All the Right Moves

HENRY HOUGHTON

STEP BY STEP, HUALĀLAI MAKES IT FUN AND EASY TO BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME.

BY SAMANTHA BROOKS

Building a home from the ground up can be daunting, but at Hualālai, it’s just the opposite. Across hundreds of acres near the lava-rock-edged, whitesand-speckled Kona coast, a select group of homeowners—those who extol the resort’s rare beauty and feeling of community—have created custom residences without the headaches that can accompany such a process. The secret to their success is Hualālai’s team of experts, who make each step simple and enjoyable. In that spirit, we offer the following quick guide, from the foundation to the furnishings, for making oneself blissfully at home.

1. EXPERIENCE HUALĀLAI

“Homeownership here begins with guests visiting the hotel multiple times,” says Jay Uyeda, Hualālai Resort’s director of development. “They come to love the [Four Seasons] because it’s not a typical hotel structure.” Prospective homeowners immediately understand that this isn’t a typical resort community either. From luxe townhomes to sprawling single-family residences, Hualālai has something for every discerning buyer. Nothing, however, is more unique than a custom build. “A lot of times, they’ll start with a townhome property and then decide to look at purchasing a custom site,” says Uyeda. “Typically, people visit at least five to eight times—or more— before buying and building a custom home, which from start to finish is about a two-year process.”

2. FIND THE HOMESITE

Touring the listings with Hualālai Realty’s on-site real estate professionals helps buyers select just the right homesite. They see firsthand that the subdivisions within Hualālai are organized to maximize ocean views. “It’s not an overwhelming process to pick out a site,” says Uyeda. “Generally our homesites are priced from $2 million and up, and most of them are adjacent to the golf course and have enough vertical difference to see across the fairway and have great views of the landscape, mountains, and ocean.”

While choosing the perfect homesite, buyers usually bring in a contractor and architect. “We’re typically with the client from the purchase phase,” says Gregg Todd, president of GM Construction, a Kailua-Kona–based luxury-home builder that has worked extensively at Hualālai. “One of the things that’s great about Hualālai is that all of the sites are graded and ready to build. It shaves off a lot of time and cost.”

TRUE COMFORT Hualālai’s custom homes fulfill their owners’ every need and desire. The residence shown on this page was built by the Kailua-Kona–based firm GM Construction and features interiors by Gina Willman, whose eponymous company has designed dozens of homes at the resort.

3. DESIGN AND BUILD

Once the architect and contractor are on board, it’s time to look more deeply at the design. “We can get involved with not just the furnishings but the architectural interiors,” says Gina Willman, of Willman Interiors, who in her 20-plus years working on Hawai‘i island has designed more than 100 homes—most of them at Hualālai. She’s quick to point out the uncommon designs that are possible here, thanks to the consistently warm weather and the security of the resort community. Expansive glass pocket doors and lushly landscaped outdoor showers are only two of the options available to owners for making the most of the island’s relaxed indoor/outdoor vibe.

Uyeda also points to the almost limitless building options for those who go custom. “We have seen where buyers will purchase an acre-plus lot, or two or three lots, and then combine them to build an estate home,” he says. “One of the greatest things seen in many of the homes here is that you enter through a courtyard, and then you can see through the great room, living room, and then out to the ocean. The pocket doors open up to an expansive covered lānai. You feel immersed with the outdoors.”

Indeed, Hualālai homeowners have one of nature’s greatest canvases against which to set their personal retreat: Views to the makai (ocean) side are of the Pacific, Kuki‘o Bay, and Maui, while vistas to the mauka (mountain) side include the volcano for which the resort is named. Naturally, the Hualālai Community Association has put in place development guidelines for roof height and other aesthetics to ensure the homes’ seamlessness with their surroundings.

4. TRACK THE HOME’S PROGRESS

Owners have the option of checking on their homes throughout the design-and-build pro cess, but they never need to go out of their way. “We regularly send weekly reports with about 50 photos, including drone shots, of the house and the progression,” says Todd. “Our clients are well-informed and updated on every aspect.” Once building is complete, the home’s interior designer handles the logistics of receiving and storing the furnishings and then performs the install.

5. SETTLE IN

When the owners enter their newly finished dream home for the first time, the true feeling of being a Hualālai resident starts to set in. “Most Monday evenings, we have a reception at our Members’ clubhouses—the Ke‘olu Clubhouse or the Hualālai Canoe Club—or their favorite restaurant, Residents’ Beach House, where we invite all of the homeowners to attend,” says Uyeda. “It’s a great way to meet new and existing homeowners, as well as key staff.” Such gatherings and larger events happen throughout the year, including favorites like the annual Rock da Rock holiday bash, and there’s no shortage of other ways to get to know the tight-knit community. Whether with a round of golf on the Members-only Ke‘olu Golf Course or a round of drinks at the Hualālai Canoe Club, homeowners will quickly come to know not just the place but the people who make living at Hualālai so special.

LOTS TO THINK ABOUT

Building your dream home means first finding the perfect spot. Thankfully, Hualālai Realty (hualalairealty.com) has lots to choose from, including these seven future addresses.

LOT 01, PUKA PĀ ESTATES The last available offering in the Puka pā neighborhood is this lot overlooking the 15th and 16th holes of the Members-only Keʻolu Golf Course. Views include the Pacific Ocean, Maui, and Kohala Mountain.

LOTS 11–16, PIʻIUKA ESTATES Numbered 11 through 16, these six lots in the Piʻiuka Estates enclave are some of Hualālai’s last remaining fairway-fronting, ocean-view lots. They are set along the 14th hole of the Members-only Keʻolu Golf Course and are sited to take advantage of the cool breezes and vistas of the horizon, Maui, and Kohala Mountain. Easily accessible via a short golf-cart ride are the resort’s amenities and shoreline activities, plus the Members-only Keʻolu Clubhouse. —S.B.