Aloha, today we're going to be talking about the pros and cons of living on Saint Louis Heights. That is a ridge in East Honolulu. It's actually the furthest ridge west in the Diamond Head Region of MLS. It's basically between Palolo Valley and Manoa Valley.

Saint Louis School and Chaminade University

Directly behind me is Saint Louis High School and Chaminade University. What's cool about St. Louis Heights is it's straddled by 2 Universities on either side. You have Chaminade University, which is a private University on the east side.

University of Hawaii Entrance

Then, you have the University of Hawaii, Manoa on the west side of the ridge. It's a great place for professors and students to live. There's also a condo building named Regency Park. It's the only condo building here in St. Louis. Across from the entrance to Saint Louis High School and Chaminade University is a cool plate lunch place called St. Louis Drive In, which has been around for ages. 

St. Louis Drive Inn

The start to St. Louis Drive is off Waialae Ave. and what's great about this location is you've got City Mill, which is a local hardware store. A lot of these homes up on St. Louis Heights were built back in the 50's. A lot of them are going to need upgrades over time. I just got done with a showing today that was in relatively original condition. What's great is you have City Mill hardware store, which has been around well over 100 years (founded in 1899). It's a great local chain here in Hawaii. 

City Mill with Regency Park Condos in the Background

Although we're going to be talking about the homes in St. Louis Heights, there's one condo project, which is Regency Park, next to Saint Louis High School. 

Regency Park Pool

Lower St. Louis Heights on Dole St.

Dole Street Homes Still Considered St. Louis in MLS

A lot of people think of St. Louis Heights as being up on a ridge, but not everyone is aware that Dole St., which runs along the base of St. Louis Heights falls under St. Louis Heights from an MLS perspective. So, sometimes you'll see homes here that don't have really any views and that's the reason why. What we're going to talk about going forward and what makes St. Louis Heights attractive is its proximity to the University of Hawaii. Nearby off Dole St. are several of the towers for the dormitories. There's currently some cranes with construction going on. Once again, one of the perks about living on St. Louis Heights is its proximity to the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

St. Louis Drive vs. Kaminaka Drive

Fork Between St. Louis and Kaminaka Drives

When you first come up St. Louis Drive, you'll come to an intersection that forks in the road. To the left is St. Louis Drive, which runs you up the hill and takes you to the western flank of the ridge. Then, to the right is Kaminaka Drive, which takes you to the eastern flank of the hill. They are little bit different neighborhoods and there's pros and cons about both. First, we're going to dive into the western side of the hill, then we'll come back and hit the eastern side. 

Up St. Louis Drive

We're now further up the hill on the corner of Bertram and Peter Streets. From here, you can get a typical sense of what living is like up here. You have incredible views of Diamond Head as well as Waikiki from a number of the homes. You do have overhead power lines, which can obstruct some of the views. Typically, you're going to have R-5 or R-7.5 zoning. Some of the lots can be tight and close together up here. Since you're dealing with topography on the hill, it's either going to be an upslope or downslope. 

Wa'ahila Ridge State Recreation Area

One of the cool things about St. Louis Heights is at the very top of the ridge you have Wa'ahila State Recreation Park. This is a park at the top of the hill with a trail at the very back. There's also public parking. At the start of the park, you have a road for entrance and there's a trail below that's starts at the bottom of the hill near UH. You can take it all the way up. It's a great hike. It's got great views It's been awhile since I've done it. I did it a bunch when I was in college. Once again, one of the perks up here on St. Louis Heights is Wa'ahila Ridge.

As I mentioned earlier, St. Louis Heights is a great place for University of Hawaii professors because you have Manoa Valley directly to the west. It's not too far from the campus. You have the beauty and views of Honolulu. It's a different climate. In Manoa Valley, it's typically more cloudy and you'll get rain there most days of the year. Whereas up on St. Louis Heights its a little more arid.

Manoa and Tantalus Views from St. Louis Heights

In Manoa Valley, you have both public and private schools. You have Manoa Valley Shopping Center and that view across the way will take you up to Tantalus. Those homes are a lot more secluded and on water catchment, etc.

