Beach Erosion (Hauula: for sale, oceanfront, rentals)

[WaikikiBoy]

I’ve been thinking a lot about sea level rise, king tide events and particularly: beach erosion. I’m wondering if anyone has had any direct experience with this impacting their property ?

On Maui I’ve read articles and watched news starriest about eroding shorelines and its impact on condo buildings in NW Maui. Such as this one: https://youtu.be/coYYICwuMoI

Also seen one complex in Maui where one building within the complex has been vacated due to an eroding sea wall structure.

On Oahu’s N Shore, the issues are pretty significant and getting worse for many homeowners. And on the windward coast of Oahu Ive see homes for sale at bargain basement prices that are pretty clear erosion risks. Like this one for $595k: https://www.oahure.com/SearchMLS_Det...opertyType=RES

Near my unit, I’ve watched the waves push up and hit the Outrigger Waikiki building where Shorebirds used to be.

Anyway, it’s just had me thinking lately. Wondering if it’s time to start thinking about moving away from the beach and back to higher ground.

Wondering if anyone else has been thinking the same thing. Just throwing it out to hear other people’s thoughts/experiences.

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by WaikikiBoy

I’ve been thinking a lot about sea level rise, king tide events and particularly: beach erosion. I’m wondering if anyone has had any direct experience with this impacting their property ?

On Maui I’ve read articles and watched news starriest about eroding shorelines and its impact on condo buildings in NW Maui. Such as this one: https://youtu.be/coYYICwuMoI

Also seen one complex in Maui where one building within the complex has been vacated due to an eroding sea wall structure.

On Oahu’s N Shore, the issues are pretty significant and getting worse for many homeowners. And on the windward coast of Oahu Ive see homes for sale at bargain basement prices that are pretty clear erosion risks. Like this one for $595k: https://www.oahure.com/SearchMLS_Det...opertyType=RES

Near my unit, I’ve watched the waves push up and hit the Outrigger Waikiki building where Shorebirds used to be.

Anyway, it’s just had me thinking lately. Wondering if it’s time to start thinking about moving away from the beach and back to higher ground.

Wondering if anyone else has been thinking the same thing. Just throwing it out to hear other people’s thoughts/experiences.

In my building in West Maui, we have spent close to two million dollars on remediation. Several hundred per month extra for 15 years, each. Who knows if that's the end of it, but I'm not moving because of it.

HOA dues are now more than $1,000 per month. If they go North of $3,000, then I will consider a move.

Since I've lived here, we've gone from about 50/50 owner-occupied/rentals, to mostly rentals. I have not enjoyed that change.

[WaikikiBoy]

Originally Posted by Futuremauian

In my building in West Maui, we have spent close to two million dollars on remediation. Several hundred per month extra for 15 years, each. Who knows if that's the end of it, but I'm not moving because of it.

HOA dues are now more than $1,000 per month. If they go North of $3,000, then I will consider a move.

Since I've lived here, we've gone from about 50/50 owner-occupied/rentals, to mostly rentals. I have not enjoyed that change.

Did you repair a sea wall? Or make an existing sea wall taller ? Or something else. And are other build8ngs around you in need of the same thing ? In the news video I linked a lady who lives in West Maui appears to be saying most people want retreat and moving building. I know that’s a big theme on Oahu also.

Why do you think your building has gone from 50% Owner occupied to very little owner occupied ? That’s a big change. Is it because of the escalating HOA fees due to sea wall repair ?

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by WaikikiBoy

Did you repair a sea wall? Or make an existing sea wall taller ? Or something else. And are other build8ngs around you in need of the same thing ? In the news video I linked a lady who lives in West Maui appears to be saying most people want retreat and moving building. I know that’s a big theme on Oahu also.

Why do you think your building has gone from 50% Owner occupied to very little owner occupied ? That’s a big change. Is it because of the escalating HOA fees due to sea wall repair ?

All of our sea wall remediation had to be done behind the existing wall. No repairs to ocean side of it. Local Activists constantly monitor all repairs, hoping to force the existing buildings to be condemned.

Our steps to the beach were not displayed in the original plans, so we were told they would have to be removed. Then we were told that if we paid a "mitigation fee" of $100,000 they could stay. Our attorneys located photos of the property when brand new and the stairs were present in the photos. The State grudgingly agreed to allow them to stay.

We are gradually changing over to rentals for several reasons. The original owners are dying off. Property taxes have been reassessed to the same fee whether you rent out the condo or not, and new buyers are looking for a source of income. We are losing our "sense of community" to what is starting to feel more like a hotel.

[pj737]

We've never owned direct oceanfront property but we have owned property one lot over or about 140 ft from the ocean. We sold the property several years back (pre covid, yes I'm kicking myself LOL) for a few reasons. The biggest reason was the cost and onerous permitting/building requirements to demolish the existing house and build new near the ocean. And also because I was planning on having a mortgage on the new build, the insurance rates for the new house were ridiculous. We were quoted nearly $40,000/annual for a home with a replacement cost of $800K.

