For thirty years, the only way into Mānoa was to buy an older home and fix it up. That just changed. Aria Lane Mānoa, a gated community of new single-family homes on the former Saint Francis School campus, has opened its first phase for owner-occupants — and the window to get in line is about ten days long.

Phase I Is Open to Owner-Occupants

The developer, Avalon Group, has released 18 homes in Phase I, and nine of them are designated for owner-occupants. These are fee simple, detached single-family homes in four plans — the Ranch, Villa, Manor and Estate — with Phase I prices starting at $2,239,000 with an ADU included.

That is nine homes, in the first new subdivision Mānoa has seen in decades. Aria Lane will eventually have 76 homes in total, but for buyers who want first pick of models and lots, this is the round that matters.

• Location: 2707 Pamoa Road, Mānoa
• Phase I: 18 homes, 9 for owner-occupants
• Homes: Detached, fee simple, gated community
• Pricing: From $2,239,000 with ADU

Two Dates to Put on Your Calendar

Here is the part most buyers miss: priority is based on the order that completed owner-occupant affidavit packets are received. October 28 is the last day to submit, not the day to aim for. A complete packet submitted this week is ahead of one submitted next week, and with only nine homes, a few places in line can be the difference between choosing your model and missing the phase.

Owner-occupants must live in the home as their principal residence for at least 365 consecutive days. The affidavit is a sworn statement, so if you are buying for a family member or as an investment, talk with us before you submit.

Why Aria Lane Is Different

Mānoa filled in long ago. Homes there turn over rarely, and almost everything that does come up is decades old. Aria Lane exists only because an eleven-acre school campus became available, and it gives buyers something the valley hasn’t offered in a generation: a brand-new detached home near the University, Noelani Elementary, Mid-Pacific, and a short drive from town.

The developer has now published all six floor plans. Three are single-level — the Classic, Ranch and Estate — and three are two-story: the Haven, Villa and Manor. Living space runs from about 1,315 to 2,095 square feet by single-family measurement, every home has an enclosed two-car garage, and every plan offers an in-law suite with its own entrance and a permitted kitchenette. Finishes include 10-foot ceilings, Kohler fixtures and Silestone quartz.

One tip when you compare: Aria Lane’s condo documents measure each home from the inside of its walls, so those figures run smaller than the single-family numbers you see on other Mānoa listings. We break down both on our project page, along with the community site map showing where each Phase I home sits.

There are other things to understand before you commit, including how the in-law suite works for financing and rentals, how the fee simple CPR structure works, and where the project’s neighborhood approvals stand. We have laid all of it out, along with the Phase I model pricing and designated units, on our full Aria Lane page.

Talk to Us Before You Contact the Sales Office

Everyone at a developer’s sales office works for the developer. If you want your own agent on your side, you need to register with them before your first contact with the sales office — it is very hard to add representation afterward. Having your own agent means someone checks your packet before it goes in, walks you through the contract, and prepares you for your selection appointment.

Reading this after October 28? Reach out anyway. Aria Lane is being released in phases, and we will make sure you hear about the next one first.

Aria Lane Mānoa is a development by Avalon Group. Hawaii Starts Here is not the developer and does not represent the developer. Information summarizes the developer’s Phase I owner-occupant presale announcement; prices, phasing, dates and terms are set by the developer and subject to change without notice. Renderings are conceptual. Refer to the developer’s full announcement and owner-occupant affidavit packet for complete terms. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation where prohibited by law.

Ālia at 888 Ala Moana sold out almost as fast as it opened. Now 40 brand-new one-bedroom homes in the tower are being offered by lottery, priced from $513,784, to Hawaiʻi residents who qualify. Applications are due in person by Sunday, November 1, 2026.

• 40 one-bedroom, one-bath homes
• $513,784–$533,704, fee simple
• Public lottery Saturday, November 14
• Applications due Sunday, November 1

A Rare Way Into a Front-Row Tower

Ālia is Kobayashi Group’s 39-story tower on Ala Moana Boulevard, between SALT at Our Kakaʻako and Ward Village, with Kewalo Basin across the street. The developer reported it 99 percent sold within two years, so for most buyers the only way in has been through an owner’s resale. The 40 reserved housing residences change that. They are new, fee simple one-bedrooms in the tower’s podium, sold under the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority’s reserved housing program at prices well below the building’s market homes. Residents share the same amenity program as everyone else in the building, from the sixth-floor infinity pool to the bowling alley and movie theater.