Waikiki Surf Check from St. Louis Heights

Another perk about St. Louis Heights is you can check the surf in Waikiki off Diamond Head, which not everyone is aware about.

Up Kaminaka Drive

View with Underground Utilities 

Up Kaminaka drive, you can get a perspective of how close St. Louis Heights is to the University of Hawaii as you can see the dome at the Stan Sheriff Center and the dormitory towers. On this eastern flank of St. Louis Heights, you're probably going to notice is there are no overhead utilities. All of the utilities are buried underground, so it really opens up the view planes for those that live on this side of the ridge. You're not looking into all the telephone (and electric) wires. You'll also get more of the morning sun on the eastern side of the ridge vs. the afternoon sun over on the western side. 

Interested in Buying or Selling on St. Louis Heights?

If you're thinking about buying or selling on St. Louis Heights, feel free to give us a call @ 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Aloha, this is David Buck with Harcourts Island Real Estate and today we're going to cover the local market update for single family homes and condos on Oahu for the month of March, 2024.

Local Neighborhood Update for Homes

First off, we're going to start off with the single family homes and there we saw Wahiawa with the largest increase year over year. Sales there were up 150%. In March of '23, there were only 4 transactions that took place and this past month, we saw 10. So, that's 150% increase in sales. Now, across the board in the 21 major neighborhoods that the Honolulu Board of Realtors tracks, sales were up in 10 of those neighborhoods. In 3 neighborhoods they were flat and in 8 neighborhoods. So, overall there were more neighborhoods up than down. 

Our next category is home appreciation on Oahu and there we saw the North Shore with the highest appreciation by far. It was actually up 76% from a year ago. A year ago, the median price for a home on the North Shore was $1,194,000 and this past month it was at $2,100,000. Now, keep in mind, in most of the neighborhoods on Oahu, they were in the single digits for those that were up. It's rare to have a double digit increase, let alone a 76% increase. The North Shore was the outlier with the highest appreciation 

Local Neighborhood Update for Condos

As far as condo sales go on Oahu, Kapahulu - Diamond Head saw the largest increase year over year for the numbers of transactions. That was up 50% from a year ago, which was by far the highest increase. A year ago, there were 4 transactions that took place and this past month we saw 6. As I mentioned earlier in the single family home sales report, things were up in 10 of 21 neighborhoods. Now as far as condo sales go on Oahu, they were only up in 4 of the 21 major neighborhoods on the island. In 3 neighborhoods sales were flat and they were down in 14 neighborhoods. Roughly 2/3 of the neighborhoods saw a decrease in condo sales, which kind of tracks what we were talking about earlier this month in the overall market update in that condo sales on Oahu were down in March 22.5% from a year ago. 

For our last category, which was condo appreciation on Oahu, the Windward Coast saw the largest condo appreciation by far. I'll explain why as there's an outlier here. The median price a year ago was $85,000 (which you'd probably be shocked you could buy a condo on Oahu in that price range). In Hanohano Hale, you could back then. It went from $85,000 to $340,000 on the Windward Coast over the span of a year. Once again, this is the median price, so there are going to be some outliers within this. Remember now, we just talked about there were only 4 neighborhoods that were up. So, the next highest one after that was up 12% and that was down the coast in Kaneohe. That was up 12%, with a median sales price of $612,000 a year ago and now it's at $685,000. 

That's a wrap for the stats on the local market up date for March of '24. As we always talk about, every neighborhood is different and every building is different. If you have something specific to you that you need help or focusing on in your particular area, feel free to reach out and give us a shout. Mahalo!

Aloha! This is David Buck with Harcourts Island Real Estate. Today is another Wednesday and we're going to cover another episode of We Need Inventory. The neighborhood of discussion today is Waialae Golf Course neighborhood. Every year I do a blog on the Sony Open and the homes along the golf course. Traditionally, every year there's several for sale.

2024 Sony Open

No Homes for Sale and No Sales in Over 1.5 Years

It kind of took me by surprise this past year as there was literally nothing for sale back in January. I was kind of digging through different neighborhoods in east Honolulu this past week and I noticed that there's still nothing for sale in Waialae Golf Course neighborhood. As I started to dive a little bit deeper, not only is there nothing for sale right now (trust me - there are buyers out there) on Waialae Golf Course, there hasn't been a sale in over a year and a half.

