Start your house hunt off on the right foot with realtor John Stallings’ Pedal Buy Bike Tours of Kailua. The two-hour tours will have you searching for homes from the seat of a Schwinn, an economical, environmentally friendly and good-for-your-waistline approach to shopping for real estate. It’s also, quite simply, a lovely way to see one of the most beautiful corners of the island.

Perhaps the third time is the charm for this Kailua beachfront estate, which recently had its third price drop. The nearly 8,000-plus-sq.-ft., Kailua residence designed by architect Peter Vincent was originally listed at $21 million, reduced to $14.8 million and has now settled in at a little less than $13 million.

It’s Friday, which means the weekend’s open houses are upon us. Of the 384 opens listed on www.hicentral.com, this oceanfront six-bedroom, five-bath Kaimalino-neighborhood residence caught my eye. I guess you could say I’m a sucker for an ocean view, and this house has that in spades, as well as views of Kailua Beach, the Mokulua Islands and the Koolau Mountain range.

Forget the sun umbrellas and coolers--the best time of the day to enjoy the beach, this Kailua-based writer suggests, is before dawn.

The heart of Kailua may not be on land at all, but in the ocean, where generations of Kailuans have found adventure, recreation, even comfort.