2024-04-04 Testimony Mary Begier, Realtor

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Mary, ((��(/� ier V REALTY April4, 2024 RE: 121 Windward Planning Commissioners 1 T� �- Oahu (808) 733-5562 (808) 935-0737 Thank you for your service, unlike the county council who do receive pay checks to listen to these kinds of hearings you are doing this on a purely voluntary basis. You will hear statistics on both sides of the argument as to whether short term rental impact "affordable housing". You will even hear a variety of definitions of what affordable housing is. What I want to convey today is my concern for the element of social engineering government officials in Hawaii at all levels are trying to practice, trying to force upon the citizens by way of laws and rules. May I share a true occurrence I recently witnessed... I sold a home for a local family. They purchased it as an investment to have a spare house in case one of their 3 children came home from the mainland. None have so the home has been in use as a long-term rental. The Mr. did all the maintenance on the home during and between tenants. They recently sold it because they tired of how often they had to do major repairs. They commented, "we spend more fixing that place up just to keep it livable than we are ever able to do to upgrade our own home." When I sold the rental property a neighbor said, "hey you know you sold that to people who like the same kind of people! Girls liking girls!" My client responded, "I don't care if they swing from the chandelier as long as they do it in their own home." That sums it up. Live and let live. Hawaii island has always been a very accepting place. Even the most conservative leaning people respect individual rights. In many ways we area model for private property rights. Please don't recommend passage of this measure 121 or anything like it. Let Hawaii island remain Hawaii island, not a stifled overly structured environment. Wit Aloha, at7� Mary Begie , Realtor® 1998 Aloha Aina Realtors Choice Award Referral & Relocation Certified / Certified Residential Specialist / Certified Residential Broker 2001 Realtor® of the Year Hawaii Assoc. of Realtors® 2002 Realtor® of the Year Honolulu Board of Realtors® 2001 Realtor® of the Year Hawaii Island Board of Realtors® 2003 President Honolulu Board of Realtors® 2006-2013 Hawaii Island Comm Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the Arts 2007 President Hawaii Island Board of Realtors" 2008-09 President Rotary Club of Hilo Bay 2009-2010 President Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce 2010-2011 Chair HSFCA 2013 Community Hero Award from Hawaii Invasive Species Councit 2015 Hawaii Island Chamber Athena Award Recipient 2016-24 OEQC/EAC Advisory Member Hawaii Island 2022-25 HICC Chair of Military Affairs Committee 2022-25 NAR BOD Medium Board Representative Oahu 1188 Bishop Street, Suite 3412 Honolulu, Hawaii'd 96813 www.MaryBegiercom .tat4f 48 by a `� P Hawaii Island 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 315 Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Fax: (808) 935-8776 "MMU' F= Mpi