Have you ever dreamed what it would be like to live in a nice home right by the ocean? Would you feel like Magnum P.I. as seen in the famous TV show Hawaii Five-0?

Millions have seen the show and have been inspired and awestruck by blue ocean, dancing palm trees and sunny blue skies.  This is not a coincident. Honolulu stands head above shoulders compared to many other coastal locations in America offering a magical and unique combination of the best of both worlds:

1.) Tropical paradise with perfect climate, clean air and crystal blue oceans, together with..

2.) all the benefits that come along with living in a modern metropolis.

Honolulu’s population has reached the $1Mill mark in 2016.  If you are one of the lucky ones to move here and need a house in Honolulu, start your journey here and search all Honolulu homes for sale.

Plenty of blue ocean surrounds the city, but did you know there are only about 425 Honolulu single family homes directly on the ocean. That is all, and there is no more oceanfront to add!

If ordinary is not enough and you desire that special dream home on the ocean for a truly magical lifestyle within Honolulu city, you have come to the right place: Our guide to Honolulu oceanfront homes and neighborhoods will help you find your dream home.

You may already know Diamond Head and Kahala, arguably Honolulu’s most famous beachfront residential neighborhoods.  Perhaps here you will discover a few other, lesser known oceanfront communities. See what differentiates them from each other. Explore each respective neighborhood with aerial videos and maps. Compare unique neighborhood features and ambiance. See why Honolulu oceanfront homes are favored by ocean lovers from all over the world.

Offering the finest in oceanfront living, following in geographical order going from west to east, we start with:

1.) Diamond Head  (see video)

Diamond Head

Many consider Diamond Head the ‘King’ of Honolulu’s oceanfront neighborhoods offering some of the finest most sought-after Honolulu real estate.  This is where royalty used to live and play.  Just past Waikiki, wrapped around the world famous imposing Diamond Head Crater, the neighborhood features pristine white sandy beaches but also a few dramatic cliff side properties.

Waikiki Beach close by is getting all the tourist attention, but many don’t realize the amazing beauty and serenity of Diamond Beach between Beach Rd and Kulamanu Pl.  Beaches here are picturesque with impeccable sand. Hardly ever does the beach here gets crowded other than surfers launching off to enjoy the waves south of Diamond Head.

A seawall protects the properties west of Beach Rd. Residents have access to what is a narrow beach, if any, in front of the seawall. The most eastern section of Diamond Head Beach past Kulamanu Pl gets rocky with a steep cliff transitioning into the adjacent Black Point neighborhood.

Diamond Head beachfront homes

Roughly at the halfway point along Diamond Head’s two-mile oceanfront stretch between Waikiki and Black Point towers the Diamond Head Lighthouse marking Oahu’s most southern point. A couple of Diamond Head lookout points just east of the light house give you a good raised vantage point to watch the surfers. From here you get a peek-a-boo view of some of the hidden, private and elusive oceanfront mansions and estates.

One notable Diamond Head property close to the lighthouse is the stunning Mediterranean villa at 3603 Diamond Head Rd, listed at $13.9 Mill (Summer 2016).

Only about 60 of the 650 Diamond Head homes are right on the ocean.  Because of the sloped topography along the craters base, many of the non-oceanfront homes still enjoy mesmerizing ocean views.

Diamond Head land values are some of the most expensive on the island. It’s no surprise due to limited supply and to maximize the highest use of the land, some lots have been subdivided or redeveloped into cluster developments wherever possible. Check some unique Diamond Head real estate treasures on our complete list of Diamond Head Real Estate CPR & PUD cluster developments.

If a Diamond Head oceanfront single family home is stretching your budget, consider enjoying a magical lifestyle in one of the oceanfront condos along Diamond Head’s Gold Coast (see video).

We invite you to take a closer look what makes this neighborhood so special.  As a longtime Diamond Head resident once said: “Diamond Head residents not only live well, they seem to live well forever”

Life here is sweet.

2.) Kahala Black Point  (see video)

Black Point

Kahala Black Point consists of only about 75 homes on an oceanfront black lava rock knoll that juts out to the ocean. This neighborhood might be small, but mighty impressive are the dramatic cliff side ocean views.

Kahala Black Point aka Black Point is often overlooked because this small community is wedged between famous Diamond Head and Kahala.

An unassuming rod iron security gate at the top of Black Point Rd offers privacy to about 35 homes. Behind the gate is where Tom Selleck aka Magnum P.I. used to live in real life.  A separate security gate off Royal Circle offers privacy to another 8 Black Point homes.

Black Point oceanfront homes

Only about a dozen Black Point homes are directly on the ocean. Kahala Black Point oceanfront means rocky shoreline with dramatic wave action below. The only swimmable ocean is at a small east facing hidden beach behind the gate off Royal Circle.

For the privileged few that live behind either gate, Black Point offers privacy, security and some of the most fabulous ocean views primarily south and east facing, looking along the Kahala coastline with Koko Head and Koko Crater in the distance. It gets a bit windy here on the knoll for properties exposed towards the prevailing northeast trade winds.

Exclusive for Black Point residents, behind the main gate an amazing unique ocean water infinity pool chiseled into the cliff makes up for the lack of sandy beach and swimmable ocean. This famous Black Point infinity pool with blue ocean right below is truly an unforgettable special place in paradise.

3.) Kahala  (see video)

Kahala

If Diamond Head is the undisputed ‘King’ of Honolulu’s oceanfront neighborhoods, world-famous Kahala takes the title of the ‘Queen’ of Honolulu’s oceanfront neighborhoods. Rightfully often referred to as the Beverly Hills of Honolulu, Kahala has a predominantly flat topography.

Only about 40 homes of the 1,200 Kahala homes are located along the 1 mile stretch of pristine Kahala Beach enjoying direct ocean views. Kahala oceanfront properties are between half an acre and sometimes over 2 acres in size.  These large trophy estate properties are rare. Scarcity creates exceptional value with unlimited upside potential. Look no further if you want the truly extraordinary in oceanfront estates in Honolulu’s prime most prestigious luxury neighborhoods.

Hunakai St marks the halfway point between Royal Circle, the most western end of Kahala Beach, and Kealaolu Ave, the most eastern end of Kahala Beach. Homes located east of Hunakai Ave enjoy pristine white sandy beach with little foot traffic. A seawall protects the homes located west of Hunakai Ave offering increased privacy.

Kahala beachfront homes

If Kahala oceanfront homes are a bit too big in size, and or budget, you might consider a Kahala home just mountain side of Kahala Ave. There are several public beach walking paths between the large oceanfront estates allowing access to one of the finest beaches on Oahu’s south shore.  Most non-oceanfront Kahala homes sit on generous lots often 10,000 sqft in size, and the beach is just down the street always close by.

Kahala lots can not be subdivided because of neighborhood deed restrictions that run with the land ensuring a desirable low density neighborhood with larger homes.  Either an oceanfront home for the super-size budget or an interior Kahala home starting in the $2Mill + range, Kahala appeals to many looking for a prestigious neighborhood with wide roads, luxurious homes on large level lots, an awesome beach and yet a quick and easy commute into town.

4.) Kai Nani  (see video)

Kai Nani

Kai Nani is a special coveted beachfront neighborhood next to the prestigious private Waialae Golf Course. Kai Nani enjoys a magical setting with mesmerizing colors of blue ocean and green fairways.  Kai Nani homes appear stately, grand and well maintained. Every Kai Nani home looks fabulous.

Only 10 of the 30 total Kai Nani homes are located along a narrow stretch of beach. The ocean here is calm because of a protective outer reef. The beach is narrow and a bit rocky. There is hardly any foot traffic along this stretch of beach.

Almost every Kai Nani home is either fronting the beach or the golf course.  Keep in mind that this golf course is not just any golf course. This is the exclusive private Waialae Golf Course, home of the famous annual Sony Open Golf Tournament.

Kai Nani beachfront homes

One privileged Kai Nani home enjoys both, ocean frontage and golf course frontage. It is the famous blue roof ‘Tutu Hale’ located at the end of Kaimoku Pl. The home is prominently visible from almost everywhere on the golf course. The Sony Corporation founder’s family currently owns the property.

Kai Nani has its unique appeal to residents that desire ocean or golf course frontage. A fabulous neighborhood with grand looking homes and a convenient commute. A street light on the corner of Kaimoku Pl and Kalanianaole Hwy allows for quick and easy left turn into town.

Kai Nani homes rarely become available. Learn more about Kai Nani’s magic and see Kai Nani homes for sale.

5.) Wailupe Beach & Peninsula  (seee video)

Wailupe Beach

Wailupe Beach is the natural extension of the beach continuing past the Kai Nani neighborhood. A few estate size deep lots are located towards the western end of Wailupe Beach. Going further east lot sizes get smaller as the highway runs closer to the ocean before Wailupe Beach Park, the most eastern section of Wailupe Beach.

Only about 19 homes enjoy direct ocean frontage along this beach.  The beach here is quiet and narrow like the beach at Kai Nani. An outer reef protects the homes creating a calm shallow ocean great for fishing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding.

Just east of the Wailupe Beach Park is the Wailupe Peninsula, an artificial peninsula that juts out to the ocean, surrounded by crystal blue water on three sides. Wailupe Peninsula homes enjoy increased privacy because of a protective lava rock seawall. Instead of a beach where people might walk by your property, here you can moor your boat on your private boat dock off your back yard. The army corp of engineers dredged a deep water channel around the peninsula to allow boat access for Wailupe Peninsula residents.

Wailupe Peninsula used to be an ancient fishpond many years ago.  Filled land, a seawall and the deep water channel surrounding the peninsula created today’s highly desirable residential oceanfront community.  Environmental laws would make it impossible to recreate today. That makes Wailupe Peninsula forever special and unique.

Wailupe Peninsula

Only 31 of all 120 Wailupe Peninsula homes front the ocean along the seawall. These homes are some of the finest real estate for ocean lovers that like to have a boat dock.  None of the before mentioned oceanfront neighborhoods allow you to keep a boat just outside your back yard.

Wailupe Peninsula homes along the east facing seawall enjoy natural cooling because of the prevailing easterly trade winds.  Homes along the western facing seawall enjoy sunset and Diamond Head views, with trade winds blowing gently from the land out to the ocean.

Wailupe Peninsula oceanfront homes

Wailupe Peninsula homes enjoy large level lots with great ocean views, privacy and boat access, but remember, there is no beach at the Wailupe Peninsula. A neighborhood boat ramp is available exclusively for Wailupe residents for convenient ocean access.  Bring your boat or kayak and start living.

6.) Aina Haina Beach  (see video)

Aina Haina Beach

Aina Haina Beach is a beachfront community with 75 beachfront homes along the narrow beach between Wailupe Place and Kawaikui Beach Park. At Aina Haina Beach the distance between the beach and Kalanianaole Hwy is greater compared to Wailupe Beach or Niu Beach.  Because of the greater depth of some of the lots, Aina Haina Beach is known for some impressive grand beachfront estates, a few of them as large as 2 acres.

One of Aina Haina’s first beachfront estates built 1936 is the famous historic Bayer Estate at 5329 Kalanianaole Hwy. Because of its charm and magical beachfront location, the property has become a popular spot for wedding celebrations.

Aina Haina beachfront homes

Noteworthy is the sale of 5415/5435 Kalanianaole Hwy, a 2.621 acre beachfront parcel, purchased by an Asian holding company for $13.5 Mill in September 2014.

Aina Haina’s beach is quiet and hardly used by tourists. The ocean here is shallow and a bit rocky with calm waters because of the protective outer reef.  A great beach for fishing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding but not ideal for swimming.

7.) Niu Beach & Peninsula  (see video)

Niu Beach

Niu Beach is the natural extension of Aina Haina Beach past the Kawaikui Beach Park.

There are about 31 homes along this stretch of beach until you get to the artificial Niu Peninsula protruding out to the ocean.  Lot sizes vary but can be as large as 3/4 acre, or even 1.5 acres for the exceptional Pflueger Estate built on a choice double lot just past where the Niu Valley stream enters the ocean.

The beach here is comparable with Aina Haina Beach, narrow, with a calm shallow ocean protected by an outer reef.

For those desiring the privacy of a seawall, the Niu Peninsula is an artificial peninsula that was developed out of what used to be an ancient fishpond. Like its larger sibling the Wailupe Peninsula, filled land with a fortifying seawall and a surrounding dredged deep water channel for resident’s boat access make Niu Peninsula a popular residential oceanfront community.

Niu Peninsula

Only about 20 homes are fronting the ocean within the peninsula. The lucky few enjoy forever ocean views.

East facing homes experience the cooling easterly trade winds. West facing homes enjoy sunset views and less wind and ocean spray.

Niu Peninsula oceanfront homes

Another dozen Niu Beach homes are located past the Niu Beach Peninsula along the beach stretch before you reach Paiko Dr.

8.) Paiko Lagoon  (see video)

Paiko Lagoon

If you are looking for a one of a kind Honolulu oceanfront property, consider a home at Paiko Lagoon. Here serenity awaits you. If you love living on the ocean, Paiko Lagoon offers two distinct different lifestyles.

22 Paiko Lagoon homes are located on the outer perimeter south facing ocean side of the saltwater lagoon along a very pleasant calm beach. The ocean here is shallow and protected by an outer reef.

Another about 22 Paiko Lagoon homes ring the interior of the lagoon, a shallow body of water, like a lake surrounded by tropical palms.

Paiko Lagoon oceanfront homes

All water areas within Paiko Lagoon and the adjacent State owned land have been designated as a wildlife sanctuary.  No fishing or other activity disturbing plant or wildlife are allowed.

In other words, if you are looking for peaceful and quiet enjoyment, you have come to the right place. Living here is like living in a different world.

However, if watersports are what you are after, you will need to consider the exterior ocean side of the lagoon or another oceanfront neighborhood on our list.

Some notable Paiko Lagoon properties are:

‘Hale Lilikoi’, a 3/4 acre Polynesian style resort fronting the lagoon at 6021 Summer St, listed for sale at $11Mill (Summer 2016).

201 E. Paiko Dr built in 2007 and located at the end of Paiko Dr, surrounded by ocean on three sides at the tip of the natural Paiko Peninsula, listed earlier in 2016 at $8,888,888.

5949D Kalanianaole Hwy, the old Pepsi estate, 1 acre surrounded by water on two sides, sold for $7Mill in 2006.

9.) Portlock & Koko Kai

Portlock

Our guide to Honolulu oceanfront homes would not be complete without Hawaii Kai’s Portlock and Koko Kai  oceanfront neighborhoods. Both neighborhoods have been featured in our article ‘Stunning Hawaii Kai ocean view homes’.

Only 40 of all Portlock homes are on the ocean either fronting a mellow beach, or from 303 Portlock Rd onwards fronting a protective seawall without the beach. All Portlock oceanfront homes enjoy western sunset views with a perfect view towards Diamond Head. Trade winds blow gently from the land out to the sea.

Portlock oceanfront homes

This is where Henry Kaiser, grand visionary, industrialist and Hawaii Kai’s master developer built his impressive 5.5 acre estate along the 500 block of Portlock Rd.  No doubt, Henry Kaiser had good taste and a keen eye for real estate’s most important criteria: location, location, location!  Check out Portlock’s beauty in our Portlock video.

A few years ago Henry Kaiser’s grand estate was listed for sale at a whopping $80 Mill!

Koko Kai

Koko Kai is Portlock’s natural neighborhood extension to the south. Here the ocean front terrain gets rocky turning quickly into a steep cliff further south. Out of all 130 Koko Kai homes, only 32 are along the rocky shoreline, some as high as 120ft above the ocean.

Koko Kai oceanfront homes

There is neither a beach nor a swimmable ocean here, but the west and southwest ocean views are spectacular with dramatic wave action below.  See our Koko Kai video.

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Let us know what you think. We love to hear from you.

We are here to help.     ~Mahalo & Aloha

Also check:

–          Oahu’s Top 10 Oceanfront Neighborhoods,

–          Hawaii Kai’s Top Marina Front Homes & Neighborhoods,

–          Guide to Hawaii Kai Marina Front Condos & Townhomes.

The post Guide to 400+ Ocean & Beachfront Homes in Honolulu appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

If you live in your home or condo as your primary residence in Honolulu County, that is the island of Oahu, you need to claim your Home Exemption.  This is a tax break that will save you thousands of dollars in property taxes.

You need to file by September 30, the annual filing due date. Your tax break will take effect next fiscal year, starting July 1st after the Sept filing deadline.

1.) Are you eligible?

You must own and occupy your Honolulu property, with the intent to live in it as your primary residence. You can only have one primary residence.