1044 Waiholo St. Sold by David on September 7, 2022

It turns out, the further I dove into this, the last sale was actually a home I sold in 2022. The last sale that took place in the neighborhood was September 7, 2022. 

Waialae Golf Course Home Sales by Year

In the chart above, I took it back to 2019 and ranged between 4-11 sales per year. In 2019, we had 7 transactions take place in the neighborhood. In 2020 (the year of COVID), there were only 4 deals that took place. In 2021, there were 11 transactions. In 2022, there were 5 transactions. There were none in 2023.

The one we sold was nearly a record high. It was at $1250/square foot. We sold it 5.8% higher (per square foot) higher than the neighbor that sold next door, which we were proud of. I never would have guessed when we sold that house, fast forward a year and a half later there'd be nothing for sale in the neighborhood. So, if you know anyone looking to sell in the Waialae Golf Course neighborhood, now could be a great time because there's literally nothing for sale and We Need Inventory. Mahalo!

Can you believe that we're already in April? This is David Buck with Harcourts Island Real Estate, here to report on the home and condo stats for March of 2024.

Oahu Home Stats

First off, we're going to dive into the single family home sales. There, we saw a dip in home sales from the previous year, which was down 2.5%. In March of 2023, there were 236 home sales on Oahu. This past month, we saw 230. So, that's a 2.5% dip in home sales. Meanwhile, the median price for a single family home on Oahu was actually up 1.5%. This past month, it was at $1,100,000. Whereas, a year ago it was at $1,083,750. That's an encouraging sign for home sellers on Oahu. 

The median days on market have actually dropped as well, down 13.9%. A year ago, it was taking 36 days for a home to sell. This past month, it was just at 31 (days). Another positive sign on the single family home front was that overall total inventory in escrow (this is a stat that the Board of Realtors reports on), was actually up 14% from a year ago. Deals that were in escrow last year for homes was 393. When we rounded out this past month, it was at 448.

Oahu Condo Stats

Now, we're going to dive into the condo stats and there, they weren't nearly as strong as the single family homes. They were kind of bleak regarding condos sales, which were down 22.5% from a year ago. Last year, we had 444 condo sales in March on Oahu. This past month only saw 344, so that's 100 less deals that took place (22.5% less) on Oahu for condos. Even though the median price for homes was up 1.5%, they were actually down 6.7% for condos. it's kind of funny, because last year, we saw a record median price. In March, it was down 6.7% from a year ago. A year ago, we were at $538,000 and this past month, it was down to $500,000. So, that's a 6.7% dip.

Median days on market (which were dropping for homes) actually increased for condos. It was 24 days a year ago. Now, it's taking taking 29 days, which is still a great thing for sellers (relatively speaking). Because, anything less than 60 days is considered a seller's market according to the National Association of Realtors. The stat we'd talked about on the single family homes with that increase in inventory under contract is actually up for condos as well. It was up 7.5%, which would be a positive spin for condos. A year ago, there were 602 condos under contract. This past month there were 647. 

As always, our market on Oahu is constantly changing and every market and neighborhood is different. We are in April as I'd mentioned, so we are going into tax season this coming week. Things tend to get a little bit quieter with tax season, but I do anticipate the market picking up in the latter part of April. If you have any questions specific to your property that you own and you're thinking about selling or with your property search, feel free to reach out and give us a shout @ 808-371-3509. Aloha! 

Today is going to be a real treat because it's going to be the first time we're going to cover mid century modern homes on Oahu via YouTube. Although I've had a YouTube Channel for awhile, I haven't really done much with it regarding mid century modern homes and I've been blogging about mid century modern homes on Oahu for over 15 years.

Alfred Preis Home Near the Top of Maunalani Heights

This is real treat today because we're going to be covering an Alfred Preis home on the top of Maunalani Heights. This is the first time this home has been on the market for decades and it's a true treasure because it has a lot of Alfred Preis' key architectural points. 

Kitchen to the Left of Entry

Like I said, this is near the top of Maunalani Heights. You enter off Wilhelmina Rise and there's a 2 car carport. From the carport, there's a walking path down to the left. As you enter the front door, you would come into the kitchen on your left to drop off your groceries. These Alfred Preis homes are well thought out and practical. The Seller has done a great job of restoring the cabinetry and added some new countertops in the kitchen.

