12/4/2025
Honolulu rail officials agreed to pay $41 million for key Kakaako easements needed for the Ala Moana extension, even though HART still lacks the $1.6 billion required to actually build that segment. (Source: Civil Beat)
11/29/2025
Visitor spending rose 6.7% to $1.70B in October 2025 compared to October 2024, as higher daily spending offset a 2.9% drop in total arrivals, with Japanese visitation up 16% and their total spending rising 15.5% year-over-year. (Source: DBEDT)
11/28/2025
A newly built seven-bedroom oceanfront estate at 73-2190 Ala Kohanaiki sold today for $23M, setting a new all-time record for the exclusive Kohanaiki community on the Kona Coast.
11/25/2025Kohanaiki, in Kona, has launched sales for 24 new five-bedroom luxury townhomes starting at $4.9M, with completion expected in spring 2026 and a second phase bringing the total to 42 residences. (Source: PBN)
11/20/2025
A newly built hillside home in Lanikai, at 380 Lama Place, sold today for $10.4 million.
11/19/2025
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is exploring a partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to develop housing on its Lot I parcel in Kakaako Makai. Because DHHL projects are exempt from most state and county zoning regulations, this could allow residential construction in an area normally restricted from such use. (Source: Star-Advertiser)
11/18/2025
Beachfront 221 Portlock Rd sold on Nov. 14, 2025 for $8.2M, closing $700K below its $8.9M list price.
11/18/2025
Two recent Victoria Place closings - units 2102 and 2500 - suggest that prices in the building are trending upward.
11/17/2025
Ala Moana’s proposed 1588 Ala Moana project - featuring a new condo tower with affordable rentals, a 291-room hotel, and 26,000 sq. ft. of commercial space on four acres of mall parking - has entered the early entitlement and approval process, with city reviews expected to take up to a year. (Source: KHON2). A project presentation for the development has been submitted to the City & County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting; this is the project loosely referred to as Park Lane 2.
11/17/2025
Major U.S. travel companies are urging Gov. Josh Green to significantly boost Hawaii’s long-term tourism marketing budget as visitor arrivals fell 2.5% in September 2025 compared to September 2024, warning that Hawaii’s brand is being outspent by global competitors. (Source: Star Advertiser)
11/17/2025
Oahu luxury home sales rose 15% in October 2025 to 45 transactions compared to 39 in October 2024, with the most activity in Kakaako, Kahala, and Lanikai and an $8M Kailua Beachside home topping the month. (Source: KITV)
11/17/2025
Maui County Council will hold a special meeting on Dec. 1 at 9 a.m. for the first reading of Bill 9, which would phase out transient vacation rentals in apartment zoning districts, with Chair Alice Lee aiming to move it to second reading as soon as possible in December if it passes. (Source: Maui Now)
11/16/2025OHA and DHHL have entered an exclusive negotiation period to explore potential residential development on OHA’s 3-acre Kakaako Makai “Lot I,” as part of a broader effort to revitalize OHA’s 29 acres in the area and provide housing opportunities for Native Hawaiians. (Source: Maui Now)
11/16/2025
Japan’s richest man, Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai - who also owns a home in Kapalua - is scrambling to secure irrigation water for his Kapalua golf courses to save the PGA Sentry tournament, pursuing wells, desalination, wastewater reuse, and litigation as he pushes for a long-term solution. (Source: Star Advertiser)
11/15/2025
Scammers nationwide are hijacking real apartment listings and impersonating real agents on social media to trick renters into paying fake application fees, a fast-growing scheme the FBI warns has already cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars this year. (NBC News)
11/15/2025The Courtyards at Waipouli on Kauai is launching Hawaiian Home Lands’ first rent-to-own affordable rental program, offering 82 renovated units to qualified beneficiaries who can rent at affordable rates, build credit, and have the option to purchase after about 11 years. (Source: Kauai Now)
11/14/2025
James Campbell Co. has begun construction on Naliko, a $170M mixed-income Kapolei apartment project delivering 300 units in 2027 - its first-ever vertically developed residential community. (Source: PBN)
11/14/2025
A 92-year-old Honolulu architect was convicted of bribery for attempting to slip a permit worker a $20 “gratitude” payment, with the judge ruling it was an improper effort to influence his stalled permit despite the defendant’s claim it was a cultural gesture. (Source: Civil Beat)
11/14/2025Arrived, a Bezos- and Benioff-backed startup that lets investors buy fractional shares of rental homes, has launched a platform allowing those shares to be traded among investors. (Source: CNBC)
11/14/2025
U.S. foreclosures rose for the eighth straight month in October - with new starts up 20% year over year and completed foreclosures up 32%. (Source: CNBC)
11/13/2025
The Trump administration is exploring “portable mortgages” that would let homeowners carry their low existing mortgage rates to a new property to boost housing supply, but experts warn the idea could be legally complex, disrupt mortgage-backed securities, and potentially raise overall mortgage rates. (Source: CNN)
11/13/2025
Home insurance costs are surging and coverage is shrinking across the U.S., pushing homeowners out of high-risk areas and threatening housing markets as climate-driven disasters intensify. (Source: NPR)
11/11/2025
The White House is facing backlash after FHFA director Bill Pulte convinced President Trump to float a 50-year mortgage idea, which critics say would worsen housing affordability and slow equity growth, leading officials and conservative allies to condemn the proposal as poorly vetted and politically damaging. (Source: Politico)
11/11/2025
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs received a $2 million EPA grant to begin environmental assessments as the first step toward revitalizing and developing its 29 acres of Kakaako Makai into a culturally rooted, mixed-use community space. (Source: KHON2)
11/11/2025
Howard Hughes’ Ward Village has set a record with $1.4B in pre-sales across its newest towers, driven heavily by high-end penthouse demand - including an Ilima penthouse under contract for $40M, potentially the highest-priced condo sale in Hawaii history. (Source: PBN)
11/10/2025
Kamehameha Schools sold the leased-fee land beneath The Royal Hawaiian hotel in Waikiki to Japan-based Daisho Co. for $510 million, while Kyo-ya Hotels will continue operating the property under its long-term ground lease. (Source: PBN)
11/10/2025HCDA plans to build a five- to six-story senior housing project with about 50 units at 568 South St. in Kakaako for seniors earning up to 140% of AMI and is now seeking a developer to begin the project, with selection targeted by mid-2026. (Source: PBN)
11/10/2025
Maui firefighters and wildfire experts are urging residents living where open land meets development to stay prepared by creating defensible space around homes and working together as a community, as limited fire resources may require firefighters to prioritize saving only homes that are protectable during fast-moving wildfires. (Source: Maui Now)
11/07/2025
Investor purchases of single-family homes are rising across the US, especially in more affordable markets, as sidelined buyers and motivated sellers create openings that allow investors to buy more properties - often at higher prices - further squeezing out regular home buyers. (Source: MarketWatch)
11/07/2025
Beachfront Kahala Beach Apartments, once worth up to $2M, are now selling for as little as $22,000 because the ground lease expires in July 2027 and owners are expected to lose their units, effectively making purchases short-term rentals with high carrying costs. (Source: PBN)
11/07/2025
Oahu’s housing market was steady in October, with condo sales rising 9% and single-family home sales holding flat compared to last year, while median prices for both segments increased and properties took longer to sell amid slightly higher inventory. (Source: Star Advertiser)
11/06/2025
A Maui County Council committee advanced a zoning amendment to help the long-delayed 304-acre Pulelehua project move forward with 240 affordable homes, despite persistent West Maui water shortages and concerns that no confirmed water source is yet available. (Source: Maui Now)
11/06/2025
Queen Emma Land Co. is suing Title Guaranty to force the company to demolish its former downtown Honolulu headquarters per the lease terms, while Title Guaranty argues the historic building should be preserved and repurposed instead. (Source: Civil Beat)
11/05/2025Atlas Insurance launched a new bimonthly podcast, Risky Business, to educate AOAO board members on condominium and association insurance, risk management, and changing Hawaii insurance market conditions. (Source: PBN)
11/04/2025
US housing turnover has fallen to the lowest level in at least 30 years as both buyers and sellers hesitate, with many homeowners unwilling to give up low mortgage rates and buyers squeezed by affordability. (Source: Business Insider)
11/04/2025
The Maui County Council adopted a dual-track process to fill the late Tasha Kama’s Kahului seat while internal divisions flared over Council Chair Alice Lee’s delay of Bill 9, the proposed phase-out of short-term rentals in apartment zones. (Source: Maui Now)
11/04/2025HART is considering extending its life beyond its 2031 sunset and potentially becoming a permanent agency with authority to build additional rail extensions and even non-rail infrastructure, while continuing design work to push Skyline from Kakaako to Ala Moana. (Source: Star Advertiser)
11/3/2025
Maui County Council will schedule the first reading of Bill 9, which would phase out transient vacation rentals in Apartment Districts, after filling the council vacancy left by the passing of Council Member Tasha Kama, likely in December. (Source: Maui Now)
11/03/2025
The City & County of Honolulu selected Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation and Lanakila Pacific to negotiate the development of affordable housing at 130 South Beretania Street. (Source: Hawaii News Now)
11/03/2025
Honolulu and Shonai, Japan will sign a Friendship City Agreement on Monday to expand cultural and educational exchanges and strengthen ties between the two communities. (Source: KITV)
11/03/2025
West Oahu is set for major growth with roughly 2,500 new homes planned at Laulima in Kapolei (including 750 affordable rentals by 2027), continued Gentry Homes projects adding around 500+ units across Kalaeloa and Ewa, and D.R. Horton’s long-term Hoopili buildout targeting 11,750 homes plus schools and commercial space over the next two decades. (Source: PBN)
11/03/2025
Honolulu fired a building plans examiner for allegedly giving certain permit applicants faster processing, which the city called unfair preferential treatment, while she and supporters say she was simply helping ease severe backlogs without receiving any benefits. (Source: Civil Beat)
11/02/2025
Maui County is pursuing new wells, treatment plant upgrades, and possible system connections to boost Upcountry’s water supply amid chronic drought and growing demand, but the projects are costly, long-term, and raise concerns over wildfire risk, aquifer limits, and watershed health. (Source: Maui Now)
11/02/2025
Formerly condemned hillside lots in Kuliouou - where homes were demolished decades ago due to ongoing ground instability - have since been resold and even redeveloped despite unresolved infrastructure and land-movement issues, prompting new debate over responsibility for costly, long-deferred road and utility repairs. (Source: Star Advertiser)
10/31/2025Airbnb is ending its split-fee model and moving to a 15.5% host-only fee, and hosts can maintain their payouts if they increase their rates by about 14.8% to offset the higher fee. (Source: Rental Scale-Up)
10/31/2025
The Maui council’s Disaster Recovery, International Affairs and Planning Committee will meet Nov. 5 to review zoning changes for the 310-acre Pulelehua mixed-use project in Kahana and to consider land-use legislation for the 166.5-acre Hoonani Village project in Puunene, which proposes 1,600 apartment units with half designated as workforce housing. (Source: Maui Now)
10/31/2025
The city is moving forward with repairing the historic Boettcher estate’s failing roof - a crucial first step to stabilizing and preserving the Kailua landmark for continued community use. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/30/2025
Honolulu County Residential A will be taxed under three value tiers - up to $1.3M, $1.3M to $3.5M, and over $3.5M - and Transient Vacation Units will likewise have three tiers - up to $900K, $900K to $2M, and over $2M - with specific tax rates to be set later, effective July 1, 2027, as established by Ordinance 25-44.
