Robertson - Colorado Springs, CO
"....could not have been more satisfied...."
We could not have been more satisfied with the service that we received from George Krischke, who helped us locate and buy our beautiful condo. George's knowledge of the Honolulu market combined with his direct and friendly approach, his attention to detail and follow through made the whole experience a very positive one for us. We would highly recommend him!
Barbara and Pat Falvey - Honolulu, HI
"....thank you for your patience and dedication...."
Aloha George, Both sales of our properties were trying and complex and we thank you for your patience and dedication. I'm glad I followed my instincts of following you as my first impressions of your service, calm demure and confidence kept you in mind. We really appreciate your constant updates, patience, prompt attention to pending litigation and long hours spent on these sales.
Mahalo,
The Matsushita Family Trust, CA
"....went above and beyond...."
I recently purchased a condo in Waikiki - I live out of state so that made things even more stressful than usual. Kristian Neilson and his wife Maki were wonderful to work with and they gained my trust very quickly. Kristian was always very responsive to my emails and phone calls and I felt supported throughout the process. Kristian went above and beyond on several occasions - organizing an electrician and other things. I would definitely contact Kristian and Maki in the future if I purchase another property and I definitely recommend Hawaii Living to my family and friends.
Joanne H. - San Francisco, CA
".....no words to describe how helpful, efficient she is."
Michele is one of a kind! She was able to sell my house faster than I ever thought! When I was on an extended vacation and didn't expect to close on the house that quick, Michele would take care of all the stuff in my 5 bedroom/4 bath house to the storage so by the time I get back everything was taken care of! I would refer her to all my friends and family! There's no words to describe how helpful, efficient she is. Best of all, she is always available everything I text or call her! She is the best of the best!!!! I could go on and on about Michele.
Ann Huynh - Orlando, FL
"....meticulous follow-ups and updates...."
I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the energy Kristian brought us every time we met. He has shown us much compassion and kindness as well. It was through his thoughtful and careful attention to details that my family benefited to purchase a condo unit in Waikiki. Kristian is a self motivated and goal oriented individual, who delivers dedicated high-quality service and knowledge with speedy, meticulous follow-ups and updates. He is the realtor who certainly generates enthusiasm in others.
Noriko Narita - Honolulu, HI
"....couldn't be happier...."
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Kristian Nielsen to sell our Waikiki condominium. He was professional, responsive and provided sound counsel on pricing. We interviewed several realtors before deciding who to list with and couldn't have been happier with Kristian as our choice.
Mark M. - Seattle, WA
".…head and shoulders above the competition…"
George, I want to take a moment to thank you for having dispelled all the "negativeness" that I have experienced in the past with Realtors.
Number one, you listened to what I wanted to accomplish by the sale of my beautiful condo at the Villa on Eaton Square. We then walked the talk, in coming up with pricing goals that would achieve my needs. You kept those concerns foremost, and throughout the showings and resultant sale.
Second, you kept me informed as to the progress in meeting those goals; and never once tried to impose your particular will on my desires for the outcome. You were respectful throughout the actual sale and finalizing process.
Your experience and real estate knowledge was indeed very evident. When other realtors showed the unit, they were quick to acknowledge your expertise and experience, without being asked "that you are the best"! I have bought and sold millions of dollars of real estate during my lifetime; you indeed are "head and shoulders" above the competition.
The result was a very satisfied seller and buyer. You have now earned, deservingly, the title of the Realtor to get the highest price per square foot price at the Villa.
Although we miss our unit at the Villa, we now enjoy the opportunity to move on with our adventure of enjoying life in Palm Springs, California.
We were hesitant to hire you because you were referred to us by a family friend of yours and ours. We are in their debt for having encouraged us to interview, and then hire you to work for us.
Again, Thank you very much,
Robert Herberger - Palm Springs, CA
"....most amazing realtor...."
