Luana

The Heart of Community

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and Koa Ridge, a master development by Castle & Cooke, lives up to the saying by providing residents with plenty of backdrops for building and maintaining relationships. This neighborhood boasts a suburban feel but includes all of the amenities you would expect from developments in larger cities. Personally, I appreciate the Luana phase for its unique paired condominiums and the inclusion of numerous optional upgrades to better customize the home for the owner.

Luana is the second home series of Koa Ridge and offers easy access to desired destinations. The Koa Ridge development is meant to include all of your basic needs, from grocery stores to restaurants to community centers. There are also plans for a medical center to be built right inside the community. Need to get somewhere outside of the development? TheBus public transportation system has a rail station within Koa Ridge.

Some of the design features of Koa Ridge that help promote community are the inclusion of large meeting areas throughout the development. For example, the center of the community features the Hale Lau Koa (House of Koa leaves), an establishment utilized for community activities, such as Hawaiian storytelling and cultural events.

There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants scattered throughout the community to give you plenty of places to meet up with old friends and make new ones as well. Residents will also enjoy the active community center, which can be rented out for events and also hosts yoga and ukulele classes.

One of the major aspects of the culture of Luana (and of Koa Ridge, in general) is appreciation for the environment and for historical tradition. Luana homes include many energy efficient facilities, such as solar water heaters, Energy Star dishwashers, and outlets for electric vehicles in each garage.

The development is set up in a manner that promotes pedestrian mobility, with a 7.5 mile Ho‘ala Trail that connects different parts of the community. I appreciate that this trail is separated from the road in order to protect walkers and bikers from cars. Residents will see flora that is native to the area, as the developers have placed emphasis on preserving the historical botany. In fact, Castle & Cooke has made the commitment to plant a new Koa tree for every home that is purchased in Koa Ridge.

Living at Luana

The Luana phase of homes is made up of paired condominiums. These homes are comparable to your traditional duplex in that 2 units share 1 wall and roof. Luana offers 3-4 bedroom units with 2.5 bathrooms. These units range in size from 1,110 square feet to 1,396 square feet of living area.

Some of the common features among the different Luana homes are the covered entries and lanais that can be seen outside of each unit. These homes also include split-system air-conditioning to keep you cool on the hot summer days. Floor plans are open-concept in style and include 9-foot ceilings and extra storage space.

When looking at the exterior features of this building phase, there are options for 4 different color schemes so that you can customize your home to fit your style. The homes are made up of StoQuik cement board stucco siding, and some units also incorporate brick accents. Homeowners can rest assured that their investment will be protected with a 30-year warranty on the HardiePanel and HardiePlank fiber cement siding. There is also a 30-year limited lifetime warranty on the roofing shingles.

In particular, one of my favorite outdoor features also affects the indoors—the dual-glazed vinyl windows provide extra insulation to keep the temperature of your home where you want it. I also appreciate the privacy fencing and modern, steel garage doors, which provide additional privacy when you need a break from the interconnected community.

Taking a Step Inside

I love the anterior portion of the Luana homes because there are options for customization and upgrading features. The units include unique Smart Home features, including Smart garage control and an Alarm.com doorbell. The QOLSYS Smart Home Panel provides options for integrated control of different portions of the home, such as door locks and lighting.

The kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and entry areas are all lined with contemporary sheet vinyl, while the living room, bedrooms, and storage rooms feature wall-to-wall carpets. In the bedrooms, you’ll find mirrored wardrobe doors and options for closets with organizational shelves included. The master bedroom (as well as the kitchen) includes USB/USB-C ports for charging devices.

In the kitchen, you’ll find stainless steel appliances. Homes come with a Whirlpool range/oven with a hood fan and a dishwasher. The Kohler double compartment sink provides that extra space you need for meal preparation and cleaning. Depending on the unit, the kitchen island or kitchen peninsula includes modern pendant lighting. The countertops are LG solid surface, and the backsplash of ceramic tiles ties the whole kitchen together.

Looking to further customize your home? Luana offers optional upgrades to help make your home more unique to you. Buyers can upgrade to quartz and granite countertops for a sophisticated look. There are also options for upgrading the cabinets (in terms of both style and color scheme), and the kitchen and bathroom tiles can be customized as well. You may opt to include a built-in beverage center or other types of organizational structures to help keep your home neat and use your space most efficiently.

Interested in purchasing a Luana home? Prices start in the low $700,000s for these beautiful and versatile homes. Just one of the housing phases of Koa Ridge, Luana rests in an excellent location surrounded by green space and plenty of things to do with the whole family.