Kauai Real Estate Update- Last week we had 28 listings come on the market but 7 of those went under contract inside of one week giving us only 21 new listings. For a list of what Sold, was Just Listed and the properties that went Under Contract on the island click here; Kauai Real Estate Update March 3 to 9, 2025
Poipu Beach Real Estate- Under Contract | Regency #611 $975,000 (FS)
I represented the Buyers who got their offer accepted on Regency Poipu Kai #611 which is a 2/2 in phase Two which are newer, have central AC and higher end finishes. The price is really good but there is a reason for that which I knew about; buildings 6 through 9 are going to have their roofs replaced starting in April and it could take up to 3 months to finish this. If a buyer can withstand the three-month shut down there is built in equity to be had. To see that listing click here; Regency Poipu Kai Unit #611
For a complete list of all the Fee Simple activity in Poipu since January click here; Poipu Beach Current Market Analysis
For the Kiahuna Plantation click here; Kiahuna Plantation Current Market Analysis
Kauai Electric Renewable Energy Plan Accelerated
Our state has one of the highest electric rates in the country and, while we don’t use the amount of electricity that other states do, the high cost is a burden. To help change that Governor Josh Green signed an Executive Order which includes;
- Accelerating renewable development for neighbor island communities to hit 100% renewable portfolio standards from 2045 to 2035
- Setting a statewide goal of 50,000 distributed renewable energy installations (such as rooftop solar and battery systems) by 2030
This order accelerates permitting of renewable developments by way of cutting through the “red tape” to help the outer islands get to 100% renewable energy 10 years sooner. Governor Green said; “Hawaiʻi needs to take some drastic steps to reduce energy costs, which have continued to rise and have contributed to the high cost of living for our people. We know that high energy costs in Hawaiʻi are due to our reliance on burning oil for electricity and old infrastructure, which is really unacceptable. We can and must do more to get this under control.”
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) is at 60% of our electricity coming from renewables and our rates are between 33 and 39 cents. This all depending on the sun shining and major winds not blowing.
South Korean Air To Enter Hawaiian Market
“Jeju Air” was founded in 2017 and is a low cost airline carrier that currently has three U.S. destinations; San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
With the anticipated deliveries of new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners Jeju Air is looking to expand itself to the Honolulu market this June but this timeline could be impacted should the delivery of the planes get delayed.
Currently Hawaiian Air, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines (which was bought by Korean Air) there are three airlines flying from Incheon in South Korea to Honolulu.
In related news; Alaska Air plans to use Hawaiian widebody aircraft between Seattle and Seoul Incheon this fall (“Seoul Incheon” being a different airport in the metropolitan area of Incheon.)
Hawaii Direct Rental Occupancy Rates
So how did direct rentals do in 2025 compared to 2024? A Hawaii vacation rental is defined as “the use of a rental house, condominium unit, private room in a private home, or shared room/space in a private home” and the data collected is from VRBO, Airbnb, Booking.com, TripAdvisor by the company “Lighthouse Intelligence, Ltd.”
Getting this data would be interesting given the huge pushback the state has done on illegal vacation rentals, mostly on the other islands than Kauai. If properties are illegally being rented out this data may, or may not, be counted. While the numbers fall short of the pre-pandemic 2019 ones, the rates are above last year.
Here are the numbers comparing 2025 to 2024;
🏝️ Kauai
Occupancy
53.8% in 2025
53.1% in 2024 0.7% Increase
Average Daily Rate
$423.63 in 2025
$399.50 in 2024 6% Increase
🏝️ Oahu
Occupancy
60.5% in 2025
60.3% in 2024 0.3% Increase
Average Daily Rate
$295.60 in 2025
$262.91 in 2024 12.4% Increase
🏝️ Maui
Occupancy
60.2% in 2025
61.8% in 2024 -1.6% Decrease
Average Daily Rate
$473.98 in 2025
$426.15 in 2024 11.2% Increase
🏝️ Big Island
Occupancy
59.2% in 2025
58.7% in 2024 0.5% Increase
Average Daily Rate
$297.85 in 2025
$263.52 in 2024 13% Increase
