Real Estate Adventure
What begins as a relaxing beach vacation in 1996 slowly transforms into a high-stakes hunt for a slice of paradise. After escaping a furious realtor and narrowly avoiding financial ruin, a dramatic market crash two years later flips the script. With a bag full of cash, a cross-eyed notary, and a frantic 14-day renovation sprint, two ordinary tourists beat the odds—leaving the island not just with memories, but with the deed to their very own high-rise sanctuary in the Hawaiian sky.
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CHAPTER I – Island Dreams and Island Reality: Our Summer of ’96 on Oahu
Our Secret Paradise at Kailua Beach
It’s those little moments that stick with you: When we go shopping in Hawaii and leave the store, we almost automatically reach for the free brochures in the racks at the exit. Colorful magazines full of car sales, restaurant tips, and glossy real estate dreams.
The beach of Kailua Beach seems to stretch endlessly all the way to Lanikai. We have found our regular spot right in the middle—far away from the bustling, overcrowded Public Beach. While tourists pack themselves in over there, Mischko lies completely alone in the warm sand, at least a kilometer away from the next beachgoer. Because the locals work during the day, this endless Pacific dream belongs almost entirely to us until 4:00 PM.
Life slowly awakens around four-thirty when the first locals return home, exhausted from a hard day’s work. But the houses are widely scattered, and so our corner remains an undisturbed retreat.
A Furry Bodyguard and Brazen Stares
While I’m out there battling the forces of the Pacific and flying over the waves, Mischko relaxes in the sand, flipping through her brochures. But she is not alone. Every day she gets a visit from a large, loyal, brown-and-white dog. His owners must work all day; out of pure boredom, the furry giant seeks our company. He trots over, gently curls up next to Mischko, and sleeps. Only when driven by thirst does he sprint briefly across the adjacent massive property, where he presumably gets his food. Suitably refreshed, he immediately returns to her side—and transforms into a true protector. Woe betide anyone who gets too close to Mischko!
Nevertheless, things on the water leave me restless. Whenever I stand out there on my board, my gaze nervously wanders back to the shore. More than once, I saw strangers simply sitting down next to her. In fractions of a second, I flip my sail and surf closer to the beach with a racing heart to protect her. It leaves me stunned: My windsurfing gear is lying right next to her, everyone can see she’s taken—and yet these men brazenly try their luck. To this day, it remains a mystery to me how anyone can be so disrespectful while the husband is riding the waves just a few hundred meters away.
The $27,000 Shock in the Middle of the Jungle
One day, completely exhausted, I come to the beach for a break. Mischko beams at me and taps on a real estate listing. I take one look at the price and just shake my head: “Please don’t show me stuff like this anymore,” I say exhaustedly. “These million-dollar mansions are pure utopia for us.” With our hard-saved $90,000 in cash in the bank, we have to aim lower. “If you find an apartment for $30,000, we’ll talk,” I add with a laugh. Sometimes her infatuation with luxury got on my nerves, even though I wholeheartedly wanted her to enjoy dreaming, of course.
But fate sometimes has its own sense of humor. A few days later, she approaches me triumphantly: “I’ve got it! Your apartment within budget!” I can hardly believe my eyes. Black on white: A cozy two-room apartment for an unbeatable $27,000.
Disillusionment sets in immediately, however, when looking at the map. The property is located deep in the rugged northwest of the island—right in the middle of dense, untouched jungle, in a very poor neighborhood of Native Hawaiians. An uneasy feeling spreads in the pit of my stomach. We quickly realize: As white foreigners, we would stand out like a sore thumb in this isolated area. The fear of becoming the prime target for burglars or muggings is simply too great. I hold her tight and say: “If you’re looking for houses, please, only here in Kailua. Right on this magical, most beautiful beach in the world.”
CHAPTER II – Freedom on Two Wheels (1996)
We decide to put the real estate magazines aside and experience the island in a different way. It is the year 1996; the air smells of salt and adventure. We hop on our bicycles. Our goal: From Kailua, over the majestic mountains, over to Kaneohe.
Even the start on Kaimalino Street feels fantastic. The headwind cools our faces as we glide fluidly through the curves between idyllic properties down to the main road. To our left and right, proud palm trees reach into the deep blue sky.
