best dream hoods placesto€¦ · estates so large you’ll never have to meet your neighbors. the...

52 SEPTEMBER 2006 SEPTEMBER 2006 53www.honolulumagazine.com www.honolulumagazine.com

veryone knows what makes an area expensive.Say it with us: Location, location, location. Twokinds of properties continue to demand topdollar, even in our cooling local real estatemarket—oceanfront and ridgeline. And luckyyou live Hawai‘i, because we’ve got plenty of both.

The most desirable waterfront stretches eastward fromDiamond Head, where Mediterranean showpieces mingle withexpansive kama‘-aina estates. No address declares, “I’ve gotmoney, and lots of it” like K-ahala Avenue. Hands-down thepriciest street on O‘ahu, where a half-acre of vacant oceanfrontland last year fetched $8 million. The cheapest K-ahala Avenue

home we could find on the market was a $2.9 million, 3,000-square-foot house—on the mauka side of the street. The priciest?A 10,000-square-foot house at nearly 10 times that, $26 million.

Travel up the coast up a bit, to the other side of Maunalua Bay,and you’ll see why Hawai‘i Kai developer Henry Kaiser pickedthe southwestern slopes of Koko Head to build his home in the

Dream HoodsThere are some neighborhoods that mostof us can only fantasize about—the onesthat we drive our out-of-town gueststhrough to gawk at palatial abodes, theones that remind us of those exclusiveMainland hoods where they sell maps ofcelebrities’ homes. But if you’re one of thefortunate few who’ve never seen a pricetag that made your mouth drop, read on.

EKOKO KAI/PORTLOCK

HAWAI‘I LOARIDGE

MAKAKILO RIDGE

Median Price inthe First Half of2006

Median Price aYear Earlier

You'll love…

… Except for

Commute Time toDowntownHonolulu

$1,640,000 $1,915,000 $1,850,000 $590,500 $946,500

$1,530,000 $1,715,000 $1,500,000 $685,000 $860,000

Estates so largeyou’ll never have to meet your neighbors.

The best views ofMaunalua Bay, ahaven for waterenthusiasts.

Supply of vacant lotsmeans you can cus-tom build yourdream home.

A bird's-eye view ofDiamond Head andPearl Harbor, fromyour perch aboveKapolei.

Stately, not showy,residences in a hoodwith homespun heritage.

The daily drive pastmarble Greekcolumns andWyland-inspirediron gates.

Impudent localsdashing across yourproperty to get tothe beach.

The realization thatone gate isn’tenough to keep outthe riff raff.

Always having tospecify you live inupper Makakilo.

Discovering that adrafty, 80-year-oldhouse still costs youmore than a millionbucks.

30 minutes 45 minutes 40 minutes 70 minutes 20 minutes

Dream Hoods

Median prices provided by Research Department, Prudential Locations. Prices reflect median sales for single-family homes.

K -AHALA M -ANOA

N HAWAI‘I, IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PICK A BAD neighborhoodto call home. No matter where you go, you can expect a few things to stayexactly the same—the year-round warm weather, the friendly neighbors andthe annual property taxes probably exceeding the price of your first car.

There are plenty of reasons you settle where you do, but odds are, you’re one of fivekinds of homeowners: empty nester, nest builder, luxury dweller, small towner or bar-gain hunter. And no matter what category you fall into, we’ve got you covered withour look at 36 neighborhoods across the state.

We’ve hassled real estate agents and analysts, bugged unassuming homeownersand pounded the pavement to find you the best neighborhood for your lifestyle. Wantto live in a community where kids still play in the street? A historic neighborhoodwith a personality all its own? What about a low-maintenance, high-amenity resi-dence with ample room for two? We’ll show you how to get there.

I“DREAM HOODS” CONTINUED ON PAGE 72

BestPlacestoLive PHOTO: LINNY MORRIS

by Ronna Bolante and Noelle Chun

Whether you’re enjoying retirement or saving for your kids’ college tuition,

loving life in the fast lane ortrying to slow down, we’vegot the neighborhood for you.

The good life in Portlock.