10/30/2025Kahuina market owner occupant units are now selling.
10/29/2025
Kauai is temporarily closing and cleaning up its Section 8 waitlist, which has become overcrowded with nonresidents, in order to allocate limited vouchers to local families amid tight housing supply and potential federal funding cuts. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/29/2025
The Fed cut rates by 25 bps to 3.75–4.00% and will stop balance sheet runoff in December, signaling a shift toward easing despite mixed committee views and still-elevated inflation. (Source: XTB)
10/28/2025
U.S. home prices rose just 1.5% in August - below 3% inflation - meaning homeowners are losing real equity as high mortgage rates cool demand and previously overheated markets see price corrections. (Source: CNBC)
10/28/2025
Applications are open through Nov. 17 for the Na Hale Makoa rental project in Waikoloa Village, which will offer 139 units serving households up to 140% AMI (including 30 project-based voucher units), with placement determined by a post-application lottery and completion expected in February 2026. (Source: Big Island Now)
10/28/2025
Andrew Tepper, who has faced community pushback and fines for his Burning Man-style “Falls on Fire” festival in Papaikou, purchased the 800-acre Kupaianaha Ranch for $10.59 million from the estate of John Rhodes Davis. (Source: PBN)
10/28/2025Chrome Hearts purchased its Waikiki flagship store property from Japan-based Shoei Global for $40 million - up from $30 million in 2018 - marking one of the highest price-per-square-foot deals in Waikiki, while Japanese investor interest in Hawaii real estate remains strong despite the weak yen. (Source: PBN)
10/26/2025
Lower mortgage rates boosted U.S. home sales in September to a seven-month high, but limited inventory kept prices elevated, with the median home price up 2.1% year over year to $415,200 despite a 14% rise in listings. (Source: CNBC)
10/26/2025
The City & County of Honolulu, together with state partners, is launching a $214M first phase to replace 60 aging Kuhio Park Terrace public housing units in Kalihi with 302 new mixed-income affordable rentals, with completion expected by mid-2028. (Source: PBN)
10/26/2025
Condo development in the Ala Moana-Kapiolani corridor has largely stalled due to high interest rates, rising construction costs, slower demand (especially from Japan), and financing challenges, with the notable exception of JL Capital, which is moving forward with its Muse Honolulu. (Source: Star Advertiser)
10/25/2025
HART approved $53 million in design work to plan extending the Honolulu rail from Kakaako to Ala Moana - even though funding to actually build the $1.6 billion extension is not secured - raising concerns about potential new tax burdens and repeating past cost overruns on the already delayed, over-budget project. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/25/2025
Hawaii County plans the Ainako Subdivision Housing Project on ~61 acres near Hilo Benioff Medical Center - up to 144 workforce units built in two phases (priced about $363k–$636k). (Source: Star Advertiser)
10/24/2025
A Maui County committee is moving toward creating new H-3 and H-4 hotel zoning districts that would allow about 4,500 currently apartment-zoned vacation rentals to continue operating, rather than phasing out all 7,000 units as originally proposed under Bill 9 (Source: Maui Now)
10/23/2025
High home prices and elevated mortgage rates in the U.S. led to the weakest spring home-selling season in over a decade, with both buyers and sellers holding back. (Source: Bloomberg)
10/23/2025
The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee paused deliberations on Bill 9, which seeks to phase out short-term rentals in apartment zones, to address the creation of new H-3 and H-4 hotel zoning categories that could let certain properties continue visitor use, amid debate over legislative timing, property rights, and the bill’s potential economic and tax impacts before discussions resume Thursday. (Source: Maui Now)
10/23/2024
Howard Hughes Holdings has broken ground on The Launiu Ward Village, with an expected completion in 2028.
10/22/2025Propy announced a $100 million expansion to digitize U.S. real estate titles by acquiring regional title companies and automating property closings with AI and blockchain, introducing its AI escrow officer “Agent Avery” and using a mix of traditional and DeFi funding from Morpho to modernize the $25 billion title industry, cut transaction times by up to 40%, and move toward a fully digital, transparent real estate market. (Source: Ventureburn)
10/22/2025
Baby boomers, who make up less than 20% of the U.S. population, own nearly 41% of all real estate - about $20 trillion - almost double millennials’ share, highlighting how decades of price growth and limited housing supply have widened generational wealth gaps. (Source: Florida Realtors)
10/22/2025
Michelin-starred New York yakitori restaurant Torishin, the only U.S. yakitori restaurant to earn a Michelin star seven consecutive years, is soon opening its first Hawaii location at Ward Village’s Aeo Shops between Rinka and Straub Medical Center, featuring an omakase-only yakitori experience with exclusive Hawaii menu items in a $200,000 buildout inspired by traditional Japanese counter-style dining. (Source: PBN)
10/22/2025
Maui Mayor Bissen urged the County Council to pass Bill 9, which would phase out short-term vacation rentals in apartment districts and rezone apartments not suitable for long-term residential use, framing the measure as essential to restoring housing for residents, correcting zoning misuse, and balancing tourism with community housing needs. (Source: Maui Now)
10/21/2025Leiwili Kapolei, a 20-acre mixed-use project that will complete the Villages of Kapolei, has secured $244 million in funding to begin construction in late 2026 on its first phase of 342 affordable rentals - part of a larger plan to deliver up to 900 mixed-income homes and 95,000 square feet of commercial space. (Source: PBN)
10/21/2025
The National Geographic magazine included Maui in its “Best of the World 2026” list. (Source: National Geographic)
10/21/2025Domodomo, a Japanese restaurant group with locations in New York and Texas, will open its first Hawaii location at 360 Ewa Beach Country Club on November 18, featuring sushi, hand rolls, and Korean-inspired dishes in a $300,000, 3,000-square-foot space designed to blend with Hawaii’s natural environment. (Source: PBN)
10/21/2025
Neighbors around the Shangri La Museum in Diamond Head are opposing the museum’s proposal to greatly expand its number and size of evening events, citing noise, traffic, and permit concerns, while museum leaders argue the changes would enhance public access and community engagement. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/16/2025
The Maui Planning Commission voted to support a bill raising Lahaina’s post-fire building height limit from 30 to 35 feet to ease reconstruction and another measure revising residential parking requirements to be based on the number of bedrooms rather than building size. (Source: Maui Now)
10/16/2025
Honolulu’s $10 billion Skyline rail system opened its 5.2-mile Segment 2 route to the public today, extending service through the airport to Middle Street and making the city eligible for $125 million in additional federal funding amid uncertainty from a federal shutdown. (Source: Star Advertiser)
10/15/2025
A Maui County investigative group has recommended major exemptions to Mayor Bissen’s Bill 9, proposing to rezone over 4,000 apartment-zoned vacation rental units - mostly in West and South Maui - to allow both short- and long-term rentals, potentially weakening the bill’s effort to expand local housing. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/14/2025
A Maui County Council task force has proposed creating new H-3 and H-4 hotel zoning districts to allow certain existing short-term vacation rentals in apartment zones to keep operating, sparking debate between those prioritizing housing for residents and those warning of economic and tax revenue losses if rentals are phased out. (Source: Maui Now)
10/14/2025
Governor Green says 64,000 affordable homes are in Hawaii’s development pipeline - driven by rail-oriented projects, state land development, and an ongoing emergency housing proclamation - but major challenges remain as many projects are still in early stages and face permitting, funding, and affordability hurdles. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/13/2025
