About Waianae's Makaha

My wife and I recently watched "The Informant" - a movie starring Matt Damon. The movie is based on a true story about a whistleblower at Archer Daniels Midland, a company in Decatur, Illinois.

The main character travels around the world and at one point he attends a meeting in Hawaii. The meeting and a golf outing take place at the Makaha Valley Country Club in West Oahu. In a golf scene the Makaha Valley Towers are a backdrop to the characters walking along the course. When you see the movie, keep an eye out for the Towers 'cause you'll only see them for a few seconds.

Back in the early 1990's (the period that the events in the movie occurred) this resort was actually the Sheraton Makaha. Back then I was an auditor for a CPA firm and actually audited the financials of the resort. We also had corporate events including golf outings there. It was and still is a nice resort, with great ocean views.

Well, go check it out and enjoy! You'll be surprised at how Matt Damon looks in this movie.

Aloha, Mike

When Hawaii's housing market turns downward, the outlying locations seem to get hurt the worst.  Why is this?  Probably because areas like Waianae have less good jobs compared to Honolulu neighborhoods.  Also, when the market begins to recover, people look to the future and where there's room for growth - West Oahu!

Now we're back in one of those painful slumps, where some owners are getting hurt.  Buyers with good credit and/or cash are preparing to make their moves on properties.  It's great to make a purchase, knowing that it would have cost more had you bought it a year or two earlier.

Where are the deals?  Here are a few:

Makaha Shores MLS 2819098 -  a short sale listed for $150,000.  This is a fee simple studio at the famous Makaha surfing beach.  Interior area is 323 square feet with a 82 square foot lanai.  Comparable units sell for over $200,000. 

View the listing by inputting the MLS number here: Search Hawaii listings by MLS number.

Here's a picture of the building.

Makaha Valley Plantation.  There are three short sales listed for less than $100,000 each.  MLS numbers 2819626, 2819621 and 2819627.

View the listings here: Makaha Valley Plantation.

Note: Short sales are usually slow processes because of the owners' banks.  The banks are taking a loss because the properties are being sold for less than the owners' loan balance.  Buyers must be patient.  In addition, a buyer should have good credit and cash for a downpayment.  Forget about 100% financing.  That's the reason many of these sellers got in trouble in the first place!

Visit our website or call Mike Bates (808) 548-1220 for more info about Hawaii real estate investments.

Oahu MLS

Most visitors to Oahu rarely make it out of Waikiki and even fewer still make it to the Leeward coast, whose wild and wooley reputation keeps even the city locals at bay. Never the less, the Waianae has some of the most beautiful beaches and siteseeing on Oahu and despite it's noteriety as being "rough" the hiking in the Waianae is well worth the trip.

There are many hiking trails and sites to see on the Leeward coast of Oahu located about 30 to 40 min from Honolulu International Airport. The Waianae Mountain Range is is capped by Kaena Point to the north and Makakilo ridge to the south and is home to the tallest peak on Oahu, Mt. Ka'ala, which rises 4025ft above Makaha Valley to the west with Waialua to the North East. Mt. Ka'ala is easily recognized by the giant geodesic dome that sits high on the mountains ridge line, which is used by the US Navy as a satellite tracking station. Here are some photos from a recent hiking expidition to the Waianae Range directly adjacent to the Makaha ahua pu'a'a.

Wailele, Hawaiian for waterfall Wild coffee

Wild Kalo, Hawaiian for Taro.

Part of the Waianae Range about half way up.

Giant Agave Hou'oli Koa blossom

Kehau, Hawaiian for mist

Koa covered in moss & lichen Lauae, indigenous fern

Cave passageway through ridge Wild Allspice

Giant Eucalyptus Wild Guava 'mmm ono'

Photos by Kimo