Tony Kawaguchi, M.Div., R.A.
REMAX 808 Realty
The best Real Estate office in Hawaii!
808-395-5776
alohatony@gmail.com
Enchanted Lake
A loop around a man made lake
In the heart of Kailua lies the largest housing tract on the Windward side of Oahu, Enchanted Lake. Built in the 70's, it's a winding tract of homes that creates a loop around a man made lake. There are a lot of nice homes that have been updated, remodeled, and turned into something nice to look at, but many of the homes in this area are ugly run down shacks. By the way, remember it's a singular "Enchanted Lake," not "lakes."
The original builder decided that single wall construction was good enough for everyone, so all the original houses have a similar feel. While many people from the mainland haven't seen single wall construction before, in Hawaii, and especially in Kailua, it was very common in the 70's. The wood used in single wall construction gets really hot, and you can feel the heat radiating through it. Nowadays, every home is built double wall with plenty of insulation to keep us cool.
Most of the houses in Enchanted Lake are not on the lake at all, so many people never see it except from up on the street overlooking the area. But the homes on the lake offer a great view of the water and are usually very nice. For about a million dollars, you can have a great lake house, but you can't swim in the lake or have a powered boat. You can kayak, fish, and stare at the lake, which is still really nice.
Enchanted Lake can feel a little run down in some areas, while others can be very nice. It's sort of hit and miss, depending on your neighbors. One street might have nice manicured lawns and beautiful upgraded homes, and the next street over might have a house with 5 cars parked in the lawn, 2 of which don't run.
Overall I think it's a nice place to live and I've heard great things about the elementary school there. Actually before I moved to Hawaii Kai and then to Aina Haina, I lived in Kailua for a little while. Beautiful little town, great beaches, nice mellow people. Living in Kailua is wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone. There are cheaper places in Kailua, like Coconut Grove, and more expensive place, like Kalama or Beachside. I would say Enchanted Lake is right in the middle.