>>54 SEPTEMBER 2006 SEPTEMBER 2006 55www.honolulumagazine.com www.honolulumagazine.com

oung families are to good schools as caf-feinated gnats are to kitchen lights. K-ane‘ohe has several beacons, which ispart of what makes it so attractive toyoung families. He’eia, Kapunahala, K-ane‘ohe and ‘-Ahuimanu elementaryschools all made the top 100 in our May

2006 “Grading the Public Schools” rankings. Add somemoderate prices (well, relatively—current median:$700,000), spacious homes and room for yards, and fami-lies are sprouting up like Sea Monkeys. Plus, if you wantyour kids to grow up in natural surroundings without ban-ishing yourself to the boonies, the lush and majesticKo‘olau’s aren’t a bad backdrop.

Four-legged family members also may find K-ane‘ohe par-ticularly hospitable. Misty conditions for low-maintenancegreens and two nearby on-leash animal parks make the areaespecially appealing to furry friends. Pets can rest easy with

several nearby veterinarians, doggie day sitters, ani-mal hospitals and obedience schools.

A strong survivor out of the planned communitytrend of the ’60s, Mililani offers a safe neighborhoodswollen with community resources. The neighbor-hood is stocked with grassy parks and six recreationalcenters with swimming pools and large meeting rooms, and with-in a 10-minute drive, you can zip by 35 tennis courts. It’s commonto see groups of children outside, playing soccer, baseball, softball,or tennis, as part of the community’s many sports leagues.

Within the vicinity, a large shopping center, a group ofrestaurants, good public schools and churches satisfy residents’other basic needs. The Mililani area is generationally diverse,with the median age at 36, but newer Mililani Mauka is espe-cially dense with young families—a hotbed of play groups andother couples experiencing similar joys and woes.

Drop the PDA, and discover a gentler family life by settlingdown in K-ıhei. What’s a tropical vacation for Maui visitors is ahome playground for residents. The gaggle of resort complexes

keeps several well-maintained beaches to play on and offerssports opportunities for the kids. The stroller-bound can roamfreely, too, since libraries, grocery stores, clothing shops, smallswap meets and the Bermuda Triangle—a row of restaurantswithin a few blocks—are in walking distance.

Although the high concentration of tourists comes with itsshare of property crime, residents still feel safe. “Even the hood-lums aren’t bad here,” says Linda Hedden, who’s raised her fam-ily in K-ıhei for six years. “I don’t worry all the time that someoneis going to kidnap my kids. I can relax.” The drawback? The priv-ilege of shoveling K-ıhei sand means the pain of shoveling thedough. The median price in K-ıhei falls at $742,500. Did we men-tion the resort beaches?

Nest BuildersThat’s you in the minivan. Or, you with the new wedding-gifted Cuisinart. Or, you,bouncing along Bishop Street in the clothes you used to only need for church. Eitherway, you’re young, and you’re branching out. Here’s where you can settle down.

YMILILANI KAPOLEI HAWAI‘I KAI K -ANE‘OHE K-IHEI, MAUI



You'll love…

… Except for


$615,000 $742,500 $900,000 $700,000 $742,500

$520,000 $700,000 $775,000 $650,000 $700,000

Another mom mightbring better musubisthan yours to thesoccer game.

Um, no, that’s theneighbor’s house,not yours. Yeah, theoutside could havefooled me, too.

You’re out of luck ifMom and Dad won’thelp with the downpayment.

Everywhere else you gotta go is onthe other side of the Pali.

Inching throughrush-hour traffic inthe Vegas-like heat.

Nest Builders

60 minutes 50 minutes 45 minutes 40 minutes n/a

Kids thrive here likemosquitoes in stillwater.

Everyone, singtogether now! “Weare fam-i-lyyy!”

Safe community,varied housing.

Put away your bonzai—there’s roomfor full-sized trees!

Sun, sand, surf.


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 53

CONTINUED ON PAGE 56

It’s really family-oriented.There are a lot of familiesoutside doing yard work

or just visiting or walking their dogs. It’s safe for the kids to play out in the neighborhood.“—Christine Black, a 45-year resident of K-ane‘ohe, pictured with sons Cody and Tylerand husband John.