Who Can Apply

The program is built for people who live and work in Hawaiʻi and want to own the home they live in. Applicants must be Hawaiʻi residents, U.S. citizens or resident aliens, and at least 18, and no one buying can have owned a principal residence in the past three years. Household income can be up to $130,700 for one person, $149,400 for two, or $168,100 for three, and there is an asset limit as well. Retirement accounts and gifts toward a down payment are not counted as assets, which surprises a lot of buyers who assume they earn or save too much to qualify.

How the Lottery Works

Every qualified applicant who turns in a complete application on time is entered in a public lottery on Saturday, November 14. The lottery does not hand out specific homes. It assigns each applicant a number that sets the order in which buyers choose from the remaining residences at selection appointments the following week, where a $500 initial deposit is due on signing. Applying early does not get you a better number, but missing the deadline means you are not in the drawing at all.

What to Know Before You Apply

Reserved housing is real ownership with a few strings attached, and they are worth understanding up front. Each Ālia reserved home carries a two-year regulated term: you must live in it during that time, and HCDA has the first option to buy it back if you want to sell early. When you do sell, HCDA receives a share of the equity tied to the discount you received at purchase. Parking is not included in the price. None of these are deal breakers for most buyers, but you should know how they affect your numbers before you commit.

Why You Should Start This Week

The application window is short and the requirements are strict. Packets are only available through Thursday, October 29. Completed applications must be delivered in person between October 28 and 5:00 p.m. on November 1, with no extensions and nothing accepted by mail or email. A complete application includes a pre-qualification letter from one of the program’s approved lenders and notarized signatures from everyone who will be on title. Lenders get busy as deadlines approach, so the buyers who start now are the ones who make it into the lottery.

Two things from the Hawaii Starts Here team this week. We are celebrating our buyers’ new single-family home in Haiku Village, Kāneʻohe. And if you are shopping for new construction, Walea II at Koa Ridge offers two- and three-bedroom townhomes in Central Oʻahu with garages, split A/C, and in-unit laundry.

Just Sold in Haiku Village, Kāneʻohe

Congratulations to our buyers, who just closed on a beautiful single-family home in Haiku Village on the Windward side! We are truly grateful for the trust they placed in our team, and we wish them many celebrations in their new home.

Thinking about buying or selling on Oʻahu? Whether it is a resale home or a new development, our team will walk you through every step, from your first showing to closing day.

Discover Walea II at Koa Ridge

• 2 and 3 bedrooms
• Approx. 991–1,557 living sq ft
• Enclosed garages
• Split A/C and in-unit laundry

Looking for a new townhome in Central Oʻahu? Walea II is Castle & Cooke’s townhome community at Koa Ridge, located between Mililani and Waipiʻo. Homes feature open-concept layouts, and the location puts you close to shopping, dining, and freeway connections for an easy commute in either direction.

Contact our team for current pricing, availability, and incentives. One important tip: if you want your own agent, connect with us before your first visit to the sales office so we can register as your buyer’s agent and help guide you through the buying process.

Two things for O'ahu homeowners and buyers this week. If you own and live in your home, the September 30 deadline to file for the Honolulu Home Exemption is almost here, and the exemption is about to get bigger. And if you are shopping for new construction, Koa Ridge has a new option worth a look: Puaola, a neighborhood of three-bedroom paired homes with their own garages and yards.

File Your Home Exemption by September 30

If you own your Oʻahu home and live in it as your primary residence, the City & County of Honolulu Home Exemption lowers your property’s taxable assessed value, which lowers your real property tax bill. It is one of the easiest ways to save on owning a home here, and it only takes one filing.

• Deadline: September 30, 2026
• Under 65: $140,000 exemption
• 65 and older: $180,000 exemption
• New amounts start July 1, 2027

The exemption amounts increase for the tax year that begins July 1, 2027, and a claim filed by September 30, 2026 applies to that year. If you bought a home this year or recently became eligible, this is the filing to make now.

