Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers » Kailua

One of a Kind Luxury Home on Kailua Beach, Oahu

Kelly A. Lee, R — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:18:33 +0000

Luxury Estate on Oahu’s world renowned Beachside in Kailua.

There are very few Hawaii oceanfront estates that offer almost 1.5 acres of property directly on the ocean. Of those few—and even rarer—is the opportunity to purchase one of these prized gems crowning Oahu’s pristine beaches.

This one of a kind Kailua beach home has everything your heart could desire in a luxurious paradise retreat. The main house has a theatre and gourmet kitchen, the courtyard surrounds a tropical pool, and the guest house perched poolside is ideal for entertaining or extended stays.

Here are a couple of photos of Oahu’s reigning crown jewel (MLS# 1200306)

This is just one of Oahu’s luxury oceanfront estates. For more information on this special property contact me at kelly.lee@hawaiilife.com

Kelly A. Lee (R) e-PRO, CHMS
Realtor-Broker

Oahu Needs Listings – November Housing Report

David E. Buck, R, BIC — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:30:54 +0000

When you look at the November Honolulu Board of Realtors statistics at a glance, it appears our market is relatively flat.

This Aiea Heights home (MLS# 1114521) is priced at November’s median sale price of $580,000

Home sales were up 1.2% from last year and condo sales were up 5.4%. The median price of homes was up 1% to $580,000 and the median condo price was down 5.4% to $295,000. That is where most publications stop. If you look closer at the numbers, Oahu is now becoming a seller’s market. If you own a home or condo on Oahu, now may be the time to consider selling.

Here is why:

New Listing Inventory for homes are down 14%
New Listing Inventory for condos are down 10.3%
Pending Home Sales were up 20% in November
Pending Condo Sales were up 18.3% in November
Average Days on Market for Home Sales dropped 12.5% to 35 Days
Average Days on Market for Condo Sales dropped 7.8% to 42 Days

These three factors of decreasing inventory, more sales, and shorter time to sell are all great signs if you’re considering putting your property on the market.

This Honolulu condo (MLS# 1110651) is available for November’s median price of $295,000

What neighborhoods were ‘hot’ for sellers in November?

Home sales in Moanalua-Salt Lake were up 1,200%! (13 sales compared to just 1 last year)
Home prices in Aina Haina-Kuliouou were up 32.3%
Condo sales in Kailua-Waimanalo were up 125%
Condo prices in Waialae-Kahala were up 80.5%

What neighborhoods were ‘hot’ for buyers in November?

Home sales in Kalihi-Palama were down 42.9%
Home prices on the Windward Coast were down 34.4%
Condo sales in Wahiawa were down 100%
Condo prices in Wahiawa were down 100%

As always, all real estate is local. To find out what is happening in your neighborhood, contact one of our great Realtors on Oahu to see what is going on in your market, and if now is the time to buy or sell. Merry Christmas!

Hawaii Five-O (Ka Hakaka Maikai) Visits Kailua Real Estate

David E. Buck, R, BIC — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:20:03 +0000

The Hawaii Five-O writers and directors are creative in more ways than one. First off, this episode started with the ending in the opening scene, then jumped back 48 hours to tell what led to McGarrett fighting in an MMA octagon ring. Second, it’s become apparent, you have to shoot which locations are available to fit the storyline.

This home on Kailuana Place (MLS# 1105729) is on the same street as the initial crime scene

Just as the previous episode featured a Kailua home that was supposed to be in Kahala, this one also featured a Kailua home that was supposed to be in Diamond Head.

After the opening scene with the MMA fight, a body that was duct-taped to a chair was dumped in a pool. The victim was a restaurant owner, played by Todd Bradley—a friend of mine that’s a local waterman, entrepreneur, and co-founder of C4 Waterman, a large manufacturer of stand-up paddle boards (SUPs). If anyone can hold his breath underwater to shoot that scene, he can!

The street that home was on was Kailuana Place, which happens to be in the same Kailua neighborhood of Beachside where last episode’s home was. Kailuana Place has always been a desirable place to live, however, was put on the map when Obama came to stay there. The home Obama used to stay in sold for $6.9 million in December of 2010. There was also a home and adjacent lot on Kailuana that went for $14 million earlier this year!

The Five-O team quickly discovers that there were other home invaders that were burglarized, where the male in the family is tied to a chair. The first one, however, was the only one. It turns out all the homes being hit were the homes of restaurant owners in Waikiki, where there was valet parking. They soon put together the crime ring of valet attendants that were taking keys and breaking into homes.

