Big Island Properties with Horse Facilities

The Fifth Annual Hawaii Horse Expo kicks off this weekend, August 11-12, 2012, and it’s got me thinking about Big Island properties for sale that have their own barn and arena.

While lots of people keep a few horses on their acreage, and equestrian communities such as Puu Lani Ranch near Kailua-Kona and Waikii Ranch near Waimea (Kamuela) have central facilities, there are surprisingly few homes on the market that are already set up for the more serious horse enthusiast. Here are a few current listings of horse-ready homes for sale, ranging in price from $399,000 to $8 million.

Arena and stalls at Puu Lani Ranch are shared facilities; owners cannot keep their horses at home

Affordable Horse Property in Pahoa, Puna

The East side of the Big Island has a surprisingly active horse community, with cattle ranches, 4-H clubs, events at the county-owned Panaewa equestrian facility, and strong competitors in both English and Western riding disciplines. Property is also more affordable than it is near Kona or upcountry Waimea (Kamuela).

The best deal on the Big Island for a home on acreage with horse barn and arena is 10 minutes from Pahoa town (MLS# 251794). Offered for only $399,000, it includes a home with separate apartment (a total of 4 bedrooms and 3-1/2 baths) on 4.79 acres.

For your horses, there are paddocks, round pen, arena, and four covered stalls – plus riding trails nearby. The property has a variety of fruit trees and ample rainfall for both pastures and gardens. The sellers would also consider owner-financing or rent-option!

Hamakua Coast – 20 acres, 8 stalls (and ocean view home)

Moving north of Hilo to Hakalau, at an asking price of $2,200,000, you’ll find a gentleman’s ranch: a 3-year old 2 bedroom/2-1/2 bath ocean view home on almost 21 acres with an eight-stall barn (MLS# 251681).

In a location like this, 20 acres is plenty for a small ranch. The current owner has cattle and sheep grazing. Work the livestock yourself, or hire a ranch hand to live in the barn’s caretaker apartment.

There are also larger ranch properties for sale in this price range on the Hamakua coast. Check out my previous blog post on working cattle ranches or give me a call to discuss your needs.

Waikii Ranch – Common Facilities, Backyard Horses

Unlike Puu Lani Ranch which has central stables and smaller (1 acre-ish) lots for homes only, the parcels at Waikii Ranch range from 10 to 40 acres and owners keep their horses at home.

For some horse owners, that’s the best of both worlds, to have shared arena and polo field and miles of trails, but enough land for a barn and round pen or arena of your own. That probably explains why about a third of Waikii Ranch homeowners have horses.

Among the homes currently for sale at Waikii Ranch, some are already set up for horses:

• (MLS# 251301) listed for $1,275,000 has a 3 bedroom ocean view home with contemporary design, and a 1,600 sq. ft. stable with 2 stalls and an apartment. My business partner, Pam Deery, is a design junkie and she wrote about the home in a blog post about her favorites at Waikii Ranch.
• (MLS# 255628) listed for $1,490,000 has over 5,000 sq. ft. of living space…and a barn with 4 stalls and turnout. This property sold in 2009 and has been remodeled, but it is newly back on the market and I’ve not seen it yet to provide details of what’s been done.
• (MLS# 230699) gets a lot of attention on our website, thanks to a $10,500,001 price reduction. That’s not a typo…now listed at $7,999,999, this equestrian estate on 53 acres has no rivals on the Big Island in the quality of its facilities for the serious horse breeder. The property has been on the market for around 3 years, but that’s not because it has some fatal flaw. It just would be a waste for a buyer without appreciation for its extensive facilities: a 9,087 sq. ft. seven stall stable, a covered riding arena, lighted for use at night, and a 3,480 sq. ft. tractor barn.

Breed and train performance horses in these well-equipped facilities

Upcountry Waimea (Kamuela) Leasehold Ranch

Local team ropers prepare for national competition in the arena at Hale Kea Ranch, a 39.6 acre working cattle ranch (MLS# 253721) technically owned by the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust. This is a leasehold property, meaning that all the improvements (4 bedroom home, roping arena, covered stalls, barn, orchards) are for sale, but the underlying land is only leased (the lease expires in 2059).

USTRC Team Roping Championships are also taking place this weekend at the Hale Kea arena in Kamuela

This is a property with income potential: the current owner would like to rent back the office building and storage below…and the ranch hand, who has been there for 25+ years, would probably like to stay on in some capacity. Offered for $2,500,000, there are many possibilities for a new owner, depending on their interests.

A hui hou,

Beth Thoma Robinson, R(B)
Direct: 808.443.4588    
Email: Beth@HawaiiLife.com