Best Places for Outdoor Enthusiasts to Buy an Old House

The Neighborhood
Bargains are hard to come by on the Hawaiian Islands, where waterfront home prices stride casually past the $10 million mark. But Waimea, on Kauai, offers affordable pieces of paradise—including beaches, mountains, and hikable canyons. Those arriving to work in the tourism industry, as well as nature addicts buying into the dramatic landscapes, are finding older, more reasonably priced homes in the island's flat coastal plains in and around Waimea, whose small town center has a grocery and a library.

The Houses
Rambling plantation-style homes built by sugar companies in the 1920s to house workers are the best buys here. Expertly crafted by Portuguese, Japanese, and native Hawaiian carpenters, they feature hipped, corrugated metal roofs and original double-hung windows.

The Prices
"Deal" is a relative term in Hawaii, but it's possible to score one of these properties for about $500,000.

Why Buy Now?
Many of the historic houses here are being torn down to make way for larger "vacation homes." You can stop the teardown madness by buying and restoring one now. Rest assured that your investment is safe: Home prices in Eden don't drop.

Among the best for:
Luxury Houses, Outdoor Enthusiasts