Honolulu-based developer JL Capital, known for projects including Sky Ala Moana and the upcoming Muse Honolulu, has acquired three adjoining parcels at 1322, 1338, and 1356 Kapiolani Boulevard in the Ala Moana neighborhood for $36 million and is considering a residential or mixed-use project to leverage the site’s prime location near Ala Moana Center and the future rail terminus. (Source: PBN)
10/13/2025The Pig and the Lady, led by Chef Andrew Le, opens its new flagship restaurant at 3650 Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki this Wednesday, marking a homecoming for Le and his family whose roots in the neighborhood date back to 1975. (Source: PBN)
10/09/2025
A government shutdown could cause mortgage rates to dip slightly as investors seek safer bonds, but it may also delay mortgage processing, disrupt government-backed loan programs, and create broader economic uncertainty that complicates homebuying. (Source: US News)
10/09/2025
Earls Restaurant Group has opened its first Hawaii location, Earls Waikiki, a 13,000-square-foot, $3.5 million restaurant on Kalakaua Avenue that seats over 300 guests and plans to employ nearly 400 people. (Source: PBN)
10/07/2025
Central Pacific Bank and The Kyoto Shinkin Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding in Kyoto to strengthen economic and business ties between Hawaii and Japan, enabling collaboration on future programs and giving Kyoto Shinkin customers immediate access to CPB’s Honolulu branch services. (Source: PBN)
10/07/2025
A Washington, D.C.–based group called Progress Action has been flooding Maui with ads opposing Mayor Bissen’s plan to phase out thousands of short-term rentals, raising concerns among local nonprofits about outside influence on Hawaii’s local housing policy. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/07/2025
Oahu home sales surged in September, with single-family transactions up 27% and condo sales up 12% from a year earlier - breaking this year’s slowdown trend - driven by easing mortgage rates and steady buyer confidence. (Source: Star Advertiser)
10/06/2025
The second phase of Honolulu’s Skyline rail, adding four stops including the airport and Pearl Harbor, will open Oct. 16, the third phase is expected to reach Kakaako by 2030 and the fourth phase expected to reach Ala Moana by 2033. (Source: KHON2)
10/06/2025
TY Management, owner of Kapalua Golf, has filed a second lawsuit against Maui Land & Pineapple, accusing the company and its CEO of manipulating the Kapalua Resort Association for their own interests, while MLP denies wrongdoing and claims TY Management is seeking more water than permitted amid an ongoing dispute over water shortages. (Source: PBN)
10/06/2025
Kaiaulu o Kukuia, Lahaina’s first permanent affordable housing project since the 2023 wildfires, is now fully occupied with 200 family-focused units and community spaces nearing completion, providing long-term affordable homes. (Source: PBN)
10/06/2025
The city’s new permitting software rollout in Honolulu has caused significant delays in approving building permits, and the director attributes the slowdowns to “growing pains” as the system is refined and stabilized. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/02/2025
Things to do on Big Island Oct 2nd to Oct 8th. (Source: Big Island Now)
10/02/2025
The Maui County Urban Design Review Board will review plans on Oct. 7 for the proposed Kahului Civic Center project, which combines a civic center with offices, classrooms, and a library innovation space alongside 303 affordable rental units for households earning 30–60% of area median income. (Source: Maui Now)
10/02/2025
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is exploring a partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to use DHHL’s special development powers to build housing for Native Hawaiians on its Kakaako Makai lands, potentially bypassing the longstanding residential ban but facing community, environmental, and regulatory hurdles. (Source: Civil Beat)
10/02/2025
Hawaii’s tourism downturn, driven by declining visitor arrivals, economic headwinds, and the Hawaii Convention Center closure, is prompting layoffs, reduced worker hours, and stalled job growth across the state’s visitor industry despite modest gains in overall visitor spending. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/30/2025
A U.S. government shutdown could modestly lower mortgage rates due to a flight to safe assets, but also cause delays or complications - especially for government-backed loans (FHA, VA, USDA) and related services like IRS verifications or flood insurance. (Source: US News)
09/30/2025
The County of Kauai’s Housing Agency will open applications for its 2026 Community Development Block Grants starting Friday, with a deadline of November 13, and will host both virtual and in-person meetings to guide applicants. (Source: Kauai Now)
09/28/2025
Foreign investors, including Mitsubishi, are increasingly redirecting capital away from U.S. real estate toward more stable markets like the U.K., reflecting growing concerns over policy uncertainty, regulatory risk, and a softening of U.S. foreign investment flows. (Source: Propmodo)
09/28/2025
Modular homebuilder Fading West is aiming to help restore the American Dream of affordable homeownership by producing high-quality, factory-built homes in about seven days, offering faster, more sustainable, and lower-cost alternatives to traditional construction while addressing both disaster relief and the nationwide housing shortage. (Source: CNBC)
09/27/2025Compass is set to acquire Anywhere Real Estate in a $4.2 billion all-stock deal, integrating major brokerage brands such as Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby’s International Realty, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Corcoran Group, and ERA Real Estate into its portfolio.
09/26/2025
Maui fire officials say the Holomua Fire likely started intentionally, originating from two separate spots and prompting a police investigation. (Source: Maui Now)
09/26/2025
Tadashi Yanai, Uniqlo’s owner, is donating $750,000 to Maui nonprofits to support the community after the PGA Tour’s cancellation of The Sentry tournament, which historically boosted the island’s economy and charitable contributions. (Source: PBN)
09/26/2025
Hawaii is seeing record interest from developers in building affordable housing, with 35 project applications in 2025 and federal funding changes expected to support the creation of up to 9,000 additional units over the next decade. Despite this progress, the state still faces a significant shortfall, needing 64,490 more housing units by 2027, while current construction rates fall far short of demand. (Source: PBN)
09/26/2025
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi defended the city's new $7 million building permit system, acknowledging initial issues since its August 4 launch but urging patience during the transition period. (Source: Civil Beat)
09/25/2025
The state-run Ka Lai Ola temporary housing complex in Lahaina, comprising 450 units built in about 18 months, is now complete and poised to house up to 1,500 wildfire survivors who are ineligible for FEMA aid. (Source: Maui Now)
09/25/2025
Billionaire Larry Ellison’s company Pulama Lanai will shut down its rock and concrete division - a part of its vacation-home development arm - eliminating 15 jobs (about 4% of its workforce) and shifting those functions to outside contractors. (Source: Civil Beat)
09/25/2025
The State of Hawaii signed two key agreements with its private partner to demolish the old Aloha Stadium and begin building a new 22,500-seat multi-use facility and surrounding 73-acre mixed-use development, slated for completion in 2029. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/24/2025
The Holomua Fire in Paia, Maui, which ignited yesterday, has burned approximately 380 acres and is now 50% contained, with no forward progress reported overnight. (Source: Maui Now)
09/24/2025
Yelp has released its 2025 list of Top 100 Coffee Shops, with six Hawaii coffee shops making the list and two making the top five. Notably, Rainbeau Jo’s on Kauai was ranked No.3. (Source: PBN)
09/24/2025
Maui Land & Pineapple Co. has countered allegations by Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai's TY Management, accusing them of using water designated for wildfire protection to irrigate golf courses during a severe drought, while asserting that its irrigation system is properly maintained. (Source: Civil Beat)
09/22/2025
