Oahu - but where in Oahu? For a tourist, Hawaii often means staying within the gates of a
resort,
never seeing the neighborhoods where residents live. So when a person
is transferred here, (usually it's Oahu) often they have no idea where
on Oahu they will live.
Where you choose to live on Oahu will determine a lot about your
lifestyle. Even though Oahu is only about 65 miles across and 111 miles
around the perimeter, each section of the island has it's own
personality and quirks. A demographics study of each zip code can be
found at www.freedemographics.com . Choose carefully where you will, or
you will find yourself stuck somewhere you really don't want to be. The
commute around the island can be brutal, so it's best to talk to a
resident first and find out the best place for you to live.
There are several ways to break down the island, but here's a general
overview from a real estate perspective:
* Town / Metro (Waikiki, downtown,
St. Louis hts, Nuuanu, Manoa, etc) ~ People on Oahu call it "Town."
What they mean is usually the downtown area of Honolulu, the business
districts, and possibly China town. When you arrive at the airport and
start heading toward Damond head (east) you are in town. Town could be
Waikiki, Kaimuki, even Manoa. People who live in Town are called
Townies. Most people who visit Oahu only see Town, the North Shore, and
maybe Hawaii Kai if they go to Hanauma bay.
Living in Town is a lot like living in L.A. It's crowded, sort of
dirty, and there are about 1000 condo buildings everywhere. If you look
around and all you see are high rises, you are in Town.
* Windward side (Kailua, Kaneohe, Laie) ~
To many, the Windward side is paradise within paradise. For this reason
it has some of the most expensive real estate on the island of Oahu.
Some people call it the rainy side, because it seems like it rains
almost every day. Thanks to all that rain, Kailua and Kaneohe (and
Waimanalo) have the most lush, green, forests and mountains on Oahu.
Much of the Windward side looks a lot like Kauai's north shore, with
tall green mountains and thick foliage everywhere you look.
Kailua has recently been updated, which has made the little town
into a very nice place to live. With America's best beach being Kailua
beachpark, it's easy to see why real estate prices here have
skyrocketed well over a million dollars.
Kaneohe has now received a
great upgrade
also. Over the last few years it has been renovated, starting with the
Windward mall, and so the town feels new again. There are some
wonderful homes down near Kaneohe bay, which is a giant body of water
where many sharks like to breed. If you're going to live in Kaneohe,
you need to know that it is a highly military influenced town. That's
because of the huge number of soldiers that live at Kaneohe marine corp
base..
Up beyond Kaneohe is Laie, Ka'aawa (not a typo), Hauula, and a
few other little towns that are very small, and very far from anything.
When I drive through those areas I always wonder where those people
work, because it would take them well over an hour to get into Town.
Buying real estate up here is primarily for people who want a second
home or vacation rental. You could live up there and commute, but why?
* East Oahu (Hawaii Kai, Kahala, Aiana
Haina, Kaimuki) ~ Right after you pass Diamond Head on H1, the scenery
starts to change. That's because just about everything east of Diamond
Head is zoned as residential real estate. That means more homes, less
high rises, less condos, and a more upscale feel to the area. Hawaii
Kai was the first planned community in Hawaii, and it's clear as you
look around that things are more orderly than in Town. The buildings
are nicer, the houses are farther apart than in Town, and the traffic
is lighter.
A lot of people that work in Town live in East Oahu, so sometimes
the morning commute is kind of long, but it's nothing like the commute
from the Ewa side (more later). Starting in Kahala, H1 turns into a
minor 3 lane highway with stoplights. As you drive down the coast, you
see multi million dollar homes perched on Hawaii Loa ridge and Aiana
Haina. I think it's the best part of the island, perhaps because I live
in Hawaii Kai.
Many people moving from the Mainland chose to live in East Oahu,
particularly Hawaii Kai. This is probably because it feels most
familiar to them. The size of homes, the demographics, the layout of
the city - these all add to the familiar feel that mainland transplants
appreciate about Hawaii Kai, Aina Haina, and Kahala. I'll give you a
free tour of Hawaii Kai, as long as you're going to buy a house here :)
Within Hawaii Kai, there are about 20 different neighborhoods,
but the best thing is there is brand new construction in Hawaii Kai -
the only new construction east of town! Hale Alii is a condo building
of luxury condos going up later this year. Also there are 4 other
neighborhoods that have been built in the last 4 years, so if you're
looking for fairly new housing, Hawaii Kai is the place!