Already have an exemption? You generally do not need to reapply as long as nothing has changed in the ownership or use of your property. If your date of birth is on file with the city, your exemption also moves up to the senior amount automatically once you qualify.

You can file online, by mail, or in person with the city’s Real Property Assessment Division. If you file online, make sure you receive an email confirmation afterward. Missed the deadline? File anyway: a claim made by next September 30 applies to the following tax year.

New at Koa Ridge: Puaola Paired Homes

• 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,063–1,207 sq ft
• First release from $935,000, fee simple
• One-car garage, driveway, front and back yard
• First come, first served

Puaola is Castle & Cooke’s newest neighborhood at Koa Ridge in Central Oʻahu, and it fills the gap between a townhome and a fully detached house. Each home shares one wall with one neighbor, and in exchange you get your own front door, a private garage, a driveway, and front and back yard areas of your own — more space and more of the feel of a detached home, without the detached-home price.

Homes are offered first come, first served, so buyers who arrive with their paperwork ready have the edge. One important rule: if you want your own agent, you need to register with them before your first visit to the sales office. Reach out to us first and we will help you prepare and make sure you are registered for buyer representation.

Sky Ala Moana puts you across the street from Ala Moana Center, in twin 43-story towers that opened in 2023. But “a condo at Sky Ala Moana” can mean three very different things: a residence in Sky West, an affordable home in The Flats, or a condo-hotel unit in the Renaissance Residences. Before you shop here, it pays to know which one you are looking at.

• Twin 43-story towers
• 1388 Kapiʻolani Boulevard
• Across from Ala Moana Center
• Completed 2023, available as resales

Sky West: The Residences

Sky West is the tower most people mean when they say Sky Ala Moana. It holds about 390 one- and two-bedroom homes sold at market prices, each with a lanai. The eighth floor has terrace homes with their own enclosed outdoor space opening onto the amenity deck, and a few original buyers combined neighboring units into three-bedroom homes. Sky West is a place to live or rent long-term: rentals here run 30 days or longer, and owners cannot join the hotel’s rental program.

Sky East: The Flats and the Renaissance

Sky East stacks three uses in one tower. The lower floors are The Flats, affordable homes originally sold to qualified owner-occupant buyers, with occupancy and resale restrictions that vary by unit. The middle floors are the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa. The top floors are the Renaissance Residences Honolulu, condo-hotel units whose owners can place them in the hotel’s nightly rental program — the only homes at Sky Ala Moana that work as a short-term rental.

Amenities Above the Street

Both towers rise from a shared base with shops, parking, and an amenity deck with a pool and spa, a fitness center, and barbecue areas. Step outside and Ala Moana Center is across the street, Ala Moana Beach Park is a short walk, and Ward Village, Kakaʻako, Waikīkī, and downtown Honolulu are all minutes away.

Buying at Sky Ala Moana Today

The towers are finished, so buying here is a resale purchase: an offer to the owner, negotiation, and escrow. The details that matter most depend on the tower. For a Sky West home, it is the view from that stack and the association budget. For The Flats, it is whether you qualify and which restrictions still apply. For a Renaissance Residences unit, it is the hotel program agreement and its fees. Our Sky Ala Moana page breaks down all three.

Golf course frontage is rare in new-construction West Oʻahu, and Kealiʻi by Gentry has it on nearly every lot. Sixty-six single-family homes line the Kapolei Golf Course, most of them four-bedroom, two-story homes with the fairway as the back yard view. The developer sold out years ago, which means every home available here today is a resale, and they do not come up often.

• 66 single-family homes
• 4 bedrooms, 3 baths on the golf course plans
• Two-car garage, fee simple
• Completed 2020, available as resales

Life on the Fairway

Kealiʻi sits along the closing holes of the Kapolei Golf Course, between the course and the Kanehili community. Gentry Homes built it as a small, golf-focused neighborhood: most homes face the fairways directly, with no neighbors behind them, and the upstairs primary suites on two of the three plans open onto a private balcony looking out over the greens toward the Waiʻanae range. A handful of smaller three-bedroom homes sit back from the course, including eight originally sold through the city’s affordable housing program.

