681 Hahaione Street Honolulu HI 96825

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Property History from MLS

Tax Info including a Plat Map PDF and GIS Parcel Map

Department of Planning & Permitting General Information

Department of Planning & Permitting All Permits

Dept. of Emergency Management Public Safety Info

Tax Records and Property History in this Neighborhood

Tax Records and Property History on this Street

Building Sketch

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How long have you lived in the Hahaione Lower neighborhood?

I lived in Hahaione Valley in the Commodore for 14 years and in Heritage House for almost 3 years. 17 years total.

What factors influenced your decision to move to this neighborhood?

I think that the convenience of everything in Hawaii Kai was very attractive. They have a lot of shopping, dining, beaches, schools, and churches all nearby. Everything is very convenient. I didn't live on the water, but I like being near the water for going to the beach every weekend and doing water activities.

What beaches did you like to go to?

We did some snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. We'd kind of just lay on the beach at Sandy Beach. We have to be there kinda early in the morning before it gets too crowded and just do some body surfing. That was a lot of fun. Can be dangerous though, when the waves get really high.

Yeah, when the waves are big, that's not for the faint of heart and you've got to have your experience too.

Yes, there are also a lot of water activities in the bay near Portlock, more commercial ones. We didn't do a whole lot of parasailing and things like that, but you could do wind sailing, parasailing, jet skiing, things like that. It's very popular there.

So would you say Sandy Beach was your number one beach when you lived in Hawaii Kai? Or was it another beach?

Yes, Sandy Beach was the number one beach that we'd go to. Hanauma Bay is a little bit more crowded with the tourists. Just getting down to the beach, you'd have to either hike or take a trolley down, but it's a lot of fun especially if you have friends from the mainland. You can show them the bay, fish, and do some snorkeling pretty safely because it's a protected cove.

What about kayaking or any type of boating? Did you get into any of that? Because I know I see kayaks and things like that sometimes coming out of the Marina or that area. It's very flat usually or calm, I think.

There is a lot of boating there. There is a whole lot of scuba diving and snorkeling, but we didn't do that so much because of time constraints with our jobs. So mostly we would just relax on the beach, get a sun tan.

Where did you live before and how did it compare to this neighborhood?

I lived on the mainland in Connecticut, so there's really no comparing Hawaii to the mainland. Here we have water sports all year round. On the mainland, you have to pick and choose the sports according to the season.

In Connecticut, you probably had snow in the winter, I assume.

Yeah, quite a bit. So it really cuts down on your outdoor activities, so being in Hawaii is a really good change of pace for our outdoor lifestyle.

What about traffic in that area? For example, getting to stores, getting to downtown, that type of thing?

Everything in Hawaii Kai is convenient. But if you have to go to downtown for either jobs or shopping, there can be some traffic. But when we moved here, they were working on the highway. They widened the highway also, so that helps quite a bit. There is a lot of bumper to bumper traffic in the morning. But Kahala Mall is convenient, and there's also the strip malls in between Niu Valley and Aina Haina, so there's quite a bit of shopping close by.

So basically, you could do all your shopping close by. And if you worked close by, let's say before town, you're okay. But if you have to go into town, you're going to hit some bumper to bumper traffic on the way in. Do you know how long the commute might be into town from that area?

Depending if you're in a rush hour traffic in the morning and evening, it could be about 45 minutes just to go about 10 miles sometimes. But a lot of that is stoplights, or a highway or a two-highway without stoplights will probably go a lot faster.

What about crime in that area? Any concerns with crime?

I've heard of a few break-ins, but I've never had any problems. I guess you just have to always be careful, no matter where you live. Keep your doors locked. A friend of ours left the garage door open one night and someone stole the golf clubs, but that was it.

That was kind of a red flag for thieves when the garage door is wide open, that's true. That happens in a lot of neighborhoods I think.

Yeah, that would happen anywhere.

What about the schools in that area? Do you know about the public or private schools?

The private schools are more downtown and in Kailua. Kaiser High School is supposed to be very good for students. I have a lot of friends who want to move to Hawaii Kai specifically for Kaiser High School for their children.

Oh wow. So they're moving there specifically so they can go to a good public high school then.

Mm-hmm. That's where Steve Case graduated. He didn't do so bad.

That's right, he did very well.

What about the noise level? Any noise from traffic, planes, neighbors, that type of thing?

No, I don't recall any noise from around there. Nothing like highway noise, because the traffic is a little bit slower there. There's no real highway there. Just [7:35-37]. I don't recall any noise factors there.

Okay good. And you're not getting the planes so it's not like a landing route for planes either military or commercial going over that area then.

No, none at all.

What are the things you like best about the neighborhood?

I think just being able to see the water every day. You're right there on the water, whether it's the Marina or the ocean. It's very attractive. And the convenience of all the shopping, restaurants, a movie theater, churches, schools. Everything is right there. You don't really need to go anywhere. You have Costco and City Mill, some of the big supermarkets. There's really nothing outside of Hawaii Kai that you need. Kahala Mall is there--not too far away it's only 4 miles away.

What's the weather like there?

The weather is really nice. In the valley, it rains a little bit more. It always does in the valley, but I like the rain so the weather doesn't bother me. It's a little bit damp, not too bad. I guess it's a pleasant, middle of the road weather all year round.

Do most people use air conditioning then? Or is there enough breeze?

I think the higher you are on a condo, for example, you wouldn't really need the breeze that much. The air conditioning does help take humidity out of the air if you have furniture, computers, or electronics that you want to keep safe from the humidity. It's better to use the air conditioner. But as far as comfort, it's pretty comfortable there. You wouldn't need air conditioning.

If you could change something about the neighborhood, what would you like to change about it?

Just the prices of the homes. It's expensive, but it's really nice. You get what you pay for.

It's the price of the homes, but everything is nice and that's of course why the price is so high from the demand.

I know you mentioned a couple of places to shop, Costco, that type of thing. What restaurants did you like there and what about places to shop?

I did my shopping at Safeway, City Mill, and Longs drugstore. For dining, I liked the Greek Marina. The Shack is a good sports bar. Assagio's for Italian food.

Any events in Hawaii Kai? Any parades or neighborhood parties?

Yeah, they have every Christmas--the Boat Parade--which is all the boats in the Marina that has some Christmas lights on them circle the Marina and everyone comes up to see them at night. And they have a lot of activities for the children around Christmas time. There are other activities, like church activities on the beach in Hawaii Kai. It's really more family and community oriented. There are parades for 4th of July also.

Okay, so there's a lot going on different holidays and stuff. That's really kind of unique experience to Hawaii Kai--the Boats Parade with the lights. I didn't know about that. That's pretty neat. You're not going to see that in many places. I don't think there's anywhere else in Hawaii probably, other than there.

Probably not, because you have to be on the water and have a Marina to circle around.

Would you recommend buying in your neighborhood? It sounds like, based on what you said, you like everything about it. The only thing is the price. So I guess if the price meets your needs, then it works pretty well. Any other comments? Any particular area you would recommend over others?

I would recommend buying in Hawaii Kai. Like I said, it's very convenient and there's everything that you need right there in a small radius. If you can afford to buy there, that's a really nice neighborhood. Community is family-oriented. People are friendly, but they also keep to themselves. So it's like a nice town feeling without being too crowded.