Between them bloom the traditional Hawaiian trees, their white and yellow flowers smelling so intensely that they intoxicate the senses. These are the plumeria trees—also reverently called “Melia” in the heart of the South Seas. From their beautiful blossoms, the traditional flower garlands are woven, giving every traveler the feeling of having arrived in absolute paradise.
The Scent of Paradise and the Island’s Contrasts
Because of their intense colors—from brilliant white to vibrant yellow to delicate pink—and their bewitching scent, these blossoms are the absolute top choice for the famous flower garlands known in Hawaii as “leis.”
When we turn left onto the main road, we reach our bike path. The sweet, intense scent of the plumeria follows us at every turn, even as we leave the Safeway supermarket behind on the right. The tropical air is wonderfully warm and carries this unforgettable aroma straight into our noses. But barely have we passed Safeway when the picture changes: On the left side, a few houses follow where visibly poorer Hawaiians live. A stark contrast to the more upscale area where we found our accommodation.
But no matter where we ride—plumeria trees are planted everywhere. They constantly change colors. When you observe such a blooming tree in January or February and think of cold, gray Germany, you feel the massive difference. In their splendor, these trees almost seem to me like gigantic, beautiful, monster bouquets of flowers.
Battling the Tropical Heat
After starting from Kaimalino Street and covering about two kilometers (a little over a mile) on the main road, the flat stretch ends. The mountain looms before us. Now it’s time to pedal hard and push the bikes up the hill.
I can only look over at Mischko with admiration. The way she conquers this steep stretch on her simple women’s bike is simply unbelievable. She is absolutely tireless! Just like me, she starts sweating and groaning, because the humid tropical air is a real endurance test for us Europeans.
When we finally make it to the top of the mountain, the road signs point the way to the downhill exit toward Honolulu via the highways. It is exactly the newly built highway you take when you want to cut across the island toward Pearl Harbor. What we didn’t know at this point in 1996: This monumental road is still under construction! The workers have drilled a massive tunnel straight through the solid mountain so that traffic heading west no longer has to take the long detour all the way through Honolulu.
The Road to Kaneohe
Up here at the summit, we take a well-deserved water break. After a short rest, things thankfully get easier for us. While the road to the left leads onto the famous Kamehameha Highway, we keep straight. We speed down the mountain. After about twenty minutes with the wind in our faces, we reach Kaneohe. Since we are not trained professional cyclists, it took us about forty minutes for the entire route, including the break—and that for barely five miles.
But barely have we reached the bottom when the next surprise awaits: The next mountain rises before us. Up we go again. And again, my wife leaves me spellbound. I deeply admire how she conquers this new incline on her women’s bike. Even though she isn’t nearly as trained as I am, she is simply unstoppable.
When hunger finally strikes, we make a quick pit stop at Taco Bell to refuel. Afterward, we continue straight ahead, to where the road eventually leads toward the legendary North Shore—right through the wild, untouched nature. But before we finally reach this wilderness, we suddenly stumble upon a massive parking lot with countless spaces. An unmistakable sign of a mall—a gigantic shopping center that…
Discovering a New World: The Windward Mall
…a gigantic shopping center that, on this scale, we had absolutely no concept of back in Germany at that time. Back then, Germany was learning a lot from the Americans, observing how their economy was booming, and gradually adopting these modern concepts. We noticed this particularly because during those years, we flew to Hawaii at least twice and to the US mainland once for six consecutive years. We were basically witnessing the transformation live.
When we turn left on our bikes and pass some densely grown bushes serving as a natural fence, we suddenly find ourselves in the massive parking lot of the Kaneohe mall. We lock our bikes outside and just want to stroll leisurely through the aisles, soaking up the air conditioning and the sights.
But fate is already waiting around the next corner. As we walk past a small booth in the middle of the mall, we realize it’s a real estate info point. Outside are some of the booklets we already recognized from the beach. We look at each other, take a glance—and suddenly, an Asian woman is standing in front of us. Her name is Donna. She strikes up a conversation, talking to us with such charm and persistence until she finally wins us over. She has something that immediately piques our interest: A three-room apartment, right here in Kaneohe!
CHAPTER III – The Secret Fortress on Kahuhipa Street
The very next day, we are back on our bikes, full of anticipation and excitement. Our destination is Kahuhipa Street.
