As we enter 2026, many buyers and investors are asking the same question: “What is really worth owning in Hawaii right now?” The answer is becoming clearer and clearer: grandfathered residential Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) are worth a lot and will be for a long time. This is due to changing rules, rising ownership costs, and strong demand for high-quality vacation rentals.

If you’ve ever longed for the days when neighborhoods felt like real communities—where people knew one another, helped each other, and cared about the place they lived—then Puako will feel like coming home. This small oceanfront neighborhood on the Kohala Coast has always been special, but in a world where rules, regulations, and HOA mandates seem to govern every detail of daily life, Puako stands out as the last bastion of freedom between Kona and Kawaihae.