There was this one time a couple of years ago when I was searching for a destination to travel. I was online, looking at rental places on various websites, and I find this gorgeous place in the middle of the Pacific. It looked like a dot lost in the middle of the ocean, but it had beautiful homes and breathtaking nature. I wondered what this place is, and I found out it was Hawaii. I started laughing for myself because I never thought this could be it. It quickly became apparent to me why so many people want to travel, or even live in Hawaii. It honestly looked like a paradise on Earth. For that reason, I decided to write this little guide for buying Hawaii oceanfront home.
If you ever desired to move to Maui, here is the chance to find out more about the history of Hawaii. Not only that, but you will get first-hand advice about finding the best home for you and your loved ones.
What to know if you are buying a Hawaii oceanfront home
The history of Hawaii started with a volcano erupting in the middle of the Pacific ocean. The Hawaiian coast spans for thousands of miles, with over a hundred smaller islands.
However, eight main islands form this archipelago. These are Hawaii, known as the Big Island, then Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe.
These islands are the best representation of paradise on Earth. With an amazing Hawaii nightlife and beautiful beaches, this is a destination to desire. Nevertheless, there are some things that you need to know if you are thinking about buying a Hawaii oceanfront home.
Hawaii is a lava zone
It is in its history, Hawaii is a lava zone. I am not trying to scare you off of buying a Hawaii oceanfront home, but you need to be aware of the facts. If you are looking for a place online, make sure that you check out the lava zones for the areas you are looking at.
The better side of this is, many islands haven't seen an eruption in over 60,000 years! Still, Kilauea is one of the active lava zones. Because of that, it is not so attractive as other parts of Hawaii.
Maui is the best
There is a Hawaiian expression that describes Maui well. It goes Maui no ka oi, and the translation means Maui is the best! Everyone who visit Maui hold this to be true. Moving your family to Maui might be an amazing experience. If you are thinking about buying Hawaii oceanfront in this area, here is what you need to know about the type of land you can buy. There are two types of property in Hawaii:
Fee simple property
Leasehold ownership
Fee simple property
Fee simple ownership is one of the most popular forms of ownership to buyers of residential real estate. What this means is that, if you are a Fee simple owner, you own the land you buy. This land is yours to sell, give away, lease it or trade it to others, or even pass the ownership after your death. Because of the multitude of options, you have as a Fee simple owner, this type of land is much more expensive.
Leasehold ownership
If you are searching online, and you see really inexpensive prices of houses, it only means that they are under the leasehold. To illustrate how this works in more detail, a leasehold implies that this property is under the ownership of landholders. So, what this means is that you don't own the land, you just have the right to use it. And, it is only for a pre-determined amount of time.
Furthermore, if the ownership of the leasehold is transferred to a new owner, and you can use it only for the remaining of the original lease. After the time is up, what happens next is the process of reversion. It means that the property goes back to the original lessor. If you wish to continue using this land, you will have to renegotiate terms with the lessee.
Hawaii landholders
Since you are thinking about buying a Hawaii oceanfront home, you need to know that there are a few large landholders in Hawaii. The biggest landholders are the State of Hawaii and the Federal government, and right behind them is the Kamehameha Schools. However, if you think that this is the place where Goku learned his signature move, you are wrong! They are a private school system in Hawaii, and they lease out much of the farmland and large land parcels.
Finding an oceanfront home in Hawaii
It may sound like an easy task, but in reality, it is relatively difficult to find available homes on the oceanfront. A home in the oceanfront is a hot commodity, and it is a rare occasion that it comes on the market. So, if you do see one, grab it before it disappears!
However, you should know that buying a Hawaii oceanfront home can cost you from $2 million up to 10 million dollars. Hawaii is known as one of the most expensive areas in the US. Nevertheless, you shouldn't feel discouraged. You never know what can appear on the market, so if this is your dream, I say go for it! You only live once!
How to get a good deal when buying a Hawaii oceanfront home
With all that's been said so far, here are some suggestions that should help you get a good deal when buying a home in Hawaii.
First and foremost, you should find a real estate agent to speak in your stead. However, understand that they don't know every neighborhood on every island. So, consider hiring a listing agent as well. Have them supply you with comparable sales, as they differ from area to area.
Finding professional help
Then, find professional packing and unpacking services to help you relocate. Also, you should check if your future home has any special upgrades that can raise the price.
Last, but not least, you need to find proper maintenance workers. If you are going to be absent for a part of the year, your home needs to be under regular maintenance.
