Homes on parade he Parade of Homes, which is celebrating its 45th run, is the yearly showcase for architects, interior designers, landscapers and builders to debut their newest and grandest projects.
22 Oahu and Maui properties aim
to make the Herculean
production effort pay offEveryone loves a parade
By Suzanne Tswei
stswei@starbulletin.comFor real estate sales manager Cicely George, the Parade of Homes is a marathon event requiring the pageantry of the Academy of Awards and the athletic stamina of the Super Bowl.
And it's all coming down to the wire.
The parade begins tomorrow and runs through next weekend, featuring 19 properties on Oahu and three on Maui. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected, and George, as sales manager for Schuler Homes in Hawaii Kai, must make sure the developer's latest project, Kalamaku'u at Kalama Valley, has a perfect unveiling.
"It will be wild, W-I-L-D," says George, who has been through the drill for eight Parade of Homes since she began selling real estate 12 year ago.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and Oct. 13 and 14 at sites listed on Page D-4. 2001 Parade of Homes
Where: 22 properties, 19 on Oahu and three on Maui.
More information:, Brochure was mailed to homes via Midweek, and will be available at Bank of Hawaii, the Home Depot, Hardware Hawaii, Furnitureland / Z Interiors and Wayne's Flooring America; and on Maui at Bank of Hawaii, mortgage lenders, the Home Depot and Wayne's Carpet and Tile; and at the model sites.
At the moment, she is grabbing the corner of her shirt to wipe away fingerprints a worker left, inadvertently, on a shower door in one of the model homes.
"It's a good thing we dress casual in Hawaii. It wouldn't work if we had to wear suits," says George, who's wearing a washable ankle-length, tropical-print blue dress and a matching shirt. Such attire, she adds, comes in handy as cleaning towels.
Nevertheless she's making a mental note out loud that she needs to instruct the cleaning crew to give all the mirrors and other reflective surfaces one last look.
She's reminding herself that she also needs someone to mop up dog-paw prints that appeared overnight on the front porch of the model home. She's grateful there are only paw prints and nothing more.
"It's crazy around here. The construction guys are trying to get the construction ready, the landscapers are trying to get the landscaping ready, the decorators are trying to get the decorating ready, the sales people are trying to get ... well ... everything they need ready.
"And we are ALL cleaners. We have to get it all spic and span. Everything must be all clean and beautiful for the public," George says.
As usual, it will be a mad scramble up to the last minute to make sure no detail is left unattended. The large signs and colorful balloons must be festooned in place. The steady breezes through Kalama valley aren't helping.
The sales staff must be well briefed. The brochures, business cards and other paperwork must be handy and well displayed.The hosts, extra greeters hired especially for the onslaught of parade visitors, must be trained and properly attired. They must be wearing their green pullover shirts with Schuler emblems and name tags.
Just to name a few things on George's check list.
"The public doesn't see what goes on behind the scene. There are a million last-minute finishing touches," says George, better known as "Cis," as her office phone and cell phone go off simultaneously. Over and over again.
Her strategy is to deal with one thing at a time, as long as everything gets done in time for tomorrow's opening. By then she needs to switch gears and focus on potential sales.
"We have to be friendly at all times. Everybody has to be on their best performance to greet the public," says George, who's prepared to work long hours. The parade runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and she needs to come in early and stay late, with no breaks in between. "Your inner strength just comes out," she says.
George has picked out aloha wear that can double as cleaning cloth for both weekends. And she's got matching shoes that she's willing to sacrifice to the muddy construction site."People don't know this but we ruin a lot of shoes. We not only show people the model homes but we have to walk out there to all that construction to show them sites sometimes," she says.
What the public will notice are enticing homes, professionally decorated and landscaped, featuring state-of-the-art construction techniques, well-appointed interiors and colorful landscaping.
This year, as in previous years, the showcase properties reflect a competitive new housing market driven by consumer likes and dislikes. The properties range from luxury homes on the waterfront in Hawaii Kai, to affordable single-family homes and townhouses, to rent-to-own housing project and elderly renter project for Native Hawaiians.
