<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
    <channel>
        <atom:link href="https://www.hawaiirealestatesearch.com/blog/2019-01/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <title>Hawaii Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.hawaiirealestatesearch.com/blog/2019-01/</link>
        <description>Read our Hawaii Real Estate Blog - covering all real estate-related data for Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Big Island. Local news, and information, from local Realtor experts.</description>
<item>
    <guid>https://www.hawaiirealestatesearch.com/blog/2019-ten-must-do-hawaii-activities.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hawaiirealestatesearch.com/blog/2019-ten-must-do-hawaii-activities.html</link>
        <author>alex@mauirealestatesearch.com (Alex Cortez)</author>
        <title>2019 Top Must Do Hawaii Activities</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ The sunrise atop the summit of Haleakala on Maui's Upcountry, visiting the white sands of Lanikai, and partaking on the view of Honolulu from Diamond Head are always going to be must-sees for first time visitors of the Aloha State. But those iconic places only begin to scratch the surface of all the magic and Eden-like settings Hawaii has to offer.&amp;  The islands offer a plethora of lesser known gems worthy of exploration - whether resident, first-time arrival or long-time frequent visitor, blaze your trail. As you start to plan out the year ahead, be sure to add these 10 experiences to your list of ways to explore Hawaii in 2019.  Paddleboarding Under Oahu's Fireworks Every Friday night, the Hilton Hawaiian Village launches fireworks above Waikiki Beach starting around 7:45 p.m. The display is beautiful from the beach, but even more breathtaking from the ocean, where the colorful lights reflect on its surface. You can take your own paddleboard out from Waikiki, or hire Nocturnal Adventures Hawaii for guided tours on paddleboards equipped with glowing lights that illuminate the marine life down below.Photo: Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Daniel Ramirez Skydiving Oahu's Skies Nestled within a sparsely populated stretch of Oahu’s north shore, Mokuleia is home to some of the only companies that offer this experience in the Aloha State — skydiving. The breathtaking community, home to ranches, white-sand beaches and the occasional home, is uniquely protected from trade winds to make the experience more predictable and enjoyable.  At Mokuleia, one can jump out of planes from altitudes up to 14,000 feet. Besides the adrenaline rush that only comes with an entire minute of free fall, one will enjoy awe-inspiring views of Oahu’s North Shore like no other. Swim with dolphins on Maui On Maui, you won’t find major tour companies like those on Oahu that offer guaranteed chances to interact with dolphins. But if you’re lucky, you can experience them up close and personal, without the crowds that come with organized tours. There are a couple places that are often frequented by the marine creatures, including La Perouse Bay in South Maui, at the end of Makena. You must arrive in the early morning just as the sun starts to rise, where you might spot spinner dolphins resting in the clear, azure waters. You can snorkel, SUP or take a kayak, although entering the water can be difficult because of the lava rock. Also, beware that the currents can become strong and there is NO lifeguard station at this end of South MauiHawaii's Meadery in Kauai You’ve probably heard of Maui Brewing Company, Kona Brewing Company, Koloa Rum or Ocean Vodka, which are just a few of many distilleries and breweries based in the islands. But Nani Moon Meadery is a thing in itself, the only meadery in the Aloha State. Based in Kapa’a town in Kauai, the meadery seeks to elevate the world’s first alcoholic drink — honey wine — by infusing it with local flavors like lilikoi, ginger and guava found in the islands.  Tubing through Kauai  There are lots of ways you can explore Kauai, but one of the least common is by floating down the old irrigation system build in the late 1800s to fuel the plantations. Kauai Backcountry Adventures offers tubing tours down the irrigation system, where you drift through lush landscapes and pitch black tunnels, which you can only see because of with a headlamp. Hike Maui's Haleakala Crater Driving to the Haleakala Crater and watching the sunrise is so popular that Haleakala National Park now requires a reservation to do so. But if you’re making the trek all the way up to 10,000 feet, don’t just drive to the top of the crater — hike it.Photo: Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Zenofnow More than 30 miles of hiking trails span the summit area of Haleakala National Park, where hikes range from short 10-minute walks to multi-day overnight trips. Experience part of Maui that’s entirely untouched, where you can hike across cinder deserts, in addition to exploring native forests with birds and endemic plants. Snorkel with Manta Rays on Big Island Take snorkeling a step further and venture out into the dark to view some of the islands’ most majestic marine animals — manta rays. On the Kona side of the Big Island, there are handfuls of tour operators who will lead you on a guided snorkel or scuba dive to interact with the creatures, which feed on plankton. Because plankton are attracted to light, they generally lead the rays closer to lights on boats or those held by divers. Climb the Koko Head Stairs  Skip the gym and instead venture outside to Hawaii natural stairmaster — the Koko Head Stairs. With more than 1,000 steps that ascend above Oahu’s Hawaii Kai neighborhood, the stairs offer an awesome workout and a 360-degree view of mountains, beaches and the city of Honolulu once you make it to the top. Be sure to head there in the morning or evening unless you want to brave the midday heat. Green Sands Beach on Big Island Papakolea Beach is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Famous for being only one of two beaches with green sand in the United States, residents and visitors should make an effort to visit Papakōlea at some point in their lifetimes. On Big Island's south side, Kau residents enjoy proximity to one of the most unique beaches in the US. Surrounded by azure waters and soaring cliffs, the beach gets its unusual color from the mineral olivine. The best time to visit is generally on weekdays before noon - keep in mind that there is a long hike from the parking lot to the actual beach, so plan accordingly; but of course, the reward is experiencing one of the most incredible beaches on what is the southernmost point of the United States.Photo: Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Michelle MariaFor those interested in learning more of Hawaii's unique lifestyle and available activities, contact our team of Hawaii real estate experts. ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 27 Jan 2019 13:42:00 -1000</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
    <guid>https://www.hawaiirealestatesearch.com/blog/honua-kai-market-review-2018.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.hawaiirealestatesearch.com/blog/honua-kai-market-review-2018.html</link>
        <author>alex@mauirealestatesearch.com (Alex Cortez)</author>
        <title>Honua Kai Market Review 2018</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ Another year is on the books and one of our favorite properties, Honua Kai, had an outstanding year.  The introduction of Luana Garden Villas to the market has been met with much anticipation and absorption has been phenomenal - with one more phase being released momentarily to be met with high demand. The construction at the Westin had stalled sales along the outside southern perimeter of Hokulani, yet with its completion now that side of the tower is among the most desired outside perimeter units - with an impeccable resort setting next door and now established view corridors, it's easy to see why there is such high interest. To start a deeper, let's look at each micro-market.

