Honolulu Real Estate

The Honolulu real estate business covers almost the whole area of Oahu.  Popularly labelled as “The Gathering Place”, Oahu is third largest island in Hawaii and is also where 75% of the state’s population resides.  Being the capital city of Hawaii, Honolulu is also the largest city in the state.  Because of its magnificent harbors and long stretches of coastline, the city became Hawaii’s cultural, economic, political and educational center.

Honolulu: Homes and Condominiums 

Situated on the southern side of Oahu, Honolulu is the center of economic activities n Hawaii.  Many tourists often have the misconception that Honolulu is just another small area, although many of the locals actually call the place “downtown”.  If you happen to hear locals say that they are heading into “town”, this usually means that they will be visiting bustling commercial centers such as the business district and Waikiki.  

Other places in Honolulu, which are not generally classified as a “town”, are usually referred to as suburban areas.  Examples of these are Manoa, Diamond Head, Dowsett and Kahala.  Although these locations carry Honolulu in their address, no resident will actually say that they are residing in town.

Honolulu is generally referred to as both city and county, which can also be quite confusing at times.  For example, your location is still in Honolulu even though you are actually in Kailua.  In the event that you decide to reside here, you would probably be residing in “town”, at the “windward side” or in Ewa Beach.  Despite that, your place of residence will still remain as Honolulu as long as you live in any area of Oahu.

To further complicate matters, it is not uncommon to hear the term “City and County of Honolulu”, which is primarily used to refer to the governing body of Oahu Island, despite the fact that you don’t actually reside in Honolulu City!  For locals though, we don’t mention anything about being in Honolulu not unless we are actually in the downtown area.  You don’t really need to worry much about this since many of the small cities and communities are just within the Honolulu real estate market.  This means that residents are quite specific in pinpointing their place of residence.  

Metro Honolulu and the Downtown Core

Metro Honolulu is typically a large area that is comprised of Waikiki, Ala Moana, Pacific Heights, Manoa, Saltlake, Punchbowl, University, Chinatown, Kakaako, Punahou, Old Pali, Kalihi, McCully, Nuuanu, Makiki and of course, Downtown.  Other neighborhoods also form part of the Metro, although it is not likely that people remember them, even for the locals.  Honolulu is really a vast area, especially when we speak about its population.  It is considered Hawaii’s most densely populated area.

People who are inclined with the life in Honolulu Town are generally known as a “townie”.  Since there are literally hundreds of condominiums and town houses in Metro Oahu, it is strongly advised that you take note of the condominium/house location anytime you are looking to buy one.  Real estate prices in these areas are typically much more expensive as compared to other areas of the island since the town area is more conveniently located near business/entertainment areas and other places of interest.  When you are on Oahu, travelling just 5 miles instead of 20 miles is quite a lot of time saved.  Houses in the Pearl City, Ewa, Aiea, Mililani and Kapolei area may be less expensive, although being stuck in traffic is one of the situations who will need to get used to.  

From Downtown Honolulu, a 30-minute drive will take you to a tour of some of the most exquisite estate homes which are owned by celebrities and other prominent figures.  Truly, Oahu is one of a kind; a place where everyone from all walks of life can have a really great time.

Like any other big cities in the United States, Oahu has pretty much everything you can ask for, although it has yet to have its own professional sports team.  Despite this, Oahu is still visited by professional teams every once in a while for pre-season and exhibition games such as those from the NFL and NBA.

Older neighborhoods such as Old Pali, Manoa and Punahou are a haven for mature trees and the best place to find old-style charm – a perfect gift if properly taken care of.  These neighborhoods are quite hard to find if you don’t know your way around the area.  If you really wish to find properties here, you will need to enlist the help of a local to guide you through your search.

Downtown Honolulu

If you try to go around Downtown Honolulu, you might say that the number of condominiums here could be around a million.  True enough, anyone looking for a genuine city experience will be thrilled to reside here.  Downtown Honolulu seems much a much more peaceful area when compared to New York, and avoiding people is easily accomplished by travelling across the freeway or Pali highway.  Many of the condominium units here offer a breathtaking view of the ocean.  From there, the Diamond Head can also be seen from a distance, as well as surfers riding the waves.

Honolulu Property Listings