We've had some great weather this week thus far for the 2018 Sony Open here on Oahu. Last year, a course record was set by Justin Thomas as there was little to know winds. This year seems no different in that our local trade winds that came make playing there quite challenging are almost non-existent again this year.

Homes for Sale on Waialae Golf Course

Like every year, I write an article featuring the homes for sale along the golf course. This year there are only 4 listings spread throughout 3 MLS neighborhoods which are Kahala, Kai Nani and Waialae Golf Course. Here they are in sequential order by price:

1. 4817 Kaimoku Way (MLS # 201723195) in Kai Nani is listed for $3,999,000

This one was listed for sale last year for $4,195,000, so the Seller appears a little more motivated. It's also the lowest priced listing available fronting Waialae Golf Course. The entry level pricing was lower last year, however the lower priced homes either backed up to Kalanianaole Hwy or needed more work. This one is definitely a beauty!

2. 959 Waiholo St. (MLS # 201722957) in Waialae Golf Course is listed for $4,750,000

This one sits on the 11th fairway and was completely remodeled after last selling near the bottom of the market in 2010 for $2,300,000 and features solar PV panels among many other bells and whistles.

3. 951 Waiholo St. (MLS # 201800519) in Waialae Golf Course is listed for $5,500,000

Right next door, you'll find 951 Waiholo - also on the 11th Fairway. This one was also on the market last year, however the Seller is also more motivated coming back on the market this week $400k off their $5,900,000 price then.

4. 949 Kealaolu Ave. (MLS # 201712232) in Kahala is also listed for $5,500,000

This is the only listing in Kahala, where you don't have get on Kalanianaole Hwy for access. Although it's a great facing view of the course, there's technically a drainage canal between the home and the golf course that provides a buffer. It's a great home built by Tom Nicholson overlooking the 18th fairway and the owner won't be making much of a profit as they paid $5.2 million 10 years ago in 2008...

More on the Sony Open and Other Golf Course Homes

Tomorrow is the final round and it'll be interesting to see if last year's course record can be challenged. I hope you enjoyed these homes. If you're considering a home on the golf course here on Oahu, however have a tighter budget I put together a page of all the golf course frontage homes on Oahu.

If there's anything I can help with, feel free to contact me for more information about these and other real estate here on Oahu.

2017 Has been a great year for Alfred Preis listings in Manoa. Several have hit the market for sale on Melemele Place this year. Just a few months ago I wrote an article about 3206 Melemele Place. Now, us mid century modern fans have been blessed with another at 3255 Melemele Place.

3255 Melemele Place (MLS # 201724509) is listed for $1,395,000

As with many of Alfred Preis homes that are well preserved, there were the signature use of the old narrow hallow tile bricks, built in cabinetry and use of both mahogany and painted turquoise paneling.

Hallow tile wall and built in cabinetry typical of a Preis home

Built in drawer detail and wood mahogany paneling behind chair

Turquoise paneling on furniture, kitchen and bathrooms

If you're looking for more info. on this home or other mid century modern homes on Oahu, feel free to contact me for more information.

Get ready! Aalii - Howard Hughes' latest new construction project will be launching soon...

Rendering of A'ALI'I in Kakaako

Set as more "affordable" options compared to previous launches, Aalii will have over 700 units and various floor plans that consist of studio, 1 and 2 bedroom options.

Amenities

Some of the amenities include a roof top lanai, swimming pool dec, gym and other cool spaces to hang out. Here's some samples:

Lanai 42 Gathering Space

Pool Deck

Fitness Center on Level 42

Level 42 Lanai (indoors)

Level 8 Gathering Room

To learn more about this great project and how to get registered, contact us for more information.

The median sales prices for a single family home and condo were relatively flat in October compared to last year (up just 1.3% for SFH and .4% for condos)

Condo Stats

View from Ala Wai Plaza condo (MLS # 201722630) listed near October's median price

The silver lining in October's stats were a 14.3% jump in the number of condos sold on Oahu (489 compared to 428 last year). The median sales price was $397,500, which was barely up from $396,000 last year and quite a ways off from the record of $425,000 we saw reached in July. The median Days on Market is still only at 21 days, however it's a slight uptick from 20 last year.

Single Family Home Stats

Royal Kunia home (MLS # 201722662) listed for $750,000

The median sales price for a single family home was $752,000. The same month last year was $742,000 for a 1.3% increase. The number of sales were up 6% from 335 to 355 on the island. The Median Days on Market continued to show signs it's a Seller's Market with just 15 Days (21.1% drop from last year's 19 days)!

Local Market Updates

As always, real estate is local and here's what neighborhoods were hot for buyers and sellers in the month of October:

Neighborhoods “Hot” for Sellers

• Home sales in Waipahu were up 150%
• Home prices in Kailua-Waimanalo and Makakilo were up 19%
• Condo sales in Diamond Head-Kapahulu, Wahiawa and the Windward Coast were up 300%
• Condo prices in Waialae-Kahala were up 20%

Neighborhoods “Hot” for Buyers

• Home sales in Kaneohe were down 44%
• Home prices in Downtown-Nuuanu were down 20%
• Condo sales in Hawaii Kai were down 20%
• Condo prices on the Windward Coast were down 52%

What’s Happening in Your Neighborhood?