During a raid on one of the valet worker’s homes, they discover photos of all the prospective hits and are able to thwart another robbery. The subtitles on this one said Aina Haina, however, the home appeared to be somewhere like Makiki Heights or Judd Hillside, as you could see Honolulu city lights in the backdrop. The would-be victim there was played by another friend of mine, Sean Ginella, who also happens to be a good waterman in real life.

Upon interrogating the valet burglar, it becomes apparent they weren’t murderers. The investigation led to the deceased restaurant owner’s non-profit company, where he had an MMA gym that kept kids off the streets. There was a fighter there that went AWOL for a few weeks that quickly became a suspect.

After a chase through Kakaako, McGarrett and Dano catch him and McGarrett dislocates the fighter’s shoulder during a scuffle. The investigation then turned to the brother-in-law of the victim, who ultimately admits to the murder when the Five-O team confronts him at the gym.

View over Kakaako from Koolani condo (MLS# 1112958) where the MMA gym and chase scene were

Since McGarrett injured the MMA fighter’s shoulder, he couldn’t compete in a fight the following evening, which was for charity. McGarrett ultimately jumped into the ring for the big event, which put us back to where the episode began. The writers were also able to weave in some more dialogue between the Wo Fat and John McGarrett’s dealings, which I’m sure will surface in episodes to come…

If you’re looking to live your Hawaii Five-O life in either Kailua or Kakaako, feel free to contact me for more information.

Hawaii Five-O (Ma’ema’e) Visits Kailua Real Estate

David E. Buck, R, BIC — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:40:07 +0000

Last week’s episode of Hawaii Five-O started off at a University of Hawaii women’s volleyball game at the Stan Sheriff Center. Volleyball is a big sport in Hawaii and UH women’s volleyball is huge! Games are always televised and UH always wins their conference, and consistently ranks one of the top in the country.

This Kailua estate (MLS# 1107383) is where the volleyball coach resided

Shortly after the volleyball team’s victory, the coach was killed in the locker room. During the investigation, the Five-O team heads to the home where he lived. In the show, the subtitles said Kahala, however, I recognized the home (which is a $36 million estate) in the beach side neighborhood of Kailua. Don’t worry, volleyball coaches here don’t make that much money…

In the show, he was staying in a portion of the home that was owned by a “booster” or big supporter of the team. During the investigation at the home, the team discovered some modeling photos of a UH player that were somewhat revealing to say the least. They went to question the player, who was played by the 3rd actor (actress in this case) from ABC’s Lost that got a part on Hawaii Five-O. After questioning her, it turned out the coach was just trying to get her straightened out so that she’d be eligible to play again.

Pool area of Kailua estate shot from covered hallway where McGarrett and Dano were walking

The Five-O team soon discovers the coach was also renting a motel in town, which they go to investigate. There, they discover the person who was hiding there was the wife of his landlord he was renting from. McGarrett and Dano go back to the estate in Kahala (Kailua) to speak with the husband, who then pulls out a gun and is shot from an assassin on a nearby roof.

It turns out the estate owner was doing some dirty business with the ex-HPD thug played by William Baldwin. Meanwhile, Chin Ho really presses Kono, as she was tied up doing business with this guy, and she is brought in by McGarrett for interrogation. It’s revealed that she’s involved with an undercover investigation with Internal Affairs. They set up a bust during a bank heist to finally bring this group of ex-cops down.

If you’re looking to live your Hawaii Five-O life in Kailua, or have interest in the $36 million estate, here’s a virtual tour, and feel free to contact me for more information.

The International Coastal Clean-Up at Kailua Beach

Cheryl Gillotti, RS — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:01:31 +0000

Kailua Beach is by far one of the most beautiful beaches to be found anywhere in the world. This is just one of the MANY reasons to preserve such a remarkable place for generations to come.

Kailua Beach

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to lend a hand to the Ocean Conservancy and their International Coastal Clean-up event. Every year in September and October, nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations come together to collect 145 million pounds of trash from waterways of the shores lakes, streams, rivers, and of course, the ocean on just one day each year.

When you really think about it, it’s amazing that just 1 day, with the help of all the volunteers, can do so much good for our oceans and all the sea life that depends on us to keep their environment clean. Just imagine if this event happened 2 days a year, or if more people volunteered with the clean-up of the waterways.

My family with our trash collected!

