Ewa Beach Real Estate | Affordable Cottage in Ewa Villages

OAHU REAL ESTATE - JUST LISTED IN EWA BEACH! $450,000 FS - SALE PENDING!

91-1668 Elemakule Place Ewa Beach  - FIRST OPEN Sunday October 16, 2016 2-5pm
2 BR - 2 BA - 919 sq ft, 3,569 sq ft lot. 

This adorable and affordable Ewa Beach cottage is not to be missed! Located in historic Ewa Villages, this is a newer construction home (built in 1996) but follows the same charming design standards. This Ewa Beach home has a fenced yard with many flowering plants.

 This home is in a small cul-de-sac and is very near several large parks. Shopping, schools, and many golf courses are also nearby. Ewa Beach Park is a 5 mile drive.  Koolina beaches and resorts are 8 miles away. 

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Oahu Real Estate | Sold Homes in Kaimuki, Honolulu

The fourth quarter of 2014 was busy for Home Shoppe Hawaii and two of the homes we sold were in the Kaimuki neighborhood of Honolulu.

The first was a CPR home, built in 1939 and located at 1010A 8th Ave in Kaimuki, Honolulu. This was a gracious old plantation-style home with a daylight basement, with a total of 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. This Honolulu home was in need of some upgrades, but was otherwise solid and presented a good opportunity for extra income, since the basement featured a separate entrance, as well as a wet bar. This home was listed by Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn (B), and sold for $810,000 FS (with multiple offers) on 12/14/14.

The second Kaimuki home was located just down the street from the first at 1009 2nd Ave in Kaimuki, Honolulu. This was a cute old 1934 cottage with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. This home also was in need of a rehab, but had very little structural damage for a home of its age. The Buyers of this home were represented by Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn (B). This home was listed for $730,000 FS and sold for $680,000 FS on 11/21/14.

If you would like more information about either of these homes in Kaimuki or if you would like to purchase or sell any home in Honolulu, please don’t hesitate to contact Home Shoppe Hawaii at 808-721-8088. 

Honolulu Real Estate | Just Listed: Historic Kaimuki Bungalow w Basement Apartment

This is a fabulous new listing in the bustling and desirable Kaimuki neighborhood of Honolulu. This charming 1939 Kaimuki bungalow features a total of 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. There is an upper level home and a lower level daylight basement apartment (with separate entrance) in this dwelling, making it a great home for those who want lots or space, extra income, or a profitable investment property. All square footage is permitted.

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Kailua Real Estate | Lanikai Beach Home Sold $1,650,000 FS

Right now, all great beach homes in Lanikai or elsewhere are in high demand. It used to be easier to find a home relatively near the beach for under $1.5M. Now it is rare to find anything within a block of the beach for under $1.8, unless it is on the other side (Mauka) of Kalaheo Avenue.  

My clients were overjoyed when we found this great Lanikai beach house listed at $1.5M. Because there was a lot of interest and multiple offers, the property sold for $1.65 in just the first few days on the market. Some of the things that make this home near Lanikai Beach awesome are its huge, over 14,000 sq ft, lot; the two giant monekypod trees that shade and beautify the yard, and the awesome gourmet kitchen.

This Kailua beach cottage was originally built in 1928, but has undergone several additions and even includes a separate cottage. With 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, and over 2300 sq ft, exclusive of the cottage, there is plenty of room to spread out.

If you are looking in Lanikai for the perfect home, or anywhere in the beachfront Kailua neighborhood, please contact Home Shoppe Hawaii. We’d be happy to help!

~ Aloha

LANIKAI HOME FOR RENT | Rare 3BR/2BA Historic Oceanfront Lanikai Beach House for Rent

Looking for the best view on Oahu? Home Shoppe Hawaii was recently selected to manage this exclusive 1920’s era oceanfront rental home in Lanikai, Kailua.  With availability beginning mid-September, the fully-furnished Lanikai Beach property is available to rent short term - monthly, or long term - up to six (6) months (and month to month thereafter).