Three Golf Course Floor Plans

The golf course homes come in three plans — Haʻaheo, Luana, and Poʻokela — each with four bedrooms and three baths across two stories. Every golf course home has a two-car garage, a covered lanai, and 9-foot ceilings on an open main level.

Built to Be Efficient

Gentry designed these homes to keep monthly costs down in the West Oʻahu heat. Each was delivered with solar water heating, high-efficiency 20 SEER air conditioning, dual-pane Low-E windows, open-cell foam insulation, and LED lighting. Many owners have added their own upgrades since, from expanded kitchens to spas and photovoltaic systems, so two homes on the same plan can look quite different inside.

Close to Everything in Kapolei

For a golf course address, Kealiʻi is remarkably convenient. Ka Makana Aliʻi, the Kroc Center, and UH West Oʻahu are right nearby, Skyline rail stations are minutes away, and Kapolei’s shopping, dining, and job centers are a short drive. Ko Olina and the West Oʻahu beaches are close for the weekends.

How to Buy at Kealiʻi

There is no lottery and no sales office anymore. Buying here works like any resale: you make an offer to the owner and close through escrow. With only 66 homes, the plan and lot you want may not be listed the week you start looking, so the buyers who get them are the ones watching closely. A few things deserve a careful look on these homes, including where the lot sits relative to the tees and landing areas, whether any solar panels are owned or leased, and whether changes since construction were permitted. Our Kealiʻi page walks through all of it.

Most new towers in Kakaʻako are priced for the luxury market. Waiakoa flips that. Planned for the heart of Our Kakaʻako by Koa Partners and Castle & Cooke Hawaiʻi, it calls for more than 1,000 homes in two towers, and 60 percent of them are designated as affordable housing for local families, young professionals, and first-time buyers.

• 1,000+ homes planned in two towers
• 60% designated affordable
• Studios to 3 bedrooms
• In planning, not yet selling

Why Waiakoa Matters

New Kakaʻako towers usually tuck a small share of reserved housing into the podium and sell the rest at market. Waiakoa turns that ratio around: the majority of its homes are meant to be within reach of local households. At more than 1,000 homes, it is also one of the largest residential projects planned for urban Honolulu, which means more affordable opportunities in one place than the neighborhood has seen.

What Is Planned

Waiakoa is the plan for Block D of Our Kakaʻako, Kamehameha Schools’ master-planned neighborhood. The site covers roughly 4.2 acres at 756 Auahi Street, running along Cooke and Pohukaina Streets. Two residential towers would sit above about 68,000 square feet of retail, grocery, and dining space, with open green areas and a central community plaza designed as a gathering place for the neighborhood. It is Castle & Cooke’s second project in Our Kakaʻako, after 400 Keawe, from the same company that built Mililani and Koa Ridge.

A Walkable Address in Town

The site sits between Auahi and Pohukaina Streets at Cooke Street, a flat, walkable part of Honolulu where most daily errands do not need a car. SALT at Our Kakaʻako and Ward Village are next door for dining and shopping, Kakaʻako Waterfront Park and Ala Moana Beach Park are close by, and downtown and Ala Moana Center are minutes away.

Get Ready Before Sales Open

Waiakoa has not opened for sales, and pricing, floor plans, and the application process have not been released. That is exactly why now is the time to prepare. Affordable homes in Honolulu towers are usually oversubscribed, and the buyers who get them are the ones whose paperwork is ready when the window opens. Find out whether you are likely to qualify, talk to a lender early, and start gathering tax returns, pay stubs, and bank statements for every adult in your household. One more thing: many new projects require your agent to be registered with you from your first contact with the sales team, so arrange your representation first.

Koa Ridge has a new neighborhood, and it fills a gap buyers have been asking about. Puaola at Koa Ridge is Castle & Cooke’s newest release: paired homes, two to a building, each with three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a private garage, a driveway, and front and back yard areas of its own. It is more house and more ground than a townhome, without the price of a fully detached home.