"Overall, the entries all look good. I think the public will be enthused about what they see," says Linda Marn, president of the Hawaii Association of Realtors and a judge for the Parade of Homes.
Marn says the one common feature in the new properties is central air conditioning, which may please the consumers but displease critics advocating better designs to maximize Hawaii's tradewinds.
"What we are seeing are features that the builders are putting in to respond to the marketplace. In the end, the consumers are the ones who are directing what goes into the homes," Marn says.
Alan Nemiroff, architect and also a parade judge, says the competitive nature of the building industry results in better value for the home buyer.
Among the standout features he's noticed this year: 9-foot-high ceilings and durable manmade building materials for siding and roofing. The latest materials help insulate the homes from heat, but also tend to make homes look alike.Randy Lau, a contractor and a parade judge, applauds the builders for using the latest building materials, which are forest friendly and more energy efficient. They also will lower the cost of maintenance and prolong the life of the home, Lau says.
Tom Ohashi, a real estate finance executive and a parade judge, says he saw more amenities in the homes and attractive financing packages.
Another judge, Michael Chun, a real estate appraiser, says he saw more appealing designs aiming to promote island living style. Many properties have allowed home owners the flexibility to turn an extra room into a bedroom, office, den or family room.
Landscape architect Janet Gillmar, also a parade judge, says she's encouraged to see good garden designs and improvements in street landscaping.
Some properties have allowed more room for tree plantings and extra alleyways for local traffic, which create friendly streets for people to walk and spend more time in common outdoor areas.
The parade entries are judged on criteria including visual appearance, quality, workmanship, practicality, flexibility, aesthetics and value. The winners will be announced in a banquet tonight.
Everyone loves a parade
Here is the list of locations for the
Parade of Homes:OAHU
Single-family detachedDivision VI $599,001 to $999,000
1. Stanford Carr Development, The Peninsula at Hawaii Kai, "Executive Residence Plan 1." To get there, travel east on Kalanianaole Highway to Hawaii Kai. Turn left at Lunalilo Home Road. Turn left onto Wailua Street. Turn left, following signs.
Division V $499,000 to $599,000
2. Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii Inc., "The Legacy -- Residence 6." At 95-934 Kuaoa St., Mililani. Take H-2 to Mililani Mauka exit 5-A. Take right to Meheula Parkway. Turn left at Kuaoa.
3. Stanford Carr Development, The Peninsula at Hawaii Kai, "Carriageways Plan 2." Directions above.
4. Schuler Homes Hawaii Inc. "Kalamaku'u at Kalama Valley, The Mele." At 1181-B Mokuhano St. Travel east on Kalanianaole Highway to Hawaii Kai. Turn left at Lunalilo Home Road. Turn right onto Hawaii Kai Drive. Turn left onto Kealahou Street and right onto Mokuhano Street.
Division IV $399,001 to $499,000
5. Castle & Cooke Kunia Inc., "The Pointe at Royal Kunia -- Plan D." At 94-1018 Kapehu St. Take H-1 to Kunia exit 5-B. Turn right on Anonui Street. Turn left following signs.
6. Schuler Homes Hawaii Inc. "Starsedge -- The Star Nine." At 92-6006 Makeke St., Kapolei. Take the Makakilo exit off H-1 and turn right onto Makakilo Drive. Continue up that road and turn left on Palahia Street before turning onto Makeke.
Division III $299,001 to $399,000
7. Castle & Cooke Kunia Inc., "Gallery Homes at Royal Kunia -- Exhibit 3." At 94-150 Mawaho St. Take H-1 to Kunia exit 5-B. Turn mauka. Turn right at Kupuna Loop. Turn left at Kupuohi Street. Follow signs.
8. Gentry Homes Ltd. "Sonoma -- Kenwood, Plan 2." At 91-1033 Kanoha St., Ewa Beach. Take H-1 exit (Ewa) westbound or Waipahu exit eastbound. Proceed on Fort Weaver Road, approximately 3.5 miles. Turn left on Iroquois Point road, right on Keaunui Drive and right on Noelo Street.