Studios

As one of the most coveted niches within Honua Kai, it's not surprising that values for Studios have increased over the past few years, but what may be shocking is that there is virtually no inventory. Units are scarcely coming on the market and any upper level that come up for sale are pushing the envelope in terms of appreciation.    

One Bedroom Condos

While the Studios are relatively easy to quantify, adjustments based on stack and floor level, the One Bedroom micro-market is much more difficult as the bulk of units do not have ocean views and many are mountain-facing (overlooking the parking lots and now the Luana construction for the Konea ones). With some of the premium units being sold in 2018, it's understandable that there was a significant increase in price, at 10 over the previous year. With Konea 638 and Hokulani 838 selling well above $1,300 per square foot, it's easier to understand the increase in values. Of course an interesting 'niche' within the 1 bedroom micro-market is the more spacious 1 bedroom + den, which if taken within the overall one bedroom market skews perspective - with the larger units generally selling at a higher sales price BUT a lower price per square foot. Let's take a look at the chart below to compare 1 bedroom (in blue) versus 1 bedroom + den. Of the 16 one bedroom units that sold in 2018, 13 were straight one bedroom condos, while the other 3 had the floor plan with den. 

Two Bedroom Condos

This is arguably THE most interesting at Honua Kai, as units can range from parking-lot facing condos on lower levels that are exposed to road noise and do not have sought-after views to premium high-floor units with amazing ocean views, privacy, and large lanais - or even the front-row '01' stack in the Konea tower, which are arguably some of the best two bedroom condos in all of Hawaii. The even number units are on the outside perimeter, while the odd number ones are on the inside of the horseshoe. Of the 17 two-bedroom sales in 2018, 8 were even-numbered, outside perimeter, while the other 9 were more premium interior units. The average price per square foot was $1,120 for the outside versus $1,511 for interior - a very pronounced difference, which to an extent was due to Konea 201 and 301 selling, each at over $1,800 per square foot.  What will remain apparent, our team of Honua Kai experts are uniquely poised to establish valuation for the difficult-to-assess two bedroom micro-market.

Three Bedroom Condos

The showstoppers and trophy units at Honua Kai are the three-bedroom residences, with many of these being front row and enjoying among the best views in the Kaanapali real estate market. Let's take a look at the sales metric to see the direction of this niche.  Keeping in mind that the unlisted sale of Hokulani 601 skews average - being a top floor, front row unit (no one above and only one front-row stack on this side of the tower), it commanded a premium at nearly $6M. For a deeper discussion regarding values of 3 bedroom condos at Honua Kai, contact our team.

Overall Honua Kai Real Estate

There are various metrics that can help us in gauging the state of the market. To start, price per square foot - following charts depict Studios in blue, one bedroom condos in red, two bedroom condos in green, and three bedroom residences in purple. The most surprising is the spike of the Studio price per square foot to now be highest - of course, take into account that it was one sale, so not necessarily reflective of what the open market will bear.  Let's follow with average sales price. Somewhat straight-forward and as expected.  Lastly, let's look at total number of sales per category.  What sticks out most is the lack of sales of Studios, which is driven by lack of inventory, and the incremental incline of one bedroom sales - two components that have led to that is the increase in available inventory and that being the entry-level (price-wise), there are bound to be more prospective purchasers. 

Conclusion

The Honua Kai real estate market continues as one of the strongest in all of Hawaii, particularly when compared to similar properties statewide. The introduction of Luana Garden Villas has been pivotal in bringing continued interest in the property and with sales slated to start closing later in 2019, we'll see further shifts in the micro-market. Although we hope that the above information provides insight as to how the Honua Kai property fared in 2018, to discuss in greater detail and for proper context, contact our team today. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Contact us to confirm. ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 26 Jan 2019 12:43:00 -1000</pubDate>
</item>
    </channel>
</rss>