Oceanfront parcel at One Puako Bay (MLS 215500) is 6.76 acres of quiet black sand

A year ago I wrote a primer on the topic of what someone buying oceanfront property in Hawai’i needs to know.  In it I explained that “conservation” is the land use designation generally applied to coastal lands. Now, for the first time in 16 years, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources is reviewing the rules pertaining to areas zoned conservation. The most significant proposal would specify the shoreline building setback to be 40 feet from the certified shoreline PLUS 70 times the average annual coastal erosion rate. (The public comment period lasts until September 7th if you have an interest and want to register your opinion).

Just for review, as the listing agent quite correctly commented on my blog post about her multi-parcel oceanfront listing in Niulii (MLS 229636), if a parcel is ONLY zoned conservation, a single residential structure of up to 5,000 square feet is permissible.  If the parcel has more than one zoning, for example if it is a larger acreage that is primarily zoned agricultural except for an oceanfront band zoned conservation, the owner can build only in the non-conservation portion and in that case the zoning and building standards applicable to that classification would apply.

Oceanfront Estate at Puakea Bay Ranch (MLS 232548) could not be replicated today

The property to which the current rules and the 1994 deliberations might be attributed coincidentally happens to be on the market today.  This oceanfront estate, situated within the gated community of Puakea Bay Ranch near Hawi on the Big Island, is listed at $13,750,000 (MLS 232548).  For that the buyer will get a genuine estate property: over 11,000 sq feet of living space including 6 bedrooms in the main house, another 3 bedrooms in the poolside guest house, and a separate caretaker suite.  For the fitness enthusiast, the property has both a pool and tennis court with whale-watching ocean views, and fitness rooms in both the master suite and the guest residence.  The estate is on almost 5 acres, but to make the picture truly complete, the adjacent 10 acre lot could also be purchased and transformed into an equestrian center (well, that would be my dream, anyway).  The history is complicated, but the bottom line is simple: it would not be possible to build this oceanfront estate today.

The buyer of a property like this is someone in search of a different lifestyle than the front-row buyer at Kukio or Hualalai (new on the market MLS 237310), or even the oceanfront buyer at 49 Black Sand Beach in Mauna Lani Resort (like MLS 203139 ) or a beachfront lot at Naupaka Place (MLS # 233826 in Waikoloa Beach Resort).  The typical buyer at Kukio wants world-class amenities, plays a lot of golf, wants to walk to fine dining in a resort environment where all the employees know them by name.  The oceanfront buyer looking at the handful of $10+ million estate properties in North Kohala wants true seclusion and doesn’t worry about hiring the right staff to manage their own property.  The oceanfront acreage buyer probably has something different yet in mind, a smaller footprint in a pristine rural location where their interaction is more likely to be with long-time local residents than with other members of the business and social sphere they inhabit in their off-island life.

The Hawaii Life team has been fortunate enough to represent buyers and sellers with each of these profiles.  Contact me if you want help to figure out which oceanfront property is the best fit for you.  We also may know properties not currently on the market that would be available for the right buyer, so don’t hesitate to ask.

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(B)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

These North Kohala coastal luxury “best buys” share sun-setting-into-ocean views (MLS# 235911)

What makes a $2.2 million home a “best buy”? Last night at dusk I was standing on a near-oceanfront lot with the developer of Ranch at Puakea who is about to break ground on his own home there. Referring to a listing I have at Puakea Ranch (MLS #235911) across the road, we mused that right now in North Kohala you can buy a luxury home on acreage for less than it will cost him to build, not even factoring in the cost of his 20-acre lot. Of course he’s besotted with his special spot and so building is the right choice for him. But looking at the four homes currently listed between Kohala Ranch and Hawi at around the $2.2 million price point, there is something to be said for being able to move right in!

Sales Pace Hot for $2 million Homes in Kohala Ranch Heathers

The over $2 million sales pace has been hot in the lower section of Kohala Ranch known as the “Heathers.” Hot means three sales in the past 12 months at prices ranging from $2,050,000 to $2,600,000 (the Hawaii Life team grabbed a comparative bargain for our buyers at $1,850,000 to kick off the streak). Fortunately, two homes in the luxury category have recently been listed there, giving the current buyer options at the $2.2 million level.