PHOTO: LINNY MORRIS

PHOTO: LINNY MORRIS

The Mililani Town Associationensures everything is juuust

right in suburbia.

Kapolei, Hawai‘i’s version of Wisteria Lane.

>>56 SEPTEMBER 2006 SEPTEMBER 2006 57www.honolulumagazine.com www.honolulumagazine.com

If you’ve lived in the same house since the Nixonadministration, you’ll probably succumb to the over-whelming urge to stay put. But if you’re suddenlyfeeling like you have more house than you need, youmight be ready for a change. Over the past five years,more empty nesters have downsized from single-family homes in the suburbs to sparkling, spankin’

new high-rise condos in Kaka‘ako—units once considered theexclusive domain of Mainland and foreign buyers.

“The same people who once moved to the suburbs to raisetheir children are now moving back into town,” says KaiMcDurmin, projects director at Coldwell Banker PacificProperties. “I think what appealed to them was that Kaka‘akowas really the first time a neighborhood was truly within walk-ing distance of restaurants, the mall and the beach.”

When last we talked with Antone and Stephanie DeCambra,they were in the process of buying a two-bedroom condo inAlexander & Baldwin’s Keola La‘i, scheduled for a 2008 comple-tion, after more than 20 years of living in a three-bedroom housein Kailua. “The kids are getting older, and pretty soon, it’s onlygoing to be the two of us,” says Antone, a retired federal employee.

Empty NestersKids. You’ve given them life, taught them right from wrong and guided them tobecome mature, responsible adults. Yes, that’s right; they’re finally out of the house. Sonow what are you going to do?

I“I still have a mortgage on my house, but soon I’ll be on a fixedincome. When we sell our house in Kailua, I can pay off mycondo in Keola La‘i. It will save us a lot of money.”

Downsizing doesn’t mean you have to give up all of the perksof a single-family home. H-okua on Ala Moana Boulevard, forinstance, entices baby-boomer buyers with resort-like ameni-ties—a minimum of two parking spaces per unit, ample storagespace, a concierge service, 24-hour security, a private entranceand recreation area.

Units at H-okua and Ko‘olani, two of the first of this new breedof luxury condos in Kaka‘ako, originally sold for between$600,000 and $2.5 million. Condos currently under constructionin the area come with more affordable price tags, attracting even

more local buyers. Two-bedroomcondos at Moana Pacific onKapi‘olani Boulevard start at$470,000, while comparable unitsat Keola La‘i on Queen Street startat $445,000.

But what if you can’t stand thehustle and bustle of the big city?Downsizing doesn’t mean youhave to leave your neighborhood,either. As boomers reach retire-ment age, more of them opt forsmaller pads just down the street.

“When people want to movesomeplace after they retire, theylike to stay on their side of theisland,” says Berton Hamamoto,president-elect of the HonoluluBoard of Realtors. “People wholive in single-family homes in

Kailua want to move into condos in Kailua. Hawai‘i Kai guyshave Hawai‘i Kai condos. Town guys, town condos.”

Or maybe you’re finally ready to get away from it all, some-where with no freeway on-ramp or big-box store in sight. Andyou’ve got the money to do it. You might look to the migratoryhabits of Hawai‘i’s snowbirds, whose idea of retirement rangesfrom Waimea ranch houses on the Big Island to Kapalua villason Maui to exclusive Princeville resort homes on Kaua‘i. Or con-sider Ko Olina, a resort community on O‘ahu’s Leeward coast.

“Ko Olina is being developed tremendously into an up-and-coming second Waik-ık-ı,” says realtor Wes Anderson. “It remindsme of Ka‘anapali on Maui when it first started up.”

In Kaka‘ako, you’re right intown, next to the Farmers’Market and Ala Moana, and

it’s walking distance to work for mywife. Living in a condo is less maintenance than living in a house,where you have to do all the upkeep—the yard, the roof, the paint. We’re at apoint in our lives where we’re ready to kick back and not worry about certain things.”

HAWAI‘I KAI KO OLINA



You'll love…

… Except for


$765,000 $900,000 Not Available $467,250 $3,600,000

$572,500 $775,000 $1,750,000 $499,500 $3,100,000

Never needing torepaint, reroof orweedwhack again.