The Honolulu rail project is entering a costly and uncertain phase, with lawsuits, unresolved station costs, potential contractor change orders, and fluctuating tax revenues raising new financial risks for HART despite assurances it can finish the shortened line within budget. (Source: Civil Beat)
09/22/2025
Kauai’s Real Property Division has launched an online home exemption application system, developed with TrueRoll and Tyler Technologies, allowing residents to easily apply and upload documents from any device instead of submitting paper forms in person or by mail. (Source: Kauai Now)
09/21/2025
Despite the Fed cutting its benchmark rate, investors sold longer-term bonds on inflation and policy concerns, pushing Treasury and mortgage yields higher instead of lower. (Source: CNBC)
09/17/2025Ward Village has opened Ka Lai o Kukuluaeo Park, a nearly 26,000-square-foot green space with paths, seating, a playground, and native plantings next to its Ulana Ward Village condo. (Source: KITV)
09/17/2025
Hilton Hawaiian Village will add a 36-story, 515-room Ala Moana Boulevard Tower starting construction in 2025, a project expected to run through 2029. (Source: PBN)
09/17/2025Michael Dell, through a fund tied to his family trust, bought the 491 acres of land under the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and its golf course from Kamehameha Schools for $400 million, giving him rare fee-simple ownership of the resort after nearly two decades of holding only its lease. (Source: PBN)
09/17/2025
The PGA Tour has canceled its 2025 Sentry tournament at Kapalua’s Plantation Course - owned by Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai - because Maui’s severe drought and water restrictions have left the course unable to meet PGA standards. (Source: Civil Beat)
09/15/2025
Kauai residents shared ideas at two Hawaii Tourism Authority meetings on how to better manage tourism while protecting locals’ quality of life, suggesting measures such as shuttles, extended transit hours, parking improvements, visitor education, trail rangers, QR-code information, and even a pre-arrival app, with feedback feeding into an updated Destination Management Action Plan. (Source: Kauai Now)
09/15/2025
Shohei Ohtani and his agent have asked a Hawaii court to dismiss a lawsuit accusing them of interfering in a $240 million Big Island real estate project, arguing that the plaintiffs misused Ohtani’s name and likeness without permission. (Source: Hawaii News Now)
09/15/2025Giovedì, an Italian-Asian restaurant at 10 North Hotel Street in Honolulu’s Chinatown, has been named one of Bon Appétit’s 20 Best New Restaurants of 2025 - the only Hawaii establishment on the list and the first from the state since Maui’s Lineage in 2019. (Source: PBN)
09/15/2025
Honolulu’s City Council is advancing Bill 51, which would expand and rename the Fort Street Mall Special Improvement District as the Downtown Honolulu Business Improvement District to fund enhanced cleaning, safety, and revitalization efforts in the area through special assessments on nonresidential property owners. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/13/2025
Maui's condo median price fell to $650,000 from $1 million in August 2025, driven by uncertainty over short-term rental regulations. (Source: PBN)
09/13/2025
Maui County has implemented a "Stage 2" water shortage in West Maui due to low stream flow and anticipated severe drought conditions, imposing strict water use restrictions, limiting irrigation to one day per week, and requiring a 20% reduction in agricultural water use. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/12/2025
Maui County’s Department of Planning is inviting residents to attend September workshops to share ideas and feedback for the Central Maui Community Plan update, helping guide future land use, preservation, and development. (Source: Maui Now)
09/12/2025
Waikiki’s transformation from wetlands to a global tourism hub has generated generational wealth for Hawaiian trusts and entrepreneurial families that own its land, but rare recent sales - such as the Steiner family’s $215 million deal - signal a gradual shift of control toward Mainland and overseas investors. (Source: PBN)
09/12/2025
Kauai County’s new zoning code now allows historic plantation camp cottages to be restored and modestly expanded, potentially creating a model for affordable housing while preserving West Kauai’s century-old workforce communities. (Source: Civil Beat)
09/12/2025
Hawaii’s new 34-member SPEED Task Force has begun work on streamlining the state’s complex, vacancy-plagued building permit process to accelerate construction and economic development. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/11/2025
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s estate at 75-5530 Kona Bay Drive in Kona is on the market for $49 million. (Source: PBN)
09/11/2025
Honolulu’s City Council advanced Bill 60, allowing the rail agency HART to begin planning - but not building - a potential 3.2-mile Skyline extension from its current terminus in Kakaako to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/10/2025
Mortgage applications surged to a three-year high as 30-year fixed mortgage rates fell to 6.49%, driving a 12% weekly jump in refinancing and a 7% increase in home purchase applications. (Source: CNBC)
09/09/2025
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is preparing to award more than 1,100 residential project leases on Maui, with construction beginning in 2026–2027 and occupancy from 2028–2030, offering beneficiaries earlier lease access and multiple paths to homeownership as part of DHHL’s broader plan to issue over 6,000 project leases statewide within the next two years. (Source: Maui Now)
09/09/2025
Beth Fukumoto argues that Hawaii’s housing shortage is an infrastructure shortage, and solving it requires steady, predictable public investment in essentials like water, sewer, and transit — using financing tools such as tax increment financing and infrastructure banks, as other states and countries have done — so developers can build affordable homes without passing massive upfront costs to buyers and renters. (Source: Civil Beat)
09/09/2025
Hawaii homeowners are scrambling to install rooftop solar and battery systems before the 30% federal tax credit ends Dec. 31, overwhelming solar companies, straining utility and permit processing, and raising concerns about a sharp industry downturn and setback to the state’s clean energy goals. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/08/2025Oahu’s housing market slowed in August as single-family home sales rose slightly while prices dipped, condo sales fell modestly with flat pricing trends, and longer market times reflected cautious buyer demand despite easing mortgage rates. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/08/2025
Hawaii’s housing agency plans to buy unsold units at The Block 803 Waimanu in Kakaako to protect its $9.8 million loan, launching a rent-to-own program that could let local buyers purchase at discounted prices while the state seeks to recover its investment. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/07/2025
Mortgage rates saw their biggest one-day drop in over a year Friday, with the 30-year fixed falling 16 basis points to 6.29%. (Source: NBC News)
09/07/2025Ilima has a condo under contract for over $40 million, setting a new record for Hawaii’s highest-priced high-rise condo and surpassing the previous $27.5 million benchmark at Park Lane Ala Moana.
09/05/2025
Hawaii’s wealthiest ZIP codes are increasingly centered on Oahu’s luxury condominium market - particularly Ala Moana, Kakaako and Ward Village - while high-end single-family homes remain dominant on the Neighbor Islands, with median luxury prices and buyer demographics shifting across the state. (Source: PBN)
09/04/2025
A University of Hawaii at Manoa study urges standardized building elevation guidelines that account for future sea-level rise, highlighting Hawaii’s vulnerability and providing policymakers with approaches to strengthen coastal resilience against climate change. (Source: Kauai Now)
09/05/2025Ulana Ward Village is near completion and there is limited inventory available (listings do not show online). Please contact Sanni Tribler (R) for inventory details (808) 728-5612 / Sanni@HawaiiLiving.com.
09/04/2025Kahuina Update: The developer is awaiting their Public Report approval and final unit pricing, which is expected to be soon. Once that approval comes through, things will move quickly. The showroom is open for private tours.
