Not Even Molten Lava Can Cool This Hot Housing Market - Kanebridge News
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Not Even Molten Lava Can Cool This Hot Housing Market

The eastern section of Hawaii’s Big Island continues to attract home buyers searching for a cheap piece of paradise

By CHRISTINE MAI-DUC
Sun, Jan 21, 2024 7:00amGrey Clock 5 min

PUNA, Hawaii—In 2018, a large volcanic eruption spewed lava, rock and ash into the middle of a subdivision here, gobbling up more than 700 homes and displacing thousands of residents in a slow-motion disaster. Today, it is Hawaii’s fastest-growing region.

Land in an active lava zone, it turns out, is relatively cheap. Lured by a shot at attainable homeownership in paradise, island dwellers and mainland transplants alike have been flocking to this area in the shadow of Kilauea, driving up prices in the Puna District. Still, the area remains one of the last affordable refuges on the cheapest island in Hawaii, America’s most expensive state.

“In terms of the last bastion of affordability, Puna is it,” said Jared C. Gates, a Realtor who was raised on Oahu and came to the Big Island for college in the 1990s. He purchased his first home in 2005, a modest fixer-upper in Puna, on his salary as a waiter.

Over the past few years, he has been getting more business in Leilani Estates, the neighbourhood where the 2018 eruption began.

None of the homes that were inundated by lava have been rebuilt. Many homeowners have sold their properties to neighbours or the county in a federally funded buyback program, but that land remains vacant for now. The land has been so transformed that it is hard for remaining owners to know even where their property begins and ends.

“It took out roughly a third of the subdivision; totally surreal,” Gates said last fall. “And houses are selling there again.”

Among Gates’s listings that day was a three-bedroom, two-bath home with lush landscaping, two blocks from the mile-wide lava field where heat and steam still radiate from vents in the petrified landscape. “It’s a beaut,” he said. “It will sell.”

Three weeks later it did, for $325,000, cash.

The story of how serene-looking slices of suburbia came to inhabit an active volcanic rift zone is well-known here. In the 1960s, land speculators—aided by a new county government hungry for tax revenue—bought thousands of acres and carved it into lots of an acre or more that were snapped up by investors.

There were virtually no requirements that developers pave roads, place utility lines or build other essential infrastructure. To this day, there is no wastewater treatment plant or hospital. Many of the district’s 51,000 residents rely on filtered rainwater and cesspools to dispose of sewage.

Early buyers included Native Hawaiians looking for an affordable place to call home and mainland hippies intent on off-grid living. As home prices rose in Hawaii and across the nation, however, more working families and mainland retirees went hunting for deals on the Big Island.

County Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz, who represents Puna, said rush-hour traffic on the rural, two-lane highway that connects Puna to Hilo, the county seat roughly 20 miles away, is so bad that she leaves her home 1.5 hours early to get to work.

County officials say rules tied to federal funding bar local government from building affordable housing in lava zones 1 and 2, which are the riskiest and make up most of lower Puna. State law also prohibits them from spending most local money on private subdivisions, meaning that roads are largely maintained by owner associations.

Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said that while the county has added a new firehouse, police station and park facilities there in recent years, the county has limited funds to make major investments in high-risk areas.

“Are we going to invest public money in a high-risk place…knowing that whatever you build could be taken out by lava at any time?” said Roth.

The lack of some modern conveniences has scarcely slowed the flow of newcomers.

Like many places in the U.S., an influx of remote workers during the pandemic has helped send the housing market here into overdrive.

Among the recent arrivals are David Booth and his partner, Juan Polanco. The former Phoenix residents had been brainstorming tropical locations where they could slash their living expenses and ease into retirement.

“The attraction to the Big Island was affordability,” said Booth, 61, who now works remotely. He and Polanco, 59, paid cash for a 1,500-square-foot home that had been split into three units with separate entrances. “You can’t have this on any other island for this price point.”

The property sits on a 1-acre lot in Hawaiian Paradise Park, a subdivision located in the less-risky lava zone 3. Homes with repeated sales in the neighbourhood have seen a nearly 800% appreciation in price since 2000, according to data from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization.

Properties in lava zones 1 and 2—some with sweeping oceanfront views—were far cheaper, Booth said. In the end, the risk of losing their nest egg to a natural disaster, and the difference in insurance rates, were deal breakers.

They are getting used to bringing in their drinking water and dealing with vicious fire ants. The slow-paced lifestyle and prospect of early retirement are worth it, he said.

They have listed the two other units as vacation rentals, and their first guests arrive next week.

“We are overwhelmed with the amount of beauty here and just how much more relaxed we feel,” said Booth. “We’re building a whole new life here.”

Three years ago, Travis Edwards, 48, was driving delivery trucks and living with his mother in Southern California’s Inland Empire.

He was sick of the traffic, wildfires and car thefts, he said. Upon retiring, his mother sold her house and paid cash for a 1-acre lot with two units in Leilani Estates, surrounded by avocado and citrus trees. Lava insurance rates in lava zone 1, the riskiest area that encompasses the entire subdivision, were so high that they simply stopped paying for it, he said.

