Big Island Mortgages by Doug Mallardi
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The post Lava Zone Financing appeared first on Big Island Mortgages by Doug Mallardi.

New LOs have completed NMLS training, which is regulation-centric. But this training does not teach them how to actually perform the job as a mortgage professional. NEXA Academy and Success Coaching do exactly that.  There is a weekly intro to NEXA Academy held Fridays 2pm EST https://www.whynexaacademy.com/

NEXA Academy pairs you up with an instructor and upto 20 fellow LOs. You’ll have access to 14 weekly live classes plus self paced classes as well. You are accountable for your time and attendance.

To learn more about joining NEXA Mortgage visit www.loanoriginator.support

The post NEXA Academy appeared first on Big Island Mortgages by Doug Mallardi.

If you are buying a home and are qualified at the prevailing interest rate, you can ask the seller for a seller concession to buy down the rate via a 3-2-1. You as the buyer may not make the buydown, it is aseller cost. You will have lower payments during those first few years allowing you to make improvements, buy furnishings etc. Before maiing an offer, speak with your lender (us?) and your agent so you can get the figures you need for a buydown and write it into your offer.

The post 3-2-1 Buydown appeared first on Big Island Mortgages by Doug Mallardi.

     Upon entry into the National Park heading on the right side, you’ll come across the Steam Vents which is always a family favorite. We always used to start and end the adventure  there when we were kids and it was totally worth it. The steam is created by deep underground water dripping down to volcanic magma deep below the surface; the magma vaporizes the water returning it to the surface in the form of steam. There’s a nice long walking trail connecting the steam vents with the crater overlook, and a few steam vents dotting the trail and near the parking lot. As a kid we used to stand in front of the steam to warm up from the cold air, and throw some coins or rocks down to see how deep it went. The steam is warm to the skin and heats up your clothes and hands, however the moment you step out of the way… It’s right back to freezing and it leaves your clothes wet. It’s a really satisfying and mind boggling experience for the kids or anyone that hasn’t experienced that before. 

     Right across the street there’s a hidden trail leading towards some towering cliffs and mounds, this path leads into the Sulfur Banks. Something to be aware of before heading down the trail, is the smell. Sulfur in its most natural form smells a whole lot like rotten eggs and wet rocks. The trail leads down a winding boardwalk with sulfur banks on one side and old geographic experiments on the other. If you look closely into the crevices throughout the sulfur bank, you’ll see small crystals of sulfur forming in between the rocks in a bright array of colors. There’s also a lot of beautiful flowers and a long corridor shaped by nearby trees and bushes creating a flush hallway of plants sheltering from the sunlight. 

     Since I’m only sticking to places to see on the right side from the entrance; the last place I have to mention is the Kilauea summit caldera overlook at the end of the road, just past the steam vents. This spot overlooks the gigantic crater and has a few miles of open and unblocked air breezing through. You can actually take a hike through the caldera and walk along miles of dried up magma and get a little closer to the direct center of the summit. While up in the overlook, the people taking the trail down below look like ants all the way down there, which really shows just how far down it is. When I was younger, the Jaggar Museum was right next to the Kilauea Summit Caldera Overlook. The museum was full of seismic tools and graphs and a little gift shop full of sweaters and “Volcano National Park” mugs and hats. It was one of my favorite places to go, because at night you could see the lava flow glowing in the caldera below and it was always so beautiful… and really cold too. Unfortunately with the 2018 Volcanic Eruption, the summit collapsed and became what it is today and the Jaggar Museum is closed indefinitely. Aside from that though, the rest of the park has so much to see and do, and I highly recommend going to visit sometime. 

     With all the sights to see and adventures to be had in Volcano National Park, I wouldn’t want to spoil it all for anyone. So by all means read this blog and read any others that have anything to do with Volcano National Park, and go plan your trip right away! I had a great time with my trip a few weeks ago, and I hope this post helps everyone get some better thoughts to help plan your next adventure today. 

Aloha everyone, 

     Thank you for tuning into my blog today. If you have any questions please email me at evan@bigislandmortgages.com. I will answer any and all questions during my business hours M W F from 8 AM – 4PM HST. If you have any Mortgage questions please refer to the quick quote section on the right side of the post or on the home page of Big Island Mortgages. Thank You.

The post Volcano Adventure appeared first on Big Island Mortgages by Doug Mallardi.

