Located on the east side of the Big Island in the Puna District's small town of Mountain View, Fern Acres is a master-planned community boasting paved roads, utilities, a community fire station and mild tempartaures all year long. Developed in 1958, Fern Acres is well known for its proactive community association which maintains these roads, parks and facilities and provides security services throughout the region. For as diligent as they are in their community improvement projects, however, they're equally laid back when it comes to how residents use their land. Possessing neither covenants nor restrictions, Fern Acres differentiates itself from more intrusive community associations by defering only to county zoning when it comes to the types of structures built within its borders. This makes this region ideal for anyone looking to create an unconventional lifestyle for themselves while still having the protections afforded by a structured community organization.

Another nice thing about this subdivision is its distance from major cities. While removed enough to boast a quiet, small town lifestyle, it is still close enough to towns like Keeau and Hilo to make commutes to work, school or weekend nightlife quick and easy. In addition, Fern Acres is located between the towns of both Volcano and Kurtistown, meaning that supplies and groceries are never too far away. Like most of the island, it should go without saying that this region boasts incredible sites and activities, from the nearby Volcanoes National Park to waterfalls, lava field and rain forest tours. In addition, its proximity to Highway 137 gives residents of this area access to some of the most beautiful black sand beaches and stunning coastline roads in the state.

So whether you're a beach lover or are looking for a peaceful and unrestricted tropical place to live, Fern Acres is the ideal community for you.


Property Specific Notes:

• This lot is 2 acres and is located along Hibiscus Street just south of Orchid Street. Like the rest of the subdivision, there is power extending along both streets servicing nearby homes, and both roads are paved and well maintained. The subject property boasts power at the lot line, there are phone lines in the region, and hi speed internet is available through a number of providers.


• As per the original plat, this subdvision consists of two thousand 2 acre lots. This particular property is 100 feet wide (road frontage) and 871 feet deep.


• Like most master-planned subdivisions, Fern Acres has a community assocation which oversees the region and helps to initiate improvement projects and organize community events. Throughout their time, they have been responsible for the paving of the roads, the installation of utilities in the region, the placement of bus stops and the creation of a local fire department which services the subdivision.


• Unlike most master-planned communities, Fern Acres does not have any covenants or restrictions which go with the land, and instead defer to local zoning regulations. This means that you will not be subject to additional rules or restrictions when it comes to building or living on the land.


• While their annual dues of $35.00 are voluntary, Fern Acres does have road maintenance fees totaling $195.00 annually which every land owner in the region is expected to pay. For more information on Fern Acres, please vist their community association website linked here.


• Per HELCO (Hawiian Electric Light Company, website here) there are no SSPPs (Special Subdivision Power Provisions) for getting power to your property in this region. This can be a savings to the land owner of anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000.


• As indicated above, the subjet property sits within Mountain View, half way between Kurtistown and Volcano. This will allow for easy access to groceries, supplies, restaurants, schools and churches. In addition, the Volcanoes National Park (in nearby Volcano) is also very close to the subject property and will provide excellent opportunities for site-seeing and exploring.


• The subject property is located in Lava Zone 3 (of 9) and Flood Zone X. This will make getting home owner's insurance for the land and the eventual structure you build on it more affordable and easier to acquire.


• As most of the lots in Fern Acres are densely forrested combinations of ohia trees and uluhe ferns, anyone looking to build out here will first need to clear and bulldoze ("doze") the lot. This is done by obtaining a permit from the Public Works Department which is then submitted to the Fern Acres Community office. Only once that office has your Permit Number can you begin clearing the lot. Follow this link to see a video (overlong, a little boring, but very informative) of what the dozing process typically looks like in a nearby subdivision, similarly dense with forest.


• In regards finding and hiring contractors, or even talking to some in advance of purchase to better estimate building costs, The Puna Web, is a helpful online forum where you can receive recomendations from locals about who they used and how much that cost. We'd highly encourage prospective buyers to utilize this resource to learn more about the community.


• Given the tropical climate here, many residents get their water by using rainwater catchment systems. As Hawaii County averages 17 inches of rain each year, this is actually quite common in this region. The Hawaii Department of Health regulates the rules and permitting for such devices and along with local rainwater capture installation businesses would be an excellent resource for researching how this typically works. In accordance, helpful links have been provided at the bottom of this page.


• Listed at $16,000 this property is priced well below all like-type comps within this subdivision and at 2/3 of the average listing price for 2 acre lots in Fern Acres. This means the money you save on your purchase of the land today can be put toward the dream home you plan to build on it tomorrow.

Notes About Purchasing:
Financing: Anyone looking for financing should be aware that Hawaii Federal Credit Union is one of the rare lenders that offer financing for vacant land purchases. While the managers of Hemingway Land have never dealt with them personally and can not vouch for their services or lending program, we at least want to make our buyers aware that this may be a viable option for purchasing your dream property. Learn more at the Hawaii Federal Credit Union website here.

Title/Escrow Closing: For properties in this price range, we typically encourage our buyers to close through title/escrow. This can be particularly benefical to anyone looking to get title insurance for the purposes of securing a loan to build on the land. It should be noted, however, that in this circumstance all closing costs will be the responsbility of the buyer.

Attorney Closing: Anyone electing to close outside of escrow should know that Hemingway Land will be hiring an attorney to draft the conveyance documents (new deed plus supplemental docs), the costs of which are factored into the sales price and will be paid by Hemingway Land. Due to the complexity of these documents, as well as the fact we'll be outsourcing them to an attorney, it should be noted that it will take a few days before we'll be able to present you with the new deed. Once you approve it, we'll sign/notarize and mail off to our attorney to record with the Hawaii Bureau of Conveyance.

Earnest Money Deposit: We are requesting an upfront Non-Refundable Earnest Money Deposit of $500.00. This is not an installment sale and there is no financing offered. This is a cash transaction. After we have your Deposit we will contact you about how to proceed with finalizing the purchase, whether it be by credit card, wire transfer or title & escrow. If you elect to close through escrow, buyer will be responsible for all closing costs. If you elect to close outside of escrow, we will expect you to begin funding the purchase within 24 hours of the initial deposit.