The swimming pool and covered lanai in the photo below belong to a 3-bed/ 4211 sq ft home sitting on an elevated five acre knoll which creates the sense of having nothing between you and the ocean (MLS# 237796). The layout of this home is meant for gracious living and entertaining. There is space for a grand piano in the formal living room, and plenty of room to lounge in the family room on the other side of the kitchen. Guests enjoy their own quarters with separate entrance. This home lives up to the term “estate,” and at a price competitive in today’s buyers market.

Kohala Ranch Heathers: the ideal swimming pool and whale-watching elevation (MLS# 237796)

The other new listing is just a bit smaller, 3600 sq ft on 3.3 acres. Recently renovated, the most memorable aspect of this home is that, with the long-promised Kohala Ranch golf course still a future dream, this is the perfect Kohala Ranch home for the avid golfer to keep his or her game sharp (MLS# 237686):

Driving cage, practice tees, putting green at Kohala Ranch home for the golfer (MLS# 237686)

Only one residence currently available in Kohala Waterfront

Lots are less than an acre at Kohala Waterfront just makai of the highway, but this same price point will put you much closer to the ocean if that’s what makes your heart beat faster. Only one home is currently on the market at Kohala Waterfront (MLS# 227044), a 4 bed/ 4500 sq ft looking like a lot of house for that location at that price. This is a two-level home with the entry level upstairs set up for stylish living and the lower level for play. With my favorite smaller Kohala Waterfront lot priced at $899,000 (MLS# 237418) and the remaining developer oceanfront double lot at $2.5 million (MLS# 233408), it is clear why I’m calling this residence at $2.2 million a “best buy.”

Kohala Waterfront home is only two lots back from the oceanfront (MLS# 227044)

Puakea Ranch Residence – Keep Horses or Cattle on your 25 Acres

Although Kohala Ranch has equestrian easements, lots in the Heathers section are not ideally suited to keeping horses. For that, the better bet is to move on up the coast to the almost-new ranch home on 25 acres at an almost identical elevation in Puakea Ranch (MLS# 235911). Cattle still graze the 20-acre lower portion of the ranch, but you’ll see horses just across the fence. The quality of construction and finish on this home, not to mention its “green” features, put this one solidly in that best buy category as well. Of course, those sunset views in the photo above: priceless.

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(B)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

DEAL: This home has 2,378 sq ft and a private cul-de-sac location near Kapa’au for $449,000.

I’m sorry I can’t show you a photo of the ocean view from the new REO that came on the market in the upscale Maliu Ridge neighborhood above Hawi.  Maliu Ridge has underground utilities and street lights but despite technically having a homeowners association and modest CC&Rs, there are no dues.  The photos showed the true condition of the house…pretty much in need of gutting but good bones…and some savvy buyer put in an offer faster than I could even get this blog written!  [Another REO, a little house near town that had failed to sell for 3 years when the owners insisted on FSBO and never listed with an agent, also got offers and went into escrow seemingly overnight].

The good news is there is still one great deal left in this price point.  The short sale is in a cul-de-sac of only a dozen homes near the shops, galleries and restaurants of Kapa’au town (tourists probably remember Kapa’au as the location of the original statue of Kamehameha the Great).   Now priced at just $449,000 after a $50,000 price reduction, this looks like great value.  The home is in move-in condition, has 3 bedrooms (possibly four if the buyer wanted to use the “exercise room” in the new wing as the bedroom it was intended), 3 bathrooms, a large deck, mature landscaping and contractor-solid construction.  For perspective a home in this neighborhood of only 1,264 sq ft sold for $450,000 ($356/sq ft) in early 2009.  Now that price buys 2,378 sq ft: only $188/sq ft for a better quality home!

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(B)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

View of the Kona Coast from Huehue Ranch; its name refers to the “bumps” of cinder cone on the flanks of Hualalai volcano

Huehue Ranch at its peak covered an estimated 8,000 acres to the north of what is now the town of Kailua Kona. Today the remaining 170 acres at the core of the historic ranch, including 3 recently restored ranch homes (the main house, “kid’s house”, and the manager’s house) and a caretaker cottage, is listed for only $3,695,000 (MLS# 231821). Divided into several parcels of record, the new buyer could add a home or two on the upper parcels where views are even bigger…or, as the listing suggests, return the property to its ranching roots by adding to the small herd of cattle still grazing the ranch under the jacaranda and silver oak. If you want to plant crops rather than ranch, that is also an option: the property bordering this one to the north is a successful coffee farm, as the elevation, rainfall and soil make this location part of the Kona coffee belt.

