Hawaii & California · Coastal Homes & Estates, brokered by eXp Realty
A good dink lands just over the net. A good offer out-dinks everyone else.
Real estate, coached by pickleball instinct: patience at the line, placement over power, and the discipline to not smash your best shot into the net. I'm Ana-Maria Contis — Co-Founder at Coastal Homes & Estates powered by eXp Realty, licensed in Hawai'i & California, serving the entire country and 33 other countries through our network.
Going solo can only get you so far — in pickleball or in escrow. When you've got the right partner, and the right team behind you, the game changes completely. Every listing gets the same approach we bring to the court: fun, focus, and fierce follow-through.
The short version
Stay light on your feet. Adapt fast. Bring your A-game — and your aloha — every single day. That's the whole philosophy, whether the ball is plastic or the deal is a $2M closing.
Meet Your Partner
Ana-Maria Contis
Broker/Team Leader, Coastal Homes & Estates — brokered by eXp Realty. HI RB #22216 · CA DRE #01451012.
2004Start of Career
HI & CATwo States, One Team
20+ YrsUntangling the Hard Stuff
I started in real estate back in 2004, which means I've been helping people solve the puzzle of buying and selling homes since before "dinking" meant anything other than an insult. My specialty is untangling the genuinely hard stuff: military relocation across Hawai'i and the rest of the world, timelines that don't leave room for error, and moves that are equal parts logistics and emotion. In parallel with serving our active duty military and veterans, the largest community I serve is our fellow pickleballers.
Real estate is personal for us. It's about connection — the same instinct that keeps you from smashing a return straight into the net keeps you from blowing up a negotiation over pride. Patience, placement, and reading the other side of the court: it's the same game.
What we stand for
Relationships
People / Family
Professionalism
Community & Social Responsibility
Collaboration
Superior Service
Team Players
The Roster
Ana-Maria Contis
Broker / Team Leader
Captain
Tim Steers
Realtor®
Doubles Partner
Tamar "Li'i" Bee
Realtor®
Team Player
Ana Stanciu
Realtor®
Team Player
Where we play
Hawai'i: Oahu, Maui, Hawai'i Island, Kaua'i, Moloka'i, Lāna'i — directly licensed and active across the islands.
California, where it started: Licensed and active still — Sacramento & San Diego roots, still home to part of the organization.
Rest of the U.S.: Through our extensive network of trusted referral partners, coast to coast.
International: Through eXp Realty's global network of referral partners, active in nearly 30 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand.
On the Calendar
Dink & Drinks
Golden hour at Lilipuna Rd — where the next Dink & Drinks will happen
Up Next · Nov 15
Grateful for You: Pie & Pickleball
Presented by Hale Kokua Foundation. Some fish, some pie, some play — a pickleball tournament (doubles from 9 AM, all skill levels welcome), lunch, and Santa photos for the keiki. Sunday, November 15, 2026, 9 AM–5 PM at Kēʻehi Lagoon Beach Park, Courts 1–6. Bring your family, bring a friend, bring an appetite. We'll also be accepting donations for the Salvation Army — drop off items at the event, and our biggest donor takes home a gift. RSVP by Nov 8 →
Ongoing
Dink & Drinks, Kāneohe
We're planning future meetups courtside at the Lilipuna Rd property — open houses, informal pickleball, and good company. Dates get announced through our email list and social channels first, so follow along or get in touch to be added to the list. Want in on a session? Text (808) 800-7821 and we'll get you on the court.
On the Court
Current & recent matches
The full, up-to-the-minute board lives on CoastalHE.com — every active and recent listing, updated in real time.
"Ana played a critical role in our ability to secure our offer — she was able to negotiate and secure it among seven competitors."
— Palma S.J., Buyer
FIRST-TIME BUYER11–4
"Ana-Maria was SO helpful with our choice to buy our first home — she truly listened."
— Jennifer & Brad S., Buyers
SELLER · SOLD DURING DEPLOYMENT11–2
"With my husband on deployment and me at home with a 1- and 5 year old, there was no way that I could've sold the house without her help. Ana went above and beyond to make sure the entire process went smoothly for me, and it did! The house wasn't even on the market for 2 full days before we received a cash offer and then closed in less than a month."
