Ewa Beach Real Estate
A newly transformed suburban neighborhood with a local feel.
Mililani offers a distinctive variety of single-family homes and townhouses. In 1968, Hawai’i’s only planned residential community sold its first new homes. The last of the 16,000 homes were sold in 2008 in the Mililani Mauka expansion on the plateau uplands bordering the Ko’olau Mountains. Mililani is a vibrant community with so much to offer in an active and healthy lifestyle for everyone.
Mililani is a beautiful place to live. Attractive homes, landscaped and maintained common areas, and scenic views of two mountain ranges and the ocean are just a few of the pleasing aesthetics in Mililani’s central Oahu location. Recreation centers, good schools, lots of parks, and convenient shopping centers provide the resources for a balanced lifestyle. Neighbors are friendly and helpful, and community life is thriving in Mililani.
From pineapple fields to a planned community, the early low-rise architecture was designed to maintain the country atmosphere. The first homes in Mililani Town are generally plantation and ranch styles and, later, two-story homes and townhouses. With 16,000 homes planned overall, Castle & Cooke built about 400 homes each year. Each new area offered the latest in popular single-family and townhouse architectural styles and conveniences.
Mililani Mauka construction began in 1990 with a planned 5,000 homes. Today, many lovely homes line the ridges created on Mauka’s upland terrain. Mauka also has more townhomes, in a wide variety of designs and price ranges. Only one road leads in and out of Mauka, and stores and eateries are limited to one small gateway location to maintain a quiet country ambiance.
Single-family homes in Mililani Town are averaging almost $1,000,000. The homes and lots in Mauka are generally larger, and more expensive. Mililani Mauka has the fastest growing home appreciation values in the state, and single-family homes in Mauka are averaging well over $1,000,000. Townhouses in Mauka range from $260,000 to almost $900,000.
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However, those young couples that bought in the ‘70s and ‘80s to raise a family still live in Mililani. Many new homebuyers are the children of those original residents because they know firsthand that Mililani is a great place to raise a family.
Like other communities on Oahu, Mililani has an eclectic mix of ethnicities. Many residents are from Central Oahu and trace ancestry to immigrants who worked in the sugar cane and pineapple industries. With Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army AirField close by, many military families also make Mililani home, and many return to retire here.
The Mililani Town Association (MTA) cares for the pleasant landscaping in the common areas. MTA also manages seven recreation centers (six with swimming pools, two with outdoor tennis/pickleball courts, and one with an indoor volleyball/basketball court). Swim lessons, aquatics, and tennis lessons are popular offerings. Additional activities for residents may include fitness, yoga, hula, dance, martial arts, senior and toddler programs, and residents teaching their skills in crafts and horticulture.
The City and County of Honolulu also maintains several parks around Mililani, well utilized for youth baseball and soccer and just relaxing in the park. There are also tennis and basketball courts, a gym, and skateboard parks.
Mililani has a very playable golf course with single-family homes and townhouses bordering its perimeter. The course has a popular local restaurant also.
Two of the many special happenings in Mililani are the annual Christmas parade for the keikis (kids) and the annual Obon Festival, a joyous occasion with dance and the haunting drums!
Each one has a different grocer: Foodland, Times, and Safeway. The largest center is the Town Center of Mililani, anchored by the first Walmart in the state and a movie theatre complex.
Two busy farmers’ markets supply local fresh fruits and vegetables as well as baked goods and other edibles: one on Sunday mornings and the other on Friday afternoons to early evening.
Mililani is built on the elevated central plateau. Its average elevation is 670 feet above sea level, resulting in cooler temperatures than on the coast. Tsunamis and hurricanes are not a flooding threat at this elevation. At the top of Mililani Mauka, the elevation is over 1,000 feet, with temperatures 2-3 degrees even cooler.
The year-round temperatures average between 66°(19°C) and 86°(30°C). In late summer, when the trade winds stop blowing and the light winds are from the warm south, it can be hot and humid but still cooler than on the coast.
The average monthly rainfall is rarely above 3 inches, with most rain a drizzle. In this “liquid sunshine,” rainbows are an awesome common phenomenon.
The H-2 Freeway divides Mililani Town from Mililani Mauka. It merges with the H-1 Freeway, traveling east and west. Commute time into Honolulu in rush hour is 45-90 minutes.
Many residents leave as early as 4:00 a.m. to avoid the traffic rush. Traffic tends to ease after 9:00 a.m., and on return, after 7:00 p.m. With Castle & Cooke’s new Koa Ridge planned community, now in its early stages, commute times during rush hour are expected to lengthen.
TheBus public transportation runs two express buses from Mililani to downtown Honolulu at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. TheBus also has regular hourly routes throughout Mililani.
On the other hand, the commute time to Kapolei, heading in the opposite direction of the heavy traffic flow, is much more convenient: 20-30 minutes.
Commute times to Wheeler AAF and Schofield Barracks are 10-15 minutes.
However, Town and Mauka have far fewer violent and property crimes than the national average. Many homeowners have installed state-of-the-art security systems to deter thieves.
Based on Great Schools criteria, Mililani’s public schools are rated average or above average. Mililani High School has the highest rating and is acknowledged for preparing students well for college.
Of the public schools, three elementary schools (PK-5) and the high school (9-12) are in Mililani Town. Two elementary schools (PK-5) and the middle school (6-8) are in Mililani Mauka.
One private Christian school (PK-12) serves the Mililani community. There are several private pre-kindergarten and kindergarten schools, including Montessori and Head Start.
Medical facilities are well represented in Mililani. Straub Medical Center has two locations. Queen’s Health Care Center and Access Medical Clinic also have facilities in Mililani. Kaiser Permanente Clinic Center is four miles away in Waipi’o. A health care clinic for military personnel is at Schofield Barracks.
Mililani also has a walk-in orthopedic center and three physical therapy centers.
Mililani is within 15 miles of several hospitals. Wahiawa General Hospital is about five miles from Mililani. Queen’s Medical Center West Oahu and Pali Momi Medical Center are each about 9 miles away. Around 15 miles from Mililani are Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center and Tripler Army Medical Center.
Many residents heartily support local favorite eateries, no three-star Michelin ratings, just onolicious food. There are ethnic cuisines and nationally known franchises and fast food places. There are also healthy eating options at many of the restaurants.
The Shack is one of my favorite local restaurants. The indoor-outdoor setting has a ’60s vibe with surfboards, vintage Hawai’i photos, and old vehicle license plates from all over tacked on the walls. Classic neon beer signs hang from the beamed ceiling. The bar is the only one on the town side of Mililani.
I like to go for a weekday lunch when The Shack is far less crowded, and quieter. We’ll sit on the covered lānai, and my son will chow down on the teri beef, one of the huge plate lunches. But my favorite is the oriental salad with teriyaki chicken still warm from the grill, crispy lettuce and noodles, mandarin orange slices, bean sprouts, purple onion, red and green peppers. All this with an oh-so-yummy dressing and served up in a large woven-wood bowl. I order the salad every time I’m there!
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