Buy a Home in Kona With a Kona Born Realtor

Maile Woodhall (pronounced Miley) helps buyers find homes, condos, estates, and land across Kona and West Hawaiʻi, from a first condo in Kailua-Kona to an oceanfront estate at Hualālai or Kūkiʻo. She was born and raised in Kona and works with The Agency Team Hawaii, brokered by eXp Realty.

Buyers get a Kona native who knows what the land is telling you: lava zones and insurance, leasehold and fee simple, shoreline setback, catchment and County water, solar, septic, private roads, condo association rules, vacation rental rules, and the membership terms in each private club community. Buying from the mainland or overseas is normal here, and most of the work happens before you ever fly in.

Get the free Kona buyer’s guide below, or call or text (808) 482-5800 to set up a custom search. Hawaiʻi REALTOR RS-88019. The Agency Team Hawaii, brokered by eXp Realty, RB-21841.

Your Kona Buyer's Agent

A buyer's agent works for you, the buyer, not the seller. As your Kona buyer's agent, Maile Woodhall finds homes that fit what you want, checks each property before you make an offer, writes and negotiates your offer, and stays with you through inspection, escrow, and closing.

She helps buyers of homes, condos, luxury estates, land, and working farms across Kona and West Hawaiʻi. She also works with buyers on every island, on the mainland, and overseas through eXp Realty. Video tours make it easy to start from far away.

Call or text (808) 482-5800 to talk about what you want. Maile Woodhall, REALTOR, RS-88019. The Agency Team Hawaii, brokered by eXp Realty, RB-21841.

Kona Condo Buyer's Agent

Buying a condo in Kona? Maile Woodhall helps buyers find condos in Kailua-Kona, Keauhou, along Aliʻi Drive, and in the resort areas of West Hawaiʻi.

Before you make an offer, she looks at the monthly HOA fee, the reserves, the house rules, and whether the building allows vacation rentals. Some Kona condos sit on leased land, so she checks fee simple or leasehold too. Once you are in contract, you get the association documents and time to read them.

Call or text (808) 482-5800 to start a Kona condo search. Maile Woodhall, REALTOR, RS-88019. The Agency Team Hawaii, brokered by eXp Realty, RB-21841.

Tell Maile What You Want in a Kona Home

Fill out this short form and Maile Woodhall will send homes that fit what you want. She helps buyers on any island, on the mainland, and overseas through eXp Realty. Or call or text (808) 482-5800.

Maile Woodhall, R(S) RS-88019. eXp Realty, RB-21841. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.

How Buying a Home in Kona Works

Buying in Kona has a few steps you may not see on the mainland. Kona born Realtor Maile Woodhall walks you through each one.

Step 1. Talk first. Tell Maile what you want, where, and your price range. Live far away? Video tours work well, and many buyers close without flying in.

Step 2. Check the land. Is it fee simple or leasehold? Which lava zone is it in? Is the water from the County or from catchment? Maile looks up each one before you make an offer.

Step 3. Make an offer. Hawaiʻi uses a standard purchase contract. Maile explains it line by line.

Step 4. Open escrow. A neutral escrow company holds the money and the papers. Hawaiʻi closes through escrow, not through an attorney.

Step 5. Inspect. You get a set number of days to inspect the home and read the seller's disclosures. For a condo, you also get the association documents and time to review them.

Step 6. Close. You can sign with a notary where you live. Escrow records the sale and the keys are yours.

Want to know the monthly cost first? Use the free monthly cost tool on this page. It does not quote a loan rate, so ask a lender for that.

Call or text (808) 482-5800. Maile helps buyers in Kona, on any island, and on the mainland through eXp Realty. Maile Woodhall, REALTOR, RS-88019. The Agency Team Hawaii, brokered by eXp Realty, RB-21841.

Kona Buyer Questions

Should I buy in a club community or a private estate?

A club community like Hualālai, Kūkiʻo, Kohanaiki, or Hōkūliʻa comes with shared amenities, dues, and its own rules. A private estate gives you more land and privacy with no club rules. Many buyers tour both before they decide.

What is the difference between leasehold and fee simple?

Fee simple means you own the home and the land. Leasehold means you own the home or condo but lease the land for a set number of years. Ask how many years are left and what the lease rent is. A lender can tell you how a lease affects a loan.

Can I buy a Kona home from the mainland?

Yes. Offers are signed online, Maile attends inspections and walks you through them by video, and closing papers are signed with a notary where you live.

What lava zone is Kona in, and does it affect insurance?

Most of Kailua-Kona, Keauhou, and Holualoa are in Lava Zone 4, and parts of South Kona are in Zones 2 and 3. Zone 1 is the highest hazard. The zone can affect which insurers will cover a home and what it costs, so check the zone by the property's tax map key and get an insurance quote before you make an offer.

Does every Kona home have County water?

No. County water serves the developed parts of Kona, but some homes collect rain in a catchment tank instead. Ask which one a home has before you make an offer.