Please consider these are broad overviews for regions on Oahu. To find out what is happening in your specific neighborhood (or street for that matter), feel free to contact me for more information.

In the spirit of Halloween, it's Logan here (a.k.a The Wolverine) and I've decided to swap out my Dog Tag for a Harcourts Tie and tell you about some great real estate deals here in Hawaii.

3 Great Condo Deals in Town

1. Cabana @ Waikiki #203 (MLS # 201717411) for $290,000

Only 2 blocks to the beach, this is the lowest priced legal 1 bed vacation rental in Waikiki. This the perfect investment property for someone looking to use when visiting and lease out when not here. I bet my Canadian friends at Harcourts Vancouver may be able to come up with a snowbird buyer or two looking to escape the upcoming winter.

2. Uraku Tower 6A (MLS # 201712358) for $573,000

Situated right next to Ala Moana Shopping Center, this one is a steal for a 2 bed, 2 bath in the area. Since it's on the 6th floor, it's priced at roughly half of what units go for on the higher floors. There's 2 covered parking stalls, in a secure building, with pool, spa, sauna, weekly maid service and 50 limousine uses per year, these amenities are hard to beat!

3. Waikiki Landmark #2006 (MLS # 201722209) for $800,000

The Waikiki Landmark is an iconic building on the corner of Ala Blvd and McCully. It's also a secure building with 2 covered parking stalls and the unit has Mountain, Canal and some ocean views off its two lanais on the eastern (cooler) side of the building.

3 More Deals in the Mountains and at Sea

For those that have a little more $ to spend and are looking for some privacy, here's 3 more deals on Tantalus and Turtle Bay to relax and get away from it all...

3953 Round Top Drive (MLS # 201706400) for $1,300,000

This is a vacant parcel secluded in the hills (my kind of land) with great views of Manoa, Diamond Head and sunsets out west.

2. 3959 Round Top Drive (MLS # 201706393) for $2,450,000

This property is adjacent to 3953 Round Top and is sold as a package of 4 parcels with a home and cottage included. Built in 1918, there's lots of history here.... almost as much history as I can recall (yes - The Wolverine isn't a spring chicken).

3. Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay #219 (MLS # 201713714) for $2,600,000

This one's a beauty that's located in the Turtle Bay resort on the North Shore. Having something on the water with access to world class amenities in the resort (horseback riding, tennis, golf and more) and great restaurants, this one is hard to beat. Not only have super heroes fallen over this one, so have some celebrities... members of the Beatles, U2, Sean Penn and Kelly Slater have all stayed in this unit... Did I mention the Seller is also offering financing?

Enjoy Your Halloween

I hope you found some value out of some of these great deals and wishing you all a Happy Halloween from Honolulu!

Earlier this year I wrote an article on an Alfred Preis home on Woodlawn Drive. Prior to that, it was roughly 1.5 years since a Preis Home hit the market. 

Alfred Preis home (MLS # 201722271) at 3206 Melemele Place

Melemele Place is a street in Manoa where you can see a number of his works. What's nice about this one is the sheer size of the lot - 16,555 sq. ft. according to tax records. 

Expansive lot featuring driveway, lush views and level yard out the back

This home also has a nice feel of "bringing the outside in" with lots of fixed pane windows.

Living area with hardwood floors bringing the outside in with large windows

The home also featured Alfred Preis' signature use of custom hardwood cabinetry, hard color surfaces (often turquoise or teal) on countertops and backslashes for color contrast. He also used ventilation pukas (holes) in pantry cabinets as well as bathroom cabinets for a built-in laundry hamper.

Hardwood built-ins, color contrasts and ventilation were some signature features

We feel blessed to live in one of these homes designed by Alfred Preis. If you're interested in this or other mid century modern homes on Oahu, feel free to contact me for more information.

The median sales price of a condo on Oahu last month tied the previous record of $425,000 that was set in July.

Condo Stats

Hale Pua Lei condo (MLS # 201717956) in Diamond Head listed @ September's median of $425k

Sales volume was also up 2.7% from last year with 526 condo transactions taking place on the island. Sellers were not only happy with the their gains, they were also getting properties sold with a median days on market of just 19 days.

Single Family Home Stats

This Hoakalei Ka Makana home (MLS # 201722272) is available for $760,000

Although the single family home price didn't set a new record last month, sales volume took a huge jump with a 13.7% increase from last year to see 374 homes transact for the month. It was also great for Sellers with the median days on market at just 14 days (which tied the lowest we've seen in 3 other months this year so far)!