Throughout the great room, they've redone all the hardwood floors and there's a nice view that opens up to the east side of Maunalani Heights and they've got a kind of a privacy trellis on the makai side of the house. We actually own an Alfred Preis home and that was a feature they used to offer some privacy with those vertical trellis lines.

Signature Built Ins of Alfred Preis

As you leave the great room, this is a 5 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 2 story home. As you go down the hallway, you'll really appreciate the woodwork that was done in this Alfred Preis home and you'll see throughout the home there are his signature built-ins for countertop space, drawers and closets and there's no shortage of storage in this house.

Closet Built Ins

Kahala and Diamond Head Views from Primary Suite

There's 3 bedrooms upstairs, 2 along the hall and the primary suite is at the very end of the hall. Arguably, you're going to have the very best view in the home from this primary suite with ocean views off Kahala as well as Diamond Head and it's one of the best views in the house. You do have a full bathroom upstairs and there's a wet bar upstairs as well. 

Downstairs Liiving Area w/ Signature 50's Hollow Tile Wall

Trex Deck off Downstairs Living Area

Downstairs, there's another living space and they've done a great job of adding in a brand new deck. It's a trex or synthetic deck and it really ties in that indoor/outdoor space, which is typical of older Hawaii and mid century modern homes of the time. 

View from Downstairs Bedroom at the End of the Hall

Downstairs Bathroom

Off that secondary living space downstairs you also have a half bath and then down off the hallway downstairs you have 2 additional bedrooms as well as a full bathroom. 

Contact a Mid Century Modern Expert

i hope you appreciate the architecture of Allfred Preis. If you're looking for a mid century modern home here on Oahu, feel free to reach out and contact a mid century modern expert to see how we can help find you the right place. Or, if you own a mid century modern home here on Oahu, whether it be an Ossipoff home or an Alfred Preis home, feel free to reach out and give us a shout, we'd love to help. Mahalo!

Well, there's been a lot of research and content on the internet recently about Saunas and how great they are for your health. However, since this is a real estate video here, we're going to talk about real estate here on Oahu. Recently, I've been noticing a number of single family homes popping up on the market with saunas in them. One up on Waialae Nui Ridge and another in Kahala. Over the years, I've seen a handful of them up on Hawaii Loa Ridge. Now, obviously every single family home is different, but there are condominiums on the island that have saunas. I've got a listing right now in Pearlridge that has one.

Sauna at Colonnade on the Greens in Pearlrridge

If you can't afford a home sauna, some alternatives could obviously be a gym or a common area of your HOA.

Saunas in Hollywood

One of my favorite movies with a sauna scene is Blues Brothers. It's actually one of my favorite movies in general. That sauna scene is classic...

Saunas in Hawaii?

Saunas have had their ins and outs throughout the years. I know they're big in Scandinavia. I've spent time in them in Sweden and Denmark. However, as I got older in age and living in Hawaii, you always think "why do I need to go into a sauna?" Saunas can be good for your health. Once again, I am not a Doctor. I am a Realtor.

Looking for a Home or Condo with a Sauna?

Going forward, we'll keep track as these listings pop up and you can see some of the latest ones here. If you're interested in a property that has a sauna, whether it be a single family home or a condo here on Oahu, feel free to reach out and give us a shout @ 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Can you believe there's not 1 home for sale today in Aina Haina? Today is April 3, 2024. It's almost like it's April Fools Day. 

Inventory Needed in Aina Haina

In the entire valley of Aina Haina, there's not 1 home that's for sale. Today, we're going to cover, as we do on Wednesdays, a segment of We Need Inventory. We do need inventory in Aina Haina because there's literally not 1 home for sale. For those of you that don't know, Aina Haina is a beautiful valley in East Honolulu that's between Waialae Iki and Hawaii Loa Ridge.