— Nicole Y., Seller
Recruiting · eXp Realty
Team players wanted
Going solo can only get you so far. If you're an agent (or thinking about becoming one) and you're tired of playing the whole court by yourself, let's talk about joining Coastal Homes & Estates at eXp Realty.
Covers more court
A strong team covers more court than any one agent can alone — more listings, more coverage, more eyes on every deal.
Recovers faster
Real mentorship and a team that actually shows up for each other, so a bad shot never becomes a lost point.
Never plays alone
The structure of eXp Realty behind you — cloud brokerage, revenue share, stock ownership — without losing the small-team feel.
We're built around relationships, collaboration, and superior service — not just closings. If that sounds like the culture you've been missing, we should rally.
Prefer to keep it literal? Come hit a few dinks with us first — our private courts in Kāneohe are open to anyone who wants to talk shop on the actual court before talking business.
Direct mentorship from a Broker/Team Leader with two decades in the business, a genuine team culture, and the backing of eXp Realty's brokerage model.
What's the deal with eXp Realty?
It's a 100% cloud-based brokerage — no office overhead dragging on your split, but real support behind you: live training, a built-in agent community, and a commission structure most traditional brokerages can't touch.
What's this about stock and revenue share?
You keep 80% of commission up to a $16,000 annual cap, then it's 100% for the rest of that year. eXp also awards company stock for hitting production milestones, and its revenue share program pays out on the agents you bring into the network — up to seven tiers deep, and it's even willable to your family.
Community
Hale Kōkua Foundation
"Hale Kōkua" means, roughly, a house of help — and that's the idea behind it: giving back to the Hawai'i community that this business is built on.
Hale Kōkua Foundation is a nonprofit based in Hawai'i, founded to support the community here in ways that go beyond any single real estate transaction. It's a project close to home — literally and otherwise — and one we're glad to have a chance to grow.
Want to learn more, get involved, or find out how to support the Foundation's work? Reach out and we'll fill you in.
A running series translating court terms into things that will actually save you money and stress. New entries added as we think of them (or as clients teach us the hard way).
Rule 01
The Kitchen (a.k.a. The Non-Volley Zone)
In pickleball, the seven feet on either side of the net is the "Kitchen" — step in at the wrong moment and you lose the point, no matter how good the shot was. Real estate has its own Kitchen: the opening days of a negotiation, when it's tempting to charge the net with your best, most aggressive offer or demand. Don't. The buyers and sellers who win aren't the ones who get there first — they're the ones who wait for the ball to come to them, then place it exactly where it needs to go. Rushing the Kitchen gets you a foot fault; rushing a negotiation gets you a deal that falls apart at inspection.
Rule 02
Dinking: The Art of the Soft Opening Offer
A "dink" is a soft, arcing shot hit just over the net into the opponent's Kitchen — the opposite of a power smash. It's not weak; it's strategic. It keeps the point alive and forces the other side to make the next move. The real estate version: your opening offer doesn't have to be a slam. A well-placed, well-reasoned number that respects the seller's position (and comes with clean terms) often gets you further than a lowball that ends the rally before it starts. Dink first. Smash later, if you even need to.
Rule 03
Let It Bounce: Why Patience Beats Panic
New pickleball players swing at everything. Experienced ones let a ball that's headed out of bounds simply bounce — because chasing every shot is how you lose the point on your own unforced error. In a hot market, the same discipline applies: not every listing needs an offer within the hour, and not every dip in asking price means "act now." Let a few bounce. The right one will come back over the net in your favor.
Rule 04
Unforced Errors: 5 Mistakes First-Time Buyers Make
An "unforced error" is a point you hand your opponent for free — nobody made you hit it into the net. The buyer equivalent:
Getting pre-approved for more than you're comfortable spending.
Skipping the inspection to "seem competitive."
Waiving contingencies you don't fully understand.
Falling in love with a listing photo instead of the actual layout.
Negotiating repairs over text instead of in writing.
None of these lose you the house. They just lose you the point — quietly, and usually right when you thought you were winning.
