Buying a Home in Hawaii? Here's What Military Families Need to Know
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Release Date: 07/15/2026
Niners Fandom, Real Estate Growth & Healthy Risks with Tiare Kabazawa
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Niners Fandom, Real Estate Growth & Healthy Risks with Tiare Kabazawa What do San Francisco 49ers football, building a successful real estate career, and taking healthy risks have in common? For Hawaiʻi Realtor Tiare Kabazawa, they all come down to preparation, persistence, relationships, and a willingness to grow. Host Larry Gonzales sits down with Tiare Kabazawa of Coldwell Banker Realty for a conversation that starts with their shared love of the San Francisco 49ers and moves into Tiare's journey from luxury retail to Hawaiʻi real estate. Tiare shares how working behind the...
info_outline
How LPGA Pros Handle Pressure, Failure & Self-Doubt
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
LPGA pro Dewi Weber didn’t even like golf as a kid. She played because she hated losing. Now she’s competing for wins on tour, and she’s sharing the morning routine, the mental game, and the parenting lesson that changed how she sees success. In this episode, host Larry Gonzales sits down with Dewi Weber, a Dutch professional golfer competing on the LPGA Tour, to explore the discipline, mental toughness, and resilience behind professional golf. Dewi shares how a serious ankle injury ended her national-level tennis ambitions and unexpectedly introduced her to golf—a sport she initially...
info_outline
Congress Could Make VA Loans More Expensive—Here’s What Veterans Need to Know
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with fellow mortgage professionals Michael Melso and Daniel Sepulveda of The Broker Mortgage Experts to discuss proposed changes to VA funding fees and why they believe those changes could have unintended consequences for active-duty service members and veterans. The conversation focuses on H.R. 6047, which the episode describes as increasing the VA funding fee on certain refinances from 0.5% to 1.42% and on assumptions from 0.5% to 1%. Larry illustrates the potential impact with a $1 million loan, where...
info_outline
Can Locals Still Afford to Buy a Home in Hawaiʻi?
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with Jewel Henderson-DeGerald and Michel Arakaki of Real Broker / Team MJ for a conversation about helping local Hawaiʻi families believe homeownership is possible. Jewel and Michel share how their backgrounds in education, counseling, and relationship-building shaped the way they serve clients today. Rather than simply helping someone buy or sell a property, they focus on education, communication, and creating what they call the “MJ Experience” personalizing the homebuying journey, celebrating milestones,...
info_outline
Buying a Home? Beware of These Real Estate Scams & Costly Mistakes
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Buying a Home? Beware of These Real Estate Scams & Costly Mistakes In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with longtime friend Maggie Marcelli, Assistant Vice President at Title Guaranty, for an important conversation about what Hawaiʻi homebuyers, sellers, and real estate professionals need to know before getting to the closing table. Maggie shares what Title Guaranty is seeing in today’s Hawaiʻi real estate market, including condo transactions falling out of escrow because of rising HOA fees, insurance costs, special assessments, and buyers...
info_outline
Should You Buy a Home in Hawaiʻi Now? What Every Buyer Needs to Know
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Should You Buy a Home in Hawaiʻi Now? What Every Buyer Needs to Know If you're wondering whether now is the right time to buy a home in Hawaiʻi, you're not alone. With mortgage rates hovering around 6%, changing market conditions, and constant headlines about the economy, many buyers are asking the same question: Should I wait—or is there an opportunity right now? In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales and the team break down what's really happening in today's Oʻahu housing market. They explain why Hawaiʻi isn't one market—it's a collection of...
info_outline
How One Single Mom Bought Her First Home in Hawaiʻi (And You Can Too)
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Can you really afford to buy a home in Hawaiʻi? For many first-time buyers, military families, and veterans, homeownership feels impossible. High home prices, rising HOA fees, insurance costs, and uncertainty about mortgage rates often keep people renting longer than they planned. In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with Uliya Sparks to discuss what it really takes to become a homeowner in Hawaiʻi—and why waiting for the "perfect time" isn't always the best financial decision. Uliya shares her incredible journey from being born in Russia,...
