We first met Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn 16 months before we closed on this property when we visited Oahu to look at neighborhoods for our planned move in the summer of 2021. On that trip, she spent multiple days driving us through neighborhoods and visiting listed houses, answering all of our questions and educating us on the market. She knew then how far off our anticipated purchase was, but was patient and enthusiastic throughout.

In the spring of 2021 when we were ready to start looking for a house in earnest, Yvonne was tireless in seeking out possibilities for us including sending many dozens of letters to owners of houses that were not on the market that she thought would be attractive options. We actually entered into advanced negotiations, that got very complicated, with the recipient of one of these letters, and Yvonne was able to negotiate an exceedingly complex agreement to close on that property that ultimately did not work out due to the sellers' inability to satisfy a closing condition (a very long story). Yvonne prepared multiple different offers, expertly guiding us through the process and presenting creative options we never would have come up with on our own -- and that a lesser realtor would never have known about. Although we ultimately didn't get that house, Yvonne's work in finding the potential seller and going through the negotiation process was very impressive.

Obviously, the spring of 2021 was a very difficult time for buyers in this real estate market. Especially for us, as we preferred to be in Kailua and as close to the beach as possible but had a (relatively) limited budget for what such properties are selling for. Yvonne visited countless listings on our behalf, conducting many virtual tours, and always provided candid feedback and advice. We went under contract on a view property in the Portlock area, and Yvonne helped us arrange for a Matterport tour, inspection, and even a virtual meeting with a contractor to discuss needed repairs. We decided to back out of the contract based on these findings, and Yvonne cheerfully went right back to work to try to find us the property we would love.

The property we ended up purchasing was a FSBO offering, with the seller disclosing outright hostility to realtors in the property description and refusing to pay for a buyer's agent. Yvonne located the property, arranged to tour it, and negotiated the purchase on our behalf with the out-of-state seller. She obtained property and permit records for our review, contacted the DPP with our questions, and brought a contractor to the property in addition to the inspector. When our original lender had funding problems (another long story) she effectively negotiated an extension of the closing date on favorable terms.

Yvonne's work throughout our long and complicated road to closing showed not only her strong dedication to client service, but also her exceptionally thorough understanding of all the complex issues surrounding Hawaii real estate transactions. We were originally referred to Yvonne by our Texas-based realtor (and friend) who did a lot of research into Oahu real estate agents before recommending Yvonne to us, and Yvonne's excellence in practice more than matched her reputation. Importantly, Yvonne always had our best interests in mind, and we never got the impression for an instant that she was motivated simply to close a deal for her own benefit. She could have tried to persuade us to do so many times, but her goal was clear: to get us the home that we would love. At the end of this process that is exactly what happened, and this is why I enthusiastically nominate her for the Aloha Aina Award. 

- Deanna & Jay Stuemke, Esqs., Buyers in Kailua