Hawaii Living

Honolulu Real Estate News

  • 4/18/2024 Market Update (table) - click here.
  • 4/18/2024 Alia is about 90% sold.
  • 4/9/2024 Launiu Ward Village owner-occupant sales round begins today.
  • 3/31/2024 Construction progress: The Park Ward Village and Ulana Ward Village.
  • 3/31/2024 The initial 50% units offered for sale in The Launiu Ward Village is almost sold out - just a few units left. 
  • 3/5/2024 See our Ala Moana video (condos & neighborhood overview).
  • 3/5/2024 Market Update (table) - click here
  • 2/15/2024 The walking bridge, which will connect Ward Village with Kewalo Basin Harbor is expected to be complete by this summer.
  • 2/12/2024 Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa is scheduled to open Feb 28th.  
  • 2/12/2024 We have updated our Condo Hotel Guide, now that Honolulu is getting 2 separate property tax categories for short-term rentals.
  • 2/6/2024 Market update (table) - click here.
  • 2/1/2024 See our detailed Guide to Honolulu Property Taxes.
  • 1/31/2024 Ultra-luxury Launiu Ward Village sales is about to start. Contact us asap, if you are interested in learning more.
  • 1/23/2024 Kalae has broken ground and construction will soon begin.
  • 1/23/2024 Victoria Place is expected to be completed this year - November - with 3 bulk closings scheduled: Nov. 6, 13 & 20.
  • 1/16/2024 Trump Tower Waikiki was originally to be rebranded as Wakea Waikiki Beach, but the plans changed and the new name - from Feb 7th - will be Ka Lai Waikiki Beach.
  • 1/12/2024 Market update (table) - click here.
  • 1/12/2024 The City of Honolulu lost a lawsuit, in which the City wanted to change the minimum rental period for residential properties, on Oahu, from the current 30 day minimum to 90 days. 
  • 12/12/2023 Many condos on Oahu do not have sufficient hurricane insurance coverage and most lenders will not lend on such condos - read more (source: Hawaii Business Magazine).
  • 12/8/2023 Market Update (table) - click here.
  • 12/7/2023 Alia construction has begun and project is past 80% sold.
  • 12/6/2023 Nori Bar - a casual sushi restaurant - is now open in Koula
  • 12/3/2023 Japanese visitors to Hawaii is about half of 2019 levels - read more (source: Civil Beat).
  • 12/1/2023 $125M in federal funding approved to get the rail to Kakaako - read more (source: HawaiiNewsNow).
  • 12/1/2023 Many older condos in Honolulu don't meet acceptable fire safety standards - read more (source: Civil Beat).
  • 11/30/2023 PBN article on Hawaii vacation rentals occupancy.
  • 11/25/2023 Construction Progress: Victoria Place, The Park Ward Village, Victoria Ward Park Mauka, Victoria Ward Park Makai, Walking Bridge and Ulana Ward Village.
  • 11/18/2023 See the most expensive condos for sale in Honolulu and also the most expensive homes for sale in Honolulu.
  • 11/17/2023 See the breakdown of % cash vs financing buyers of Honolulu properties.
  • 11/9/2023 Trump Tower Waikiki will soon come under new management and is expected - starting February 2024 - to operate under the name of Wakea Waikiki Beach and be part of Hilton's LXR Hotels & Resorts, which is a small group of hand-selected luxury hotels. 
  • 11/9/2023 Market update (table) - click here.
  • 11/1/2023 Who pays conveyance tax, how much is it and how does it work? Read here on our Blog.
  • 10/30/2023 Waikiki vacation rental units had an average occupancy of 65.1% Sept 2023 vs 78.6% Sept 2019 - see more data here (source: Dept. of Business, Economic Development & Tourism).
  • 10/30/2023 Honolulu City is working to connect more homes that are currently on cesspool to the City's main sewer system - read more (source: Civil Beat).
