The North Shore

Pupukea

The North Shore of Oahu – the epicenter of the sport of surfing – is transformed during late fall and winter months by the north swell and big waves that set the stage for surfing competitions held there annually. These events, as well as the scenic attractions of the North Shore, are widely covered by international news media. The surfing season also generates an influx of visitors, surfers, and competitors from around the world, as well as real estate buyers expecting to find an inventory of the best that the area has to offer on the market at attractive prices.

Although sandy beaches and cresting waves may be the primary images attracting buyers to Oahu’s North Shore, there are also appealing opportunities for ownership on the hillsides, with room to roam and the ocean never far away.

Pupukea, one of the hillside neighborhoods, extends from Kamehameha Highway above Shark’s Cove to an elevation of 650 feet at the top of Pupukea Road. It includes four major subsections, Pupukea Highlands Phases One and Two, Greentree Estates, and Sunset Hills, the first of which were developed in the 1950s and 1960s.

Among the North Shore’s diverse neighborhoods, Pupukea has retained its rural atmosphere primarily due to the required minimum lot size of one-acre. The approximately 500 homes are located well above sea level, most with dramatic ocean and mountain views; many are situated in forest-like settings or landscaped with fruit trees and flower gardens. A number of working farms supply avocados, citrus, plumeria, hydroponic vegetables, and more.

Pupukea is also unique on Oahu as the only neighborhood consisting of Country Zoned parcels with a gradual slope up from bluff lots approximately 325 feet above the highway to the top of the subdivisions.

Richard Sterman, Principal Broker of Sterman Realty, which specializes in North Shore properties, bought his first parcel of land in Pupukea in 1977. Since then, he has been active in hundreds of North Shore real estate transactions representing both buyers and sellers, new developments, and property management. He says he is “passionate about Pupukea.”

“The Pupukea property we’re currently listing is a rare find,” Sterman said. “It’s a bluff-front lot in Sunset Hills with panoramic ocean and sunset views. This two-acre plus lot now has one home on it, but it could be condominiumized into two separate lots (see conceptual CPR layout above) bringing the value up to where we have it listed today…$3.1 million. The buyer could build a dream home anywhere on the bluff and sell the other lot with the house, which could have its own entrance and privacy enhanced by landscaping.”

The existing house, built in 1994, includes two bedrooms, one bath, and 1,050 square feet of interior living area augmented by a 456-square-foot lanai. The kitchen includes all major appliances and ample countertop space for food preparation. The separate multi-car garage and workshop adds another 1,032 square feet of usable covered space. Features include a solar water heating system, automatic garage door opener, split air conditioning system, cable and internet service. Utilities are underground. The property, which is landscaped and surrounded by a custom rock wall on three sides, is approached by a wide paved driveway from Makana Road.

Sterman added that Pupukea Highlands homes have access to hiking and riding trails in the immediate area and that the North Shore’s famous beaches are only a short ride down the hill. Sterman’s real estate office is just 15 minutes away in the North Shore Marketplace in historic Haleiwa town.

For more information or to arrange a showing, please contact Richard Sterman at (808) 638-8600 or Richard@Sterman.com or contact David Sterman at (808) 371-4622 or DavidSterman@Sterman.com.