The history of this property—not to mention the “best buy” pricing—explains why most of the prospective buyers are visitors or owners at the luxury resorts that spread out literally below Huehue Ranch: Kona Village, Hualalai Four Seasons, Kukio, Ka’upulehu. You may remember that in 2oou a group of investors led by Michael Dell bought one of their favorite spots in Hawai’i: the Hualalai Four Seasons and surrounding resort on the Big Island’s gold coast. If you have stayed at the Kona Village Resort next door, you’ve probably heard the story of Johnno Jackson arriving in the 1960’s by schooner and building a resort along the salt-and-pepper beach that was still so inaccessible guests had to be flown in. Although the original fishing village there was abandoned thanks to Hualalai volcano’s 1801 eruption (the source of the lava flows that often surprise first-time visitors landing at Kona Airport!), both the Hawai’ian ali’i (chiefs) and today’s ali’i class consider this to be one of the most desirable chunks of real estate on the island. Ever wonder who owned it in between?

Yes, that’s right, you guessed it. Not only the most prime resort real estate on the Big Island, but also the Makalei Golf Course and Estates, were once part of Huehue Ranch!

That history also has some practical implications for the new owner of the Ranch.  In return for allowing the subdivison and development of the parcels that were split off, zoning on the remaining “TMKs” (tax map key or parcels of record)  was set at A-900a.  In other words, in a literal sense it cannot be subdivided into less than a 900-acre parcel. In a practical sense, this sets a clear intent for preservation of the ranch in its current dimensions.

Hard to put a value on owning a piece of history, but here are my reasons to put this in the best buy category.

• Even without any buildings on it, the asking price works out to only around $21,700/acre.  That’s about half what ranch or larger agricultural parcels are selling for in my North Kohala territory.
• Building three homes, a caretakers cottage, and working ranch facilities from scratch would easily cost this much without the value of the land.
• The current owners spent around $1 million on updating and outfitting the houses a couple of years ago.  Their idea was apparently to do vacation rentals, but they never quite got around to it.  From stainless steel refrigerators to automatic drip coffeemakers, the turnkey furnishings in some cases are still in their boxes!
• Very few properties are available that are already legal for multiple owners to each have a separate residence, or an extended family to enjoy a family compound.  This one fits the bill.

Completely renovated, turnkey furnished, historic charm and irreplaceable materials intact

What I haven’t capture is the charm of the place.  The lone paniolo on his cow pony checking fences in the distance.  The flat area between the ranch manager and main houses where game birds were once raised for hunting, and generations of local families came for parties.  The area up at the top where cowboys practiced their roping skills.   The old wood and style of the buildings that bring back memories of summer camp or dude ranches. Contact me if you want to arrange a showing to see for yourself.

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(B)

Enjoy ranch living with Kohala Coast Views at this Puakea Ranch Residence (MLS #235911)

Most of the working ranches and equestrian properties for sale on the Big Island are at higher elevations: Waimea/Kamuela (for example MLS# 233688); Waikii Ranch (MLS# 235515); the area along the Kohala Mountain Road between Waimea and Hawi (MLS# 224465), or even the hills above Kona (MLS# 231820). These areas are more comfortable for livestock, and less valuable for both the sugar cane plantations of years past and modern day resorts. When famed Parker Ranch sold off lands for development, Kohala Ranch was created in a strip that has lots and homes from 300′ above sea level to 3,000′ high. The properties with barns and horse paddocks are up at the Summit (MLS# 232550 is an REO).

It isn’t surprising that many owners of these properties have raised horses and maybe cattle on a ranch in the Rocky Mountains. They figure winter in Waikii Ranch is kind of like summer temperatures in high country Colorado or Montana. But higher elevations don’t fit everyone. I worked with one couple who had two different criteria. Her passion is horses. His passions are diving and palms. They both loved the ambiance and views at Waikii Ranch, but he literally worried whether he’d be able to dive during the day and still sleep in his own bed at home at night. They ended up buying an acreage at a lower elevation in North Kohala, where one day her ponies will graze beneath his palm trees.

Puakea Bay Ranch, The Ranch at Puakea, and Puakea Ranch on the Kohala Coast

The North Kohala area known as Puakea near Hawi also has a long history of ranching, and in fact was for some decades part of Parker Ranch, but stretches downward from around 500′ to the oceanfront. Three separate small subdivisions with similar “Puakea” names but distinct in character are options for the buyer who wants suitable acreage for their ranch animals or equestrian pursuits, with views the equal of any Kohala Coast resort.   One of the three, Ranch at Puakea, has no homes built yet, but does have 20-acre ocean view and oceanfront lots are for sale. The largest of the three, Puakea Bay Ranch, has homes built on almost half its lots, but aside from the two in escrow, not a single residence is currently for sale. (There are great ready-to-build lots, such as MLS# 234304).