Proof that this is your primary residence could include:

·       Evidence you live at this address for 270 calendar days per year.

·       Subject address shows on your voter registration.

·       Subject address shows on your State or Federal income tax return.

 Also, you need to be at least 18 years of age and be a legal resident in Honolulu County. 

 2.) How much can you save:

 If you file for your home exemption you receive either:

• A.) $80,000, the standard home exemption, or
• B.) $120,000, if you are 65 years or older by June 30th prior to the Sept 30th filing deadline.

The home exemption amount will be deducted from the assessed value. You will only be taxed on the net assessed value.  (Assessed value – home exemption = net assessed value)

Example: Let’s say our primary residence is assessed at $900,000. You are 65 years by June 30th this year and you file on time by Sept 30 this year.  Effective July 1st next year  you will only be taxed on $780,000 net assessed value ($900K – $120K = $780K). At the $3.50 rate per $1,000 assessed value this will save you $420 per year compared with no home exemption.

But the real big savings are realized when, either:

• your property is assessed at $1Mill or above, or
• the property is zoned “Hotel & Resort’, e.g. a condotel

Because in Honolulu county there are three relevant property tax rates that come into play:  

·       Residential:  $ 3.50 per $1,000  assessed value – Regular residential property tax rate for homes and condos. That is about the cheapest residential property tax rate anywhere in the whole nation.

·       Residential Rate ‘A’: $ 6.00 per $1,000 assessed value –  For homes or condos assessed at $1Mill or more that have not filed for the home exemption.  (Tax rate 42% higher than the regular rate)

·       Hotel and Resort:  $ 12.90 per $1,000 assessed value – If your property is a resort zoned property, e.g. a condotel like Trump Tower, Ritz Carlton, Ilikai, or others. (Tax rate more than 2.5 times the regular rate)

Filing the home exemption will not only get you the $80K or $120K exemption amount, but also it will drop your tax rate on the net assessed value to the lower $3.50 per $1,000 assessed Residential rate! 

Example luxury condotel: Let’s say you are 65 years old by June 30th this year and you bought a nice luxury condotel at the Trump Tower, assessed at $2Mill and you live in it as your principal residence, and you file by 9/30 this year. Effective 7/1 next year, besides the $420 savings per year for a $120K reduction in assessed value, you will drop your tax rate from $12.90 per assessed $1,000 to the lower $3,50 rate per $1,000 assessed.  Calculation without vs with home exemption:

• a.) $2Mill gross assessed x ($12.90/$1,000) = $ 25,800 tax without home exemption
• b.) $2Mill – $120K home exemption = $1.78Mill net assessed value x ($3.50/$1,000) = $6,230 tax with home exemption.      —> Savings: $19,570 per year.

You see how the savings can be huge if you qualify for the home exemption, but you must file by the deadline.

 3.) How do you file?

Click here to download form P-3. Make sure to file by the 9/30 deadline!

Complete the Parcel ID number on the top left corner in the 12-digit format, means skip the first digit #1 (#1 represents Oahu) and include all zeros. If you count the digits from the back with all zeros and you skip the #1 first digit you should have 12 digits. Add “-HEX” at the end (for Home Exemption).

Complete your name, social security number and birthday. Remember you are entitled to a $120K home exemption if you are 65 years or older. Attach proof of age, such as copy of your picture ID.

You only need to file once for as long as you own the property and use it as your primary residence. The tax office should automatically switch you to the larger $120K exemption bracket once you reach age 65, provided you submitted the required proof of age.

Fill in the property address and complete the rest of the form, including: I’m a legal resident of: “USA, Hawaii, Honolulu County”

Do you have a home exemption anywhere else?  Yes / No.  Remember you can only have one primary residence and therefore you can only claim one home exemption.

Include a photocopy of the form and a self addressed stamped envelope to get a stamped receipt. Make another photocopy for yourself so you know what you mailed in.  Instructions are on the back of the form including the address where to mail to.

That is our tip of the day.

We love to hear from you. Please let us know what you think.  Click Like,  Share or Comment below.

~Aloha

The post Claim Your Honolulu Home Exemption & Save Big appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Before the term Real Estate ever earned its modern meaning, Waikiki’s lands were prized possessions. That was abundantly clear by the fact that the oceanfront areas were reserved for the Alii. Here, they retreated for recreation and relaxation on the beaches and in the cool waters, a forerunner of the exclusive resort property of today.

Away from the shoreline, this was an agricultural area for the Native Hawaiians, where taro and other crops were grown for generations.

During this time, up until the Great Mahele of 1848, all land was owned by the Alii, so Waikiki, and everywhere else, was under their firm control. It was only after the Mahele that individual ownership, and therefore real estate, came into being, not just in this part of Oahu, but in all of Hawaii.

What many don’t realize is the first hotel in Waikiki pre-dates this huge change, opening in 1837. Little is known about it, except that it was run by a man named John Mitchener and it had a bowling alley. It’s lifespan was short, just a few years, and surely was the result of special permission from the Alii. That was the end of hotels for a while.

Still, these early decades after the Mahele saw outsiders begin buying property and building stately homes on or near the beach. That included prominent families like the Campbells, Castles and Cleghorns. Archibald Cleghorn, King Kalakaua’s brother-in-law, was also one of the founders of Kapiolani Park in 1877, an addition that brought pleasure-seekers here, especially to the horse racing track.

A Pivotal Change for Waikiki: Accessibility
What accelerated the community’s expansion most, as well as the growth of the area as a resort, was something that is always a key to real estate development. In the 1860’s the government finally expanded the path from Honolulu to here into a full road, making travel back and forth much easier.

That improvement brought more homebuyers, the most significant event being the release of several lots next to Kapiolani Park in 1883 that sold both quickly and for a good price, setting the precedent for Waikiki real estate even then.

The tourist trade wasn’t too far behind as the 2nd hotel in this district finally opened its doors in 1888, soon joined by many more in the coming years as greater and greater numbers of travelers made their way here.

The creation of the entire visitor and residential districts span that we know today was still far off, however. This was due to the fact that much of the lands away from the shore were still either swampland or being farmed.

By the early 1900’s Native Hawaiians had been replaced by Chinese farmers growing rice, a result of the plantation system. Once the imported Chinese workers finished their obligations at the sugar concerns, many struck out on their own in places like Waikiki. The wetlands here were just the right conditions for their crops. It wouldn’t be for long, though.

The Creation of New Real Estate & A Tourism Mecca
Another key moment would change all of that forever. Due to the swamps that covered a large part of Waikiki, mosquitoes were a constant problem, creating both a health issue and one of comfort. That limited the tourist trade, which was becoming more important to the Hawaiian economy. What was the solution?

The government came up with one in the form of the Ala Wai Canal. Carving that out drained the swamps, getting rid of the mosquito problem. It also created solid lands that could be built upon and, yes, developed. With one stroke, agriculture was ended here. Tourism and real estate took over fully, conditions that remain today.

The land claimed, and reclaimed, by the canal’s completion in 1928 was divided up into lots of 5000 sq ft and sold. The Waikiki layout we now know was in place and the landscape began to shift even more dramatically with the arrival of not only more homes, but also more hotels, restaurants and other tourist-centric businesses to serve growing arrival numbers. It’s amazing what getting rid of mosquitoes can do.

This was not development in the current sense. Instead it was individual lot owners building on their property that first brought this district fully to life. It also made the area even more attractive, adding a certain price rise from other parts of Oahu, though nothing in the realm of what we have now due to the a much smaller population and the isolation of a place reached only by ship.

It is also true that this new natural border of the canal created an enforced separation from the neighboring areas, putting a strict definition, and a certain exclusivity, that could only raise property values as the popularity of the neighborhood increased in the time ahead.

Waikiki was a much more built-up part of Oahu from this time onward, its only competition being Downtown Honolulu, which would fade later in certain respects. Still, for now it would remain a low-rise neighborhood for another 30 years.

WW II and Statehood – Two Turning Points That Created Modern Waikiki
The third key moment was a combination of the Post-War years and the sea change of Statehood in 1959. The many servicemen and women who came through Hawaii during the war created a tremendous word-of-mouth that in the time afterward prompted so many to come for vacation on the newly created Matson ocean liners and the expanding airlines services.

Some came to live the Island life, now much easier to attain in this more connected world. The word on Hawaii, and specifically Waikiki, was out.

One result was the first residential coop high-rise coming up on these streets in 1955, the 12-story Rosalei at 445 Kaiolu St, which is still there today.

Those conditions only accelerated with Statehood in 1959. This caused tourism to hit an entirely new plateau in visitor numbers, as well as bringing a deluge of money from outside the State. Much of it was aimed at investing in and buying up real estate in the crown jewel of Hawaii’s tourism industry, Waikiki.

Though cooperatives had been built in the years before, the Hawaii State Legislature passed the Horizontal Property Regimes Act during the 1961 session, the very first state condominium law in the US.

Appropriately, the initial product of this law here was a significant one. The first Waikiki condo, the Ilikai Apartments, opened with huge fanfare in 1965, the building’s 26 stories dominating the skyline easily. It ushered in the era of large scale high-rises that would soon spring up from the lands around it.

Build Up and Bubble
The very best evidence of the huge upsurge in development in Waikiki during the 1960’s and 70’s is the fact that the vast majority of condominiums on its streets today date from that time. During those 2 decades the low-rise, single family home landscape between Kuhio Avenue and the Ala Wai Canal was altered completely to the forest of high-rises you see now.

It was an unprecedented build-up whose only parallel might be the new Kakaako district. That kind of real estate demand, for both residential and tourist markets, proved very attractive. This time, it brought investors from Japan with large amounts of cash from their roaring economy of the 1980’s and early 90’s. They not only bought up as much as possible, they also raised new structures themselves.

This frenzy was best typified by the building of the massive Waikiki Landmark, which displayed the ‘spare no expense’ feeling of the time, both inside and out. Unfortunately, as it neared completion, the Japan bubble burst and this huge skyscraper sat empty for some years, waiting for someone with the money and the will to finish it.

That collapse slowed the property world of Waikiki for some time, even lowering values in many cases. Something that had never happened before. It didn’t, and couldn’t, last, though.

The last decade has seen a resurgence in development, such as the Trump building. Most recently, The Ritz-Carlton Residences have opened their doors on Kuhio Ave, adding a new level of luxury that seems to be gaining ground in this neighborhood. Soon, it will be joined by a planned condominium on the site of King’s Village, as well as coming redevelopments of the Surfrider and Princess Kaiulani Hotel.

The new International Market Place has now joined the rest of Kalakaua Avenue in featuring primarily luxury brand stores and higher-end retailers, ending the last hold out for small businesses. The Golden Mile of this street is compared often to Rodeo Drive, with its designer shops and fashion-conscious offerings taking up most of the frontage along with the hotels. It is a relatively recent change, but one that has taken root.

In this current era, an upscaling is happening, both in the homes and the businesses of Waikiki that points to a more exclusive atmosphere than before. It’s inevitable when real estate is this valuable, this attractive and this limited. There’s no question that this is the direction it is, and will be, headed from now on.

Tracing the evolution of real estate from the days of the Kingdom until now, it was clear that these properties were marked for distinction from the beginning. The Alii couldn’t help but see the incomparable natural beauty these oceanside lands had been so abundantly blessed with – and so they reserved them for their own enjoyment. Today there is no law or custom preventing you from having a part of this Paradise. Just a high price tag.

The post Waikiki History: From Agriculture to Real Estate appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

With the consistently hot Hawaii real estate market, a constant topic of conversation is ‘What can you get for $1M today?’. We’ve considered a much more interesting question – ‘What can you get for under a $1M?’

Specifically, we want to highlight the best 2BR condos in Honolulu under $1M (buildings with one or more recent resale 2BR under $1M as of writing), a category that can still buy you property in some of the most envied buildings in town. Here’s our Top 10, in no particular order, and, as you’ll see, your money can still go a long way, even in this blazing hot market.

KOOLANI

Koolani

Koolani could be seen as one of the first of the New Kakaako offerings, opening in 2006, just before that project took over the local real estate world. Its sleek, modern look on the outside, combined with luxurious amenities and residences inside fit right into the pattern this district is now fully pursuing.

Outdoors you enjoy a private park with many bbq pavilions, two lighted tennis courts, putting green and large pool that provide on-site choices that are extremely attractive. Indoors you can stay fit at the cutting-edge fitness center, which offers classes, or unwind in the sauna or steam room. There’s even massage rooms to really get the stress ironed out.

The smart design of this building resulted in all Koolani homes being angled to take in the ocean views, which are absolutely unforgettable.

Finally, the walkability of Kakaako is part of the bargain, too. You’re a block from Ala Moana Center in one direction. In the other, it’s ½ of that to get to both Ward Center and Ward Village Shops. That puts you right at the gateway to Kakaako, with everything that’s there now, and much, much more that’s still to come. Sounds like the right location, with the right amenities and, best of all, the right views.

THE PINNACLE HONOLULU

The Pinnacle Honolulu

The Pinnacle Honolulu rises right at the center of the city’s business district, Bishop Street. These Downtown condos were created for the movers and shakers of Oahu, providing a home where they can appropriately preside over this financial center.

Still, complete privacy is built-in. There are only 2 units on each floor and the elevator opens on a private foyer in your home so you never have to go through common areas once you leave the lobby. It’s almost like returning to a single family home, so separated is your experience from the rest of the building.

You have a massive 1545 sq ft interior included and views toward the ocean, regardless of which unit is yours. Both bedrooms face that direction, so everyone gets to enjoy the vista.

The 9th floor has a range of amenities, including a pool, spa treatment rooms, sauna, billiards room, fitness center and even a shuffleboard court. There’s always something to do here.

This is a unique living experience, right in the middle of the activity of Downtown, one block from the Capitol and Iolani Palace. There’s something special about living within both Honolulu’s storied past and its present power center.

MOUNT TERRACE

Mount Terrace

One constant worry for Honolulu condos is losing the perfect view to new development. At Mount Terrace you’ve got something close to eternal. With one side against the hills and the low-rise communities on the marina just across the street, these vistas will be open for years to come.

The views from these expansive 1600+ sq ft Hawaii Kai condos go out to the marina and then the ocean lying beyond it. Iconic Koko Head is part of your scenery, too. All of this taken in from floor-to-ceiling windows that make up your outside facing walls.

Downstairs is a full menu of options like the heated pool, fitness room with lockers, putting green and walking path. You even have a 24 hour doorman watching over the entrance and a nursery that will tend to your plants while you’re off-Island. It’s things like that which set Mount Terrace apart, adding a level of service that isn’t common, even at this price point.

DIAMOND HEAD VISTA

Diamond Head Vista

If there’s a lottery for picking your neighbors, the Diamond Head Vista must have hit it. This Waikiki condo stands next to an elementary school, with the zoo and Kapiolani Park lying the rest of the way between it and Diamond Head. These vistas will remain wide open for some time, possibly forever.

That leaves the ocean’s swells to your gaze along with the world-famous Gold Coast and, of course, Diamond Head herself. It’s the Hawaii view that dream are made of.

From your home here you can walk the mere 2 blocks it takes to start feeling the surf washing over your feet. It’s just a single block in the opposite direction before you’re on the popular jogging and walking promenade beside the Ala Wai Canal.

One of the greatest benefits of this location in Waikiki is being on the east end, close to Kapahulu Avenue. You can easily avoid the traffic that can snarl the central areas and be on your way, a very nice stress reducer as any resident will tell you.

An even better stress beater, though, is the nice sized lanai you can relax upon and take in this legendary layout before you. It’s worth every penny of the price tag. Guaranteed.

MOANA PACIFIC

Moana Pacific

The Moana Pacific is difficult to miss, even on busy Kapiolani Blvd. It sits on the mauka side of Kakaako, with two elliptical towers made up of deep blue glass. That glass? It’s the floor-to-ceiling clear walls of the homes inside, fully integrating views into your every hour that look out to the Pacific and all over Honolulu.

This is an amenities-heavy property, providing a jogging path, putting green and driving range, pool, fitness room and children’s playground for just the start. Need even more to do? Stroll just 1 ½ blocks and you’re at Ala Moana Center. Ala Moana Beach Park is just another block or two past that with its wide open sands. All of the new Kakaako isn’t just nearby, it’s your neighborhood.

The family friendliness and easy access to a huge range of activities makes this a great residence for those with keiki. It’s the complete experience here at the Moana Pacific.

LANIKEA AT WAIKIKI

Lanikea at Waikiki

Lanikea at Waikiki is one of those Honolulu condos that hasn’t got the attention that the Trump or Ritz buildings have, despite being a high-end property. Maybe it’s the lack of a brand name or its location on the quieter side of Waikiki, but it has comparatively flown under the radar.