Mr. Kristian Nielsen of Hawaii Living is the most amazing realtor with whom we have ever worked. Before we contacted him, we had lost several chances to purchase a condominium, but Kristian acted quickly enough to put us in the bidding for the unit we wanted. Thanks to him; we have found a home we love and we have successfully purchased it. The condo with which we fell in love is Hokua at Ala Moana, which is known for wonderful management services and well-made units. We had really wanted that unit. In fact, we had lost a chance getting another unit at Hokua and we just couldn't back off. We contacted Kristian one evening and exchanged e-mails through the night, and the next morning, he contacted the seller agent to see the unit with our purchase offer in hand. He took several pictures and checked the points that we had asked him to, since we live outside Hawaii and couldn't see the unit so quickly ourselves. After we agreed, he quickly handed the paper to the selling agent to beat any other people who would like to purchase it. Kristian made every effort to satisfy our requests and needs and eventually we closed the deal within a month. Even after that, he continues to help us coordinate projects we are undertaking to refurbish the unit. These projects are still in progress, but we are very confident because we know Kristian and his beautiful and kind wife Maki have our back. Thanks again, Kristian, we are so fortunate to know you as our agent who has such extensive knowledge and kindness, and as our friend.
Lani B. - San Jose, CA
“....attentive and meticulous....”
I’m pleased to endorse the professionalism, integrity and expertise of George Krischke of Honolulu HI-5 Realty, who has helped me purchase two homes and sell three over the past 14 years.
With his expert counsel we were able to achieve our desired sales and purchase prices on all five transactions.
Most recently, we put up for sale our home at Koko Villas in Hawaii Kai. Working with George, we reviewed the market conditions, set the price and made minor repairs and improvements to achieve our goal. Honolulu HI-5 Realty marketed the property, which then sold at the first open house for the price we were looking for. George is pleasant to deal with and is attentive and meticulous in his work. He brings great peace of mind to the entire process. I highly recommend him and Honolulu HI-5 Realty.
David R. McNeil - Honolulu, HI
“...patient, good listener, very accommodating…”
I originally was referred to another agent, but after calling on one of your listed properties – which George showed me, I knew he was the agent I wanted to work with. So, I chose your company because of George. He is an excellent realtor – knowledgeable, patient, good listener, very accommodating – great! I already have referred several friends and associates to George, and will refer others. I highly recommend him.
Lisa B - Los Angeles, CA
"....trustworthy, never pushy, meticulous with numbers...."
I live and own properties in California but I've always wanted a place in Hawaii to call my own. So when the opportunity arose via a 1031 exchange I combed the Internet for such a property. With just a couple of emails with Kristian Nielsen, I instinctively knew I could trust him to look out for my best interest. With just one trip to Hawaii, he helped me find a place in Waikiki and made the whole transaction painless & stress free. I found Kristian very honest and trustworthy, never pushy, meticulous with numbers, and very professional every step of the way. I certainly would not hesitate to use his service when given another chance to buy a second, or maybe even a third property.
Marietta B. - Chino Hills, CA
“....patient, diligent, timely, & professional.”
George Krischke was always so patient, diligent, timely, & professional. He was able to help us locate the right property and close in record time; 16 days from the first day we met. He was able to help us quickly focus on finding the right property and negotiate the best terms with our interest in mind. George helped us fulfill one of our dreams of owning ocean front property in Hawaii overlooking the most beautiful sunset.
Jamie & Marvin Sakamoto - San Jose, CA
“....highest most resoundingly positive recommendation....”
I am delighted to give you and Hawaii Hi5 the highest, most resoundingly
positive recommendation possible! Thank You so very much for successfully selling my Honolulu property!
Aloha
Ron Raugi - Palm Springs, CA
“What a luck that I discovered him in the internet!”
About the adventure to buy an apartment in Honolulu. My whole life I am German – it is important when you are old. USA I visited the first time (Chicago) at the age of 70. Afterwards Honolulu in memory of Jack Lord – Hawaii-5-0 (we liked to watch at TV in Germany). Back to Germany I decided to buy an apartment in Honolulu. But how to do? I did know not anybody in the USA. At first I bought a laptop and the connection to internet. With a lot of difficulties I learned to use it. And – searching for an agent to buy an apartment – I discovered George ! His picture looked as if you may trust him, his last name looked as if he is German, and there was written that he speaks German and English ! I wrote a letter in German, telling him all my problems and asking all questions which were important for me to buy an apartment in Honolulu. I was really astonished and very lucky that he called back very soon. Our conversation was interesting and after it I knew, that I could trust him. At the beginning of December 2007 we had our first meeting. George offered me a lot of possibilities and he never pressed me to take this or this apartment ! At the end of December I decided. I never was disappointed. And I never was disappointed that I chose George as realtor. He always was helpful and very honest ! He enabled me to understand processing of applications and processorganisation buying an apartment. He was kindly and very, very patiently. What a luck that I discovered him in the internet ! Thank you George!
