North Kohala Oceanfront Property Options

Flooding on Kauaiʻs North Shore and the eruptive activity in Hawaiʻi Islandʻs Puna district have you concerned, but you still want to acquire an oceanfront estate home on acreage, or vacant land to build one? North Kohala is vog-free and the western portions are drier and not subject to flooding. Here are some options for exceptional North Kohala oceanfront real estate…at a fraction the cost of similar property on Oahu, Maui or Kauai!

The only current oceanfront home listed for sale in North Kohala…no vog here! (MLS 612537)

Only One Oceanfront Home for Sale in North Kohala

With an oceanfront home at gated Kohala Waterfront in escrow, a new listing near Hawi is the only residence currently listed for sale on an oceanfront parcel in North Kohala (MLS 612537). Asking $5,750,000, the property includes:

• 105.65 acres of rolling pastures (an adjacent near-oceanfront parcel of 20 acres that abuts a skinny oceanfront portion of this parcel is also available (MLS 293000)
• Oceanfront home with 2,681 sq ft of interior and 1,236 sq ft of covered lanai
• Caretakerʻs facility consisting of yurts with kitchen, bathroom and decking, not visible from the main home

Hawi is north facing, and this oceanfront property has views of Maui to the northwest.

As I suggested when I first wrote about buying oceanfront property in 2009, building and usage is restricted in the portion of the property that Hawaiiʻs state land use commission designates as “conservation.” If one wanted to build an additional dwelling nearer the property entrance, the adjacent parcel would be a smart acquisition.

In this section of North Kohala, there is deeded 10-ft wide pedestrian shoreline public access, meaning that in theory, people can walk along the oceanfront, although the nearest access point is a good hike from this residence. You might see occasionally see local fisherman along this stretch of coast that runs west of Hawi town towards Upolu Airport.

Relative to my role as Hawaiʻi Lifeʻs Director, Conservation and Legacy Lands, I can report that this particular oceanfront property is not on the state, county or land trust lists as a priority for preservation. That makes it an increasingly rare oceanfront parcel in North Kohala.

Oceanfront Land Parcels for Sale in North Kohala

There are 15 parcels of vacant oceanfront land listed for sale in North Kohala as of this writing. Four of those are ranked by the Countyʻs Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resource Commission for potential acquisition, including two of Hawaii Lifeʻs listings.

Of the other parcels, the most affordable outside of a gated subdivision is, like the residential listing, in the Hoeʻa Road area below Hawi town. This 17-acre CPR is listed for $1,550,000 (MLS 612325).

There are only two west-facing subdivisions nearer Kawaihae harbor and the resorts on the makai (ocean) side of the highway.

The established one, Kohala Waterfront, has one oceanfront lot available, a bank-owned property of 28,984 sq ft listed for only $775,000 (MLS 604875). Unusual for a foreclosure, it has languished for over a year on market due to topographical challenges that could make building difficult.

Just north of Kohala Waterfront is Kohala Kai, the subdivision of waterfront acreage lots that got caught in the controversy surrounding the designation of required public access. The resolution of that dispute protects the Alakahakai Trail, the Ala Loa, and an oceanside easement being accepted by the National Park Service.

Taken today from the entrance to the Kohala Kai oceanfront subdivision. Clear skies, azure ocean.

Listings at Kohala Kai range from $3,450,000 for 6.6 acre Lot 1 (MLS 274267) to $11.5 million for the 28-acre Lot 7 (MLS 286630). Contact me for more details any of these properties or to learn more about how conservation zoning and oceanfront public access affect oceanfront parcels for sale in North Kohala and elsewhere in Hawaiʻi.