Forget Moving Up, Buy a Second Home in Kauai

Earlier this year I took an anniversary vacation in Kauai. We’ve been to the Big Island and to Maui and were less than thrilled, due to either overtourism or volcanic landscapes. There is certainly beauty to be had on any Hawaiian island, but we were most impressed with the Garden Island of Kauai. Not a destination for the club-hopping, high-energy set, it is perfect for families and people trying to get away from it all. With only one road that goes only ¾ around the island—and in some places it is only one lane— and populated by more wild chickens than residents, it’s the perfect getaway place to relax, hike and de-stress. So why not buy a home or second home there? Especially since one of the Island papers is reporting that home sales and prices have sunk, particularly on condos. August is a typically busy month on Kauai, but only 6 condos sold, which is one-fourth of what sold last year. That’s enough to make sellers nervous and possibly take lowball offers. Condos sold last month range from $210,000 to $825,000 with the median price at $274,500. Single family home sales were doing okay, but the median price was down to $545,000.

An example: This is a 3-year-old home with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths on a 1 acre lot. Price: $379,000

I know there are direct flights from LAX to Lihue Airport on United (or a stop in LAX if you fly from San Diego), which makes it all the more tempting…even to me.