This Lanikai home for rent, originally built in 1926, offers three full bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, covered entry lanai and spacious outdoor living space.

Sweeping ocean views — Kailua Bay to the Mokuluas and beyond. Photo by Cynthia Haws.

With nearly 1,500 square feet of interior living space, this Lanikai rental home features high ceilings, wood floors, and period architectural decor. One hundred linear feet of ocean frontage provides sweeping views of Kailua Bay, Flat Island, the Mokuluas and beyond. And sandy Lanikai Beach, the prettiest beach on the island of Oahu, is just a short walk away.

This Lanikai oceanfront property also features a 14,000 square foot fully landscaped and fenced yard, providing privacy and plenty of room to pitch a volleyball net.  A detached two-car garage in addition to long gated drive-way provides ample parking.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to rent a fully-furnished oceanfront home in the highly coveted Windward Oahu neighborhood of Lanikai, in Kailua.  

TERMS: $7,200/month, $7,200 deposit. Month to month, or up to six month lease. Fully furnished. Tenant will be billed for utilities (electricity and TV/Internet).  Landscaping and water provided.  Security deposit due at rental agreement signing. Available mid-September. 

Kailua Real Estate | Historic Kailua Properties on Hawaii Historical Register

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love old, historic homes. I thought I would list for you the historic Kailua real estate and other Windward historic homes that are dedicated to public interest and preservation. Except, as noted, these Kailua homes are on the State Register of Historic Places and are allowed a drastically reduced property tax, provided that the homes (exterior) are open to public viewing.  If the homes are not easily seen from the public right of way, they are subject to Alternate Visual Visitation (AVV) on the second Saturday of every month, where the owners must afford the public an opportunity for viewing the homes (i.e., open the gates, allow a drive up the private road, etc.)

PLEASE NOTE:
THESE KAILUA HISTORIC HOMES ARE NOT CURRENTLY FOR SALE
(See what IS for sale in Kailua)

1548 Mokulua Drive (AVV) (Lanikai, Kailua Real Estate)

1548 Mokulua Drive in Kailua, Home on the Historic Register

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The Diamond Head Estate of Doris Duke | Honolulu Real Estate

A few days ago, I visited the home of Doris Duke (1912-1993) who was, at one time, one of the wealthiest women in the world. Doris Duke first visited Hawaii (along with various Muslim countries) on her honeymoon in 1935 and like many others, fell in love with our wonderful islands and decided to stay, at least seasonally.

Diamond Head Estate of Doris Duke - View

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Honolulu Real Estate | Kaimuki Historic Homes

I was recently interviewed for a This Old House article on historic Oahu homes. They are doing a 2013 feature on best Historic Home Neighborhoods nationwide and this year, for Oahu, they are featuring the Kaimuki neighborhood.  For the article, I went out and took some photos (see below) of some great looking old Kaimuki homes and landmarks. Some are on the Hawaii and National Historic Register and others were just cute.  Overall, this is a good sampling of homes you might see in Kaimuki, though these are some of the ones in nicer condition.

Historic Kaimuki Home (not for sale)

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JUST SOLD - Charming Historic Kapahulu Home in Honolulu

Home Shoppe Hawaii closed on this lovely property in Kapahulu today. Kapahulu is one of the most desired areas in Honolulu, for its relative affordability, kama’aina character, and great proximity to the beautiful Honolulu beaches of Waikiki. Kapahulu Honolulu real estate also affords its residents great views and recreational activities.

This home is 3 Bedrooms 1 Bath and 978 square feet. It is situated on a 4,625 square foot lot. The sale price was $745,000 Fee Simple.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn at 808-721-8088.

MORE ABOUT HONOLULU REAL ESTATE IN THE KAPAHULU NEIGHBORHOOD OF HONOLULU.