Local Market Updates

As always, real estate is local and here's what neighborhoods were hot for buyers and sellers in the month of September:

Neighborhoods “Hot” for Sellers

• Home sales in Aina Haina-Kuliouou were up 133%
• Home prices in Aina Haina-Kuliouou were up 42%
• Condo sales on the Windward Coast were up 150%
• Condo prices in Ala Moana-Kakaako were up 93%

Neighborhoods “Hot” for Buyers

• Home sales in Hawaii Kai were down 42%
• Home prices in Kalihi-Palama were down 13%
• Condo sales in Wahiawa were down 33%
• Condo prices in Kalihi-Palama were down 33%

What’s Happening in Your Neighborhood?

Please consider these are broad overviews for regions on Oahu. To find out what is happening in your specific neighborhood (or street for that matter), feel free to contact me for more information.

This summer I wrote an article on a really cool mid century modern home on Makiki Heights. I never would have guessed another would be hitting the market so soon (since they're so rare), especially one designed by Vladimir Ossipoff on the Historic Registry.

Ossipoff home (MLS # 201718336) on the Historic Registry

The Setting

Built in 1953, this is the first time it's been available for sale. Like a lot of Ossipoff's works, they were set in some incredible backdrops. As you can imagine, when he was designing homes in the 50's, land was not as scarce as it is today and those that had the means to acquire a nice lot at the time could also afford to have one of Oahu's finest architects come in to make something really spectacular.

Imagine being on this setting with Diamond Head and Honolulu as your backdrop....

In this day and age, it's difficult to find an available parcel to build on with such a nice view! I do however have a lisitng further up the hill on Tantalus available for $1.3 million.

The House

Living room and master bedroom with Ossipoff's signature modern lines

Although I'm not fond of the kitchen and bathroom remodels (they deviated from either the mid-century or current modern feel in my opinion), the main living area and bedrooms kept true to Ossipoff's signature modern lines. He also integrated some stone wall features in the living room and planter here which remind my of some of Frank Lloyd Wright's works. 

Sand stone in planter used by other mid century greats

In addition to the use of stone and that narrow CMU brick (seen in the photo above to the left) that was prevalent in the 50's here in Hawaii, the home also has lots of hard wood built-ins and for storage.

Built-in storage and use of shoji doors for closets

The home also has several shoji doors that reflect Ossipoff's Japanese influence from the time he lived in Japan. Also, notice the way the windows frame in nature to bring the outside - in.

Historic Registry

In addition to the location, views and incredible architecture, one of the added bonuses is this home is on the Historic Registry. What this equates to is a HUGE savings in property taxes - which are currently only $300/year!

Historic Registry placard fronting the home

This is one of the added perks of owning a Historic Home. I sold one last year - the Marks Estate in Nuuanu and the owner had the same tax break of only $300/year. If you're interested in learning more about buying or selling either a Historic or Mid Century Modern home on Oahu, feel free to contact me for more information.

The condo sales on Oahu finished strong this summer hitting a new record of 575 sales - which was a 19.5% increase from August of 2016.

Condo Stats

This Commodore condo (MLS # 201718608) in Hawaii Kai is listed for August's median of $419k

In addition to the surge in sales, the median sales sale price was up 5.3% from last year to finish at $419,000. Although not as high as July's record of $425,000 it's still a healthy gain year over year. It was also a great month for Sellers with just 18 days on market.

Single Family Home Stats

Waialua home (MLS # 201711838) on the North Shore just under August's median price for $786,250

The median home price also took a nice uptick of 5.2% and for both median price and number of sales compared to last year. Buyers also were snatching them up fast with just 16 days on market!

Local Market Updates

As always, real estate is local and here's what neighborhoods were hot for buyers and sellers in the month of August:

Neighborhoods “Hot” for Sellers

• Home sales in Wahiawa were up 150%
• Home prices on the North Shore were up 97%
• Condo sales on the Windward Coast were up 200%
• Condo prices in Kapahulu-Diamond Head were up 104%

Neighborhoods “Hot” for Buyers

• Home sales in Makiki-Moiliili were down 38%
• Home prices on the Windward Coast were down 21%
• Condo sales on the North Shore were down 29%
• Condo prices in Kailua-Waimanalo were down 22%

What’s Happening in Your Neighborhood?

Please consider these are broad overviews for regions on Oahu. To find out what is happening in your specific neighborhood (or street for that matter), feel free to contact me for more information.

When I joined Harcourts a little over a year ago, one of the exciting lures was the ability to offer Auctions as a tool to Sellers in selling their property. Fast forward a year, and that time has come.  We're officially up and rolling and can list property via auction here in Hawaii.

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Discussing Auctions with Rob Forde, Regional Director of Harcourts Pacific

Harcourts has a long successful track record of selling property via via auction dating back to 1888. In New Zealand and Australia roughly half of all properties are sold via auction (the majority of which are non-distressed). Just a few years ago, Harcourts USA introduced auctions to the market in Southern California. Since then, they've had an incredible track record.

Here's a video with Harcourts Auctions Auctioneer Ben Brady explaining the process for Sellers:

To learn more about Selling by Auction, feel free to visit our Harcourts Auctions Website or contact me for more information. We're really excited about this new tool to introduce to the marketplace.