From beautiful beaches to towering mountains, Hawaii is a destination dream.
With high property values and a high demand for housing, it can also be a dream for wholesalers looking for the next deal…
But as a wholesaler in Hawaii, where can you look?
Which islands are ripe for the most opportunity?
Here are what we believe are the best emerging markets for wholesalers today.
Best Markets for Wholesalers in Hawaii
Honolulu
Honolulu stands as Hawaii’s premier wholesaling market. If you’re thinking about wholesaling in Hawaii, we suggest you start with Honolulu.
Advantages:
- Strong fundamentals with median single-family home prices at $1,120,000 (up 9.7% year over year) and median condo prices at $539,500 (up 7.4%).
- Properties move quickly, with single-family homes selling in 25 days and condos in 39 days.
- The diverse economy creates consistent buyer demand from mainland investors, local flippers, vacation rental operators, and military personnel.
- Honolulu and Waikiki have the highest demand for off-market deals, driven by strong tourism and rental demand.
- The large population base ensures a steady stream of distressed properties, estate sales, and motivated sellers facing life transitions such as divorce, job loss, or relocation.
What Makes It Special:
- Honolulu’s geographic diversity creates distinct submarkets within the city. Neighborhoods like Kalihi offer working-class properties with older housing stock perfect for wholesaling, while areas like Downtown and Chinatown feature older condos and mixed-use properties with conversion potential.
- Military presence from Pearl Harbor and other installations creates consistent turnover as service members relocate, providing both seller and buyer opportunities.
- The concentration of real estate professionals, contractors, title companies, and hard money lenders makes building your wholesaling infrastructure easier than outer islands.
Ewa Beach
Located on Oahu’s leeward side, Ewa Beach represents one of the most accessible geographic markets for wholesalers targeting entry-level investors and first-time buyers seeking affordability.
Advantages:
- With median prices of $875,000, Ewa Beach offers accessible entry into Oahu ownership with steady 1.9% appreciation.
- Rapid development creates opportunities in established neighborhoods before gentrification fully takes hold.
- Good schools attract steady buyer demand from families.
- Proximity to military installations, particularly Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, ensures consistent interest from VA-qualified military families.
- Properties here often feature larger lots compared to urban Honolulu, appealing to families wanting yard space.
- New shopping centers and infrastructure improvements are driving area growth.
What Makes It Special:
- Ewa Beach’s military connection creates unique wholesaling opportunities. Service members often need to sell quickly due to deployment or reassignment, creating motivated seller situations.
- Understanding the military PCS (permanent change of station) cycle can help you time your marketing to match when families are moving.
- The transformation from rural agricultural land to master-planned communities means you can find diverse property types from older single-family homes needing updates to newer townhomes.
Waikiki
Though technically part of Honolulu, Waikiki deserves separate consideration as a distinct geographic market focused almost entirely on tourism-driven investment properties.
Advantages:
- The highest concentration of condo inventory in Hawaii creates abundant opportunities for wholesalers.
- Strong demand from vacation rental investors provides a ready buyer market for properties with income potential.
- Older high-rise buildings from the 1960s-1980s often need updating, creating value-add opportunities.
- Properties in Waikiki typically command premium rents due to tourist demand, making the investment numbers work even at higher purchase prices.
- International buyer interest from Asia and other markets adds another dimension to your potential buyer pool.
- The walkable beach lifestyle appeals to buyers worldwide.
What Makes It Special:
- Waikiki’s status as one of the world’s most famous beaches creates inherent value that transcends typical real estate cycles.
- Properties here essentially market themselves based on location alone.
- The concentration of property managers specializing in vacation rentals makes it easier to connect buyers with turnkey management services.
- Many owners purchased decades ago and may be motivated to sell due to age, inheritance situations, or desire to exit the landlord business.
- The ability to provide projected rental income data based on comparable properties makes marketing wholesale deals more compelling to buyers.
Hilo (Big Island)
Hilo represents Hawaii’s most affordable major market, creating unique opportunities for wholesalers targeting value-conscious investors and those seeking higher percentage returns on their investment capital.
Advantages:
- The Big Island showed strong momentum with median prices climbing 16.5% year over year and inventory up 30.3%.