He mostly shrugs off the dangers, reasoning that they would be reckoning with fires and earthquakes on top of a lower quality of life back in Southern California.

“It’s just paradise,” said Edwards, who now drives limousines part-time. “The rest of the world doesn’t exist when you’re here.”

Rising prices on the east side have left Puna native Chantel Takabayashi feeling stuck. A single mother of three, she works 16 hours a day as a state prison guard in Hilo. She would like to buy a home closer to work and better schools but has been priced out of most neighbourhoods she has considered.

“I make pretty decent money and I work long, endless hours, and I still can’t afford better housing,” she said.

A home in the Kalapana Gardens neighbourhood.

Liz Fusco, who manages more than 100 rental properties for Hilo Bay Realty in Pahoa, said that during the pandemic, she saw three-bedroom homes in parts of Puna that once fetched $1,500 a month rent for as much as $2,300.

Most of the applicants were mainlanders, she said, with stellar rental histories, plenty of income and pristine credit. Units that would typically take more than a month to rent were getting leased in three days.

Tina Garber, who has lived in the Puna area for 21 years, has been displaced twice in the past 18 months after the homes she was renting went up for sale.

Currently, she is paying $750 a month—three-quarters of her monthly income as a housecleaner—for a 400-square-foot studio surrounded on three sides by cooled lava. Her landlord just told her it will be listed for sale in April.

“People that come over here with money, they do not realise that it is so hard to make it here,” Garber said. “They think, ‘Oh, a good deal in Hawaii.’ But it puts a lot of pain and suffering on local folks.”



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This peninsular region has beaches, mountains and luxury homes at much lower prices than in the popular Cyclades islands

By MICHAEL KAMINER
Mon, Nov 11, 2024 6 min

Three peninsulas make up Halkidiki, an 1,130-square-mile area in Greece’s northern Macedonia region. Like a trident, Athos, Sithonia and Kassandra stretch into the Aegean sea.

Of the three, Kassandra “is the most developed part of Halkidiki,” according to Theodor Nikolaou, an agent with Engel & Völkers Greece in Thérmi. “Activity started in the 1970s and ’80s, and just continued, especially in coastal villages.”

While lower-profile and less touristed than Greek islands like Santorini or Mykonos, Kassandra still boasts sought-after restaurants, nightclubs and shops, said Ioanna Paloka, an agent with Savills Greece in Thessaloniki. “People prefer to buy here because of the amenities, the beautiful beaches, and the mixture of commercial and residential development,” she said. Beaches including Polychrono Beach, Hanioti Beach and Pefkochori Beach boast clear waters, soft sand and postcard-perfect coastal scenery.

Boundaries

Kassandra is the westernmost of Halkidiki’s peninsulas, and the most populated. At about 128 square miles, Kassandra descends from Cassandreia, its northernmost city, to the Aegean Sea. Kassandra is also the nearest peninsula to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, and its international airport. “It’s the most accessible part of Halkidiki,” Paloka said.

Seaside locations are most coveted for luxury property, according to Nikolaou. They include the village of Sani, on the west side of Kassandra; Pefkochori, on the peninsula’s east side; and the area around Glarokavos Harbour, just south of Pefkochori. “The combination of sun, the blue of the sea, and the green of pine draws people from around the world,” he said.

Kassandra’s most exclusive locations are Sani, the east-peninsula village of Paliouri, Possidi in the southwest, and Pefkohori, Pakola said.

Thessaloniki is about 60 miles northwest of central Kassandra. Thessaloniki Airport Makedonia, the regional international airport, is a few miles further west. Athens is about 350 miles south.

Price Range

Beachfront properties in Kassandra command premium prices, Paloka said. “Most people at the high end prefer to buy beachfront.” Prices range from €3,000 (US$3,243) to €6,000 per square meter, she said. “For €6,000 per square meter, you’re buying about 20,000 square meters of land with a 1,000-square-meter house, a swimming pool, very modern, in a new development by the sea and surrounded by forests.”

For €5 million in Sani, Savills has listed a 350-square-meter home with six bedrooms and three bathrooms on about 17,000 square meters of land with sea views. In a new development in the village of Siviri, Savills is offering 350-square-meter beach-adjacent homes with seven bedroom suites, private pools, and garages for €2.05 million. Siviri, on Kassandra’s west side, is popular with tourists for its clusters of bars and cafes.

This Sani home is asking €2.7 million.
Listglobally

Prices across Kassandra “depend on the distance from the sea,” said Nikolaou of Engel & Volkers Greece. “The closer you are, and the more private the property, the higher the price.” While prices average €2,500 to €4,000 per square meter across Kassandra, they can soar to €8,000 to €10,000 “for the best beachfront luxury property,” he said.

In Pallini, on Kassandra’s east coast, Engel & Volkers is offering an oceanfront hilltop estate on more than 4,000 square meters of land, with nine bedroom suites and amenities including a wine cellar and full bar. Built in 1991, the property is listed for €4,500,000.

