Big Island Real Estate Market News

September is traditionally our slowest month in real estate; the families have returned home for the school year and our winter visitors have not yet grown tired of the colder climates. October heats up again with the return of visitors to watch or participate in the Ironman.

Interest rates have remained low in spite of the recent rate hikes, and prices, while continuing to rise, are not increasing as rapidly as we saw in the last six months. There are some very nice homes available in the range from 400K to 900K. We are still seeing homes at the lower end of that range snapped up in record time and often receiving multiple offers.

Homes in the popular Palisades neighborhood are now running from the high 400’s to the mid 600’s. Waikoloa Village is following along with homes from the high 300’s to the high 600’s. Kahakai homes are now running from the 600’s on up to the mid 800’s. Kona Vistas, Komohana, and Kilohana prices average from the 700’s to around 900K. Other neighborhoods have jumped as well. If you were lucky enough to have purchased a home at least a year ago, you have seen a very substantial growth in your equity.

Beach Sixty-Nine

This great beach is located off of mile marker 69 of the Queen K as it runs up the Kohala Coast. The charm lies in its undeveloped and natural appearance. Scattered groves of trees give welcome shade and there is plenty of white sand for sunning. The trees promote a feeling of privacy, allowing one to feel they have found their own little bit of paradise even when there are many other beachgoers present. The ocean is a beautiful turquoise with a sandy bottom. There are a few colorful fish near the rocks, but snorkeling was limited in the cove where we spent a couple of afternoons recently.

This is the only beach where dogs are allowed, so we took our two golden retrievers, Griffey and Ruby, to visit. It was their first time to see the ocean up close and personal. For Ruby, it was a bit too personal. She got her paws wet, but was unwilling to venture any farther out, preferring to sit in the shade on her towel and sample the picnic lunch. Griffey was more interested in adventure and charged right into the waves. Of course, he is never one to miss a picnic, so both dogs ended up spending more time relaxing on the sand than in the water. Another dog was actually surfing on a boogie board and a beautiful golden retriever was showing our dogs how it’s done when he repeatedly swam a good distance from shore to retrieve his special water toy.

Now when we are ready to go somewhere, both dogs are most anxious to join us in hope that another beach adventure (and picnic) are planned.

Griffey smiling at the beach.

Beach Sixty-Nine