09/03/2025
Across the US, new homes are temporarily selling for less than existing ones - a rare reversal driven by builder incentives, smaller home sizes, and excess inventory - while existing owners, locked into low-rate mortgages, hold firm on prices, a trend economists expect may last a year or two but not become the new normal. (Source: Forbes)
09/03/2025
NBC News has launched a monthly Home Buyer Index, scoring housing difficulty from 0–100 based on cost, competition, scarcity, and economic instability, with July’s national score at 81.1, reflecting persistently tough conditions despite slight easing from last year. (Source: NBC News)
09/03/2025
A 27.38-acre culturally significant beachfront parcel at Waikoloa Beach Resort has been permanently protected and returned to Native Hawaiian descendants. (Source: Big Island Now)
09/03/2025
Husband-and-wife team Taylor and Natasha Ponte opened upscale restaurant Aurum Maui at The Shops at Wailea in July, staffing nearly half of their 21 kitchen positions with University of Hawaii Maui College culinary graduates, including several of Taylor’s former classmates and mentees. (Source: Maui Now)
09/03/2025
Rocker Sammy Hagar purchased a $16.3 million beachfront home at 4077 Lower Honoapiilani Rd, downsizing from his former 10-acre Haiku estate while continuing his long-standing ties and business ventures in Hawaii. (Source: PBN)
09/02/2025The Shops at Wailea will host free September entertainment including weekly Wednesday concerts, a Henry Kapono signature show (Sept. 12), a USAF Band of the Pacific performance (Sept. 19), and complimentary Wednesday yoga classes. (Source: Maui Now)
09/02/2025
Japan arrivals to Hawaii, down 3.2% year-over-year through June 2025, are rebounding in the second half with stronger bookings, airline seat growth, and holiday boosts, giving the market a chance to finish the year flat or slightly above 2024 levels. (Source: Star Advertiser)
09/01/2025
Investor purchases of U.S. homes dipped from 32% in January to 29% in June 2025 but remain historically high, with medium-sized investors driving recent gains. (Source: The World Property Journal)
08/29/2025
A new $168 million, 25-story affordable housing project called Naulu Apartments has opened in Halawa, adding 302 units for households earning 30–60% of the area median income, with rents locked in for at least 61 years. (Source: Hawaii News Now)
08/29/2025
Hawaii saw a 4.4% drop in visitor arrivals and a 4.3% drop in spending statewide in July 2025 compared to last year, while Kauai bucked the trend with a 5.6% increase in arrivals, though spending there dipped slightly. (Source: Kauai Now)
08/29/2025
The cruise industry has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Hawaii’s new tourism tax - which includes an 11% levy on cruise passenger fares to fund climate change mitigation - arguing it is unconstitutional and would make Hawaii cruises prohibitively expensive. (Source: KHON2)
08/29/2025The Capital Grille will open its first Hawaii location on September 10 at Lilia Waikiki on Kuhio Avenue, bringing the upscale steakhouse chain’s fine dining, extensive wine list, and valet service to Waikiki. (Source: PBN)
08/28/2025
Chinese operatives have funneled over $53.7 billion through U.S. real estate using shell companies, money mules, and advanced laundering tactics, including “daigou” buyers and counterfeit documents, fueling transnational crime and evading capital controls. (Source: Ticker)
08/28/2025
Firefighters responded to a 2-alarm house fire in Aina Haina early Thursday, quickly containing the blaze in about 40 minutes, with a neighboring home damaged and a 73-year-old man treated on scene, while the cause remains under investigation. (Source: Hawaii News Now)
08/28/2025
Oahu residents overwhelmingly urged the Hawaii Tourism Authority to implement stronger tourism management, citing overcrowding, strained resources, and negative impacts on daily life, while emphasizing that past plans have been ineffective without meaningful enforcement or action. (Star Advertiser)
08/27/2025The Plantation and Bay courses at Kapalua Resort will close for 60 days starting Sept. 2 to restore dying grass caused by West Maui’s water restrictions, as part of efforts to ensure the PGA Tour’s Sentry tournament can proceed in January and preserve its $50 million economic impact and charitable contributions. (Source: Maui Now)
08/27/2025
The Maui County Council postponed a vote on the Hale Mahaolu Ke Kahua affordable housing project in Waiehu to allow additional public testimony, following a split debate between members pushing for immediate approval and those seeking more transparency and review. (Source: Maui Now)
08/27/2025
A wildfire at Schofield Barracks has burned roughly 250 acres and is 30% contained, with no threat to homes, as Army firefighters and helicopters continue to combat the blaze. (Source: KITV)
08/27/2025
Construction has started on Kauhale O Namahana, an 11-home affordable housing project in Kilauea, Kauai, funded by Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Weinberg Foundation, where buyers will own the homes while a community land trust retains the land to ensure long-term affordability for local residents. (Source: PBN)
08/27/2025
A judge dismissed Hitachi Rail Honolulu’s $324 million lawsuit against HART and the City of Honolulu over alleged rail project delays, citing failure to follow required dispute resolution procedures, though Hitachi could refile after completing that process. (Source: Star Advertiser)
08/27/2025Roseanne Barr has listed her 46-acre macadamia nut farm, located at 47-4567 Honokaa Waipio Rd on the Big Island, for $1.95 million, ending nearly two decades of ownership marked by past controversies and occasional use as a retreat and TV show backdrop. (Source: Star Advertiser)
08/25/2025
Entry-level first-time homes are the best inventory now, says UBS’ John Lovallo. (Source: CNBC)
08/25/2025Empire Steak House, known for its NY roots, has recently opened at the Ilikai Hotel in Waikiki, offering upscale steakhouse dining, Friday-night fireworks views, and 30% off a bottle of wine when diners mention KHON2. (Source: KHON2)
08/25/2025
Waikiki’s new Elevated Safety Ambassador Program, launched by the Waikiki Business Improvement District to supplement Honolulu Police Department efforts, deploys trained, body-camera-equipped ambassadors to deter crime, enforce rules, and provide outreach, achieving hundreds of interventions in its first two weeks. (Source: Star Advertiser)
08/24/2025
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s signal that rate cuts may be coming could help homeowners with high-rate mortgages refinance at lower costs, since mortgage rates often follow Treasury yields that respond to Fed policy. (Source: CNBC)
08/24/2025
Maui County’s proposed Bill 9 would phase out more than 7,000 short-term rentals in apartment districts over three to five years, aiming to boost long-term housing supply after the 2023 wildfires, but many condo owners and associations are considering lawsuits if it passes. Legal experts say the bill could face constitutional challenges over property rights, though recent state law clarifying county authority and the phased timeline may strengthen its chances of withstanding court scrutiny. (Source: Maui Now)
08/24/2025
Aloha Halawa District Partners, led by Stanford Carr, is set to redevelop the 98-acre Aloha Stadium site into the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District with a $475 million, 22,500-seat multipurpose stadium surrounded by mixed-use development, including 4,500 homes, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The project, supported by renowned firms Populous and The Cordish Companies, is expected to cost $5–6 billion over 25 years, with the new stadium targeted for completion by March 2029 and designed to host year-round sports and entertainment events. (Source: Star Advertiser).
See concepts for Aloha Stadium aerial and inside Aloha Stadium - renderings courtesy of Aloha Halawa District Partners.
08/23/2025
Japanese billionaire Tadashi Yanai and others have sued Maui Land & Pineapple over alleged failure to maintain the Honokohau Ditch System, causing severe water shortages in West Maui and threatening closure of Kapalua’s golf courses and the PGA Tour’s The Sentry tournament. (Source: Maui Now)
08/22/2025
The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted unanimously to form a Temporary Investigative Group to examine policies for vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts as it considers Bill 9, which would phase out over 7,000 units. The TIG will gather input from stakeholders and deliver recommendations by Dec. 31 to help address economic, zoning, and implementation concerns tied to the proposed phase-out. (Source: Maui Now)
08/22/2025
A recent Hawaii Supreme Court ruling extending the statute of limitations for mortgage foreclosures to 20 years has raised concerns among community groups that lenders could revive long-dormant debts, disproportionately impacting vulnerable homeowners across the state. (Source: Maui Now)
08/22/2025
Hunt Capital Partners has begun Phase II of Uahi Ridge, a 154-unit sustainable affordable housing project in Lihue aimed at addressing Kauai’s severe shortage of low-income rental homes. (Source: PBN)
08/22/2025
Kamehameha Schools has not disclosed its long-term plans for Kamilo Nui Valley, leaving Hawaiʻi Kai’s last remaining farmlands and their tenants in limbo after most 50-year leases expired in 2024 and were only renewed for one year. The lack of transparency has fueled fears of future development, echoing the school’s history of displacing farmers for housing projects despite growing calls to preserve agricultural land and support local food production. (Source: Civil Beat)
08/21/2025
Maui County’s Housing Committee unanimously advanced the 303-unit Kaiahale ʻo Kahiluhilu affordable housing project in Kahului despite criticism from West Maui Council Member Tamara Paltin, who argued it received a water availability exemption not afforded to desperately needed West Maui housing projects like Pulelehua. (Source: Maui Now)
08/21/2025
Hawaii-based Steiner family sold six land parcels under the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, which they had owned for over a century, to Texas-based Montgomery Street Partners for $215 million - the largest Waikiki real estate deal of the year. (Source: PBN)
08/20/2025
If you are a homeowner in Honolulu County and have questions about home exemptions, property dedications or real property assessment then you can join a free "Open House" arranged by the Honolulu Board of Realtors - see details here.