The most expensive Kassandra listing in October was a 10-bedroom, 1000-square-meter Sani villa with sea views and a pool for €17,000,000, offered by the Hellenic Property agency.

Housing Stock

In the coastal parts of Kassandra undergoing rapid development, architecture is almost uniformly modern. “There are three types of homes here. Apartments and villas, which aren’t as hot. Multi-home complexes with sea views, which are better. And private luxury beachfront properties, which are at the top.”

Older and even “ancient” properties are common in Kassandra’s mountainous inland regions, according to Nikolaou. “These traditional stone houses in some of the old villages can qualify as luxury homes once they’re renovated, but many require extensive work,” he said. The village of Agia Paraskevi, in south-central Kassandra, has also become a popular tourist destination for its thermal spas and ancient churches.

Seaside locations are most coveted.
Getty Images/imageBROKER RF

The higher end of the market consists almost exclusively of detached, modern homes, said Paloka. “Condominiums make up the lower end of the market here,” she said. “And there are almost no historical buildings in the most sought-after coastal areas.”

Luxury Amenities

Greek and international buyers are discovering Kassandra as an alternative to tourist hubs like Mykonos and Santorini. “The fact that Kassandra is not the islands is an amenity in itself,” Paloka said. “It’s very private, relaxed and peaceful, without that madness. Most of the infrastructure here only appeared over the last 10 years.” For golf and tennis, most locals frequent the seaside Sani Resort, which operates private athletic clubs along with its five high-end hotels. Most complexes also have private pools, according to Nikolaou of Engel & Volkers.

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As Kassandra’s profile has risen, its restaurant scene has flourished, with high-end eateries including Metoxi, in a temple-like stone building with sunset views; “creative Greek” spot Giria Elia in Pefkohori’s Hotel Anna Maria; and Kriopigi’s Fiki Fiki, the first Asian-Peruvian fusion restaurant in Halkidiki. Several private medical clinics operate on the peninsula, including the 24-hour Kassandria’s Health Center and Primary Medical Care of Pefkochori.

What Makes It Unique

“Kassandra is a picturesque environment, surrounded by forest, with clean, beautiful, crystal-clear seas,” said Paloka. “The proximity to Thessaloniki also makes it unique. You’re just an hour from the city centre, but you can enjoy all Kassandra has to offer.”

Kassandra’s annual Sani Festival brings A-list musical talent to the peninsula every year; the 2024 edition saw stars including Placido Domingo, Madeleine Peyroux, Tom Jones, and Emeli Sande on the roster.

Who Lives There

Nearly 40% of buyers in Kassandra are “from central Europe, especially German-speaking countries,” Nikolaou said. “They see the Mediterranean, and this part of Greece, as the Florida of Europe. They want a home in the region to use in retirement.” Another 25% of buyers come from the Balkans, including Bulgaria and Romania, “and other countries without direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the first possible access for them,” he said. An additional 15% of buyers hail from Israel and the Middle East. “Thessaloniki once had a significant Jewish population, and Israelis love it. They want to invest here,” Nikolaou said. Just a handful of buyers come from North America, he added.

Kassandra is picturesque.
Getty Images

Kassandra’s largest, most extravagant villas belong to Greeks, according to Paloka of Savills. But those owners are starting to take their profits. “Those properties had been second homes, and the Greek owners are now selling to mostly European buyers,” she said.

Greece’s golden visa program, which grants a five-year residency permit in exchange for a minimum real-estate purchase, has attracted “a huge number of foreigners, but to less expensive properties,” Paloka said. In October, however, the Greek government raised the minimum investment for a golden visa to €800,000 from €250,000 in sought-after destinations including Halkidiki, the region where Kassandra is located.

Notable Residents

Swiss-based Greek billionaire Aristotеlis Mistakidis “has bought a lot of property in Halkidiki, including a villa in Glarokavos,” Nikolaou said. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie vacationed in Kassandra when they were an item, and John Travolta and Robert De Niro “spend summers in Kassandra with their families,” Nikolaou said.

Outlook

“Consistency” is the hallmark of the market in Kassandra, said Paloka of Savills.

“Prices may have gone up on lower-end properties, but prime estates have stayed the same or maybe dropped just a bit. What’s key is that it’s more affordable than the islands, and a better value for your money.” Kassandra’s rental market is also “extremely strong, year-round,” meaning owners can generate revenue from their properties, she said. “Even at Christmas, people love coming here. The islands are great, but you can’t get flights there all year―you have to take a ferry off-season.”

Nikolaou, however, said that “the demand for second homes means prices will continue to increase.” He also noted that property prices per square meter “are much more of a value for the money, especially for beachfront properties.”

Investors “are now looking to Kassandra and Halkidiki to develop new tourist areas,” Nikolaou said. “They don’t want to go to the islands. If you count the kilometres of seashore here, it’s like you have 100 islands. And it’s sunny the whole year.”