The proximity tosome of O‘ahu’smost popular restau-rants, beaches andhiking trails.

Your own resort getaway right hereon O‘ahu.

Ranch-style houses,rolling pastures andauthentic paniolohistory.

West Maui moun-tains, pristine beaches and threechampionship golfcourses.

Having to makereservations to barbecue in thebackyard.

The neverendingroadwork onKalaniana‘oleHighway.

The laughter of sunbathers as youbegin your 25-milecommute to downtown.

Finding stuff to dothat doesn’t involvelivestock.

See “Median Price”above.

10 minutes 45 minutes 90 minutes n/a n/a

Empty Nesters

Median prices provided by Research Department, Prudential Locations. Prices reflect median sales for single-family homes, unless otherwise noted.

“—Antone DeCambra, retired federal employeeand future Kaka‘ako resident, pictured with wifeStephanie.



PHOTO: LINNY MORRIS

PHOTO: LINNY MORRIS

PHOTO: MONTE COSTA

WAIMEA,BIG ISLAND

KAPALUA,MAUI

KAKA‘AKO(CONDOS)

Welcome to your new backyardin Hawai‘i Kai.

Ko Olina, a mini-vacation every day of the week.


Small Town Hawai‘iAh. Some things don’t change. These towns are historical pockets of the Islands thathave, despite the tentacles of sprawl and modernity, preserved their own distinct characters and identities. You like one small kine local town fo’ live in? We get ’um.

ailua is distinguished by its surf and turf:The Windward town offers a cozy shop-and-coffee scene, nestled between the dramaticKo‘olau range and prime kama‘-aina beaches,Kailua and Lanikai. Kailua mornings areupbeat, with the sun sliding above the oceanand early risers with their children and pets

making their regular rounds at locally owned breakfast housesand cafés. Between Castle Hospital and tattoo parlors, platelunches and car repair shops, the town earns loyal residents whoembrace Kailua pride. “Once you get [Kailua] under your skin,it’s hard to leave it,” says Mary Beddow, a realtor with ColdwellBanker Pacific Properties. “You’ve got everything right here—good shopping, good restaurants, good hospital. You don’t feellike you have to go into town for everything, and some peoplelike that.”

Frankly, though, it can be a bit of a bother to drive to down-town from the Windward side. Try somewhere a bit closer withKaimuk-ı. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin called Kaimuk-ı-“fallenfrom its heyday” in 1996, but, since then, thriving restaurants,

K

the hour-and-a-half commute to downtown Honolulu has itsbenefits for small-town life. The tide gives the time in this surf-ing community, legendary for its looming winter waves. Painting,jewelry and clothing stores make up a quiet community, save forthe busloads of tourists and the hum of cars, the sound of a sin-gle-road town. “It’s good for nonconformists,” says Chapman.

In Makawao on Maui, you’ll find mostly mom-and-popstores with old paniolo-style storefronts from the 1800s.Strolling along the walkway covered by old-fashioned storeawnings, you’ll bump into friends and neighbors who have livedin Makawao their entire lives. While Maui residents may com-mute to Kahului to work, residents in Makawao tend to embracetheir neighborhood in pre-automobile style—they live there,they work there, they play there, they don’t leave and they don’tneed to. >>LILIHA KAIMUK-I KAILUA HALE‘IW-A



You'll love…

… Except for

Commute Time to DowntownHonolulu

$595,000 $769,000 $799,250 $810,000 $557,500

$382,500 $742,500 $795,000 $595,000 $650,000

Some of Hawai‘i’smost preserved historical roots.

A new home in anold neighborhood—your new kitchenand the charmingcottage next door.

Almost forgettingthere’s an outsideworld.

Bumping into KellySlater at Foodland.

One of the easiesttime portals to a different age.

The weight you'llgain from LilihaBakery’s pancakesand cocoa puffs.Oh, but it’s worth it.

A new home in a old neighborhood—your new kitchenand the termite festnext door.

Worrying abouteveryone else moving in.

1 road to town + 1accident = 2 bad foryou.

Getting stuckbehind Haleakal-abicycling tourgroups.