It’s hard to understand that especially when you walk on the property, just from seeing the gorgeous pool, so thickly surrounded by tropical trees and greenery, you think you’re in a tropical hideaway.

Your home here has over 1,100 sq ft of interior space, with central A/C and insulated walls that eliminate any outside or neighboring noise. You feel almost like you’re living in a stand-alone property.

There are also ocean views here from several residences, so you can watch the waves drift in and soothe the most trying of days.

All of Waikiki’s dining, shopping and activity is a stroll away when you need some outside fun, with the biggest beach in this neighborhood is only about 10 minutes on foot at Ft DeRussy.

When you’re ready for peace and quiet, it awaits you in a place that’s tailor made for that, right where you need it most – your home at Lanikea.

KEOLA LAI

Keola Lai

Keola Lai is part of the Kakaako neighborhood, but right on its Ewa border. From your residence you can have that healthy, and stress-free, walking commute to Downtown, take in entertainment at Blaisdell, without the worry of parking spaces and fees, or enjoy the growing benefits of Kakaako’s dining and shopping choices. Do all of this on foot from your Keola Lai home.

Within your 2BR condo, your views go out to the Pacific Ocean’s endless depths, as well as not only Honolulu’s light show at night, but also the picturesque historic district. Iolani Palace, Kawaiahao Church, the Hawaiian Mission Houses and Honolulu Hale, especially beautiful at Christmas time, are all part of your vistas.

You also enjoy features like Central A/C, low E-glass windows that keep street noise out and walk-in closets that are all an integral part of your experience, too.

There’s even special events on-site, like outside movies and holiday parties to create the kind of community feel that residents love. It’s the little extras like that which make life at Keola Lai extra special.

SYMPHONY HONOLULU

Symphony Honolulu

Drive into the porte-cochere of Symphony Honolulu and it’s like pulling into the entrance of a grand European hotel. It sets the scene for the rest of this luxury residence, beginning with a huge 7th floor recreation deck with heated saltwater infinity pool, spa, cutting-edge fitness center and even yoga and wellness rooms.

Upstairs in the residences you walk into a home surrounded by windows that extend from floor to ceiling, producing clear views of the ocean swells and all of Honolulu around you, including the modern Kakaako district taking shape before you.

Downstairs in the building you’ll have upscale restaurants to sample as well as a luxury car dealership with some of most exclusive names in motoring. Across Ward Avenue is Blaisdell Center, providing top entertainment year round. If you want even more dining choices, you just have to cross Kapiolani Blvd and stroll to the growing options in Ward, along with more and more shopping selections.

It’s luxury top to bottom on a grand scale at the Symphony. That should be music to your ears.

ALLURE WAIKIKI

Allure Waikiki

Allure Waikiki has created a nice little oasis right in busy Waikiki. The lobby alone impresses immediately with its soaring ceilings, glass walls and elegant tropical plants. Best of all, it’s a lobby intended for use, with modern, yet comfortable furniture and the daily newspapers always ready for reading.

The almost 2 ½ acres of lands feature gardens for you to stroll and relax in as well as a 6th floor recreation deck. There you’ll find a glass-enclosed fitness room that gazes out at the infinity pool, which spills over a picturesque waterfall feature at one end into a kiddie pool area.

The 2BR units all provide a nice 1,057 sq ft of interior and lanais are typically around 88sqft and a few residences has over 200 sq ft lanai space. The views extend to the Koolau Mountains, the lights and activity of Waikiki and the Pacific rolling its way off our coast.

From here you can walk to all the eating and shopping choices of this world-famous district and to the massive beach in front of the Hilton and Ft DeRussy. That just might be the only thing that’ll get you to leave the Allure Waikiki gardens.

WAIHONUA

Waihonua

Waihonua filled in the last open lot of Kakaako’s Super Block, in a prime slot that’s equidistant between Ala Moana Center and Ward Village Shops/Ward Center. It’s the ultimate Win-Win situation for the Professional Shopper.

Head up to the 6th Floor and you’ll step out onto a huge recreation deck with an infinity pool, complete with poolside cabanas, and lounge areas for full relaxation and socializing. One floor below is a full fitness center along with a theater for entertaining and guest suites for your visitors to stay in when they come.

The 2BR layouts all have over 1,000 sq ft, with floor-to-ceiling, low-thermal emissivity windows that reduce glare and heat. What does get through is countered by the dual zone central A/C system. The views from home are expansive, taking in the Koolau Mountains, the Ala Moana/Kakaako neighborhoods and the coastline, though some ocean views are reduced by neighboring buildings makai of you.

With features like gourmet kitchens and walk-in closets, combined with easy strolling distance to the beach and Kakaako’s blooming district, you’ve got a pretty package waiting for you at the Waihonua.

WHAT THIS ALL MEANS TO YOU, THE HONOLULU CONDO SHOPPER
Even with the accelerating price tags on condos for sale in Honolulu, it should be clear now that you can still get not just a quality property, but a high-end / luxurious condo for under $1M. It may require you to make a quick decision before it’s snapped up or mapping out of a solid strategy before you even start shopping, but these residences are out there – and we can help you move into one.

The post Top 10 Honolulu Condos Under $1M (2 bedroom) appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

The world of Honolulu condos has a number of properties in it that could be, and are, called ‘luxury’. They’re known for incredible views, for excellent amenities and for impressive floor plans. The reality is that they’re only ‘luxury’ in the general sense.

What you’ll find here, though, is Luxury with a capital ‘L’, as well as a class even above that. Properties that are so extraordinary they achieve new levels of comfort, atmosphere and service – known as Ultra-Luxury.

This has only come to Honolulu now, a result of the exploding Oahu real estate market as well as expectations high-end buyers now have for their residences. They want more and the developers are happy to provide it.

But which condominiums actually reach these heights? Before taking a look at the 8 condos in Honolulu that do, we should point out that we have not included some of the Gold Coast buildings – that do qualify as Luxury – due to their age (all more than 50 years old).

Now let’s get to these amazing residences and learn exactly why they dwell at the grandest heights of our heated market. Appropriately, we’ll kick it off with the Ultra-Luxury category.

4 ULTRA-LUXURY CONDOS

Cylinder at Gateway Towers
The Gateway Towers are intended as nothing less than a raising of the bar for ultra-luxury. A new measuring stick for what is possible in the world of Honolulu condo living.

The 2 towers, one rounded, the other more rectangular, will stand directly across Ala Moana Blvd from Kewalo Basin Harbor, separated from the ocean by mere feet. It’s easy to imagine the vistas filled by the blue waters that are possible from a location like this.

Residents of the towers will enjoy a surrounding acre of dramatic park space, including a small lake separating the two structures. You’ll also have more private privileges, such as four swim options, 1 lap pool and 1 infinity pool, in each tower (owners may use amenities in either towers). There’s also a fitness center, steam room, dog park, children’s play area plus innovative extras such as a wine tasting room and pet spa.

The homes, just to give you a taste, will have 10 foot high ceilings built out (11′ in the Penthouses), top drawer Gaggenau kitchen appliances and floor-to-ceiling glass windows with a unique sun screen block across the top and bottom 2 feet. This filters the heat and glare, but leaves the absolute clearest views possible in the middle section. That’s an unending reward when you’re looking out at the Pacific, taking in its elegance at full power.

Not a fan of tower living? The final touch here are Villa units running along the Ala Moana side in front of the towers. Two floor plans here will include Garden Villas, which will have private yards and garages, and Terrace Villas, higher up homes with their own garages as well as rooftop lanais.

The entry to the Gateway Towers homes is not one that comes cheaply. But how many opportunities do you have to live at the apex of the Honolulu lifestyle?

Park Lane Ala Moana
Though not the first residences in this mall, Park Lane Ala Moana is distinctly different from that initial project. For one thing, these units sit on the makai side of the structure, fronting on Piikoi Street and Ala Moana Blvd. This location, added to the homes beginning only after 2 full stories of private residential parking, creates ocean views for all units, top to bottom.

Describing the layouts is difficult because there are more than 90 of them over the 215 condos, creating something close to unique for every home. What you can also be assured of is generous dimensions and for many residences an over-sized covered lanai, with something special waiting for you on it.

BBQ’s are an important part of Hawaii leisure, a reflection of the central role of food in our local socializing. Park Lane Ala Moana has them, too, but, in a previously unprecedented move for Honolulu condos, you will have yours right on your lanai.

No sharing with neighbors. It’s yours and it’s ready for a get-together any time. The Residential Services team of Park Lane will even deliver the raw food to you, along with anything else you need, right to your home.

Residential Services will do almost anything else you require, including setting up your umbrella and chairs on Ala Moana Beach for you. When your time on the sands is done, they’ll break it down for you. Imagine having that kind of service – at home.

There’s a private, Park Lane-only elevator that takes you into Ala Moana Center, putting you right in the middle of this world-class shopping and dining. You can also stay in the complex with its manicured green spaces and palm trees that make you forget you’re actually high above ground level.

Here you have a private wine bar, a wine cellar, theater, pool and dry cleaning service. There’s also a dog park for the pets to play, too.

The exclusivity of this community brings a comforting level of privacy and security, yet just an elevator trip to a mall with limitless possibilities to spend your time and indulge your appetites. Park Lane is simply unprecedented, an entry that has amazed even long-time real estate watchers. They never saw this coming.

Waiea
Waiea was the subject of much speculation before it even began. The complex architecture, most visibly in the ‘cast fishnet’ glass wall, and the promise of its embodiment of a new modern urban environment seemed almost too ambitious. Today, however, that’s looking more like promise fulfilled.

This 36 story building occupies a superior space right on Ala Moana Blvd, with Ala Moana Beach Park as its makai neighbor. That brings not just dream beach access, but, combined with its curved design, the ocean views that are both eternal and awe-inspiring.

Without leaving the property you can enjoy the infinity pool, dog park, on-site restaurants, including world-famous Nobu, golf simulator and bar & lounge.

Like other Kakaako developments, Waiea will also have villa units for those who want something closer to a single-family home experience. Even tower residents will have some of that quality, though, especially in the A & B stacks. Those units have a private elevator that will open onto a foyer space within their own residence, taking you directly, and privately, to your abode.

For those with the desire, and the budget, for the best, the 2 Ultimate Penthouses will deliver that. The views alone will amaze from these top level homes, but you’ll also be stunned by the 8,000 – 10,000 sq ft spaces, combined with huge lanai spaces that are the size of normal 2BR apartments, not to mention a private pool in each as well.

Top floor or not, you can live on the cutting-edge of Island life at the Waiea and you can believe it’s as good as they say.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach
The Ritz-Carlton’s arrival in Waikiki is the latest in the raising of the lifestyle bar for this world famous resort district. The already fever pitch of excitement over its opening only increased with the announcement that every residence has an ocean view, giving all owners the marquee attraction of living in Hawaii.

You can also rely on sizable lanais of 90 to 543 sq ft in the Studio to 3BR condos, all with oak flooring, gourmet kitchens with Miele appliances and a mix of deco and modern design that imparts its elegance to your every hour at home.

Turning your attention inside this community holds much to celebrate as well. Residents can use all the same services as the resort guests, providing a higher level of service than even high-end condos normally offer. In-home dining, concierge services, a full spa and even the Ritz Kids program, with cultural and environmental activities for your child.

Food experiences are a central part of the life here as well, beginning with a Dean & Deluca store, the first in Hawaii. There’s also the BLT Market, whose menu changes on a daily basis so you’re never tired of the cuisine. Not to mention specialty cocktails that will change with the seasons. In addition the first Sushi Sho restaurant outside of Japan will debut here, downstairs from your home.

For more active pursuits, dive into one of the swimming pools, including the highest infinity pool in Waikiki. You can dine poolside, too. There’s also the cutting-edge fitness center, created by Harley Pasternak, personal trainer to celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Hudson and Bono.

The Ritz-Carlton has a well-earned reputation for the ultimate in splendor, catering to the most discriminating tastes in the world. If you have the preference, and the means, for a catered way of life like no other, this is an obvious choice.

4 LUXURY CONDOS

Anaha
Anaha is what might be called the more active sister to Waiea, diagonally across the street. It holds up its end as the first fruits of the Howard Hughes vision for Kakaako with its unmistakable facade. The structure has a basket-weave effect to it, with parts of the building bulging outward in places with a pleasing, yet dramatic effect.

The active aspect is reflected in its amenities, many of them found on a recreation deck that spans 1 full acre. At Anaha you can indulge your energetic side playing tennis, on the beach volleyball court (yes, with sand), practicing on the putting green and golf simulator or with a more relaxing, but social game of billiards. What you’ll be telling your friends about, however, is what it feels like to swim out in the cantilevered glass-bottom pool that floats past the building’s limits and over the street below.

The residences offer excellent options. The 2nd to 6th floor structure next to the high-rise tower are either townhomes and 1BR condos, with the 2 story townhomes providing a more ‘house’ atmosphere.

From the 7th floor upward in the high-rise tower are condos with excellent floor plans with spaces that are extremely roomy across the board. They also extend upward to 9 foot high ceilings, 10 feet in the Penthouse units. In some condos you’ll also find freestanding bathtubs, walk-in closets and a kitchen fit for a foodie, with Miele appliances.

Ward Center is across the street, just one of the shopping & dining options nearby or even next door. The Centers’ is also a good neighbor due to its low-profile allowing clear ocean views for most of the building on that side. Even those on the Mountain side have beautiful vistas to enjoy and the Pacific is right there from the 7th floor poolside.

Hokua
Let’s get one thing out of the way. Every condo in Hokua has an ocean view. With its superb location fronting Ala Moana Blvd, you get the forever safe outlook across the park and out to the horizon with nothing but surf in between. This alone would qualify the place as a luxury property. There’s a lot more, though.

You can start with the amenities deck that has the look of a small recreation-centered village, with the many roofed bbq cabanas, grassy areas with trees and walkways to stroll around. Then there’s also the large pool, lighted tennis courts, sauna and, for the many pet lovers, a dog park.

There’s even outlets for a different kind of recreation in the two restaurants inside your building. A relaxing dining experience can be just an elevator ride away.

If you want to remain home, the Hokua condos give you plenty of room to enjoy. At least 1435 sq ft on up to a huge 4000 sq ft. Many are disappointed at first with the lack of lanais, but that soon changes when they see their floor-to-ceiling glass walls slide open and bring the outside into their living space along with cooling tradewinds.

Even with all of this, you’ll want to get out sometimes. That’s easy from here. Stroll to Ala Moana Center or take advantage of everything going on in your own bubbling neighborhood of Kakaako.

One Ala Moana
Living in Ala Moana Center was once just the subject of jokes made by local shopping addicts. Now it’s a stunning reality at One Ala Moana.

Residents have the largest outdoor shopping mall in the world as their personal neighborhood. The numerous restaurants, eateries, designer and boutique stores, along with some local favorites are all there, ready and waiting.

One Ala Moana even has a Private Shopping Salon, where personal shoppers from the mall will show you the best of their stores for your own perusal.

The rest of the amenities are no less special, including an infinity pool, jogging path, dog park, golf simulator & putting green and theater all available on the manicured 6th floor deck. It’s an exclusive space to relax, yet steps from the exciting activity always happening at the mall.

Despite this sophistication, the keiki are well-served, too, with their own Tot Lot playground and kiddie pool.

The high level it all begins at, standing on top of a massive department store, creates views that are awesome, bringing the Koolau Mountains’ grandeur, the warm lights of our nighttime cityscape and the Pacific Ocean’s magnificence to your days and evenings.

The floor plans promise good sizes in each category, with the 1BRs starting at 761 sq ft, 2BRs with 1159 sq ft and 3BRs having a minimum of 1791 sq ft inside. All have floor-to-ceiling, low-e glass windows to keep the heat out, but keep the sight lines clear and stunning.

When the plans were revealed for this residence, there was always concern that the developer wouldn’t get it right. The lifestyle here had to live up to the standard of the Ala Moana Center, the premier shopping center not just in Hawaii, but the entire Pacific. Without question, they not only hit the mark, they made one in the luxury real estate world of Honolulu.

Trump Tower Waikiki
Trump properties around the world are known for their impressive design, inside and out, and for attracting a flurry of aspiring buyers the moment a project is announced. That pattern extended to the Trump Tower Waikiki, which sits at the end of the Beach Walk promenade of shops and restaurants.

The moment you walk into the lobby, which sits on top of the 4 story parking garage, you know you’ve entered an elite property. Under the soaring ceilings there are deep brown shades of prized koa wood all around as well as smooth Egyptian marble, the two combining to create a feel of superb, yet inviting, splendor.

