Kauai Home Sales November 2026: Fewer Sales, Higher Prices, and a New Normal

October was a month of residents and visitors adjusting to Kauai’s new normal. Most of the island is open and ready for business, and a handful of areas will take longer to recover. Stores are mostly back to normal hours, visitor numbers are rising, and clean-up work is moving quickly.

Fear vs. Facts

Shortly after Hurricane Lowell, I spoke with another agent whose buyers had been considering one of my listings. Like most homes on Kauai, it had no damage from the hurricane. Still, the buyers backed off because they were scared. They were on the mainland and couldn’t, or wouldn’t, see what was really happening here.

Since then, I’ve watched buyers who can separate the fake news from what is really happening use it to their advantage. They’re making some excellent real estate buys.

Number of Home Sales: January Through October

The number of home sales on Kauai is down. Here’s how the first 10 months of 2026 compare to the same period in 2025:

• Island Wide: 289 sales, down from 345 (a 16.23% decrease)
• South Shore: 81 sales, down from 128 (a 36.72% decrease). Part of this drop comes from some lower priced leasehold homes that sold during October last year.
• North Shore: 56 sales, down from 65 (a 13.85% decrease)
• Lihue: 31 sales, down from 40 (a 22.50% decrease)

Sale Price vs. Original Asking Price

In October 2026, homes sold for an average of 90.84% of their original asking price. In October 2025, with no hurricane to contend with, that figure was 91.05%. That’s hardly a significant difference.

Buyers are still out there, and they buy when they see value. Sellers who price correctly are getting their attention. Sellers who insist their property is worth more than buyers will pay end up either chasing the market down or changing agents. Neither one changes what buyers are willing to pay.

Median Home Prices: Up Across the Island

Who saw this one coming? Median home prices on Kauai are up from last year:

• Island Wide: $1,300,000, up from $1,225,000 (a 6.12% increase)
• South Shore: $1,926,880, up from $1,279,500 (a 50.60% increase)
• North Shore: $2,560,000, up from $2,550,000 (a 0.39% increase)
• Lihue: $1,150,000, up from $1,142,500 (a 0.66% increase)

What This Means

There are fewer sales, but prices are holding and even climbing. This isn’t a market in retreat. Buyers who look past the headlines are finding good opportunities, and well priced homes are still selling close to their asking price. Recovery is still going, so check back next month to see how we do.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling on Kauai and want to know what this means for your neighborhood, reach out anytime.

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Aloha!

Lynda Gill RS Lic. 63088  

Hawai’i Life Real Estate Brokers 808.346.0056  

LyndaGill@HawaiiLife.com