Barbel Thiering - Berlin, Germany
"....above & beyond...."
George, you went above & beyond what it took to successfully sell our property and purchase our new place at a great price! Besides being very professional, you are a joy to work with and my whole family enjoyed "Mr. George". Thank you George from all of us in the Thomson Household.
Edralin & Wendy Thomson - Honolulu, HI
"...fortunate to pick out your web page..."
Many thanks for all your help, George. You did a great job! I'm very pleased with the way things have worked out. I realize, George, that I was very fortunate to pick out your web page way back in July.
Bruce D. Davison - Chigasaki City, Japan
"...never had anybody help me as much as George..."
I'm almost 62 years old and for over 40 years I've been buying & selling homes, mobile homes and raw land. I've never had anybody help me as much as George Krischke has. I have never bought property out of state before and George made my dream of owning a home in Hawaii possible.
Doug Swenland - Tacoma, WA
"....came through with flying color."
Yuko Wada was our primary contact at Hawaii Living and we really appreciated her constant responsiveness, helpfulness, and positivity (even when the going got tough in the face of unusual challenges). An international transaction during the early days of Covid would test any agent's skills, and this team came through with flying colors. Hawaii is known for its 'island time' approach to things, but Yuko and her team were always thorough and ahead of schedule. We particularly appreciated the fact that Hawaii Living works as an effective team, with each agent working to his/her own strengths. As a result, we always felt that our needs and concerns were well handled, and we would, of course, be more than glad to work with them again. Matthew H - Hong Kong
"....sale of my condo was in good hands."
Thank you so much for all of your help! I was able to enjoy my vacation thoroughly knowing that the sale of my condo was in good hands. I will most certainly refer clients to you without hesitation!
Tina Terada-Santos - Bellevue, WA
"....you are terrific to work with...."
I want to thank you very much, you are terrific to work with, and we'll highly recommend you... Mahalo.
Mark & Gillian Wakabayashi - Chicago, IL
"I was impressed with George's work...."
I was impressed with George's work as the agent for the Buyer of my property. Therefore I contacted him to be our agent for our eventual purchase of this property. And his performance was just as impressive as in the previous transaction.
Robert Kim - Los Angeles, CA
"...out of state for the entire process."
We found George by way of an internet inquiry. We couldn't have gotten a better agent than George Krischke if we would have hand-selected him. We were out of state for the entire process. George just handled things.
Jarl & Kristen Dyrud - Kirkland, WA
"...You're the Best!"
Once again, it's clear that I relied upon the 'right' Real Estate agent! Thank you for all your help in selling my property so fast. You're really great at what you do and I hope it's really 'paying off' for you, too! I'll certainly keep recommending you to friends who need Real Estate agent help - You're the Best! Thanks George.
Dr Lisa Bird - Las Vegas, NV
“....delightful to work with.”
We just wanted to thank you again for all your help, guidance and patience. And for making our settling in to our new life, so much easier. You are a good guy and a delight to work with. We’ll let you know when our place is ready for a ‘showing’. The contractor and his band of merry men are plowing right through the renovations. We hope to be in by May 2nd. Take care, happy trails,”
Suzette & John Donch - Honolulu, HI
“...your perseverance and patience….”
I can’t thank you enough for your perseverance and patience in helping me find a home which I would be happy owning. I’m really enjoying my new home. Slowly but surely, I’m getting things fixed up and decorated. You have been terrific. I will highly recommend you as a real estate agent.
Lisa & Bob - Honolulu, HI
“....how grateful we are…”
We had intended to get this little Thank You gift to you sooner, so now it overlays with the holidays. Mostly, we hope you realize how grateful we are for all you did to assist us to get our new home – which we are enjoying very much. …and, happy holidays, too!
