Were you one of the ones who bought into the dream?

March 13th, 2008

Well, I wondered about it in this post when the 7/21 flow started and here we are 8 months later and the people who invested in Kalapana Vacation Lots and the new surrounding attempt at a subdivision have lava literally in their backyards. Here’s the latest pic from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

See the red road in the middle? That’s the red cinder road where people have bought plots on either side of the road to build their dream. See all that steam on all sides of it at the ocean? That’s where lava is going into the sea all around or even over their property. I was perusing the internet and these lots are still being sold with NO mention that there may be lava flowing over it at the moment. Maybe they don’t need to mention it. These listings still have things like “lava hasn’t flowed here since 1990.” That may have been the case when it was first listed but it sure as heck isn’t the case now. Maybe it’s part of the whole “due diligence” process on the potential buyers end but I for one could not in good conscience sell my land hoping some sucker will take it off my hands while I knew lava was flowing over it.

If you are looking to buy cheap real estate in paradise, PLEASE do your homework. Everyone who lives within 20 miles of Kilauea knows there are certain risks involved from lava hazards to air quality issues. Have an inspection of your potential property, research the area, research what lava zone your home would fall into and what that means for your insurance policy and how much your premium could be. Do not assume that the listing tells you everything you need to know. I know this may sound like the basics but many people will buy sight unseen and buying Hawaii has some issues that the mainland doesn’t. Pele doesn’t care how much you paid for your piece of her land.

Comments

1 Comment so far

Pua on March 15, 2008 8:16 pm
I guess one cannot even complain to realtor after land purchase, if realtors did not disclose the risks of buying property so close to an active volcano!

First thing, which should alert any buyer in that area - why is property so cheap there ?

Just as you mention, sometimes people from the Mainland are not even aware of the health hazards from the ‘vog’ - polluted air from the volcano. Most visitors think it’s fog. So better make sure your body is not sensitive to it when considering buying there.

There are nice pieces of land available - in a safe distance from the volcano. Aloha, Pua