When we arrive at the roughly four-story building, we immediately notice that this is no ordinary residential building. To even get onto the premises, we have to pass through a large gate that can only be opened with a special security code. Everything is comprehensively monitored by cameras—security is a top priority here. We go up to the second floor (first floor European). The hallway stretches long; at least ten doors line up next to each other, each leading into a different apartment.
Then Donna unlocks the door to our potential new home—and we step into an entirely different world. The apartment spans two floors! Downstairs is a large, light-flooded room and a half-bathroom. A staircase leads upstairs, where two more rooms await us. The absolute highlight that makes this apartment so special: There is a private balcony both upstairs and downstairs. Two balconies for a three-room apartment—an absolute dream with a view of the island’s tropical backdrop.
The $156,000 Dilemma
We view another apartment one floor up, then head back to the real estate office. Donna senses our enthusiasm and absolutely wants us to sign the contract immediately. Now things get emotional, and reality catches up with us. We have exactly $90,000 in cash sitting in our US bank account. The purchase price for this dream apartment, however, is a hefty $156,000. A sum that seems unattainable for us in this moment.
With heavy hearts, we shake our heads and explain to Donna that we simply cannot afford it. But an American realtor doesn’t give up that easily. “You can negotiate!” she says with a smile. She doesn’t hesitate for long, dropping the price to $125,000 with an official offer.
Suddenly, the dream is within reach again, but the cold calculation is running through our heads. A $125,000 purchase price against $90,000 in savings. We realize: We could afford this Hawaiian paradise, but only on one condition—we would have to take out a loan from our bank in Berlin. We start calculating and discussing. It is a decision for life: Should we take the plunge and go into debt for the dream of Hawaii?
The Furious Realtor and a Spot-On Prediction
The next day, we are back in the realtor’s office. Donna looks at us expectantly and proudly announces: “The seller has lowered the price—to $149,000.”
But for us, that changes absolutely nothing. We shake our heads and make it unmistakably clear to her that our budget strictly ends here. When Donna realizes that we will not entertain any further negotiations and are standing firm, she completely loses her temper. Right in front of our eyes, she furiously rips up the contract! We politely say our goodbyes, leave the agitated realtor behind, and ride home.
When we arrive at our accommodation, Tom, our landlord, sees us. “So? Did you buy the apartment?” he asks curiously. When we say no and explain that it was simply far too expensive for us, Tom just waves it off casually: “Don’t worry. The prices on the market are going to drop drastically!”
We would soon find out just how right he was during a meeting with a good friend in Honolulu. She works as a prosecuting attorney for tax law. Her job is to prosecute people who don’t pay their taxes. If they can’t pay, the property goes to the state, which then auctions it off to cover the taxes and court costs. As a prosecutor, she knows the market inside and out. She looks at the address of the apartment and confirms: “The apartment is worth exactly what the seller is asking for now: $149,000.”
We enjoy the rest of our vacation, ignore the real estate booklets, and fly back to Germany at the end of 1996. We spend the following year, 1997, without giving a single thought to real estate. We are simply relieved that we resisted temptation and didn’t go into debt.
A Bitter Drama on the Ice
On our next vacation, we want to surprise Ed, the husband of Nancy, with whom we had stayed the year before. He is a passionate ice hockey player, and we decide to show up unannounced at his game. He and Nancy have three children, all grown up by now—for us, the picture of a perfect family.
We secretly take a seat in the upper tiers of the ice rink; the game is already underway. During the intermission, while Ed is sitting on the bench, we are just about to go down to him to make the surprise perfect. But suddenly, the blood freezes in our veins: A strange woman purposefully walks up to Ed, casually sits down next to him, and kisses him intimately. We are absolutely stunned. A married man, father of three children, cheating on his wife right in public! Speechless, we decide to stay up in the shadows and not make our presence known.
A few days later, we return to our accommodation in the evening. Normally, Nancy is always sitting in the living room waiting for us to have a cozy chat. But this evening, it remains dark. As we walk up the stairs, we hear a soft, heartbreaking crying. We cautiously enter the room. Nancy looks at us with tear-filled eyes and breaks down: “Ed is going to leave me.” The bitter reality has broken her heart. Instead of carefree vacation days, we spend the rest of our time in deep sadness, trying to comfort Nancy as best as we can.
