Aloha Friends and Clients!

It feels like the movie Groundhog Day here with constant sunshine, 81-degree temps, gentle trade-winds, and even fewer cars on the roads and people on the beaches. I continue my long-distance swims along the coast with Susan and Noe, which have provided some of the best ocean experiences I’ve had in my 20 years on the Big Island. The sea life is abundant, and the reef seems healthy with no signs of bleaching currently. Thankfully, my “shark fever” has wholly subsided after 3 months of only swimming in the ocean, allowing me to really enjoy the underwater scenery without constant anxiety pangs.

On one of our morning walks through the resort and along the shoreline, I told Lissette that I had often wondered in the past what it would be like to live in our beautiful but isolated location without car traffic or the constant coming and going of tourists and owners. Well, the virus crises has provided a real-world insight, and I can tell you it’s been great but, of course, unsustainable. Island “tourists” have slowed to absolute zero as short term vacation rentals have been banned. On June 16, the Governor is allowing inter-island travel for Kama’aina with no quarantine requirement. Without the STVR ban lifted and most hotels closed, I’m not sure it will make any difference for our tourist-based economy.

Guests from out of State will continue to be subject to a 14-day, in-house quarantine after June 30, Ige has stated. I doubt the STVR ban will be lifted or Hotels opened on our island until the quarantine requirement for out of state visitors is nullified. Additionally, current visitors here with a longer-term vacation rental contract cannot renew. All of these restrictions have sent the few remaining visitors homeward bound or alternatively sent them underground searching for STVR accommodations. We have bumped into plenty of these holdover “guests” desperate not to return to the mainland and for plenty of reasons from what we can tell from the current National news.

The Governor also extended through June 30, the eviction moratorium that prevents evictions from residential dwellings for failure to pay rent. Ige unveiled the reopening and recovery plan for the State of Hawaii — a strategy that conveys the coordinated, statewide approach to jump starting the economy and recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

According to the plan – the State will start to gradually reopen medium-risk businesses and operations beginning in June – assuming the State’s COVID-19 activity remains manageable. The reopening of high-risk businesses and operations will eventually follow, as long as Hawaii’s disease activity continues to stay manageable.

“It is important to act with care by maintaining physical distancing and safe practices throughout the reopening to protect the people of Hawaii’s health and safety. I am committed to making decisions based on data, science, and best practices,” said Ige. Check out my blog post with a downloadable link to the State’s plan presented in a slideshow.

Just Closed Properties in Mauna Lani

I just CLOSED a beautiful, large, three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhome in The Islands at Mauna Lani. Unit P-1’s floor plan features three master-like suites, all with ensuite baths and one with a soaking tub. The selling owner renovated the home’s kitchen and master bath and is provided the property furnished. The Islands at Mauna was initially developed by Tokyu Corporation, which envisioned the communities townhomes surrounded by an extensive network of ponds. Subsequently, the owners removed the ponds leaving dense landscape and a very low-density community for the owners. Read my post for more details, and congratulations to Anne-Marie and Randy!

Just Listed Properties in Mauna Lani

I just listed unit J-107 at The Mauna Lani Point community. This fully renovated (2018) spacious 2-bedroom villa with a great view of the golf course and Mauna Kea-check out the photos. The kitchen includes custom mahogany cabinetry, quartz countertops, and Thermadore appliances. The bathroom addition includes new, porcelain tile floors, luxury plumbing fixtures, cabinets, and hardware. Sold with carefully selected furnishings with few owner exceptions. Check out the photos in my blog for a better understanding of this offering.

Last month, I listed a beautifully furnished four-bedroom, “Honua B/Plan 6” floor plan in Ka Milo at Mauna Lani for $1,099,000. This plan is one of only six built of this four-bedroom plan at KaMilo. Quality features include dual master suites with the additional master bedroom suite upstairs. Enjoy it’s proximity to the best recreation center in the Mauna Lani Resort. This home is being sold turnkey and furnished for vacation rental. 2019 gross vacation rental income was $76,000.00.

This four-bedroom, 3.5 baths, paired-home includes luxury finishes and an open floor plan with dramatic vaulted ceilings. Enjoy the Chef’s kitchen, which includes Thermador appliances and hardwood cabinetry plus granite countertops, and a large island and wine refrigerator. Both guest bedrooms have access to a private courtyard area. The master suites boast individual lanais, a large walk-in closet, dual sink vanity, soaking tub, walk-in shower, and plenty of space. Don’t miss the views toward Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa over a lush greenbelt from the covered lanai. The luxury BBQ affords al fresco dining opportunities. The spacious, two-car garage has plenty of room for storage and vehicle storage. Click here to check out the blog post with photos of this excellent opportunity to buy a rare unit in KaMilo at Mauna Lani.

