Big space, lower price in Punchbowl

I’m always intrigued to see renovations of units in older buildings, more so if I know what the place looked like before. When I got a call about this listing in Royal Vista, I was particularly interested.

You see, Royal Vista is 42 years old. I remember it as a building that was pretty design-forward when my sister lived there in the 1970s, especially for the Punchbowl area. At the time, because it was such a cool condo, I kind of thought it would be my dream home when I grew up. Over time, with newer, larger, more stylish buildings popping up all over metro Honolulu, Royal Vista kind of faded into the mountainside, but it is still a very unique condo with a nice vantage point.

Unit 508D has been renovated and upgraded over time, so you can’t tell that the building is as old as it is. It’s got 1,505 square feet of living area, which includes the enclosed lanai. It’s huge for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit because it was converted from three bedrooms, so it’s almost like having two master suites. The newer master bedroom has a walk-in closet, though.

The master bath has a stand-alone shower, double sinks, and an area for a small TV to plug in above the Jacuzzi. (I’m seeing more condos that have TVs in the bathrooms lately. Trend?)

The rest of the unit features a den area, a small nook for a wine bar, and a separate laundry room with a full-sized washer and dryer. Recent upgrades include stone flooring, granite countertops, and cabinets. As you can see from the photos, lots of cabinets.

Since it’s on the side of the hill, you get an ocean view. The unit comes with two parking spaces, which is a plus. (Click here for more details.)

The owner recently reduced the price by $50,000 to $515,000 fee simple, which makes it $342.19 per square foot—the lowest price per square foot in the building. The last sale was unit 1106 at the same price, but is a much smaller unit at only 907 square feet with a 165-square-foot lanai. If you want to see it for yourself, it will be open this Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.

Money talk: $515,000 fee simple
Contact: Iku Honda, Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, 808-226-2790, IkuH@cbpacific.com