CHAPTER IV – Return to Hawaii 1998: The Great Satisfaction
When we want to return to Hawaii in 1998, everything has changed. Nancy has sold her house and moved to Oregon. Searching for a place to stay, we call Lucinda, a former landlady. She recommends a place, and in deep trust, we wire a $150 deposit in advance. But when we arrive exhausted from Germany, bitter disappointment follows: The room is located right on a noisy main road—this is definitely not how we pictured it.
We take our luck into our own hands. The very next day, we search for a new place on our own and actually strike gold: At Jean and Matthew’s, we discover a beautiful house perfectly located in the heart of Kailua Beach. We don’t hesitate, renting it for six weeks and paying $2,700.
Finally settled in paradise, a burning question is on our minds: What actually happened to the real estate market over the last two years? We open the current property magazines and can hardly believe our eyes. The apartment on Kahuhipa Street, which the seller tried so hard to push on us back then, is still for sale. The price in 1998? An unbelievable $79,000!
As a reminder: Just two years ago, he wanted a whopping $149,000 from us! Now this seller has a massive problem. If he unloads the apartment at this price, he is heavily in debt in one fell swoop. Tom’s prediction back then was absolutely spot on.
A broad smile spreads across our faces as we stare at the numbers in the magazine. A completely new, exciting thought matures in our minds: With the $90,000 in cash in our account, we could finally buy our very own piece of Hawaii right now—and completely debt-free!
CHAPTER V – Hunting for Concrete Instead of Wood
Back then, in 1996, $90,000 was all we owned. A purchase would inevitably have driven us into debt. But now, in 1998, the world looks completely different. Mischko picks up the phone and dials Donna’s number—the realtor from two years ago. However, Donna tells us directly that she only handles new construction projects these days. Flexible as she is, she gives us the number of a colleague named Myra.
The very next day, Myra picks us up in her car to show us a few properties. We cruise across the island with her all day, viewing four different apartments. But by evening, disappointment sets in: All the properties are purely wooden houses. Since we live on the fourth floor (third floor European) in Berlin and also have wooden floorboards above us, we know exactly how unbearably loud it can be when children are playing upstairs. That was absolutely out of the question for us.
On the way back, we drive south from Mililani on the H2 highway. I sit in the back seat, silently watching the passing landscape, while Myra and Mischko chat in the front. To the left and right of the highway, everything is bathed in a lush, deep tropical green. But suddenly, two gigantic buildings jolt me out of my thoughts: Two massive high-rises tower up in the middle of nature. They immediately remind me of the majestic Twin Towers in New York—the very towers that would be so tragically destroyed by terrorist attacks just a few years later, in 2001.
In that exact moment, a thought flashes through me: Oh, how wonderful it would be to own an apartment here! Way up high. Every day I would feel like I was sitting in an airplane.
I voice my thoughts out loud. Myra looks into the rearview mirror in surprise: “I thought you didn’t like concrete blocks?”
“That’s true,” I reply, “I don’t like the cramped concrete blocks in Honolulu. But these two towers stand completely free and isolated. If I buy an apartment way up here, absolutely no one can look into my windows. In Honolulu, on the other hand, every neighbor stares right onto your coffee table without binoculars.” Myra smiles and promises to ask around for us the very next day.
The 37th Floor and the Law of the Americans
And indeed: The phone rings the very next day. Myra has found something! Since we don’t have a car ourselves, she picks us up right on time. We take the newly built road through the massive mountain tunnel, leaving the miles behind us in no time. We emerge near Pearl Harbor and continue to Pearl City.
Arriving at the high-rise, Myra properly registers with security. Then the elevator shoots us upwards. First, she shows us a studio apartment on the dizzying 37th floor—36 square meters (about 390 sq ft) of pure fascination. The apartment is an absolute dream: A brand-new, deep blue carpet has been laid, the walls are freshly painted, and nothing is missing. The kitchen is, as is customary in America, already fully equipped. We fall instantly in love and are ready to put the money on the table right then and there.
But then comes the damper: Myra explains that due to legal regulations, this apartment must first be offered to American citizens. Only if no buyer can be found among the locals are foreigners allowed to strike. Our hope takes a bit of a hit.
