Joys of home owning seem out of sight today
Our first home after David and I got married was a 3-bedroom, 2-bath condominium in Salt Lake, a suburb of Honolulu. It cost $73,500 in 1979.
When our income increased, we bought a second condominium a block away from us as an investment. It was a 1-bedroom 1-bath unit. I don't remember what we paid for it, but I think we rented out the unit for $900 a month.
The building manager screened prospective tenants for us. It was an easy way to make money and also get some tax advantages.
Eventually, we sold both condominiums and were able to make a deposit of $120,000 on our present house.
How in the world can people in Hawaii buy a house these days? In 1991, we bought our 3-bedroom, 2-bath house for $380,000 -- a price we could barely afford. Today, the same house would sell for at least $680,000, if not more. Whew! It's a good thing we bought it when we did.
As a point of reference, my daughter and her husband last year bought a 3-bedroom 11/2 bath townhouse in Pearl City for $10,000 more than what we paid for our more spacious house.
Their two-story home is lovely, but it has stairs inside and outside -- something I wanted to avoid when I was looking for a place. As I grow older, I find it increasingly difficult to navigate steps. That's the reason we decided not to buy the house on a hillside. It had a beautiful view of the city, but those stairs were murder.
Our home is on a level 6,600-square-foot lot in centrally located Foster Village with a great view of our garden. When we moved in, the kids, Maria and Lisa, did cartwheels in the family room, because it was so much larger than what we were used to.
We all love this house. David and I hope to stay here until we die. No nursing home for us, please!
Glenda Chung Hinchey is the author of two memoirs, "Like a Joyful Bird" and "Love, Life and Publishing." She is a frequent contributor to the Star-Bulletin.