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    An Oceanfront Compound in Hawaii Once Owned by a Rothschild Hits the Market for $32.5 Million

    When you live in a place like Hawaii, it doesn’t get much better than a sun-drenched beach in your backyard.

    Located in Kailua on the east coast of O’ahu, a tropical compound has hit the market for $32.5 million with Brandon Kim of List Sotheby’s International Realty. Built in 2001, the oceanfront residence was previously owned by Harry Rothschild of the Rothschild banking family. According to property records, he offloaded the property in 1987 for what today seems like a bargain price of $1.2 million. During his occupancy, Rothschild, who passed away in 2015 in Honolulu, gave the estate its enduring moniker, Kai Moena, or The House of the Resting Sea.

    The compound includes more than 250 feet of beach frontage.

    HET Productions/List Sotheby’s International Realty, Hawaiiv

    The almost 1.4-acre oceanfront spread comprises two subdivided parcels with a total of close to 15,000 square feet of living space, with 10 bedrooms and eight full bathrooms (plus three powder rooms) split between the two homes. Between the two parcels, the compound has more than 255 feet of beachfrontage, so you’re never far from sticking your toes in the sand. Both abodes are decked out with soaring vaulted ceilings and natural flagstone flooring, making for seamless indoor-outdoor living, and there are many traditional Hawaii design elements too, including rich tropical mahogany and bamboo. 

    RELATED: Kelly Slater’s Hawaiian Hideaway Hits the Market for $20 Million

    The plush pad also packs plenty of perks. “It’s like your own mini Four Seasons Resort,” Kim told Mansion Global. Along with a lagoon-style pool with cascading waterfalls, which is the perfect place to soak up those stunning Aloha State sunsets, some of the other standout features include a private fitness center, a dedicated massage room, a dry sauna, and a movie theater. If you’re more of the active type, there’s also an oceanfront tennis court.

    There are 10 bedrooms divided between the property’s two homes.

    HET Productions/List Sotheby’s International Realty, Hawaii

    For years, A-listers and high-net-worth shoppers have been flocking to Hawaii and buying up land across the state. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been building himself a survivalist-style compound in Kauai dubbed Koolau Ranch, estimated to be worth an eye-watering $270 million once complete. The tech billionaire has already dropped $170 million in land purchases alone and plans to shell out an additional $100 million in building costs. When it’s finished, the property will feature two homes, a secret tunnel that leads to a bunker, a gym, multiple pools, and 11 treehouses.

    RELATED: An Artist’s Honolulu Home Hits the Market for $9.3 Million

    At the same time, Oprah Winfrey is considered one of the biggest landowners in Maui, and last year she added another plot to her expanding Hawaii real estate portfolio. The mogul purchased a sprawling 870 acres in Kula for $6.6 million, adding to the more than 100 acres she already owned. The property is a former equestrian ranch and is where the TV titan now grows her own fresh fruit and vegetables. 

    Click here to see more photos of Kai Moena. 

    HET Productions/List Sotheby’s International Realty, Hawaii

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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    Kelly Slater’s Hawaiian Hideaway Hits the Market for $20 Million

    Always wanted to live like a surfing legend—specifically, a pro shredder with countless accolades under his board? Now’s your chance, because the picturesque Hawaiian spread that Kelly Slater has owned for the past several years has just popped up for sale on Oahu’s north shore, as was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

    The asking price is an impressive $20 million—or around $12 million more than the 11-time champ doled out for the beachfront digs seven years ago, back in spring 2017. Acquired largely for personal reasons—he fondly remembers crashing at a nearby house with teen surfing buddies in the 1980s—Slater has long floated the place on the rental market, once for as much as $80,000 per month.

    Sited amid a gated parcel spanning just over a half-acre, alongside one of the most sought-after streets in the Haleiwa area, the property was built in the early 2000s, and offers a main home and pair of guesthouses—for a total of six bedrooms and eight baths sprawled across a little more than 7,600 square feet of Asian- and Hawaiian-infused living space, all with access to 101 feet of secluded shoreline.

    The beachfront compound has a pool, two-story guesthouse and three-car garage topped by a studio apartment.

    Christoff Molesworth/Pacific Shoots

    Though interior photos are scarce, previous listings show the primary dwelling is showcased by a soaring living room displaying an open-trussed ceiling, a curving hardwood staircase tucked off to the side and glass doors spilling out to a covered lanai. Other highlights include a formal dining room, media room, and kitchen outfitted with natural wood cabinetry and an expansive island. Two bedrooms include an upstairs primary suite, which boasts an ocean-view balcony, a seating nook, walk-in closet, and bath equipped with dual vanities and a soaking tub.