The Horror on the 31st Floor and a Wise Decision
Myra notices our disappointment and takes us down a few floors in the elevator to the 31st floor. We enter the next apartment—and experience a difference like day and night. While the upper apartment gleamed like new, this one is completely run-down and in desperate need of renovation.
Since I immediately see how battered the apartment and the bathroom are, I skeptically stay in the entryway. Mischko walks ahead alone to inspect the bathroom. When she comes back out a short time later, her face speaks volumes: Her expression is dark. She looks at me and simply says it loud and clear: “No way!” Even the tempting price of just $56,000 doesn’t help. Myra immediately sees that this deal is off, too. Visibly disappointed, she drives us all the way across the island back to Kailua, but promises to keep her eyes open for us.
Back at our accommodation, nothing can keep us inside. We immediately head to the beach, which is only about fifty meters from our house. We sink into the lounge chairs and let our gaze wander over the Pacific.
I look at Mischko and start calculating: “Mischko, think about it. We are paying Jean and Matthew $2,700 here for just six weeks. That condo in the tower would cost us only $1,750 in running costs for the entire year! We could come here whenever we want, invite our friends, and let them sleep at our place completely for free.”
We debate intensely for a full 45 minutes in the warm Hawaiian sand. Finally, Mischko realizes that it is absolutely the right move. Since we’ve been flying to Hawaii twice a year for years anyway, owning something simply makes sense. We are in agreement. We stand up resolutely, and Mischko dials Myra’s number right there on the beach. Myra is thrilled and announces she will come by the very next day with the official contract offer.
The 20-Page Puzzle at McDonald’s
We arrange to meet at a nearby McDonald’s for the big moment. Our friend Donn—the son of Nancy, who lives in neighboring Kaneohe—is there for support.
So there the four of us sit at the table, the fries untouched, and a gigantic stack of paper towers in front of us. The American sales contract comprises almost twenty pages, stuffed with the finest English legalese. I sit next to it, honestly not understanding a single word. While the conversations in English fly past me, it’s now entirely up to Mischko… Myra shows us that the previous buyer paid $110,000. I don’t believe it. She shows us exactly. It’s true!
The $9,000 Surprise at McDonald’s
Whenever Mischko doesn’t understand something in the contract text, Myra patiently takes the time to explain it to her. After almost two agonizingly long hours, we are finally finished. But then our realtor shows her true, honest heart. She smiles at us and says: “You can negotiate.”
We look at her questioningly at first, not knowing what she means by that.
Then she drops the bombshell: “We can push the price down even further—to $47,000!” We almost fall off our chairs with joy. Myra doesn’t hesitate long and enters the sum directly into the contract. In the document, we stipulate that we will pay for the apartment entirely in cash. This is absolutely unusual by American standards, since almost every property there is financed via loans. We say a warm goodbye to her, and Myra promises to call us as soon as she has news.
Barely have we entered our accommodation in Kailua when the phone rings. Myra is on the line, and her voice almost breaks: “The seller accepted the offer! The apartment is yours for $47,000!” Unbelievable. He paid $110,000 for the apartment four years ago. And now he sells it to us for $47,000. I am shocked!
We can hardly grasp our luck. Thanks to Myra’s honesty, we saved $9,000 in one fell swoop. She could have been selfish and hidden the fact that the price could be pushed down that far. Had she sold the apartment for $9,000 more, her commission would have been much higher, after all. But she simply thought of us—a true soul of a human being.
CHAPTER VI – The Bank Express and the Cross-Eyed Notary in Honolulu
Shortly after, we meet Myra at McDonald’s again to sort out the payment details. We carefully explain to her: “It might take a little while, maybe six weeks. We have to go back to Berlin first and wire the money from there. The international transfer will certainly take some time.” Myra casually waves it off, saying that it’s no problem at all.
That same evening, we pick up the phone and call our bank in Germany. The employees on the other end of the line completely surprise us: “We are an international bank; we will wire the money immediately via flash transfer!” Just like our realtor, we are absolutely stunned at how smoothly and quickly this suddenly works in the year 1998.
