With Fewer Houses for Sale, O‘ahu Condo Sales Boom
Realtors say that’s a normal part of the real estate cycle: Condo sales usually increase when fewer single-family homes are for sale.
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Janis
Janis Magin Meierdiercks reports each week on local real estate for Hawaii Business Magazine’s weekly email newsletter, Hawai‘i Real Estate News, and hawaiibusiness.com. Previously, she wrote and edited stories on real estate for 15 years at Pacific Business News.
Email tips or story ideas to her at HawaiiRENews@gmail.com.
Realtors say that’s a normal part of the real estate cycle: Condo sales usually increase when fewer single-family homes are for sale.
The analysis of 2020 census data determined that 76,622 homes were vacant in the Islands.
Though mortgage rates remain low by historical standards, every tiny increase means that families qualify for smaller and smaller loans.
These homes priced under $1 million are getting harder to find: Only six of the island's 21 regions have a median price below that threshold. And prices are soaring even in those "bargain" neighborhoods.
About 1 in 8 condos for sale on O‘ahu are leasehold. Many, including some prestigious properties, are declining in value as the end of their land leases near.
A national report says Hawai‘i is the ninth-largest market for $10 million-and-plus homes. LA, Manhattan and Palm Beach are 1, 2 and 3.
The demand is strong, Realtors say, but there are few homes for sale at the highest end of the local market. Demand will likely increase when international buyers return.
The statewide association is backing a series of bills that seek to reduce impediments to affordable housing projects.
Purchases by mainland buyers were strong during the pandemic, and sales to Japanese and Canadians are slowly rebounding after a dramatic fall.
Homeowners fume as O‘ahu’s rising real estate prices translate into double-digit increases in property assessments.
This is the first of weekly Hawai‘i real estate reports from Janis Magin Meierdiercks, who covered the industry for 15 years at Pacific Business News. If you have tips or ideas for stories, email her at HawaiiRENews@gmail.com.
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