Wailua

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It seems so simple: put some seeds in the ground, water them, harvest the results. But anyone who’s experienced the joys and frustrations of growing a vegetable garden knows how thoroughly complex it can be.  Multiply that by 10, or a hundred, and you’ve got the life of a farmer.

Hawaii organic vegetable garden

So, we are very thankful for people like Glen Hontz. Glen is going to be launching a 15 week Organic Gardening and Farming training program on March 4, at the Kauai Community College, meeting for 5 hours every Thursday till June. Read entire post →

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Towards Waialeale

I live above the ocean. For me, it’s not so much about the view as about the sound. However, IF I DIDN’T live near the ocean, I might very well want to live on the rim of the sacred Wailua River Valley.

From the backyards of the very limited number of homes fortunate enough to be perched on the rim, the views rival any on Kauai. Not to mention the spaciousness, quietude and the feeling of peace – the Mana – that radiates from the valley. Some of these properties even have private trails that wind their way down to the rocky river.

Simple and well-designed.

Currently, there are four active listings on the rim that I like a lot:

6364 Kaahele St, a short sale listed at $549,000, is a well-designed older home.
6380 Kaahele St
, a lovely newer two story home listed for $885,000.
5663 Ohelo Rd
, a sprawling home that’s currently a B & B – there’s a second home on the property as well – listing for $1,100,000.
6935 Leimomi St
, a gorgeous older home on almost an acre, listed at $1,188,000.

Floating with nature.

As well as the aforementioned knock-out backyard views, these homes are all 5 to 10 minutes from Wailua Beach and some of Kauai’s best shopping, and 5 to 10 minutes from some of Kauai’s best hiking.

Are these properties good values? Considering that that they would fetch maybe 3 to 4 times as much if they were on the ocean, I would say so. For those who want a front row seat for Kauai’s majesty, these are definitely worth a look. There’s a reason that the Wailua River Valley was considered the land of the Ali’i.

Sagar Hallal, RA  808-652-3237

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Of the 33 new listings this week on the island of Kauai, 8 of the properties are distressed properties. By that I mean that either they are a “short sale”, are an REO (bank-owned) or the owner has missed several payments on the property. In some cases a property may require a Distressed Property Addendum because the sellers have been unable to pay their mortgage but it may not be a short sale.

Highlights of this week’s Kauai distressed listings include a very nice home in the Molokoa III subdivision of Lihue listed at $559,900 and one my short sale listings, a fantastic Wailua Rim home listed for $659,000 (previously sold for $1,049,000 in 2005). That represents a price reduction of just about 37% on the 4 bedroom home on the Wailua Rim.

Newer Subdivision with very nice homes

Newer Lihue Subdivision with very nice homes

Large Wailua Rim Home with lots of privacy

Large Wailua Rim Home with lots of privacy

While the number of properties going into foreclosure on the island has slowed down a bit, it’s interesting to note that during the month of September the number of properties going into escrow indicate a higher percentage of interest in our distressed properties. This is compared with September’s already closed sales. See the graphs below to see what I’m talking about. Interest rates are hovering between 4.75 and 5.375 per cent and of course first time home buyers must close escrow by November 30th in order to qualify for the $8,000 tax credit.

Kauai Sold Properties Sept. 09
New Escrows on Kauai Sept. 09

New Escrows on Kauai Sept. 09

View my private Kauai foreclosure gallery on the Hawaii Life website and by all means, take advantage of this cool feature in the newest version of Hawaiilife.com to build your own galleries so you can visit them often and visualize the property you are going to purchase on Kauai. The affordability factor continues to improve.

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There’s a new chief in town at Hilton’s Kauai Beach Resort. After many months of dialogue, and input from the condominium owners, Aqua Hotels and Resorts, a dynamic company based in Oahu, has taken over the management of the Hotel, removing Anekona management. Anekona was a company affiliated with the original developer, Anekona Development, and for the number of years where Anekona managed the hotel, there were difficulties amongst the homeowners. Once iStar, the large lender who foreclosed on 145 units in the complex that were never sold, got involved, it was clear that it was time for a change.

