It's been a big year for Kohanaiki.
The 450-acre private club and residential community, on Hawai‘i Island's Kona Coast, has seen more than $100 million in sales so far this year as its newest newest residential offering, Hale Ka Hala, nears completion.
Carrie Nicholson, principal broker and vice president of sales and marketing at Kohanaiki, told Aloha State Daily that as of Friday, there had been approximately 15 closed transactions from Jan. 1 through Sept. 11.
According to a recent announcement, the highest sale so far this year is Hale Kai Apo, which closed for $21 million in May; it was Kohanaiki's second-highest sale of all time.
(ICYMI: A luxury estate in Kohanaiki sold for $23 million late last year, marking the largest sale for the community at that time).
But Nicholson says there also have been "multiple transactions in that $5 million to $9 million range" across the Kohanaiki community.
"We've had some great interest," she says. "What's particularly encouraging with this activity is we're seeing demand across different types of real estate throughout Kohanaiki, different price points rather than the year's volume being driven by just one or two transactions; it's kind of spread out with a variety. I think that speaks to a lot of depth of interest in Kohanaiki and the strength of the community as a whole."
As previously reported, Kohanaiki features an 18-hole, Rees Jones-designed golf course; access to a white sand beach and the ocean; an adventure club; spa; fitness center; multiple dining options; and an on-property biodynamic farm, as well as a variety of real estate offerings and a 67,000-square-foot clubhouse. The community is being developed by Kennedy Wilson.
Nicholson says most buyers are more focused on the overall experience and the usability of the property.
"We're seeing a strong preference for homes that are turnkey, beautifully designed, easy to enjoy immediately, move-in ready," she says. "They're also looking closely to that indoor-outdoor living with views and privacy and proximity to our clubhouse and amenities, how the home actually functions for their particular family and guests. We're also seeing buyers think beyond just their home itself. They want access to exceptional golf — we have our ... Rees Jones championship golf course. We have our dining, wellness, ocean activities, and the whole community where their families can spend meaningful time together."
According to Nicholson, they're also seeing repeat Hawai‘i buyers.
"These aren't just people discovering Hawai‘i for the first time," she told ASD. "They're buyers who understand the coast, they understand the Islands and they're very intentional about making their decisions of where they want to spend their time, and they understand the privacy and the exclusivity that comes with living within a private golf and ocean club community."
Nicholson says that the $21 million sale of Hale Kai Apo, also known as Ala Kahakai 27, is a "great example" of what they're seeing at the very top end of the market.
"Buyers at that price point are looking for something truly exceptional and irreplaceable, and they're looking at the quality of the residence, the setting, location, the privacy, views, and I think, importantly, the overall Kohanaiki lifestyle," she told ASD. "So when you have a property that checks all of those boxes, there's still buyers willing to move very quickly, and that's what that sale represented; it really checked a lot of boxes for that particular buyer."
More residential options are coming soon.
Its newest residential offering, Hale Ka Hala, includes 24 townhomes in its first phase and followed by 12 more in phase two, the announcement noted. The homes will have five bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms, and buyers will have the choice of four curated furniture packages, including collections from CoCo Republic and RH.
"It's one of the most exciting neighborhoods to Kohanaiki's residential offering," Nicholson says. "It represents another kind of Kohanaiki lifestyle, with residences designed around indoor-outdoor living and the way members actually use their homes. What I think is particularly compelling about the Ka Halas is the ability to enjoy the comfort of being in the home but being right off the golf course. These are five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath homes, so it's very multigenerational, where you can have a lot of family in the residence. There's a lot of indoor-outdoor spaces, and again, they have a sense of privacy. We're seeing a lot of interest from buyers who are looking for that type of combination."
Nicholson noted, too, that these properties, prices for which start at $5.25 million, have four bedrooms in the main portion of the home, with the fifth bedroom part of detached guest quarters.
You can find more Kohanaiki properties here.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
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