Hawaii Condominium & Homeowner Association News
- Judge orders luxury Kaua?i vacation condo project to pause construction (HI) March 21, 2024Construction on a luxury vacation condominium project on Kaua?i’s south shore is now on hold. Last week, a judge ordered a 10-day work stoppage for the Kauanoe O K?loa project, a 279-unit development that has received backlash from members of the Native Hawaiian community. Read the article…………………………….
- House Speaker Saiki warns looming condo insurance crisis could snowball (HI) March 20, 2024Condo owners are facing soaring insurance premiums as companies across the country cancel coverage due to growing risks from climate change. That was the topic of a recent town hall meeting on O?ahu hosted by state lawmakers whose districts largely comprise condo dwellers. Read the article…………………………….
- Lawmakers Advance Bill To Stabilize Soaring Insurance Costs For Condo Owners (HI) March 19, 2024Hawaii lawmakers are seeking to stabilize Hawaii’s condominium insurance market against sharply rising premiums and a declining availability of hurricane insurance that has sent ripples through Hawaii’s housing market. Read the article…………………………….
- Catastrophes are driving up condo insurance rates in Hawaii and nationwide March 7, 2024A ripple effect across the country is showing up in the condo fees for nearly 200,000 Hawaii residents, and experts say catastrophes are driving up their insurance rates. Rising insurance premiums have a direct impact on the fees paid by owners to condo associations. So far, there’s no easy solution. Read the article…………………………….
- Regulation driving high cost of new condos in Hawai?i, according to UHERO report March 4, 2024Regulatory costs account for more than half (58%) of the price of a new condo in Hawai?i and are the major contributing factor to the highest housing costs in the country, according to a new report by the University of Hawai?i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) released on March 4. Read the article…………………………….
- Condo insurance woes strike Hawaii March 1, 2024As Hawaii’s Governor wages war on Maui short term rental unit investors, there’s an insurance sting in the tail for condo owners and would-be buyers across the state as it wrestles with property insurance challenges. Insurance costs for condo complexes have skyrocketed by anything from 100% to 1,000% since the devastating August wildfires, Read the article…………………………….
- Amend Hawaii Condominium Laws On Proxy Board Voting (Op/Ed) February 20, 2024In the current legislative session, House Bill 2067 was amended and proposes to “Remove from the standard condominium proxy form the option of giving a proxy vote to the board of directors of a condominium association as a whole or to directors present at the meeting. Requires a disclosure statement on the standard condominium proxy form informing unit owners that an association may direct elections by electronic, machine, or mail voting.” Read the article…………………………….
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Hawaii Condominium & Homeowner Association Articles
- A Proposal To Overhaul Condominium Management (HI)A mid-20th century vignette: A young man stands in tall grass, hands in his pockets, gazing wistfully at an empty diner. Though condominium living, emerging at around that period, is not exactly the cherished tradition that restaurant diner culture was back then, it will go the way of the abandoned diner cars, if the current troubled state of management isn’t replaced. Read the article…………………………..
- From Tragedy Comes Opportunities to Give BackSometimes, a small gesture of kindness and community can mean a lot to those affected by natural disasters. Following the deadly wildfires that tore through the historic town of Lahaina, Hawaii, in early August, many in the community association industry wanted to show their support to Maui homeowners displaced by the fires. The wildfires are considered to be the deadliest in modern U.S. history, according to The Washington Post. Read the article……………………………..
- Pros and Cons of Buying a Condo in HawaiiIf you dream of waking up with a view of the Honolulu skyline from your 42nd floor lanai, or downsizing to a smaller living space to retire in paradise, buying a condo in Hawaii is an investment to consider. List Sotheby’s International Realty, one of the Islands’ premier real estate agencies, has helped many prospective homeowners find the right condominium for their lifestyle. Read the article……………………………….