  • 10/27/2023 Developers have a hard time selling affordable housing units, due to strict qualification guidelines - read more (source: Civil Beat)
  • 10/19/2023 New condo hotel coming to Kapiolani Blvd - read more here (source: KITV)
  • 10/19/2023 Alia is close to 80% sold and construction is expected to commence before year-end.
  • 10/12/2023 Park Ward Village construction progress, Aalii shops and Sky Ala Moana exterior completed.
  • 10/9/2023 Learn more about ultra-luxury Block D and Block E.
  • 10/8/2023 Market Update (table) - click here.
  • 10/6/2023 10 new shops will open in Koula - click here for details.
  • 10/3/3023 Construction Progress: Victoria Place, Sky Ala Moana, The Park on Keeaumoku, Walking Bridge & Victoria Ward Park (Makai) and Kalae Lot Preparation Work.
  • 9/30/2023 Sky Ala Moana West (residential tower) has 3 scheduled bulk closing rounds: Oct 12, 18 & 24. Renaissance Residences (Sky Ala Moana East) has all units scheduled to record December 11th and the Renaissance Hotel is scheduled to open January 2024.
  • 9/27/2023 Fall 2023 Market Update
  • 9/15/2023 Launiu, ultra-luxury condo, coming soon. Register your interest.
  • 9/11/2023 Remaining inventory in Kuilei Place - market rate units - range in price from $671,000 to $1,275,000 across 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. There are also some affordable units available ranging in price from $680,000 to $813,000 across 2 and 3 bedroom units.
  • 9/8/2023 Ililani is on track for March 2024 completion and currently 97% of the units are sold.
  • 9/8/2023 Alia construction site is under preparation and official ground breaking is expected in the very near future.
  • 9/8/2023 Construction progress in Ward Village: The Park Ward Village, Ulana Ward Village, Victoria Place, Victoria Ward Park (Makai) and Auahi St sidewalks widening project
  • 9/6/2023 Market update (Table) - click here.
  • 8/22/2023 The Park on Keeaumoku's LionaTower is more than 90% sold and Ryocroft Tower is more than 60% sold.
  • 8/10/2023 Ritz-Carlton Penthouse Residences, Tower 2, are now built out and listed for sale.
  • 8/9/2023 Buyers of Renaissance Residences are scheduled to take ownership December this year.  
  • 8/3/2023 DPP's median processing time for a building permit application is close to 200 days. The City has a Bill out, which, if passed, would allow the DPP to increase the use 3rd parties to help review applications to speed up the process (source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser).
  • 7/26/2023 Honolulu's City Council is debating whether owners of 'monster' homes, built without appropriate building permits, should be forced to demolish such homes. 
  • 7/26/2023 Construction progress: Park Ward Village and Sky Ala Moana.
  • 6/17/2023 Construction Progress: Victoria Place, Auahi St Sidewalk Widening, The Park Ward Village, Ulana Ward Village.
  • 6/12/2023 For new condo projects in Honolulu, we have created 3 different pages: New Honolulu projects,  new Kakaako projects and Ward Village condos (new and already built).
  • 5/17/2023 Interior design firm, Wabi Sabi Hawaii, now offers furniture packages for Sky Ala Moana (West).
  • 5/16/2023 See the ranking of Honolulu's single-family home neighborhoods by price / sf.
  • 5/15/2023 Sky Ala Moana West has 3 scheduled bulk closing dates - Oct 12, Oct 18, Oct 24 - and Renaissance closings expected either Dec 15th or early January.
  • 5/15/2023 The first release of Kanalani at Hoopili homes are now available for sale - 3BR to 4BR floor plans.
  • 5/8/2023 Check out our new page with almost 600 Honolulu's condos price / sf and Maint. fees / sf.
  • 5/8/2023 Sky Ala Moana construction progress (Sky Ala Moana West and Renaissance Residences).
  • 4/28/2023 More homeowners, in default on their mortgage, may qualify to modify their 30 year mortgage to a 40 year term in order to reduce the monthly payments and increase the likelihood of being able to stay in their home.
  • 4/27/2023 1BR - 3BR condos are now offered at Nahele at Hoopili for owner-occupants only.
