Despite Bill 20, accessory units still barred in many Oahu communities
Now that Mayor Kirk Caldwell has signed Bill 20 into law, allowing accessory dwelling units in all residential areas, I’ll make a prediction: There are going to be a lot of unhappy homeowners across...
View ArticleSan Francisco vote puts spotlight on vacation rentals
Voters in San Francisco will have their say on Proposition F, a ballot issue that would attempt to clamp down on short-term vacation rentals. The public debate over the measure, which is widely known...
View ArticleThrowback Thursday: Prepare!
Believed to be somewhere in Portland, Oregon. Probably about 1985. That’s me under the “Prepare” sign. Meda’s mother, and one of her sisters, are behind me, looking at the building. Were we looking for...
View ArticleNew analysis looks at San Francisco housing costs
Here’s a great article about a very innovative bit of digging into the causes of high housing prices in San Francisco (“A guy just transcribed 30 years of for-rent ads. Here’s what it taught us about...
View ArticleAbout those McMansions…
Credit my cousin, a professor at Boise State, for flagging a website that presents an architectural critique of McMansions (with a touch of humor thrown in for good measure). “Worst of McMansions”...
View ArticleCreating alternatives: A Tiny House
A friend from our days in Kaaawa has just launched herself on a new adventure, which she has been sharing with friends on Facebook. She bought herself a beautiful, 340 square foot “tiny house” with...
View ArticleJust one more thing about A&B’s Kahala Ave condos
My column this week at Civil Beat takes another look at a proposed six-home development along Kahala Avenue, on the other end of Kahala (“Ian Lind: No, These Condos Don’t Mean The End Of Old Kahala“)....
View ArticleWatching the rising waters
A New York Times story published this week reports that the economic impact of climate change and rising sea levels on coastal real estate “could surpass that of the bursting dot-com and real estate...
View ArticleSpeaking of oceanfront properties…
We were able to spend Saturday night with friends in Kaaawa, and got up early Sunday morning for our walk at dawn. This was the view at Swanzy Beach Park, where a few hardy campers braved the blustery...
View ArticleEvent to challenge “systemic barriers to justice”
A gathering dubbed “The People’s Congress” is being held this weekend in Honolulu, according to a press release from a coalition of sponsoring groups. The two day event, which is scheduled to run all...
View ArticleHouse for sale in Kaaawa
Not just any house. It’s our former home. We were out in Kaaawa again over the weekend, and were surprised to find that our former house is for sale again, just 18-months after we sold it. In the...
View ArticleAnother one of my mother’s missives
Yesterday I came across what appears to be a draft letter to the editor written by my mother. It’s typed on “Season’s Greetings” stationary with an island theme, featuring Santa in a bathing suit...
View ArticleRepurposing dead malls?
A reader who uses the name “Compare Decide” shared this rather interesting compilation on the issue of failing malls in America. I’m sharing the email in full. There was an interesting debate on your...
View ArticleState Supreme Court hits some bank foreclosures
A post here last week discussed a recent federal court opinion that concluded condominium associations were not allowed under Hawaii law to pursue nonjudicial foreclosures against individual owners who...
View ArticleA fine bit of gerrymandering
It’s the kind of spectacular example that will leave future reapportionment commissions swooning in awe, even though it’s a case of economic rather than political gerrymandering. And here it is! A new...
View ArticleTwo assessments of issues behind the housing crisis
A couple of interesting articles looking at the issues in our current housing markets. From Mother Jones: “Is Your City Being Sold Off to Global Elites?” That’s certainly a question that goes directly...
View ArticleKahala Beach Apartments face uncertain future
Kamehameha Schools has reportedly turned down a request from the association of apartment owners of The Kahala Beach condominium to extend the lease on the property beyond its scheduled expiration in...
View ArticleMarco Polo newsletter in 2013 explained post-fire issues
A column by the president of the Marco Polo owners association in 2013 spelled out how a fire earlier that year made it difficult for the building to obtain insurance. Helene “Sam” Shenkus explained...
View ArticleMarco Polo fire alarm system questions linger
There were several reports this week that the fire alarm system in the Marco Polo apartments did not meet the current Honolulu fire code. Worse, as least as far a potential liability is concerned, the...
View ArticleAfter a moment of calm, a question…
First order of business, a small moment of morning calm. Photo taken about 6:26 a.m. at Waialae Beach Park. Now, after that morning of calm, here’s just a small question. I got an email from a friend....
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