North Kohala Active Listings Feature Outdoor Living Spaces

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, a North Kohala brokerʻs caravan with in-person meeting took place last week. The tight inventory situation is easing slightly, and seven homes for sale were features on caravan. These new active listings ranged in price from $850,000 to $2.4 million and represent a good cross-section of North Kohala neighborhoods and lifestyles.

The commonality I noticed was how each property took advantage of the indoor-outdoor lifestyle our year-round temperate climate allows. Ready to come on caravan with me?

All of the properties on the North Kohala caravan made me agree with the kitty. Any of them would make the lucky buyer want to just stay home.

Homes for Sale in North Kohala Under $900,000

Two homes on caravan listed for under $ 1 million, one in Kapaʻau and one in Hawi, had sweet updates and plantation era sense of place. Donʻt be put off by the first of the exterior photos taken from the front. The inside of these homes and the lots are full of character and charm.

The first home, on Hospital Road was close enough to Pomaikaʻi Cafe where we met that some of us just strolled over enjoying the sunny day. I loved how there was a secluded courtyard between the back of the main structure and the freestanding “bonus room” ready for your afternoon BBQs while the dogs played in the fully fenced yard.

Bonus room adds to the charm and flexibility of this 3 bed/3 bath home on Hospital Road in Kapaʻau. How cute is the mini-fridge?  MLS 706451

The second home in the under $1 million range was just makai of the Highway in Hawi town. A 2 bed/3 bath on a 16,000 sq ft lot, one of the things I loved best about the renovation of this home was the treatment of the beamed ceilings to contrast with the modern finishes. And the wraparound deck.

Beamed ceilings give character to this fully renovated Hawi home. MLS 704529. Also has a fully fenced yard.

North Kohala Homes on Acreage – Part One – Windward Homes with Character and Hygge

This may be a funny distinction to make but it is how my brain works. If you have ever driven into Hawi from the resorts, or maybe came over the Kohala Mountain Road from Waimea and then exited Kohala along the coast, you will notice that the leeward west-facing Kohala coast is distinctly drier and sunnier than the windward north-facing Kohala coast.

Part One: If part of your vision of a home on acreage is growing things – whether that be tropical flowers or food – or maybe having room for an animal or two to graze – the naturally higher rainfall of the windward towns is part of the appeal of these properties.

If you want a home on acreage with an ocean view near Hawi or Kapaʻau, you are looking in the $1.3 – 2 million range (and up).

Last week it seemed as if the term “hygge” was everywhere. I think folks must be tired of winter weather. Even here, we were happy to see sunshine for the caravan after days of wind and rain. But if you are going to have those occasional wintry days of wind and rain, a little hygge in your Hawaii home style can be welcome.

Just mauka of the town of Kapaʻau a 3 bed/3 bath home of 2,563 sq ft on just under three acres has brilliant use of outdoor spaces to take in the view and landscape, and a cozy floor plan as well.

Loved the covered outdoor spaces on this Kapaʻau home on 3 acres – MLS 707113

I have frequently written about — and sold in — the Maliu Ridge subdivision above Hawi. The home on caravan is 3 bed/ 3 bath residence on almost two acres with big ocean views which you can enjoy from two vantages — a covered lanai, and a glassed in family room. Hygge. And just had a price reduction to $1,585,000.

This ocean-view sunroom was my favorite spot in the Maliu Ridge home on caravan – MLS 703194. On almost two acres but with only acres of pasture below to keep your view wide open.

North Kohala Homes on Acreage – Part Two – Leeward Coast Homes from $1,350,000 to $2,400,000

Part Two. With three homes on caravan along the leeward coast, caravan provided an education in the factors affecting pricing. Location, location, location are the first three of course, with the marker of “ocean and sunset view” bringing the biggest premium. New construction with quality materials is probably the second most important factor in pricing.

The entry-level home for this set of new listings is basically next door to the Puakea Bay Ranch subdivision. A two-story home on 2.77 acres, it sits right where the greener side ends and the drier side begins, a happy compromise. There is a sweet slice of ocean view from the lanai where I would have coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening if this were my home.

This home sits next to the landmark hill off Old Coastguard Road – MLS 707200. Plenty of character and room in the pricing for you to update to your own taste.

Also outside of a gated community, Kohala Estates sits between two of them: Kohala Ranch to the north and Kohala By the Sea to the south. This listing on 3.7 acres was most notable for having a total of 5 bedrooms, with three of them in the main house and two in guest quarters, an arrangement that would suit a multigenerational family or just provide space for the frequent guests coming to enjoy the view and proximity to the resorts and beaches. This home also just had a price reduction.

Another cozy covered lanai to enjoy the sunset or read a novel in the middle of the day in comfort – MLS 706651

The top of the line home on caravan was the newest listing within Puakea Bay Ranch. CC&Rs require larger homes on the 10-acre lots and the new listing has 4,370 sq ft split between a two-bedroom main house and two-bedroom guest quarters with the same big ocean view.  Newest listing, and probably the newest residence on caravan, built in 2016.  The main living areas, lanai and garage are all beyond spacious – and yet the bedrooms and the office feel cozy. That hygge thing is possible even in a resort-style home.

You could add a pool right below this covered lanai that runs the length of the residence – MLS 707347. This was seconds before the whale breached.

Need I mention that the whale we saw breaching from the lanai may have been the high point of caravan? Welcome to the joys of winter in North Kohala.