Waikiki
Known in Hawaiian as “spouting fresh water” because of the streams that once separated Waikiki from the interior of Oahu, this community was originally a hotspot for Hawaiian royalty. The first recorded history begins in 1790 when Kalanikupule, the chief of Oahu, hijacked a ship to start an attack against Kamehameha I. This began the battle of Nuuanu Pali when Kamehamela defeated Kalanikupule and took control of Oahu.
In the late 1800s King Kalakaua invited famous guests to his private beach house, such as Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote many novels on Oahu. It became a vacation destination for the rest of the world in 1901 when its first hotel, the Moana Surfrider, was built at Diamond Head. Due to the area’s extreme swampiness, which caused serious mosquito problems, the swamp was replaced with the Ala Wai Canal in 1921. At that time more hotels were built, confirming Waikiki as a destination for wealthy tourists.
Located on the South Shore of the island, Waikiki extends from the Ala Wai Canal, which was dug to drain former wetlands, on the west and north, to Diamond Head on the east. The community is home to the “Father of modern surfing,” Duke Kahanamoku, who won Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle in 1912 and 1920. He later became a Hollywood actor and helped spread the popularity of surfing and the spirit of Hawaii around the world. The statue of him at legendary Waikiki Beach is a symbol of the community.
Today, Waikiki is populated with a plethora of high-rises and resort hotels. The beach is fairly short and the surf there is known for its long rolling break, which makes it perfect for any type of surfing. Though Waikiki is known as a great vacation destination, thousands of residents call it home, primarily in high-rise condos and apartment buildings that offer unparalleled ocean and mountain views, and amenities such as pools and barbecue stations.
Offering great views of the Honolulu skyline, Waikiki residents also enjoy world-class shopping, entertainment, and dining on the main strip of Kalakaua Avenue. Other Waikiki attractions are the Waikiki Aquarium, as well as the nearby Honolulu Zoo and the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. Waikiki is also adjacent to the Ala Moana Shopping Center, known as the world’s largest open air shopping center, and just a short distance to the specialty stores and theaters of Ward Centers.
Testimonials
“Working with Team Lally was fantastic! Celeste helped us to buy a new home and Adrienne and Atillio helped us to sell a home. Team Lally was responsive to all of our needs and questions. Team Lally exceeded our expectations!”
“Loved working with them! They completely understood the Military lifestyle and our needs and concerns! They were there to answer every question and help us work out any issues that came up resulting in an Excellent Sales Experience!”
“Aloha! I have worked with Adrienne for several years. She is the hardest worker and the most knowledgeable realtor I know. And there is nobody better than Team Lally when it comes to Short Sales! That’s why I used her! Her Team sold my home! And they make it easy with their outstanding team! And their marketing is 2nd to none! I highly recommend Adrienne and Team Lally!!”
“I purchased my home as a single woman nearly 10 years ago in what I call a “big girl moment”. I improved it over the years, and then decided to move home to the mainland to be closer to my family. I was referred to Team Lally, and much differently than other agents I was referred to, they called me immediately, providing a full scope of their services, which is impressive. I liked the fact that they had me meet them in their office, outside the potentially emotional environment of my home. This is business, after all! My home was first shown on June 10 and closed at a handsome price on August 30. Wow. These guys communicate regularly by phone, provide excellent service via email and while closing the sale I experienced the best possible service. Were I to contemplate moving back to Hawaii, Team Lally would be my first call!”
“Adrienne and Howard and their team were amazing for us. We both bought and sold our home thru them, and they helped us through every step, every time. They were understanding, knowledgeable and professional. they made what would have been a grueling process easier, and I can say how much we appreciate all their hard work! Highly recommend!!!”
“Adrienne, Attilio, and Howard worked hard and patiently to get my condo sold. Despite working through hours where it was difficult to reach me in Boston. Their phone calls, emails, and use of the docusign system set the stage for the sale in a tough market. Thanks once again for your helpfulness and professionalism.”
“When my husband and I began working with Team Lally, we thought we were in an impossible situation. We had been working with our then current realtor for more than a year and to no avail. The short sale on our condo proved to be too much for her. Three failed contracts later, we were finally referred to Team Lally. At this point in the process, we were very disappointed and a skeptical.To our surprise we were greeted with smiling faces and reassuring words by Adrienne Lally and Attilio Leonardi, however, I still remained skeptical. Then we were introduced to Howard, an Agent with Team Lally. From the start he was professional and extremely efficient and patient. He worked day and night and made me feel we were Team Lally’s only clients. I would honestly have so much anxiety with our short sale and yet every time I spoke with Howard I was put at ease. It took six months to close, but it was to no fault of our Realtors but due to our Mortgage Company (GreenTree) dragging their feet and playing hardball. The entire process was made easy with Team Lally steering us. Howard’s communication and explanations in all of this is what made it straightforward. Whether via email or telephone, I felt informed of the whole process. Again, I honestly at one point thought we were his only clients. Thank you Howard. Team Lally is EXCELLENT! They used every avenue to promote our property, from the internet like Zillow and Trulia to mailings to magazines. They took a disappointing …
“Adrienne was very in tune to my desires to sell my property. I was losing money on it and even though I didn’t do a short sale, she was very much prepared in advising me of all of my options. We sold the property for what I was hoping to get for it and the process was smooth and as painless as possible. She was always available to answer my questions and I couldn’t have had a more professional team helping me out.”
“Adrienne and her team were immediately responsive to my inquiry about their services and very thorough from the beginning. They applied their expertise through the listing, sale and close of my home at a high level of satisfaction for me. The sale of my home closed in just under 3 months. I moved out of state and felt they did an excellent job of communicating with me as an absentee seller.”
“We interviewed three different Realtors and we Team Lally were incredibly organized and impressive. We hired them to help us find a home in Hawaii. They had such great local knowledge and incredibly responsive. True Professionals!! Unfortunately, my job situation changed and we ended up not buying a home, but if we are coming back we know who we would work with. Team Lally is #1 in our book!”