On this same level you’ll find the restaurant and bar as well as the swimming pool, each of which has ocean views to enjoy. One floor up is a business center with meeting rooms, as well as a fitness center that includes free weights.

Owners can rent their units out as vacation rentals or put them in the hotel pool, producing a revenue whenever they’re not using it. However, some live here year-round, drawn by the beach access across the street and the hotel services at their beck and call.

You can order room service, use the laundry, concierge and services, as well as pamper yourself in style at the full-service spa. After an experience like that, it’s nice to take an elevator ride home immediately instead of driving in traffic and losing some of the good feeling.

The Studio units are geared to the vacation market, with dimensions that range from 345 to 523 sq ft. Above that the layouts become larger than the typical Honolulu condo, starting with 1BRs that kick off with a floor plan of 1115 sq ft on up to 3BRs of 2040 sq ft.

Lanais of 77 to 210 sq ft on the outside, provide vistas of the ocean, which washes up just feet away, the Koolau Mountains and the Waikiki cityscape, including Ft DeRussy Park next door, which will keep that direction wide open for some time, possibly forever.

These homes are places to indulge yourself, whether on a periodic or year-round basis. There’s a certain cache that comes with the Trump name in real estate and they fulfilled that here in a setting that befits it.

LUXURY IN HONOLULU STARTS HERE
There is a lifestyle wave that is hitting our shores, bringing with it the realization that the old rules and possibilities of what our homes can be are exactly that – old. These 8 are the result, laying down a challenge for future developers to match. For now, they stand alone.

The post Honolulu’s 8 Luxury & Ultra-Luxury Condos appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

If you are considering purchasing a new condo – yet to be built – there are several aspects to analyze and evaluate that does not apply to existing condos.

Depending on the project, specific unit, location, developer etc there will be a variety of questions unique to such particular situation. However, the list we have compiled in the below should serve as a good starting point of items to keep in mind when doing your research.

LIVING & BEDROOMS
Ceiling: Height can vary depending on AC duct location and sprinkler piping. Request a floor plan showing the location of dropped ceilings and verify the net ceiling height for all rooms.
Flooring: Carpet, wood or a combination (engineered wood, laminate or something else).
Lights: Where are lights located and are there junction boxes in ceilings, switched wall outlets or both.

KITCHEN
Size, counter length, brand, materials, lights and does the exhaust fan vent to the outside or re-circulate.

BATHROOMS
Vanity: Single or double.
Shower: Shower stall or soaking bathtub with glass partition or shower rod.
Toilets: Electric outlets nearby (easy to install washlet).
Flooring: Tile or something else.
Exhaust Fan: Separate switch or switched together with light switch.

WASHER & DRYER
Stacked or side by side, does dryer vent to the outside and if part of a laundry room is there space for shelves.

AIR CONDITIONING
Central AC: How many zones and vents.
Split or Window AC: How many units.

PARKING
Your Parking Stalls: Number of stalls and location (near elevator, tandem, side by side,  different floors, regular size, compact size, storage room next to stall etc).
Guest Parking Stalls: Number of stalls and where will they be located.
Commercial Parking Stalls: Number of stalls and where will they be located.
Parking Garage: Where is access to garage, is it near a busy street, can garage be accessed from different street directions and upon entering the garage what is driving route to access your stalls. How is the garage secured: Roll-down gate or a simple gate arm that does not prevent pedestrian access. Are there charging stations for electric cars.

WINDOWS
How many windows can open, how do the windows open and any tinting for the sun.

STORAGE
Included with sale or any storage available for sale now or at some future point.

NOISE FACTORS
Is unit near elevators, trash chute or other common elements where other residents might pass by. Any potential noise issues from busy streets, bus stops, rail, bars, restaurants, construction sites etc.

COMMERCIAL
Any commercial space part of the project, where will it be located, what type of tenants are expected and any tenants confirmed.

VIEW
View Channels: Can views be obstructed or impacted in future. If yes, when is it reasonable to expect views may change.
View Rendering: Confirm what rendering is based on (drone went to exact location of your unit etc).
Sun: Southeast may be cooler with morning sun, whereas southwest may be hotter in the afternoon, but may have potential for seeing sunsets.

MAINTENANCE FEES
Total monthly $ figure, $ per square foot, what does the maintenance fees include and are there any additional costs.

PAYMENT STRUCTURE
Upfront $ payment, other $ installments & closing $ amount and dates these amounts are due.

PROPERTY TAXES
Understand why new construction frequently comes with lower tax bills, what is a reasonably expected long-term tax bill and how the tax bill may differ whether you claim the homeowner’s exemption (primary residence) or not.

FINANCING
When can you lock in the mortgage interest rate, what does it cost to lock in rate early and calculate your monthly mortgage payment under a worst-case scenario with a significant rate increase.

LOCATION
Neighborhood: From the anticipated location walk or drive to areas of interest to get a sense for the distances and the area.
Development Plans: Any other condos, groceries, restaurants etc planned for the neighborhood.

POLICIES
Rental: A developer may sets a minimum rental term to X days, but after the project completion the AOAO (association of apartment owners) may amend such minimum rental term.
Pets: A developer may make a pet policy that allows for X pets each weighting Y lbs, but after the project completion the AOAO may amend the pet rules.

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
Is the interior square footage of units in the same stack identical throughout the project (from lowest to highest floor).
Total number of units, number of units per floor, number of elevators and will there be a dedicated service elevator.
When did sales begin, how many units have contracted, what units have contracted and when is the anticipated completion date.
Will the project have a Resident Manager (as opposed to a General Manager) and will there be security 24 / 7.
Does the showroom model reflect the correct room dimensions.
Will there be bike and surfboard storage areas.
Where is entry to the main lobby.
What is the big selling point(s) about this project.

Any comments or questions? We would be happy to hear from you in the comments section below.

The post Items to Review When Buying a New Condo appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

If you are interested in more details about the new homes in Hoopili please call Michelle Johnson at (808) 352-2469 or email Michelle@honoluluhi5.com.

Hoopili Background
March 2006 D.R. Horton acquired ~1,550 acres of land in East Kapolei (West Oahu) from the James Campbell Estate, which was formerly sugarcane fields. May 2015, After several years of anticipation, D.R. Horton got the Honolulu City Council’s approval for the Hoopili project and September 2016 the project broke ground with the first new homes in Hoopili expected to be completed around summer 2017.

Hoopili in Brief
Hoopili is new mixed-use master-planned community in East Kapolei with a plan to create 11,750 residential homes across ~1,550 acres of land over the next 20 to 30 years.
It will be a combination of single-family homes, townhomes and condos with parks, playgrounds, restaurants, shops, schools, farms, gardens & much more, creating a community, which over time, as the built-out of Hoopili takes shape, will resemble more of a city on its own with somewhere around 7,500 permanent jobs.
The entire Hoopili concept idea is centered around convenience; people don’t have to get in their cars to do anything and everything.
The vision also includes:
70 acres of parks & gathering places (15 to 20 neighborhood parks),
5 new public schools and 3 rail transit stations,
5 acres donated to the Hawaii Humane Society to have their 2nd Oahu campus,
1 Acre donated to Wainae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, which will include primary doctor care, a pharmacy, dental care & more.

Hoopili Location
Hoopili’s location is approximately defined by the boundaries of Kualakai Parkway (west), Farrington Highway (north), Old Fort Weaver & Fort Weaver Rd (east) and Ewa Villages Golf Course (south).

Hoopili Map. Photo Courtesy: D.R. Horton

Affordable & Market Priced Components
The Hoopili project is expected to include 70% market priced properties and 30% housing for low to moderate income local residents.

Hoopili Sales & Prices
Sales: Expected to commence early 2017 (Phase 1) with expected completion summer 2017.
Prices: Expected to be in the $300,000’s to $600,000’s range.

Hoopili sales of Phase 1 includes work on approximately 50 acres and is will include close to 300 residential properties, a 1.8 acre park and some commercial space. The residential properties will be a mix of single-family homes, townhomes and mixed-use homes (residential and office / retail combined type housing). Some of these homes are expected to be completed by summer 2017.

About The Developer (D.R. Horton)
D.R. Horton:
Started about 35 years ago in Texas/Fort-Worth,
Is the largest developer of new home by volume in the US,
Is known to incorporate a combination of great floor plans, excellent quality and energy efficiency,
Donald R. Horton – founder of DR Horton – started the business in 1978 in the Dallas / Fort-Worth area,
Is behind a variety of brands across the US, including DR Horton America’s Builder, Emerald Homes, Freedom Homes, Regent Homes and Pacific Ridge Homes,
Has built in excess of 500,000 homes since inception year 1978,
Is a publicly traded company (NYSE under DHI),
Is the developer behind these projects on Oahu: Kahiku at Mehana (Kapolei), Manawa at Mehana (Kapolei), Olino at Mehana (Kapolei), Kawena at Mehana (Kapolei), Ka Malanai (Kailua) and Kahiwelo at Makakilo (Makakilo).

New information about Hoopili will continuously be added to this page.

The post Hoopili New Homes: Sales, Prices & All You Need to Know appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Leasehold properties in Honolulu justifiably tend to be seen as 2nd Class, or lower, to Fee Simple listings, where you own the land outright. For the most part that makes sense. The chance of losing your residence, and having to leave the very property you’ve lived on once the lease expires, is an unattractive prospect to the vast majority of real estate buyers.

Some cases have turned out well, with the fee being offered down the line. Others have played out just as originally planned, with the former owners walking away with little to show for it. So why would you buy a leasehold condo, with it’s expiration date always a factor?

There are buyers who have been able to create income that makes it worthwhile, renting to tenants, creating a relatively attractive cash flow. There are also those who trade the certainty of fee ownership for a home they could not otherwise afford, leasehold properties being consistently more affordable for obvious reasons.

For those who do have an argument on their side for purchasing in this part of the market, there are some very attractive condominiums out there. These are our picks as the 7 Best Leasehold Condos in Honolulu (5 exclusively leasehold condos and 2 mix of leasehold and fee simple, as of writing). Why 7? Because that’s how many had something truly special about them, putting each over the rest of the crowd. As you’ll see, the reasons for being here aren’t all the same. What is common, though, is that they are uncommon.

Admiral Thomas Apartments (Lease Expiry: 2046)

Admiral Thomas Apartments

The Admiral Thomas Apartments were built by developer Bruce Stark. It’s a name associated with roomy floor plans in Honolulu condos, his projects including Yacht Harbor Towers, Royal Iolani, Wailana at Waikiki, One Waterfront Tower and, of course, this property.

Here you can live in large layouts of 1BRs with 813 to 1638 sq ft, 2BRs of 1586 to 1784 sq ft and finally 3BR units with at least 1937 sq ft. Few buildings can promise you residences this size and this is one of them. The lanais outdoor provide another 55 to 284 sq ft, on average giving you over 100 sq ft there.

You get sweeping views from your home, looking off to Diamond Head, the Koolau Mountains, the cityscape and lights and all the way makai to the Pacific swells. You can even enjoy the unforgettable tableaus of the tropical Sunrises and Sunsets.

The setting around you is special, too, with the Honolulu Museum of Art across the street, Blaisdell Center down the street and Thomas Square diagonally across Beretania Street.

As far as convenience, H1 runs a block mauka and Beretania takes you right Downtown in a couple of minutes. Long’s, Safeway, Foodland and Walgreen’s are all walking distance, bringing those staples in easy reach.

Finally, two other factors make the Admiral Thomas Apartments stand out. First, is its reputation for being very well maintained and managed, something that impacts both living experience and resale. Second, over 69% of the owners live here currently, so that record of solid upkeep will probably remain. That’s a sign of a strong property, something you’re always seeking in your real estate search.

Canterbury Place (Lease Expiry: 2051)

Canterbury Place

Like the Admiral Thomas, Bruce Stark was the builder here as well. Canterbury Place is a prominent Waikiki building, standing right on the corner of Ena Rd and Ala Moana Blvd, the other corners of this central intersection being taken up by Hilton Hawaiian Village, Wailana Coffee House and Ft DeRussy Park. There’s a lot to do here, just outside your door.

Though the floor plans aren’t as large as the Admiral in the original configuration (some owners have enclosed their balconies), they still easily qualify as good-sized. The 1BRs go from 770 to 817 sq ft inside, the 2BRs taking up from 1096 to 1268 sq ft within them.

In this comparison of the 2 buildings, though, Canterbury Place takes the prize with its lanais that spread out over a minimum of 107 sq ft, only stopping at a high of an amazing 553 sq ft.

There’s a lot to see from your home. The park across Ala Moana keeps that direction wide open, a condition that will last for years to come. The vistas take in Diamond Head, the Koolau Mountains, all the lights and activity of Waikiki and the ocean’s blue making its way to the horizon. There’s also Sunrise and Sunset views, promising shades that only Mother Nature has in her palette.

There’s a lot to do from here, too, all just outside your door. The largest beach in Waikiki is a few minutes walk, there are numerous restaurants around you, including 2 in your own building, and plenty of shopping, too.

When you stay home, you’ve got only 3 neighbors on your floor, keeping traffic and noise to levels that don’t intrude. There’s also your pool, sauna, jacuzzi and paddle tennis court when some fun or relaxation is called for.

This is actually a mix of fee simple and leasehold homes, so you may find listing that do have complete ownership on the market. That’s something that should be taken into account in your ultimate decision.

Canterbury Place provides the ideal location for an active, social lifestyle, with the spaces inside and out that homeowners always want, but don’t always get. Here, it’s ready for the right owner.

Diamond Head Beach Hotel (Lease Expiry: 2032)

Diamond Head Beach Hotel

The Diamond Head Beach Hotel is one of the Gold Coast buildings, legendary for their proximity to Diamond Head and especially the ocean. The structure sits a little further back from the shoreline than some of its neighbors, allowing for a small private lawn area where residents can sit and watch the waves drift toward them. Few experiences soothe you so well and so fully.

The design of this condominium is unique, making a trapezoid so the bottom levels are wider than the top. This makes for a large number of different floor plans, most of which are one-of-a-kind. All, though, are either Studio/1BA units of 236 to 466 sq ft or 1BR/1BA, which can have from 469 to 1305 sq ft.

Lanais are equally varied, running 60 to 365 sq ft, providing close-up views of Diamond Head, the coastline and, the prime reason for being here, the Pacific, which washes up just a few feet away. It’s not just the sights of the ocean that delight you here, it’s also the sounds.

On the mauka side you sit beside the Diamond Head end of Kapiolani Park’s unlimited recreation possibilities, a block from local favorite Kaimana Beach and a scenic walk from Waikiki for limitless shopping or dining pleasures. Residents love being able to have that district’s options, but live where it’s quiet and much slower paced.

One issue does need highlighting. Most of the owners have their units on the short-term vacation rental market, even though this is not actually legal. For now, it brings in an income, but the future could bring an end to this activity. Be aware of this should you decide to follow that path. Should that occur, you still have a place that’s just as attractive long-term, whether that’s you or your tenant.

Discovery Bay (Lease Expiry: 2039)

Discovery Bay

Discovery Bay is not only in the thick of the Ala Moana side of Waikiki, it provides a lot of it, too. On its street level, as well as beneath, there is a selection of eateries, restaurants and bars that will provide at least one or two favorites that you can drop in on any time.

When you’re ready for more, there’s plenty more nearby or you can walk to Ala Moana Center for some of the best shopping and dining anywhere.

The two glass towers provide phenomenal ocean views of the Pacific as it spreads out from the beach that is almost across the street from your condo here. You can also look off to the Koolau Mountains in the other direction as well as city views that wonderfully light up each evening.

It’s just a couple of minutes to the beach, which is not only the biggest in Waikiki, it’s also the site for the Friday Night Fireworks every week. You may even be able to watch the show right from home.

Units have layouts for most needs, running from Studio rooms (464 sq ft) to huge 2BR suite residences (1,897 sq ft). Lanais are not present on the Studios, but the rest do, adding 87 to 333 sq ft outside to take in the views and the resort atmosphere all around you.

The leasehold situation is a unique one. The Discovery Bay AOAO owns 62% of the fee interest, with 6 other parties holding the other 38%. The AOAO is working to buy that outstanding percentage and, if successful, ultimately offer residents the chance to purchase the fee.

This situation creates 2 important conditions. The 1st is that all the fee parties must come to a decision by the lease expiration in 2039 about what to do. The 2nd is that, due to the owners having an interest in the fee through the AOAO, you cannot be asked, or forced, to vacate your condo. In a typical leasehold condo, that is typically the conclusion. At Discovery Bay, it isn’t.