* Ewa (Ewa, Kapolei, Makakilo) ~ Ewa is
pronounced E' VA, as in, "there's so much traffic on my morning
commute, it takes fo' Ewa!" People who live in Ewa drive a lot. Even if
they don't drive very far, they are in the car a lot. That's because
there is exactly 1 way out of Ewa into Town, where most of the 50,000
people in Ewa work. But here's the positive side - Ewa, Kapolei, and
Makakilo are the newest developed cities in Oahu, which means the homes
are new, the building and some roads, almost everything is new. So on
an island where everything gets rusted and oxidized by the sea air, the
new housing can be very appealing.
People who live in Ewa typically do so because they want more
house for their money, and they don't mind commuting - or at least they
put up with it every though they mind it. The main problem is, as you
drive into town in the morning, you're driving into the sun. As you
drive home toward Ewa, you drive into the sun. Ewa folks will tell you
that they spend half their life driving into the sun, and you can tell
it's very annoying to them. But, if you want a new house with more
space than you can get in East Oahu or in Town, then move to Ewa.
The average 3 bedroom 2bath house will run you about 25% LESS in
Ewa than in Town or East Oahu. That is why you might want to check it
out. However, make the commute one morning to make sure. Spend the
night in Ewa and drive into town, then drive back to Ewa at 5pm. Wow.
It's brutal. The 15 mile drive can take over an hour.
* Leeward side (Makaha, Nanakuli, Waianae)
~ There is not much to say about the Waianae side. It's a little run
down, the houses are generally not well taken care of, and it's the
longest drive in Hawaii to get from Waianae to town. The only reason to
buy a house in Waianae is that it's dirt cheap and in the winter there
is good surf. Other than that, I say forget it.
* Central (Mililani, Wahiawa) ~
About half way up H2 on the way to the North Shore, you pass through
Wahiawa and Mililani. Mililani is another up and coming town that has a
master plan. As such, it's layout is pretty good, especially in the new
areas. There is old and new Mililani, and of course new Mililani is
nicer because it's new! Housing here and in Wahiawa is a little cheaper
than town, so a lot of people make the commute down. It's very green up
in this area, and the trees remind people of Japan a little bit.
Around Wahiawa and Mililani are dozens of little communities. In
fact there are so many that I don't think anyone could ever keep track
of them all. There are hillside homes, valley homes, flatland homes,
country, city, you name it, it's there. Also, there is a large military
contingent, because of the base right there in the middle of Mililani.
* Pearl City area (Pearlridge, Aiea,
Halawa) ~ If you need to live near Town, but you don't want to live
right in it, Pearl City and the Aiea area are a good alternative. With
housing prices that are a little lower then Kailua and the East side,
there are still great properties for sale here. As you might suspect
it's near Pearl Harbor, and if you can get a home on Halawa Hts or Aiea
Hts, chances are you will have a nice view of the harbor. Some homes
actually have a view all the way to Diamond Head. From Aiea, you can
get a view of both ends of the island, depending on the position of
your house.
The most popular local mall, Pearlridge, is a large center of
shopping, eating, and all kinds of industrial and commercial
businesses. This area has easy access to all the freeways, and is about
as central to Town as anything else. Also, Aloha stadium is here, where
you can enjoy all kinds of events, including a U2 concert in a few
months.
Houses in Aiea and Pearl City are mostly old, but there actually
have been a few homes built in the last 10 years. Also, in the older
neighborhoods people are starting to tear down old homes and rebuild
with new construction. If you can get one of these new rebuilds with a
nice view, I think you'll be very satisfied.
* North Shore (Haleiwa, Sunset, Pupukea) ~
Big waves, 2 lane roads, and multi million dollar houses. Locals will
call this area "country," as in, "I'm giong up country." Or, "the waves
in country are huge!" Life on the North Shore is different than most of
the island. It's a little bit like living in Kauai or the Big Island,
except that you can get to Honolulu Town in about 30 minutes with no
traffic. The famous Pipeline and Waimea Bay bring giant waves in the
winter, and about a million tourists with them.
If you're thinking of living up country, you better not need to
commute. There is nothing to do except surf and enjoy the ocean, or the
country. There are no malls, hardly any stores, no entertainment. The
country side of Oahu is for surfers, local people with local jobs,
vacationers, and retirees. If you can afford a second home on the north
shore, you're one of the lucky ones on earth. It's beauty and
tranquility are second to none. The only problem is that there is a 2
lane road that runs all the way through the country, so if there's big
waves, expect tons of traffic. Living on the North Shore is a little
bit like living in a small town.
Tony Kawaguchi, M.Div., R.A.
REMAX 808 Realty
The best Real Estate office in Hawaii!
808-395-5776 alohatony@gmail.com