David & Mike - Kaneohe, HI
“....always calm & pro-active…”
Thanks for another successful closing for the Browns. Fun things always happen during their transactions… but they always close! Thanks for always being calm & pro-active, helps to keep the process moving in the right direction. It is always a pleasure to do business with you.
Hope next year is a great one too! Aloha
Joy S - Honolulu, HI
“...meticulous attention to details….”
Sherry and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your help.
Through your meticulous attention to details all transactions associated with getting us in our new home went very smoothly. Thanks again,
Ed & Sherry G. - Kaneohe, HI
“....your command of the economics….”
I want to thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to meet with me Tuesday. I personally appreciate your willingness to meet without more advanced notice. I was very impressed with your command of the economics of Hawaiian real estate and am looking forward to working with you.
Best Regards,
Paul S. - San Diego, CA
“....honest, caring & courtesy….”
This is my third time. Both times before excellent. So I choose your company again. George Krischke is very honest, caring & courtesy in all way.
Florence I - Pearl City, HI
“....service was very good…”
Your service was very good to excellent. We will recommend George and your company to everybody. Thank you,
Shigeru Ueda, M.D., Honolulu, HI
"....most professsional real estate company...." This is by far the most professional real estate company in Hawaii. Their work ethic, analysis, and market awareness are a few of many strengths that defines this wonderful franchise. My agents were Kristian and Yuko. They helped us to buy and sell our homes in Hawaii in a span of two to three months with us living abroad in Japan. They are a great pair combining their key strengths in delivering quality service, client engagement in keeping us informed, and market analysis in providing us the ability to make informed decisions that enabled rapid execution in such competitive times with the real estate market. We are very fortunate to have such agents working with us. Their biggest standout strengths which I rarely find in similar fields is managing expectation with detailed and thorough market analysis and expanding our scope of assets for consideration. Naturally, we can be too restrictive and have unrealistic demands especially when looking for a home for our family. Kristian and Yuko helped us to find a new home that was even better than our initial expectation which we would have never previously considered. We are quite happy with our new home and the sale of our prior home and wanted to say thank you again for helping us in our investment journey. William W - Tokyo, Japan
“.....more than expected.”
Service was much more than expected. George went out of his way. Thanks.
Junko Maki - Honolulu, HI
“....worked very hard…”
George Krischke is an agent I would definitely use again. He worked very hard to achieve my goals. Thanks again.
Richard Walsh - Honolulu, HI
“....patient, sweet, understanding…”
George was the most patient, sweet, understanding real estate agent I’ve ever met. We were very pleased with his services and would highly recommend him to all our friends interested in purchasing real estate.
Andre & Angie Barboza - Kapolei, HI
“....professional, knowledgeable, patient…”
George Krischke is a wonderful agent. Always pleasant, professional, knowledgeable, patient and understanding. I don’t think I could have gone through the whole process of building a house if it wasn’t for George. I will use your services again if George is still with your company. Thanks again to George, he is the best agent in Hawaii!!!!
Camille Kanemori - Kaneohe, HI
“....great real estate broker.”
George did an absolutely great job. We’ll recommend him to friends and family that need a great real estate broker.
Hunter & Diane Praywell, Honolulu, HI
“....extremely knowledgeable…”
George provided wonderful service to us in helping us to find a condo in Hawaii. We were in a rush to find a place and close the deal during a very short period of time. George definitely delivered! He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful to us.
Gregg & Karen Li - Hong Kong
“....returned phone calls expedient….”
George Krischke was extremely helpful. He provided quick responses to our inquiries and returned phone calls in an expedient manner. I would not hesitate to use him whenever the need arises.
9/30/2023Sky Ala Moana West (residential tower) has 3 scheduled bulk closing rounds: Oct 12, 18 & 24. Renaissance Residences (Sky Ala Moana East) has all units scheduled to record December 11th and the Renaissance Hotel is scheduled to open January 2024.
9/15/2023Launiu, ultra-luxury condo, coming soon. Register your interest.