My Kulalani at Mauna Lani #1902 listing is one of the best values in condominium ownership within the Mauna Lani Resort for $899k. The home offers a buyer a fully furnished/turnkey unit with a successful vacation rental history. The floor plan offers over 2000 square feet of fabulous open and private, luxury living with great garden views. This unit’s location is within a 4-plex building that offers spacious 2-car garages. The first entry experience includes a private courtyard that leads into a two-story foyer that features a spiral staircase. This light-filled space from the upper floor, clear-story windows pierces the lower level living and dining rooms.

Nohea at Mauna Lani

Nohea, lots 21, 25, and 29 at Nohea at Mauna Lani are finished and furnished. Nohea is adjacent to the newly renovated Auberge Hotel and Bungalows that just spent $200 million on renovations. All three homes feature luxury finishes, including interior cabinetry, elaborate hardwood trim, hardwood floors, and hand troweled, Old World, stucco exteriors. These homes start at $2.95m and come furnished with luxury appointments from Restoration Hardware. All three villas are ready to occupy by yourself or vacation rent. Additional custom features include elaborate, ceiling trims that involve extensive, decorative fretwork on a grasscloth background-check out the photos. The landscape consists of grass and basalt paver driveways that provide a soft scape entrance.

These homes “not condominiums” are resort quality with four bedrooms and four full bathrooms. The amenities include a Chef’s kitchens featuring Wolf and Subzero appliances, saltwater pools and spas, and plenty of hardwood trim and other luxury extras to make this an incredible place to come home to in “paradise.” Nohea is pet-friendly and allows vacation rental. Coupled with Nohea’s beautiful recreation center and exercise hale, the community is second to none within the Mauna Lani Resort and Kohala Coast. Give me a call to schedule a tour soon.

Don’t miss my re-sale listing in Nohea at Mauna Lani #10. It’s a golf course front and features a tropical, Arts and Crafts, modern style, and features a sizable solar system. Lissette and I were part of the design team when this fabulous show home was conceived and built-in 2011. It’s now available from the original owner and sold furnished and ready for a new owner and luxury vacation rental if desired. The owner has offered it for vacation rental successfully with gross income in 2018 and 2019 of $184k+.

The exterior facade features stacked stone, old world stucco, cedar lap siding, copper gutters, and an authentic slate roof. The interior features Syrian, shell infused limestone floors, mahogany trim, doors and cabinetry, and hand plastered walls to match the exterior stucco. Extensive mahogany trim, doors, and cabinetry installed throughout the house. A custom, SONOS sound system streams music in all interior and exterior spaces. There are 4-zoned air conditioning systems that provide efficient cooling of the separate areas. Call me to schedule a viewing before this one gets away. It’s offered for $3.895m.

I recently produced several videos highlighting the unique features of our Nohea at Mauna Lani homes and shared them on my blog. One post illustrates the Zoom-Room beds featured in our 4th bedroom/Media Room, complete with a full bathroom. The other post features a slideshow demonstrating features of the Tuuci Umbrellas or shade structures that include built-in LED lights. This high tech solution for adding partial or full shade solves the problem of too much or too little sunlight when necessary. The umbrellas installed at Nohea lot 29 are 10′ x 14′ and can be opened or closed as needed. Check out my blog for more information, videos, and a slideshow that illustrate these very unique, luxury features.

Needed Properties For Sale

I have clients looking to add the 4th property in the Mauna Lani Resort. If you are a Villages at Mauna Lani or Mauna Lani Point or Terraces owner and your property is not listed, give me a call to discuss selling as I have a very interested buyer! My buyer clients all believe the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel reopening as an Auberge branded “boutique” destination with $200m in renovations completed and reopened in November of 2019, with fewer rooms and higher room rates is a “plus” for the resort. I would also mention that homes priced very near to the last sale of the same unit type with allowances made for views and condition relative to the previous “sold”-still sell very quickly. Properties priced 10-20% more than the prior sale will “sit” on the market for sometimes years and ultimately sell for far less than if they were priced correctly from the start.

Thanks for reading my Newsletter.  We wish everyone the best and know the current virus situation is improving in most parts of the country which will boost our economy as States reduce restrictions and tourists are allowed to travel to Hawaii.

Written by Rick Oliver on June 8, 2020
Posted in: Newsletter | Tags: June 2020