Kauai Real Estate- What Sold, was Just Listed and what went Under Contract last week on the island of Kauai?To find out click here: Kauai Real Estate Update August 17 to 23, 2026
Kiahuna Plantation Real Estate Update-In Escrow | Kiahuna #115 List Price $299K (LH)
Ground floor, corner unit, completely renovated with AC in both the living and bedroom. That is what caught the eye of these buyers who were successful in getting their offer accepted on unit #115. For a complete list of all the activity click here: Kiahuna Plantation Current Market Analysis
Lala Clean Up As Moke Passes By
Most of our news has been centered on last weeks impacts of Hurricane Lala and the recovery efforts. On our island it’s been cleaning up after some downed trees and getting power back on, what we are dealing with is minimal in comparison to the Big Island.
The Big Island got 66% of the States 11.4 inches of total rainfall, that is equivalent to 1.2 million pools dumped on just that island in a short amount of time. 200K residents were without power as winds got up to 80 mph. One of the saddest sights was a Big Island graveyard in Na’Alehu that got hit with a torrent of water that washed away headstones, caskets and remains.
Maui and Oahu felt the impact as well but not to the degree that the Big Island did. Our islands are banding together in their recovery efforts.
This last weekend all eyes were on tropical depression Moke who was hot on the heals of Lala. Fortunately, it passed 843 southwest of the Big Island which got very little rain and 35 mph winds.
On Kauai we’ve had some very light rain, no impacts from Moke but it has been extremely hot and humid.
Poipu Road Mobility Project Update
Loving the lava rock finish that they did on the walls by the East Entrance to the Kiahuna Plantation. The sidewalks are wide and, despite the weather, the crews have been working non-stop. I have a Buyer who is buying a property here in Poipu who said something interesting; he thinks that Poipu Beach is going to have a lovely high-end look to it when the sidewalks are in and the landscaping is complete. From an investment standpoint this work is adding to property values on Kauai.
Doors Off Sightseeing Company Sued
A “doors-off” helicopter company that was involved in a crash off the Napali Coast last March is being sued.
On March 26th the doors off helicopter was on its sixth and final flight for the day. As they were coming up to Kalalau Beach the aircraft “started an uncommanded right yaw” which the pilot could not control, the aircraft started vibrating at a high frequency and spinning. The pilot did an auto rotation which stopped the spinning but also sent the helicopter into the ocean. Fortunately, it was near enough to shore where the people that were on the beach could assist.
There were five people on board including the pilot who survived along with one other passenger. A male visitor from the Ukraine was killed along with Patrick Haskell and Margaret Rimmler both from Massachusetts. Both Patrick and Margaret died as a result of drowning instead of from the impact of the crash the lawsuit alleges.
Passengers on these “doors-off” helicopters need to be strapped in tight enough so they don’t fall out. The lawsuit is stating that they were not briefed on how to release themselves from being strapped in and subsequently died by drowning.
The families of Patrick Haskell and Margaret Rimmler are represented by a law firm that was successful in a 2024 Kauai tour helicopter crash that killed three, and were awarded $116 million in a New York door-off helicopter crash as well as the $100 million judgement for the crash that killed Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna in California.
Your First Showing Doesn't Happen At The Open House
Your first showing doesn’t happen at the open house. It happens online—and that’s where your marketing needs to be at its best. Thirty years ago, buyers discovered homes through newspaper ads, yard signs, real estate offices and open houses. Today, nearly every buyer has already seen a property online before walking through the front door. For vacation rental properties on Kauai, that’s especially true. Buyers often spend weeks or months researching online before boarding a plane. By the time they arrive with a short list of properties to see, they’re pretty serious.
In 1995, only 2% of buyers used the internet to search for homes. Today, approximately 95% to 97% do.
And they’re doing more than looking at photos. Buyers are studying floor plans, tax records, maps, videos, competing listings and increasingly using AI to research properties and neighborhoods.
The open house hasn’t disappeared, but its role has changed. Buyers are deciding which properties make the cut long before they arrive.