    Outdoors, the garden-laced grounds host a boardwalk spanning a pond, along with an infinity pool and hot tub bordered by a grassy lawn; and topping it all off are the aforementioned ancillary accommodations, which consist of a three-bedroom guesthouse with its own kitchen and living area, plus a one-bedroom apartment resting atop the detached three-car garage. There’s plenty of Polynesian artwork left behind by a previous owner that’s reportedly part of the sale, too. 

    The 52-year-old Florida native, who told WSJ he is wrapping up what may be his final year as a pro surfer, also operates numerous business ventures ranging from a private surfing ranch to a sustainable footwear brand, and coming soon, a skin care and sunblock line. In addition to his for-sale compound, Slater and his longtime partner Kalani Miller also maintain a primary residence he calls a “small beach shack” on Hawaii‘s Banzai Pipeline reef break, plus homes in Florida, California and Australia.

    The listing is held by Paul Stukin of Deep Blue HI, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate | Southern California.

    Click here for more photos of Kelly Slater’s Hawaii house.

    Christoff Molesworth/Pacific Shoots More

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    A Hawaii Hideaway Once Owned by ‘Firefly Lane’ Writer Kristin Hannah Just Listed for $9 Million

    Always wanted to live like a celebrity—specifically, a successful and prolific novelist with countless bestselling books under her belt? Now’s your chance, because the striking Hawaii estate that Kristin Hannah once called home just popped up for sale on Kauai‘s north shore, asking a dash under $9 million.

    With three bedrooms and a matching number of baths spread across nearly 2,800 square feet of open-concept living space, the residence offers plenty of room for any like-minded writer to easily conjure up ideas in style while enjoying sweeping ocean views. Famously owned by Hannah for nearly 18 years, property records show the place was last sold for just over $7 million in spring 2021 to Aranzazu Casal, the widow of Apple software engineer François Jouaux.

    “For me, paradise begins on this pink, shell-strewn ribbon of Anini Beach,” Hannah said of her island home when it first hit the market back in 2018. “From the moment you pull into the crushed coral driveway and park under the giant palms, you feel it: a stillness that soothes the busiest soul.”

    A wraparound lanai overlooks the lush backyard and ocean beyond.

    Keani Andrade

    Built and designed by architect Norman Lacayo in the late 1990s—and tucked away on a lush half-acre parcel offering 150 feet of frontage on Anini Beach, not far from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vast compound—the multi-level structure boasts a mix of travertine and bamboo floors, high ceilings and pocketing glass doors spilling out to a wraparound lanai.

    Upon entering the antique carved-wood front door, steps lead up to a spacious living room that connects via a dining area to a gourmet kitchen boasting custom Koa cabinetry, a breakfast bar and stainless appliances. Other highlights include two downstairs bedrooms that share a bath, and an upstairs master retreat featuring an oceanfront office with a built-in desk where Hannah penned many of her novels, plus a spa-like bath sporting a dressing area, sunken tub and separate walk-in shower.

    An attached two-car garage has been transformed into a multi-purpose bonus space.

    Keani Andrade

    Elsewhere is a two-car garage that’s been converted into a lounge and recreation area; and outdoors, the picturesque backyard hosts an al fresco shower, along with a grassy swath of lawn and pathway heading directly to the sand. An added bonus: The home transfers with a coveted short-term vacation rental license.

    The lawyer-turned-writer—who bought the house with her husband Benjamin for $4.4 million back in 2003—has written numerous novels, including The Nightingale, The Great Alone, The Four Winds and Firefly Lane, the latter of which became a Netflix series starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.

    The listing is held by Amy Frazier of Hawaii Life.

    Click here for more photos of Kristin Hannah’s former Hawaii house.

    Keani Andrade More

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    Home of the Week: This $39 Million Hawaiian Compound Has 4 Homes and 150 Feet of Pristine Coastline

    This grand Hawaiian estate on Maui was certainly designed for entertaining.

    The sprawling property, located along a spectacular stretch of coastline, had long been owned by Jerry Moss, the late record producer and co-founder of A&M Records. Moss, who passed away in August 2023 at the age of 88, acquired the first part of the compound in 1995 for $2.5 million, according to the WSJ. In 2000, he purchased an adjoining parcel and later acquired another. Together, he amassed 1.4 acres. During this time, Old Makena Road was known for its rustic dirt lanes and secluded beaches. Today, the area has several mansions and beachfront properties.

