Moving to Hawaii? Check out these Hawaiian words to help you with your real estate search!

I've been living in Hawaii for over 15 years, and certain words such as Aloha and Mahalo are part of my every day conversation. I realize that it hasn't been always the case. So if you don't live in Hawaii, below are the most common words that you may encounter while looking at real estate.

Aloha- A greeting (i.e. Hello)

Mahalo- Thank you

Keiki- Kids

Lanai- a patio, a balcony

Ohana- Family

Ohana Units- a permitted addition to an existing home that can be rented out to family members. They don't have a full kitchen, but a "wet bar".

Wet Bar- a small kitchen area, it has a sink and a refrigerator, but it doesn't have a stove/oven. 

ADU Units- a second structure on the lot that can be rented out to anybody, not just family members. They have a full kitchen.

Makai- Close to the ocean; facing the ocean.

Mauka- the mountainside of the island; facing the mountain.

For example, you can see in the description of the home: "facing mauka ", which means it is facing the mountain, it has a mountain view.

Windward Coast- the East side of the island, and it includes Kailua, Kaneohe, and Waimanalo areas.

Leeward Coast- the West side of the island, it includes areas such as Waianae, Maili, and Kapolei.

North Shore is the island's North part; it is famous for surf competitions and the picturesque Hale'iwa town.

Fee Simple- Complete ownership of the property, including the land.

Leasehold- You own the structure or unit, but someone else owns the land and you pay a month's lease rent to the landowner. Leasehold is more common for condominiums than single-family homes.

I hope the info was helpful, please call me at 808-783-6333 if you have questions.

Aloha🌺