I'm writing this entry for an entirely different reason today. It's long overdue actually, but I haven't been diligent blogging here in Safe Streets Hawaii unfortunately, so I'll start with today and try my best to recall previous events.
The house right beside mine (to my immediate left on North Puni Mauka Loop) has been in foreclosure for over two years now. There are a couple of men that come by to mow and weed-eat the grass every month or so. Today they came by for their monthly duties. I've been trying to find out who to contact concerning that house so I decided to go out today and see if these guys could give me some information. It was about 12:30p.m. when I noticed there were two men. One of them had begun weed eating and the other was near his truck (White GMC/Chevy 4 door full size) taking pictures of the house.
By the time I went out there several minutes later, this man, in his mid forties, had started up and began using his push mower. I waved at him and he waved back and walked towards me. He turned the machine off and came up to shake my hand. I introduced myself and he said his name was John. I asked him who I could contact about the house and his reply was "Why, do you want to buy it?" I replied "yeah, maybe", he came back saying something about a lady had already bought it, & in was in escrow. I made a mention to him that I would like someone to call in case I had something to report about the house. I asked who hires him to do the yard and he couldn't give me a direct answer saying something about there being several banks involved. I asked if he knew of someone I could call and he replied with a "no" the started his mower back up and went on working.
That was that. They finished doing their yard cutting and left. I will now try my best to recall the events leading up to today.
It was really quiet there at this house next to us for a good long while. There were tenants living there for about a year, and around late 2009 or early 2010, they moved out and no one has lived there since.
There was a season where the grass got really long and the house seemed neglected. This season was followed by a couple of guys who started taking care of the yard, as I mentioned earlier. Several months ago, we noticed a couple in a small SUV stop by with a small child. They started carrying small boxes and items into the garage through the back garage door. At first we thought we were getting new neighbors and were glad to see some kind of activity besides just the yard work. They left but returned in just fifteen or twenty minutes, returning with more small items. They brought it again into the garage through the back door. They left again and by this time I was out in my carport in the hopes that they'd come back and I could meet these people. Sure enough, they returned and this time I'm in my carport looking in their direction but they wouldn't make eye contact with me. At this point they started retrieving their items that they brought in to the garage, put them back in their vehicle and drove off. We never saw these people again.
The very next day, a couple came by to the house next door, a man and a woman. The woman had a clipboard and was taking the electric meter reading, pictures, and then went into the house. I didn't see if she entered through the back garage door or front door. I went outside to talk to them and when I went out the man was on the porch. I called out to him and he walked over to me. He was nice, and explained that his wife was hired by a bank to check on the house an that he came with her so she wouldn't be alone. I regret that I didn't make note what he told me his name was. When his wife came out I got to talk to her, she introduced herself as Ruth. I told them about what had happened there the day before, and that I thought these people were going to try and sleep there. I asked Ruth if she had a business card but she said she just started this job and didn't have one. I had a short, pleasant conversation with them, mostly about the property they were on, then they left. I asked two last things before they took off and that was what bank was she from and who could I contact regarding the house. She was unclear but said something about confidentiality and they took off. They return every so often to take meter readings and pictures but I didn't speak with them again.
Several weeks after I spoke with the couple, three people stopped by and were walking around the property and through the house. Two adults, women, and a child. The more that things went on next door, the more my curiosity grew, so naturally I went out to talk with them and be an inquisitive neighbor. It turned out I knew who the older of the two women were. I had met her and her husband before and worked with them at my previous place of employment. I had a nice chat with her. She introduced me to her hanai niece, who was with her. It was her niece and her husband who were buying the house and would be moving in shortly. I asked if it was on the market, because there were never any real estate signs posted. She told me that they were 'homesteaders' and they get to buy it before it goes on the market. I asked "What is that, homesteaders?", and she said that it was good way to get a house, and that she'd tell me about it sometime. She also mentioned that was the way they acquired their home which was by the ocean. They left after a short while, and I seen them return after a month or so. I talked to them only once.
About a month ago my wife and I went away for a weekend. When we returned home it was a Monday night at about 9:30 p.m. Were surprised to see that the porch lights were on at the house next door. We thought maybe someone had finally moved in! But, it turns out that there was no one staying there and the lights stayed on all night and into the next day. I didn't notice at what point they went off, or how, but by Tuesday night they were no longer on.
I blog about thing that happen near my house to keep a watchful eye, keep a good record, and keep the streets safe.