Finalizing the contract
Finally, in most cases, long-distance buyerswill have to close the contract online as it is not easy to fly back and forth all the time. Also, you will have to wire-transfer funds to the bank or the closing agent.
Get your tickets to paradise!
I sincerely hope that you found some useful information in this short guide about buying Hawaii oceanfront home. Dreams come true, so give it your best to fulfill yours. And if everything goes well, I sure hope I'll get a summer invitation!
My name is Joseph, I am the owner of Smooth Movers LLC out here in Pahrump NV. James called us to unload a client of his moving to Pahrump. He made it very clear before using us that he valued quality over speed. 👉The items wrapped on this move was hands down one of the best we have seen. Today we took notes! After the move I called to discuss the bill. We quickly sparked a similar interest and spoke for an hour. We had a great conversation about some very positive things. Today Smooth Movers made a friend in the moving business. We are a newer company, these things mean alot to us. Thank you Wailea Movers 🙏
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From the first phone call to schedule my move to finishing the move Wailea Movers and Storage were outstanding! Very friendly and professional help when I was scheduling my move. They were very accommodating and when I had to reschedule they made it super easy. On moving day they called me when they were on their way and communicated everything to me. The movers were quick and efficient and I was very happy with their service. I highly recommend them for your next move.
Really just the nicest, hardest working group of guys you could ever meet. Francisco, Spencer, David and Elijah were fast and efficient and worked wonderfully together as a team when they moved me last month. The communication was great, starting with texting me in the morning to let me know they were on their way. Ryan in the office came and gave me an in person estimate beforehand, and answered all my questions about the paperwork that I completed online. My only complaint and suggestion is that I did have a lot of questions because their on-line system for completing paperwork is confusing, and the process should either be modified to be more user-friendly or be explained better up front, which would eliminate a lot of back-and-forth (for example: you’re going to input all your credit card information for paying the estimate, but the total amount being charged to your card isn’t going to show up until the very end of the process, which is pretty nerve-racking because you have no idea if it’s going to be correct or not.)I look forward to working with this company again for my next move!
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Our recent move from Maui to the mainland U.S. was made seamless and stress-free thanks to Wailea Movers and Storage. From the moment we contacted them, their commitment to excellence was evident in every aspect of the process.Communication with Wailea Movers and Storage was exceptional right from the start. They provided clear and timely updates, ensuring we were well-informed at every stage of our move. This level of communication gave us confidence that our belongings were in good hands.Handling the logistics of moving from an island to the mainland involves numerous complexities, but Wailea Movers and Storage managed everything with precision and expertise. They took care of packing our belongings securely, loading them into a shipping container, and ensuring their safe arrival on the west coast of the mainland.Once our belongings arrived on the mainland, Wailea Movers and Storage coordinated the next phase flawlessly. They arranged for transport by train to the east coast and then coordinated with local movers who seamlessly delivered our belongings to our new home. Every step of the way, the professionalism of Wailea Movers and Storage was evident.The team at Wailea Movers and Storage demonstrated not only their professionalism but also their attention to detail. Our belongings arrived in perfect condition, a testament to their careful packing and handling throughout the journey.Overall, Wailea Movers and Storage exceeded our expectations in every aspect. They transformed what could have been a daunting move into a seamless and efficient transition. For anyone planning a move, especially one involving complex logistics like ours, we highly recommend Wailea Movers and Storage.
The absolutely BEST company to work with for a move and their employees are simply amazing! This is my 2nd time using them - first time for a local move and this time for a move back to the mainland and across the country. The guys packing & moving were friendly courteous and their attention to detail was perfect! I wouldn't hesitate to use them again if the need arises. I highly recommend!
We had to move from Hawaii to the mainland 2 weeks ago, and these guys were there for us every step of the way! I can’t make a bigger recommendation! And with less than 2 weeks to go before our shipping container was scheduled to be loaded, I developed a hernia and could not do anymore heavy lifting during literally the most inconvenient time it could have happened. I talked with Ryan and he quickly had guys available for me for packing help, and he brought extra guys the day the container was loaded to ensure it would all get done since I couldn’t do what I needed to do. It was very last minute and they came through for me big time and saved me. Especially Blaize and JD, they coordinated the delicate packing and loading of the container like pros. I was also impressed they contracted with a company that specialized in piano moving and crating just to get our grand piano broken down and packed up very well. They were available via text or phone call anytime I needed them , whether it was extra boxes or just a question to ask. I can’t say enough good things about all these guys. The aloha was very strong, and they took so much of the stress of a huge move like this off my shoulders. They coordinate everything from the local island movers, to the shipping container, the boat, the train, the 5 star movers on the mainland, literally everything. If you’re making a move, I highly recommend these Maui guys for you!!!! They are local and you really feel it with them. Mahalo Wailea Movers!!!