9/11/2023 Remaining inventory in Kuilei Place - market rate units - range in price from $671,000 to $1,275,000 across 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. There are also some affordable units available ranging in price from $680,000 to $813,000 across 2 and 3 bedroom units.
9/8/2023Ililani is on track for March 2024 completion and currently 97% of the units are sold.
9/8/2023Alia construction site is under preparation and official ground breaking is expected in the very near future.
8/9/2023 Buyers of Renaissance Residences are scheduled to take ownership December this year.
8/3/2023 DPP's median processing time for a building permit application is close to 200 days. The City has a Bill out, which, if passed, would allow the DPP to increase the use 3rd parties to help review applications to speed up the process (source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser).
7/26/2023 Honolulu's City Council is debating whether owners of 'monster' homes, built without appropriate building permits, should be forced to demolish such homes.
5/15/2023Sky Ala Moana West has 3 scheduled bulk closing dates - Oct 12, Oct 18, Oct 24 - and Renaissance closings expected either Dec 15th or early January.
5/15/2023 The first release of Kanalani at Hoopili homes are now available for sale - 3BR to 4BR floor plans.
4/28/2023 More homeowners, in default on their mortgage, may qualify to modify their 30 year mortgage to a 40 year term in order to reduce the monthly payments and increase the likelihood of being able to stay in their home.
4/27/2023 1BR - 3BR condos are now offered at Nahele at Hoopili for owner-occupants only.
4/7/2023 Progress on Ward Village's Auahi St sidewalk widening project, which will include just 1 car lane in either direction, dedicated bike lanes and inviting green landscaping.
4/7/2023 The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has reportedly rejected Hawaii State's $165M proposal to eliminate the possibility of building highrises on land they own, oceanside of Ala Moana Blvd in Kakaako (since 2006 there has been a ban on residential developments on this land).
4/5/2023 Hawaii State has reportedly offered $165M to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to keep highrises from never being built on land they own in Kakaako on the oceanside of Ala Moana Blvd.
3/28/2023 The DPP has, reportedly, hired a collection agency - Aargon - to help crack down on illegal vacation rentals.
3/27/2023Kuilei Place affordable housing application deadline is April 16th.
3/14/2023The Launiu Ward Village is a new luxury project we anticipate will be offered in the near future.
3/10/2023 Only 6 homes left at Hooulu, a neighborhood within Hoopili, starting at $842K for a 3BR home with 1,132 sf.
3/7/2023The Flats at Sky Ala Moana (affordable housing units) now offers some units with reduced restrictions periods and no shared equity.
3/4/2023 Oahu real estate price trends - click here for details.
3/4/2023 Bill 4 proposes that the residentially zoned properties on Oahu that may legally run short-term rentals, e.g. Waikiki Banyan, Waikiki Sunset, and all NUC properties, will pay a higher property tax rate than the current residential rate. The new rate is expected to be less than the Hotel Resort tax rate (currently 1.39% of assessed value), which is the rate for legal short-term rental properties within the Hotel Resort zone, e.g. Ilikai, Waikiki Shore. etc. When the Bill becomes law, it might take effect July 2024 at the earliest.
3/3/2023 The average 30 year US mortgage rate is at 6.65% - a year ago it was 3.76%.
2/24/2023 The Alia owner-occupant round is almost done, which means the remaining inventory becomes unrestricted (anyone can purchase).
2/24/2023 Shoreline setback requirements for oceanfront developments on Oahu are currently 40 ft from the high watermark. Starting July 2024 this will increase to between 60 to 130 ft (Bill 41 & 42), subject to Honolulu's Mayor signing the Bills in to law.
1/27/2023 Kuilei Place, a proposed mixed used project (market rate and restricted income units), obtained permit fee exemptions to built at 2599 Kapiolani Blvd - read more on Civil Beat.
1/27/2023Alia owner-occupant sales starts tomorrow, Jan 28th.
1/23/2023Alia is a new luxury condo coming to Kakaako. Reach out to learn more.
1/5/2023 It appears the City has decided property owners who are allowed to run short-term rentals must register their units here if a building's original permits were for anything but a hotel. If a building's original permits were for a hotel, then no need to register.