• 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,063–1,207 sq ft
• First release from $935,000, fee simple
• One-car garage, driveway, front and back yard
• Now selling, first come, first served

The Middle Step at Koa Ridge

Think of Puaola as the rung between the townhome neighborhoods and the detached homes of Nanea III. You get your own front door on the street, your own driveway, and a back yard. You share one wall with one neighbor, and that is the trade. The name pairs pua, a flower or blossom, with ola, life and well-being. Roughly 114 homes are planned across two phases, with 66 in Phase I.

Two Floor Plans, One Smart Option

Puaola keeps it simple. Model A offers 1,063 square feet with living areas downstairs and all three bedrooms up, including a primary suite with its own bath. Model B grows to 1,207 square feet with a downstairs family room and an upstairs storage room. The detail multi-generational families should know: Model B can be built with that family room as a fourth bedroom and the powder room as a full bath, putting a bedroom and bath on the ground floor. Those options are structural and offered to initial purchasers, so timing matters.

What Comes Standard

Every home includes an open-concept main level with 9-foot ceilings, stainless steel kitchen appliances, maple cabinetry with soft-close hardware, and split air conditioning. Outside, the garage, driveway, walkway, and yard areas are assigned to your home for your exclusive use — something the townhome neighborhoods at Koa Ridge generally do not offer.

Built for Owner-Occupants

Puaola is a place to live, not an investment property. Owner-occupant homes require a notarized affidavit committing you to live there for a full year, and the developer records a twelve-month primary-residence requirement against the deed on designated units. If you are buying to live in it, this works in your favor: it keeps investor buyers from absorbing the inventory.

How to Get One

There is no lottery at Puaola. Owner-occupant homes are released first come, first served, in the order completed packets are received in person. That rewards buyers who show up ready, with a designated-lender pre-approval, a notarized affidavit, and a $10,000 earnest money check in hand. One rule to know before anything else: if you want your own agent, the Broker Referral Form must go in with your reservation form, and your agent must accompany you on your first sales office visit. Reach out to us first.

Most affordable housing on Oʻahu comes with a catch: when you eventually sell, you share your home’s appreciation with the government. Keʻolu at Koa Ridge does not. Castle & Cooke’s newest condominium townhome series offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes through the City & County of Honolulu’s Affordable Housing Program — with no shared appreciation equity requirement. For local working families trying to build real equity, that difference is worth a closer look.

• 1 to 3 bedrooms, 565–896 sq ft, 9 floor plans
• Estimated from the $480,000s
• For households at 120% AMI and below
• No shared appreciation equity

Why Keʻolu Stands Out

Keʻolu is reserved for households earning 120% of Area Median Income and below, and buyers must live in the home as owner-occupants. The home stays in the affordable program for a ten-year transfer restriction period. Once that period ends, any appreciation belongs entirely to you. For a first-time buyer planning the next step up the housing ladder, keeping your own equity can make all the difference.

The Homes

Nine floor plans cover three bedroom counts: one-bedroom homes at about 565 square feet, two-bedroom, two-bath homes in the mid-700s, and three-bedroom, two-bath homes at 896 square feet. Every plan is built around an open-concept kitchen, living, and dining area, with smart home features included and exterior storage on select plans. The name comes from ʻoluʻolu — pleasant, comfortable, agreeable — and the layouts live up to it.

Who Qualifies

The City, not the developer, decides eligibility. In short, buyers must be Hawaiʻi residents, fall within the household income and asset limits, and not have owned a home in the past year. One detail catches many buyers off guard: household size is matched to home size, so the number of people in your household determines which plans you can apply for. Our project page lays out the current income limits, occupancy rules, and the full document checklist.

How Homes Are Sold

Keʻolu is released in phases, and homes in each phase are awarded by lottery. The path starts with a lender pre-approval and a City application packet, followed by a Reservation / Unit Preference Form and a $1,000 earnest money deposit. The paperwork is substantial — two years of tax returns, bank statements, notarized affidavits — and assembling it takes longer than most buyers expect. Starting early is what keeps you in the running.

One Thing to Do Before You Apply

If you want an agent representing you, that has to be arranged before you submit your Reservation / Unit Preference Form. Castle & Cooke will not accept a broker referral after that point, and the Koa Ridge Sales Office is by appointment only. Reach out to us first and we will help you confirm eligibility, choose the right phase and floor plan, and keep your application on schedule.