There's roughly about 1,000 homes in Aina Haina. I've been tracking the real estate market in Aina Haina for pretty much most of my real estate career. I used to live in Aina Haina. Once again, as of today, there's nothing for sale and there's only 1 home that is under contract on Oio Dr. and they have an asking price of $2.5 million. Over the past 6 months, there's been 9 trades in Aina Haina. Because this is a highly sought after East Honolulu neighborhood, where not many people want to sell. So, there's only 9 sales in the past 6 months out of like 1,000 homes. Those range in the $1-2 million range. There was a sale that took place for $4 million back in February, but that's kind of an outlier. In general, most homes in Aina Haina will be in the $1-2 million range. 

If you know anyone looking to sell in Aina Haina, now is aa great time because there's literally nothing for sale. In the meantime, I'm going to jump over into a quick segment with the "sister valley" to Aina Haina, which would be considered Niu Valley. It's not as large. Today in Niu Valley, there's only 1 home for sale in Niu Valley.

Only 1 Home for Sale in Niu Valley

It's pretty rare that we cover 2 neighborhoods in our segment of We Need Inventory. However, i thought it was a perfect topic to cover today because Niu Valley (which, arguably could be considered the "sister valley"to Aina Haina) only has 1 home for sale. 

East Honolulu in High Demand

East Honolulu is a highly sought after part of the island. Not many people want to sell. More people want to get into "the hood" than are leaving "the hood". If you have anyone thinking about selling in Aina Haina or Niu Valley, now could be a great time because there's very limited inventory for sale and we'd love to help. Feel free to reach out at 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Can you believe this weekend marks 65 years since Henry J. Kaiser announced the development of Hawaii Kai? I can't believe it's been that long, however on March 30th, 1959 (which for those of you that don't know, was the year of statehood in Hawaii, which took place later that year in August) Henry J. Kaiser and Bishop Estate (now Kamehameha Schools) announced the development of Hawaii Kai. What you can see from the headline, was it was going to be a gigantic resort.

I'm going to quote some from an article that came from the Honolulu Advertiser (one of the predecessors to the Star Advertiser), which originally appeared on March 30th, 1959. Then, we're going to dive into where we are at in Hawaii Kai today and how much of that vision of Kaiser's came to life.

According the headline of the 1959 Honolulu Advertiser article, it says:

Kaiser, Bishop Estate Plan $350 Million "Model City"

Koko Head Area to be Developed

Henry J. Kaiser and Bishop Estate announced yesterday that they were teaming up to build a fabulous $350 million resort and residential model city on the southeast corner of Oahu. The development, sweeping from Maunalua Bay around Koko Head to Makapuu Point envisions hotels, apartments, homes for 50,000 people on more than 6,000 acres of land.

THE COMMUNITY is to be known as Hawaii Kai. It will, in effect, become the new state of Hawaii's second largest city in terms of population. Plans are for the projected homes to range through the medium to upper class and luxury brackets. There will be a marina for boating and water sports "and all the facilities and services that make up a completely rounded out community" the joint announcement said.

THE BOARD of Water Supply said there were presently 10,000 gallons of water a day available for the area, enough to meet all the needs of the development. The community will from the ocean on Maunalua Bay and on the east coast of Oahu between Koko Crater and Makapuu Point. It will also extend into seven largely undeveloped valleys and along the ridges dividing them. 

THE ANNOUNCEMENT said "the aim is to undertake the first building in a matter of months, followed up rapidly with a number of units in an orderly master planned program." It added: "Steps will be taken for the satisfactory relocation of persons who in future years may be in the path of certain large scale undertakings." It was understood that long term Bishop Estate leaseholders in areas such as Portlock Road would not be relocated but would benefit from the development's added facilities.

YESTERDAY'S announcement was the fruit of more than two years of information discussions between the Territory's biggest builder and industrialist, Kaiser, and the Territory's biggest landowner, Bishop Estate. Kaiser, whose Waikiki holdings make him the biggest single land owner in that district, spent $14,000,000 to develop the 20 acre Hawaiian Village project. Hawaii Kai will be exactly 300 times as big.

THE 6,000 acres earmarked for the development are roughly one-tenth of total Bishop Estate holdings on Oahu. 