    The open-plan living areas spread out over multiple levels.

    Travis Rowan

    On the market for $39 million, it’s currently the most expensive active listing in the state of Hawaii. The gated property has 148 feet of beach frontage along Po’olenalena Beach and comprises four houses, which Moss and his family built over the years. Together, there are a collective seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms in 6,352 square feet of living space. Unlike many modern-day multi-million-dollar Hawaiian compounds, the four residences are all modest in size, and each bungalow boasts an intimate vibe and indoor-outdoor living.

    Moss and his wife, Tina, whom he married in 2019, replaced the wood siding of the four homes with smooth stucco and weather-resistant ipe wood. Inside, the homes feature teak detailing and local materials, such as the stone fireplace in the main residence. Throughout the homes, there is quintessential island-style decor, like wooden paddles, tiki heads, surfboards, and ukuleles hanging along the walls.

    The covered lanai of the main residence has a particularly appealing view.

    Travis Rowan

    The main residence features an open, airy layout with vaulted, wood-beamed ceilings. There is a chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and a nearby large dining area. Down a few steps is the cozy living room with panoramic windows and perfectly framed views of the beach and Pacific Ocean. Sliding glass pocket doors open to the covered lanai with a fire pit. Upstairs is the home’s primary bedroom, which connects to a covered terrace.

    There’s also an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue off to the side of the home and a nearby outdoor dining table. A manicured lawn, sprinkled with tropical foliage and swaying palm trees, is the only thing that separates the house from a pristine stretch of beach. The lawn features sun loungers and a hammock to enjoy the postcard views on breezy Hawaiian afternoons.

    The homes are clustered together. However, each is surrounded by lush landscaping that gives it a sense of privacy. Bright flowers and native plants line the walkway between the homes. The property also features a large swimming pool with stunning ocean views, as well as an outdoor lava rock shower with a bright mosaic wall. Tiki torches illuminate the grounds at night.

    The pool overlooking the ocean.

    Travis Rowan

    According to the WSJ, Moss and his family moved to Hawaii full-time during the COVID pandemic; the family has decided to sell and create new memories elsewhere. The property is co-listed by Nancy Callahan of Coldwell Banker Island Properties and Paul Stukin of Deep Blue HI. 

    Moss, who founded A&M Records alongside Herb Alpert, oversaw an impressive roster of musicians, including Liza Minelli, Sting, Janet Jackson, Carole King, and many others. Shortly after the music industry mandarin died last year, the family also listed a Bel-Air mansion for $53 million. The home was built in 1937 and has five bedrooms and 13 bathrooms.

    Click here for more photos of 4610 Makena Road. More

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    Mark Zuckerburg Is Reportedly Building Himself a $270 Million Survivalist Compound in Hawaii

    Mark Zuckerberg is making sure that when doomsday comes, he’s prepared with an ultra-secluded, Leave the World Behind-type hideaway.

    Per a recent investigation by Wired, the Meta CEO is reportedly building himself a sprawling 1,400-acre compound in Hawaii that will comprise at least 30 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms, divided among more than a dozen different structures. According to documents obtained by the publication, the Facebook founder has already shelled out a whopping $170 million in land purchases in Kauai beginning in August 2014 and will eventually fork over at least another $100 million in building costs.

    At the center of the vast compound, called Koolau Ranch, will be two mansions sitting atop a survivalist bunker. The two residential buildings will total about 57,000 square feet and include elevators, an industrial kitchen, and conference rooms. Plans show that many of the doors throughout the home are expected to be soundproofed and operated via keypad. The dwellings will be joined by a secret tunnel that leads to a 5,000-square-foot underground shelter that’s protected behind a metal door filled with concrete. The bunker will feature its own living space, a mechanical room, and an escape hatch. The property aims to be further self-sufficient with an 18-foot-tall water tank and the ability to produce its own energy and food supplies.

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is building himself a 1,400-acre residential compound in Kauai named Koolau Ranch.

    Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

    The compound won’t, however, be all post-apocalyptic doom and gloom. Not only does it function as a comfortable family retreat, but there are plans for a wellness center that includes a full-size gym, multiple pools, a sauna, a steam room, and a tennis court. Elsewhere, 11 circular treehouses will be joined by rope bridges so that visitors can climb from one treehouse to the next without stepping foot on the ground.

