Kailua

About the Kailua Community

I love Kailua.  I grew up here as a child so I am partial to the feel of towns.  Once a quiet, lazy beach town with a slow main drag, it is now showing hints of energetic buzz. Within the last 15 years, Kailua has expanded dramatically and is changing quickly.

 

Kailua is a beautiful little town that is located south of Kaneohe, north of Waimanalo, and situated on the windward side of Oahu. It has amazing views, and beautiful beaches.

 

When people think of “Hawaii Real Estate,” this is what they imagine:  White beaches, with the trade winds gently blowing.  Beautiful houses along the beach.  Children playing in the water, or on the white sanded beaches.  The smell of the salt air, and the crystal blue waters.  In a word paradise.

 

Whether they know it or not, it’s the beaches in Kailua that they are visualizing.

 

Kailua is only 12 miles from Downtown Honolulu, but it feels like a different island.  Kailua is its own city with its own infrastructure, and the town itself has lots of amenities and services that contributed to the feeling of self-sufficiency.

One of the largest landowners Castle Residuary Trust is developing its landholdings and attracting visitors to its town, which has not been a popular position for the “locals” of Kailua.

 

Kailua Properties

You can find homes & property for sale Kailua neighborhoods right now. Use the links below and you’ll be looking over full MLS listings in moments.

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There are a lot of neighborhoods in Kailua.  If you want to search for your next home by Neighborhood click here.

Background Information

In the Hawaiian language Kailua means “two seas” or “two currents”, a contraction of the words kai (meaning “sea” or “sea water”) and ʻelua(meaning “two”); it is so named because of the two lagoons in the district or the two currents which run through Kailua Bay. (Source: Wikipedia.com)

President Obama made Kailua Beachside and shaved ice famous.  The national exposure from multiple visits, vacations, and the explosion of social media brought a new level of exposure to a community that really does not want that attention.

 

Kailua (which includes Lanikai), was once dotted with island cottages and is now birthing large vacation homes.

 

It is world famous for its powdery, white-sand beaches and relatively calm waters.  It’s a small, vibrant beach community where neighbors are neighborly and the lifestyle is still wanting to remain very beach casual.

What was mostly simple single wall construction homes are now being remodeled or constructed new.

 

Home prices are very high scale, as the prestige of the neighborhoods are driving costs.  Some recent examples of properties in Kailua:

• $600k for a below average condition 1000 sq.ft. home on 5000 sq.ft. in Coconut Grove
• $1.1m for a home is Lanikai, that needed some substantial repairs
• $10.5m for a property on N. Kalaheo Ave (in the Beachside neighborhood) with two cottages on approximately 62,269 sq.ft.
• $420k for a two bedroom apartment/condo at Koolau Vista
• $800K for a recently constructed condo at Ka Malanai

 

Parks and Recreation in Kailua

Kailua is one of the most popular beaches in the world.  It stretches over two miles, and is an extremely popular place for windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, and paddleboarding.

 

The beach areas provide plenty of space for walks on the beach.

 

The area has many activities for visitors and residents who love to go snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, jet skiing, and kayaking.

 

There are a number of stores available.  Whole Foods, Starbucks, CVS, Pier 1 Imports, Target have moved in amongst many of the small businesses, boutiques and restaurants.

 

You’ll find a wide range of eateries from ahi poke (sliced raw fish) to ramen (noodle dishes), hamburger to pizza, shrimp trucks to BBQ grilled, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Korean, Japanese, Hawaiian, Chinese, yogurt, organic, pancakes and breakfast, to plain old satisfying steak.

 

You’ll find boat, board and bikini shops.  And…did I mention the beach!

Some of the best beaches in the world are located in Kailua.  Many consider life in Kailua as the quintessential Hawaiian lifestyle.

What can I say?  Locals love food.  The ocean activity will make you hungry.  Kailua has plenty of both food and ocean activities.

 

Kailua Neighborhoods

You can find homes & property for sale in Beachside, Lanikai & other Kailua neighborhoods. Use the links below and you’ll be looking over full MLS listings in moments.

Aikahi Park	Govt / AG	Kalaheo Hillside	Keolu Hills	Lanikai
Beachside	Hillcrest	Kalama Tract	Koolaupoko	Launawili
Bluestone	Kailua Bluffs	Kalama /Coconut Grove	Koolaupoku	Maunawili
Country Club Knoll	Kailua Estates	Kaopa	Kukanono	Olomana
Coconut Grove	Kailua Town	Kawailoa-Kailua	Kukilakila	Pohakupu
Enchanted Lake	Kaimalino		Kuulei Tract	Waimanalo