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Oprah snaps up another 870 acres on Maui for $6.6M – amid anger over megarich takeover

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Oprah snaps up another 870 acres on Maui for .6M – amid anger over megarich takeover


Oprah Winfrey has snapped up 870 acres of picturesque land on the Hawaiian island of Maui – including to her burgeoning portfolio of actual property within the Aloha state.

The TV host and leisure mogul, 69, splashed out $6.6million on the land within the Kula area, near the gorgeous ranch she already owns on the island.

Oprah’s latest buy, revealed in gross sales deeds, means she now owns round 1,000 acres of land on Maui. 

She reportedly snapped up the brand new plots in a number of purchases: a 520 acre parcel for $3.89 million, a 330 acre parcel for $2.47 million, and two 10 acre parcels for $100,000 every.

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Oprah, whose internet value is estimated at between $2.5 billion and $3 billion, is considered one of a number of billionaires to purchase up swathes of land in Hawaii – to the frustration of some locals who say it is pricing them out of the market.

Oprah Winfrey has snapped up 870 acres of picturesque land on the Hawaiian island of Maui – including to her burgeoning portfolio of actual property within the Aloha state

The land purchased  by Oprah is close to two adjacent properties she bought in Maui in 2003 for about $5.3 million, which contained a main house and a guest house on 23.7 acres of land

The land bought  by Oprah is shut to 2 adjoining properties she purchased in Maui in 2003 for about $5.3 million, which contained a predominant home and a visitor home on 23.7 acres of land

Oprah's purchase means she now owns around 1,000 acres of land on the paradise island of Maui

Oprah’s buy means she now owns round 1,000 acres of land on the paradise island of Maui

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, the Fb founder value practically $70 billion, has been accused of making an attempt to ‘colonize’ the paradise island of Kauai, the place he is thought to personal not less than 1,400 acres of land – greater than the native authorities.

Oprah purchased her newest plots of land from Ulupalakua Ranch, which is owned by the outstanding Erdman household. The land is agriculturally-zoned. Oprah’s intentions for the plot aren’t clear however she’s beforehand bought land to guard it from improvement, based on her web site.

About 11,000 acres of Ulupalakua land is protected for conservation – and can’t be developed – however the chunks purchased by Oprah aren’t included inside that, based on SFGate.

Oprah's land on Maui is also believed to include about 100 acres in Hana

Oprah’s land on Maui can also be believed to incorporate about 100 acres in Hana

Oprah’s hyperlinks to Hawaii return greater than a decade and he or she confirmed her love for the state in January with snaps of her mountaineering in Kauai with fellow TV star Gayle King.

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She joked she was displaying off her ‘new knees’ through the hike.

Oprah’s web site states that it was her good friend Bob who first satisfied her to buy a house within the Aloha State.

‘Besotted with the climate, the mountains, and the ocean, Bob has been visiting Hawaii for 15 years,’ it explains, including that he spent years in search of the ‘good spot’ for her.

‘He discovered it in a distant up-country area, the place the homes that dot the moss-covered rock hillside face the ocean. 

‘Bob satisfied Oprah to have a look at a close-by property on the market. He was apprehensive that some developer would possibly swoop up the land and construct condos. As a substitute, Oprah purchased the land and has no plan to construct any condos.’

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Her ranch on Maui contains two adjoining properties bought in 2003 for about $5.3 million, which contained a predominant home and a visitor home, and sat on 23.7 acres of land.

Oprah already owned land on Maui, including a luxury ranch which includes a guest house

Oprah already owned land on Maui, together with a luxurious ranch which features a visitor home

She then enlisted designer Ellie Cullman to help build her the 'ultimate Hawaii homestead,' who stripped the main house of its basic structure, raised the ceilings, installed French doors , and wrapped the entire thing with a 'wonderfully wide' porch

Designer Ellie Cullman to assist construct her the ‘final Hawaii homestead,’ who stripped the primary home of its fundamental construction, raised the ceilings, put in French doorways, and wrapped the whole factor with a ‘splendidly broad’ porch

Oprah's links to Hawaii go back nearly two decades and in January 2023 she shared a video of herself hiking on Kauai with fellow TV star Gayle King

Oprah’s hyperlinks to Hawaii return practically twenty years and in January 2023 she shared a video of herself mountaineering on Kauai with fellow TV star Gayle King

Oprah's website states that it was her friend Bob who first convinced her to purchase a home in the Aloha State

 Oprah’s web site states that it was her good friend Bob who first satisfied her to buy a house within the Aloha State

She then enlisted designer Ellie Cullman to assist construct her the ‘final Hawaii homestead.’