5 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes 90 minutes n/a

Small Town Hawai‘i


small shops and cafés have rejuvenated the district withoutbetraying its history. The stretch on Wai‘alae Avenue boasts newlandscaped sidewalks and a slew of trendy restaurants, such as3660 On the Rise and Town, but remains home to Honoluluinstitutions, such as Harry’s Music store, which opened in 1946,and Kaimuk-ı. Dry Goods, which opened in 1926. To quit the buzzof the busy town, residents just have to take a step away fromWai‘alae Avenue, where they’ll find a quiet, cluster of houses.Nostalgic folk can live in an old neighborhood without living inan old house. The mix of keepsake houses from the ’50s and ’60swith modern houses preserves not only the memories, but alsothe prices.

If Kaimuk-ı.sports a bit too much action, head north toHale‘iwa. Age and seclusion have distinguised Hale‘iwa as one ofthe most distinct towns on O‘ahu. City dwellers may groan, but

The neighbors are really nice—they help each other, watcheach other’s homes. Even if it’s

an older community, I’ve noticed a lot ofnew homes being built, but there still isthat old feeling.”“—Aileen Young, Kaimuk-ı resident, pictured with husband Curt and daughter Kayla.



PHOTO: MATT THAYER

PHOTO: LINNY MORRIS

PHOTO: MONTE COSTA

MAKAWAO, MAUI

Home on the range in historic Makawao.

The preferred mode of transportation onO‘ahu’s North Shore.

72 SEPTEMBER 2006 www.honolulumagazine.com

’60s. In Portlock, home prices range from $1.5 million for a fixer-upper to $20 millionfor a piece of the former Kaiser estate. “Portlock is one of the most prestigious neigh-borhoods, with large lots, sandy beaches and an older, kama‘-aina-style feel,” says CherieTsukamoto, broker-in-charge of East O‘ahu Realty.

These days, ultra-luxe living doesn’t mean you’re limited to one side of the island.East O‘ahu boasts several of the Islands’ most coveted ridgeline communities—N-a Pali Haweo, Wai‘alae Iki and Wai‘alae Nui. Hawai‘i Loa Ridge, takes exclusivity toa whole new level with The Pointe, a gated community within its already-gated commu-nity. But over the past few years, the hillsides of Makakilo in West O‘ahu have producedtheir share of million-dollar homes. Panoramic Diamond Head-to-‘Ewa views can befound in brand-new residential developments such as Palehua Heights, Highpointe andthe gated community of Kumulani, where we spotted a five-bedroom, two-bath houselisted for $2.3 million. “To get a great view, you need to be up and above, and beautifulhomes don’t always have to be right on the ocean,” says realtor Wes Anderson.

BestPlacestoLive“DREAM HOODS,” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 53


PHOTO: MONTE COSTA

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Everything is so close—K-ahala Mall, cute little restaurants on Monsarrat, two grocerystores, my Pilates teacher.”“—Michelle Bennett, CFO of her husband’s practice, Retina Institute, and

four-year K-ahala resident, pictured with Michael at home

n Moanalua, a quiet community nestled between Tripler and Fort Shafter,buyers can still find sizeable single-family homes in the $650,000 to$800,000 price range—a great value for a well-kept metro Honolulu neigh-borhood only five miles from downtown.

Many area residents bought their homes when the community was orig-inally developed in the 1960s, notes Berton Hamamoto, president-elect ofI

74 SEPTEMBER 2006 www.honolulumagazine.com

Bargain NeighborhoodsLet’s face it. These days, there’s really no such thing as aninexpensive neighborhood in Hawai‘i. But there are stillrare pockets where home prices haven’t kept up with thebreakneck increases seen across the state. So while we’dnever call the following neighborhoods cheap, we cansay they offer some of the best deals in the Islands.

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the Honolulu Board of Realtors. “It’s anolder, tight-knit community, so there hasn’t been a whole lot of turnover. If youput those same houses closer in town,

they’d go for a lot more,” he says.Itching for a property on O‘ahu’s cov-

eted North Shore, but lacking the bankrollof a professional surfer? Half-million-dol-lar homes are the norm in Waialua and L-a‘ie, which practically bookend theisland’s famed “seven-mile miracle.” Wantto live right on the beach? We found sev-eral oceanfront homes in both communi-ties in the $800,000-range.

