Hawaii residents split at Molokai hearing

KUALAPU'U, Moloka'i — The Friendly Isle lived up to its nickname yesterday as hundreds of people turned out for a public hearing to testify — sometimes passionately but respectfully — on both sides of a land proposal that has split the community and stands to profoundly reshape life on Moloka'i.
The private owner of one-third of the island, Moloka'i Ranch, wants to develop 200 luxury coastal house lots at La'au Point — the divisive financial linchpin to a package that also includes perpetually protecting 50,000 acres from development, preserving jobs at the struggling ranch and reopening the shuttered Kaluako'i Hotel.

Yesterday's hearing was the first chance for the rural community to speak directly to the state Land Use Commission about the plan. Although the hearing was to address only whether Moloka'i Ranch has adequately studied and documented the environmental issues, many residents spoke directly about the project.
"I feel Moloka'i should be kept the way it is and not be developed," testified Tracy Lishman, a fifth-generation Moloka'i resident and Hawaiian homesteader. Read complete story...

August 2007 SOLDS for HAWAII

List of all sold properties in Hawaii for the month of August 2007

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Foreclosure rescue scams on the rise

Are the usual suspects returning to mortgage-related scams as a result of the subprime lending fallout? Does the practice of illegal "foreclosure rescue" operations extend even into the second-home market?
It always seems that when a large group of consumers are in trouble with their home finances, bad guys are around to help the unsuspecting homeowner dig their hole a little deeper. The latest attempt at the age-old practice of equity skimming is foreclosure rescue where scammers peruse county records to find properties that are facing foreclosure for nonpayment of mortgages or taxes.
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April 2007 Monthly Statistical Report for Oahu