The items that just our family group collected from this beautiful beach was nothing short of amazing—and disgusting at the same time. We collected everything from beer bottles, plastic cups, tin cans, blankets, clothing items, soda cans, hundreds of cigarette butts, etc…but the largest find by far was 2 huge mounds of tangled ropes and fishing lines that must have weighed 100 pounds each.

It’s time to make a difference no matter where you live. The ocean is so critical to our life-support system, it drives our climate, provides food, water, and oxygen. What if everyone did their part and put their trash in the rubbish can, or recycled it if possible?! So PLEASE, everyone do your part, and make a difference now and for future generations. After all, you can’t “Go Green” unless you “Live Blue.”

The Money is Moving to Hawaii Luxury Real Estate

Kelly A. Lee, R — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:40:25 +0000

How does Hawaii’s real estate market compare to what is going on nationally? Who is buying on Oahu? We hear statistics everyday about the real estate market and how bad it is, but in real estate, it is very much neighborhood based. Some neighborhoods are selling faster and for higher prices than others. Sometimes, you will have no activity for weeks and then all of a sudden, several homes get snatched up quickly.

On Oahu, our real estate market really is a world unto its own. It is the melting pot of the world and our market is like no other. We have a large and thriving local economy as well as year-round tourism and foreign investment to stimulate our economy. That being said, Hawaii real estate loosely follows the trend of the mainland U.S.

Even in our industry of real estate, where we are dealing with buyers and sellers everyday of every month of every year, we are sometimes taken a back by the weekly trends that seem to occur in our market.

Take a look at these luxury properties that recently went into escrow—they are all above $5,000,000 and all went into escrow fairly quickly—15-75 days—that is darn good for this market. Looking at these price points, it is apparent that money is flowing into real estate more and more.

2549 Tantalus Drive

2549 Tantalus Drive—priced at $9,900,000 (MLS# 1104054). This enchanting estate went into escrow very quickly—75 days. It is perched on one of our most treasured hilltops, Tantalus, and is an impressive 63,854 sq. ft. of land with an equally awe inspiring 11,323 square feet of interior living space.

The gorgeous pool looks over the entire south shore of Oahu. It has the feel of a secluded island estate, but is literally 5 minutes from town. This is one of the most intriguing hilltop estates I have seen and it didn’t last long.

1586 Mokulua Dr. 1

1586 Mokulua Dr. 1 is listed at $6,500,000 (MLS# 1107392) and went into escrow very quickly—within 25 days. This property is on the north side of the island in the premier neighborhood of Lanikai. It was just completed in 2007 and is the perfect island-style home with a touch of modern elegance.

It has open beam rafters and sliding glass walls that can bring the outdoors in, creating a breezy island atmosphere. It has a large 18,211 square foot lot with an in-ground swimming pool and spa. The best part, of course, is the sandy beach and clear waters stretching out to the Mokulua Islands. This is a comfortable island estate with privacy and luxury.

1830 Makiki St.

1830 Makiki Street, listed at $5,250,000 (MLS# 1003310), is a very unique property because of its size and location. It consists of 4 lots in one of the most desirable locations near town. It is 5 minutes from everything and this area tends to be more densely populated due to its location.

It is a rarity at 9,600 sq. ft. of interior living space on 37,400 sq. ft. of land in an R-5 zoned neighborhood. It is a developers dream location. It currently has 2 homes on it with a total of 26 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. It has lots of open space and tall trees. It is a very rare find. It went into escrow immediately—15 days.

Since these are all under contract, you may want to look at this great property:

604D N. Kalaheo Ave.

604D N. Kalaheo Ave, listed at $9,800,000 (MLS# 1108079), is a Kerr-Michael beachfront estate completed in 2004 fronting a white sandy beach. It has been on the market for only a couple of months.

It has 6,802 square feet interior and sits on a 21,080 square foot lot. Its best feature, in my opinion, is the use of glass to expand the gorgeous ocean views. There is nothing more wonderful than waking up to the scent and sounds of the waves lapping at the shore. Simply gorgeous.

For information on these properties, or any Oahu real estate, email me at kelly.lee@hawaiilife.com, or if you are ready to browse for more properties, click here.

Kelly A. Lee, (R) 808-225-0349

Kelly A. Lee, (R) e-PRO, CHMS
Realtor-Broker
Hawaii Life Real Estate
4614 Kilauea Avenue, Ste. 206
Honolulu, HI. 96816
Fax: 866-590-3144
www.hawaiilife.com

Best Buy on Beautiful Kailua Beach – Oahu Oceanfront Luxury Home For Sale

Cheryl Gillotti, RS — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:40:25 +0000

Kailua Beach is world famous and one of the most beautiful beaches you will find anywhere. The incredible white, soft sand stretches for 2 plus miles, and the sound of the gentle waves and the crystal blue water lets you know you are truly in paradise.

