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There is no drought in Kauai this
summer. I am sure that it is widely
known that Kauai had an overabundance of rain this
winter and spring.
Residents and tourists had complained
about the rainy weather until April 14/15 when Kauai found out what too much rain
really was. In a twenty-four-hour period, record rain fell accompanied by
prolonged thunder and lightning. Gauges in Waipa in the Hanalei
Valley recorded 49.69 inches. The roads at the one-way bridges north of
Hanalei were washed out. This stranded residents and tourists all the
way to the end of the island. They were evacuated by
boat and helicopter if they chose. Many stayed, and
neighbors, tourists, and strangers helped those impacted
to clean up as much of the damage as they could. The Opakapaka Grill and the Hanalei Colony Resort
coordinated their efforts to feed, house, and provide
medical facilities. They were and continue to be
essential to the health and well-being of people in
need.
An example of resiliency and cooperation
was that three days after the Hanalei schools reopened,
a satellite school was set up at the Hanalei Colony
Resort to enable more than 30 students from Hanalei Elementary and Kapaa High to complete the school year on
time. The Kauai Relief and Recovery Fund at the Hawaii Community
Foundation was created and has exceeded more than $1.5 million in
donations.
The temporary repair north of Hanalei is
still limited to residents and workers, but the rest of the Northshore is open.
The rains also affected construction and
any other outdoor projects. The new Kilauea shopping center lost over 140 workdays
during the winter/spring. No date is set for the grand opening. The
new urgent care center in Princeville, on the other hand, is up and
running on schedule providing much needed medical services to the
community. The volcano eruption continues. The geographical lesson
that we have found hard to convey is that we live IN Hawaii but not
ON the island of Hawaii. Following Mother Nature’s imprint, there has
been some downturn of tourists to the Big Island, but the effect
on the rest of the state has been negligible. Moreover, Southwest Airlines
has announced that it will be serving Hawaii (including Lihue)
non-stop from California airports and will also be offering interisland flights.
The president of Hawaiian Airlines said that we might have a fare war if
the latter development prevails. Watch for this new service late
this year or in early 2019.
Real Estate sales, prices continue to
rise on Kauai. The median price of a single-family home
on our island was $752,000 in June a 7% increase over
2017. Condo median prices were up 17% to $599,000 island
wide.
Several new ventures have been
announced. The North Shore Preserve has been given
approval to market 17 new lots to the north and east of
the Prince golf course. Lot sizes will vary between 2
and 7 acres and most will have spectacular views as well
as beach access. When you are visiting the North Shore,
call and I will arrange a tour. Makahuena Estates, a 13 acre parcel of oceanfront land
along the Poipu Beach coastline, will be the first newly
constructed oceanfront subdivision offered for sale in that area in 68 years.
The project will feature 10 luxury single family homes and will have an
accessible beach path for the public.
Properties in the Visitor Destination
Areas of Poipu, Princeville and the Coconut Coast, of course, have the higher sales prices.
Many purchasers in the VDA’s do put their properties in
rental programs to offset expenses. I have several listings that return $80
to $100 thousand in rental income with owners using the property
up to four months a year. I have also have assisted sellers who own
in Princeville II where the covenants allow minimal
rentals of one month. There are several exceptional buys in this newer Princeville area
and an expanding market for seasonal and monthly rentals. Find
a great travel buy and come out to Kauai in the coming
year. I would look forward to “talking story” with you
and show you what Kauai has to offer. Call me at (808)
652-2984 or e-mail me at
joe@joewilliamshawaii.com. My website www.joewilliamshawaii.com can be used to search
the Kauai MLS at your own convenience.
Mahalo,
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