The next day, we immediately drive to the notary in Honolulu to officially seal the purchase. As we enter the elegant office, the notary immediately catches my eye: A beautiful, elegant Asian woman. She has long, deep black hair, wears a skin-tight red dress, and has long, red-painted fingernails—an absolutely distinguished appearance, as befits a notary. But as we sit down across from her, I notice a fascinating detail: The lady is quite cross-eyed! Throughout the entire appointment, we never once know if she is looking at us, studying the documents, or currently applying stamps and signing.
As she stamps the final seal onto the paper, she looks at us and says, full of amazement, that in her entire career, she has never processed a real estate sale so quickly. We are the very first buyers ever in her practice to pay for an apartment entirely in cash!
Handymen in Paradise and Jean’s Unhappy Look
The apartment on the 31st floor is now officially ours. Normally, strict rules dictate that you cannot enter the premises until the funds have finally cleared into the seller’s account. But Myra puts in a good word with the notary for us, asking if we couldn’t go in earlier. After all, we want to whip the renovation-needy apartment into shape so it becomes livable and cozy. The notary turns a blind eye, and we get the keys!
As we hold the keys in our hands, Myra gives us another brilliant tip: “Why don’t you rent out the apartment while you’re in Berlin? Whenever you want to come to Hawaii yourselves, you just have to give the tenant enough notice beforehand, and they’ll vacate the apartment for your vacation.” Since the rental laws here are completely different and much more landlord-friendly than in strict Berlin, we are thrilled. That is the perfect solution!
The next 14 days mark the beginning of hard but exciting weeks of work for us. Every day we commute from one side of the island to the other to renovate the apartment. For the drives, Jean and Matthew generously lend us one of their cars, since they own two.
However, when we proudly tell the two of them that we have bought our own apartment, a shadow falls over Jean’s face. I can read exactly from her look that she is not entirely happy about it—after all, she is losing loyal regular customers who have always paid good money for the rooms. But their beautiful house is located right in the heart of Kailua Beach; they will have absolutely no problem renting the rooms out to other vacationers.
Monster Bouquets, the Pool, and a Visit from West Oahu Realty
We are incredibly lucky with the location of our new apartment: A massive Home Depot hardware store is located right across the street! Whenever we need tools, paint, or materials, we simply dart across the road.
We toil from morning till night. To cool off a bit in the tropical heat from time to time, we take the elevator down and jump into the building’s own pool. While swimming, we also immediately meet our first security guard: Leon, a genuine, burly Native Hawaiian. He is incredibly nice. While we relax in the water, he scatters white plumeria blossoms around the edge of the pool—the exact same fragrant blossoms from which the traditional flower garlands are woven. It feels like in a movie.
For a full 14 days, we work like dogs on our new kingdom. The renovation is still in full swing and the chaos is perfect, when suddenly there is a knock at the door. A real estate agent from West Oahu Realty is standing in the doorway. Myra sent him to us. His name is Sam—a typical, round, and jolly Hawaiian giant, just as you imagine the locals here to be. And he has a very specific request…
CHAPTER VII – Sam and the Hawaiian Heart
The jolly Sam looks around at our renovation chaos, pulls out his paperwork, and gets straight to the point: He wants to sign a contract with us to officially manage the rental of the apartment. When he asks us how much rent we envision per month, I answer like a shot: “$450.”
Sam’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head vigorously: “No way! That’s far too little, Texan! I can see that you have a big Hawaiian heart, but we are going to rent this apartment for $550.” What fantastic news! We sign the contract, Sam says goodbye with a broad smile, and we continue toiling with more motivation than ever, until the apartment finally shines in all its glory.
When we are completely finished with the renovation, our friend Glen comes over. He is originally from California, lives in Waimanalo, and works as a gardener. Since we cannot take our work ladder and the remaining unused materials back to Germany with us, we offer them to him as a gift. Punctual as a clock, Glen shows up with his girlfriend, and gratefully loads up the items. We take a few photos and we say a warm goodbye to each other.
Now the final phase of our vacation begins. Since we have a rental car, we pack our things quickly. Before heading to the airport for good, we have to make one last stop in Kaneohe to say goodbye to Dina and Donn. But our realtor Myra has also reached out:
She doesn’t want to miss the chance to come all the way from the other side of the island just to say goodbye to us personally. After all, she successfully brokered the apartment for us, earned her commission, and naturally hopes that we will recommend her to friends or eventually buy our next property through her.