That protection, along with its truly exceptional location in Waikiki, does make this property stand out from the others. Still, this leasehold issue hasn’t played out fully, so take that into consideration and get advice from a solid Honolulu real estate professional. It can be worth it’s weight in gold – or Waikiki land.

Kahala Beach Apartments (Lease Expiry 2027)

Kahala Beach Apartments

The Kahala Beach Apartments is one of those cases that Hawaii real estate watchers discuss endlessly. It has always gotten a lot of attention just because these condos are right on the beach, next to the modern grandeur of the Kahala Hotel. The impressive setting is balanced by equally elegant and luxurious interiors and large dimensions. The smallest units have 1BR and a huge 1,068 sq ft. The 2, 3 & 4BRs are just as over-sized, giving you room to roam.

Most lanais provide 297 sq ft, where you can enjoy views of the daily tended tropical gardens, the coastline that is one of the most exclusive anywhere and the cool Pacific waters only a few steps from home. All from a quiet, secluded community that feels much more secluded that it actually is.

Featured often in the original Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum PI, it is still an iconic property and continues to attract celebrities and the well-heeled with its timeless appeal.

Consensus is overall that the land owner, Kamehameha Schools, will not offer the fee upon lease expiry, though there has been a lot of speculation around this,.  With 2027 coming up, banks will not offer a mortgage for these residences, so sales are all Cash. The looming expiration has also resulted in Fire Sale prices in some cases.

Due to the unique conditions, potential buyers should go in fully understanding the prospect of purchasing a home that may no longer exist after 2027. So far, for some, the chance to live on this stunning beachfront property is still worth it.

Sans Souci (Lease Expiry: 2024)

Sans Souci

The Sans Souci is said to have some of the best views in Hawaii. It stands right at the beginning of the Gold Coast, bordering on the beautiful sands of Kaimana Beach. Walk out your building’s back door right onto the beach!

One of the key factors that distinguishes it even on this priceless strip is its wonderfully open feel. Much of the Gold Coast lots are relatively thin, so most structures are rectangles, with a short end facing the ocean. That is reversed at the San Souci, the long side curving along the shore, with every unit looking out at the waters that lap up steps away.

Your lanai takes in a widescreen vista, down the Honolulu coastline, including Waikiki’s modern playground, as well as 2 incredible shows you’ll never want to miss. Every evening brings a new ocean sunset to savor, followed on Friday with the weekly fireworks show that you have a clear view of, every time.

In fact, the lanai you enjoy is 115 to 360 sq ft. Besides being large spaces, Sans Souci’s are special because they are deeper than you’ll find elsewhere. So deep that some residents have actually moved their queen sized bed out there, going to sleep every night to the sounds of the surf. Just imagine what that must be like.

Even with all of this, including fine dining restaurants in easy walking distance, Kapiolani Park across the street and all of Waikiki’s choices an easy stroll as well, there are matters to understand.

The lease is coming up in 2024 so a mortgage is impossible to obtain right now. The land is owned by a family trust, which some believe may tip the decision to selling the fee. That is only conjecture, though, as no decision or solid indicators have emerged about what they’ll do.

Waikiki Beach Tower (Lease Expiry: 2039)

Waikiki Beach Tower

This entry stands apart from the rest for a few reasons. For one, it is a true condotel, allowing you to rent out for as short a term as 1 day. Second, although it is a hotel property in every way, with front desk, concierge and daily housekeeping/turndown services, the Waikiki Beach Tower condos are not the typical hotel room size.

Every unit is 2BR, with from 1025 to 1150 sq ft of interior, spreading out much farther than the 90% of hotel accommodations in Waikiki. This makes them exceptionally attractive to potential vacationers as well as providing real living space should you take up residence yourself.

The choice, vacation rental owner, or resident may be a tough one when you see the location literally across the street from Waikiki Beach. With lanais of 171 sq ft there’s a good amount of room outside to relax and take in the Koolau Mountains, the coastline and the ocean that laps up on the beach that is practically your front yard.

There are only 4 units per floor, too, so you can unwind in your home without the often raucous traffic noise you get in hotel hallways.

The property is a mixture of fee simple and leasehold, so some units do come with that side of ownership. It can mean the fee may be offered at some point, but at a price that is only rising with the always hot Honolulu real estate market. There’s no guarantee, though.

What you do know is that this is one of the extremely rare opportunities to actually own Waikiki real estate that’s across from the ocean. If there’s a case for buying leasehold, Waikiki Beach Tower is making it.

IS LEASEHOLD RIGHT FOR YOU?
That’s a difficult question and one you’ll only figure out after a lot of thought. There’s no one answer for all leasehold properties, either, if only because of the varieties there, even just in the ones we’ve listed above – leasehold/fee simple mix and partial fee interest ownership, for example.

For now, know that it is an option. One that isn’t the correct choice for most. For some, however, it could be your doorway into Honolulu homeownership.  

The post 7 Best Leasehold Condos in Honolulu appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

With all of the attention that Kapolei has gotten in the last couple of decades, it’s almost old news now as it continues to grow and rise out of the Ewa Plain. However, recent developments are pointing to changes in West Oahu that truly are game-changers, not only in the world of Kapolei and Ko Olina real estate, but in every aspect of the future of these two communities.

Specifically how they are now starting to merge, fulfilling the 2nd City vision that has been elusive in some key ways. Until now.

A prime driver for this is the entrance of China Oceanwide Holdings, a Chinese company, that has made major purchases of lands in both areas. In Ko Olina they made 2 headline-grabbing buys, comprising 5 different lots.

Ko Olina 2 Vacant Lots Highlighted

The 1st project announced was for a hotel and condo tower, both luxury-branded, and each with 150 units. The towers will enjoy oceanfront property as well as commercial spaces for their shopping and dining pleasure. To make things even more attractive to potential buyers, the condo owners will have full use of the resort amenities.

This was followed up just recently by the news that an Atlantis Resort, the first in the US, would finally get a green light to be built on Oceanwide’s property as well, a goal that had been delayed for 10 years, waiting for the right backer.

When completed this will be one of, if not the most, expensive resorts ever built. Anywhere. A concrete sign that large-scale investors see long term growth in West Oahu. It’s also a sign that smaller pocketbooks, such as average homebuyers, can draw confidence from, too.

KAPOLEI EXPANDS ITS REACH

Kapolei Aeloa Homes

Kapolei real estate is emerging as equally attractive. Oceanwide has made that clear by adding to their portfolio a huge section of West Kapolei, encompassing 516 acres, that forms a bridge linking Local-centered Kapolei with Visitor-focused Ko Olina. The connection between them will now be seamless and sound. They are both now part of a greater whole.

As it stands today, the plan for these lands is a golf-centered community, with 2,500 townhomes and condos as well as commercial areas. This has been a long-time goal here, but, like the Atlantis project, only got kick-started through Oceanwide’s investment.

HOOPILI ANCHORING THE EAST SIDE

Hoopili Rendering

If we turn our attention to East Kapolei, you’ll find just as much happening, all of it aimed at the residential market. Ground has just been broken on the Hoopili development, slated to add 11,750 homes to the landscape when completed in the summer of 2017.

This has a similar effect to what’s happening on the West, but forming a bridge between Kapolei and Ewa Beach here. This is no bedroom community they’re building, either.

Hoopili will have its own shops, restaurants, schools, farms and parks. There are also plans for a 535,000 sq ft retail center that will have at least 2 big box stores and over 2,000 parking spaces. Not your small local strip mall.

The overall planning is intended to give residents all of these essentials within walking distance from home, creating a pedestrian and bike-friendly community. That will include 15 to 20 parks, all at least an acre in size, with at least one being within a 5 minute walk of every residence.

The composition of the homes will fill every kind of option, mixing in single family homes, townhomes and condos within the almost self-contained city of this neighborhood. Some will be live-work, providing the room for retail or office space along with your residence, providing a choice very attractive to entrepreneurs.

THE MISSING CORNERSTONE OF THE 2nd CITY
One of the major impacts of these additions and changes is changing one of the major barriers to this area becoming the true 2nd City: jobs.

When so many of your residents crowd the highway heading to Honolulu every weekday morning, it’s hard to claim that this is an economic and employment center. That is changing, with a future being laid out that is aimed at reducing that traffic going east:

• Hoopili is predicted to add over 7,000 new jobs,
• West Kapolei should provide 3,600 jobs when completed, along with almost 2,600 construction jobs during the building of this project,
• Ko Olina is already West Oahu’s largest employer and Oceanwide’s projects will take that status to entirely new levels,
• The range of employment will broaden as well, with, for example, at least 5 new public schools opening, plus stores and services here have an incredible opportunity to grow with this surge in population, infrastructure, investment and industry.

The impact on Kapolei real estate will be especially important for our local residents, because the growth in employment opportunities here will fuel even greater demand for homes there, where residents can live near these new job centers.

Ko Olina

Ko Olina real estate should see even greater gains due to their status on the higher end of the market, as well as the fact that it will always have limited inventory, even when these projects are finished and open. Living near, beside, or even inside world-class luxury resorts in Hawaii is a certain winner with buyers who can afford the best.

With these developments laid out, the 2nd City is preparing to fully come into its own, providing the employment opportunities, the expanse and the lifestyle range that its title requires. As far as this area has already come, it is about to take another huge leap.

The merging of this entire area benefits all, bringing jobs to residents, new innovative attractions to tourists and shopping, dining and recreation for both. That all equals a new real estate boom in Kapolei and Ko Olina, at every rung of the market, beyond even what they’ve experienced already. Buying now might be the smartest move you make.

The post Future Development Projects in Ko Olina & Kapolei appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Finding the right home may seem daunting, especially moving into a new neighborhood.

Based on the many inquiries we receive daily, we put together the following recommendations to help you avoid potential pitfalls and prepare you to successfully find your dream home.

1.) Get pre-approved before looking at homes

This is by far the most important recommendations we can make, unless you have enough money for an all cash purchase.

Buyers often argue: “I just want to see the house. If I like it then I’ll talk to a lender to get the loan.” This approach can have a detrimental counter effect. The buyer eventually finds their dream home and falls in love with it. Then talking with a lender the buyer learns they can’t afford it.      From here on every house within the ‘doable’ price range will pale compared to the house they fell in love with. Don’t set yourself up for this kind of a let-down!

Get pre-approved or at least pre-qualified before you start looking at homes.

A pre-qualification includes a preliminary review of your income history, available cash down payment and your liabilities, aka debt obligations, e.g. credit cards and other loans.

A pre-approval includes the additional step of checking your credit score, a crucial component to determine how much a lender would be willing to lend you.

Either process only takes a few minutes and can be done efficiently over the phone.  

2.) Get your finances together

If the pre-approval reveals a glitch on your credit report, get it corrected immediately before you fall in love with your dream home. Get all your financial records organized and current, including tax returns, pay stubs, W-2 or 1099 forms, bank statements, loan statements, etc.  Your lender will need these to approve your mortgage loan. Get them ready before you apply for the loan.

‘Test-drive’ the neighborhood

3.) Research the neighborhoods

Buying a house is a big commitment and needs to be well thought through, especially if you are moving into a new area. Explore and evaluate the pros and cons of each neighborhood you are considering. Practice your future commute during key times of the day. Research why neighborhoods are valued differently.  Lots of information is available online, but sometimes it is best to first rent for a few months to experience the neighborhood feel.   

4.) Prioritize – Your Needs vs Wants

Create a written list with all home features you ‘Need’, versus features you ‘Want’, or features that are just ‘Nice to Have’. Know the difference and organize your list in the order of importance.

Prioritize and be clear on how the most important ‘top of the list’ items are defined in regard to the following criteria: type of property (house, townhouse or condo), location / neighborhood, price, size, views, parking, pool, etc. Be realistic with your expectations.  

Hawaiian dream home

5.) Set up email alerts, be decisive and quick

There has never been a better time to find your dream home this efficiently. Information is readily available with modern tools and technology. You have the power to customize and automate your home search and get instant results! Select your search filters wisely and set up email alerts. It’s free and works as fast as the speed of light (search filter & email alert example, using our Honolulu single-family homes page).

Dozens of potential buyers might be receiving live property listing updates, possibly looking at the same home you have been looking at. When ready, be quick and decisive. If a property matches some of the top requirements on your ‘Need’ list, contact your favorite qualified realtor to schedule a showing right away. 

If you followed the above steps, you are well prepared to strike. Don’t let your dream home slip by thinking it might wait for you. Not every property sells quickly, but the best ones often do.  

Be in the know! For general market updates, subscribe to our YouTube channel and keep current with our Blog.

Let us know what you think. We like to hear from you.

Please ‘Like’, ‘Share’ and ‘Comment’ below.   ~Aloha

The post Top 5 Tips To Succeed Finding Your Dream Home appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Aalii is a new condo project coming to Ward Village soon.

Email Kristian – kristian@honoluluhi5.com – if you are potentially interested in purchasing a unit (if you are represented by a Realtor, please ask that Realtor about Aalii).

Note: This page will constantly be updated, as we learn more about Aalii (prices, floor plans etc). Current information is still very preliminary.

Aalii in Brief
42 stories, 751 units, studio – 2BR with 300sf to 900sqf.
Market priced units with some reserved housing units.
Sales: Expected to commence early year 2017.
Completion: Expected year 2020 (subject to approvals for project and sales).
15,000sqf of retail space.
Designer: Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SF based and designer of luxury Anaha) together with Ferraro Choi & Associates (HNL based).

Aalii Amenities
Pool, BBQ, Fitness Center and various rooms & lounges (including some amenities on the 42nd floor).

Current Status
HCDA (Hawaii Community Development Authority – agency overseeing & regulating Kakaako developments) has scheduled for a public hearings November 2nd & 3rd. A decision on approvals expected no earlier than December.

Why Does Aalii Only Offer Smaller Units
The 5 projects currently offered in Ward Village are 3 luxury projects (Waiea, Anaha, Gateway Towers), 1 high-end project (Ae’o) and 1 project, which is predominantly reserved housing (Ke Kilohana). It is obvious the greatest consumer demand for Honolulu condos is presently for smaller units (affordability factor) and we anticipate Aalii will fulfill that vacuum, though no price details have been released yet.

What Does Aalii Mean
Aalii is the name of a small bushy tree native to Hawaii (also found in Africa and Australia) with sticky leaves and dark wood.

The post Aalii: A New Condo Project in Ward Village appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Central Oahu’s place in the history of Pre-Contact Hawaii, showed that its literal role as the center of Oahu often paralleled its significance in other ways.

The lands of today’s Mililani Mauka was a part of this, though what is recorded doesn’t tell us much about specific areas except for truly noteworthy instances. The fertility of these lands, combined with the cooler temperatures made them exceedingly attractive. This resulted in local Chiefs warring at times to control it.

Another, probably even more important motivator to these conflicts was the sacredness of certain areas, especially the Birthing Stones, where Ali’i women delivered their children. Those sites were believed to possess great mana, or power, which would belong to the Chief who ruled them.

The armies of Oahu also trained for war up here, preparing for the invasions from forces from the other Islands that would periodically land their warships on the shores. Those exercise on these lands would prove to be extremely valuable on at least one occasion.

Mililani was ground zero for one of the most momentous battles in Pre-Kamehameha Hawaii. In 1410 the Chiefs of Maui and the Big Island attacked Oahu, the armies finally fighting the decisive battle in Kipapa Gulch, which runs just below Mililani Town and Mililani Mauka.

Oahu’s forces, under their leader Mailikukahi, ultimately came up victorious but only after a slaughtering of both sides that left the gulch filled with bodies. Ever since, locals have reported numerous experiences that suggest the spirits of these warriors still haunt the place.

The Father of Mililani
The modern turning point for not just Mililani Mauka’s lands, but the entire Central Oahu area, came in the form of a young Big Island Chief’s son named John Papa I’i. Born in 1800, he became a personal attendant to the boyhood Kamehameha II, growing up in the Mililani area. These lands were dear to his heart as he spent many hours spent happily roaming them as a boy.

His services to the King and the Islands were repaid in 1850 by King Kamehameha III, who granted to him the lands of the entire ahupa’a, including his beloved childhood home. It is said that it was John Papa I’i who first called the area above the Kipapa Gulch ‘Mililani’, over a century before the name became official.

After his death in 1870 the lands were put in trust and sold, with what would become Mililani Mauka, as well as much of the remaining center of the Island, being bought by Castle & Cooke. These untouched lands were soon the site of massive, flourishing plantations, producing sugar and pineapple crops that put Hawaii on the economic map.

While the plantations did build for the workers houses, general stores and other essentials, Mililani Mauka was purely used as farmland during the entire lifetime of this concern. That meant almost a century of harvests coming from this soil, only ending when the financial winds began to change.

