Client Stories of Working with Denise L. Miyahira
2023 Aloha ‘Aina REALTOR Award Winner -
Client Submission
In April of 2022, a local resident made plans to move to the continent and turned to Denise L. Miyahira for help with selling their home.
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Skyrocketing rates at the time had slowed the market and forced the seller to lower their asking price. In conversations with Miyahira, the seller explains that "she was very supportive and optimistic about the property eventually selling, while always keeping us informed about comparable sales and loan rate trends. The optimism paid off since we eventually went into escrow. This is where things got interesting, and our agent really showed their expertise."
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The seller recalls that a few weeks before the scheduled closing date on the property, their neighbor informed them that a sewage pipe coming from their property and going across to the neighbor's side had broken and was leaking. With this new information, the seller had to disclose to the buyers, who decided to cancel the contract due to the complexity and potential costs associated with the issue.
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"We were devastated and quickly burning through our savings because we had already moved to the mainland and were paying for two properties," the seller says. "Our agent immediately sprang into action and contacted the city as well as contractors, engineers, attorneys, title companies and other REALTORS° to get more information on how to resolve our issue.
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"It turned out that the neighbor's home was built over a city easement for our sewage line and they had sealed off the original sewage connection, which forced a rerouting of the line awkwardly across their property and into their sewage connection. Our agent got quotes and estimates from contractors to fix the issue, looked into legal recourse, worked with our neighbor to get workers onto their property, and was even able to get the city to claim responsibility."
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Miyahira aligned all the parties, and after a few weeks of repairs, the seller put the home back on the market and sold the property in November 2022.
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"There is no way that we would have been able to sell this property without taking major losses if it was not for the knowledge and patience of our agent," the seller says.
2020 Aloha ‘Aina REALTOR Award Winner -
Client Submission
Sometimes, the process of selling a house can be frictionless; other times, not so much. The true testament of a sound REALTOR comes when met with the latter. Fortunately, Denise Miyahira is an agent who shines in the face of adversity.
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“I am not sure words can describe how Denise Miyahira went above and beyond being my REALTOR for the sale of my sister’s condo,” says the seller. “This was a very difficult sale for a number of reasons.”
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Miyahira was initially in contact with the sellers’ sister, the original owner of the Kaneohe condo and the person who lived in it. Sadly, she suffers from dementia and was not able to complete the sales contract. Through some investigation, Miyahira located the owner’s sibling to help with the process.
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“Complications compounded as I live in California and required extra support in getting the condo ready for sale,” explains the client. “Thankfully, I had the best REALTOR anyone could want.”
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Miyahira exhibited compassion and patience as the seller acquired conservatorship and guardianship for her sister through a lengthy process in court. In the meantime, she prepared the unit for sale by negotiating and arranging repairs with the condo complex, meeting with the maintenance crews and more tasks that prove she went above the line of duty.
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The seller had initially arranged to stage the condo with items already in the unit, to return at a later time to sell the furniture. However, a turn of events occurred, and the seller realized she needed to clear out the condo as soon as possible.
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“I was hesitant to tell Denise of my change in plans, but she took it with her always cheerful self and reassured me that it was no problem, and she would have the condo staged,” says the seller. “By the time I left, everything was repaired, painted and cleared out except for four pieces of furniture.”
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Before officially closing the condo, Miyahira and the seller ran into a few more obstacles. But yet again, she effortlessly managed to find solutions.
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“Words cannot express my deep gratitude for everything Denise has done to be supportive through this process,” says the seller. “I’ve detailed all the physical/mental tasks she did, but have not touched on her especial cheerfulness, unwavering support, caring, understanding and encouragement.”
Y.J. & W.J.
"We first met Denise in 2010 when we were looking to buy a home on Oahu. She guided us through the house hunting and buying process back then and its sale in 2017. While selling our home on Oahu we were also buying a new home on the mainland. Denise went above and beyond, as she’s always done, and not only delivered a smooth sale of our Oahu home but also called our new realtor on the mainland regularly to coordinate the new home purchase. Denise’s personal care helped make the whole process of selling and buying a home smooth and we were able to close on our new home within a few days of closing on the sale of our Oahu home. With so many other things to worry about when moving to the mainland, it was such a great relief to have Denise bearing the load with us.
Through the years, if we had any questions for her, she always responded and made sure we had all the information and understanding we needed to make informed decisions. While Denise has always been able to make us feel like we were her only clients, we know that she treats all her clients with the same care that she gave us. We trust Denise and recommend her unreservedly to anyone who is looking for a reliable and trustworthy realtor."
Ed Ramos
"Denise Miyahira is the ONLY person you'll need if you are looking for a home. She is someone I trusted to represent me on purchasing a new home and nowadays, trusting someone is very hard. She will do everything that she can to assist you to get the proper documents needed to the developer. She will even take it further by taking those documents to the developer...IN PERSON!! Her efforts to help you is beyond your belief. I appreciate what she did for me and I wouldn't hesitate to use her again!!! Denise, you're amazing!! Thank you for all you did for me!! God bless you always!!"
2013 Aloha ‘Aina REALTOR Award Winner -
Client Submission
Two first-time buyers who admittedly knew little about the homebuying process relied heavily on Denise Miyahira to help them make the right decisions. The couple recognized that buying a home would be one of their biggest purchases. Denise made them feel confident and comfortable about working with her, and after one meeting they came away impressed by her "positive attitude, enthusiasm and great knowledge."
During a year-long search, she kept them motivated and gave them hope that they would find a home to fit their budget. It turned out to be a house built in the '50s with roof and termite problems. However, these and other issues were solved to their satisfaction and in their financial favor through Denise's negotiation skills. "To this day Denise keeps in touch with us, just to see how we are doing and how our home improvements are coming along. We highly recommend her to family and friends looking to purchase a home."
A couple who met Denise while she was pursuing a certificate to become a private pilot were impressed by her ''determination and passion for flying." They decided she had the kind of drive and determination that would apply to helping them achieve their real estate goals.
Five years ago she represented them in the sale of an apartment and then the purchase of a single family home. Her detailed market analysis and advice were so valuable that they asked her to represent them in another purchase of an older home that had not yet been inspected. In a walk-through they stopped short of looking into a crawl space above the ceiling, but, "Denise said she was willing to crawl in ... and discovered that a bird had made a nest there. She then made arrangements for the nest to be removed."
B.E.
"That Denise Miyahira has the expertise to sell your property goes without saying. Beyond her expertise, she has the Aloha that brought organization and calm to the process and, ultimately, the sale. From coordinating the cleaning and maintenance to the staging, showings and closing, she worked hand-in-hand to get the many jobs done and kept in communication all the while. She provided market statistics and made recommendations. Her attention to me as a client and the sale is commendable. I recommend her highly."
Reed & Gloria
"We have had a long association with Denise and have seen her grow in many areas since we first met her when she was a student at Iolani School. Our relationship grew when she became our "go to" person when we had any questions or concerns about real estate and she has handled our transactions through the years. We value her as a five-star realtor and friend!"