08/20/2025
Maui Mayor Bissen signed two bills approving the long-debated Honuaʻula project in South Maui, allowing 1,150 homes — including at least 288 workforce units — while requiring highway widening and capping annual market-unit construction. Supporters say it provides needed housing, while opponents argue it reduces affordable housing commitments compared to earlier plans and grants excessive profit to the developer. (Source: Maui Now)
08/20/2025
Maui Land & Pineapple Co. is being sued by billionaire Tadashi Yanai’s Kapalua Golf, several Kapalua homeowners’ associations, and a local farm, who allege the company has mismanaged the Honokohau Ditch water system—causing shortages, higher rates, crop losses, and increased wildfire risks. (Source: Star Advertiser)
08/13/2025
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 6.67% last week, the lowest since early April, spurring a 23% jump in refinancing applications but only a 1% rise in purchase applications amid still-high home prices; Bank of Hawaii’s comparable rate is currently about 6%. The drop comes as markets anticipate a possible Federal Reserve rate cut in September due to cooling labor market conditions and stable inflation, though some Fed officials remain cautious. (Source: Star Advertiser)
08/13/2025
The Maui Planning Commission approved a scaled-down reconstruction of Stanley and Dilara Deal’s Lahaina oceanfront home, reducing the size by about 10% to 3,255 square feet and imposing design, water conservation, landscaping, and shoreline certification conditions to address community and cultural concerns. The decision, made under old shoreline rules, drew opposition from some residents who argued it sets a troubling precedent for rebuilding in a coastal hazard zone vulnerable to sea-level rise and erosion. (Source: Maui Now)
08/12/2025
Honolulu’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program, intended to boost housing supply, has fallen far short of expectations, with only about 1,320 units built since 2015—roughly half the city’s annual target—due to factors like sewer capacity limits, small lot sizes, high costs, and a slow permitting process. (Source: Civil Beat)
08/12/2025
A Hawaii developer and broker are suing Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, alleging they used celebrity leverage to have them removed from a $240 million luxury housing project on the Big Island’s Hapuna Coast that Ohtani had been brought in to endorse. The lawsuit claims Ohtani’s agent demanded increasing concessions, pressured their business partner to terminate them, and caused the plaintiffs to lose millions in anticipated profits and commissions. (Source: KHON2)
08/11/2025
Phase 3 of Honolulu’s $1.4 billion Skyline rail project has begun, adding six new stations and three miles of elevated guideway from Middle Street to Civic Center, with construction expected to impact roads in Kalihi, Iwilei, Downtown, Chinatown, and Kakaako. Work will run mainly weekdays with some Saturdays, and the full rail extension remains on track for completion by 2030. (Source: KHON2)
08/11/2025
Oahu’s housing market slowed in July, with single-family home sales down 7.4% year-over-year and median prices for both single-family homes and condos declining, while active inventory rose sharply. Homes and condos stayed on the market longer as buyers took more time to decide, aided by slightly lower mortgage rates compared to earlier this year. (Source: PBN)
08/05/2025
Honolulu has canceled a $500,000 study on implementing an empty homes tax, a move that surprised supporters of the bill who were waiting on the study's final results to guide policy decisions. While Council Chair Tommy Waters still plans to reintroduce the tax bill, the study’s cancellation raises doubts about its future, with critics suggesting the quiet termination could let the measure die without a formal rejection. (Source: Civil Beat)
08/05/2025
The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting has launched HNL Build, a new permitting software designed to streamline building permit processes and reduce delays by requiring all documents to be submitted upfront and integrating features like GIS mapping. (Source: Star Advertiser)
08/05/2025
A new report from UHERO shows that nearly two years after the Maui wildfires, over half of fire-affected households have transitioned into permanent housing, and market rental rates for smaller units have begun to decline from their post-disaster peaks. However, the recovery remains uneven, with many still facing economic hardship, high unemployment among fire-affected residents, and a tourism industry that remains significantly below pre-fire levels. (Source: Star Advertiser)
08/04/2025
The City and County of Honolulu has selected nonprofit EAH Housing as its preferred partner to redevelop 436 Ena Road in Waikiki into long-term affordable rental housing under a ground lease. The project, part of a broader affordable housing initiative, will involve a full redevelopment of the currently vacant site, with a focus on quality, sustainability, and lasting community benefit. (Source: Star Advertiser)
07/28/2025
Kauai County has unveiled plans for Waimea 400, a 417-acre master-planned development featuring 380 affordable housing units, a sports complex, and various community amenities between Kekaha and Waimea. Construction is expected to begin in about two years, following environmental review and entitlement approvals, with strong community involvement anticipated throughout the process. (Source: PBN)
07/27/2025
The U.S. new home market is cooling significantly, with June 2025 data showing declining sales, rising inventory, and falling prices as high mortgage rates and economic uncertainty deter buyers. (Source: Fortune)
07/27/2025
Hundreds of Haleiwa residents have signed a petition opposing the proposed Haleiwa Backyards housing project, which would add about 150 long-term rental units—roughly half of them affordable—behind the Ace Hardware store. (Source: Hawaii News Now)
07/25/2025Kahuina - a proposed condo in Our Kakaako - is expected to start sales soon.
07/25/2025
A Maui County Council committee has passed a controversial bill in a 6-3 vote to ban short-term vacation rentals in approximately 6,100 condominium units, aiming to help restore long-term housing lost to the Lahaina wildfire. The bill, which targets condos on apartment-zoned land built before 1989, will phase in the ban starting in 2029 for West Maui and 2031 for the rest of the county, though concerns remain about legal challenges, economic fallout, and fairness to property owners. (Source: Star Advertiser)
07/24/2025
Maui County is now enforcing historic district design guidelines more consistently for Lahaina wildfire rebuilds following an April agreement with the State Historic Preservation Division, making the county the main point of contact and requiring compliance before permits are issued. Officials say updated guidelines, public input, and clearer processes aim to preserve Lahaina’s historic character during recovery. (Source: Maui Now)
07/24/2025
Maui County officials defended Bill 9, a proposal to phase out short-term vacation rentals in about 6,100 pre-1991 condo units, as a necessary step to ease the island’s housing crisis, despite mixed reactions from council members and concerns about economic and legal impacts. While some council members pushed for urgent action to stop the commodification of homes, others questioned the bill’s effectiveness, data support, and consequences for tourism, job loss, and litigation. (Source: Star Advertiser)
07/23/2025
HCDA is proposing the development of 3 condos in Kakaako on the HECO Ward Ave site, the Jack in the Box site and somewhere on Waimanu St between Kamakee St and Ward Ave.
07/23/2025
Concerns have emerged over iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains) as Mark Zuckerberg’s Kauai estate expands to over 2,000 acres, with some Native Hawaiians, like Julian Ako, saying access to family burial sites has been restricted. While the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative says it follows legal protocols and maintains the burial areas, Ako fears non-disclosure agreements with workers may hinder the proper reporting of ancestral remains. (Source: Hawaii News Now)
07/23/2025
Maui County Council is resuming deliberations on Bill 9 (2025), a proposal to phase out transient vacation rentals in apartment districts, with the Housing and Land Use Committee meeting on July 23. Council member Tasha Kama is mailing a countywide newsletter to provide residents with simplified, accurate information about the bill and direct them to additional resources online. (Source: Maui Now)
07/21/2025
In the first half of 2025, Hawaii’s housing market showed mixed results: condo sales declined statewide, while single-family home sales rose only on Kauai and the Big Island. Median condo prices fell on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island but rose on Kauai, and single-family home prices varied—with Maui remaining flat, Oahu and the Big Island increasing, and Kauai seeing a significant price drop. (Source: PBN)
07/21/2025
Nearly two years after the Maui wildfires, the privately funded ‘Ohana Hope Village—an 88-unit temporary housing project—nears completion in Kahului, delayed by infrastructure challenges, permitting issues, and a complicated water connection that pushed the budget from $14 million to $20 million. Despite setbacks, 44 units are already housing survivors, and the remaining homes are expected to be ready by September, offering much-needed shelter as federal housing aid nears expiration. (Source: Maui Now)
07/19/2025
The developer of Īlima and Melia — two proposed ultra-luxury condominiums in Ward Village — has officially commenced sales for all prospective buyers, including investors, second-home seekers, and primary residence purchasers.
07/19/2025Ward Village is seeing a wave of growth in 2024, with ten new restaurants and retailers opening or set to open across its shopping districts, including Tonkatsu Kuro, Westman Cafe, and Jules & Gem. As part of its continued development, Howard Hughes plans further commercial and residential upgrades, including the demolition of Ward Centre to make way for two new luxury condos, Ilima and Melia. (Source: PBN)
07/19/2025
The 92-room Ewa Hotel Waikiki has been listed for sale at $21 million as a leasehold property expiring in 2045, offering potential buyers the opportunity to rebrand or change management. CBRE brokers handling the sale say it's a rare Waikiki hotel listing and are targeting investors from Asia and the U.S. mainland. (Source: PBN)
07/16/2025
International buyers spent $56 billion on U.S. residential real estate between April 2024 and March 2025, a 33% increase from the previous year. Chinese buyers led the surge, with nearly half of all international purchases made in cash, reflecting confidence in the U.S. as a stable, desirable place to invest in real estate. (Source: Robb Report)
07/15/2025
A judge has ruled against Starwood Capital Group’s plan to build luxury homes on a former Princeville golf course located on a site known as an “anthrax graveyard,” siding with residents who argued the development violated Princeville’s original land-use agreements and posed public health risks. The ruling enforces a perpetual open-space restriction based on the community’s covenants, blocking the project and protecting the land from future development unless 75% of homeowners vote otherwise. (Source: Civil Beat)
07/14/2025
After a 14-year legal battle, developer Haseko agreed to pay $40 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by homeowners who were promised a marina in the ʻEwa Ocean Pointe/Hoakalei development but instead received a lagoon with no ocean access. (Source: Civil Beat)
07/12/2025
Honolulu City Council is considering Bill 51 to create the Downtown Honolulu Business Improvement District (BID), expanding the existing Fort Street Mall district to enhance public safety, cleanliness, infrastructure, and economic activity through a $1.9 million annual budget funded by nonresidential property owners. (Source: Star Advertiser)
07/11/2025
The City & County of Honolulu plans to ban parking along Lanikai’s one-way loop and limit side street parking between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to reduce chronic beach traffic congestion, with additional efforts including more bus service, bike racks, and redesigned drop-off zones. The full implementation, which may take up to three years, follows a decade of observation and community input aimed at restoring neighborhood access without restricting public beach use. (Source: Civil Beat)
07/09/2025
The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting will launch its new online permitting system, HNL Build, on August 4, replacing the outdated POSSE and ePlans systems to improve efficiency, transparency, and user experience. Built on Salesforce and offering features like real-time tracking, online payments, and centralized permit information, the system aims to modernize Oahu’s development processes, with all in-progress applications automatically transferring over. (Source: PBN)
07/09/2025
A proposed Haleiwa development featuring up to 156 two-bedroom rental units and 30,000 square feet of commercial space is under Honolulu City Council review as it seeks a land use reclassification from agricultural to urban to move forward. While local trade unions and city planning officials support the project for addressing workforce housing needs, many North Shore residents strongly oppose it, citing traffic concerns and claims that it contradicts the rural character outlined in the North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan. (Source: Star Advertiser)
07/07/2025
In 2024, Matt Cox of Matson Inc. was the highest-paid CEO of a Hawaii-based publicly traded company, with $6.15 million in total compensation—85% of it performance-based. Bob Harrison of First Hawaiian Bank had the highest base salary at $1.04 million and ranked second in total pay at $5.4 million. Hawaiian Electric’s Scott Seu initially received $6.5 million, but returned his $1.7 million incentive pay following the Lahaina wildfire tragedy, placing him third overall. Other notable changes included large compensation jumps for Peter Ho of Bank of Hawaii and Race Randle of Maui Land & Pineapple, the latter seeing a nearly 388% increase due to stock options. (Source: PBN)
07/07/2025
Hawaii is facing a property insurance crisis driven by climate-related disasters, like the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, and surging reinsurance costs, leading to skyrocketing premiums and policy non-renewals—especially for condos. In response, the state passed Senate Bill 1044, reactivated the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, expanded the Hawaii Property Insurance Association’s role, and created a loan program for condo safety upgrades. These measures aim to stabilize the market, ensure continued insurance availability, and encourage climate resilience across Hawaii’s housing sector. (Source: KHON2)
07/06/2025
Construction progress: Alia, Kalae and Ulana.