Early Leader of the New Real Estate Boom
You could say that Castle & Cooke was a pioneer in the Hawaii’s shift from farming to real estate. Though the first Mililani Town homes were occupied in 1968, the plans for converting the whole district into a residential area started a decade before in 1958.

The acceleration of the success of the entire endeavor came with the opening of H2 in 1976, which cut the commuting time to Honolulu in half, making these homes even more attractive to buyers. The highway also created a defining line that separated Mililani Town from Mililani Mauka. This ensured Mililani Mauka would be a part of the whole and yet a distinct community of its own.

The vision for Mililani Mauka real estate was a higher end residence on average than Town, with a greater percentage of townhomes in Mauka. It would also be more of a bedroom community, with only a small shopping center here, anchored by a Long’s. That did require a trip across H2 for most things, but it cut down on outside traffic and noise. That was a tradeoff that their target market was happy to make.

The construction would be completed in 2007, totaling approximately 5,000 homes across it. It was an immediate success, selling its homes quickly. That includes townhome communities like Kumelewai Court, one of the first residences finished, that all have 2 stories and 2 parking spaces. They set the family-friendly tone of this neighborhood by offering only 2 or 3BR floor plans.

Another notable is Havens of Ii Vista, one of the very few gated communities in Mililani Mauka that added an extra layer of privacy and safety. Though the layouts are not the largest, the ground floor units make it up outside with 300 sq ft of fenced backyard.

Single family homes have an especially high regard in Oahu’s real estate market. Buyers quickly learn the name of projects like Island Classics, where the homes are large, like the 3BRs with 1481 to 2194 sq ft on up to 5BRs spread over 2282 sq ft inside it.

Lots can be 3797 sq ft to as much as 5561 sq ft. There’s a nice fenced-in yard and a driveway included in the bargain, too. That driveway pulls right into a 2 car garage with plenty of space to open your doors between autos.

Other names in this category, such as Destiny and American Classics are equally blessed with expansive floor plans and desirable features such as large yards and views of the mountains and, sometimes, the ocean that justify their fast-selling reputations.

Single family homes have recently gone for over $1M on the top end, proving just how appealing Mililani Mauka is to home seekers.

The Most Important Fact About Mililani Mauka Real Estate
What Oahu home buyers should know most about Mililani Mauka is this – if it stood alone, rather than being grouped with Mililani Town, it would the #1 Hawaii Town for Home Value Appreciation over the last 10 years. Not just on Oahu, but across all of Hawaii.

That tells you a lot about the value, the attractiveness and the solidity of the homes in this community. Fortunately, unlike the Ancient Hawaiian Chiefs, the only fighting you’ll have to do to live here is with your checkbook.

The post Mililani Mauka History: From Farmland to Modern Real Estate appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Manaolana Place is a new condo hotel, to be located on the corner of Atkinson Dr & Kapiolani Blvd. Honolulu’s City Council approved the project early October 2016. Current information is still very preliminary and this post will be updated as we learn more.

Email Kristian – kristian@honoluluhi5.com – if you are interested in the latest news on Manaolana Place (if you are represented by a Realtor, please ask your Realtor about Manaolana Place).

About Manaolana Place

Manaolana Place

234 Units – 109 condos and 125 hotel unit.
36 stories, 400ft tall.
276 parking stalls across 4 floors.
Sales: Probably year 2017 (no details yet).
Completion: Expected year 2020.
Amenities: Pool, jacuzzi, ballroom, parks.
Property will have retail shops & restaurants.

Manaolana Place Location
Manaolana Place will be located on 51,000sqf across the street from the Hawaii Convention Center on Atkinson Dr. The lots is a combination of the Atkinson Center – with current tenants such as 7-11  (15,000sqf lot) – and a 36,000sqf lot located immidiately behind Atkinson Center.

Developers
Los Angeles based Salem Partners in a joint venture with Kaijima Kagaku. Kaijima Kagaku owns Atkinson Center and Salem Partners owns the 36,000sqf lot behind Atkinson Center. They formed Manaolala Partners LLC headed by James Ratkovich, a Managing Director at Salem Partners’ Investment Bank Division, and Bill Witte, the President of Salem Partners’ Wealth Management Division. 

The post Manaolana Place: New Condo Hotel in Honolulu appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

It is difficult to pinpoint much of the early development of the neighborhood we know as Waikele today. That’s because it was originally the name of the entire ahupua’a that stretched from the Koolaua Mountains down to the sea. When Waikele is spoken of in the historic sources, it applies to a vast area, of which the current name-bearer was just a small part.

Today it falls under the city of Waipahu, which had once fallen under it in the Pre-Contact times. Still, we know some of the Old History that the lands of this neighborhood saw before the modern landscape was raised.

The word Waikele in Hawaiian translates as ‘Muddy Water’, a recognition of the Waikele Stream, whose brown depths ran throughout the district. Hawaiian farmers were drawn here by that resource, using its waters in their cultivation of taro, an essential food staple. They would not be the last.

The proximity of the Ancient Oahu capital in Waipahu below lent these farmlands some extra importance due to their proximity to the Island’s ruling center, as well as the fact that its taro fed the Ali’i. The real estate would lose that luster, however, after Kamehameha united the Islands, including Oahu, and shifted the seat of power to Honolulu for good.

For now, this district was diminished in importance and significance. Still, it was not abandoned by any means. Agriculture would continue here on a small scale, but a real settlement would take hold with the introduction of horses brought by European ships, allowing a fishing village to take root.

The fishermen became Waikele’s first commuters, traveling on horseback or by cart to Pearl Harbor’s shores to catch the plentiful fish in its waters. This bridged the gap after taro, but it did not last long. This was due to the soil, streams and springs on these lands being recognized as the perfect place for feeding the new economic engine of Hawaii, Sugar.

The Oahu Sugar Company came to life in 1897, specifically to farm this area of the Island. Its property covered 10,000 acres, comprising today’s Waipahu, Waipio and Waikele, that would produce huge harvests and profits for almost 100 years. If you lived in this part of Oahu, with few exceptions, it could be assumed that you worked for the company.

The corporation built their own neighborhoods of homes, one given to each employee at no charge. They even provided the stores that their workers bought groceries and essentials from every day. This system was the start of much of the Waipahu we know now. Waikele, though. would remain strictly farm, covered in cane for almost the entire 20th Century.

Plantation Becomes Community
While Honolulu and much of Oahu modernized, with high-rises, freeways and shopping centers springing up in these years, Waikele’s lands remained in the same agricultural state. In 1995, though, economics finally put an end to the plantations, the cost of raising sugar in Hawaii becoming too high. This farmland wouldn’t be idle long.

Diminishing returns of recent years had prompted plans for this eventuality. So blueprints were already in place before the final harvest to change this area into something that was now in even greater demand than sugar. Real estate.

The sugar company’s backer, Amfac, immediately turned to the creation of a neighborhood on these heights above Waipahu that provided views of Pearl Harbor. Beginning the building with homes along Lumiau St, the whole project would take about a decade to complete.

These were not going to be the high-rise condos or paved over spaces that had become the norm to the east. This would be something different.

Once finished, the new Waikele would consist of 2937 homes contained within 12 townhome communities and 9 single family home subdivisions. With green spaces everywhere you look, the banyan trees lining the highway here and its utilities buried safely out of sight, it is a lush, open counterpoint to its makai neighbors.

All of this is centered around the Waikele Country Club, with greens and fairways that golfers love and many residents enjoy even more for the backdrop they give to their homes around the course.

The developers would add one more surprising, but ultimately very popular, element with the Outlet Mall that attracts busloads of tourists along with crowds of locals looking for a good bargain.

The Homes Of Waikele
Most Waikele homes are townhomes, their low-rise, Plantation-style designs intended to fit the open, local-rooted environment of the neighborhood. One standout is the Fairway Village at Waikele, which sits right on the golf course, providing both green views and quiet all around it. The units have larger spaces, too, making them even more attractive.

The Village On The Green is another, located beside the 2nd Green and its companion fairway as well as open parkland above its homes to increase the views and the openness of your environment. The homes here are distinguished by providing layouts to fit every need, from single story to split-level and full two story floor plans as well.

Though best known for these multi-unit residences, Waikele was seeded with excellent single family homes that are consistently in-demand. The Tropics is one of the best examples, a collection of two story homes that come in a staggering 20 different layouts with 2 to 4 bedrooms.

Residents live in a community encircled by Patsy Mink Park, open fairways of the golf course and the fields used by Waikele Elementary School for recreation. Beautiful to see in the day and peaceful every night.

The perks of this Master-Planned neighborhood are no accident. They are the result of a smart and well-executed vision that took advantage of the golden opportunity of these lands once covered in sugar cane.

Waikele lands provided over the centuries a key element to our Island’s society. First, with taro, a vitally important part of Hawaiian life. Then sugar, the engine of the economy for decades. It is only appropriate that they now hold something equally important to today’s Oahu, homes that remember our local values, a place centered around the eternal natural beauty of our Island.

The post Waikele History: From Muddy Water to Modern Real Estate appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

It can be hard to believe now, but Kaneohe was once a major source of food for Oahu residents, as far back as history can go. In those centuries before European contact, the lands and coastline here provided almost every aspect of Native Hawaiian’s diet.

Taro, breadfruit, bananas and almost every other crop grown on Oahu was farmed here, making it an important, if not crucial, part of life for the people here. In fact, some of most fertile soil of all was found where Kaneohe Marine Corp Base is today.

In addition, numerous fishponds were built along the ocean that provided a more reliable path to this part of the local diet. Instead of waiting for the fish to come to their boats or lures, the Hawaiians created easy and consistent access to a meal whenever needed.

The productive power of this area made it extremely valuable, so much so that the early Chiefs who ruled all of Oahu, as well as Kamehameha himself, had permanent residences here. Their presence was a significant sign of the vital importance of Kaneohe, as well as a recognition of the beauty of the oceanside lands.

By the time of the Great Mahele the later Kamehamehas had made Honolulu the center of all life in Hawaii, lessening the perceived status of Kaneohe as they spent little to no time on this side of the Koolaus. The richness of its soil, however, retained every bit of its power.

The Castle Family, Kaneohe’s Ohana
The release of lands from total Ali’i control in the Great Mahele made Kaneohe’s fertile acres available for purchase. Over time it was all acquired, along with much of the rest of Windward Oahu, by the Castle Family. Famously ½ of Castle & Cooke, they knew an opportunity when they saw it.

Plantations to grow pineapple and banana soon sprung up across their massive holdings, worked and lived on by workers brought over from Asia. In addition, a large part of the area was put to use for cattle ranching as well.

These large concerns altered the countryside dramatically, adding houses, stores and small communities here to serve the plantation employees as well as erasing significant aspects of the old Hawaiian landscape. It was at this time that many of their fishponds were filled in and forgotten to add more ground for the farms to till.

Until the Mid-20th Century the lands remained in this state, period aerial photographs showing a mostly wide open area. If not for the distinct coastline it would be almost unrecognizable as the same place we know today.

Change Begins To Come
One major change that remains today came in 1918 when the Army was given Mokapu Peninsula, where they set up Kuwaaohe Millitary Reservation. Later the Navy and then finally the Marines would take ownership, now known as the Marine Corp Base Kaneohe.

The Japanese would attack this installation on December 7th before the first bombs hit Pearl Harbor. The base expanded during World War II to provide training and schools for the effort, but the town wouldn’t be truly reshaped until after victory came.

The Post-War Oahu would see a surge in demand for housing as the population grew as never before. The plantations did begin to be less profitable than before as well, but it is also said that a major deciding factor was the Castle family’s land-rich, yet cash-poor circumstances at this time. Together, those conditions were the conception of the city of Kaneohe.

The development of these lands started slowly, picking up dramatically in the 1960s and 70’s after the Pali Tunnel was opened. Homebuyers flocked here now that commuting to Honolulu was no longer an issue. The fact that they could buy a residence more affordably on this side of the Koolaus was another important factor.

The neighborhoods and communities that would be added here over the years now have the greatest range of any town on the Windward Side. Kaneohe real estate includes everything from high-rise condos to single family homes with yards to oceanfront residences gazing out at Kaneohe Bay.

Standout Condos of Kaneohe
Though we can only give a couple of examples of Kaneohe’s condos that are exceptional, suffice it to say that there are many more worthy of attention and exploration.

The townhome units of Makai Kai Marina have a dream location of being right on Kaneohe Bay. Not near it. On it. Your abode here can be single or dual level and you can watch the waters mere feet from you as well as the boats tied up in the marina that have a certain beguiling power themselves.

The condos more inland provide some great lifestyle choices as well, like Windward Estate. This community is in the central part of Kaneohe, but has a thick surrounding of trees and greenery insulating you. The home dimensions are very large, great for families, and you can walk to Windward Mall, the biggest shopping center on this entire coast.

Single Family Houses in Kaneohe
Kaneohe houses truly run the gamut of size, look and environment. Space restricts us to highlight just a few of the areas in this category, to give you a taste of the possibilities of the market here.

Single family homes in Kaneohe are a mix of developments and neighborhoods where the houses have huge differences in size and design across their lots. That is especially true of the areas around the center of the town. You’ll drive by mid-20th Century Plantation homes next door to large, newer homes that take up almost the entire lot they sit upon.

There are a few communities like The Summit at Kaneohe Bay around, yet it’s a special one in that group. This collection of just 35 single family homes is gated and collected under a Condo Property Regime (CPR) to ensure standards and cooperation. Every house is large, 1595 to 2323 sq ft, and you can revel in Mountain & Ocean views, some residents getting the perk of watching both the Sunset and Sunrise each day.

If you’ve dreamt of living an ideal of the Old Kamaaina lifestyle, the Haiku neighborhoods have huge spaces that are cooled by shade trees and cooling breezes, with large green lawns to relax and play on. The ocean views are the crowning touch, your residence here serving as nothing less than a tropical retreat of the best kind – one that few know about, but many would do anything to live in if they did.

We highlight one other area, Temple Valley, due to its seclusion from the rest of the city, as well as its lush green environment. The levels of rain are higher here, but the benefits can be seen all around in the natural beauty all around. The houses in this protected retreat are mostly single level Mid-Century style structures that are always pleasing to the eye,but never obtrusive. In the valley the focus is on the flora that grows so freely around you, where it should be.

Kaneohe real estate has become something very different that it once was. Even a few decades ago few would’ve predicted that some of the most fertile lands of Oahu would become the urban center of the Windward Side.

However, this soil still provides for the people of Oahu, just through different means. The homes and neighborhoods of this town are today a center of local life, free of the tourist crowds that are complicating things in Kailua.

Every Kaneohe real estate listing today is an opportunity. A chance to secure the Windward Oahu weather and ways for your life, free of the overwhelming visitor industry that can make you feel like a visitor in your own town. Here, you’re always home.

The post Kaneohe History: From Major Food Source to Unique Real Estate appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Makakilo’s value in Pre-Contact Hawaii rested, just as it does today, on its elevation above the Ewa Plain. Kahunas came to the peaks here to watch the skies by day and the stars at night, divining signs that foretold the future and spoke the will of the gods.

The Ali’i depended on these priests for guidance in almost every aspect of their lives, from whether their conduct pleased the deities to the opportune time to attack their enemies. Makakilo played a central role for centuries in Oahu, affecting, sometimes making, almost every major decision facing the Chiefs, along with many minor ones as well. When this hillside spoke, the Island listened.

The significance of this place automatically made most of this area off-limits to commoners, ensuring that no one lived on these slopes beyond the kahunas at the very top. Another major issue was the inability to build on Makakilo’s angled landscape with the construction technology available until much later.

That meant that even after the traditional Hawaiian religion was made illegal by Queen Kaahumanu, ending the importance of these heights, the property remained quiet and unoccupied in any appreciable way for some time to come.

That was reflected down below on the Ewa Plain. There was little there that could be called man-made at this time. The entire area, outside of the most makai part of today’s town of Ewa Beach, was almost completely untouched, nature growing freely in this warmer part of Oahu. Until, that is, James Campbell would change that, buying up just about the entire plain and turning it into a flourishing plantation in the late 1800’s.

The observational advantages here attracted another new presence in the early decades of the 20th Century. The US Army realized how effective the site could be for protecting the Island, so a bunker, 5 stories tall, was built. 16-inch guns were installed that could bombard invading ships along with pillboxes, some of which are still there today.

The bunker was part of Fort Barrette, which stood on the plain below. The Japanese attack on December 7th, 1941 included the fort, with one casualty and a few wounded. The bunker’s involvement in that significant day is unclear, though. The fort, and therefore the bunker, would be basically shut down a few years later after a feared forthcoming Japanese invasion never materialized.