The third subdivision is the smallest, with only 9 acreages, although these are generous in size. Three parcels have new residences on them, and for the first time one of them has come on the market, 3700 sq ft of home built to Texas standards, with 1600 sq ft of covered lanai looking out over the lower expanse of the 25 acres (MLS# 235911), including a panorama of ocean views. A lot of properties advertise their “Maui views” but how many see the summer sun set behind Kahoolawe and Lanai?

Competitively priced at $2,200,000, cattle are currently grazing the property, but the lower 20 acres would also be ideal for equestrian facilities.

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(B)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

Hali’i Kai’s Ocean Club Bar & Grill creates a sense of community

Values at Halii Kai Enhanced by Oceanfront Row

A little bit of Halii Kai history.  The project broke ground in 2005 at the height of the real estate market. The developer very wisely chose to start construction and sales from the oceanfront back. Perhaps this was a matter of sheer luck more than foresight, but what it means is that they were able to pay off their bank loan by selling the most valuable units at peak prices, and now can afford to be competitive with current market conditions on their remaining inventory, which for the most part is in the Coconut Grove (mountain and garden view condos closest to the entrance gate).

Not that owning in the Coconut Grove is a bad thing. The appraiser’s principle of progression means that the value of a lesser property is enhanced by its proximity to properties of higher value. Thus a unit in Halii Kai’s Coconut Grove will natural tend to be priced higher than a unit a few hundred yards away in the Waikoloa Colony Villas, which is not an oceanfront project Remember there are oceanfront buildings with floorplans identical to those having garden/mountain views at Halii Kai.

That oceanfront club and scarcity value kept developer sales dripping along during 2009, even though overall the market was weak that year.  From 13 sales in the first quarter of 2008, they dropped to 3 developer sales in the first quarter of 2009..but they recorded 4 additional sales in the second half of the year, despite the first two Halii Kai foreclosure sales grabbing the headlines.

2010: Hot Market, Mostly Distress and Developer Sales

In the first quarter of 2010, sellers who had been holding out could no longer hold on, and short sales began dominating the resale market.  To be more precise, lots of short sales got offers, but given the length of the process none of them actually sold in the first quarter.

When the developer finally announced their price reductions at the end of March, they landed an immediate sale and regained their momentum. The only other sale in the first quarter of 2010 was a spectacular exception to the developer and distress sales: an oceanfront 2-bedroom with maybe the best view of any Halii Kai condo, which sold for $1,395,000 (disclosure: both seller and buyer represented by Hawaii Life).  The Seller sold at a substantial loss, especially considering his investment in upgrades and furnishings, and yet could only be pleased given that an REO in the same building sold months earlier for $814,995.

With TWO more closing today (July 15th), a total of 13 Halii Kai condos have sold so far this year:

• eight developer sales;
• three resales on the oceanfront including the sale mentioned in the previous paragraph,an REO (foreclosure) and a short sale;
• and two short sales of the larger 2-bedroom floorplan that seems to be the most popular this year.

There are more sales still in progress: six Halii Kai condos with offers on them, of which four are short sales and two are developer.

Today’s closed short sale has golf course but no ocean view, and sold for only $399,000, the lowest ever for this floorplan!  With the most recent developer sales in the Coconut Grove at $479,000 for this floorplan and a sale today at $400,000 for the smaller 2 bedroom, this is one of those rare deals for the lucky buyer.  Inside scoop says the lender approved the deal months ago before the recent pick up in sales, but legal wrangling held up the closing.  This is another one, like that first REO 16C, that will have prospective buyers asking “can I have one of those?”

Any bargains left?

With the high demand so far this year for units at distress sale pricing, there are only 4 active short sale listings at present, ranging in price from $369,900 for the smallest floorplan in the Coconut Grove, to almost $1.7 million for the largest on the oceanfront.  Three out of the four have upcoming auction dates, and may end up as bank-owned properties.