07/06/2025The Pig and the Lady will close its Chinatown location on August 22 and reopen this fall in Kaimuki at 3650 Waialae Avenue as its new flagship restaurant. The new location will maintain its popular Vietnamese comfort food menu, with added outdoor seating, a full bar, and expanded dine-in and takeout services. (Source: KHON2)
07/05/2025
Homeowner’s insurance premiums are rising sharply across the U.S. due to more frequent and severe natural disasters, higher housing costs, and insurers facing mounting losses. As a result, insurance costs are becoming a significant factor in affordability. (Source: CNBC)
07/02/2025
The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee has recessed deliberations on Bill 9, which proposes phasing out vacation rentals in apartment-zoned areas of South and West Maui, until July 23 after spending over six hours in a closed session with county attorneys. (Source: Maui Now)
07/02/2025
Honolulu is not enforcing a key provision of its 2019 short-term rental law—which requires platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo to submit monthly booking reports—because of a lawsuit settlement with the Kokua Coalition, representing vacation rental owners, who claimed the law violated privacy rights. (Source: Civil Beat)
07/02/2025
More than 45,000 residents in Hawaii’s public housing will gain access to high-speed fiber internet within 60 days through a $6 million Hawaiian Telcom-funded project connecting 81 Hawaii Public Housing Authority properties across four islands. (Source: Star Advertiser)
07/01/2025
Hawaii condo associations can now apply for hurricane insurance through the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund (HHRF), offering temporary coverage relief amid soaring private market premiums. The program, reactivated under an emergency proclamation, is expected to help up to 1,020 buildings and aims to bridge the gap until the private insurance market stabilizes. The state emphasizes that HHRF is not intended to compete with private insurers but to ensure coverage availability during a market crisis. (Source: PBN)
06/30/2025
A proposed 156-unit housing and commercial project in Haleiwa has drawn strong community opposition over concerns it threatens the area's rural character and agricultural land, despite developer claims it addresses housing needs. The project requires a zoning change from agricultural to urban, which the Honolulu City Council’s Zoning Committee has advanced for further review. (Source: Star Advertiser)
06/27/2025
Maui County Council is set to deliberate on Bill 9, a controversial proposal to phase out short-term vacation rentals that has sparked heated debate over housing access, economic impacts, and property rights, with more than 300 people testifying and legal experts predicting potential constitutional challenges. Supporters say the bill is crucial to reclaim housing for local residents and address Maui’s housing crisis, while opponents warn it could devastate tourism-related jobs and businesses, urging alternative solutions like converting vacation rentals into affordable housing through public acquisition. (Source: Maui Now)
06/27/2027
Toho Co., the Japanese film studio behind the original Godzilla, is listing its 33,000-square-foot lot near Ala Moana Center in Honolulu—formerly home to Teddy’s Bigger Burgers—as a high-rise development opportunity within the city's transit-oriented development zone. Though no permits have been filed, a conceptual plan for a 39-story affordable housing tower was created, and the site, assessed at $17.6 million, is being marketed without a listed price. (Source: PBN)
06/26/2025
Honolulu ranks 26th for best places to retire in the U.S. (Source: US News)
06/26/2025Tony’s Catch on Kauai was ranked the No. 1 food truck in the U.S. by Yelp in its 2025 Top 100 list, leading Hawaii’s strong showing with 25 trucks featured—more than any other state. (Source: PBN)
06/25/2025Victoria Place has been recognized at the 2025 PCBC Gold Nugget Awards, the oldest and most prestigious residential design awards in the nation. (Source: PCBC)
06/25/2025
During a heated Maui County Council hearing on Bill 9, which proposes phasing out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned areas, Pastor Jonavan Asato introduced an alternative; using vacation rental profits through a nonprofit to fund down payments for local residents, aiming to create long-term homeownership opportunities. While the concept drew interest, most testimony focused on the broader clash between housing access for locals and economic reliance on vacation rentals, with Bill 9 supporters citing social justice and community survival, and opponents warning of financial harm and unintended consequences. (Source: Maui Now)
06/24/2025
Despite an overall slowdown in Oahu’s housing market, luxury real estate sales rose 3% in May 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, driven primarily by strong activity in the $3 million to $5.99 million range. Luxury single-family home sales increased 14%, while luxury condo sales dropped 38% for the month but remain up 31% year-to-date. The median luxury home price rose 11% to $3.07 million, with top-performing neighborhoods including Kahala, Hawaii Loa Ridge, and Kakaako, reflecting continued demand for high-end properties. (Source: PBN)
06/24/2025
A trial is underway on Kauai over a proposed luxury hotel by Starwood Capital Group on the Makai Golf Course in Princeville, raising longstanding community concerns. Residents argue the land was designated as permanent open space under the original master plan and cite possible contamination risks from a rumored 1917 anthrax cattle burial site. While no building permits have been issued and no physical evidence of anthrax has been found, opponents hope the combination of health concerns and land-use disputes will halt the development. (Source: KITV)
06/24/2025
Wood-framed homes dominate U.S. housing due to tradition, cost, and familiarity, but they are vulnerable to fire, water damage, and extreme weather. In contrast, concrete offers superior durability, energy efficiency, and resistance to hazards but is underused in U.S. residential construction due to the high labor costs and complexity of cast-in-place methods. Precast concrete homes - manufactured off-site and assembled quickly - present a promising solution for affordable, resilient housing, with prototypes like the CRETE and Compact House demonstrating their potential for mass production, long lifespan, and reduced maintenance, while leveraging existing U.S. precast infrastructure. (Source: Civil Beat)
06/24/2025
Oahu property tax assessments are drawing criticism from local Realtor Dan Madden, who claims around 60,000 homes are overvalued based on his comparison of recent sale prices with city-assessed values. While the city defends its mass appraisal method as adhering to professional standards, Madden argues the 10% threshold for successful appeals is unfair and discourages valid challenges. (Source: Star Advertiser)
06/23/2025
Compass has filed a lawsuit against Zillow, accusing it of anticompetitive behavior by enforcing a new rule that requires any publicly marketed listings to be posted on Zillow within one day or be excluded from the platform. Compass argues the policy - dubbed the "Zillow ban" - is an attempt to control online real estate listings and undercuts its phased marketing strategy, which includes private and “coming soon” listings. The lawsuit highlights a broader industry conflict over who controls listing visibility, with Zillow claiming it’s promoting transparency for consumers, while Compass insists it's defending seller choice and marketing flexibility. (Source: CNN)
06/22/2025
A new study by Leave The Key Homebuyers finds that Hawaii is the least affordable state for aspiring homeowners, with the average resident needing nearly 29 years to save for a median-priced home due to high costs and low disposable income. California ranks second, requiring over 10 years of saving, followed by Utah, Arizona, Georgia, and Oregon. (Source: Realtor.com)
06/22/2025
Owners of Maui short-term vacation rentals argue that converting 6,100 units into long-term housing under Bill 9 would make them unaffordable for residents, but a University of Hawaii study finds otherwise, showing over 27,000 households could afford them due to falling home values and tax rates. Bill 9, if passed, would take effect in West Maui by 2028 and is seen by state and county leaders as a crucial step toward addressing Maui’s housing crisis. (Source: Star Advertiser)
06/20/2025
Doug Johnstone, Hawaii region president of Howard Hughes Holdings, leads the development of Ward Village in Kakaako — a transformation from an industrial and retail area into a high-rise residential and mixed-use community. The master plan has shifted over time to focus more on neighborhood livability, smaller retail formats, and expanded green spaces. Johnstone sees Ward Village as a model for smart urban growth in Honolulu, balancing dense development near transit and jobs with preserving open space and rural areas elsewhere on Oahu. (Source: PBN)
06/20/2025
The Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee heard testimony from nearly 70 people regarding Bill 9, which proposes phasing out grandfathered short-term vacation rentals in apartment-zoned areas over three years. Supporters cite the urgent need for long-term housing following the 2023 wildfire crisis, while opponents, including Airbnb’s attorney and condo owners, warn of constitutional violations, economic harm, and ineffective housing gains. The hearing reflected deep community tensions, with more than 230 people signed up to testify and final testimony expected to conclude on June 23. (Source: Maui Now)
06/20/2025Muse Honolulu owner-occupant lottery will be held July 9th. Contact us for details.
