Oahu
Island Community Info
Community Info
The island of Oahu is a unique place. Since the entire
island is considered the City and County of Honolulu, we can't divide the
island up into counties or cities, so we divide the island into regions.
As you can see in the picture below, the 12 regions are not exactly
squares or any other shape, but divided by the topography of the island.
Unless you've driven or flown around the island a few times, it's hard to
understand why the areas are divided up the way they are. But once you've
seen the mountain ranges, the suburban boundaries, and natural
geographical divisions, it becomes a bit more clear. In some cases a river
or harbor can divide regions, such as the line between The Ewa Plain and
Metro Oahu, whereas in other areas it's more based on the man made
elements, such as freeways and housing tracts.
Metro Oahu
I start with Metro Oahu because this is where the majority of the action
is. Downtown Honolulu sits in this region, with large buildings such as
the state capital right in the heart of it. Metro Oahu consists of
thousands of great homes and high rise condos interspersed with commercial
and industrial buildings. Some parts of Metro Oahu are actually the
ugliest on the island because of the industrial zones, but if you have to
commute into town everyday, living in "town" makes life a lot
easier.
Much of Metro Oahu feels run down and shabby, but there are also areas
where you can find a gem. Around Ala Moana and Kakaako there are beautiful
high rise condo buildings like Kukui Plaza and Imperial Plaza. There might
be 1000 condo buildings around town, which makes selection a difficult
process if you don't know the area.
As for single family homes, there are some incredible areas with multi
million dollar homes such as Nuuanu, Alewa Heights, Manoa, Dowsett,
Tantalus, Pacific Heights, Old Pali, and Makiki Heights. In these areas
you can have amazing views of the ocean and island from high hillside
estates. If you have a home in Manoa, you'll be in a tropical garden
setting probably on a hill, but you're still only 10 minutes from
downtown. It's the best of both worlds. You will definitely pay a premium
for living in Metro Oahu, because the short commute into town makes it
very appealing. Basically you can live in an area like Old Pali and have
everything from a tiny cottage to a giant mansion.
Pearl City
Pearl City consists of a few great neighborhoods like Aiea, Halawa and
Halawa heights, Pearlridge, Pacific Palisades, Royal Summit, and a few
others that are not so great. On the high end there are single family
homes around $1million to about $1.5million. These homes are in pretty
good shape but because of the location, you pay a premium and don't get as
great a house as you would in say, Hawaii Kai, for the same price.
There are some great houses and neighborhoods in Pearl City, and you can
get something cheap for about $450k- $500k. These will be very small
single family homes. Most mainlanders who move here tend to avoid Pearl
City, but I think it's worth looking at. There are a few very good schools
and neighborhoods, and you're close to Pearlridge mall, which is gigantic.
This entire area is a little older than other parts of the island, which
means you have to inspect homes carefully and try to find a good value
among the junk that might be available. If a home in Pearl City/Aiea is
older than 10 years, you should try to find one that has been remodeled.
Homes in Hawaii, like everything else in Hawaii, tend to wear out quickly.
It's the salt air and the powerful sun.
Diamond Head
If you can afford the Diamond Head Region, you should be congratulated.
It's one of the most expensive places to live on earth. With homes up to
$20million, you're not going to find a "starter" home here. From
Kahala to Aina Haina, from Waialae Iki and Waialae Nui all the way to
Hawaii Loa Ridge, properties in this region are for those with very deep
pockets.
Even the lowest priced homes in Niu Valley are around $800k. The average
price in this region is well over a million dollars. Kahala is an
incredible area with world class mansions right on the beach or the golf
course. Up on the hills overlooking Kahala, you can get a beautiful
hillside home with panoramic views of the Pacific from Waialae Iki and
Waialae Nui. Another great hillside neighborhood is Wilhelmina rise, which
requires a drive straight up a hill for about a mile. In fact it feels
like you're driving straight up a giant mountain, because you are. Once
you get up to the top, you'll be shocked at the views. Homes up on these
great ridges are not for those who are afraid of heights.
I think the most beautiful homes on the island are in Diamond Head, but
you can't see most of them from the road. Most have high gates and plenty
of security, so the only way you're going to see them is if you're
invited, or if you're serious about buying one. The captains of industry
live in this area in tremendous privacy. If you have to ask how much,
you're probably not in the right league of wealth to buy here. Hawaii
Kai
Hawaii Ka is one of my favorite parts of the island. With beautiful
waterways of the marina running a mile inland, many of the homes are
waterfront, even though they are not on the beach. The marina canals are
the only place on the island that allow you to dock a boat in front of
your home, so Hawaii Kai is very popular with boat owners. Hawaii Kai was
the first master planned community in Hawaii, and you can tell that the
layout is more organized than other parts of the island.
