All Forum Posts by: Kinohi Larey

Hi Justin! Would you mind telling us which building you've purchased in? We run a Vacation Rental Hosting & Cleaning business so we have a lot of experience with Waikiki condos. I know a few that could really have great cash flow potential even with the Lease Rent & HOA fees

Aloha Jerry! Lots of good advice from others here. Wanted to give you another option for your Hawaii property:

Ever thought about purchasing a higher end unit in Waikiki in order to Short Term Rent it?  For instance, you can spend between 700-900k on an Ilikai unit, rent it out short term for 200-300 a night depending on the season, making a gross income of around 5-7k a month (75% occupancy rate). Then whenever you plan to visit the island, you can block those dates off of your calendar and treat it like your home. 

Might be easier and more appealing than having to share a place with your renter when you’re here. Also make some cash flow  while you’re not here, as well as appreciation. 

Just a thought.  Hope the best for you! 

Btw, you would happen to be a hall of famer wide receiver would you?? Haha

-Kinohi Larey

Hi Mark! For us, we don’t use any additional agreement other than what is included in Airbnb registration services. We make sure only to accept guests who have “Government Issued ID” and have a profile picture. This gives us some peace of mind knowing Airbnb has their information in case any issues do come up. Fortunately we haven’t had any issues in any of our properties for the past couple years of hosting. Hope that helps! Aloha -Kinohi

Jin Lim Hi there! My wife and I run a small business hosting and co-hosting vacation rentals for investors in the Waikiki area. I understand what you’re looking at since soon my father will be purchasing a leasehold condo unit for cash flow as well. I’m curious which building you’re looking at and wonder if it’s the same building my dad is looking at. I’d love to chat with you and see if we can answer each other’s questions about how to Capitalize returns for leasehold units in Waikiki. P.S. I know your post was a year ago, but if you’re still in the process of analyzing a purchase, or if you need to find a reliable hosting company, PM me anytime. Thanks!

Hi Peter! My wife and I host and co-host Airbnb properties in Waikiki, and many of them do very well and provide a good return. My brother in law recently purchased a property for under 400k and it is on paces to bring in 45-55k a year (minus the expenses you mentioned). That’s a pretty good return for Hawaii, especially when considering the appreciation over time. The 2 main things in my opinion is you have to know what buildings to look for (buildings that legally allow STRs, and have high occupancy rates), and you also have to know how to run your Airbnb business correctly to be capitalizing on your returns (attractive photos, great guest communication, proper amenities provided, and most important of all-5 star reviews) When both these are done correctly, you can have a very high cash flow, a property that you can almost be sure will appreciate well over time, and a vacation spot in Waikiki for your family to enjoy! It’s a pretty sweet deal!

Hi there Sagi! My wife and I help host and co-host Airbnbs in Waikiki. From first hand experience I can tell you that there is great potential in Waikiki for high returns in the short term rental market. You just have to know what to look for, and how to run your vacation rental correctly. There are specific buildings in Waikiki that allow STRs. I have a list and can provide that info for you if you’d like. My brother in law recently purchased a unit in a short term approved building and he is on pace to make very good returns this year. Also, many of the Airbnb’s and VRBOs in Waikiki are not presented effectively. In other words, many owners might not be making great returns because of the hosting/managing aspect, not because of the property or market itself. (Ex: Bad photos, weak descriptions, bad guest communication leading to poor reviews, etc.) So because of that, I would say choosing good management could be crucial to your receiving a high ROI. Hope that helps! Message me if you wanted any more info.