Honolulu Condos

Waikiki Beach To Be Repaired By Offshore Sand Deposits

State officials have said they plan to restore a portion of Waikiki Beach by taking loads of sand from nearby shoals. The most popular beach in Hawaii - and maybe the world, will be undergoing an estimated $2.5 million makeover that would widen the 1,700-foot-long beach by about 37 feet between the Royal Hawaiian Hotel concrete groin and the Kuhio Beach crib wall.

The project - which is in the process of being permitted, would start in January or February of 2011 and would widen restore the beach back to what it was in 1985. This project will also open the door for the state to take care of Waikiki Beach and other beaches using this same process.

Another beach that could desperately use help is Kailua Beach, which has been eroded severely over the past several years by both weather and people. Kailua Beach was a consistent top ten finisher in the most beautiful beaches in the nation surveys until all the erosion started happening.

Either way, this is a welcome site - not only for tourists, but for locals who are afraid that all of the foot traffic will eventually destroy all of Waikiki Beach.

Goodbye to Waikiki's International Market Place. Hello, upscale mall.

The Market Place still stands. But its days are numbered.

Last year, it was reported that the landowner-Queen Emma Land Co.-was taking proposals for developing the Market Place's 6.48 acres in the heart of Waikiki. They expected to be done in several months.

It took longer, but last week Queen Emma Land signed an agreement with Taubman Centers.  Taubman is a Bloomfield Hills, Mich., company that develops, owns and operates high-end malls across the country. For instance, they own Beverly Center in Los Angeles, the Short Hills Mall in New Jersey and Fair Oaks Mall in Virginia.

Taubman is not saying much about the agreement except it "will evaluate the market feasibility of developing the current International Market Place, as well as conduct more in-depth due diligence into physical and regulatory requirements as next steps before moving forward."

OK. What does that mean?

A major Hawai‘i project like redeveloping the Market Place will require jumping a fair number of regulatory hurdles-public input, environmental impact statements, approval from the Waikiki Special Design District and so forth. So Taubman's commitment is tentative.

"This is a step, perhaps not a final step, toward redeveloping the Market Place," says  Queen Emma Land's Les Goya. "We're still in a fluid period, but this agreement with Taubman finally moves us forward toward getting it done."

Don't expect the Market Place to disappear overnight. Hawaii projects of this magnitude move forward at glacial speed.

However, Taubman already has a financing partner, San Francisco-based real estate investment firm CoastWood Capital Group.

Should all go well, Taubman will take a long-term ground lease on the property and proceed with redevelopment. Says Taubman vice-president, Stephen Kieras, "This popular area will be revitalized with destination retail and dining for tourists and residents alike." 

In other words, the Market Place is likely to become an upscale mall.

The mall-ing of the Market Place will no doubt bring dismay to many who have happy memories of the place, its colorful jumble of kiosks and souvenir shops.

However, there are many in Hawai‘i who feel the prime Waikiki real estate occupied by the aging Market Place cries out for redevelopment. The Queen Emma Land Co. itself is a income-producing non-profit, which supports The Queen's Medical Center, a major hospital and healthcare provider for Hawai‘i residents and visitors.

Beachfront Living in Diamond Head on the Gold Coast - Part 2

In Honolulu, the Diamond Head area, also know as the Gold Coast, offers some of Honolulu's best ocean and beachfront locations in the world.  There are approximately sixteen waterfront condos located on the beach here.  Many units have stunning ocean views.  Please take a look for yourself!

Diamond Head and the Gold Coast

To view detailed information about all beachfront condo buildings in the Diamond Head area, please visit our featured condos page at our website, www.HNLCondos.com.   Visit our Honolulu neighborhoods section to learn more about the Diamond Head neighborhood.

Honolulu Condos - Beachfront Living- Part 1

In Honolulu, the Diamond Head area, also know as the Gold Coast, offers some of Honolulu's best ocean and beachfront locations in the world.  There are approximately sixteen waterfront condos located on the beach here.  Many units have stunning ocean views.  Please take a look for yourself!

Diamond Head and the Gold Coast

To view detailed information about all beachfront condo buildings in the Diamond Head area, please visit our featured condos page at our website, www.HNLCondos.com.   Visit our Honolulu neighborhoods section to learn more about the Diamond Head neighborhood.

Gold Coast Seawall Lawsuit Affects Many Diamond Head Condo Buildings

The top of the 100-year-old masonry wall that separates the Pacific Ocean from more than a dozen residential buildings along Waikiki's Gold Coast at the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua Avenue is crumbling and badly in need of repair.

No one disputes that.

