Real Estate
Council committee to hear vacation rental bill
A cyclist rides past a vacation rental on Alii Drive in January. (Laura Shimabuku/West Hawaii Today) It’s now the public’s turn to weigh in on the vacation rental issue. A measure first broached publicly in November, which then made its way through the Board of Ethics to clear a conflict of interest concern, will be […]
Real Estate
Choice Hotels Expands Vacation Rental Offering
In addition to increasing its existing presence in key vacation markets, such as Orlando, Fla., Myrtle Beach, S.C and the Florida Gulf Coast, the brand added accommodations in several new destinations, including Lake Tahoe, Calif., Outer Banks, N.C., Gatlinburg, Tenn., Maui, Hawaii, and multiple destinations in the Colorado Rockies. "Choice Hotels understands the importance of […]
Real Estate
Here’s How You Can Rent One of Hawaii’s Most Famous Surf Shacks
Courtesy of Volcom Hawaii is already a vacationer’s paradise thanks to the state’s endless beaches, hikes, sightseeing, and rich culture, but if you’re going to the Aloha State as a family or group there’s only one way to do it right: renting a super sweet, and uber-famous, beach-front surf shack. OK, so the Volcom House […]
Real Estate
Hawaii Supreme Court considers tax appeal by travel firms
HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Supreme Court will decide whether online travel companies are required to pay general excise taxes for car rentals they sell in the state. The travel companies are appealing a 2016 state court ruling that required the companies to pay the tax, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Friday. Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity […]
Real Estate
In Hawaii, 1 of every 24 homes is a vacation rental
When most Americans think of west coast cities with a soaring cost of living, they often picture Seattle, LA, and San Francisco. But Honolulu, with limited real estate, a huge tourist business, and a median home price of $760,600, is arguably in the same league, price-wise. According to a new report, the vacation destination also […]
Real Estate
How Short-Term Rentals Impact Home Inventory
A recent WalletHub study found that Hawaii was the state with the lowest effective tax rate at 0.27 percent, but that isn’t helping when it comes to maintaining an affordable housing stock in the Aloha State. Most of the country is currently experiencing a mix of increasing home prices and decreasing inventory, especially for lower-income […]
Real Estate
A significant chunk of Hawaii’s houses are used as vacation rentals, report says
A new report found that more and more Hawaiian homes are being converted into vacation rentals, raising questions about the permissibility of the practice in the state. The report, by the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, finds that 1 in 24 homes in Hawaii — or just over 4 percent — are […]
Real Estate
Study highlights by just how much demand for affordable rentals outpaces supply
(Image: Hawaii News Now/File) HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – For every 100 renter households in Hawaii living in poverty, there are just 35 affordable rentals. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Meanwhile, the study says that there are just 79 affordable units available for every 100 renter households at […]
Real Estate
Council seeks vacation rental balance
A cyclist rides past a vacation rental on Alii Drive. (Laura Ruminksi, file/West Hawaii Today) HILO — County Council members are calling for a balance that would allow revenue-generating vacation rentals in some areas, while keeping them from consuming neighborhoods in others. The council Finance Committee heard a 90-minute presentation from computer analyst Stefan Buchta, […]
Real Estate
Car rental facility moves closer to its May 2019 completion date
The $340 million consolidated rental car building is beginning to show some finishing touches Friday. The structure should be completed by the end of the year, then car rental companies will have four to six months to prepare their spaces for the projected May 2019 opening. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo The […]