HONOLULU (KHON) – A structure that sits on a quarter acre of land on a rural part of Hawaii’s Big Island hit the market in late January for $165,000. The home is about 20 minutes away from the beach, with both ocean and mountain views.
It was an unbeatable price, seeing as the median cost of a home in Hawaii tops $1 million. But the house came with a catch: The kitchen and bathroom are outdoors.
A few weeks after it was initially posted, the asking price dropped to $159,000. But the shack didn’t sell until April 19, when it got snapped up for $160,000, according to Zillow data.
“A lot of people have been calling, asking if they can set it up as an Airbnb and with our current laws, you cannot just set it up just like that,” real-estate agent Ivory Kalber told KHON in February of the early interest. “You’d have to have had a permit, and the permitting process and window for applying for a permit has been closed now. So that’s not available.”
The previous owner built the property himself, and had been living there for about a year, Kalber said. In addition to the outdoor bath and kitchen, the owner added a lanai and an enclosed 100 square-foot bedroom. Electricity is provided by powered by six solar panel units.
Kalber had also said the property was probably more suitable for a single occupant or maybe a couple, rather than a family.
“It is roughing it, but it’s not completely roughing it,” Kalber said in February. “It’s definitely like one step up from camping.”
