Hawi Oceanfront Acreage With Four Homes

I routinely scoff at words like “rare” and “unique” in a real estate listing. A new oceanfront listing on the west-facing side of Hawi, North Kohala, just outside of the Puakea Bay Ranch subdivision, is truly one of a kind, although the listing sticks to the facts and does not describe it in superlatives. But I will say it is rare and unique. This property on Old Coast Guard Road has no close neighbors, four homes on 17 acres, a storied history, and belongs among our featured conservation and legacy lands listings.

View from one of the four homes at Honoipo Landing. The property has two fully renovated duplexes, each of the four homes containing 3 bedrooms/2 baths…this close to the ocean.

Four Homes on 17-Acre Parcel near Hawi, North Kohala – An Oceanfront Family Compound

The property includes four 3 bed/2bath homes configured as two duplexes. Each pair is joined by adjacent garages. This shows one set of homes.

• 17.55-acre oceanfront parcel. The homes are located on the portion closest to the ocean.
• Two duplex units, joined by garages with a shared wall for privacy.
• Each of the four homes has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and an estimated 1,825 sq ft, for a total of 12 beds and 8 baths.
• Completely renovated, inside and out.

There are a lot of complexities here, including permit history and public shoreline access requirements. Note that qualified buyers may view an extensive disclosure package.

The asking price is $7,490,000. Are their comparable sales to use? Shrug emoji. Itʻs an art not a science when it comes to valuing unique properties. Land value alone, based on most recent oceanfront sales to the County or other entities for conservation, would put the land value somewhere around $2.5 million. Median sales price for the most recent year of sales of oceanfront Puako homes was $5.7 million for a 4 bedroom home on a 13,678 sqft lot.

History of the Honoipu Landing – Old Coast Guard Road Property

BBQ in this pavilion with a view of sunset and Maui across the Channel – the listing shows how amazing it looks at night. And imagine the stars with no light pollution!

The old name for this location is Honoipu – “honoipu” meaning “gourd bay.” It was a landing for canoes, and a surf spot. During the prime of the sugar plantations in Kohala, ships would dock at the private Honoipu Landing, an alternative to the larger Mahukona harbor. The first Puerto Rican laborers for the plantations arrived at Honoipu. There was once a general store, warehouses, and lumberyard. Old timers fondly recall fishing and diving in its shallow reefs.

The parcel “mauka” or above this oceanfront property is owned by the federal government, and the property north of it is owned by the State Department of Hawaiian Homelands. Walking along the coast on the Ala Kahakai National Historical Trail would take you to the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument, including Moʻokini Heiʻau and the Kamehameha I Birthplace.

The current homes were originally built as Coast Guard Housing for the nearby Loran station which closed in 1992. Parker Ranch sold the property as vacant land in 2018, believing that most prospective buyers would simply demolish the homes due to their condition and the asbestos removal and remediation required. There were other encroachment and title issues to be solved. The current owner who bought in 2018 admired the classic midcentury lines of the two duplexes and chose instead to remediate and update the structures.

Again, buyer to do their own due diligence on all these factors. I can advise on conservation and access considerations. Also note that the road from Akoni Pule Highway to the property is in the process of being transferred from federal to county ownership.

IMHO, this special place will require a special buyer with special sensitivities. If you are interested, letʻs talk it through.