New-ish Waialae Iki home

People are always looking to live on hillsides like Waialae Iki, so I was surprised to find a newly built home there that has sat unoccupied for three years. Why would anyone leave it vacant?

As it turns out, a speculator/developer bought this 9,298-square-foot lot on Halakau St. in 2007 and finished the 3,644-square-foot, three-story home in January 2009. The current owner bought the property in March 2010, hoping to convince her son to come home from California and help run the family business. Believe it or not, even the prospect of a nice, new Waialae Iki home couldn’t bring him back to Hawaii, so the home has been empty since then.

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom residence is located at the end of the cul-de-sac almost at the highest point of the gated Waialae Iki V community, which results in panoramic views of the ocean, the coastline, Diamond Head and Waikiki. To help residents enjoy the view, the home has extensive decking areas around it. The position and design allows cooling from trade winds, but faces away from the harsher, colder East winds.

The exterior is built with steel frame, stucco exterior and Japanese tile roof, while the interior features hard wood flooring in the first-level living area and high-grade carpeting in all the upper level bedrooms. The kitchen is equipped with hardwood cabinets, granite counter tops, marble flooring and KitchenAid appliances.

The home also has a three-car garage and a 550-square-foot playroom, which can be used for exercise or office space. (Click here for more details.)

I don’t know about you, but I’d live in it if my parents bought it for me.

Money talk: $1,628,000 fee simple
Contact: Jim Mao, Prudential Advantage Realty, 808-382-0252, jimm@pruhi.com