06/19/2025
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors, predicts a significant drop in mortgage rates in 2026 as inflation eases and the Federal Reserve faces mounting pressure to cut interest rates. Despite holding rates steady amid political and economic uncertainty, the Fed may act by late 2025 if inflation continues to decline. (Source: TheStreet)
06/19/2025
Honolulu’s Bill 7, enacted in 2019 to fast-track permits for affordable housing within 90 days, has largely failed to meet its goal, with no projects approved in that timeframe and most taking over a year — some nearly two. While the law intended to simplify development and offer incentives for affordable units, it has been bogged down by permit backlogs, code disputes, understaffing, and agency inefficiencies. Despite some success with a handful of completed projects, critics say the city missed a major opportunity to address the housing crisis and are calling for clearer processes and cultural change within the permitting department. (Source: Civil Beat)
06/18/2025
Housing starts across the U.S. fell 9.8% in May 2025 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,256,000, the lowest since 2020, driven by a sharp drop in multifamily construction and a modest 0.4% rise in single-family starts, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD. (Source: Inman)
06/18/2025
The Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates unchanged in June 2025 maintains high borrowing costs, with credit card rates above 20%, auto loan rates at 7.3% for new cars and 11% for used, and 30-year mortgage rates at 6.91%, impacting affordability for consumers. Despite pressure from President Trump for a rate cut, the Fed's stance reflects economic uncertainties. (Source: CNBC)
06/16/2025
The Kahikinui brush fire in East Maui, which grew to 500 acres by 7 p.m. on June 15th, prompted evacuation orders for 30-40 homes near Mile Markers 24-25, with no containment reported and Piilani Highway reopening at Mile 27.5 by 7:51 p.m. (Source: Maui Now)
06/16/2025
A corrupt Hawaii County housing specialist, Alan Rudo, and his partners exploited the affordable housing credit system, fraudulently obtaining nearly $11 million through unbuilt projects, prompting an FBI investigation and federal convictions for Rudo and three associates. (Source: Civil Beat)
06/15/2025
Local developer Robert Kurisu is bringing South Korea’s CU convenience store chain, with 18,500 locations, to Hawaii, starting with a flagship store in Honolulu’s Executive Centre by year-end 2025, marking CU’s first U.S. location. The stores will offer Korean products like gimbap, customizable drinks, and reimagined local dishes such as poke and musubi, aiming to provide affordable, modern options in response to Hawaii’s high cost of living. (Source: Star Advertiser)
06/15/2025
Five of the world’s richest real estate tycoons include Kushal Pal Singh ($18.7B, chairman emeritus of India’s DLF), Harry Triguboff ($19.7B, Australian apartment developer with Meriton), Donald Bren ($18.9B, chairman of California’s Irvine Company), Stephen Ross ($18.4B, CEO of Related Ross and Miami Dolphins owner), and Peter Woo ($13.2B, former chairman of Hong Kong’s Wheelock & Co.). Their wealth stems from strategic investments in diverse property portfolios, including apartments, office spaces, malls, and hotels. (Source: Yahoo! Finance)
06/13/2025
Maui County’s $1.56 billion fiscal year 2026 budget allocates $47 million to advance affordable housing, including $17.2 million for the Kaiaulu O Lanai project to build hundreds of homes on Lanai and $25 million for the 175-unit Līpoa Apartments in Kihei, alongside infrastructure like the $86 million Waiale Road extension to support over 1,000 homes. The budget addresses the housing crisis worsened by the 2023 wildfires and inflation but faces challenges from a potential $75 million tax revenue shortfall if Bill 9 phases out 6,127 vacation rentals, which the budget does not account for, and concerns over county job vacancies and insufficient deed restrictions to maintain long-term affordability. (Source: Civil Beat)
06/12/2025
In April and May 2025, Maui’s single-family home sales declined by 4.2% and 26.7% respectively compared to 2024, but median prices rose slightly to $1,380,000 (+6.2%) and $1,300,000 (+0.4%), while new listings dropped by around 9%. Condominium sales fell sharply by 40.7% in April and 16.9% in May, with median prices decreasing to $727,000 (-24.5%) and $762,500 (-10.3%), though new condo listings surged by 31% and 33.9%. (Source: Maui Now)
06/12/2025Oahu’s condo market has shifted to favor buyers, with inventory reaching a 20-year high of 7.1 months in May 2025, up 61.4% from 4.4 months in May 2024, driven by a 21.8% drop in sales due to soaring hurricane insurance costs, deferred maintenance, and high interest rates. (Source: PBN)
06/11/2025
Mortgage demand, across the US, surged to its highest level in over a month, with total application volume rising 12.5% week-over-week, driven by a 16% increase in refinance applications and a 10% rise in purchase applications, fueled by a 31% increase in housing inventory compared to last year. (Source: CNBC)
06/11/2025
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is advancing a 656-acre development in Hana's Wakiu area, featuring 78 residential lots, 65 subsistence agricultural lots, four pastoral lots, 30 kupuna housing units, and community spaces like a center, park, and solar energy system, aimed at addressing East Maui’s housing shortage for Native Hawaiians. (Source: Maui Now)
06/11/2025
Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi’s administration is seeking a developer for a 15.19-acre city-owned site in Kapolei to create a mixed-use, transit-oriented development with 600 to 800 affordable housing units, leveraging a 75-year ground lease and public-private partnership. The project, adjacent to the recently completed 401-unit Parkway Village, aims to transform underutilized land into affordable homes for working families, integrated with nearby amenities and the expanding Skyline rail system. The city’s Department of Housing and Land Management has issued a request for qualifications, with submissions due by July 21, 2025, and potential city funding to be determined based on developer proposals. (Source: Star Advertiser)
06/10/2025
Maui Mayor Bissen advocated for Bill 9 to phase out approximately 6,000 short-term vacation rentals in Maui’s apartment-zoned districts, arguing it’s critical to address the severe housing crisis exacerbated by the 2023 wildfires, as new construction can’t meet demand due to limited resources like water. The proposal faces opposition from vacation rental owners citing economic losses of $900 million and 1,900 jobs, but Bissen emphasized the human cost of inaction, urging the council to prioritize residents’ needs. The bill includes a three-year grace period and zoning change options. (Source: Maui Now)
06/10/2025
Oahu’s condo market saw a significant 22% drop in sales in May 2025, with months of remaining inventory reaching 7.1, the highest in over 25 years, giving buyers more selection, time, and negotiation power due to higher borrowing costs and rising maintenance fees. Single-family home sales declined by 6%, but median prices rose 8% to $1,175,000, while condo median prices slightly increased by 1% to $500,000, reflecting a steady but cautious market. (Source: Star Advertiser)
06/09/2025
The average annual hidden costs of owning and maintaining a single-family home in the U.S. reached $21,400 in 2025, driven primarily by home maintenance ($8,808), with Hawaii and California exceeding $30,000 annually, while West Virginia and Mississippi are under $15,000. (Source: Bankrate)
06/09/2025
Grant Cardone, CEO of Cardone Capital, criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, blaming high interest rates for causing a U.S. housing crisis by deterring buyers and keeping home prices elevated due to low demand. He argued that lower interest rates would increase market activity, bring investors and buyers back, and ultimately reduce prices by increasing supply. (Source: Fox Business)
06/09/2025
The Maui County Council is preparing for a public hearing on Bill 9, a vacation rental phase-out bill, with a large turnout expected for today's session starting at 10 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The hearing will be televised live at 10 a.m. on Akaku Maui Community Media (Channel 53) and streamed online via Teams at http://tinyurl.com/HLU-Committee, with call-in testimony available at 1-808-977-4067 (code 461 899 61#). In-person testimony is accepted at the start of the meeting in the eighth-floor Council Chamber at 200 South High St., Wailuku. Written testimony can be submitted via eComment at mauicounty.us/agendas, emailed to HLU.committee@mauicounty.us, or mailed to HLU Committee, Maui County Council, 200 S. High St., Wailuku 96793. (Source: Maui Now)
4/14/2025
The state’s Agribusiness Development Corp. (ADC) is eyeing a $39 million purchase of 1,040 acres of prime Kauai farmland from billionaire Steve Case’s Grove Farm to boost local food production and secure it from development, with the deal pending legislative approval by May 2025 (source: CivilBeat).
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