  • 4/26/2023 Waikiki hotel occupancy rate is almost at pre-covid levels - March 2023 = 79.4% vs March 2019 = 80%. Data is from HTA's March 2023 Hawaii Hotel Performance Report.
  • 4/25/2023 Former Hokua owner sues Hokua board members and more.
  • 4/11/2023 Victoria Place construction progress.
  • 4/7/2023 Progress on Ward Village's Auahi St sidewalk widening project, which will include just 1 car lane in either direction, dedicated bike lanes and inviting green landscaping.
  • 4/7/2023 The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has reportedly rejected Hawaii State's $165M proposal to eliminate the possibility of building highrises on land they own, oceanside of Ala Moana Blvd in Kakaako (since 2006 there has been a ban on residential developments on this land).
  • 4/5/2023 Hawaii State has reportedly offered $165M to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to keep highrises from never being built on land they own in Kakaako on the oceanside of Ala Moana Blvd.
  • 3/28/2023 The DPP has, reportedly, hired a collection agency - Aargon - to help crack down on illegal vacation rentals.
  • 3/27/2023 Kuilei Place affordable housing application deadline is April 16th.
  • 3/23/2023 The City & County of Honolulu is studying ways to improve Keeaumoku St for the needs of all people.
  • 3/23/2023 Water sports park is opening in West Oahu this weekend.
  • 3/15/2023 3/15/2023: New homes in Mamaka at Hoopili now offered.
  • 3/14/2023 Oahu real estate market update.
  • 3/14/2023 The Launiu Ward Village is a new luxury project we anticipate will be offered in the near future.
  • 3/10/2023 Only 6 homes left at Hooulu, a neighborhood within Hoopili, starting at $842K for a 3BR home with 1,132 sf. 
  • 3/7/2023 The Flats at Sky Ala Moana (affordable housing units) now offers some units with reduced restrictions periods and no shared equity.
  • 3/4/2023 Oahu real estate price trends - click here for details.
  • 3/4/2023 Bill 4 proposes that the residentially zoned properties on Oahu that may legally run short-term rentals, e.g. Waikiki Banyan, Waikiki Sunset, and all NUC properties, will pay a higher property tax rate than the current residential rate. The new rate is expected to be less than the Hotel Resort tax rate (currently 1.39% of assessed value), which is the rate for legal short-term rental properties within the Hotel Resort zone, e.g. Ilikai, Waikiki Shore. etc. When the Bill becomes law, it might take effect July 2024 at the earliest.
  • 3/3/2023 The average 30 year US mortgage rate is at 6.65% - a year ago it was 3.76%.
  • 3/3/3023 Proposal to build 3 highrises on the oceanside in Kakaako has been put on hold.
  • 3/3/2023 Sky Ala Moana project construction progress (Renaissance and Sky Ala Moana West).
  • 3/1/2023 Check out our 3 new Honolulu condo related pages: New Projects, Condo Hotels and Luxury Condos.
  • 2/24/2023 The Alia owner-occupant round is almost done, which means the remaining inventory becomes unrestricted (anyone can purchase).
  • 2/24/2023 Shoreline setback requirements for oceanfront developments on Oahu are currently 40 ft from the high watermark. Starting July 2024 this will increase to between 60 to 130 ft (Bill 41 & 42), subject to Honolulu's Mayor signing the Bills in to law.
  • 2/21/2023 Kuilei Place affordable seminar coming this Saturday - register to join seminar.
  • 2/20/2023 The Park on Keeaumoku is about 93% sold out in the Liona Tower and 55% sold out in the Rycroft Tower. On schedule for Q1 2025 completion.
  • 2/20/2023 Ililani has just 7 affordable and 18 market rate units left. 
  • 2/18/2023 We hope soon to have more info about upcoming luxury project, Kaliu.
  • 2/17/2023 Renaissance Residences Honolulu only has 2 units left - otherwise, all sold out.
  • 2/11/2023 The Park on Keeaumoku construction progress
  • 2/7/2023 Kuilei Place is now taking owner-occupant applications for market rate units.