A $600 Thank You and a Philippine Fiesta On the day we are scheduled to fly out, a decision takes root in Mischko and me: Since Myra specifically arranged to meet us, we want to buy her a very special gift as a thank you. After all, we owe it entirely to her honest idea that we were able to talk the seller down by $9,000 and save that amount on the purchase! Right across from the apartment is a mall with a huge art gallery. The most beautiful artworks are sold there.
We stroll through the store and finally discover a fantastic three-piece painting showing majestic sharks. It costs a steep $600, but it is absolutely worth it to us. We have the staff wrap it up elegantly and securely, like a proper, refined gift.
When Myra arrives, her husband Joey introduces himself to us. He immediately turns out to be an incredibly talkative guy who entertains us brilliantly for quite a while. Unfortunately, we don’t have much time for these two nice Filipinos, as we urgently need to get to Dina and Donn’s. Joey and Myra really had only stopped by briefly to hug us and say goodbye.
Before they get back into the car, I have to sprint back to our room one last time. We surprise the two of them outside on the unfinished little road right under a lonely streetlamp with the wrapped painting. They are so deeply touched that tears immediately well up in Myra’s eyes. Her husband Joey tears open the wrapping paper, cheering and loudly admiring the fantastic, massive artwork.
When he sees what a magnificent painting it is, he quickly pulls out his pen. He insists that Mischko and I absolutely must leave the current date and our signatures on the painting. After this incredibly touching moment, we say a heartfelt goodbye.
Once they are gone, we hand the house keys back to Jean and Matthew and thank them profusely for their car, which they unconditionally let us use for the entire fourteen days. Then we immediately head to Donn and Dina’s. Donn is the son of Nancy—the Nancy we had stayed with the year before, who eventually had to move to Oregon because her husband Ed had simply dumped her for his old high school friend and run off to Florida with her.
When we arrive in Kaneohe, we can hardly believe our eyes: A true fiesta awaits us! I have never seen such a gigantic, magnificent feast in a private setting in my entire life.
Dina’s mother originally comes from the Philippines and has completely outdone herself. Unfortunately, due to all the delays, we are already running quite late. With a heavy heart, we have to apologize to her mother. We barely manage to eat anything, even though the tables are groaning. We just have to leave immediately! The reason for the sudden departure is the relentless time pressure at the airport: At that time in 1998, the airline strictly required passengers to be at the counter at least three hours before departure.
With one crying eye and one laughing eye, we leave the feast and our friends behind—carrying the signed sales contract for our very own, cash-paid piece of Hawaii in our luggage.
The Flight Home and the View of the Two Towers On the way to the airport, we still mourn the missed feast in the car. But the airline, United Airlines (UAL), relentlessly demands at this time that passengers always appear at the check-in counter three hours before departure.
After we finally make it through security, we end up—for lack of time for the Philippine fiesta—at McDonald’s once again at the very end, just to have a little something in our stomachs.
It was an incredibly hectic day. We slaved away in the apartment right up to the very last minute. When we finally take our seats on the plane, exhausted, and the aircraft lifts off around 11:00 PM, it flies a wide loop toward the east. I look out the window down at the sea of lights on the island. Suddenly, in the dark, I spot the familiar lights of our twin towers.
It is an absolutely indescribable feeling. We had come to Hawaii as completely normal tourists—and now we are leaving the island as proud property owners, leaving a piece of our hearts behind in Pearl City. It is a deeply moving moment to sit up there in the air and know that we are now heading home.
The Dream Comes True: Eleven Years of Unseen Income As always on our trips, we had planned a layover in Las Vegas for both the outbound and return flights, so we wouldn’t have to endure the endlessly long flight in one go. Staring out the window into the night, I think to myself: Tomorrow, a tenant will already be living in our very own four walls.
On the plane, pure exhaustion from the grueling renovation days finally overcomes us. We put on our headphones, listen to music, and Mischko watches a little TV while the engines lull us to sleep.
The best part of this adventure: The plan works out perfectly. Because the apartment is permanently rented out from now on, we reliably collect our money month after month. For eleven whole years after that, we never saw our apartment in person even once! When we returned to Hawaii twice a year in the following years, we continued to stay as usual with Jean and Matthew in our beloved Kailua—while our apartment in Pearl City worked diligently for us in the background.
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