Whatʻs Selling in North Kohala – 2025

My regular readers know that I am prone to wordy, analytical posts. The main exception is when I have a new listing. As a matter of course, our in-house marketing team prepares a boilerplate post based upon the listing text and photos as a prompt to blog about our listing (we also get social media assets from them without asking- isnʻt that cool?)

This post is not so much a humble brag as a not so humble truthful admission that I have been slack on my usual weekly blogging because for me personally business got extremely busy mid-year, resulting in four September closings, plus one pushed back a few days into the first week of October. 

All of these closings share a basic template: North Hawaiʻi (Big Island) homes on acreage. It was also interesting to me to note who were the buyers and what were their plans for the properties.

Here is a bit of a cheat of a post in the form of an annotated photo album of those closings.

Two-Acre Hawi Landmark Sold

This property has multiple structures on a 2-acre parcel just west of Hawi town. The large permitted structure was once the Kahei Theater, showing first run movies to the Kohala community.  Although many prospective buyers had hoped to restore it to a similar use, a theater is a non-conforming use in residential zoning, and in order to have any commercial activity, a new owner would need to seek special permits from the County. On the other hand, there is also a structurally sound, sweet vintage residence that could be rented, and the possibility of other future residential construction or uses to benefit the community. Luckily the property has a new owner who is patient and community-minded, a happy outcome for all.

Secluded, Ocean View North Kohala Home on Three Acres Sold

It has not happened for a while, but occasionally there is a situation where pre-existing lots of record make it possible for ag-zoned lots of less than 20 acres each to be created as a small-scale subdivision in North Kohala. This situation is rare because our undivided acreage is almost 100% zoned as Agricultural-minimum 20 acres.

This listing was close to my heart because I represented the sellers who created a 5-lot subdivision above Kapanaia Bay in North Kohala, and this listing was for the buyers of a 3-acre lot who had built their dream home right where I put a picnic table that we stood on to dream it. Life happens, and it was time for them to move on. Meanwhile, there were buyers in town who had bought a lot in a nearby 6-lot subdivision where I represented the sellers, who had similarly built their home, sold it and moved – then missed Kohala so much they were back in the market for a home here. The buyers were back living in town and contributing at community fundraising events.

The ideal situation – these buyers already knew all the neighbors and the quirks of living in that secluded neighborhood. Buying this ocean view home on acreage was a no-brainer for them.

Maliu Ridge – Home on 1.5-Acre Landscaped Lot

Maliu Ridge is mauka (up hill) from the town of Hawi. It is a subdivision with quiet roads and street lights, but no gate or association. Residents are a mix of folks who have lived in Kohala for generations, and newcomers from other islands or the continental U.S. There are retirees carpooling to yoga class and young families pushing toddlers in strollers on their neighborhood walks.

The lots in Maliu Ridge are 1.5 – 3 acres and zoned agricultural. Many homes have abundant native landscaping and citrus, banana, or avocado trees. Others feature native landscaping. The home I sold this month was built by a contractor for his own family in 1989 and had lots of cool construction detail like vaulted beamed ceilings and skylights and big pantry and laundry rooms. The sellers had undertaken substantial renovations, with sensitivity to the lifestyle for which the home was designed.

We had lots and lots of showings from the day the listing hit the market. Somehow, though, it was one of those homes that is particular about its next owner. That sounds strange, but I have been doing this long enough on Hawaiʻi Island to feel like some homes and land are like that. In the case of this Maliu Ridge property, a family had high school age children who were graduating; they sold to a young locally employed couple who plan to start a family and raise them in this home. I know the neighbors will be happy to get to know them. And if you will allow me, I think this home is happy to have raised multiple children.

Besides the two additional closings I will blog about next week, I have two buyer clients currently in escrow on North Kohala homes with acreage and ocean views. Stay tuned!