  • 2/1/2023 Construction progress for Victoria Place and Auahi St sidewalks widening project.
  • 1/31/2023 Sky Ala Moana construction progress.
  • 1/27/2023 Kuilei Place, a proposed mixed used project (market rate and restricted income units), obtained permit fee exemptions to built at 2599 Kapiolani Blvd - read more on Civil Beat.
  • 1/27/2023 Alia owner-occupant sales starts tomorrow, Jan 28th.
  • 1/23/2023 Alia is a new luxury condo coming to Kakaako. Reach out to learn more.
  • 1/5/2023 It appears the City has decided property owners who are allowed to run short-term rentals must register their units here if a building's original permits were for anything but a hotel. If a building's original permits were for a hotel, then no need to register.
  • 12/28/2022 New construction sales update: Kalae ~75% sold, The Park Ward Village ~95% sold, Sky Ala Moana East (condo hotel portion) ~95% sold. 
  • 11/21/2022 New homes now offered in Hoopili's The Bluffs at Ikena.
  • 11/2/2022 The Park Ward Village construction is about to begin.
  • 10/27/2022 Owner's of legal short-term rentals in the County of Honolulu (Oahu) must register their unit(s) with the City on this website - exceptions are NUC holders, Hotels and Timeshare units. Read more details here.
  • 10/27/2022 Kalae owner-occupant sales (165 units) will begin tomorrow, Friday, 9am, and prospects or their agents may start lining up now at the Ward Village sales office.
  • 10/14/2022 A preliminary injunction was granted by a judge, which prevents the City from implementing the ordinance that would change min rental terms, for most Oahu properties, from 30 to 90 days - read more here.
  • 9/26/2022 Kalae, a new ultra-luxury Ward Village condo project, sales gallery is now open.
  • 9/21/2022 Koula - luxury condo in Ward Village - is completed and the first owners are moving in. 
  • 9/13/2022 During the 9.7.2022 court hearing to challenge Bill 41’s 90-day rule, Judge Watson instructed both parties to meet with U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader and work out a resolution by 10.23.2022. - Bill 41 updates here.
  • 9/13/2022 Alia, a new luxury condo to be developed in Kakaako, is expected to start sales Q4 2022.
  • 7/19/2022 Bill 41 has been legally challenged. For now, Bill 41's enforcement date has been pushed back to 4.23.2023. Updates here.
  • 7/14/2022 The State has a plan for developing around the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor - read more here.
  • 6/17/2022 Ritz-Carlton Waikiki is planning to remodel all units in the hotel rental program in the fall of 2023.
  • 5/30/2022 Construction progress photos: Victoria Place, Sky Ala Moana, Koula.
  • 5/26/2022 Bill 41 - An overview of important aspects of this Bill (concerns Oahu short-term renting rules).
  • 5/17/2022 Cottages at Mauna Olu is a unique community of single-family homes on Oahu's west coast. Unique in that the project allows for short-term vacation renting.
  • 5/17/2022 Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance has reportedly engaged an attorney to initiate legal action against the City & County of Honolulu for changing the minmium legal rental term, required per tenant, from 30 days to 90 days, for most residential properties / neighborhoods.
  • 5/12/2022 The Park Ward Village is expected to begin construction in the second half of 2022.
  • 5/11/2022
    Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
  • 4/29/2022 An elevated pedestrian walking path above Ala Moana Blvd (between Kamakee and Ward Ave - click here and see page 11) is expected to start construction May 2, 2022 with an anticpated completed late 2023. 
  • 4/25/2022 Don't forget the new OTAT tax, levied on rental income for Oahu properties - read more here.
  • 4/22/2022 Construction progress photo: Sky Ala Moana.
  • 4/18/2022 Developer files documents to develop Ala Moana Plaza; a 40 story condo at 451 Piikoi St - read more here.
  • 4/14/2022 Honolulu City Council approves Bill 41, which will increase the minimum rental terms for most properties on Oahu, from their current 30 days to 90 days, if signed into law by Honolulu's mayor - read more here.
