Aloha!
This month’s Hawaii Damon Newsletter will showcase the Ward Village curated and developed by the Howard Hughes Corporation. In the Hawaii Damon March Newsletter issue I covered the pluses and minuses of living in a condo vs a single family home. Both have their own unique advantages and benefits and, either way, in Hawaii and on Oahu, average appreciation rates for homes and condos respectively have been 4.6% and 4.5% per annum for the last 30 years. For example, a condo purchased on Oahu in 1987 for $150,000 at the average per annum appreciation rate of 4.5% would translate to an investment worth $561,197 today. There is no guarantee Real Estate in Hawaii will continue to appreciate at this same rate along with no reason why it would not. However, if it did, a median priced $425,000 condo today (see July 2017 Stats) would be worth $1,591,760 in 2047 (Renters, please take notice!) With condos and in particular new project developments in mind, I have dedicated the entire main article of this month’s Hawaii Damon newsletter to what the Architectural Digest has declared the “Best-Planned Community in the U.S.” It’s in Hawaii! And, if you are reading this Newsletter you are blessed with good fortune since you are either living here in paradise already, thinking about moving here or making an investment here. How lucky we are!
Ward Village consists of – so far – 6 unique building projects of which 1 (Gateway) will consist of two towers. The Village will cover 60 Acres of coastal property fronted by the Kewalo Basin Harbor and Ala Moana Beach Park. With plentiful shopping, dining and entertainment areas within an easy walk from any of the building projects – and the planned rail, it may not even be necessary to commute anywhere by one’s own car (most all condo units in Ward Village will include one’s own parking stall(s)). In the mood for some beach activities and surf? Just grab your board from your building’s storage area and walk to the Ala Moana beach park. Need to have a meeting? Reserve one of the meeting rooms in your building. Want to have a party/gathering? Invite friends and family over to the pool, BB-Q at your building. Want to exercise and work out? Just walk over to the exercise room. Hungry? A plethora of eating options, again, within walking distance. I think you get the point. It is easy, convenient and just plain smart.
In preparation for writing this article I had the privilege of interviewing one of the Ward Village representatives, Mr Toshi Takei. The culmination of Howard Hughes Corporation’s vision and all the hard work of building the Ward Village has resulted in a lifestyle which Mr Takei described as, “Smart Living for Active People.” This is the basic summation of living a smart life minus all the “busy body” activities gobbling up precious life minutes in the course of our daily lives – usually taken up in the process of getting in one’s car and going somewhere to do something. Furthermore and though some take great pride and joy in maintaining one’s single family abode on the weekends e.g.mowing the lawn etc., others would prefer to spend these minutes of one’s life much differently. If the latter describes you then Ward Village will be your ultimate nirvana.
The following summarily describes each of the 6 building projects and I will provide links to Ward Village’s own website for further information where you can register to get updates. Please make sure to let them know you were referred by me, Damon Rhys and the Hawaii Damon Newsletter. Here is a basic map of the Ward Village:
Note that the 6th building project A’ali’i is not yet on the map but it will be located at 987 Queen St (to the left of Ae’o and behind Gateway Towers on the map). It is rumored that pre-sales will start very soon. The other 5 building projects are in different stages of development with Waiea having been move-in ready from Q4 2016. Here are these beautiful buildings presented in order of their approximate move-in dates starting with Waiea first.