Nearby Kolea is a bit ahead of the foreclosure curve and there we already see a split market, with distress sales significantly lower than the non-distress sales, which are in turn still way below what sellers paid at the peak.  I don’t have a crystal ball, but that’s the most likely scenario to play out at Halii Kai going forward. In that case, here is my best buy tip: there are Halii Kai ocean view listings which are not short sales, but priced competitively with what little is left of the price-reduced developer ocean view inventory.  I’ll be keeping our Halii Kai Condos gallery up to date.

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(B)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

Kohala by the Sea lot for sale (MLS# 235739)

Kohala by the Sea is the first gated residential community north of the famed Kohala Coast resorts (Waikoloa, Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea).  The lots are around one acre each, enough for privacy between homes, yet a reasonable area to maintain, whether for a primary residence or second home. CC&Rs encourage consistency of the homes and landscaping for an upscale tropical feeling. Residents can drive five minutes to restaurants or recreation at Kawaihae; or head up the road 10 miles from there to Waimea (Kamuela).

Although some prospective buyers have told me they feel the vacant lots are “picked over,” I believe sometimes we just need help in looking beyond what we think we see to find the gems. For example, in the past year, several lots sold that are on the Kohala By The Sea street closest to the highway. Is being in that location a bad thing (Buyer: “There will be road noise”) or a good thing (Agent: “No one will build below you and you will be close enough to the ocean to watch whales from your lanai”)? Sometimes close to the road is a good thing!

That’s also the case with the lot for sale featured in the above video (MLS# 235739), which was dismissed by agents as well as buyers because of the obvious gulch. What they were missing is that the first owner had already designed a house and created a building pad level with the road and adjacent to the gulch, thus minimizing site prep costs and maximizing the big views for the lucky buyer!

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(B)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

Niulii Ocean, Cliff and Maui View

Yesterday I visited my friends at Vitorino Ranch (Hawaii Paso Finos) in Niulii at the end of the road, almost to Pololu Valley, in North Kohala on the Big Island.  The day was crystal clear after a night of gentle trade winds.  Their ranch is just below one of the three amazing listings at the top of the market in Kohala (when I say “Kohala” I mean the portion of North Kohala that encompasses Hawi, Kapa’au and all the neighborhoods from there to the end of the road).  Looking up at the valleys and green mountains, down at the oceans and cliffs, and across the channel to Maui, I thought “today this is the most beautiful spot on Earth.”

Ohana House

That helps explain why the “Ohana House” (MLS# 229636) is listed at $9.65 million.

1. There are three parcels with a total of over 70 acres, stretching from the road down to the ocean. With so much land on which to land, the current owners have been known to arrive by helicopter.
2. Three parcels means potentially three houses could be built.

   “Ohana House” a Niulii Kohala Landmark

   That’s why this arresting residence that stops drivers to Pololu in their tracks, is referred to as the “ohana” or guest house.  It was built by Seattle architect Jim Cutler (perhaps best known as the architect for the pool house at Bill and Melinda Gates’s estate), and has the distinction of being named a “Record” house by Architectural Record in 2007.  Compact, luxurious, built to honor the elements, setting and views, this guest house alone cost an estimated $3 million.

   Although one of the three parcels is a long strip of oceanfront, extending down to Keokea Park and known for rare groves of hala trees, the knowledgeable buyer would be more likely to avoid the difficulties of building in conservation zoned oceanfront land (see my earlier post “What you need to know about buying oceanfront in Hawaii) and consider a main house at a higher elevation, the better to maximize views mauka (mountain-ward) as well as makai (ocean-word).

3. Some days, this is the most beautiful spot on Earth.  Nani wale Niuli’i kahela i ka la’i (Beautiful Niuli’i lying calm and peaceful) begins the song Maika’i Kamakani O Kohala…

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(S)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

Custom Barn on Waimea Horse Property

Price: $1,275,000 ($-210,000)

Although Waimea (Kamuela) upcountry on the Big Island is known for Parker Ranch and rodeo, the segment of the horse community who prefer English riding disciplines and dressage in particular were thrilled when a local riding instructor built a European-inspired equestrian facility at her home.  The 80′ X 200′ steel structure covers a riding arena with soft footing, eight stalls, tack room, wash room, and even a bathroom for humans with showers if you need to go directly to work or perhaps a performance at the nearby Kahilu Theatre or dinner at Merriman’s after riding.  But plans change, the owner is relocating, and the property is on the market and priced to sell.

For the human part of the family, the simple but elegant 2100 sq ft ranch-style home has a beautiful kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances and a view of the grazing horses; a porch with fireplace facing Mauna Kea views; 4 bedrooms and 3 baths.  Besides the 5-acre property, riders can head down Mana Road into the sunset!