Cullman, together with architect Jeff Wooley, stripped the primary home of its fundamental construction, raised the ceilings, put in French doorways all through, and wrapped the whole factor with a ‘splendidly broad’ porch, which Oprah described as a ‘excellent spot to sit down and absorb the sweeping view.’

The ‘open and ethereal’ mansion is full of ‘extraordinary’ antiques which are a part of the American heritage, together with customized curtains embroidered in India.

The swathes of land owned by Oprah on Hawaii are only a small fraction of her sizeable actual property portfolio.

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Her predominant base is a 23,000-square-foot mansion in Montecito. She first purchased the luxurious house in 2001 for $52 million, and through the years, she has continued to increase the property by shopping for neighboring estates.

The controversy of millionaires shopping for up land in Hawaii was additionally highlighted in December 2021 when Mark Zuckerberg and his spouse, Priscilla, purchased 110 acres of a former sugar plantation on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

The purchase of swathes of land in Hawaii by the megarich has not been without controversy. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla, have been accused of attempting to 'colonize' the island of Kauai, where they own about 1,500 acres of land

The acquisition of swathes of land in Hawaii by the megarich has not been with out controversy. Fb founder Mark Zuckerberg and his spouse, Priscilla, have been accused of making an attempt to ‘colonize’ the island of Kauai, the place they personal about 1,500 acres of land

The Facebook founder has vowed to preserve the pristine island landscape

The Fb founder has vowed to protect the pristine island panorama

The now 1,400 estate owned by Zuckerberg on the Hawaiian island

The now 1,400 property owned by Zuckerberg on the Hawaiian island

The agricultural land contains many of the earthen Ka Loko Reservoir, which unleashed a whole lot of gallons of water in 2006 after its wall collapsed, killing seven individuals together with a pregnant girl.

The land added to the couple’s 1,300 acre $100million luxurious property, which has made them the goal of critics slamming them for making an attempt to ‘colonize’ the island.

Zuckerberg spent $116 million in 2014 on 707 acres of land, which included most of Pila’a seashore and Kahu’aina Plantation, in addition to practically 600 acres in April this 12 months for $53 million.

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The couple have been first scrutinized after they constructed a wall round his first Hawaiian actual property buy in 2014 that blocked entry to Pila’a seashore.

Zuckerberg was additionally accused by a few of making an attempt to power the tenant farmers from their historic plots, and in 2017 he apologized within the native newspaper, explaining that he was abandoning his quiet title actions and would ‘work along with the neighborhood on a brand new strategy’.

A petition was launched to ‘cease Mark Zuckerberg from colonizing Kauai’, and gained greater than 1,000,000 signatures – 13 occasions the inhabitants of the island.



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Hawaii

Trade winds to bring sunshine and windward showers this weekend

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Trade winds to bring sunshine and windward showers this weekend


HONOLULU (KHON2) — Heavy showers are moving through the islands Thursday night. The moisture is due to storm remnants from a former cold front. Trade winds are expected to push in a drier airmass into the islands this weekend, with drier than normal conditions through next week Wednesday.

Friday:

  • Expect: Trade wind showers, mainly windward and inland areas of Maui County and the Big Island.
  • Possible: Heavier showers on the Kona slopes of the Big Island.
  • Chance of: Thunderstorms around Maui in the morning and on the Kona slopes in the afternoon.

Weekend:

  • Expect: Enhanced trade wind showers, especially upstream of the Big Island and east Maui.
  • Generally: Fair weather over Kauai and Oahu.

Next Week (First Half):

  • Expect: Drier and more stable conditions statewide.
  • Possible: Brief weakening of trade winds on Monday.
  • Return of: Moderate trade winds on Tuesday.