Oahu Historic Homes Get Big Tax Breaks if Public Dedication Requirements are Met

Owners of historic homes in Honolulu and other areas of Oahu are fortunate, not only to own a piece of history, but to be eligible for a real property tax break, as well. The law in City & County of Honolulu (Oahu) currently allows owners of historic homes who apply for a Public Dedicaton Exemption to pay a flat $300 per year in property tax, often saving the homeowners thousands of dollars a year. The law that allowed reduction of the real property tax on these Honolulu historic homes was enacted in the 1980’s, under Mayor Frank Fasi, in an effort to enable owners of Oahu historic homes to have sufficient extra funds to help preserve and maintain the historic homes in the public interest. The public interest of this law is the ability of the public to view and appreciate such homes, memorializing history by providing a record of time, place and use, and to preserve the character and good repair of neighborhoods, protecting property values.

Historic Charles Dickey Designed Home on Oahu

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Buying An Older or Historic Oahu Home in East Oahu

Mainland home buyers are often a bit surprised at the quality and condition of real estate when they come to Hawaii to look for real estate. This is particularly true when you are looking at older homes, in the more popular areas of East Oahu (Metropolitan Honolulu, Diamondhead, & Kailua, under about $1M or even up to $2M, if within a block or so of the beach or with excellent views.

Older homes, when beautifully remodeled, are very desirable and people will pay a premium for them. I love old homes, having lived in San Francisco and Portland, OR for many years. The charm of these is unmatchable. However, even original or partially-remodeled older homes, depending upon the location, will be very expensive by most mainland standards. Here, most of the home’s value will be in the land and location will be key.

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Hawaii Legislature Overturns Special Requirements for Remodeling 50 Year Old Homes

Many Hawaii homeowners and realtors were dismayed last year when we heard about the new requirement for remodeling or tearing down properties 50 or more years old. Under this law, Act 228 of the 2008 Legislative Session, owners wishing to tear down or remodel such a structure, had to provide photographs of their property to the State Historic Preservation Division prior to being issued a building permit. There was no distinction made as to the condition or stuctural integrity of the building, or any other factor, other than age. On the East side of Oahu, this affected many, many people, as most homes here are at or rapidly approaching the age that would be covered under the law.

As you can imagine, many problems and criticisms arose from the law, including imposing an unfair burden on homeowners in getting and paying for these pictures and, of course, further delays in getting permits. This law was not meant to create a bottleneck, or even prevent destruction of historical properties, but rather just a way to preserve history through pictures. However, it made an already cumbersome permit process a bit more cumbersome.

Governor Lingle, has apparently agreed with the critics of Act 228, and effective April 14, 2009, repealed this law. She stated,” Act 228 further impeded the issuance of building permits at a time when we should be doing all we can to facilitate construction activity in order to stimulate the economy and create jobs.” Thank you, Governor Lingle, but I have to wonder — why do some of these laws get passed in the first place?

Law Affecting Remodel & Tear-Down of Historic & Older Homes

Many Hawaii homeowners and realtors were dismayed last year when we heard about the new requirement for remodeling or tearing down properties 50 or more years old. Under this law, Act 228 of the 2008 Legislative Session, owners wishing to tear down or remodel such a structure, had to provide photographs of their property to the State Historic Preservation Division prior to being issued a building permit. There was no distinction made as to the condition or stuctural integrity of the building, or any other factor, other than age. On the East side of Oahu, this affected many, many people, as most homes here are at or rapidly approaching the age that would be covered under the law.

As you can imagine, many problems and criticisms arose from the law, including imposing an unfair burden on homeowners in getting and paying for these pictures and, of course, further delays in getting permits. This law was not meant to create a bottleneck, or even prevent destruction of historical properties, but rather just a way to preserve history through pictures. However, it made an already cumbersome permit process a bit more cumbersome.

Governor Lingle, has apparently agreed with the critics of Act 228, and effective April 14, 2009, repealed this law. She stated,” Act 228 further impeded the issuance of building permits at a time when we should be doing all we can to facilitate construction activity in order to stimulate the economy and create jobs.” Thank you, Governor Lingle, but I have to wonder — why do some of these laws get passed in the first place?