Kauai Real Estate and Local News April 21
Aloha from Kauai! Last weeks news events were wide ranging as you will find. A cocker spaniel rescue from Fanning Island, Superferry breaking news, tragedy at Kalapkai beach and more. We’ll start with the real estate news:
Closed transactions have been keeping steady these past months and this week it went up by 1/4 as evidenced by the excel spreadsheet that I have attached. We are getting back to normal with most of the “spring breakers” back in school and the island remains busy with couples traveling. We will see it stay this way until mid June. For a full excel spreadsheet on last weeks activity CLICK HERE
*****Snickers the Cocker Spaniel Rescued At Sea*****
Now here’s a story that just makes you feel good. Snickers story began when his owners catamaran developed mast problems and drifted 200 yards to Fanning Island where it hit a reef and the couple swam 200 yards to shore carrying their 5 month old Cocker Spaniel, Snickers, and their Macaw Gulliver. A cargo ship rescued the pair but they were forced to leave the pup and bird behind since it was not allowed to carry animals on board. The couple returned to their home and moved on with their lives and left the memory of Snickers and Gulliver behind. A Las Vegas pet lover, Jack Joslin, read the story and financed a rescue mission that involved the Hawaii Humane Society, Hawaiian Airlines and NCL cruise lines. But the mission proved to not be as costly as he thought it would be as Hawaiian Airlines will fly Snickers to Vegas for free and the Hawaii Humane Society donated it’s animal carriers and services. Snickers has been in Honolulu quarantine and is set to fly to his new Las Vegas owner this next week. Paperwork problems prevented Gulliver from making the trip but bird lovers have gotten involved in a elaborate plan to move Gulliver to Christmas island where he can be transported back to the states. “Snickers is going to live with me for a long time,” Joslin said “and we’re trying like hell to get the bird back here.” Fanning island is one of 33 coral atolls that make up the remote island of nation of Kiribati.
*****State Had CAVED into Superferry Demands Auditors Find*****
Last we left the superferry the courts had ordered the State to audit itself on how the Superferry was allowed to bypass the Independent Environmental Study before setting sail. Operations of the Superferry have been suspended here in Kauai after an all out protest in Nawiliwili Harbor last year. State auditor Marion Higa released the first part of her study on Thursday which revealed that the Superferry CEO John Garibaldi gave the state a June 30, 2005 deadline to waive the Environmental Study or he was not going to do business in the State of Hawaii. Garibaldi states that he had to give the State the deadline as he needed the waiver to get the loan for building the new mode of transportation. But contrarily Marion Higa finds out from the Maritine Association that the loan was good until January of 2006 and that it was the Superferry that forced the hand of the State by setting a six month earlier deadline. The auditor continues to gather information for a second report to be released later.
*****Hawaii The Most Expensive State For Renters*****
The National Low Income Housing Coalition named Hawaii the highest in the nation for rentals with an average of $1,509 a month for a two bedroom apartment. What island had the most expensive rent? Oahu came in number 1 and Hawaii had the lowest rent at $1000 for a 2 bedroom apartment. Rent has gone in up 70% in Hawaii since the year 2000. Hawaii was followed by California, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey for the highest rents in the USA.
*****Vacation Rentals on Ag Land Being Questioned*****
The Kauai Council is requesting a legal opinion on vacation rentals on ag land. Currently vacation rentals are not allowed on land that is zoned agricultural but it these types of vacation rentals are known to exist. An example was cited by County Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura: a 10,000 square foot vacation mansion with a few fruit trees and a couple of horses could mask the vacation rental that it is. It is feared that this type of misuse of ag land would drive up prices on agricultural land and making it not affordable to farmers. This issue was hammered out during a meeting on April 4th and it was determined that legal investigation is needed.
*****Man Drowns Off Kalapaki Beach and Rescue of Swimmer at Kiahuna Beach*****
A 30 year old United Airlines flight attendent was pulled from Kalapaki Beach on Saturday. His coworkers had lost sight of him swimming in the water and went searching for him and after having no luck they alerted the Marriott emlployees. They got to the beach right away to find that tourists had pulled the cyanotic man out of the water. He was taken to Wilcox and was pronounced dead.
On the same day, around 2 pm, rescuers responded to a boogie boarder who had lost his board some 70 yards off shore in front of the Kiahuna Plantation. South Shore waves were rolling in at 8 to 10 feet. People on the beach had seen his distress signal and alerted Kiahuna security who called 911. Medics checked him out and he was released on site.