   Starting off is Akaka Falls, way down in Hilo. Akaka Falls is a beautiful waterfall and a well known tourist spot in Hilo. There’s no barrel drops or tours to the bottom, I don’t think so, but it’s still a great spot to check out and bring the family… or dogs. There’s picnic tables around so it’s encouraged to bring some sandwiches and bento bowls and enjoy the amazing view. I’ve only ever gone once myself and it was raining and windy, but that only made it so much better, because when the rain cleared there was a huge colorful rainbow clashing with the waterfall. We took a lot of great pictures and finished the day at an Italian place down the road. There’s a lot of waterfalls in the world, but not all of them are so conveniently located near other attractions. So please come on down to Hilo and check out Akaka Falls; you won’t regret it and besides it’ll be a lot of fun! Oh, and don’t forget to pack a rain jacket, it rains every 20 minutes over there. If you haven’t been over there, then go check it out ASAP. 

   Next on my list is going to be Pololu Valley, a nice quaint valley up in North Kohala. One side of the valley features a hiking trail to take you down with very little parking and many warning signs; and the other side has an overlook to see all the little people way down below and a great view of the bay. While the hike is very tedious and tiring, it’s well worth it when you get down below. Because there’s a beautiful black sand beach down below with lots of rocks, so be careful. In addition there’s also a long river and a kind of deep lake connecting to the beach; alongside that is two little forests and one of them has a whole lot of rope swings. All the swings are perfectly stable and safe.. To an extent. Keep an eye out though just in case.  When we were little we would always go down there and go crazy on those swings and roll down the hills and play hide and seek; it’s really like a huge natural playground. It’s ok to let your inner child show every once and a while. Even if you don’t stay for too long; I’ll have you know that there’s a lot of little shops and ice cream places nearby. After all, everyone loves a good ice cream cone every now and then. So if you’re into hiking or wanting a new adventure; head on over to North Kohala and seek out Pololu Valley; it’ll be a great adventure and fun for the kids too. Watch out for the cliffs though.

   Onto my third and final special spot everyone’s probably thought of when they came to visit Hawaii.. “Lets visit the Volcano”. The Big island is home to five volcanoes and one of which happens to be home to a National Park; Volcano National Park. About an hour long drive south past Captain Cook, and on your left. This national park is home to a lot of fun adventures and camping grounds and many visitor centers and army bases and all of that fun stuff. I recommend you swing by the Bird Museum, if that’s what it’s called. It houses many indigenous species of birds and will tell you all about them, just entering the building feels like you’ve walked into a lush forest flush with birds. There’s also the sulfur fields too! Driving by if you don’t know what sulfur is or have never smelled it, it smells like warm rotted eggs. You won’t really be anywhere near the sulfur itself, but there’s steam vents everywhere that pump the smell to the surface and create a fun warm vent to stand in front of to feel warm for a bit. Believe it or not, but Volcano is actually one of the coldest places on the island, you would think it would’ve been hot because of the lava. Nope. There’s so many open areas and free airflow that blow the cold air right on through, not to mention all the preserved plants forming a super healthy and colorful landscape with lots of jungle forests and lava tubes. The area is very hydrated and it’s not often that anyone would get too hot over there. My personal favorite thing about the Volcano National Park is the visitor’s center at night. It overlooks the Kilauea crater and of course it spews some lava way off in the distance; but at night it glows like a road flare in a vast ocean of light. It’s a really beautiful sight and the main reason I would stay in the park till the later hours, It’s really something. 

Thank you for tuning into this week’s blog post, it means a lot to us that people read in on this and ask questions to help me write up more content for everyone visiting the island or moving here too. Feel free to tune in next week for another post. Thanks again!

Aloha, 

Thank you for tuning into my blog today. If you have any questions please email me at evan@bigislandmortgages.com. I will answer any and all questions during my business hours M W F from 8 AM – 4PM HST. If you have any Mortgage questions please refer to the quick quote section on the right side of the post or on the home page of Big Island Mortgages. Thank You.

The post Must See Spots in Hawaii appeared first on Big Island Mortgages by Doug Mallardi.

To start off I’d like to share “Kua Bay”, to any who don’t already know, it’s a ways off north past the airport and. You’ll know you’ve reached it when you spot the two large hills on the left. We have been going to Kua’s ever since we moved here some 17 years ago, it’s always a great time and holds plenty of things to do! You should start off with finding your spot on the beach… It’s a nice long stretch of sand, so plenty of space to fit all of our tents and coolers; or just a simple umbrella will suffice too. The best time in my opinion to go out is during the summer, Bc the sand is all there. Kua Bay, like many beaches, is shifting sands, meaning the sand gets pulled out in the winter time and leaves a rocky plateau. Not the best in the winter, but it’s still fun.