What is disputed is who should pay to repair the wall, which sits mostly on private property but is used by the public, mostly surfers, swimmers and fishermen seeking lateral access to the ocean and a popular surf break called Tonggs.

"All of us who live along there, for all these years, we just assumed it was public because of the heavy public use," said Robert Gentry, who has lived part time on the Gold Coast for 28 years. "We always assumed it, because if it wasn't we wouldn't have permitted the public to walk on it. If the public uses it, the public needs to take care of it."

Read more: State lobs latest volley in seawall lawsuit - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

Waikiki Homebuyer-Investor Guide

I just love living in Waikiki and selling condos here.  I was thrilled, when reading the Sunday paper, the "Honolulu Advertiser", I ran across this great article about buying and investing in a condo in Waikiki.  I couldn't have written it better!

Buy in Waikiki? For many investors, it's a no brainer. Here are five reasons why it might work for you too:

1. Condo hotels. Financing one of these converted hotel rooms can be difficult. The lending environment has strict guidelines - the unit needs to have a kitchen, with a cooktop, a sink and refrigerator, and even still buyers need to have 35 percent down. Units without a kitchen, called "lodging units," require even more money down.

But if you're able to front the cash, buying the right condo hotel can be a huge money maker, according to Toan Doran, Realtor and partner at Prudential Locations. And you'll have lots of leverage to negotiate a great price.

"I looked up the sales history at the Waikiki Grand for a client recently," says Doran. "Unit 409 sold for $325,000 in 2006 and is now listed for $199,000. My client likes the building because of the ocean view, nothing is in front of it except for the zoo."

2. Smaller is better. Doran does the math for all of his clients so they can see the logic for themselves. Generally, prices jump from $75,000 to $100,000 more for a 2-bedroom as opposed to a studio or 1-bedroom. Crunch the numbers and you'll see the rental income for a 2-bedroom, won't offset that. Use the money to diversify - buy two smaller units instead of one big one, says Doran.

"It doesn't make sense to pay more to buy a 2-bedroom," says Doran. "If you have a 2-bedroom, you only have one set of renters. If you own two 1-bedroom units, you'll have two sets of renters. So if one unit is empty one month, the other one is still producing income."

3. Parking. The market value of a parking stall in Waikiki is between $45,000 and $50,000, says Doran. But it is not a deal breaker if a unit doesn't automatically come with a stall.

"Island Colony, for example, has a garage in the building and tenants can rent a spot there if they want one," he says. "When I advise investors about parking, I tell them it doesn't hurt to not have one. Tenants might work in Waikiki or take the bus. They might not need parking. But for resale, units do sell faster with a parking stall."

4. Investor criteria. Doran's personal philosophy about investing - this is why you need to have a great Realtor working for you - is all about finding the right building. Find one that is well managed, well maintained, has a low maintenance fee and no assessments and you've found a winner.

"Make sure to look at the quality of the building and how well it's maintained," says Doran, who has lived and owned in Waikiki since 1997. "One of the buildings I like to recommend* is well maintained, and the maintenance fee for a typical 533-square-foot unit is $290 a month, and that includes the electricity - all the air conditioning - the cable, hot water, sewer, water, everything except phone."

He keeps some of his best finds for his own investors/clients. Many international owners rent it out most of the time, but also stay there when they're in town.

"The maintenance fee is so low there, because there are two buildings so the expenses are distributed over more homeowners, plus there are commercial spaces below and a public parking lot, which bring in money," Doran adds. "Look for buildings that include utilities in the maintenance fee. You can charge a renter a little more when those are included."

5. Tourism. Waikiki is possibly the most famous beach in the world.

"If you go to the Middle East and say 'Waikiki,' people have heard of it," Doran says. "The name itself is so well known. This is the apple of the state's eye and they spend millions maintaining it and promoting it."

Doran describes a city utility truck he sees on Kalakaua regularly that has a man riding in back holding a rigid hose who reaches up to water the plants in the flower pots up on the green street lights.

"I just chuckle when I see them because I think, 'the state is paying to keep up my neighborhood,' " he says. What other neighborhood would you ever see that happening?"

Waikiki has an array of products ranging from $199,000 condo hotels in the Waikiki Grand to $4 million dollar condos at Trump Tower. With all the money invested in keeping up it's image, Waikiki's real estate market tends to remain stable during the bad times and appreciates in good times.

Doran contends that Waikiki is one of the best neighborhoods on the island to invest in because it attracts money from around the world.

"Waikiki is its own universe," he says. "It has everything. You never have to leave."