What Made the Makakilo Neighborhood Happen
The Post-War construction boom, in response to population growth, combined with advancement in building techniques and equipment, finally made Makakilo a feasible place to construct a neighborhood. It should be acknowledged that this probably would not have happened, at least at this point in time, without 2 factors.

The first being the keen eye of James Campbell who saw the potential of the Ewa Plain.Widely written off as worthless lands, his plantation put this part of the Island on the map.

The other was the wartime build-up of Barber’s Point Navy base, which turned a small airfield into a substantial part of the military presence in Hawaii.

These factors resulted in connecting this district more and more to the shipping and economic center of Honolulu and the rest of Oahu. Not the least through substantial roads that made heading east, and back, a much easier proposition than before. Residents who worked in the areas Diamond Head could now commute, making living on these lands potentially practical for much of the Island’s workforce.

When the first homes were constructed in the early 1960’s, no one could have foreseen that this was beginning of over ½ of a century that would see new residences finished on Makakilo in almost every single one of those years.

Despite that consistency you can say that there were 2 major surges that added the majority of the neighborhood we have now. The first began in the early 1960’s, kicked off by Finance Factors on lands that were leased from the Campbell Estate. Construction began on the bottom areas of the hillside, then moving upward. The 2nd surge came during the post-2000 years, concentrating on the higher elevations, though not exclusively.

Both, along with the periods in between them, saw single family homes and townhome communities erected. It used to be a general rule that the houses of the 1st era were larger in size, the later, higher up residences having the advantage of better views. However, the appearance of the Kahiwelo units in more recent years may be fixing that imbalance.

Townhomes in Makakilo
Makakilo townhomes are always hot properties, no matter when they were built. Kai Nani at Makakilo is a good example of why. Built by DR Horton in 2006, they have large dimensions and many have two full stories that sit atop a third made up of the garage/basement. That ads not only more space, but also greater sight lines, with the ocean, including the sun setting over it, and the 2nd City laid out before you.

Ocean Ridge at Makakilo might be even better, occupying a ridge area by itself, so your little neighborhood has nothing but clear views around you – and always will. In addition to the Pacific Ocean and Ewa vistas, you have roomy interiors and 3 bedrooms, providing what a growing family needs most of all.

Makakilo’s Single Family Homes
It is difficult to talk specifically about single family homes in certain parts of Makakilo, especially the Lower area where the first construction took place. This is because much of the houses from that era were built by the owners of that particular lot, rather than developers with a template of floor plans.

What you can say about Makakilo single family homes from the first decade or two of this neighborhood is that they stand out for being, almost across the board, single story. They fit the Mid-Century Hawaii design, with even 3 or 4 bedrooms being spread across a single level.

Homebuyers should also realize that properties that are located in the ‘Lower’ part of these slopes can still have expansive views from them, many of them enjoying the sight of the Pacific from their windows and lanais.

If a new Makakilo single family home is more what you’re looking for, a good start are the most recent additions in Kahiwelo. These are large houses and they sit on even larger lots. That provides effective breathing space between neighbors as well as plenty of ground for outdoor pleasures or even future expansion. It also makes for a less cluttered outlook down to Kapolei and out to the blue waters hugging our Island.

Another, more exclusive community to know about is Kumulani, a gated collection of expansive houses that was primarily built by individual owners on the lots they purchased. The privacy here proved extremely attractive, but the lock on sales came from the vistas possible from these properties that are 1000 feet above the Ewa Plain. Residents can take in the sweep of coastline and ocean from Diamond Head to here, and beyond.

It’s views like that, along with the cooler temperatures on this rise, that has kept Makakilo real estate in constant demand, even in those decades before the 2nd City started to take shape. If anything, these homes proved the potential of West Oahu before that vision was formed.

Today, you can have all the benefits of the Ewa Plain’s shopping, dining and recreation, but, literally, live above the traffic and crowding that is possible in the area makai of the highway.

Homebuyers may have been initially drawn here, as the Ancient Hawaiians, for the superlative vistas, but now there’s so much more that keeps them, like the 2nd City options, the cooler climes and the often larger sizes of these residences. Climb this hillside and you might never want to come down.

The post Makakilo History: From Signs in The Skies to Modern Real Estate appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

The North Shore of Oahu seems to have been one of the last parts of the Island to be settled by the Ancient Hawaiians. Most date the first communities along this coastline to have started around 1000 A.D. and they soon flourished.

The fertility of these lands made growing crops easy, with the Hawaiian diet staples of sweet potatoes and taro especially being produced in large quantities. Numerous fresh springs on these lands supported a population that would continue to grow, with the ocean waters providing fish to add to an already plentiful food supply.

THE NORTH SHORE’S STATUS IN ANCIENT HAWAII
The recognized value of the North Shore lands made them a great prize. This status was clear after Oahu’s ruling chief, Kamapua’a, granted the ahupua’a of Waimea to the High Priest (Kahuna), of the Island. The importance of the kahuna to the life of the Island, and the ruling families, meant that he would be given only the best.

This ownership of this ahupua’a would pass down for more than 600 years through the successive High Chiefs, creating a seat of Oahu’s religious power that lasted until Queen Ka’ahumanu eradicated the old Hawaiian ways in the early 1800’s.

What many don’t know is that Oahu’s first Western contact happened here, when Captain Cook’s ships sailed into Waimea Bay in 1779. The British Navy stopped to get fresh water after fleeing the famous Big Island battle that resulted in Cook’s death.

They recorded that this coastline had many villages as well as confirming the large areas of farmland the Hawaiians cultivated up here.

The early 1800’s, though, would bring seismic changes to Hawaii that reached even the North Shore lands. The first event was the end of the Kapu system, which was the foundation of the religious and social structure of Hawaii by Queen Ka’ahumanu.

Shortly after the missionaries arrived bringing Christianity, which Ka’ahumanu embraced, supplanting the former Hawaiian religion across the Islands. The result of this was another Western ship that landed on the North Shore at Waialua Bay in 1832, this time carrying more missionaries who made their home here and established the Waialua Protestant Church.

The last ruling kahuna, Hewahewa, would not pass until 1837. Even after the end of the Kapu system he still held ownership of most of the Waimea ahupua’a just as before. More changes were coming, though, the biggest in the form of the Great Mahele.

Lands were divided up, much of it made available to buy. Some was still reserved for the ali’i, which is how Hewahewa’s grand-daughter was still able to hang onto half of Waimea Valley.

THE PLANTATIONS ARRIVE
During the Post-Mahele years the rich soil of these lands brought the new plantation concerns calling. They quickly bought up large areas, creating the small towns and communities that grew up around the imported workers whose lives were tied to these farms. They worked to grow the sugar and pineapple crops that made huge profits.

The major concerns here included the Waialua Sugar Planation and the first Dole plantation and processing plant. Waialua was first farmed in 1865, but passed through 2 owners before it was finally sold to Castle & Cook by 1898, who would run it for almost a century.

Dole came to this part of Oahu in 1901, growing primarily the pineapple that made their name famous worldwide. The fact that they still have a presence there today as part-farm, part-tourist attraction speaks to that success.

These farms grew the population greatly as well as diversifying it as Chinese, Japanese and Filipino workers moved here and lived in the plantation’s created homes and communities. Haleiwa grew to become a town at this time, businesses springing up to serve the new population.

The North Shore was also the site of innovation, this time the brainchild of another iconic Hawaii name – Dillingham. Benjamin Dillingham, a director on the Wailua Sugar Company board, built the Oahu Railway and Land Company, its railroad running from Haleiwa to Honolulu to transport the sugar to the shipping center. Soon an idea came to him. Why not encourage a passenger trade that would use round trips?

To do so he created the first luxury hotel in Hawaii in 1899, the Haleiwa Hotel. Wealthy locals as well as some visitors to Oahu rode the train to this plush getaway, leaving the stress of early 20th Century Honolulu behind.

Ultimately the competition with Waikiki could not be won, causing the shut down of the resort in 1943, but leaving an enduring legacy behind. The name ‘Haleiwa’, which means ‘House of the ‘Iwa’ (frigate bird), was given to the hotel by Dillingham himself. It was later taken formally by the entire community around it, becoming the name the town holds today.

The plantations would remain up here for most of the 20th Century, longer than anywhere else on the Island. This, combined with its remoteness and an engrained local resistance, is why North Shore real estate did not undergo the development the rest of Oahu did during the post-War years.

Waialua would be the very last sugar plantation on the Island, persisting until it finally closed in 1996.

All during this time the North Shore outside of the plantations continued in the same pattern that had begun here long ago. There were small, scattered communities, with farms here and there, the residents enjoying the isolation and unspoiled scenery.

THE NORTH SHORE TAKES A DIFFERENT PATH

Turtle Bay Resort

Still, things were slowly changing. In 1972 the resort at Turtle Bay was opened, intended to be the first casino in Hawaii. Unfortunately, the laws allowing gambling did not pass as the original owner though they would. Hyatt took over, successfully emphasizing the incredible backdrop of its oceanfront property and, like the old Haleiwa Hotel, its contrast to the urban Waikiki.

Another, possibly greater issue, was the growth of Surfing and surf culture in the 1970s, the North Shore waves representing some of the greatest challenges in the world. The name North Shore was soon known worldwide, bringing tourist crowds and making home values along this coast rocket skyward.

Development did, and has, come to this district, but in a very abbreviated form. The community has made it clear that high-rise structures and anything beyond small new neighborhoods are unwelcome.

It is significant that this is the one and only area of Oahu where the closing of the plantations did not result in large new building projects on their former lands. In fact, in certain cases, property has been bought specifically to keep it undeveloped in perpetuity.

Large projects have been proposed over they years, but they’ve always met strong organized opposition that has stopped them in their tracks. That is not likely to change.

Still, there have been some additions to the shoreline recently, just in smaller numbers and in ways that do not impact the environment or feel of this place. Boutique developments, in other words.

Kawailoa

Homes in Kawailoa is the current peak of high-end North Shore real estate. Its homes sit on the coast, many oceanfront in the area between Waimea Bay and Haleiwa. Some homes are smaller, original vintage from the early decades of the 20th Century. Since the new millennium, however, large mansions have been added that take full advantage of the world-class wave watching views.

More than just extensive houses, the size of both the homes and lots cross over in some cases to the ‘small estate’ category. Their renowned luxury level as well as the location between the shops and restaurants of Haleiwa and world famous surf spot Waimea Bay make this something of a private club with quite a long waiting list.

Sunset

Sunset real estate is another mix of modern North Shore. Old surf shacks sit next to huge, recently built homes, with very little in between. This is an iconic stop for the professional surfing world, making living here something to brag about.

Possibly the most significant addition here has been Sunset Colony, built by developer and politician Andy Anderson. The premier gated community on this coast, there are just 30 houses in it, all with huge dimensions, many right on the ocean and price tags that start in the low 7 figures. Moving to Sunset is no longer the dream of just beach bums, it’s an aspiration for captains of industry, too.

Pupukea

Pupukea’s real estate truly came to life in the last 30 to 40 years, these residences giving you something extra because of their Country classification. That means lots of 1 acre beneath your house here.

That room is used to its potential in most cases, with houses that have multiple bedrooms and large spaces under the roofs. Despite that fact that most are spread out toward the mauka side, many still enjoy ocean views due to the elevations and a complete lack of development around them outside of their neighbors.

Sunset Hills is the most exclusive of the different areas, its homes definitely hitting the high end of Pupukea and incredible views to match.

Preservations should be especially drawn here. After a proposed development project was defeated in the 1980s the community, with various organizations, has banded together to buy property around this area. Once purchased it will be left to flourish, safe from ever being built upon. Try to find that kind of security anywhere else in Hawaii.

Waimea

The houses of Waimea stand right on the east side of the bay that shares its name. With only 2 streets and 15 homes total, the North Shore exclusivity is very present here. The homes were built mostly by the owners who bought the lots back in the 1980s and 1990’s. The luckiest buyers were able to get the 7 oceanfront properties, the remaining 8 still are extremely close to the swells, many still having clear views of them despite being set back.

The limited space between the highway and the land’s edge does mean smaller lots that expected at this price level, but that has not hurt the values whatsoever. Not when you live next to the natural magnificence of this place.

Mokuleia

Much of Mokuleia was part of the vast Dillingham Ranch, first owned by the same man who built the Haleiwa Hotel. In the late 1900’s the family started selling off some of the property, including many that now hold oceanfront residences in this less traveled western section of the North Shore.

Some of the lots are very large here and the luxurious houses on them the result of individual owners projects, rather than a developer. Currently there are plans being proposed, though.

Kennedy Wilson, the owner of 2700 acres of the former Dillingham property have created a plan for 70 homes to be built on their mostly mauka side holdings. Individual lots would be 2 to 77 acres in size. So far, though, community members have opposed it, already getting a previous 106 home proposal rejected by the Neighborhood Board. Definitely a wait-and-see game that keeps the North Shore real estate world so dramatic.

THE FUTURE OF NORTH SHORE REAL ESTATE

Laie

The ability of this part of Oahu to hang onto its rural environment in the face of a tidal wave of development that has engulfed the rest of the Island is nothing short of amazing. It does make sense, though, this remote district always being a place for the rebel, as far as possible from the power center of Honolulu.

This has made the real estate something extra special, a way to return to Old Hawaii when so many can now only strain to remember when things were so much simpler and the buildings so much lower.

This, along with the legendary waves, have brought more and more buyers with money to spend, pushing the prices and values skyward. No longer ‘the boonies’, this is now a very hot place to call home.

The post Oahu’s North Shore History: From 1779 Ship Arrival to Modern Real Estate appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Hoakalei and Ocean Pointe make up the westward expansion of the original Ewa Beach town border, pushing it closer to the inevitable merging with Kapolei to form the complete 2nd City of Oahu. Despite these 2 neighborhoods’ close proximity to Ewa Beach’s longstanding community, the lands that make them up were never settled in any significant way until now. Instead, anyone heading leeward after leaving Ewa Beach’s former limits would have traveled primarily untouched land for most of history. That doesn’t mean that they were unknown or unexplored, though.

Hoakalei’s name sprang from an Ancient Hawaiian legend about a water spring here and a goddess who stopped at it on her way across the Ewa Plain. The story goes that Pele’s sister, Hi’iaka, was traveling to Kauai and came to the spring, which had lehua trees growing on both sides of it. She made a lei from the flowers of the lehua and put it on, delighting in the water’s reflection of herself and the beautiful blossoms around her neck. Thus the name ‘Hoakalei’, which translates as ‘reflection of a lei’. That wasn’t the only significance of this area in Pre-Contact times.

Some of the lands that make up present day Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei were believed to be part of a fabled territory called kula o Kaupe‘a. This was the dwelling of lost souls, who Hawaiians believed had not been found by their family gods (aumakua) or missed the leaping off points to the next world after passing.

Caught between these worlds, they wandered this area, seeking a way to make the journey or hoping their aumakua would come for them and take them to their new home. As you can imagine, this section of the district was left alone and unsettled.

The rest of these lands have revealed Ancient Hawaiian homes and structures, showing that some did live here, just not in the numbers that they did to the immediate east. An important reason was that they lacked a significant fresh water source. That missing necessity limited the population, a restriction that lasted for centuries.

Most who did dwell here were drawn to the ocean’s supply of fish and sea life that provided abundant food. The archaeological evidence indicates that this was a seasonal residence in many cases, a good number of the Hawaiians living here only at certain times of the year. They came during the months when the fishing was best, then leave when the catch declined, returning again the next year.

There were year-round residents, but primarily where Ocean Pointe now sits. This is probably due to its location eastward, closer to the larger settlements and greater fresh water resources. There they were able to grow some small crops, but they also subsisted on fishing, just like the rest of the coastline.

None of these groupings ever extended beyond a few families at most, making them a local version of frontier living. This would remain the pattern for centuries, the lands providing only enough to support a small number or, at times, lying almost deserted.

THE PLANTATIONS ARRIVE IN EWA BEACH
James Campbell finally solved the Ewa Plain’s water problem in 1879 when his teams dug down far enough to tap wells no one had ever realized were there all the times. The changes in technology finally made it possible to not only locate, but utilize them and he did this on a grand scale. By buying up almost the entire Plain and applying up-to-date techniques, he was able to turn it into a massive sugar plantation that produced huge harvests year after year.

Some of the Hoakalei and Ocean Pointe property were part of his purchase, but very little of it was actively farmed. It remained in its state of hosting a few residents at times, but otherwise left mostly alone. Fishermen still made their way here, usually for the day and then returning home to Ewa Beach with their catch.