Beach erosion has always been a thing. But climate change (which for the record I believe is real) and the public awareness brought forth with it has accelerated the negative perception of oceanfront property. To exacerbate this negativity, governments across all states/countries are putting tough restrictions on building. In most cases and due to new govt building regulations, people cannot even protect their homes if they had the money and resources to do so.

I believe many properties that line our oceans (i.e. property that abuts the ocean or are close to the ocean and are on low elevation) will be near worthless in the coming years/decades as either natural erosion, storms or govt regulations will make the properties literally uninhabitable. I believe that house in Hauula that you posted a link to cannot even have a home on it due to the new setback restrictions put in place by the state. So I cannot see there being any value to the property if a home cannot be erected on it. However, some may want to take the risk and purchase the land/existing house in hopes the govt will buy them out through condemnation in the future while enjoying the home in the meantime. The city or state would be required to pay FMV for the property, but this value could be drastically low if restrictions are in place or increased even further. So the govt could technically buy these properties back for pennies on the dollar as further restrictions are put in place and appraised values plummet.

But the allure of living on the water is just too great for humans that they will do whatever it takes to spend the majority of their lives close enough to the ocean where they can see, hear and smell it.

The obvious solution to this is to buy property that is on or very close to the ocean but elevated to some degree. Our dream home has always been a small home in the Diamond Head area or Black Point but the vast majority of the homes there are massive in size (and price) and we've always wanted a smaller SFH. These homes are perched up on solid rock that surrounds Diamond Head and extends to Black Point. Ideally, being about 50-100 feet above the ocean would be perfect and this is the elevation of much of that area. You can still easily access, hear (and depending on the lot, see) and smell the ocean yet not get directly blasted by the salt spray or worry about your property being washed away by erosion/storms or becoming worthless in the future due to govt regulations. Not to mention the obscene insurance rates you'll be paying unless you own your house free and clear and can sleep at night with zero coverage. I would expect this type of elevated/near ocean property to become the most desirable and valuable (vs low lying/direct oceanfront) since I believe property in harm's way will lose significant value over time.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by WaikikiBoy

On Oahu’s N Shore, the issues are pretty significant and getting worse for many homeowners. And on the windward coast of Oahu Ive see homes for sale at bargain basement prices that are pretty clear erosion risks. Like this one for $595k: https://www.oahure.com/SearchMLS_Det...opertyType=RES

Near my unit, I’ve watched the waves push up and hit the Outrigger Waikiki building where Shorebirds used to be.

Anyway, it’s just had me thinking lately. Wondering if it’s time to start thinking about moving away from the beach and back to higher ground.

Well, I'll start with I do believe beach erosion is a real thing from an environmental standpoint.

With that said, much of Hawaii's beach erosion is man-made especially on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. The out of control building of seawalls to protect property is in my opinion the main cause of beach erosion in Hawaii. At the end of the day, these seawalls to protect oceanfront property from flooding/waves/tidal events have brought on unintended consequences of a disappearing beach. I'm not even sure one could even tear down the seawalls (making a lot of these properties practically worthless) and replenish. At the end of the day specific to the North Shore and other areas - you might have had a beach in front of your house, but then the 20'+ waves start rolling in your house is prone to flooding without a seawall.

https://projects.propublica.org/hawaii-beach-loss/

Specific to the properties on Kamehameha at the address you provided - literally the bulk of those homes on the ocean in that specific are mostly facing fines in the $15K per day range and it is completely unknown if those structures will survive (not due to erosion) but due to enforcement and hence the "as is" nature of the listing.

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by pj737

But the allure of living on the water is just too great for humans that they will do whatever it takes to spend the majority of their lives close enough to the ocean where they can see, hear and smell it.

This describes me, except that I didn't have enough money to spend "the majority" of my life close to the ocean.

My college years in Santa Barbara; oceanfront vacations worldwide; and retirement here in Maui.

As long as the shoreline holds up for the rest of my life, I'm good.

[Kim33Maui]

I could be wrong but “beach erosion” is a completely natural occurrence.

[Soujouner]

Originally Posted by Kim33Maui

I could be wrong but “beach erosion” is a completely natural occurrence.

Yup, the earth is doing what the earth does and has been doing for billions of years.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Kim33Maui

I could be wrong but “beach erosion” is a completely natural occurrence.

Originally Posted by Soujouner

Yup, the earth is doing what the earth does and has been doing for billions of years.

Yes. And until the last less than 10,000 years, those changes have had no meaningful impact on us, modern Homo sapiens.

However, today, given our collective and individual investments, rates and degrees of change are setting profound changes into motion that call for our attention