The current owner runs a boarding operation that generates good income and the boarders would be happy to stay if the new owner wanted to continue to operate the facility as a business. Best of all, the price has just been reduced to an unbelievable $1,275,000.

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson R(S)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com

PS–If you need advice on how to transport your horses to Hawai’i from the Mainland, give me a shout, it is not as difficult as you might think.  Even my sensitive Arabian did it with no problem!

The “Old Hawaii” feel of Kohala is a 30 minute drive or less from the Kohala Coast resorts and beaches, but is a genuine and cherished characteristic that makes this area so appealing.

Tourists (prospective real estate buyers!) venturing to the charming North Kohala towns of Hawi and Kapaau for last week’s Kamehameha Day parade and ceremonies at the statue learned that each of the place names we use to describe neighborhoods refers to an event in the journey a young ali’i (chief) made on his way to uniting the Hawai’ian islands.

Royal Views

Views fit for royalty from this 10 acre lot under $500K

The birthplace of Kamehameha the Great is at Kokoiki, more or less where Highway 270 turns the corner between the small, exclusive Puakea subdivisions (Ranch at Puakea, Puakea Bay Ranch and Puakea Ranch) and the town of Hawi. Build your home enjoying the same views as the newborn from a lot at Puakea Bay Ranch (MLS# 234304) where 10-acre lots are available under $500,000.

Organic Farming

$100K price reduction on a Hoe’a home which allows organic farming only

Turning the corner towards Hawi, visitors are always surprised that the landscape is suddenly green. The area known as Hoe’a is still a fertile agricultural center for the region. A 3,000 sq ft home on 7 acres (MLS# 229683) with CC&Rs stipulating that any farming must be organic is priced at only $1,299,000 after a recent reduction.

Hawi Fixer-Upper

Walk to town from this Hawi fixer upper listed at $299K

Hawi itself comes next. If you want to walk to town, there is a new listing ready for renovation on a charming little street called Banana Ranch Road for only $299,000 (MLS# 235243).

Oceanfront Ranch

Privacy or a small ranch, you choose…

Kohala Elementary and High Schools are appropriately located on a street called Honomakau which exhorts students to look fearlessly to the future. A small farm, horse property, or just privacy and views would be possible on a 17.5 acre oceanfront parcel at the end of this road, offered for $1,815,000 (MLS# 227114).

Ainakea Short Sale

Short Sale could be good for investor or future retiree

The Statue of Kamehameha is draped with dozens of lei in the annual ceremony in the town of Kapaau. Many residents of the moderately-priced Ainakea subdivision walked to town to watch the festivities. An investor or future retiree should snap up this 3BR/2BA Ainakea home (MLS# 234751) listed as a short sale at only $235,000 as the sellers would be happy to rent back!

Oceanfront Ag Land

This ag land sits on a small peninsula

Continuing East is the neighborhood known as Halaula. The surf spot known as Lighthouse was used in Kamehameha’s Day and another oceanfront parcel of land for sale consisting of 9 acres of ag-zoned land surrounded by 18 acres designated for conservation is only $1.3 million (MLS# 230624).

I’ve already written a blog post about the Halawa area where Kamehameha spent part of his youth and returned for R&R as a warrior and later king. No homes are currently on the market there, but three parcels ranging in size from 3 acres to 21 acres afford unobstructed ocean views and easy access to the water at Kapanaia Bay.

2 Luxury Estates

The next bend in the road takes you to Makapala. Two luxury estates are on the market here:

An Architectural Record home on over 70 acres meandering to the oceanfront listed for just under $10 million (MLS# 229636).

And a 6,000+ sq ft home on 12.7 acres planted in citrus orchards new on the market at $2.3 million (MLS# 234529).

2 Moderately Priced Homes

Last stop before Pololu Valley would be Niulii, and the road down to the ocean Keokea Park has two modestly priced listings:

A charming 2 bedroom cabin nestled above a gulch for $459,000 (MLS# 232963) which you could easily expand into a pod-style home.

And a starter home so close to the water you can hear the waves for only $385,000 (MLS# 232767)!

Thanks for accompanying me on this tour of historic North Kohala real estate!

Pololu Valley Sunrise

A hui hou,
Beth Thoma Robinson R(S)

Direct: 808.443.4588  Email: beth@hawaiilife.com