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Lazzerini also said that interest rates are still near record lows, which offers prospective homebuyers greater purchasing power. While the cost of living in Hawaii may be daunting at first, it requires a bit of soul searching and close look at your lifestyle. If you’re used to a certain standard of living, you may need to make a few sacrifices when moving to Hawaii. But, it may not seem like a sacrifice to nix that luxury car or to eat out less, especially if living near the ocean, enjoying a warm climate and healthy island environment are important to you. It’s all about balancing your values and discovering what works for you and your family. According to Payscale, the average salary in the island's capital, Honolulu, is $69,000, but the state has the second-highest income tax rates in the country, with its top bracket at 11 percent.

However, the introduction of the pandemic and quarantine orders issued by the government have made it difficult for real estate in Honolulu to receive support from the economy. That said, the disruption may create an opportunity for advantageous real estate investors. While prices are extremely high at the moment, a brief pullback onset by the pandemic could bring down acquisition costs on long-term investments, in addition to lower borrowing costs. All things considered, Honolulu is a costly place to invest at the moment, but there are still opportunities for those who know where to look.
Average Rent in Oahu, HI By Neighborhood
Although apartment rental prices have declined in the last 12 months, Hawaii is one of the least affordable states to rent or buy as a rental property investor. Rental prices may be falling, however prices are often beyond the reach of many Hawaiians. In 2021, the median single-family home resale price reached 2.5 times the national median price. They also pointed out the housing regulations in the state are crippling and some of the most restrictive, thus curtailing availability of homes and rental units for residents.

While only slightly behind, the population of Oahu isn’t growing as fast as other states. Of course, there’s only so much room on the island, but the lack of growth may have had something to do with lower demand and—inevitably—lower rates of appreciation. Hawaiian lenders may prefer owner-occupied property financing, and those investing in rentals may face higher financing costs.
Explore Chinatown in Honolulu!
In particular, prices have increased dramatically in the wake of lower borrowing costs, higher demand, and a lack of available inventory. It is worth noting, however, that real estate in Oahu has appreciated at a slightly slower rate than the rest of the country in the last year—18.8% and 19.6%, respectively. Buyers from California, Arizona, China, Germany, Russia, Japan, Canada, and other nations have competed for too little real estate resulting in bidding wars and ultrahigh prices.
The record comes as Hawaii’s housing market continues to experience strong demand amid low supply. According to the board, the trend of properties selling over the asking price continues. Just over 57% of single-family homes and 32.9% of condos closed above the original asking price.
Oahu Island Housing Market
Slower appreciation rates may actually serve as a blessing in disguise and catalyze the local real estate market. Redfin reports the median house price in Hawaii reach $696,000 in February which is up 10.4% from 12 months go. Redfin also says home inventory has dropped 22.3% from 12 months ago and that 39.8% of homes old above list price, which is 14.6% from last February.
Homes that sold above list price likely received multiple offers. A high or growing percentage of homes selling above list price indicates that the housing market is competitive and bidding wars are becoming more common. A low or shrinking percentage of homes selling above list price suggests that the market is becoming less competitive.
In Sep '22 - Nov '22, 38% of Urban Honolulu homebuyers searched to move out of Urban Honolulu, while 62% looked to stay within the metropolitan area. Waipahu, Hawaii Kai and Leeward Oahu saw the biggest jumps in single-family homes in the first quarter, while Diamond Head and North Shore areas saw the greatest declines. The new figure is also 2.2% above the previous record of $1,125,000 set just a month ago.
In the Honolulu real estate market, timely investors were able to capitalize on short-term gains resulting from the rapid appreciation. Home prices have tested new highs recently, and investors are finding rehabs harder and harder to come by. Local real estate prices are too high for investors to consider rehabbing the most viable exit strategy on their part of the island.
Remember, prices in Honolulu are up an average 18.8% in the last year alone. To be clear, the lack of appreciation isn’t an indictment on the Oahu real estate market; instead, it may be just what the island needed. Local real estate has appreciated by as much as 62.3% over the course of a decade. Simply put, many residents have been priced out of the market in a relatively short period of time.

Houses on Kauai (+36.7%)and condos on Maui (+18.1%) still enjoy strong price growth. HONOLULU - The median price of a single-family home on Oahu soared to a new record high of $1,150,000 in March — a 21.1% increase from last year. Heaven says she anticipates a strong, competitive market to continue in the coming months.
"I think that even with that influx of properties coming on the market, that is just going to get eaten up." Honolulu Board of REALTORS president Shannon Heaven says the average time a property spends on the market is also low, at just eight days. The average size for a Oahu, HI apartment is 856 square feet, but this number varies greatly depending on unit type, with cheap and luxury alternatives for houses and apartments alike. Studio apartments are the smallest and most affordable, 1-bedroom apartments are closer to the average, while 2-bedroom apartments and 3-bedroom apartments offer a more generous square footage. Ban said she represented a buyer last month who competed with seven others bidding on one home and that her husband, also a Redfin broker, represented a client on one property that attracted 44 offers.
Homes in Urban Honolulu receive 2 offers on average and sell in around 59 days. The average sale price of a home in Urban Honolulu was $560K last month, up 2.8% since last year. The average sale price per square foot in Urban Honolulu is $723, up 5.4% since last year.
For sure, supply of single family houses, and even multifamily units is lacking. With challenges for new supply so high, and sales prices on the rise to new records, it’s obvious buyers and investors feel the value in Hawaii real estate is good. In November 2022, Urban Honolulu home prices were up 1.4% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $553K. On average, homes in Urban Honolulu sell after 61 days on the market compared to 56 days last year. There were 252 homes sold in November this year, down from 431 last year. Gord is ManageCasa's content researcher and writer capturing the imagination of investors, landlords, and property management pros.

Can sell for about 2% above list price and go pending in around 31 days. There were only 18.6% of homes that had price drops, up from 9.0% of homes in November last year. There was a 98.4% sale-to-list price, down 2.3 points year over year.
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