Kauai Real Estate Update- To find out what Sold, was Just Listed and what went Under Contract on the island last week click here; Kauai Real Estate Update October 19 to 25, 2026
Poipu Beach Real Estate Update- Sold | Nihi Kai 502 $1,000,000
Renovated, AC and within a short walking distance to the pool and beach. This 2 bedroom 2 bath unit has four lanai’s and with 1,221 square feet of living space it’s roomy enough to live in full time.
If you are interested in owning at Nihi Kai I have unit #509, which is very near this one, on the market. This unit is also super sweet, renovated with AC and is in an established rental program. Listing price is $1,100,000 (FS) and is being sold turnkey as well, see this unit by clicking on this link: Nihi Kai 509 Contact me for rental income.
For a complete list of all the Fee Simple real estate activity in Poipu since the beginning of this year click here: Poipu Beach Fee Simple Current Market Analysis
For the Kiahuna Plantation click here: Kiahuna Plantation Current Market Analysis
Airbnb Globally Changes Their Cleaning Policies
I’ve not personally seen it but apparently there have been Airbnb renters that have not been happy with the cleaning policies and the complaints have made it to social media platforms. Some of the listings have the guests performing cleaning tasks in addition to paying a cleaning fee.
But that will change starting November 20th, hosts will not be allowed to ask guests to do work that is typically done by a cleaner such as taking out the trash, washing dishes or removing the sheets off the beds.
Some hosts restrict the use of amenities that are advertised in their listings.
Here is what Airbnb stated: "House rules help guests understand what hosts expect, but we've heard from our community that they can be confusing, onerous and hard to manage. So we've redesigned them to make them easier to discover and clearer to set, alongside a new policy that keeps requests reasonable, with no surprises."
The “House Rules” that owners have will have a new set of rules as well. You can find all of this on Airbnb’s Community Policy page on this, to access that page click here: Airbnb House Rules Page
Poipu Beach Parking Lot Closed October 26 to November 6
The Poipu Beach parking lot, restrooms and pavilions suffered a lot of damage during Hurricane Lowell and the Department of Parks and Recreation will be closing the parking lot from Monday, October 26th to November 6th for repairs.
The parking lot has a lot of sand in it, standing water and picnic benches that were swept away from the pavilions by the storm surge. The restrooms were severely damaged and have been closed.
Why Some Kauai Properties Don’t Sell—Even When Everything Is Done Right
That may be the biggest lesson this market has handed me in 22 years of selling real estate on Kauai. No matter how good the marketing, none of us can manufacture a buyer who is ready to act on a Seller’s preferred timeline. I’ve had my hat handed to me enough to know what I can control and what I can’t.
This is the strangest market I’ve worked in. We see occasional fire sales while other properties sell for great prices without ever hitting the market. Buyers are frustrated, Sellers are frustrated, and agents are trying to explain a market that frankly doesn’t always make sense.
You can have great photography, good marketing, a beautiful property and the right price—and it sits there like a stone.
With stock market swings, wars, interest rates and economic uncertainty, many Kauai buyers, particularly second-home buyers, have the luxury of waiting.
Buyer’s market or Seller’s market? Depends on the property, the buyer, and sometimes the day of the week.
We control what we can, but no agent has the Midas touch—even if the occasional postcard or social media post suggests otherwise. Sometimes timing deserves a little more credit than it gets.
Kauai Police Department Adds Automatic License Plate Reading
Kauai will now have license plate readers which are specialized cameras that capture license plate information at different spots on the island as cars pass by. This information will be used by KPD to identify cars that could be connected to crimes committed.
KPD is saying this information “will be restricted to authorized KPD personnel and governed by departmental policies and applicable laws.”
These cameras are not “Flock Safety” cameras where the information gathered can be obtained by anyone with a subscription. They are also not surveillance cameras either which is a live video of and area.
New Hawaiian Airlines Route Added
Pending government approval are new nonstop flights from Seattle to Osaka, Japan and Papeete, French Polynesia from Seattle which is Alaska’s hub station. The flights will be operated by Hawaiian Airlines. Tickets are available for purchase and the flights will be starting this spring.
Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci stated; “We are building an airline that connects the Pacific Northwest to more of the world and we know our guests will be excited to have convenient access to Osaka and Papeete from Seattle."