Waiea (click Waiea rendering below for upper floor sunset panoramic view)
Waiea – It means “Water of Life” in the Hawaiian language and was designed by James K.M. Cheng. Waiea houses 174 ultra-luxury 1 to 3 bedroom units ranging from mostly $2M to $5M with upper floor units selling for more. It is also home to the famous Japanese Restaurant Nobu. Move in date was from Q4 2016 and re-sales have also commenced with approximately 20 units on the market as of this writing. Current listings can be found here: Waiea Currrent Listings. Please do not hesitate to contact me, Damon Rhys, for further inquiries regarding units currently on the market. For further reference please find the following links:
Official Ward Village – Waiea Website (includes residence details, floor plans and amenities)
Waiea Currrent Listings
Anaha (click Anaha rendering below for upper floor A unit showroom tour)
Anaha – It means “Reflection of Light” in the Hawaiian language and was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz. Anaha houses 317 super-luxury 1 to 3 bedroom units ranging from mostly $2M to $3M plus with upper floor units selling for more (As of this writing there are 1 bedroom units currently on the market for just under $1M). It will also be home to Merriman’s Moku Kitchen. Move-in date is from Q4 2017 and re-sales have already commenced with approximately 17 units on the market as of this writing. Current listings can be found here: Anaha Currrent Listings. Please do not hesitate to contact me, Damon Rhys, for further inquiries regarding units currently on the market. For further reference please find the following links:
Official Ward Village – Anaha Website (includes residence details, floor plans and amenities)
Anaha Currrent Listings
Ae’o (click Ae’o rendering below for upper floor virtual 360 degree view from B unit)
Ae’o – It is named after the beautiful Hawaiian stilt bird and was designed by Bohlin Cywinski. Ae’o will house 466 smart living 1 to 3 bedroom units moderately priced starting from $800K. It will also be home to Whole Foods Market. Approximate move-in date will be Q4 2018. Please do not hesitate to contact me, Damon Rhys, for further inquiries regarding available pre-sale units and to arrange to meet a Ward Village sales representative. For further reference please find the following links:
Official Ward Village – Ae’o Website (includes residence details and floor plans)
Register for Updates (this is the Ward Village registration site, please choose “Broker Referral” for “How did you hear about us?” question)
Ke Kilohana
Ke Kilohana – It is named after one of Oahu’s highest mountain peaks and adjacent to a 4 acre park hosting performances and events while just a short stroll away from a broad variety of dining, retail stores, art galleries and entertainment. Ke Kilohana will house 424 units of which 375 have been reserved for qualified Hawaii residents. The remaining 49 market units will be moderately priced starting in the $800K range. Approximate move-in date will be Q1 2019. Please do not hesitate to contact me, Damon Rhys, for further inquiries regarding available pre-sale units and to arrange to meet a Ward Village sales representative. For further reference please find the following links:
Official Ward Village – Ke Kilohana Website (includes residence details and floor plans)
Register for Updates (this is the Ward Village registration site, please fill in my name “Damon Rhys” under “Name of Broker”)
Gateway (click Gateway rendering below for a lower floor panoramic view including Kewalo Harbor and Ala Moana Beach Park)
Gateway – It is the symbolic “front seat” and water “gateway” to the Ward Village and was designed by the world renown architect Richard Meier. Glass facades will exquisitely capture the natural light giving unparalleled views of Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean. The Cylinder Tower will house 125 luxurious units ranging from $1.5M to $20M. Move-in date is scheduled from Q4 2019 and pre-sales have commenced already. Please do not hesitate to contact me, Damon Rhys, for further inquiries regarding available pre-sale units and to arrange to meet a Ward Village sales representative. For further reference please find the following links:
Official Ward Village – Gateway Website (includes residence details, floor plans and amenities)
Register for Updates (this is the Ward Village registration site, please choose “Broker Referral” for “How did you hear about us?” question)
A’ali’i
A’ali’i – It is named after the A’ali’i indigenous Hawaiian plant that is known for both its strength by growing in clusters and its beauty. Likewise, the units in this building will be smaller in size (276 to 837 sqf) and probably most moderately priced. However, the lesser square footage will be more than compensated by design and ultra-functional dynamic spaces including murphy beds, modular furniture and fold away tables. A’ali’i will represent the quintessential smart living and active lifestyle where more time is spent outdoors and enjoying the plethora of amenities. Pre-sales are rumored to start very soon so please do not hesitate to contact me, Damon Rhys, for further inquiries regarding up and coming pre-sale units and to arrange to meet a Ward Village sales representative at that time. For further reference please find the following links:
Official Ward Village – A’ali’i Website (includes residence details, floor plans and amenities). Please click on “Register Your Interest” and fill in my name, Damon Rhys, as your broker.
Aerial View of Kewalo Harbor & Ward Village Area in Kaka’ako(click to enlarge)
If an active lifestyle ingrained in smart living sounds appealing to you then Ward Village is definitely for you. Depending on your life stage there are plenty of residence options from the ultra-luxury Gateway Towers to the quintissential smart living in A’ali’i and anywhere in between. For further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me, Damon Rhys.
On a final note to potential first time buyers, I cannot emphasize how important it is to stop paying rent and start building equity. As you can see in the 30 year appreciation example I gave at the beginning of this main article, a small seed of equity in a home/condo can lead to a much greater potential for wealth for you and your family in the future. For tips and advice for both home and condo buyers including video please check out my June Hawaii Damon Newsletter. For Sellers please check out my July Hawaii Damon Newsletter
Aloha!
Damon