The Playbooks
Offense & Defense
The real advice, no metaphor required to understand it — just organized like a game plan.
Offense — For Buyers
Get pre-approved before you fall in love. Know your real number, not your hoped-for one, before you start touring.
Write a clean offer, not just a high one. Fewer contingencies and a flexible close date can beat a bigger number.
Never skip the inspection to "look competitive." There are better ways to strengthen an offer.
Ask about the neighborhood, not just the house. Commute, schools, flood zones, HOA rules — all of it matters after closing.
Let a few listings bounce. The right one is worth the wait.
Defense — For Sellers
Price it to the market, not to your feelings. Overpricing costs you the most in the first two weeks of listing.
Stage for the shot, not just the showing. Photos are the first offer you make to every buyer.
Handle repairs before they become negotiating leverage. A pre-listing inspection can save you thousands.
Read every offer, not just the top number. Financing terms and contingencies can make a "lower" offer the safer one.
Keep your agent in the loop on everything. Surprises during escrow cost more than they save.
The Glossary
Pickleball ↔ Real Estate Dictionary
Bookmark this one. It's the fastest way to sound fluent at an open house or on the court — whichever comes first.
Pickleball Term
Real Estate Translation
Dink
A soft, respectful opening offer meant to keep the rally alive, not end it.
The Kitchen
The early, delicate stage of negotiation — step in too aggressively and you lose the point.
Let It Bounce
Passing on a listing or a counteroffer that isn't right, on purpose, without panic.
Third Shot Drop
The carefully calculated follow-up offer after your opener gets returned.
Unforced Error
A mistake nobody made you make — skipping the inspection, waiving a contingency blind.
Stacking
Staging your home so the "players" (rooms) are positioned for the best possible shot.
Rally
The back-and-forth of counteroffers before a deal is struck.
Serve
The listing presentation — your first move, and it sets the tone for everything after.
Return of Serve
The counteroffer that comes right back at you.
Fault
A red flag from inspection that stops play until it's resolved.
Match Point
An accepted offer, pending only the formalities.
Game, Set, Match
Closing day. Keys in hand.
From the Blog
The Blog
Longer reads, for when a glossary entry isn't enough.
Blog · September 2026 · 5 min read
The Third Shot Drop: What to Do When Your PCS House Hunt Doesn't Go as Planned
In pickleball, the third shot drop is the move that saves a point that looks lost. You serve, they return deep, and suddenly you're scrambling at the baseline instead of set up at the net. Instead of panicking, you hit a soft, arcing shot into the Kitchen that buys you time to get back in position. It's not flashy. It's the shot that actually wins matches.
PCS orders do the same thing to a house hunt. You get your assignment, you build a plan — this neighborhood, this school district, this budget — and then you land for your ten-day house-hunting trip and the market has other ideas. Inventory's tighter than the listings you screenshotted three weeks ago. The perfect place already has four offers. Your spreadsheet didn't survive contact with Oahu.
That's the moment that separates a good PCS move from a stressful one — not whether the plan holds up, but what you do when it doesn't. Here's the third shot drop version of a PCS house hunt:
Get pre-approved before wheels-up, not during the trip. A VA loan pre-approval in hand means you can write an offer the same day you walk through a house — because in Honolulu and San Diego both, "I'll think about it overnight" is often how you lose the house.
Build a real backup list, not a wish list. Two or three neighborhoods you'd actually be happy in, not just the one you fell in love with on Zillow from 4,000 miles away.
Know your appraisal-gap plan going in. VA appraisals don't always match a competitive offer on tight island inventory — decide before you're in escrow how you'd cover a gap if one shows up.
Spend your leave days on the rally, not the serve. Less time touring twenty houses, more time ready to move fast on the two or three that are actually right.
Loop in an agent who already knows the report-date math. Closing has to happen before you're due on base, not whenever the transaction feels ready — that timeline drives everything else.
None of this makes the market slower or the timeline shorter. It just means that when your first plan gets returned hard — and on a PCS timeline, it usually does — you've already got the next shot ready. That's the whole game: not hitting the perfect first serve, but never being caught flat-footed on the second one.