*Wondering what that building is?  It's Waikiki Banyan, at 210 Ohua Ave.  Please feel free to visit our website at www.HNLCondos.com for details, floor plans, map and current listings.

Hawaii does environmental study for Waikiki beach

The state has submitted an environmental study for a multimillion dollar project to widen a segment of Waikiki beach with sand pumped in from offshore.

The study published last week says the plan would have no significant environmental impact. The state is accepting public comment on the report through April 6.

The project would widen the beach from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to the Kuhio Beach groin by about 40 feet.

The sand there has been eroding about 1-to-2 feet per year, leading water to rush into seawalls and a hotel restaurant bar at peak high tide.

The state has already set aside $1.5 million for the project, which is expected to cost about twice that.

Hotel owners and the Hawaii Tourism Authority are also expected to contribute funds.

Please visit our website at www.HNLCondos.com to learn more about Waikiki, as well as current Waikiki and Honolulu condos for sale.

Honolulu Condos Offer Excellent Ocean Views

Highrise condos in Honolulu offer some of the best ocean views in the world. The condo buildings with the best ocean views are located in Diamond Head, Waikiki, Ala Moana, Kakaako and Downtown Honolulu.

Kakaako Neighborhood in Honolulu - Development Plans Underway for Beach Park

Strong community opposition stopped plans to build condos and shops along the Kakaako Waterfront.

Now, four years later, there's another development effort underway for Kakaako Makai.

It's an area known to be popular for bodysurfing and its beautiful scenic views.

"I seen the park change a lot and just my concern is we want the park to be the best place it can be," said Kanekoa Crabbe with the Point Panic Bodysurfing Club.

Saturday, several community members voiced their concerns on making Kakaako Makai a gathering place while preserving Hawaii's culture.

"This park not only needs to serve not only Kakaako but the rest of Honolulu because the other parks are at capacity on the weekends," said Michelle Matson with the Community Planning Advisory Council.

Back in 2006, hundreds of community members rallied against the plan to build two residential units at the park.

The community's concerns were heard and a law was passed prohibiting the sale of state land while preventing residential development.

Now, the Hawaii Community Development Authority has hired several firms to help draft a plan with the community's input.

"We really want to stimulate the conversation at the community level and help them kind of dissect what the situation might be or what the ultimate plan might be," said Geoff Miasnik with MVE Pacific.

Some ideas presented Saturday include building a bike path, a facility for recreational sports and providing more open space at the park.

"To keep it open for all the people of Honolulu and the visitors as a recreational area with facilities that will serve the public," said Matson.

Some immediate changes already in the works at Kakaako are plans to develop a new cancer center at the U-H John A. Burns School of Medicine, improvements to Fisherman's Wharf and maintenance of the park's restrooms.

"We also believe that the agency in charge of this area has learned a lot in this process and has learned a lot in the value of community based planning," said Matson.

Another meeting to hear community input will be held Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the U-H John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Casino in Waikiki?

For the first time in more than a decade, Hawaiian lawmakers will revisit the issue of permitting gambling in the state, which along with Utah, are the only two U.S. states that outlaw all forms of gambling.

Legislators are currently reviewing a bill that would establish one casino in Waikiki, along with a statewide Gaming Control Commission.

"The issue is tourism, the issue is we need to find ways to get people to come here to Hawaii," said Hawaii lobbyist John Radcliffe.

The measure would grant a 10-year license for one stand-alone casino in Waikiki but not in a hotel........so we won't be seeing Trump Tower Waikiki operating as a Casino, for sure.

"As you know you can't even see a movie in Waikiki now because the theatres are now closed so maybe one of those would be open I don't know," said Radcliffe.

It also establishes the Hawaii Gaming Control Commission which would implement a gambling addiction program.

"We believe that is far stronger among the tourist industry then it was then. We know that we need to be looking of other sources of revenue if we're going to have our state survive," said Radcliffe. "China is the market that frankly we're aiming toward."

"If there's a license that is sold, we pick up so many millions of dollars and so forth, it's just an option on the budget side of the equation," said House Speaker, Rep. Calvin Say.

The casino would create about 4,000 jobs and generate about a half-billion dollars in revenue each year, a similar amount that leaves the state for gaming destinations like Las Vegas.

"$550 million that would be over the last 11 years that's $6 billion plus. If we could have captured just 15 or 20 percent of that we would not be in the shape that we are in the state of Hawaii," said Radcliffe.

Radcliffe says Marketing Resource Group of Michigan is interested in the project. The Ilitch family owns Little Caesar's Pizza, the Detroit Tigers and Redwings as well as several casinos.