IF YOU’RE AN EASTSIDER FOR LIFE,consider Kalama Valley, an affordablealternative to Hawai‘i Kai, with homesstarting in the lower- to mid-$600,000price range. “It’s an ideal location withmore mid-range homes, and it’s lookingmore attractive now, because large partsof Hawai‘i Kai are being built up,” says

Cherie Tsukamoto, broker-in-charge ofEast O‘ahu Realty. “It’s one of the fewneighborhoods where you can walk toSandy Beach, and there are few places onO‘ahu where you can walk to a beach andbuy a home for less than a million dol-lars.”

Though sprouting condominiums inKaka‘ako are slowly intruding on theviews, a strategically placed window inMakiki can still provide a pleasant view ofthe ocean, even from miles away. A homein lower Makiki sold in the $600,000range earlier this year—not bad for aneighborhood that borders upscale M-anoa. Sure, the structure of thesehouses might be as strong as papier-mache, but you can still find a solidhouse or condominium close to town.

St. Louis Heights and WilheminaRise are popular places for academics,

BestPlacestoLive



There are stillplaces where homeprices haven’t keptup with the break-neck increases seenacross the state.

The killer view—and drive—downWilhemina Rise.

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especially because of their proximity tothe University of Hawai‘i at M-anoa. But,really, anyone looking for a better deal cancheck it out (all the smart people livethere, right?). The cool, green slopes hostboth ’50s relics and brand-new cribs. Ahouse may not hold as a long-term invest-ment, because older houses keep newones from appreciating much. But, forthat same reason, houses tend to be moreaffordable. “Those areas are more afford-able than K-ahala and Wai‘alae, but thereare still some nice houses there,” saysLee Alden Chapman, realtor for Re/Maxreal estate.

As an added benefit, in a world of glob-

al warming and offensive gas prices, youdon’t even need to accelerate on your waydown the hill. Although, coming home is adifferent story.

True, P-alolo is better known for itsaffordable housing projects and seniorresidents than for its elegance and class.Convincing someone that housing isaffordable there is probably the smallerissue. Indeed, P-alolo has seen its hardtimes, but realtors are quickly recognizingthe district as an improving area, wheremore middle- and upper-middle-classfamilies are choosing to settle. As othertown areas become increasingly expen-sive, the neighborhood seems like a bar-gain alternative, where residents appreci-ate the mom-and-pop-store mentalityand convenient location.

People worried about the area’s rockypast might feel better knowing that asatellite police station has made P-alolo

safer, and its district park—equipped witha weight room, computer lab and sportsprograms—helps keep kids out of trouble.

EXCEPTIONAL VALUES ARE EVENmore common on the Neighbor Islands,where your dollar goes a lot farther evennear resort towns. On the ritzy NorthShore of Kaua‘i, for example, you can stillbuy a single-family home for around$500,000 in the charming town of K-ılauea. It’s a nature-lover’s paradise,with its proximity to the K-ılauea PointWildlife Refuge, hiking trails and choicespots for observing humpback whales andspinner dolphins.

Head over to the Kauai’s west side,rich with sugar plantation history, whereyou’ll find even sweeter deals. “In tradi-

tional plantation communities likeWaimea, Kekaha and Hanapepe, pricingis not even near the resort range,” withhomes starting in the $300,000 to$400,000 price range, says Rick Shaw,president of the Kaua‘i Board of Realtors.

The Big Island has become home to agrowing industry of construction andservice jobs, with many Neighbor Islandand Mainland workers settling there toprovide the work force. Often young andhopeful of keeping their piggy banksintact, many of these people look toKamuela as a bargain area. As in manyhoods, it depends on where you look. Lastwe looked at real estate listings, a single-family home went on the market for asmuch as $7.2 million and a three-bedroomhouse went for as little as $216,000.

BestPlacestoLive


If you’re anEastsider for life,consider KalamaValley, an afford-able alternative toHawai‘i Kai.

P-alolo’s district park.

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