Kailua Beach

Right in the center of this 2 plus mile stretch of white sand there is a great property (MLS# 1105865) that is for sale. It’s priced the lowest of all the oceanfront homes in Kailua and Lanikai, and is in great condition. The asking price is $3M for this lovely home.

View from living room

From the kitchen, dinning room, and living room you have a breathtaking view of the entire 2 miles of beach. The home has a little over 3,000 sq. ft. of interior living space, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and a nice private swimming pool. If you’re looking for that special piece of paradise to call your own, this is a fabulous deal you really shouldn’t pass up.

Call me at 808-721-7876 or email at Cheryl@HawaiiLife.com and I will arrange your private showing.

Lanikai and Kailua Luxury Beachfront Estates – Top 3 Picks for Oahu Beachfront Estates

Kelly A. Lee, R — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 05:50:54 +0000

Lanikai—the Heavenly Seas—Oahu’s ideal oceanfront community.

Just a few fun facts about Lanikai before we get to some great properties in this Oahu beach side community on Oahu’s North shore:

The Hawaiians used the mountain tops between Alala Point (near the stone monument at the entrance of Lanikai) and Waikea Point (near Bellows) to scan the sea for fish.
Until 1920, there was no bridge over Ka’elepulu Stream. They also had no notable water, so water was pumped by windmills. The area was mostly used for watermelon farms and raising turkeys.
The first permanent houses were built in 1924 and were usually used as second homes. Families would come over the Pali on the weekends to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf.
Lanikai was developed in the 1920’s. 3 important figures in its development were Charles Frazier, Irwin Beadle, and Charles Heiser—who laid out, paved, and named the streets. They also planned the Mid-Pacific Country Club and provided right-of-way for non-beach residents.

Lanikai Beach is a white sandy beach approximately one mile long. It narrows at both ends and widens in the middle. The South end of the beach has suffered some severe erosion problems, which has threatened a number of homes. Many have constructed seawalls, or taken other measures for the protection of their properties.

The bottom of the ocean in this area slopes along the entire coastline. It is an excellent beach for windsurfing, paddling, and swimming. The wide reef, approximately a mile offshore, provides an excellent barrier, diffusing waves before they reach the shore. Most oceanfront homes in this area have either sandy beaches or rock walls. Some of the best and most beautiful beaches line Lanikai and Kailua.

The 2 islands just offshore at the south end of the beach are called the Mokulua Islands. They are popularly known as the Mokes or Twin Islands. They are also called Moku Niu and Moku Ike. The larger island is a popular destination for kayakers, surfers, and boaters.

Here are a few of my favorite estates lining these “heavenly seas”—the English translation for Lanikai. The things that enchant me about this particular stretch of beach is the tranquility and serenity that sweep across you when you look out at the bright blue waters. Whatever cares you have will instantly disappear and you will not want to leave. It is paradise. If you want an island estate that soothes the soul—Lanikai is where you want to be—without a doubt.

1600 Mokulua Dr. A1

1600 Mokulua Dr. A1, listed at $9,800,000, is designed by Peter Vincent—a one-of-a-kind estate (MLS# 1015192) with an interior of 5,832 square feet, which is almost double the size of the average home in the neighborhood. It has 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.

Of course, the best part of buying in this area is access to a gorgeous beach. It is a very private location with stunning views of the Mokulua’s. It has regal touches with classic dark wood floors and a fireplace.

It was meticulously designed, and unites elegance and island living together in the most harmonious way. You can enjoy the cool pool, warm ocean waters, or steamy hot tub—a wonderful retreat for those who enjoy island living in an elegant setting.

1586 Mokulua Dr. 1

1586 Mokulua Dr. 1, listed at $6,500,000, is a secluded estate (MLS# 1107392) with a 2,430 square feet interior on a generous 18,211 square feet of land. A large backyard leads out to a beautiful beach with views of the Mokulua’s offshore.

This one is in escrow, so you may have to choose another beachfront paradise. The things that I really like about this property, aside from the stunning views and beautiful beach, is its simple elegance. It fits into its surrounding perfectly and is a place you would like to sit and relax…for months.

1226 Mokulua Dr.

1226 Mokulua Dr., listed at $6,258,800, is the perfect island home (MLS# 1102261) on the most serene stretch of beach. It is a country estate perched on an emerald green, palm tree lined oasis. With 18,376 square feet of perfectly manicured tropical foliage, the 2,950 sq. foot vintage home is both welcoming and warm.

