2016 is off to a great start for Hawaii Luxury Listings. We have several units in escrow, and have just closed the sale of beautiful House 5 in Kolea. We have a wide variety of luxury condos for sale, and now is the time to snatch up your own piece of paradise, and live your dreams in Hawaii!

Hawaii Luxury Listings is also pleased to announce the addition of our newest agent, Peter Berezney R(S). Peter joins Johnny and Chad in their quest to help people achieve their dreams of living the Hawaiian lifestyle here on the Big Island. Says Peter, “Living in Hawaii is a dream come true- a healthy lifestyle where friends and family enjoy the beautiful environment and are thankful each day for life in paradise. I am so fortunate to be a Real Estate Professional to help others make Hawaii a place they can call home.” Staff-photos Johnny Mac McElree, PB Chad Weigle, R(S) Peter Berezney, R(S)

The Mayor’s Corner

2015 was a great year for the McElree family, with the birth of our 6th (and final?) grandchild, Rocco Armando Orozco. Rocco was born on February 18th, 2015, to our daughter, Kaycee, and her husband Armando – it’s hard to believe he turned a year old this month! Big brother Zeen loves his little brother, as long as Rocco stays away from his toys! This addition has evened out the numbers on the grandkids at 3 girls and 3 boys. Another highlight of the year was Christmas, when the entire family was together again in Hawaii. Besides Santa and all of the presents, some other highlights of the gathering were ziplining and riding ATVs in Kohala for the older kids, and looking at fish on the glass-bottom boat at A-Bay for the younger kids, along with lots of swimming and holiday crafts and projects at Grandma and Papa’s. Rocco’s first Christmas was a blessing for the whole family, and a great way to gear up for another big year in 2016!

Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway W i d e n i n g Project

This second phase of the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway Widening project will consist of 5.2 miles of enlarging the existing two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway from Kealakehe Parkway to the Kona International Airport. As of Tuesday, January 19, 2016, clearing and mass grading was complete all the way to the southern end of the project corridor, just south of the Honokohau Harbor entrance. Approximately 10,000 yards of rock remains on the ground waiting to be processed for onsite fill material. Crews have started the excavation of drain inlet structures and manholes. Staff are working with vendors to produce precast structures to be installed beginning at the end of the month, along with planning for the installation of light and signal foundations starting at Keahole Airport and working south. The traffic management and staging plan is broken into five (5) stages. Stages 1 and 2 involve the grading and construction of the new lanes from the north end all of the way to the south end. Traffic will transition onto the new lanes from north of Keahole Airport to south of Hulikoa Street starting in August through October of 2016. Starting in November of 2016, traffic will all be transitioned to the new travel lanes while resurfacing of the existing highway takes place. Final surfacing of the new southbound lanes will begin in May of 2017, with one lane open in the southbound direction and two lanes open on the newly resurfaced northbound lanes. For the complete project history and updates moving forward, please visit HERE.

Big Island hosted a U.S. Tennis Fed Cup!

A big Mahalo Nui Loa to Venus Williams Williams, Stephens give US 2-0 Fed Cup lead over Poland! The U.S. Fed Cup team got a taste of the Aloha Spirit as Hawaii served as the host when the Americans took on Poland in the 2016 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group II First Round. The outdoor hard-court tie took place Feb. 6-7 at Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. It was a packed house of about 2,000! The best-of-five-match series began on Saturday, Feb. 6, with two singles matches, followed by two reverse singles matches and the doubles match on Sunday, Feb. 7. Venus Williams beat Paula Kania 7-5, 6-2, and Sloane Stephens beat Magda Linette 6-2, 6-4, on Saturday to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead over Poland after the opening day of their Fed Cup first round. Williams overcame a shaky start against Kania, who served for the first set but could not capitalize at 5-4. The Americans are one match away from advancing to the World Group II semifinals in April. This marks the first time that Hawaii has ever hosted a Fed Cup tie. “We are thrilled to bring Fed Cup to Hawaii, as the USTA continues to grow the game of tennis in communities nationwide,” said Katrina Adams, USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO and President. “Kailua Kona will create a one-of-a-kind atmosphere for Fed Cup and is a perfect location for our players.”

BIG Island Golf

A few great links to all of the Big Island golf schedules:

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Highlight Events Include:

Big Island Candies Team Championship Mon, April 4 & Tue, April 5 @ The Club at Hokuli’a

2016 Hokuli’a Mix Plate Mon, June 20 @The Club at Hokuli’a

Hapuna Round Up Golf Concepts Sat, Sep 3 & Sun, Sep 4 @Hapuna Golf Course

Hawaii State Open Aloha Section PGA Fri, Dec 9 – Sun, Dec 11 @ the Mauna Lani Resort

BIG Things on the BIG ISLAND

Still Rocking and Rolling!

The two active volcanoes on Hawaii, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, still rule the island. Kilauea’s lava flow activity at the summit, at the East Rift Zone, and around Pu’u O’o continues, and currently poses no threat to nearby communities . Big Islanders and visitors alike have been treated to quite the show at the Halemau’mau Overlook crater, where the lava lake remains active and the lava levels continue to fluctuate. If you are on the Big Island, viewing the crater is a nighttime activity not to be missed! Mauna Loa, not to be outdone by her sister volcano, is currently making news with an elevated “advisory” alert level. The level was raised because of an increase in small earthquakes below the summit and some changes in ground formation that suggest a recharging of the magma storage system. However, this advisory alert simply means that Mauna Loa is becoming more active, which could lead eventually to an eruption, but the changes seen do not necessarily mean that an eruption will happen. So, business as usual on the Big Island!

The Whales Are Back!

After a delayed arrival, the humpback whales have finally made it to the Big Island! Even though the temperature remains around 80 degrees, this signifies to us here in Hawaii that winter is here. Now is the perfect time to book your whale-watching adventure through Ocean Sports, located down the sandy beach path from Kolea.

Star-Gazing Stays The Same

Also frequently in the news over the last several months has been the debate over the TMT, the Thirty Meter Telescope, and it’s construction on the top of our other special mountain, Mauna Kea. Construction on this telescope has been stopped since protesting began last April by groups opposed to another telescope on land considered sacred to Native Hawaiians. In December, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the permit to build was invalid. The project is now in limbo, as everyone waits to see how the courts will proceed next with the case. In the meantime, Mauna Kea access is open and this majestic mountain continues to provide incredible views- both here on Hawaii, and up into the universe.

Situated along the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii, these Featured Listings represent some of the best investments in luxury living on Hawaii. From the luxurious Waikoloa Beach Resort area to Puako, one of the sunniest spots in all of Hawaii, to Waimea, a ranch town located in the oldest part of the island, and home to the oldest of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island, Kohala, this tropical paradise has something for everyone.

Hawaii Luxury Listings is the leading brokerage selling luxury villas at Kolea – a resort inside the famous Waikoloa Beach Resort community, located just 20 minutes from the Kona airport. Kolea is one of the only truly beachfront residential and condo resorts along the Kohala Coast and features an exquisite infinity pool at its Beach Club, along with direct beach access to the stunning Anaeho’omalu Bay.