Kihei Oceanfront Condo Guide
Kihei is a great area to choose if you want to own an oceanfront condo on Maui. There are more than 6 miles of coastal shoreline in Kihei which include long stretches of beautiful sandy beaches that are considered by visitors and residents alike as some of the best on Maui. When starting your search for a condo in Kihei, it's helpful to know how many communities are oceanfront and to understand why beachfront condos tend to fetch the highest prices. I will address these details in this guide to Kihei oceanfront condos and also provide information about the current state of this special segment of the Maui real estate market.
Why buy an oceanfront condo in Kihei?
Before getting into the specifics of Kihei condos, let's cover a few of the top reasons to why owning an oceanfront condo anywhere on Maui is very appealing. First off, owners and rental guest alike place a high value on having direct beach access from their unit without having to cross any roads. Second, oceanfront condos are more likely to offer deluxe ocean views which is very desirable. Many of my clients also mention one other feature they enjoy: hearing the soothing sounds of the waves lapping at the shoreline.
Now that we've covered the general reasons why Maui oceanfront condos are great, let's explore the specific reasons why owning one in Kihei is preferable.
Price
From a pricing point of view, oceanfront condos in Kihei are often lower in price compared to similar units in West Maui. For example, the 2022 average sales price of a 1 bedroom oceanfront unit in Kihei was $896,236 while the West Maui average was 15% higher at $1,037,064.
Convenience
When trying to decide between investing in South Maui vs West Maui, one factor that often helps tip the balance toward Kihei specifically is drive time to the destination. Since Kihei is just 10 miles away from the airport which means it take only about 15-25 minutes to get to most Kihei condos by car. In contrast, the drive time to get to West Maui averages at least an hour. Overall Kihei's location offers more convenient access to resources on Maui.
How many condos in Kihei are oceanfront?
There are only 25 communities in Kihei which are considered oceanfront. 20 of the complexes have beachfront locations while just 5 other communities are oceanfront with rocky shorelines.
Do all oceanfront condos allow vacation rentals?
Almost all (22 out of 25) of the condominium communities in Kihei fronting the ocean allow short term rentals but there are a few condos where vacation rental activity is restricted or simply not allowed. For example, short term rentals are allowed at Waipuilani but the association has set a polity requiring minimum stays of 30 nights.
What is the average price for an oceanfront condo in Kihei?
As of September 2, 2023 the average list price for an oceanfront unit is $1,488,000 and the median list price is $1,349,000. The average sale price based on the last 12 months was $1,179,232 and the median sales price was $1,099,000. The lowest priced condos can be found in the communities of Waipuilani and Kauhale Makai while the highest priced units are often found at Mana Kai and Royal Mauian.
Updated list of oceanfront condos for sale in Kihei
Here is a recap of the new listings as well as recently price reduced condominiums in Kihei that are oceanfront.
Market Monitor
Here's a list of the latest sales activity for oceanfront condos in Kihei.
Map of Oceanfront condos in Kihei
Below is a custom map showing the locations of all the oceanfront condos in Kihei. You can expand the map to see additional information.
Which oceanfront condos have the largest units?
If you're looking for units in oceanfront condos that have the most living area you should be looking at Maui Sunset, Menehune Shores, Royal Mauian and Luana Kai as all of these complexes have some 3 bedroom units with between 1,268 and 1,392 square feet of living area.
Kihei oceanfront condos that have the most units
Maui Sunset is the oceanfront complex in Kihei that has the most condos with a total of 225 units. There are only 5 other communities that have at least 100 units:
- Sugar Beach Resort has 215 units
- Kauhale Makai has 169 units
- Menehune Shores has 154 units
- Luana Kai has 113 units
- Royal Mauian has 107 units.
Which units are rarely on the market?
There are certain condos which are so highly prized by owners that they only come up for sale once in the blue moon. I've done an analysis of condo sales in Kihei over the last 5 years in comparison to the number of units existing in each complex to come up with a scarcity index for oceanfront condos. Below is a list of the top 5 rarely available communities based on low turnover rate.
- Hale Pau Hana has a total of 80 units in the complex but there have been only 11 units sold in the last 5 years
- Maui Sunset may have the most units but it also has one of the lowest turnover rates with only 42 units sold in the last 5 years
- Kihei Beach - 53 units in complex but only 10 sold in last 5 years
- Hale Hui Kai - 40 units in complex but only 8 sold in last 5 years
- Hale Kai O Kihei - 59 units in complex but only 12 sold in last 5 years
Oceanfront condos with the most turnover
Here's a list of the top 5 condos with high turnover rates in terms of number of sales compared the total number of units in the community. Keep in mind that high turnover does not necessarily reflect the desirability of the units.
- Kauhale Makai has a total of 169 units in the complex and there were 79 units sold there in the last 5 years
- Koa Lagoon - 42 units in complex with 16 sold in the last 5 years
- Luana Kai - 113 units in complex with 39 sold in the last 5 years
- Menehune Shores - 154 units in complex with 48 sold in the last 5 years
- Waipuilani - 42 units in complex with 13 sold in the last 5 years
What is the average age of oceanfront condos in Kihei?
Coastal parcels of land were some of the first to be developed for condos in South Maui and the majority of the Kihei oceanfront condominiums were built before 1976. As of 2023, the median age of oceanfront complexes in Kihei is 48 years. The oldest community is Hale Kai O Kihei which, according to records, was built in 1969. Below is a list of notable communities which were built after 1975:
- Menehune Shores built in 1976
- Sugar Beach Resort built in 1977
- Waiohuli Beach Hale built in 1979
- Luana Kai built in 1980
- Koa Lagoon built in 1980
Sea Level Rise and Kihei condos
When considering any purchase of coastal property, it's important to understand how climate change and sea level rise might impact shorelines. That's why The State of Hawaii now requires all property sellers to disclose the risk of sea level to a 3.2-foot scenario. The State now provides a special Sea Level Rise Viewer to help sellers and buyers better understand the risks of sea level rise based on different scenarios. Below is a screen shot showing how a 3.2-foot sea level rise would affect the area around one particular community in Kihei.