65 Years Later

So, here we are 65 years later. Now, let's dive in to see where we've come over the past 65 years and look back on Henry Kaiser's legacy. There's just so much to take in here. First off, when they made this announcement, it was 2 years after talks they were doing and here's a fun fact I learned awhile back from Bob Sigall, who writes on local businesses here in Hawaii.

Hawaii Kaiser?

This was a fun trivia fact that Bob Sigall shared: When Henry Kaiser was first proposing the development of Hawaii Kai, he wanted it to be called "Hawaii Kaiser". Obviously, that didn't blow over too well. That was news to me growing up here. I'd just assumed Hawaii Kai makes sense (Kai, meaning ocean or water,). But I guess he had a bit of an ego and wanted to call the development Hawaii Kaiser.

Building Then vs. Building Today

Another thing I found interesting in this article was that they said building was going to start right away (in a matter of months). Could you imagine today? With all the bureaucracy you have to to through with permits here on Oahu... I just had a client back out of a deal, where the contractor told them it's going to take a year just to get a remodeling permit.

Could you imagine Kaiser back in the day would just dredge areas to build his estate there in Portlock? We've come a long way with environmental regulations, bureaucracy and red tape. That's for sure!

Hotels in Hawaii Kai?

Another takeaway I got out of this article is they quoted (there will be) hotels in the area. That never did come to fruition. Hawaii Kai obviously does have commercial real estate there today. There's 3 major malls. You've got Hawaii Kai Shopping Center, Koko Marina Shopping Center, as well as Hawaii Kai Towne Center (where Costco is). There are no hotels in Hawaii Kai.

Living on the Marina

Homes and Condos fronting Hawaii Kai's Marina

There's lots of condos and single family homes the lifestyle there is unique like nowhere else in Hawaii. There's no other marina where you can have a boat dock right out your back door. 

Boat Dock Fronting a Kuapa Isle Residence

It's truly remarkable and unique. I've got a client/family friend that basically said the one limiting factor that keeps the values of homes (which cap out in the $3 million range on the marina) in Hawaii Kai is they'd be significantly higher if the bridge was higher, because of the wealthy people could bring in their larger boats.

Hawaii Kai Marina Real Estate Limited in Value by Entry Bridge Height

That's what limits the sales (prices) of the marina front homes.

Portlock Road - Conversion from Leasehold to Fee Simple Ownership

Entry to Portlock Road

When you get along Portlock Road, that's where you're going to find some of the oldest, original homes in Hawaii Kai. I always say that some of the best real estate was taken first. Along Portlock Road, you have homes that date back to the early 1940's, at least in the last 5-10 years in MLS. 

MLS Screen Shot of Portlock Home Ages

There could be some that are older, but that's the prime real estate that was taken first. As was quoted in the article, Bishop Estate at the time (now Kamehameha Schools) was going to let all of those people in Portlock stay in those homes. They had their land leases on the properties. Ultimately, they did offer the fee and pretty much everything you see along Portlock Road today is fee simple, as is most of Hawaii Kai. 

If you take a step back, Henry Kaiser put in all of this money for the development of Hawaii Kai and teaming up with Bishop Estate at the time. They had the land. He had the money and the development experience. Keep in mind though, all this land was leasehold at one point in time. Fast forward to today, pretty much everything is fee simple. 

Water Supply and Private Sewer

In the article, the quoted the Board of Water Supply with the "water supply" (of 10,000 gallons/day). No pun intended there. The irony is today, the Board of Water Supply still supplies the water to Hawaii Kai. However, it's one of the few or only major developments or neighborhoods on the island that has a private sewer. So, you have a sewer fee that's paid to another vendor. As opposed to having both your water bill and sewer bill paid to the Board of Water Supply. That's unique to Hawaii Kai.

From 7 Ridges and Valleys to 23 Neighborhoods and 34 Condo Projects

Another takeaway I got out of the article was that it talked about 7 major ridges and valleys. Fast forward to today, in MLS we have 23 different neighborhoods in Hawaii Kai. We talked about the homes being developed in the 40's. Some of the earlier condo projects in Hawaii Kai were on Kawaihae St. Fast forward to today and we have 34 different condo projects scattered throughout Hawaii Kai. it has come a lot way...