10/27/2022 Owner's of legal short-term rentals in the County of Honolulu (Oahu) must register their unit(s) with the City on this website - exceptions are NUC holders, Hotels and Timeshare units. Read more details here.
10/27/2022Kalae owner-occupant sales (165 units) will begin tomorrow, Friday, 9am, and prospects or their agents may start lining up now at the Ward Village sales office.
10/14/2022 A preliminary injunction was granted by a judge, which prevents the City from implementing the ordinance that would change min rental terms, for most Oahu properties, from 30 to 90 days - read more here.
9/26/2022Kalae, a new ultra-luxury Ward Village condo project, sales gallery is now open.
9/21/2022Koula - luxury condo in Ward Village - is completed and the first owners are moving in.
9/13/2022 During the 9.7.2022 court hearing to challenge Bill 41’s 90-day rule, Judge Watson instructed both parties to meet with U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader and work out a resolution by 10.23.2022. - Bill 41 updates here.
9/13/2022 Alia, a new luxury condo to be developed in Kakaako, is expected to start sales Q4 2022.
7/19/2022 Bill 41 has been legally challenged. For now, Bill 41's enforcement date has been pushed back to 4.23.2023. Updates here.
7/14/2022 The State has a plan for developing around the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor - read more here.
6/17/2022Ritz-Carlton Waikiki is planning to remodel all units in the hotel rental program in the fall of 2023.
5/26/2022Bill 41 - An overview of important aspects of this Bill (concerns Oahu short-term renting rules).
5/17/2022Cottages at Mauna Olu is a unique community of single-family homes on Oahu's west coast. Unique in that the project allows for short-term vacation renting.
5/17/2022Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance has reportedly engaged an attorney to initiate legal action against the City & County of Honolulu for changing the minmium legal rental term, required per tenant, from 30 days to 90 days, for most residential properties / neighborhoods.
5/12/2022The Park Ward Village is expected to begin construction in the second half of 2022.
5/11/2022
Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
4/29/2022 An elevated pedestrian walking path above Ala Moana Blvd (between Kamakee and Ward Ave - click here and see page 11) is expected to start construction May 2, 2022 with an anticpated completed late 2023.
4/25/2022 Don't forget the new OTAT tax, levied on rental income for Oahu properties - read more here.
4/22/2022 Construction progress photo: Sky Ala Moana.
4/18/2022 Developer files documents to develop Ala Moana Plaza; a 40 story condo at 451 Piikoi St - read more here.
4/14/2022 Honolulu City Council approves Bill 41, which will increase the minimum rental terms for most properties on Oahu, from their current 30 days to 90 days, if signed into law by Honolulu's mayor - read more here.
4/6/2022 DPP's Director steps away from working on Bill 41 (short-term rental legislation) - read more on Civiil Beat.
4/1/2022 Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
3/23/2022 2 new condos projects - Kahuina and Alia - are expected to be offered in 'Our Kaako' later this year - read more here.
3/1/2022 From today, Japanese nationals traveling back to Japan - from Hawaii - are not subject to any quarantine, if vaccinated with 1 booster shot. Details in Japanese here.
11/9/2021The Park Ward Village was 64% presold by the end of Q3 (Oct 31st) and a total of 316 Ward Village residences went under contract with the developer Q3.
10/28/2021 Ultra-luxury condo Victoria Place is almost sold out - just 2 x 1BR units left.
6/3/2021 Read details about The Park Ward Village and sign up for a virtual tour of this upcoming luxury project.
5/27/2021 Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism projects Hawaii's economy will grow 3.5% this year, 3% in 2022 and 2.3% in 2023.
5/26/2021Bill 20 proposes 5 tiers to the Residential A property tax rate.
5/14/2021 In person showings now available for new Ward Village projects at the IBM showroom (virtual showings continue).
We exclude Leasehold data from this market analysis because Leasehold properties do not compare with regular Fee Simple properties.
We use median instead of the average because it depicts more accurately a central tendency to the sample size. Example: Take 5 numbers - 3, 5, 7, 9, 21. The median is 7 (the middle number) and the average is 9 (sum of all divided by 5).
We count days on market from listing date through closing date.
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