Puna? Hamakua Coast, Ka'u properties, ocean & birds. (Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park: real estate, how much)

[hvydan]

Hello Everybody, This is my first post here, but I have been reading everybody else's for a while now. I was wondering if anybody would be willing to share their experience, and, well actually their daily view from their home, which is what I am interested in.

I rented an off-the-grid house in Ninole a while ago, and LOVED it. Beautiful view, occasional airplane coming by, weekly barge to and from the port. Rain several times a day. I would like to buy a house, with some land, with that view.

I have been checking real estate listings for years, never ready to buy, but just to learn. I am now close to being in a position to buy something. But the Hilo districts and Hamakua seem out of reach for me. I love the Puna district, I love the rain, the green, the birds, and the hot ponds.

My question is, do any of the communities in Puna, have ocean views? I noticed the area called Mountain view is in Puna, but Ocean view is in Ka'u. is the advertising actually true in this case?

I am not sure about Ka'u. I know water is an issue, but it can be managed, but I doubt that even if I created an oasis, with a relatively well watered yard, with trees, that there would be any birds out there.

Mahalo Nui

[Grassyknoll]

Well, I live in Ocean View and am situated about 5 miles from the shore. Property is mostly lava though I have extensive landscaping and a garden as well. Some areas of Ocean View have lush vegetation, other areas are moon-scape and a lot of it is somewhere in between.

I do like my view of the coast, which was one of the reasons I purchased where I did. That and the mild temperatures.





As for birds. I have a bird feeder and all day long and so far there I have seen Zebra Doves, Myna Birds, Yellow Finch and some sort of brown finch.

[hvydan]

That's awesome, I love the view, and am so happy to hear that there are birds out there. If you build it they will come I guess. Thank you for sharing.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by hvydan

I rented an off-the-grid house in Ninole a while ago, and LOVED it.

Which one? The one north of Hilo, or the southern one near Punalu'u in Ka'u district? That one is also near Ocean View, which you asked about, but your description sounds more like the northern coast.

[hotzcatz]

Most of Puna is too flat to have ocean views, especially fairly close ocean views like in Ninole on the Hamakua Coast.

HOVE aka "Oceanview" has ocean views, although the ocean is more distant than the views you would have had from Ninole. You could possibly try Kawaihae for views, but I haven't a clue what the prices are out in that direction. To get similar ocean views you need to be on a hillside near the ocean, so from Hilo to HOVE there's not much unless you're fairly close to the coast.

For something as specific as a view, it's best to look at a property in person.

[hvydan]

I stayed in Ninole north of Hilo.

I was afraid that in Puna, even with a two story house, I would not have any ocean views. Many of the real estate listings state that if you build up, you can get an ocean view, but with a wooded lot, there is no way to confirm that.

Not much from Hilo to Hove, that's what I was afraid of.

I think I might have to look harder at the Ocean View properties.

Thank you for your input.

[Grassyknoll]

hvydan, you might also look at Naalehu and Discovery Harbor as long as distance/travel time to Hilo or Kona isn't too much of a concern.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Most of Puna is too flat to have ocean views, especially fairly close ocean views like in Ninole on the Hamakua Coast.

Places with ocean views in Puna can be found in Kapoho, Kehena, Kalapana, the Kaloli Point and Beach Road sections of Hawaiian Paradise Park, the makai parts of Hawaiian Beaches and Hawaiian Shores, the makai side of Mālama Rd. in Leilani Estates, parts of the Kamaliʻi Farms subdivision, and parts of the Black Sands Beach subdivision.

[hotzcatz]

Yup, select properties in Puna do have ocean views, but you'd have to go look at them to make sure. Well, unless you're really close to the ocean. A friend in Leilani had an "ocean view", she was particularly proud of the little bit of blue she could see between the tops of the trees. That was from the upper lanai, too. And even if you're on the Hamakua coast, that's still not a guarantee of ocean views. We have a line of ironwood trees which block about three quarters of our view. But, they block the worst of the wind, too, so it's not all bad.

There's more views than ocean, too! Some friends have amazing sky views from their place. Just huge and amazing at night when the milky way stretches from one side to the other. Up along Kohala road, there's a place I call "a'olele" because of the clouds swirling around. Sometimes I'll just stop and watch the clouds dance for awhile when going up that way.

How much land are you looking for? A lot of the large "sub-divisions" have set amounts of land, but some of them go up to several acres in size.

There are a lot of birds in the volcano area. Probably the best birds are there. OpenD would know about them, most likely, as well as several other posters we have who live in the area. Volcano isn't as expensive as other parts of the island but it's not as inexpensive as others. Nice and cool at that altitude, loads of birds. Dunno if you see much of the ocean, though.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

There are a lot of birds in the volcano area. Probably the best birds are there. OpenD would know about them, most likely, as well as several other posters we have who live in the area. Volcano isn't as expensive as other parts of the island but it's not as inexpensive as others. Nice and cool at that altitude, loads of birds. Dunno if you see much of the ocean, though.

Yes, Volcanoes National Park is home to a lot of exotic bird species, many of them endangered, as is nearby Olala Forest Preserve. My property is on the flyway between the two, and my ohia trees are favored food and shelter trees for many kinds of honey creepers and finches and cardinals. Mainland friends who are avid birders logged 10 new sightings just walking around the nabe one afternoon. And at nearly 4,000' altitude and sitting on a pressure ridge that dumps rain here, it's cool and rainy here, a lot like Seattle, but sunnier, between the rains. Not for everyone, but quite exquisite to some of us.

Yes, we could see the distant ocean, if it weren't for all the trees in the way.

As it is, the view from rim of Kilauea, in the park, or even from the golf course above the highway is unobstructed. Personally I am more in love with the view in the other direction, in the deep black of the night sky, with the stars and the Milky Way overhead so distinct and sharp you could cut yourself on them.