The Guys were early, easy to work with, did a fine job putting the furniture together, cleaned everything up in the garage and took the boxes and pallet with them.Pleasure
Ryan and the team were great for a quick job on super short notice! The crew that came to our rescue were engaging and responsible.Thanks guys! I appreciate you!
I couldn’t be happier with this moving service, and I will definitely hire them again in the future if needed. Somehow Blaize and his team organized a 2 car garage stuffed with belongings into our storage room with room to spare. I am so impressed. Thank you guys very much, this was money well spent.
This moving company provides excellent service. The movers who came out took good care of our furniture, and they were efficient and professional. This is the second time we've used this company and we were happy with their service both times. We highly recommend Wailea Movers.
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We have used Wailea Movers on two occasions, once to move us from Kihei to Upcountry, and now this time to help us with our move to the mainland. We will miss Maui and her people, but since it has to be there was no one better to take care of our move than Wailea Movers.They were prompt, kept up communication with us, and professional all the way. Our two movers were absolutely excellent. There is a 2-hour minimum and they beat it by half an hour to carefully pack all our boxes and wrap our furniture before putting it in the truck. Thank you to Blaize and Baltazar for a wonderful job and for making such a terrific team!
Highly recommend ! They provided outstanding service to my family during a stressful move. The smooth transition to my family's new location easy and stress-free. Blaze and his team worked quickly and treated our family belongings with care. An amazing team!
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This is the 2nd time I've used Wailea Movers, AND I will use them again.James was very professional, helpful. I knew I was in good hands.My movers Francisco, Baltazar, and Sergie were FANTASTIC. Fast, helpful. I felt very much at ease.Originally I was stressing about the move, but these guys took care of everything. Put me at ease. They made sure I was comfortable every step of the way. FANTASTIC!
Very efficient, timely and polite. They did an awesome job navigating our condo with care and materials to work around some corners with big furniture. We will certainly use their services again in the future:)
From beginning to end dealing with Wailea Movers was an outstanding experience. I had to deal with a misdelivered large order (some other company) and Wailea Movers delivered (pun intended). I spoke with James and explained my situation and he confirmed they would be able to help. Before I got off the phone with him he had emailed me a quote, and included all the specifics that I needed. I was able to set an appointment for the following week and easily pay the deposit online. On the day of service I got automated text notifications on each stage of the move. I also got status phone calls from one of the moving guys just after pickup and just after delivery, even though I was on another island. Every person I engaged with at Wailea Movers was professional, friendly and extremely helpful. These professionals provided great service when I was in a "pinch". I highly recommend Wailea Movers.
We're impressed with the movers in your company, Blaze and his team on Maui and Steven and Victor on Oahu. They were courteous and professional, working quickly and efficiently to pack and move our goods.Our goods were delivered on time and damage free.
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Wow !! What can I say about this company, thoughtful, patient, professional and thorough. The guys took time to wrap everything perfectly and made my life easy which is what you need when you are moving. Wailea movies are the best and will always use them for future moves!!! Mahalo nui loa !!!
Wailea Movers came to the rescue when another company tried to overcharge to bring a delivery upstairs. Wailea Movers gave a reasonable price, were delightful and were willing to coordinate with the timing of the delivery.
Again, I'm amazed about the professionalism the kindness and speed this company works. To me they are the best and if needed they will be my again my first and best choice. 👍👌🤍I moved the third time with there help. Excellent. Fast, careful, friendly, professional. Just my first choice.
This company is awesome for one item or a whole house. I needed them to move something really heavy and awkward upstairs. Kyle and Sergii were fantastic and figured out an ingenious way to get the item upstairs safely. Wailea Movers has great workers, they always take the time to protect the house walls and my furniture. Very professional. I highly recommend this company.
I had the best experience with Wailea Movers! Alan and the team were the most professional, patient, and courteous movers I have ever had - and that’s including 21 years of moving around the country with the Air Force! They moved everything quickly and with absolutely no damage. I would definitely call them again for any future moves.