9. Haseko Homes Inc., "Ocean Pointe -- Ke Aina Kai Islands, Plan 5A." At 91-1064 Kaipu St., Ewa Beach. From H-1 westbound, take Ewa exit or Waipahu exit eastbound. Proceed makai on Fort Weaver Road, approximately 4.5 miles. Turn right on Keoneula Boulevard.
Division II $199,001 to $299,000
10. Gentry Homes Ltd. "Terraza -- Naples, Plan 4." At 91-138 Makalea Circle, Ewa Beach. Take H-1 exit (Ewa) westbound or Waipahu exit eastbound. Go on Fort Weaver Road, about 3.5 miles. Turn left on Iroquois Point road, right on Keaunui Drive.
11. Waihuna Joint Venture, "Woodcreek -- Milo." At 95-1000 Wikao St., Mililani. From H-2 northbound, take Mililani Tech Park exit 7. Turn right, take first right onto Wikao Street.
Division I up to $199,000
12. Mark Development Inc., "Kapolei Ho'olimalima -- Model C." At 91-1058 Kuipuakukui St. Take H-1 to Makakilo/Kapolei exit. Go makai on Makakilo Drive / Barbers Point NAS road. Take left onto Kapolei Parkway, left onto Kamaaha Avenue, left onto Kaiau Avenue (entry into Iwalani). Pass bisecting parkway, take right onto Ko Anima Kani Street, left onto Kuipuakukui Street to fourth house on right.
Multifamily / townhouse
Division V $399,001 to $599,000
13. Brookfield Homes, "The Coconut Plantation at Ko Olina Resort -- Tuberose Cottage 2." At 92-1070 Olani St., Kapolei. Take H-1 west to Ko Olina exit. Continue past resort entry gates. Turn left on Olani.
14. Stanford Carr Development, The Peninsula at Hawaii Kai, "The Cottages Plan 6." Directions above.
Division IV $299,001 to $399,000
15. Brookfield Homes, "The Coconut Plantation at Ko Olina Resort -- Moonflower, Villa 2." Directions above.
Division II $149,001 to $224,000
16. Haseko Homes Inc., "Ocean Pointe -- Mariners Place at Ocean Pointe, Plan M3." Directions above.
Custom unfurnished single-family detached
Division VI $599,001 to $999,000
17. Homeworks Construction Inc., "Ka Hale'olu -- Ushijima Residence." At 1104 Ikena Circle, Hawaii Loa Ridge. From Kalanianaole Highway, turn onto Puuikena Drive. Stop at guard shack. Continue to end of drive, turn left onto Ikena Circle. Home is on the left.
Division IV $399,001 to $499,000
18. Armstrong Builders Ltd., "Golf Club Estates at Waikele -- Hale Punana." At 94-1121 Nawele St. Take H-1 westbound, exit at Waipahu offramp. From right lane, turn right onto Kamehameha Highway. Turn left at Lumiauau Street at second traffic light, and left on Nawele. House is on right before cul-de-sac.
Noncompetitive, multifamily / townhouse
19. Pacific Housing Assistance Corp., "Waimanalo Kupuna Housing -- Model D." At 41-209 Ilauhole St. From H-1 Honolulu, take Pali exit. Drive to Castle Junction. Turn right onto Kalanianaole Highway and drive five miles through Waiman-alo. Turn right on Ilauhole Street mauka of Waimanalo Beach Park, and make a right at first driveway.
MAUI
Single-family detachedDivision IV $399,000 to $499,000
20. Schuler Homes Hawaii Inc. "The Island at Maui Lani -- The Symphony G." At 4 Pu'ualoha Pl., Kahului. From Kaahumanu Avenue, head toward Wailuku. Turn left on Maui Lani Parkway, across from Baldwin High.
21. Towne Brown LLC, "Ke Ali'i Kai -- Maui Sea." At 2300 Kanakanui Rd., Kihei. From Piilani Highway, take Ke Alii Alanui West. Turn right on Kanakanui Road.
Custom unfurnished single-family detached
Division III $299,001 to $399,000
22. Graham Builders Maui Inc., "Maui Lani -- Sakuma Residence." At 30 Huluhulu St., Kahului, Grand Fairways at Maui Lani Phase 4.
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