    The compound’s residential structures are hidden from the road, tucked behind a six-foot wall, and monitored by round-the-clock security guards. And, due to the scope and nature of the project, anyone who works on Zuckerberg’s property signs a strict nondisclosure agreement, sources told the publication. “For a private project to have an NDA attached to it is very rare,” a local construction official explained to Wired.

    Whether the tech billionaire will use Koolau Ranch as a part-time or full-time family retreat is still unknown. However, the magazine reported that he’s already hosted two different corporate events at the compound, so its charms, luxuries, and secrets may not stay so secret for long.

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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    A Former Hollywood Filmmaker Just Relisted His Custom Hawaii Getaway

    Almost a year after it first hit the market with a $24 million price tag, a just-like-new residence near Hanalei Bay, on the sought-after North Shore of the Hawaii island of Kauai, has popped up for sale again. But you’ll still need a substantial chunk of change to pick up the custom-built bungalow, which is now listed for $18 million.

    Scott Sloan—who previously owned a Los Angeles film production company, and is most known for the independent features Dog Gone Love, Steaming Milk, and Jack and Jill vs. the World—and his wife Brittany, acquired a three-quarter-acre property for $2.8 million some 10 years ago. The Santa Barbara-based couple then subdivided the lot, renovated and sold an existing structure known as the “Bounty House” for $3.5 million in 2018, and enlisted California architect Kevin A. Clark to craft a new four-bedroom, five-bath vacation house for them on the remaining half-acre of land.

    The home’s gracious outdoor space is highlighted by custom Ipe-wood decks and railings.

    Travis Rowan Photography

    Completed in October 2022, the board-and-batten and corrugated copper-roof structure is nestled amid a double corner lot, just steps from world-class surf breaks, beaches, hiking trails, and the shops and restaurants of Hanalei Town. Tucked away behind automated tropical hardwood gates and a lava rock wall, the stylish abode has a little more than 3,700 square feet boasting wide-plank oak floors, high ceilings, wood-paneled walls and loads of built-ins throughout, plus Lutron lighting, audio-visual, solar and Tesla Powerwall systems. There’s also more than 1,000 square feet of outdoor space adorned with Ipe-wood decks and railings.

    Especially standing out is an open-concept great room featuring a soaring living room with an integrated entertainment center and sliding glass doors spilling outside. A dining area with a built-in banquette connects to the kitchen, which is outfitted with custom cabinetry, white marble countertops, an expansive eat-in island, and high-end Miele, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances.

    The living room rests beneath a vaulted ceiling and has sliding glass doors leading outside.

    Travis Rowan Photography

    Elsewhere is a primary bedroom suite displaying a sitting area and walk-in closet, as well as a spa-inspired bath flaunting dual vanities, a huge granite soaking tub and access to an open-air rainfall shower for two people. Topping it all off are lush professionally landscaped grounds overlooking picturesque mountain vistas, and hosting a custom “spool” with an electric cover and wraparound lanai sporting a built-in Kalamazoo grill, along with an attached single-car garage.

    Sold fully furnished, complete with indoor/outdoor artwork, the turnkey home is being offered by Neal Norman of Hawaii Life.

    Click here for more photos of Scott Sloan’s Hawaiian retreat.

    Travis Rowan Photography More

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    Forget Vacation Homes. These Luxe Alternatives Give You Second—or Third—Residences Without All the Paperwork

    If you’ve been looking to buy a vacation home in the past decade, it may have crossed your mind that a fractional or club-based alternative might be a viable and attractive alternative option. Proponents suggest it offers the ideal compromise: all the upside of having a second or third home, with none of the admin or paperwork to keep it operational. But the various approaches can be confusing, and it seems almost deliberately muddled, with overlapping terminology and complementary, yet distinct, business models. So here, a pithy primer for anyone considering a part-time home away from home. 

    Residence Clubs

    Timbers Resorts

    The earliest incarnation of luxury fractional residences was this model, which derives from the time-share concept. Think of it more like a plug-and-play second home for your annual vacation. Typically, a residence-club developer will build several properties in a desirable, well-known location—Hawaii, perhaps, or Tuscany—bundling ample services and amenities alongside the units. It will then sell the right to stay there for several weeks per year to multiple shared owners, who each receive a deeded interest in that specific unit. Some schemes allow you to trade those weeks with other owners, but you’ll usually return to the same property repeatedly. 