For many who desire to own oceanfront property on the island of Kauai, the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort is an excellent property. The resort contains several restaurants, lounges, an amazing pool complex complete with water slides and jacuzzis, and 350 fee simple condotel units. A condotel is simply a condominium with fee simple ownership that is created from a hotel room. Thus, the word “condo-tel”. The complex was renovated in 2005 and the rooms are modern and tastefully furnished with plantation shutter doors on the lanai, Tommy Bahama furniture, and wonderful views of the mountains, pool, and ocean from many of the rooms.

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“What does half a mill get me on Kauai?”  Now, that’s a good question. One simple answer is, a lot more than it would three years ago, as the real estate market on the island of Kauai began it’s movement into this correction phase. Now, from owners who are overextended, to banks who are more conservative than ever, prices on the Garden Island continue to correct. Naturally enough, the markets which appreciated the most, like Princeville on Kauai’s North Shore, are correcting the most, offering more for less to buyers who are seeking good deals in the marketplace. Here are just a few examples of what you can buy for around half a million.

  1. A three bedroom condo at the Plantation at Princeville. There, choose from a Princeville REO unit, with nice ocean views, that is listed for $469,900 or Unit 1421 which has lots of upgrades and is fully furnished for $557,777.  This complex was completed in 2005/06, has central air conditioning, a single car garage, and in general amenities that are not found in some of the older condo complexes on our island. The complex has 68 units, comprised of 17 quadplexes. The 3-bedroom units are on the second floor and have large lanais and generally better views than the ground floor, 2 bedroom units.
    Interior Location provides pool views, waterfall sounds, and good view of ocean

    Interior Location provides pool views, waterfall sounds, and good view of ocean

  2. How about a single family home in Princeville under 500K? This home on the Makai golf course is now priced at $499,900. Yes, it is a bank-owned Princeville REO and has been on the market 70 days. It needs more than a little TLC, but, the bones are good, and the location is excellent.

    Golf Course home for Under 500k in Princeville

    Golf Course home for Under 500k in Princeville

  3. What about a big, three bedroom, almost 2,000 sq. foot home in Kapaa, with modern finishes and big views of the Kalalea mountains AND the big blue pacific? This home is currently listed at $525,000 and is a Kapaa short sale, so the property requires bank approval before selling. Lotta home, lotta lot, lotta views, NOT a lotta $$$.

    Cool kitchen, high ceilings, nice fixtures

    Cool kitchen, high ceilings, nice fixture

    Ocean views PLUS views of the Kalalea mountains - spectacular

    Ocean views PLUS views of the Kalalea mountains - spectacular

  4. There are numerous one bedroom condos with excellent ocean views from the north, east and south sides for close to 400k or even less. One thing that unfortunately has not come down are the condo association fees and that’s important to consider when you are looking at the overall total cost of ownership.Poipu Kai condo with great ocean views. Kaha Lani next to the Wailua Golf Course, big ocean views for under 400K

Here’s a list of the best condo values under 500k island-wide. Most of these are Kauai short sales or foreclosures, so I’d highly recommend buyer representation should you chose to pursue one of these.

Kauai Under 500k Great Values list

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Kauai’s vibrant and affordable Coconut Coast.

After living on the North Shore of Kauai in the heart of Hanalei for 6 unforgettable and formatively wonderful years I had a gnarly surfing accident at flat rock and couldn’t work for a month or two. My wife and I had just married and rents had more than doubled on the north shore since moving there in 99. They reached an all time high in that moment of dejection in 2004-5 boom and we were forced to make a move to the more affordable pastures of the east side. Very hesitant to leave our friends and surf spots of Hanalei, we moved to Kapaa with heavy hearts and a goal of returning soon.

Kauai Coconut Coast

Renting for a while and with a lot of hard work we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase a home here in Kapaa that was in the lower price range for Kauai with some incredible views, great location and twice the square footage of anything available on the north shore. No homes were even available at that time in our range on the north shore. Now after 5 years of east side living I am completely stoked on our (un)fortunate event that brought us to live in Kapaa town. Read entire post →

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