The parking is a bit tough, best to come in the morning to get the best spot.. otherwise you’ll find yourself parking on the side in the gravel behind some mustang. With all the space on the beach there’s lots of opportunity to make a towering sand castle with a huge moat and a barrier of wet sand to keep the water out. Or if you’re not as skilled (me) , you could just as easily dig a big hole, to reach water beneath the sand (a well) and wait for someone to jump in and collapse it; You won’t know how fun it is until you try. I highly recommend everyone come to this beach, if you’re new to Kona or have already been coming for years then keep coming! There’s no reason to stop, great for family and friends. Blast the music and bring Hotdogs and Manapua, whatever suits you and your company.

Kua Bay      (Note the big hill in the backdrop)

My other mention is Hapuna Beach Park. As it goes with Kona, yet another beach is way off in the north past the airport in the middle of nowhere. Hapuna Beach is a beautiful spot with crystal clear water and a lot of foundation, so don’t worry because there’s plenty of parking and public bathrooms so no worries there. This spot is great for a nice outing with the family and if you want to go to the beach, without the worry of huge waves crashing down on you. The water is usually pretty mellow and calm and perfect for a good float along the bayside on your dolphin floaty.

    It’s always good to bring lots of food and good cover when coming here, due to the distance from civilization and constant sun exposure. However there are pavilions on site if you think you really need it.

On a final note, you won’t find a better sunset then at Hapuna, nothing and no-one is going to block that view. Come on down to Hapuna Beach!

 Hapuna Beach (Beautiful Side sunset )

      Thank you for tuning into my blog today. If you have any questions please email me at evan@bigislandmortgages.com. I will answer any and all questions during my business hours M W F from 8 AM – 4PM HST. If you have any Mortgage questions please refer to the quick quote section on the right side of the post or on the home page of Big Island Mortgages. Thank You.

The post My Favorite Beaches appeared first on Big Island Mortgages by Doug Mallardi.

If you’re fresh off the cruise ship or staying in town there’s a lot of great picks for brunch and date night. In the heart of Kona Town lies the popular people pleaser, Papa Kona. Just across from the church in the big blue building. Excellent fresh fish and amazing breakfast dishes; such as Crab Cake Benedict, Avocado Toast with fresh local greens.. Or perhaps you’d like to dig into some fresh fish? Located conveniently near the ocean, they serve a large selection of fresh fish; Ahi, Mahi Mahi and Ono too!

Heading further south just a block or two is one of my personal favorite breakfast places, Island Lava Java. Right next to the community volleyball court. This is a popular spot if you want to get a quick egg and coffee combo, not regularly though. If you’re eating in town you’ll start to notice that everyone has at least 3 menu items with fresh fish and rice. It’s a local favorite, you know. The stellar chefs at Lava Java serve a variety of breakfast items from fresh pastries such as croissants, and bagels; all the way to gourmet in house pizzas, burgers and wings! I highly recommend this eatery, because it’s a great spot for Eggs Benedicts and homemade Latte, My favorite! If you’re a coffee lover this place is for you. 

Looking for a great date night? Want to listen to waves crashing at the rocks accompanied by live music every night? Then come on down to Huggo’s; a great local favorite since it’s opening in 1969. Located right on the water with a perfect view of that classic Hawaiian sunset, fresh caught fish and an elegant design. Huggo’s is home to a great bar, hosting craft creative cocktails and an extensive wine list. 

Looking for a spot to eat after the beach? Well Magics Bar and Grill is just the spot for you! Can be found adjacent to Magic Sands Beach, and has plenty of parking. Home to an amazing view of the crystal clear water; Magics also has an extensive selection of local favorites that everyone will love. Everything is served freshly caught and freshly squeezed. I highly recommend Magics, whether you’re local or new to the area.

Last spot for this list is Kenichi Pacific, a fine dining sushi experience. There’s excellent service, lots of really great rolls and locally harvested veggies and caught fish. My personal favorite is the “Tempura Udon and Inari”. A flavorful Udon soup with shrimp and an array of friend veggies. Kenichis is also known for its Happy Hour from Tuesday to Sunday with 40-50% off on all sushi rolls and oysters. 

Thank you for tuning into my Island Blog; This has been, 5 Great Restaurants in Kona. There are many more to be added to this list and this is only a few. Another 5 due to be coming soon; hope you enjoyed this list and that it helps you pick a restaurant while you’re in Kona. 

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