Your Villa Magazines Desert Cities August - September 2020

R E A L E S T A T E & R E N T A L Kauai had only 21 total cases in a population of almost 72,000 people. The local officials quickly and efficiently in-acted shelter in place. By the end of May, Kauai had no active cases for five weeks and was able to open their economy, on a trial basis, while we had no idea what to plan for our businesses in California. Kauai’s local officials communicated status and goals to the population every day, as well as encouraging the population to maintain their physical and mental health and safely go outside, exercise, stay healthy, and go to the beach (not in groups). I doubt it was a coincidence that outdoor public works projects employing numerous people were also happening during this time. Tourism was virtually halted, but there was a clear voice of compassion and assistance programs for those not working. Extreme measures were put in place to ensure that all visitors followed a very strict 14 day quarantine, and every effort was made on enforcement reassuring the commitment to public safety, including single use hotels keys well as a very visible national guard making sure no one arrived in any airports undetected. Utilizing extraordinary communication, it genuinely felt as if everyone truly was in this together and the island was united in keeping the population safe while opening the economy. Is Kauai one of the safest places on Earth? WHAT MAKES KAUI UNIQUE? The “Garden Island” is exactly that. Its rainforests are rimmed by almost impenetrable mountains, the island’s interior has defied “civilization” and 97% of its land is composed of undeveloped mountain ranges and rainforests. Kauai has the highest number of endemic plant species in the Hawaiian Archipelago with 140 of them are listed as federally endangered. It also has 43 miles of beaches, the most per coastal mile of any of the island chain. Local codes prohibit buildings over four stories, and the permanent residents, most of whom live in small communities along the coast, prefer to keep it that way. Massive waterfalls, huge exotic tropical plants and orchids, hundreds of beautiful birds, and a temperature in the 70s and the 80s are part of daily life year-round. HISTORY, CULTURE & GEOGRAPHY What made Kauai so responsive in the face of uncertainty? Some of that may be found in the political and historical culture and a government that falls largely in the hands of the native population as opposed to primarily representing business, corporations, and private interests. Kaua‘i is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands and lies to the north of them. It is estimated to be 5.1 million years old. Separated from O‘ahu by a 60-mile-wide channel, Kaua‘i was geographically isolated from the rest of the island chains allowing Kaua‘i to develop a distinctive native Hawaiian culture and dialect and protected them from attack until Western contact changed the lives and the culture and people of Kauai forever. Historical events, many of them painful, resulted in consciousness of land ownership, political activism, women’s and immigrants rights, and maintaining some control of their economic and political systems, ahead of much of the world. This separation today and distinct culture now protects its inhabitants not only in its remoteness but also lack of over-development, and nimbleness of a compassionate self-governing community. LONGEVITY, HEALTH, AND LIFESTYLE According to The Commonwealth Fund 2019 Scorecard on State Health System Performance evaluating access to care, quality of care, health outcomes and health disparities across the US, Hawaii has remained number 1 in overall ranking despite having 22% of the population below the federal poverty level. Hawaiians make it to the ripe old age of 81.3 and Hawaii was rated #1 “U.S. States Where People Live the Longest”. Ample physical activity and access to fresh locally grown food constitute the two main components of typical island lifestyle on Kauai. There have been numerous studies demonstrating that traditional foods in the Hawaiian diet provide protection against viruses, bacterial infections and chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and inflammatory conditions. Some of the best turmeric in the world is grown here and can be shipped to the mainland. SecretBeachOrganics.com I do have to mention that I had some hesitation in writing this article. Despite my love and passion for Kauai, I did not want to oversimplify local complex issues or to mis-speak on the perspectives of Native Hawaiians or life-long residents. Additionally, if you are ready to book a flight today to visit, be a little patient. It may be a while before tourism returns to normal. If you are looking to potentially move here, be part of the solution not part of the problem. There is a reason that numerous people who could live anywhere own or owned property on Kauai... Michael Crichton, Julia Roberts, Glenn Fry, Graham Nash, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Will Smith and Mark Zuckerberg are among them. http://hanaleihonuhale.com/ https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/36634839?source_impression_id=p3_1590180336_TXyGUUarMFV9u2Nx&guests=1&adults=1 https://www.hawaiilife.com/benwelborn/listings/5156-weke-rd-hanalei-hi-96714-2 Real Estate and Rental Information By Charissa Farley-Hay 20 | YourVilla Magazine