info_outline
Buying a Home in Hawaii? Here's What Military Families Need to Know
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
What should military families know before buying a home in Hawaii? Is it better to buy or rent? How do you build wealth while stationed in one of the country's most expensive housing markets? In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with Hawaii REALTOR®, photographer, and military spouse Lexi Brown to discuss the financial, emotional, and personal decisions that shape a successful move to Hawaii. Lexi shares why she specializes in serving military families, how she built a thriving real estate business through authentic social media, and the biggest...
info_outline
Kirsten Connell & Jasmine Bell: Your First Step To Homeownership | Pre-Approval Guide
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
What makes a great Realtor? According to Jasmine Bell and Kirsten Connell of Hawaiʻi Home Group, it's not about selling homes—it's about helping clients make confident, informed financial decisions. In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with two of Oʻahu's top real estate professionals to discuss what it means to put clients first. From military relocations and negotiating incredible deals to helping homeowners maximize equity through strategic renovations, this conversation is packed with practical advice for buyers, sellers, investors, and...
info_outline
How Jade Medeiros Balances Four Kids, Client Relationships, and Mortgage Life in Hawaiʻi
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with Jade Medeiros, Client Relations Manager at The Broker, for a candid conversation about family, work, leadership, and what it takes to build a service-first mortgage business in Hawaiʻi. Jade shares what life looks like as a mother of four while balancing client relations, business development, events, CRM systems, and the day-to-day needs of a growing mortgage team. From football practices and family routines to helping run the Successful Homeowner series, holiday trolley events, webinars, and client...
info_outlineWhat should military families know before buying a home in Hawaii? Is it better to buy or rent? How do you build wealth while stationed in one of the country's most expensive housing markets?
In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with Hawaii REALTOR®, photographer, and military spouse Lexi Brown to discuss the financial, emotional, and personal decisions that shape a successful move to Hawaii.
Lexi shares why she specializes in serving military families, how she built a thriving real estate business through authentic social media, and the biggest mistakes she sees homebuyers make. She also opens up about her remarkable personal transformation—losing 92 pounds naturally, overcoming depression, strengthening her faith, and homeschooling her two daughters.
Whether you're PCSing to Hawaii, buying your first home, or looking for encouragement to overcome life's challenges, this conversation is filled with practical advice and inspiring stories.
In This Episode
- Should military families buy or rent in Hawaii?
- Using your VA home loan benefit wisely
- The biggest mistakes first-time homebuyers make
- Building wealth through real estate instead of renting
- Growing a business through authentic social media
- Losing 92 pounds through lifestyle changes
- Overcoming depression and finding hope through faith
- Finding community at Inspire Church
- Homeschooling children with autism
- Long-term financial planning and setting priorities
- Connect with Lexi Brown
- 📱 Instagram: @TheRealLexiBrown
- REALTOR® | Photographer | Military Family Advocate
Chapters
00:00 Why Being Indecisive Costs You More
01:07 Meet Lexi Brown
03:17 Why Lexi Serves Military Families
05:23 Building a Business Through Social Media
08:01 Losing 92 Pounds Naturally
13:26 Faith, Mental Health & Finding Purpose
17:03 Finding Community at Inspire Church
22:01 Thriving After a PCS to Hawaii
28:48 Should You Buy or Rent in Hawaii?
35:17 How to Avoid Becoming House Poor
41:39 Homeschooling on Oahu
49:44 Hawaii Housing Market Opportunities
52:50 Mortgage Strategies Every Buyer Should Know
59:48 Final Reflections
1:03:28 Closing Thoughts
🎙️ Enjoyed this episode?
Subscribe to In Search of Excellence: Island Style on YouTube, and follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss a conversation with leaders who are raising the standard through purpose, values, and aloha.
If this episode provided value, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share it with someone who could benefit from the conversation.