A final talking point about Hawaii Kai is that in the article it mentioned that it's going to be the 2nd largest city in Hawaii. Today, it is definitely a larger area population wise. However, technically it still falls under the City and County of Honolulu. Everyone that lives in Hawaii Kai has a zip code of 96825 and it's "Honolulu, HI". So, it's not it's own separate city. However, Hawaii Kai does have its own region within MLS. There's 12 major regions within the island of Oahu. Within that region, there are 23 different neighborhoods, like I mentioned earlier. 

Contact a Hawaii Kai Expert

Hawaii Kai has been a passion of mine. It's where I had my first home when I was a kid, the first condo I lived in when I was a kid. I barely remember them, but I've spent a lot of time in Hawaii Kai over the years and it's a great community to live in. I've actually served as a firefighter in Hawaii Kai for most of my career in the Honolulu Fire Department. The station is number 34 right off of Lunalilo Home Road and it's got Henry J. Kaiser high school right behind it. It's a great community to live in and if there's anything we can help you with, whether it's buying or selling a home or a condo, feel free to reach out and give us a shout @ 808-371-3509. Mahalo!

Well, if you have anyone in your family that's military, the Hale Koa Hotel is one of the best deals going in Waikiki. You might not always have the ability to stay there, because it's always in such high demand. If you're ever spending time here and curious about the real estate around the Hale Koa, I'm going to give you a quick tour and show you what some of the nearby condos are.

Condos for Sale Near the Hale Koa Hotel

First off, there's going to be condos behind the Hilton. To learn more about the condos near the Hilton, you can read this article. Once you cross the street, you've got Fort DeRussy Park, which is a 70 acre park in the heart of Waikiki. Then, out the back, first off you're going to have the Luana Waikiki. Those are studios and 1 bedroom condos that you can rent out short term. Behind that, you've got the Hawaiian Monarch. Some of the front row buildings along the park are actually going to be hotels.

Fort DeRussy and Hale Koa Views from Lanikea Condo

One building that can be appealing near the back and they have great views of Fort DeRussy is Lanikea at Waikiki. There's 4 units per floor, all of which are 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. To the right of Lanikea (looking from the park), you have Ritz Carlton Waikiki. There's 2 towers, both Diamond Head and Ewa Towers. Those are condos that can be renting out short term. They were developed by Irongate, which is the same developer that built Trump Tower Waikiki, that recently got rebranded as Kala'i.

Pros and Cons of Ritz Carlton and Trump Tower

There pros are that you can live in them, you can rent them out short (or long) term. The downside is that they're really hard to make money if you decide to rent them out short term as the management company takes nearly 60% of the income off the top. You do have use the front desk there (for short term rentals). That's a recap of the condos near Fort DeRussy and Hale Koa. Correction, I'd like to wrap it up with the gem of them all. Stand by...

Waikiki Shore

Waikiki Shore with Diamond Head in the Backdrop

The best was saved for last. Waikiki Shore is direct beachfront at Waikiki, with Diamond Head down the coast. Here, you've got 2 bedrooms on the oceanfront end of the building. Then, you have a mix of studios and 1 bedrooms that run towards the back. Then, there's a 2 bedroom floor-plan near the back of the building. 

Contact a Waikiki Condo Expert

If you have any questions about any condos in Waikiki, feel free to contact us for more information.

Condos Near the Hilton Hawaiian Village

As you come out of the Hilton Hawaiian Village on to Ala Moana Blvd., you've got The Ilikai to the left with a restaurant on the top, (which used to be Sarrento's). Then you've got Pomaikai, which is the blue building. At the top, behind there, you have Discovery Bay. Then, you've got The Palms, which is a vacation rental condo, where you can do legal short term rentals. Then, you've got The Wailana across the street and they're going to put in a new Foodland Farms there.

Behind the Wailana is Kalia, which are leasehold condos (which can be challenging to purchase). Then, you've got the Waipuna, which are primarily 2 and 3 bedroom units. Then, you've got Canterbury Place. Then, you have Inn on the Park, which are also leasehold condos.

That kind of gives you an idea about the western condos along Ala Moana Blvd., when you come out of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. There's obviously a ton of other condos all throughout Waikiki and if there's anything we can help you with, feel free to reach out and give us a shout @ 808-371-3509. Mahalo