The Peninsula at Hawaii Kai is a master planned, gated community developed by Standford Carr. The property literally is situated on a man-made peninsula that fingers off the marina in Hawaii Kai. I had the opportunity to witness this massive development get built from the ground up. The main gate and residents have a 520 Lunalilo Home Road address. I spent six years as a firefighter right across the street from 2001-2007 at 515 Lunalilo Home Road. What was originally a barren plot of land became transformed into one of the most well thought out (and successful) gated communities in Honolulu. The 2nd phase of Peninsula (due to the strong demand) was built on a plot of land across Wailua Street. Although this portion does not currently have a secure/gated aspect to it, they have access to the amenities across the street.
There are four main products of that can be found at the Peninsula, that cater to different lifestyles and budgets:
These are detached single family homes, all of which front the marina. These are the largest floor plans in the development. Unlike most places that have the higher maintenance fees for larger units, the maintenance fees on the Executive Residences are the lowest as they are responsible for maintaining more on their own, such as maintaning the home and landscaping. Since they all front the marina, the owners are also responsible for their own marina fees. There are only 27 of these total, so they are seldom on the market.
Similar to the Executive Residences, the Carriage Ways (which are denoted by a CW description in MLS) are also detached dwellings with their own garage. However, unlike the Executive ones, these do not front the marina. They do have some great floor plans and offer a curb appeal that is seldom found in Hawaii. Similar to developments I've seen in Southern California or Hoakalei in Ewa Beach, you do not see the garage from the street. All of the garages are accessed from an alley behind the homes, preserving the street frontage for guests. There are 69 homes total and although more product than the Executive Residences, there are times when are none available for sale.
The Cottages are the largest of the attached dwellings. There are very spacious and I've even seen some Realtors try and sneak them listed under Single Family Homes in MLS. They are also denoted by a CO abbreviation. The majority of these are two story, however there are a few single story units that seldom hit the market and typically will sell fast. There's also a floor plan with the master bedroom downstairs, which seems to do well with resale value. In addition to an enclosed garage (some of 1 car and others 2), The Cottages are typically 1 category higher than the Villas (below) in that they have their own mini private fenced yard. Due to common areas and maintenance, these fees are higher than the 2 products previously mentioned. There's also a fair amount more with 123 units total. There's also a good chunk of these that can be found at the 580 Lunalilo Home Road address.
The Villas are similar to the Cottages in that they are attached 2 story dwellings. They are a little smaller than the Cottages, have a common courtyard area shared among homeowners and also have enclosed garages. The Villas do not however have the enclosed yard that the Cottages do. There are several different floor plans and I believe the Villas is the only one of these four that offer a 2 bedroom option. They are also a great alternative to the Colony at the Peninsula in that they have their own garage, so you don't have to carry your groceries as far.
The Colony at the Peninsula is a fifth and separate product within the Peninsula and consists of several 6 story condominium buildings. They Colony also has it's own swimming pool, BBQ area and more. With 319 units, the Colony has its own search parameter in MLS. To find out more about the Colony and what is available for sale there, visit my Colony at the Peninsula Page.
In addition to all the awesome products above, the Peninsula has a great swimming pool, fitness center and also some boat docks available on a first come, first served basis. If you're considering a move to the Peninsula at Hawaii Kai or own a place here and looking to sell it for top dollar, feel free to contact me for more information.