According to the Hawaii Association of Realtors, over the last 20 years the annualized rate of appreciation for a median single family home was 5.5%. For condos, it was almost 6%. Of course these numbers account for highs and lows in the market.
What does this mean for homebuyers?
Here's an example to highlight the biggest upside to purchasing a home in Hawaii. This example uses median sales price data from the Hawaii Association of Realtors website, which you can find here. (https://www.hicentral.com/oahu-historical-data.php)
Example:
You purchased a $360,000 condo in 2015 and financed 100% using a 30 year VA loan. Three years later in 2018, that condo would have naturally appreciated to $420,000 and your mortgage payments would have banked you $22,000 of additional equity in the home. When you sell, you walk away with a $52,000 return after paying Realtor fees and closing costs. That's the equivalent of saving $1500 a month for three years!
I am not a financial advisor, and there have been some downturns throughout the years, but choosing to purchase a house is an amazing opportunity to avoid losing $100,000 dollars worth of our BAH to renting or living on post. I am a real estate agent and investor, but I'm also a military spouse who has been along for the ride on 9 household goods moves (2 of them OCONUS!) I’m here to help inform you and your family to make the right decision.