  • 4/6/2022 DPP's Director steps away from working on Bill 41 (short-term rental legislation) - read more on Civiil Beat.
  • 4/1/2022 Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
  • 3/23/2022 2 new condos projects - Kahuina and Alia - are expected to be offered in 'Our Kaako' later this year - read more here.
  • 3/22/2022 Construction progress photos: Koula and Victoria Place.
  • 3/1/2022 From today, Japanese nationals traveling back to Japan - from Hawaii - are not subject to any quarantine, if vaccinated with 1 booster shot. Details in Japanese here.
  • 1/31/2022 Sky Ala Moana construction progress. Sky Ala Moana Residential Tower (west) is expected to be completed fall 2023 and the Condo Hotel & Hotel Tower (east) early 2024.
  • 1/30/2022 Construction progress photos: KoulaVictoria Place and Sky Ala Moana.
  • 1/7/2022 The Park Ward Village is near 80% presold.
  • 1/6/2022 Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details
  • 1/5/2022 Koula closings (transfer of ownership to Buyers) anticipated to take place September this year. 
  • 1/3/2022 We expect a new ultra-luxury condo will be offered in Ward Village soon, to be located right here
  • 12/15/2021 Today, Honolulu's Mayor signed Bill 40 into law, increaing TAT to 13.25% - click here to read more.
  • 12/11/2021 Lottery for Kaikea at Hoopili will soon begin.
  • 12/10/2021 Now selling Mamaka at Hoopili - 3BR to 4BR single-family homes. 
  • 12/1/2021 Walea at Koa Ridge coming soon: 2BR to 3BR townhomes starting in the $650,000's.
  • 12/1/2021 Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
  • 11/25/2021 Sky Ala Moana residential tower has sold out. We are now waiting for Sky Ala Moana condo hotel tower to be released.
  • 11/15/2021 Construction progress photos: Victoria Place and Koula.
  • 11/9/2021 The Park Ward Village was 64% presold by the end of Q3 (Oct 31st) and a total of 316 Ward Village residences went under contract with the developer Q3.
  • 10/28/2021 Ultra-luxury condo Victoria Place is almost sold out - just 2 x 1BR units left.
  • 10/15/2021 Construction progress photos: Koula, Victoria Place and Sky Ala Moana.
  • 10/12/2021 The Park Ward Village owner-occupant sales round is done and the remaining units are now available for any prospective Buyer to purchase.
  • 10/6/2021 Aalii and Azure Ala Moana both have started their first rounds of recordations (Buyers become owners).
  • 10/4/2021 Oahu's real estate price trends - click here for details.
  • 9/30/2021 Check out this new page where we show newer Honolulu condos price per square foot.
  • 9/10/2021 Update on the Draft Bill from the DPP - click here.
  • 8/23/2021 DPP's Draft Bill to amend current short-term rental rules - read on our blog.
  • 8/23/2021 Sky Ala Moana's hotel portion will be branded as The Renaissance Honolulu Hotel - a premium Marriott brand.
  • 8/6/2021 New condo projects sales progress - click here.
  • 7/30/2021 The Park on Keeaumoku opens its doors 10am tomorrow to prospective owner occupants - read more here (pdf).
  • 7/28/2021 Hawaii vacation rentals at 79.9% occupancy during June - see full report (pdf).
  • 7/23/2021 Oahu Market Update: Mid-Year 2021
  • 7/23/2021 Oahu's property tax rates for fiscal year 2021
  • 6/4/2021 Sky Ala Moana is about 90% sold out.
  • 6/3/2021 Read details about The Park Ward Village and sign up for a virtual tour of this upcoming luxury project.
  • 5/27/2021 Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism projects Hawaii's economy will grow 3.5% this year, 3% in 2022 and 2.3% in 2023.
  • 5/26/2021 Bill 20 proposes 5 tiers to the Residential A property tax rate.
  • 5/14/2021 In person showings now available for new Ward Village projects at the IBM showroom (virtual showings continue).