Since it was built when this area was first developed in 1939, it has some old world charm with the comfort of modern amenities, since being remodeled in 2005. You could sit and watch the waves for hours while turtles swim nearby. My word when seeing this home was “lovely”—it is just that.

So, those are my 3 favorites right now. There are many, though rarely available, estates along Lanikai and down beach side in Kailua to fit any lifestyle, and that is the wonder of Kailua and Lanikai—there is something for everyone. The lots are large and the beach is world renown. If you want the island lifestyle, the Hawaii life, this is where you want to be.

Tell me about your vision of the perfect Hawaii home—let’s see if we can find it. kelly.lee@hawaiilife.com

Kelly A. Lee, (R) 808-225-0349

Kelly A. Lee, (R) e-PRO, CHMS
Realtor-Broker
Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers
4614 Kilauea Avenue, Ste. 206
Honolulu, HI. 96816
Phone: 808-225-0349
Fax: 866-590-3144
www.hawaiilife.com

To continue your search for other Oahu real estate deals go to www.hawaiilife.com.

Oahu Best Buy of the Week – $179,000 Koolau Vista B101 FS For Sale

Caron A Ling, R, CRS — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:00:45 +0000

I’ve told all my friends…well, not quite all, so I might as well tell you. This is a fabulous buy in one of the hottest towns of Oahu, Kailua! Hot in that you’ve got the beach, great shopping, and fabulous eateries around what they call “Kailua Town.” There is not a spot quainter, yet hip as this.

Kooalu Vista

In the midst of all the wonderful qualities this home, or investment at Koolau Vista has to offer, the numbers are crazy on this one. Besides the great use of space, storage, convenience of location, and great price, this potential gold mine could work its magic all over your portfolio. Whether buying a home or investment property, you have to look at it all as an investment, what’s the future potential return, the current return, ALL FACTORS.

In the past 6 years, these studio units have sold for as high as $235,000.Â That’s $56,000 worth of potential equity. This may or may not be true, but I truly believe that if it once sold for a price, it is likely to sell again for the same price.Â I couldn’t tell you the time frame though. The other great thing about this unit is that the potential rent should cover, at the very least, the mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, and maintenance fee, but it is likely to cash flow based on current rents.

Now, the downside…or upside, depending on your view point.Â As most of the owners of the units in this building are renting their units to tenants, the building currently has 39% owner occupancy, which makes any loan on this non-saleable, which means that banks have to issue a portfolio loan because other banks will not buy this loan from them. While that may be utterly confusing, it’s quite simple.

According to my sources, if you purchase this unit as an investor, 35% down will be required.Â Owner-occupants will have an easier time, and another great thing about this listing, is that this seller will finance part of the loan. Where can you get anything on Oahu, fee simple studio with parking, washer and dryer in-unit, AND storage under $200,000?Â Let me know if you have anything.

I think Yoda would agree: Great potential this one is.

Oahu Sales and Prices Down in May

David E. Buck, R, BIC — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:38:08 +0000

Resales of single family homes and condos on Oahu continued April’s downward trend of fewer transactions in the marketplace.

This home (MLS# 1011829) on Oahu’s Windward Coast is listed for the median price of $595,000

The bad news first:

Single family home sales were down 15.3% and condo sales were down 10.3% in May. Median prices also stumbled from last year with home prices down 0.8% to $595,000 and condos down 4.9% to $290,000.

Now, the good news:

Although April and May’s figures were not as strong as last year, both outpaced 2009′s figures. In addition, we are on track for a strong healthy summer as pending home sales are up 22.2% for homes and up 44.3% for condos in May!

What neighborhoods were great for sellers in May?

Home sales on Downtown-Nuuanu were up 33.3%
Home prices in Aina Haina-Kuliouou were up 31.6%
Condo sales in both Kailua-Waimanalo and Makaha-Nanakuli tied at 66.7%
Condo prices in Ala Moana-Kakaako were up 43.6%

What neighborhoods were great for buyers in May?

Home sales in Kaneohe were down 61.3%
Home pricesÂ on the Windward Coast were down 21.4%
Condo prices along the Windward Cost were down 52.7%
Condo sales in Mililani were down 42.3%

As always, all real estate is local. To find out whatâ€™s happening in your neighborhood, contact one of ourÂ great Realtors on Oahu to see whatâ€™s going on in your market, and if now is the time to buy or sell.