Brand New Townhouse in Hawaii for $405k!

I currently have this townhouse in escrow. It was listed for $405k, with 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths, built in 2006. It's beautiful, and located in newly built ocean pointe, a great community in Ewa Beach. Just to compare, that same $405k would get you a 1 bedroom condo of 900sqft in Hawaii Kai. Money goes a long way in Ewa Beach.

This townhouse has a beautiful view of the mountains, and a nice little private yard. Who would have thought you could get so much, so new, in Hawaii? This is exactly why so many people have moved over to the Ewa Beach and Kapolei areas. Sure there is more traffic, but the home you get to after the traffic is just so much newer, nicer, bigger, everything-er.

Mariner's ridge - hilltop Oahu real estate

I frequently get requests for ocean view homes under about $1million. In Hawaii Kai you can get a beautiful ocean view up on a ridge called Mariner's Ridge. It's right in the center of Hawaii Kai, and has great views that look like this:

With homes built mostly in the 70's and 80's, many of the properties are getting to that point where they need a total renovation, but many of them have had a nice reno already done, and those tend to go for just over one million.

Just below Mariner's ridge is (as you would expect) Mariner's valley, which has both homes and townhomes. The nice thing, or maybe that bad thing, depending on your perspective, about Mariner's Ridge is that it has only 1 way in and out, so you don't get any through traffic. If someone is up there, they probably live there. In that sense it may feel safe for people to live there.

Recently I've noticed a few of the homes slipping on the hillside, so you really have to choose your lot carefully. If you notice the house lower on one side, or on the edges of the property, watch out!

Mariner's ridge offers views of the Hawaii Kai marina and the ocean almost all the way to Diamond Head from many of the lots. Some of the well situated homes can see the sun actually setting into the ocean or over Diamond Head, rather than just the sunset in the sky.

When Mariner's ridge was built, it was meant to be an upscale neighborhood compared to the rest of Hawaii Kai, so the homes are double wall construction, with larger lots, and with more interior square footage than the rest of the homes built in that time. Most of the homes are over 2000sqft, and up to about 3000sqft on the larger homes. Compare that to Koko Head Terrace, where most of the homes were about 1200sqft when they were built.

If you would like a wonderful ocean view and an older home, especially if you like to do renovation, then consider Mariner's Ridge. You can search just that neighborhood on my Hawaii real estate search page.

Oahu's hidden tropical paradise - Maunawili, Kailua

When you're driving from Honolulu up to Kailua, just before you arrive you'll see some streets that seem to go off into the mountains above Kailua. That's the entrance to Maunawili, a hidden tropical neighborhood that is everything you would imagine from old Hawaii. The peaceful hills and valleys in Maunawili are lined with mature trees, and the homes seem to just barely peek

out from behind the lush landscape.

There is a broad range of small homes to large estates, many with beautiful views that look like this. From some places in Maunawili you can even see Luana hills golf course.

When people who don't yet live here think of living in Hawaii, they probably picture something that looks like Maunawili. Large green mountains, lush foliage, palm trees everywhere, houses nestled within the hills but only as an accent to the beautiful scenery.

Homes here aren't cheap, starting at about $800k for a decent home, and well over $1million for a nice renovated home. For something to be nice in Maunawili, it would most likely be renovated, since there hasn't been new construction here for many years.

The great thing about Maunawili is that it's just 10 minutes from Kailua beach, 20 minutes from downtown Honolulu, and perched high enough above it all to feel totally secluded. You can get to everything quickly, but you get away from everything even quicker.

It's probably not the type of place you would find without knowing about it, mostly due to the fact that there are only a couple streets in, and no signs that say Maunawili anywhere. But if you're looking for a beautiful tropical setting to live in, this is the place. Just bring about $1million.