Real Estate Directory - Hawaii

Population: 1,211,537 (2000)
Capital city/population: Honolulu (371,657) (2000)
Largest cities/population (2000):

  • Honolulu - 371,657
  • Hilo - 40,759
  • Kailua - 36,513
  • Kaneohe - 34,970

Admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, Hawaii is the 43rd largest state with 10,932 square miles of land. Hawaii has a mild, uniform climate, with an average annual temperature of about 75ºF. Puako, on the big island, has about 10” of annual rainfall, making it the driest area in the Hawaiian island chain. The native Hawaiian alphabet contains only 12 letters, with syllables in each word pronounced individually. The state fish is the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa, a type of triggerfish. (Karen – say that one real fast three times!)

HOUSING

OAHU (Honolulu, Kailua, Kaneohe) - A seller’s market exists on the island, with about 200 single-family homes active on the windward side of the island. Prices range from $600,000 and up, with many of the single-family homes priced in the $800,000 and up range. There are also condominiums and townhouses available in lower price ranges. In Honolulu, the median sale price in October, 2005 for a single-family home was $660,000, an increase over October 2004 prices. Median sale price for condominiums was $260,000. Some homes are taking longer to sell, and homes in desirable communities continue to hold their prices.

In Kailua, single-family homes sold for a median price of $859,000, a significant increase over 2004 prices. Inventory of these homes has increased, providing home buyers more to choose from. A seller’s market exists for condominiums, which are holding a median sale price of $359,000.

BIG ISLAND (Hilo) - Hilo has enough homes on the market to provide great choices for investors or first time home buyers. A good, single-family starter home can be purchased for around $300,000. This community is a great place to live, supported by a strong construction industry. Developments are just beginning, creating a demand for new homes and condominiums. In the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision, one-acre lots were being sold at an increase of $5,000 per week, with home prices increasing at almost the same rate.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

More than 1,000 manufacturing plants are located on Oahu, with Hilo and Kahuliu also having plants. Food processing is Hawaii’s leading manufacturing industry, with printing and publishing also adding to the economy. Agriculture is dominated by sugar and pineapples, with the state producing more than six million tons of sugarcane annually, with a value of more than $150 million dollars. Pineapples are the second largest crop, with more than 500,000 tons harvested annually. Cattle raising is an important source of income, especially on the island of Hawaii, which produces more than 65% of the state’s livestock. Tourists comprise a vital part of the Hawaiian industry, spending over 9.2 billion dollars annually.

SCHOOLS

Hawaii is currently the only state with a unified statewide school system. The Department of Education is divided into seven districts, four on Oahu and one for each of the other counties. Hawaii has four of the nation’s largest independent schools: Mid-Pacific Institute, Iolani School, Kamehameha School, and Punahou School.

The University of Hawaii is the largest college institution in the state. Campuses are in Hilo, Manoa, and West Oahu. Private colleges include Brigham Young – Hawaii, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii Pacific University, and University of the Nations.

HISTORY

In the late 1800s, desire for constitutional reform led to the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani, who had ruled since 1891. A provisional government was established, and Hawaii was proclaimed a U.S. protectorate. President William McKinley favored annexation, which came about in 1898. In 1900, the islands were made a territory, and in 1937, statehood was proposed, but refused by the U.S. Congress.

During World War II, the Hawaiian Islands were the chief Pacific base for U.S. forces, with the U.S. having been brought into the war by the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Since the war, a building boom took over, ushered in by the tourist trade and development of the airline industry. Hawaii was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959.

RELIGION

  • Christian - 68%
    • Protestant - 42%
      • Congregational/United Church of Christ - 3%
      • Baptist - 2%
      • Methodist - 2%
    • Catholic - 24%
    • Mormon - 2%
  • Agnostic/non-religious - 18%
  • Buddhist - 9%
  • Other(e.g. Shinto, Tao, pagan) - 5%

DEMOGRAPHICS (2000)

  • Native Hawaiian - 6.6%
  • White or Caucasian, including Portuguese - 24.3%
  • Asian - 41.6%
    • Asian Indian - 0.1%
    • Chinese - 4.7%
    • Filipino - 14.1%
    • Japanese - 16.7%
    • Korean - 1.9%
    • Vietnamese - 0.6%
  • other Pacific Islander which includes Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, Maori and Micronesian - 1.3%
  • Mixed Race (two or more races/ethnic groups) - 21.4%
  • African American - 1.8%
  • Native American and Alaska Native - 0.3%