This is a more reasonable region than Diamond Head, but somewhat higher
priced than others. With an average home price around $800-$900k, you
still need some pretty deep pockets to buy here. However, there are great
condos available for under $600k, so it's not just for the rich. Well,
that depends on your perspective. Hawaii Kai is a very different feeling
"city" than any other in Oahu, and you just have to see it to
understand. It's mostly a bedroom community because there really isn't any
business district. We do have shopping, but not really any offices to
speak of. Most people who live in Hawaii Kai are commuting into town about
30-40minutes each way. That's not too long by mainland standards, and it's
well worth it to live in this great neighborhood. I have a page dedicated
to Hawaii Kai and you should read it if you want more info.
Kailua
On the windward side of Oahu is one of the most desirable regions, if not
the most. This quaint beach town has everything you could want including a
little shopping area to walk around in, the most beautiful beach in
America, and fabulous million dollar homes on the sand. Kailua town has
recently had a facelift which really helped the appeal. It also tends to
be the cooler side of the island because it's usually overcast and it
rains a lot. A LOT. If you don't like rain, you won't like Kailua. But the
frequent rain means that everything is green, lush, and feels like the
tropical Hawaii you would imagine.
Kailua is very expensive at around $900k for an average house, and we are
talking average in Hawaii standards. Unfortunately there aren't too many
good condos in Kailua, but there are a few around $400k. Most of the
properties in Kailua are within a mile or so to the beach, and it is truly
the best beach you can find.
There is a little community in Kailua called Lani Kai, which has a nice
little beach retreat feel. Homes here are hit and miss. You have multi
million dollar beautiful estates, and you have totally run down shacks
that should be burned to the ground. In fact these two homes I described
could be right next door to each other. People love Lani Kai and it's twin
sister Beachside, because of the easy access to the sandy beaches and
crystal blue ocean.
If you can afford Kailua, you probably should consider it. Just about
everyone loves Kailua because it's beautiful, clean, cool, and it feels
like Hawaii should feel - relaxed. There is a Kailua page on this site and
you should read up on it if you're interested.
Kaneohe
Just north of Kailua is Kaneohe, which is kind of like Kailua's ugly
cousin. I say ugly because it's not quite as nice as Kailua and it's a bit
cheaper, and the town area doesn't seem to be kept as nicely. However,
there are great neighborhoods within Kaneohe, and the real estate is a bit
cheaper than Kailua. With views of the gigantic Bay available from all
over Kaneohe, it can be a fabulous place to live.
Kaneohe real estate can be a great bargain compared to Kailua and Hawaii
Kai, and you can still have a great view or be near the beach. The small
marina area allows you to dock a boat, although not right in front of your
home. Kaneohe has it's own mall, it's own just about everything, so you
don't have to leave Kaneohe too often. Also there's Kaneohe Marine Corps
Base, or "K-bay" as they call it, which means that there is a
huge military presence there. If you can find a way to get on the base to
play the golf course, do it. The course has some ocean holes that will
blow your mind.
Commuting from Kaneohe is easy because H3 runs right into town and makes
for easy driving. I should mentioned that H3 is probably the most
beautiful non coastal drive on the island. The highway runs through the
most lush tropical rain forest on Oahu, and is perched about 100 feet
above the ground. It's an amazing drive.
North
Shore
The North Shore of Oahu is probably the most famous stretch of surfing
beaches on earth. Waimea, Pipeline, Sunset, Rocky Point, Velzy land, and
Log Cabins, just to mention a few of the world class waves on the North
Shore. While most of the visitors who come are there for the amazing
surfing, North Shore real estate will amaze you too. Pupukea hills,
Sunset, Haleiwa, and Kawela Bay, offer spectacular ocean view homes well
into the millions. For about $1million you can buy North Shore real estate
with a nice ocean view or even a beachfront lot.
The North Shore of Oahu is called "country" because it really
feels like you're out in the country. You wouldn't know that downtown
Honolulu is just 30 minutes away. It's green most of the year, it's cooler
than most of the island, it's wonderful. As long as you're not commuting
every single day, the North shore is great. And real estate on the North
Shore of Oahu is world class. Custom homes abound and if your pockets are
deep enough, you'll enjoy wonderful panoramic views for miles. Sometimes
on a clear day you feel like you could see Japan.
Central Oahu
The middle of the island is called Central Oahu by the MLS, but nobody
else calls it that. We call it Mililani. Mililani and Mililani Mauka are
great communities with large housing tracts and lush green forests.
Mililani Mauka is a master planned community with some of the best schools
on the island. Somewhat more affordable than areas like Kailua and Hawaii
Kai, it still offers some nice neighborhoods with newer homes. People like
Mililani because a lot of it is newer than other areas of Oahu, which
means it feels more like the mainland to some.
You can buy a nice single family home for around $600-$800k, and it will
have been built in the mid to late 90's, which is pretty new for Oahu real
estate. Much of the real estate in Oahu was built in the 60's, which means
it's about to fall apart, but Mililani has the newer planned feel that
many buyers are looking for.
One bonus of Mililani is that it's right on the H2, so commuting into
Pearl City or Waipahu is pretty easy. I have found that a lot of people
who work around Pearl Harbor or Tripler Medical Center prefer to live in
Mililani for the commute and the quality of home the can get. I like
Mililani because it's nice and green most of the year, and tends to stay
cool because it's a little bit cloudy most of the time.