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ALICE Report: 1 in 3 Hawaii families considering moving away

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ALICE Report: 1 in 3 Hawaii families considering moving away


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A new Aloha United Way report released today shows 1 in 3 Hawaii households considered moving away over the past year. Should the trend continue, it would have a devastating impact on our economy.

Hawaii’s high cost of living and lack of affordable housing mean more than half a million residents are barely scraping by.

That’s one of the findings from the 2024 State of ALICE in Hawaii report, which looks at the struggles of Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed households, known as ALICE.

First the good news: fewer Hawaii households are living in poverty — down to 12% versus 14% in 2022. ALICE households remained the same at 29%.

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Advocates attribute the slight drop to government programs and increased minimum wages, but also more ALICE families are leaving the islands.

“180,000 people right now are considering leaving the state of Hawaii, from our workforce, from our younger families, our Hawaiian families, and that is something that we are deeply concerned about at Aloha United Way and of course, Bank of Hawaii and Hawaii Community Foundation.” said Suzanne Skjold, COO of Aloha United Way.

These working poor make too much to qualify for government aid and live paycheck to paycheck. Many are on the brink of financial crisis.

“This is absolutely critical, because affordability and just economic well being in our state is not where we need it to be,” said Peter Ho, Bank of Hawaii CEO.

So who is ALICE? They’re likely to be women or have children.

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58% of native Hawaiians and 52% of Filipinos live under the ALICE threshold.

You’re more likely to be ALICE if you live on the neighbor islands. Maui is especially vulnerable, especially since the Lahaina fires.

“The people that are leaving hawaii are the people that can afford to leave their workforce and the people our engine. And if this continues, we’re going to have this hollow community where our engine is is just not there, right? And you’re gonna have very, very poor people, and we’re gonna have very, very wealthy,” said Micah Kane, President/CEO of Hawaii Community Foundation.

Advocates hope the report compels policymakers, businesses and community leaders to work together to reverse the trend.

“Employers will never be able to elevate wages and meet the cost of living requirements of this place,” Kane said. “Unless we come up with a host of very disruptive policies that drive down the cost of living, these people that are striking are going to leave.”

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To fill gaps in services, Aloha United Way and other nonprofits are helping ALICE families access financial stability, affordable housing and higher paying jobs.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said he plans to lobby for ALICE-focused funding during this legislative session.

“We need to own this, all of us, and so from that standpoint this data becomes the argument you put on the table when you say we have to change,” Blangiardi said.

Some ways to ease the burden on ALICE families include tax credits, safety net programs, support for caregivers, mental health resources, debt reduction programs and financial incentives.

Read the full 2024 ALICE Report here.

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Turning trash into treasure: Hawaii nonprofit expands to strengthen sustainability

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Turning trash into treasure: Hawaii nonprofit expands to strengthen sustainability


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As the debate over when and where to build Oahu’s next landfill continues, some are working toward phasing them out altogether.

Re-Use Hawaii is a local nonprofit organization that promotes sustainability and hopes to foster a circular economy through material reuse.

“The City & County of Honolulu announced plans for a new landfill, and this decision will shape Hawaii’s future in waste diversion and sustainability and directly affect our communities. At Re-Use Hawaii, we believe in less waste, more reuse,” said Executive Director Quinn Vittum.

The organization works to salvage reusable materials and return them to the community, and it’s the only licensed contractor in Hawaii providing deconstruction services.

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“We aim to reduce waste by salvaging reusable materials, providing affordable resources to the community, and supporting green workforce development,” added Vittum.

Recently, Re-Use Hawaii opened a new location at Stadium Marketplace (4561 Salt Lake Boulevard) which was formerly Sack n Save, Castle Park.

“Our new location is three times larger than the previous warehouse in Kakaako, which operated for 18 years,” said Vittum. “It took approximately 260 truckloads to complete the relocation.”

A grand opening ceremony is slated for March 1.

Re-Use Hawaii plans to host sustainable businesses and other community groups that align with their mission.

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In the meantime, the public is invited to come check out the new space Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The nonprofit said it’s planning to open seven days a week sometime in February.

To learn more, click here.



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