    Key Players: Timbers Resorts, Pacaso Best For: Traditional second homers 

    Destination Clubs

    Inspirato

    The destination club emerged a decade or so ago and could be thought of as the more youthful sibling of the residence-club model. “Younger consumers are less motivated by owning than by flexibility, variety, and different experiences, so some are deciding that owning something in perpetuity doesn’t always make a lot of sense,” says Richard Ragatz, president of Ragatz Associates, a consulting firm in the resort real-estate industry. Rather than locking owners in with an equity stake, these operate more like passport-powered country clubs with an initiation fee and annual dues; there might be occasional surcharges for particular overnights, too. “You have no equity, but you have access to great vacation homes as well as access to hotels or trips like Antarctica or a safari,” says Nick Copley, a shared-ownership expert who runs SherpaReport. “Whatever the annual spend, though, it’s a sunk cost with no equity accruing year on year.” 

    Key Players: Inspirato, Exclusive ResortsBest For: Adventure-minded younger families 

    Equity Clubs

    Equity Residences

    This investment-minded alternative acts as the vacation world’s answer to a real-estate investment trust. An operator will create a fund, much like a VC, and offer individuals the chance to invest, say, $300,000 for one share. The fund will use those monies to buy up to 15 properties, all of them wholly owned and operated by a management company; each share confers the right to stay for three weeks per year at any of the locations. At the end of an agreed period, perhaps a decade, the fund will begin to sell its homes and divide the spoils among its investors. “There should be a financial return if the managers have done a good job, though I haven’t seen hard numbers on ROI,” says Copley. “They take on board investor feedback. But make sure, if it’s an up-and-running fund, that where they said they intend to buy jells with where you want to travel.” 

    Key Players: Equity Residences, Equity Estates Best For: Real-estate speculators with wanderlust 

    Other Options

    21-5

    Keep an eye on another approach that takes the equity club even further, reshaping it more in the image of a Manhattan co-op. With the rather literal approach of 21-5, a Danish company, 21 families pool their resources to buy five places in different destinations—an Alpine ski lodge, perhaps, or a beachfront villa in Greece—and make equal investments; each family is able to spend 12 weeks per year total at these homes. They have control over the investment and can collectively decide when to liquidate a property and replace it with a new home elsewhere. It has successfully operated in Europe since 2011, with more than 1,200 families participating. The recently launched GoForth, founded by a veteran of the equity-club space, Adam Capes, hopes to popularize the idea among Americans using a similar model. 

    Key Players: 21-5, GoForthBest For: Hands-on homeowners keen on complete control  More

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    Kris Kristofferson’s Sprawling Northern California Ranch Hits the Market for $17.2 Million

    Country superstar Kris Kristofferson has placed his Northern California ranch of almost 40 years on the market. Nestled on 557 lush acres outside of Elk, about three hours north of San Francisco, the retired singer-songwriter recently listed the sprawling oceanfront compound for a cool $17.2 million, The Wall Street Journal first reported.

    Kristofferson originally bought the ranch in 1980 and, over the decades since, has leased a good chunk of the land for cattle grazing, which shouldn’t really come as a surprise. He is a Texas native, after all.

    Kris Kristofferson put his Northern California ranch up for sale

    Anthony Wells/Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty

    “The ranch has always been a place of creativity and inspiration,” the A Star Is Born actor told the newspaper. Dating back to the 1800s, the legacy ranch began as a dairy farm and still includes some of the original structures. In addition to the 2,400-square-foot barn that Kristofferson and his wife used as a vacation house, there is also a 1,900-square-foot ranch house, a dairy barn, and a feed barn, all of which are in need of a little TLC.

    Listed for $17.2 million, the compound includes original buildings from its beginnings as a dairy farm

    Anthony Wells/Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty

    As it stands, the property features 300 acres of open pasture and approximately 250 acres of forestland that are dotted with old-growth redwood and fir trees. Offering up a mile of Pacific Ocean frontage, the property sits right below Devils Basin. Given the scale and location, there’s a possibility that the land could be subdivided or even expanded upon. “I grew up here, and this property, in a lot of ways, is steeped in history,” Justin Nadeau of Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty told the WSJ. “Nobody has seen a property like this one come to market.”

    The property measures over 550 acres

    Anthony Wells/Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty

    Kristofferson and his wife still own another home in Hawaii, on Maui, which has become their main residence. As for the ranch, Nadeau added at the time of the listing that the couple feels like “it’s time to let it go and move on.” 

    Click here to see all the photos of The Kristofferson Ranch. 

    Anthony Wells/Mendo Sotheby’s International Realty More