Retirees from the mainland like Larry and Shammy Dingus, shown here at their Lahilahi Point beach house, are finding bargains and moving to homes along the Waianae Coast.
Changing the face
of WaianaeMainland buyers are injecting a
new element into Oahu's west side
The Makaha surf shooshes gently in the background as Shammy Dingus unrolls a poster with the hand-written words: "I have arrived. I am home."
"This is going up on the wall because we're here to stay," the retired Californian says of her $720,000 Lahilahi Point beach house.
When she and husband Larry, both retired software executives, purchased the home in December, they had heard of Waianae's "locals only" reputation. But all they could see was a laid-back rural community perfect for whiling away their golden years.
"We love it here," Shammy says. "But people still ask us, 'Waianae? You bought a house out there?' "
For a growing number of malihini, the answer is yes.
Real estate in the largely native Hawaiian enclave remains a bargain compared to the booming prices elsewhere on Oahu due to Waianae's remoteness, an image of unfriendliness to outsiders, and lingering concerns about resale value, real estate brokers say.
But for many mainland buyers, the price is right. Unburdened by local preconceptions of Waianae, and enticed by its stark beauty, many are jumping at the chance to buy a Hawaii dream home that won't wipe them out financially.
"They're punching up the lowest prices (on the Internet) and that usually means Waianae," says Michael Hitzeman, a broker with Sugar Kane Realty.
Hitzeman and other Realtors who specialize in the area say about 75 percent of their clients hail from the mainland, many pure investors but a nearly equal number seeking a permanent or second home.
"They don't know Waianae from Waialae, but you know what? Once they get out here and see what they can get for their money, they don't care," Hitzeman says.
Typically, they are Californians who benefited handsomely from the 1990s boom in real estate and stock prices. Often, they are retirees for whom Waianae's schools and commuting to town are non-issues.
Such buyers primarily opt for the Makaha Valley area or the handful of shoreside residential pockets that dot the coast, drawn by beachfront homes that would cost millions elsewhere in the islands.
"We decided that if we were going to buy anything in Hawaii we wanted it to be on the beach and the only place affordable was Waianae," says Patty Ochi, a Los Angeles resident who liked the prices so much that she and her dentist husband Ken bought two vacant lots as well as a Maile Point home that once belonged to actor Richard Chamberlain.
Those with less to spend are purchasing condos or Waianae's relatively abundant vacant land and plan to build.
When Texans Cannon and Penny Paff decided to relocate his estate planning business to the islands, they looked "everywhere except Waianae because of the reputation," Penny says.
Then they saw a magazine ad for condominiums in the 30-year-old Makaha Valley Plantations selling for under $100,000, far below the median Oahu condo price of around $180,000 at the time.
"It looked beautiful. I thought 'Is this a misprint?' " Penny says.
They purchased a 2-bedroom unit in December for $90,000 -- a fraction of the price of a condo in Hawaii Kai, where their search had focused -- and plan to spend the money they saved on a sailboat.
Such financial considerations often trump any concern about Waianae's reputation for crime and drug abuse.
"Like any community, there are certain things you don't do, like going up to a group of men in their 20s who are drinking on the beach," says Larry Dingus.
Kristina Krich, a University of Hawaii employee from southern California, bought a home near Maile Point two years ago. Shortly after, her car window was smashed and her stereo stolen. She now leaves her windows open.
"That could happen anywhere. But it's worse where I come from. At least there are no drive-by shootings here," she says.
Several newcomers to Waianae say the anti-haole image is largely urban myth perpetuated by residents to protect the area.
"I think there's a lot of self-interest in that image," says Larry Dingus. "They don't want it to be 'Californicated.' It's a perception I'm happy to help keep alive."
Krich says newcomers who make the effort to get involved will find a gentle and loving community, but she's worried too many outsiders could change that.
"This is one of the last areas that's not overdeveloped. I'd hate to see it spoiled and prices driven up," she says.
Prices are indeed on the rise as the real estate boom seeps into previously sheltered corners of the islands, brokers say. Waianae beachfront homes that changed hands for $300,000 to $500,000 in the late 1990s are now offered at well over a $1 million. Condos that sold for $90,000 just in December are now listing at closer to $120,000.
"Lots of Waianae folks are on low incomes or retirement pensions and higher prices will make it real tough for them to buy a home," says Albert Silva, a Waianae Neighborhood Board member.
Larry Arinaga, head of the Leeward branch of real estate brokers Coldwell Banker Pacific, said further price growth is inevitable.
"You've got Kapolei and Ko Olina developing just down the road and that will bring more people and more jobs," he said.
Developers are taking notice. Quality Homes of Oahu said on Friday the company plans to build up to 80 homes on a 13.5-acre parcel adjacent to the Makaha Golf Course to take advantage of growing demand in the area.
Schuler Homes, meanwhile, is forging ahead with plans for its Sea Country project in Maili. The company had put the 900-home project on hold in 1997 but ramped up again in 2000 as the market blossomed. The recently finished first two phases were snapped up so fast by mostly local buyers that the company is going to a lottery system for the next sales round this summer.
Silva, who says his Hawaiian antecedents have lived in Waianae for centuries, believes the mainland newcomers will ultimately have a positive impact. He says a growing number of them are showing up at neighborhood board meetings and getting involved in community affairs.
"Waianae people usually just sit back and trust that things will come out right and you don't get much participation. But these mainland folks stand up and fight for things. It's good. They make people think positive change is possible," he says.
Shammy Dingus has already identified a pet project: She plans to form a group of citizens concerned about the high fatality rate on Farrington Highway. But there's a limit to how 'local' she'll go.
"I don't think it would be a good idea if I tried to speak pidgin," she said.