An aerial photo of the coastline from 1928 bears this out, showing undisturbed lands covered in thick vegetation. Look closely, though, and you can see 2 or 3 small homes right on the beach where Hoakalei’s lagoon now lies, the residents sustained by a small nearby well. As tough as it must have been to live almost alone out here, the fishing still made this real estate an attractive draw for some.

The arrival of World War II would finally end some of the isolation that reigned here. The expansion of Barbers Point in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack reached this property, the military taking it over for training. Maneuvers and mock battles were played out here in order to ready forces, first for a possible Japanese invasion and then to prepare them for the Pacific Campaign.

Much of this property would be returned to the plantation owners after the war, the biggest transfer back to civilian hands coming in 1949. Once again, the property would become quiet, welcoming day visitors of anglers and Ewa Beach children who loved to explore the area down the coastline from home.

NEW EWA BEACH NEIGHBORHOODS EMERGE
Ultimately these two neighborhoods would come alive with the sell-off of Ewa real estate after the plantations met their end in the 1980’s and 90’s. Ocean Pointe naturally was the first to emerge of the two, being next door to the existing Ewa Beach community. Developed by Haseko, they opened the different divisions of this neighborhood over the course of a decade, from 1998 to 2008.

Ocean Pointe single family homes consistently bring Oahu real estate buyers quickly once listings go up. It’s no mystery why because Haseko has created a neighborhood that brings 3 of the most desired, yet often difficult to find, features that locals love in a residence.

Every single house on these streets promises a fenced yard, central A/C and a 2 car garage to their occupants. There’s also a variety of plans and layouts of both one and two story, many using the New England architectural designs brought by the missionaries that have become a beloved part of Hawaii’s landscape.

Added to this are the fact that many have golf course views, while the beach is within walking distance for most residents. The more you find out about Ocean Pointe houses, the more you understand their popularity. The only mystery may be why you hadn’t looked at them before.

Ocean Pointe townhomes are gathered into sub-communities of their own. Like their single family home neighbors they have strong appeal and for good reason. A couple of examples will show you why.

Townhomes At Fairways
The Townhomes at Fairways sit on the eastern side of Hoakalei golf course, so you can take in the cooler evenings from your lanai, looking out at the green stretches before you or even at the small lakes that make up the water hazards.

They also have fenced yards on each residence and, best of all, large dimensions that start at 1,000 sq ft, only getting roomier from there.

Spinnaker Place
These Ocean Pointe townhomes continue the tradition of bigger spaces beginning at 1,000 sq ft, private yards and two stories for privacy and noise reduction benefits that are so important for homes with keiki.

Spinnaker Place also gains from being sited in the midst of 3 golf courses, as well as having large open spaces of its own created for kids and families to enjoy and play upon, close to the safety of home.

HOAKALEI HOMES
Hoakalei real estate follows a model that is more upscale, similar to the one in Ko Olina. A combination of homes and a resort property give these residents an enticing lifestyle of leisure and higher-scale amenities.

One of the most visible benefits of this is the massive lagoon created on the property. Initially intended to be a marina, Haseko changed course and left it enclosed for full recreation possibilities. ½ is private, for residents and resort guests only. The other ½ is public.

There is also the Ernie Else Signature Golf Course to challenge duffers, as well as to provide a green backdrop for the pleasure of home owners here.

The homes all are of recent vintage, being built in the years between 2009 and this year. The 3 neighborhoods are all gated and owners have the privilege of use of the Wai Kai Club, including a launching area into the lagoon that is members-only. As attractive as that is, the Hoakalei houses by themselves have more than enough on their own to make an easy sale and a satisfied new owner.

Ka Makana
Ka Makana has 7 floor plans, with a distinctly American architectural styles. The eye-grabbing design elements ensure that these homes do not blend together or fade from memory. You can drink in the golf course views as well as use the community’s exclusive recreation center, where you’ll find tennis courts, pool and fitness center reserved for you and your neighbors only.

Kipuka
These residences stand out for being in the very midst of the course itself, surrounded by it on all 4 sides. The homes are divided into Golf & Garden Series. Both provide 4 bedrooms over two stories, with the Garden layouts slightly smaller and looking out primarily at greenways. The larger Golf houses have mainly fairway views. Like the other 2 entities, Kipuka owners also enjoy their own community recreation center to enjoy.

Kuapapa
The most luxurious neighborhood is also the latest, Kuapapa. It actually contains 5 sub-neighborhoods of its own, each with unique floor plans. Their appeal runs the gamut, with styles from New England to Southern to European. The dimensions are all extremely roomy, providing 3 to 5 bedrooms so they’re perfect for large families or those who like to entertain.

All Kauapapa homes look upon the golf course, some positioned perfectly to take in the evening sunset over the ocean. It’s no wonder these have sold so well and so quickly.

Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei real estate are an exciting result of the new Ewa Plain that becomes more and more evident each day. The appearance of these high-demand and sometimes even luxurious homes on property long thought uninhabitable is one more unmistakable sign of the progress made in West Oahu.

Once believed to be lands that were almost worthless, neighborhoods like Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei are proof that the real estate balance that leaned so strongly to Honolulu is now shifting westward. Something big is happening in Ewa.

The post Hoakalei & Ocean Pointe History: From Dwellings of Lost Souls to Modern Real Estate appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

Puuwai Place – correctly spelled as Pu’uwai Place – is a new residential housing project, consisting of duplex homes and single-family homes coming to Waipahu in the near future, located along Paiwa Street.

If you are potentially interested in purchasing a home at Puuwai Place, please call Michelle at (808) 352-2469 or email Michelle@honoluluhi5.com.

Puuwai Place in Brief (much more info to come)
40 duplex homes, 3-4BR and 2 car enclosed garage.
1-2 driveway parking (HOA will allow driveway parking).
2 single-family homes (no price indication yet).
Price: High $500,000’s to mid $600,000’s (expected).
Floor Plans: 3 different styles, up to 1,597sqf of interior (floor plans release expected Dec or Jan 2017).
Purchase Process: First come basis and only owner occupants for 1st year.
Concept: No plans for recreation center, pool etc in order to keep HOA fees low.

The post Puuwai Place: New Homes Coming to Waipahu appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.

One of our well-to-do Beverly Hills client is accustomed to a certain way a neighborhood should look. Occasionally he would go sightseeing in Honolulu and report when he discovered what he referred to as a more normal looking street. Inspired by his keen observations we compiled the following list of fine Diamond Head and Kahala streets. This list is subjective and each street made the list for a variety of different reasons. We hope you enjoy.

DIAMOND HEAD 

1.) Noela Drive & Noela Place – Royalty used to live here. Just below the western slope of Diamond Head some impressive Diamond Head grand estates are hidden behind security gates. Both Noela Dr and the short Noela Pl are unassuming gently sloped cul-de-sacs. Noela Dr does not even have a sidewalk. This is a remarkably quiet location considering the proximity to popular Kapiolani Park.

Many of the homes are sitting on half acre and larger lots. The upslope lots offer pleasant views of Kapiolani Park and ocean beyond.

Some notable Noela Dr and Noela St homes include:

3239 Noela Dr, formerly owned by developer Jack Meyers. Situated on more than an acre with a huge half moon shape pool and a 10,000+ sq ft mansion. The property sold for $8.75 Mill in 2009 during a soft real estate market.

3944 Noela Pl, formerly owned by Barbara Cox Anthony who was at one time the richest woman in Hawaii. This large Mediterranean inspired villa with pool and tennis court on a ~1.2 acre lot sold in 2008 at $7.8 Mill to my good friend and former boss Herb Conley.

3175 Noela Dr is currently (Nov 2016) listed for sale at $11.495 Mill. This is a gorgeous newer 2006 built 9,800 sqft home developed by Tom Nicholson situated on a ~29,000 sq ft lot.

2.) Diamond Head Circle –  North of Noela Dr and accessible only from Monsarrat Ave is Diamond Head Circle, a quiet street loop with several grand estates. Tucked away from traffic, Diamond Head Circle offers modest elevations and city views. Many lots are half an acre and larger.

Some notable Diamond Head Cir homes include:

3692 Diamond Head Circle, a large 2 acre estate located in the interior section of the loop, originally built in 1938 with large pool and Hawaii’s longest private water slide designed by Olympic gold medalist and Tarzan legend Johnny Weissmuller. Hollywood celebrity Lana Turner and others used to frequent the estate. The property was listed for sale at $13.5 Mill in poor condition as recent as 2015.

3735 Diamond Head Circle is a gorgeously restored Hawaiian estate home at the highest elevation point on Diamond Head Cir. The 1.267 acre estate sold at $6.9 Mill in August 2016.

3.) Makalei Place

Often overlooked, with less than 20 custom homes on Makalei Pl this short winding cul-de-sac is easy to miss off Diamond Head Rd. Hardly anyone ascends this steep south western slope of Diamond Head Crater with its desirable privacy. Here we find some of Diamond Head’s highest elevation residential homes. Seemingly located directly below the Diamond Head Crater summit, Makalei Pl homes enjoy impressive ocean views.

One notable Makalei Pl property is 2955 Makalei Pl with an impressive infinity pool and separate guest house sitting on half an acre of land, sold at $7.55 Mill in 2007.

4.) Pokapahu Place – Pokapahu Pl is a short clean looking quiet cul-de-sac along the most eastern slope of Diamond Head Crater. Only about a dozen homes are situated here and every home enjoys good elevation with gorgeous sunrise views overlooking green Kahala coconut trees, the ocean and distant Koko Head and Koko Crater.

One notable Pokapahu Place home is 3868 Pokapahu Pl, designed by architect Jim Mc Peak and completed in 2012 with a stunning infinity edge pool. The property sold soon after completion at $6.3 Mill in November 2012.

5.) Kaikuono Place – This is where Doris Duke made her home with her Shangri La oceanfront estate. Only half a dozen homes are found on this short cul-de-sac offering privacy and ocean views. The street is narrow with minimal street parking. Only the two homes at the end of the cul-de-sac are on the ocean on top of a rocky cliff. However, for all other Kaikuono Place residents, a narrow gated footpath serves as ocean access to a small secluded sandy beach below.

One notable Kaikuono Place home is 202 Kaikuono Place. Featured in Architectural Digest Magazine, the home was stunningly remodeled and offers dramatic ocean and sunset views. Simply magical. The property sold at $14.2 Mill in December 2015.

6.) Kaikoo Place – Just east of Shangri La, Kaikoo Place is a cul-de-sac off Papu Cir, steeply descending towards the ocean. The street looks nice with sidewalks on both sides and interesting architectural home styles.

There are 8 Kaikoo Pl homes directly on the ocean. What makes the street special is, due to the unique topography, every Kaikoo Pl home has fabulous ocean views.

The ocean’s wave action can be dramatic and the shoreline here is rocky offering privacy in this coveted ocean front location. A public ocean access is at the bottom of the street mainly used by occasional surfers paddling out to the outer surf break.

Instead of a regular turn-around area at the end of the cul-de-sac, Kaikoo Pl splits up into a one-way street looping around a single large home with no neighbors.

Some notable Kaikoo Place homes include:

4324 Kaikoo Pl, formerly owned by visionary hotel developer Chris Hemmeter and is considered one of the largest single family home on Oahu. This impressive ocean front villa boasts over 21,000 interior sq ft, plus large decks for a total of 29,000 sq ft of living space sitting on a 0.823 acre oceanfront lot with a whopping 300 ft wide ocean frontage.

The property sold for $12.902 Mill in 1994 during a soft real estate market.

4310 Kaikoo Pl, another more modest ocean front property with 5,000+ sq ft interior living space on a 9,910 sq ft lot sold for $8.6 Mill in 2004.

KAHALA

7.) Royal Place & Royal Circle – Oceanside of Kahala Ave without Kahala Ave’s busy traffic. Royal Place branches off Kahala Ave with 5 Royal Place homes situated directly on the ocean. Royal Circle is a short cul-de-sac going up the knoll offering excellent ocean views.

Half a dozen Royal Circle homes along a shared driveway enjoy the added security of a privacy gate.

Some notable Royal Place and Royal Circle homes include:

4377 Royal Place, developed by developer Don Eovino in 2006 represents one of the very few newer Kahala oceanfront homes. This gorgeous island style home includes 6,500 sq ft interior living space with additional decks and pool cabana for a total of 8,700+ sq ft living space sitting on half an acre on the ocean. Both, the home and the oceanfront setting are gorgeous. The property sold at $11.1Mill shortly after it was listed in 2006.

4375 Royal Place, immediately next door, built in 2001, sold for $19.8 Mill in late 2015.

100 Royal Circle, a remarkable property situated at the end of the private shared driveway behind the Royal Cir gate. Built in 1990 with 8,626 sq ft interior living area situated on an oceanfront acre with an impressive 200+ ft of linear ocean frontage. The property sold for $16.5 Mill in 2013.

114 Royal Circle, at one time owned by surf legend Duke Kahanamoku is located at the top of the non-gated section of Royal Circle. This special home was lovingly remodeled to perfection with infinity edge pool and awesome indoor outdoor space. Offering spectacular ocean views, the property sold for $8.35 Mill in August 2016.

8.) Kahala Ave –  Arguably Honolulu’s most famous street with large grand estate oceanfront lots. There are only about 40 Kahala oceanfront homes and most of these are along Kahala Ave. Many of these estate lots are half an acre and some as large as 2 acres.

What makes Kahala Ave special is not just the size of these large oceanfront estate lots. It is the adjacent pristine south facing white sandy beach, plus Kahala’s deed restrictions ensuring a desirable low density with generous setbacks and a park like neighborhood feel.

Tour buses occasionally pass through Kahala Ave on their scenic circle island tours for visitors to see what Kahala is all about.

Between sprawling Kahala Ave estate homes, several lots remain vacant. Older homes had been torn down including some of Kawamoto’s 27 neglected Kahala Ave homes which sold to local developer A&B.

A&B’s bulk purchase, subsequent clean-up and sale of these properties is renewing Kahala Ave’s undisputed image as Honolulu’s most prestigious street.

Some notable Kahala Ave homes include:

4653B Kahala Ave, an address former president Mr & Mrs George W.H. Bush and Jackie Kennedy Onassis visited. This 1.5 acre private oceanfront estate with pool and tennis court sold for $22 Mill in 2010.

4663 Kahala Ave, the famous blue roof mansion situated on a 1.284 acre oceanfront lot formerly owned by Kawamoto has been known for its large marble statues that used to be displayed in the front yard. Kawamoto had paid $18 Mill in 2010. A&B paid $15 Mill in 2013, and the property was recently listed for sale at $22 Mill in August 2016, without the marble statues.

9.) Aukai Ave – Aukai Ave runs parallel to grand Kahala Ave, just a short block further away from the beach. Aukai Ave’s narrow appearance including old wooden utility poles does not compare favorably to grand Kahala Ave. Yet Aukai Ave properties historically have been selling for higher $ / sq ft prices compared to non-oceanfront Kahala Ave properties.

This seems to contradict the golden real estate rule “location, location, location” which normally translates into higher property values the closer the proximity to the beach.

The secret to Aukai Ave’s special allure and value is its coveted feel and privacy without Kahala Ave’s traffic. Living on quiet Aukai Ave you are always within a short block to Kahala Beach. Public beach access is at Kala Pl, Hunakai St, Koloa St, Pueo St and a few more in between.

Some notable Aukai Ave homes include:

4707 Aukai Ave, developed with Don Eovino’s signature island style design, this 0.4 acre property sold for $6.505 Mill in August 2016.

4510 Aukai Ave, nicely remodeled in 2014, situated on a 0.25 acre lot sold for $5.4 Mill in Summer 2014.

10.) Kolohala St – One block further away from the ocean, Kolohala Ave runs parallel to Aukai Ave. Especially the section between Elepaio St and Hunakai St has a sense of grandness. Remarkably few cars park in the street.

Kolohala Ave looks super wide with underground utility lines and has little through traffic. Pristine Kahala Beach is only two short blocks from here.

Some notable Kolohala St homes include:

4449 Kolohala St, developed in 2007 by Tim Gutierrez, with Pyramid Premier Properties, one of Hawaii’s respected custom home builder. Signature home features include huge disappearing pocket doors creating an indoor – outdoor space flowing seamlessly together on a 0.254 acre lot. The property sold for $3 Mill in 2009.

4743 Kolohala St, built in 2000, currently listed for sale at $3.198 Mill and as of Nov 14, 2016 scheduled to record soon.

Let us know what you think. Perhaps you have a favorite street in Diamond Head or Kahala that should be added to the list. We like to hear from you.

Please ‘Like’, ‘Share’ and ‘Comment’ below.

~Aloha

The post 10 Amazing Streets In Diamond Head & Kahala appeared first on Honolulu HI 5 Blog.