- What you should know about the AOAO (HI)Living in Hawaii is, in many ways, similar to living in any other state. Aside from the gorgeous white sand beaches and laidback atmosphere, people work, shop, socialize and even pay association fees. There are three major types of community associations in the State of Hawaii—condominiums, planned communities (HOAs), and cooperatives. Each type of property has various rules, offerings and expectations. Read the article………………………..
- Aging condominiums: Background readingWith the interest shown in the last couple of posts on condominium issues, I grabbed a few published articles that contain useful information or perspectives. What’s clear is that the issues created by aging condominiums are by no means unique to Hawaii. They are being experienced in all areas where condominiums have been built. Read the article………………………..
- What’s the life span of a high rise condo in Hawaii?Here’s a new point worth considering as many of Oahu’s condominium buildings reach 40 years or older: What happens when a condo becomes economically untenable in the face of falling property values caused by mounting maintenance fees that can’t keep up with the cost of needed repairs and maintenance? We need a discussion of procedures appropriate for condominium that reach the end of their useful life. Read the article………………………..
- Hawaii condo law does provide for “termination” of a condominiumI did a little more research this morning, and found Hawaii’s condominium law (Chapter 514B HRS) does include a provision for terminating a condominium, found in Section 514B-47. The process is spelled out in the statute, and there are several ways for a condominium as a legal entity can be dissolved. Read the article………………………..
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Hawaii Laws
514B Condominiums
514C Lease to Fee Conversions for Condominiums and Cooperative Housing Corporations
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Hawaii Condominium & Homeowner Association Resources
Resources for Condominium Owners & Boards of Directors
Ownership in a condominium is different from other forms of ownership. A condominium is a form of ownership shared with others rather than a particular structure and many types of property can be in a condominium project, such as residential high rises, townhomes, single family homes, warehouses, commercial offices, harbor slips, and farms. This type of ownership comes with unique sets of organization and management, with an association of units owners (AOUO) governing project. The Real Estate Commission and Branch have produced a large number of brochures, guides, flyers, and videos to help condominium unit owners understand their rights and responsibilities. The Real Estate Commission and Branch also maintain a public searchable online database of Developer’s Public Reports and an association contact list.
The Hawaii Real Estate Commission released its new “Hawaii Condo Living Guide” video series to help deliver valuable information to current and prospective condominium owners and boards. The first six educational videos are available online and broken up into a series of short segments for ease of viewing. The commission intends to continue releasing more engaging episodes periodically. View the videos…………………………………
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (Condominium Section)
Condominium Association Biennial Registration
- General Condominium Information/ Education / Publications
Board of directors guides, other educational publications, Condominium Review Committee’s Program of Work for Fiscal Year 2012, and condominium calendar. - AOUO Contact List
- Condominium Project/Assocation Registration
General information on condominium property regimes, public reports, Condominium Association Information Update form, and 2005-2007 Condominium Association Biennial Reregistration Delegation of Duty to Register form. - Condominium Hotel Operator
List of currently registered condominium hotel operators and condominium hotel operator application. - Developer’s Public Reports/Association Biennial Registration
Online search for developer’s public reports. - Mediation of Condominium Disputes
Informational brochure on the mediation of condominium disputes. - Hawaii Condominium Bulletin
- Condominium Review Committee Agendas and Minutes
The Condominium Review Committee deals with issues relating to condominium education, registration, and the Condominium Education Fund. - 514A, HRS, Recodification/514B, HRS
Recodification plan, Act 164 – Relating to Condominiums, recodification final report, progress reports, drafts, stakeholder comments, and additional resources. - Licensee Search/ Complaints History/ Business Registration
These services allow commerce and consumers to look up information about businesses and individuals regulated by DCCA. Also included are services to register businesses and renew Licenses. - Links to Other Agencies and Organizations
Various federal, state, and local agencies, in addition to condominium association organizations and other resources. - Real Estate Licensing and Education
General licensing information, real estate schools, providers, instructors and courses, and other real estate educational information. - Forms
Condominium, real estate licensing and real estate education related forms.
Community Associations Institute – Hawaii Chapter
Hawaii Condominium & Homeowner Association Blogs