- With median prices around $500,000, Hilo offers the lowest barrier to entry in any major Hawaiian market.
- Less competition from other wholesalers means better opportunities to find deals and build relationships with motivated sellers.
- Older housing stock, including historic plantation-style homes, provides significant renovation opportunities.
- Cash flow potential is stronger here than expensive Oahu markets, attracting buy-and-hold rental property investors.
- The University of Hawaii at Hilo creates consistent rental demand from students and faculty members.
What Makes It Special:
- Hilo’s affordability makes it ideal for wholesalers just starting out or those wanting to build volume quickly with smaller deals that are easier to close.
- The authentic Hawaiian character, with less tourism development than other areas, attracts buyers seeking genuine island lifestyle experiences rather than resort living.
- Properties with ocean views or waterfront access can often be acquired at fractions of Oahu prices, creating compelling value propositions for buyers.
- The tight-knit community means word-of-mouth reputation matters greatly — build a good reputation and referrals will follow naturally.
Kailua-Kona (Big Island)
The Kona side of the Big Island offers a completely different character from Hilo, with sunny weather and resort-style living attracting vacation rental investors and retirees.
Advantages:
- Strong tourism economy creates consistent demand for vacation rental properties.
- The desirable climate attracts mainland retirees seeking primary or vacation homes, expanding your buyer pool.
- Vacation rental income potential often exceeds Oahu due to lower property costs relative to achievable rents.
- Less expensive than Maui while offering a similar resort lifestyle.
What Makes It Special:
- Kona’s geography creates microclimates and distinct communities from oceanfront resorts to upcountry coffee farms.
- The world-famous Ironman Triathlon and Kona coffee heritage create unique marketing angles.
- Properties often appeal to lifestyle buyers making emotional rather than purely financial decisions, potentially commanding premium prices.
Waianae Coast (Oahu)
The Waianae Coast represents Oahu’s final frontier for affordability, offering the lowest price points on the island with properties often under $600,000.
Advantages:
- The most affordable geographic area on Oahu creates opportunities for budget-conscious investors.
- A higher concentration of distressed properties and motivated sellers.
- There are beautiful beaches and ocean access at accessible price points.
- There’s potential for significant appreciation as development reaches the area.
- Amd less competition from other wholesalers who may avoid the area.
What Makes It Special:
- For wholesalers willing to do the work, Waianae offers the highest potential percentage returns in all of Oahu.
- The close Hawaiian community values relationships, so building trust here can lead to deal flow other wholesalers never access.
- The area’s beaches rival any in Hawaii — buyers who understand this can acquire incredible value.
Maui Markets
Maui’s real estate market offers opportunities, though the island generally commands premium prices with single-family homes frequently exceeding $1.2 million.
Advantages:
- Strong vacation rental market with high achievable rents supports investment values.
- Limited land availability maintains property values and scarcity.
- Affluent buyer base including high-net-worth individuals and international investors.
- Multiple distinct regions from beachfront Kihei to upcountry Makawao create diverse opportunities.
What Makes It Special:
- Maui’s reputation as a premier destination creates inherent property value.
- Focus on submarkets like Kihei for condos under $800,000, Wailuku for older central Maui properties with value-add potential, and upcountry areas for unique rural properties.
- Estate situations often arise as longtime Maui owners pass properties to heirs who live elsewhere and need to sell.
Mililani (Oahu)
Mililani represents planned community living at its finest on Oahu, attracting families prioritizing schools and community amenities.
Advantages:
- Offers excellent value at $1.01 million median price with excellent schools and family-oriented community.
- Planned community with consistent architectural standards makes property valuation straightforward.
- Strong school system creates steady buyer demand.
- Active military presence ensures transaction volume.
- Community amenities including pools, parks, and recreation centers add value.
What Makes It Special:
- Mililani’s reputation as Oahu’s premier family community creates built-in buyer demand.
- Properties attract owner-occupants willing to pay premiums for school access, expanding beyond pure investor buyers.
- Focus on properties from original owners looking to downsize, estates from aging residents, and homes needing modernization to current standards.
Conclusion
There you have it: the best market for wholesalers in Hawaii today.
If you have any burning questions about the wholesaling real estate process, check out our complete guide.