Unreal Estate Game: Hawaii

[Rain Man]

Okay, we've all been waiting for this one. You know the rules:

Honolulu (Oahu) - http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...3_M88169-71680

Kailua-Kona (Hawaii) - http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...0_M77443-62995

Kapaa (Kauai) - http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...6_M70723-91282

Kihei (Maui) - http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...-58822#photo30

Lahaina (Maui) - http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...1_M71334-33814

[Bwana]

Kapaa (Kauai)

[ThaVirus]

Kailua-Kona or Honolulu. Both are heavenly.

I think I'd go Honolulu at this point but I'll be back with my final answer.

[wazu]

Honolulu has no outdoor seating. IN HAWAII. How is it still receiving votes?

[TinyEvel]

I think the rules say it would have to be your primary residence, right? otherwise I'd go Lahaina and VRBO the heck out of that place for secondary income. I think I would choose Kona because it's an actual house and while so tor big empty box-isn looking, that pool and the open windows appeal to me.

Otherwise I'd choose Kapaa (Kauai) but I would have to either go full tiki bar and live drunk every day until I die, or go full granola and nature hike and eat papaya and oats my whole life.

[splatbass]

Originally Posted by wazu

Honolulu has no outdoor seating. IN HAWAII. How is it still receiving votes?

I'm familiar with that building, and its twin next door. Most of the units have big balconies, but when you get to the top few floors they don't. That is a spectacular, huge (for Hawaii) unit, and one hell of a cheap price for what it is. It is essentially a penthouse apartment in a very nice high rise building with a spectacular view near many restaurants and shops and close to the beach. The sunsets from there would be amazing.

I have a balcony on my condo, looking at rain forest - and I would still take this one without a balcony. Plus it is closer to work and going the opposite direction from the rush hour traffic I have to deal with now. The price is a little steep for my budget though.

These are the buildings. It is the one in back (slightly distorted by Google Street View). You can see on the first building all the balconies, then at the top they stop.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by splatbass

I'm familiar with that building, and its twin next door. Most of the units have big lanais (balconies), but when you get to the top few floors they don't. That is a spectacular, huge (for Hawaii) unit, and one hell of a cheap price for what it is.

I have a lanai on my condo, looking at rain forest - and I would still trade it for this one.

Interesting. No outdoor seating is a disqualifier for me. Even if it's just the outdoor air of my humble, suburban backyard, that's my happy place.

[splatbass]

Originally Posted by wazu

Interesting. No outdoor seating is a disqualifier for me. Even if it's just the outdoor air of my humble, suburban backyard, that's my happy place.

But does it have a really nice tropical beach a couple of blocks away? A couple of my favorite restaurants are nearby too. I would definitely live there.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by TinyEvel

I think the rules say it would have to be your primary residence, right? otherwise I'd go Lahaina and VRBO the heck out of that place for secondary income. I think I would choose Kona because it's an actual house and while so tor big empty box-isn looking, that pool and the open windows appeal to me.

Otherwise I'd choose Kapaa (Kauai) but I would have to either go full tiki bar and live drunk every day until I die, or go full granola and nature hike and eat papaya and oats my whole life.

Yeah, no renting it out. It's your primary residence.

I keep rethinking my choice. The Kauai home is amazing, but I feel like you'd have the Lion King cartoons hanging out all the time at your bar. The Honolulu place really speaks to me, even if Honolulu isn't exactly what a person envisions when they think about Hawaii.

I'd certainly strongly consider the Hawaii house, but it would be a pain in the neck to drive everywhere.

I spent a few days on Maui a while back not far from the Lahaina place. I initially thought Maui would be a strong contender, but it must be really expensive there even compared to the other islands. Both of the Maui units are no-gos for me just based on size.

[splatbass]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Yeah, no renting it out. It's your primary residence.

I keep rethinking my choice. The Kauai home is amazing, but I feel like you'd have the Lion King cartoons hanging out all the time at your bar. The Honolulu place really speaks to me, even if Honolulu isn't exactly what a person envisions when they think about Hawaii.

I'd certainly strongly consider the Hawaii house, but it would be a pain in the neck to drive everywhere.

I spent a few days on Maui a while back not far from the Lahaina place. I initially thought Maui would be a strong contender, but it must be really expensive there even compared to the other islands. Both of the Maui units are no-gos for me just based on size.

Yeah, Maui is more expensive than Honolulu. I love Maui, but for a place to live I think Oahu is better. You have both country and big city on the island. I live in the central Oahu suburbs about 15 minutes from the north shore (country), and about 20 minutes from the city (as long as it isn't rush hour). Perfect for me. Best of both worlds.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by splatbass

Yeah, Maui is more expensive than Honolulu. I love Maui, but for a place to live I think Oahu is better. You have both country and big city on the island. I live in the central Oahu suburbs about 15 minutes from the north shore (country), and about 20 minutes from the city (as long as it isn't rush hour). Perfect for me. Best of both worlds.

It's kind of a challenge for me in this contest. You can generally (with the exception of Maui) find bigger and nicer houses in more rural areas, but you have much better access to cool stuff in the cities. If you're a rural person at heart, it's an easy decision to go rural. But if you like the city, you have more of a tradeoff. Sometimes I get swayed by a particularly nice house, but I generally will pick a smaller place with better access and walkability.

[Why Not?]

Originally Posted by splatbass

Yeah, Maui is more expensive than Honolulu. I love Maui, but for a place to live I think Oahu is better. You have both country and big city on the island. I live in the central Oahu suburbs about 15 minutes from the north shore (country), and about 20 minutes from the city (as long as it isn't rush hour). Perfect for me. Best of both worlds.

Yeah, when I was a kid we lived in Kahala. During vacation times, we often would rent a house on the North Shore. It was like going to a different world 30 minutes away(give or take). Totally different scenery and feel