Waipahu
If you're on a budget and want to live in a single family newer home,
Waipahu might be a good option. Some areas are admittedly very ugly,
Waipio Gentry and Waikele are areas with newer homes and communities that
are very appealing. With prices a bit cheaper than the east side or
Mililani, Waipahu has some small pockets of good neighborhoods. Royal
Kunia and Waipio Gentry are probably the two most desirable in terms of
real estate, with planned communities and newer shopping areas.
Waikele has an outlet mall with Polo, Calvin Klein, Geoffrey Bean, Sacks,
Coach, and several other nice stores. As you might imagine the area
surrounding Waikele is pretty nice as a result. You can buy a real estate
around Waikele and Waipio gentry for much cheaper than other areas, so
it's definitely worth a look.
Makakilo
One of the newest communities in Hawaii is Makakilo. In the past 10 years
or so, new construction in Oahu has been focused in Makakilo and Ewa
Beach. Dr Horton and other builders have been putting homes up in Makakilo
in neighborhoods like Anuhea, Highpointe, Highlands, Palehua Heights,
Royal Ridge, and Kumulani.
Makakilo sits just a bit above Ewa Beach but doesn't have nearly the
traffic that Ewa has. And since it's a nice high hill, most everything in
Makakilo has the potential of having a great ocean view over Barber's
point. Homes can be as much as a million dollars, and you definitely get
way more for your money in Makakilo than on the east or north sides of
Oahu.
Makakilo real estate is often newer, bigger, and nicer than much of the
other areas of Oahu. In Makakilo I have seen million dollar homes with
fantastic views of the ocean, custom pools, and large lots. The commute is
a bit long from Makakilo, but nothing like from Ewa or the leeward side.
If you want a nice newer home and you want more bang for your buck than
Hawaii Kai or Kailua, or even Mililani, consider Makakilo.
Ewa Plain
On the south west tip of Oahu is a very popular region called Ewa Beach or
the Ewa Plain, although everyone here just calls is Ewa. It's pronounced
with w short "E" and a "V" sound, like
"for-ever." Ewa has some of the best affordable homes on the
island, and since most of it has been built in the last 20 years, the
entire area has a nice newer feel than most of the island.
A giant master planned community, Ewa has thousands of nice homes with a
nice clean feel and plenty of parks and amenities. Neighborhoods such as
Ocean Pointe, Ewa Gentry, Kapolei, Westloch Fairways, Soda Creek, Alii
court, Carriages, Tiburon, Cypress point, and a dozen or so more, offer
great newer homes in well planned layouts. What people like most about Ewa
is the affordability. You get way more for your money here and the homes
feel new. In fact, there is still plenty of new construction available at
Ocean Pointe, although right now it's cheaper to buy from resales than new
construction.
With a new marina coming in a few years and a resort golf course in the
planning stages, Ewa has some great future potential. The only problems
are that it's hot in the summer, and the traffic is bad during rush hours.
Now I have driven from Ewa all the way across to Hawaii Kai in 45 minutes
without traffic, but that could take 2 hours in bad traffic.
The other option is the Kapolei area, which is a little farther but
doesn't have as much traffic going into it, so it actually takes less time
to commute to and from than Ewa Beach. Kapolei has even more
infrastructure than Ewa, with a medical center, shopping centers, and big
stores like Kmart and Home depot. If you can stand the commute and you
want a nice big newer home, consider the Ewa side, especially if you want
it to feel like your mainland home that remember. If you have any interest
in new construction in Ewa, let me know and I'll be glad to send you some
info.
Leeward Coast
I place this region last for a reason. It's the least desirable to most,
and the homes are the cheapest. Much of this area has been run down and
has a terrible homeless problem on the beaches. However, there are a few
diamonds in this rough area. Recently Dr Horton has been building new
construction in Maili, which ranges around $400-$600k, and offers great
little homes up to about 2000ft. This new community, called Sea Country,
has brought in a lot of new blood into Maili, and has really given the
place a face lift. Over time I think the influence of this new community
will bring the rest of the area up a bit.
Also another great secluded area that few people know about is in Makaha,
called Mauna Olu Estates. This gated community has huge custom homes for
under $2million, and most have sweeping ocean views for miles. The homes
are built on at least an acre or so, and this truly feels like a tropical
estate. The golf course that runs through the area offers year round play,
and it rains a lot less out there, so it can be a great place to retire or
just have a vacation getaway. The homes around Mauna Olu Estates are
fantastic and they are new, so this neighborhood is a must see. You will
be shocked that such a neighborhood exists when you are driving through
the run down areas of Waianae.
Most of Waianae is very shabby and looks like it has been forgotten by
time. In fact a lot of it is unsafe and I wouldn't recommend even stopping
there, because there's just nothing to see. There are however beautiful
beaches and beach front homes for much less than you can buy them for on
other parts of the island, so don't forget about Waianae altogether.
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