Whatever your reason for wanting to buy a Hawaii home – retirement, investment, vacation property, commercial property, or just to achieve that dream of a life in Hawaii – it’s probably safe to assume that Hawaii’s perfect climate plays a major role in your decision. Hawaii is one of the few places on Earth that can boast an average seasonal temperature change of only seven degrees between the summer and winter seasons. But paradise comes in many forms. Familiarizing yourself with the concept of Hawaii’s many microclimates is an important step to becoming an informed buyer of real estate in Hawaii.

You may be attracted to Kauai real estate for its reputation as the most lush and green of all the islands. From Hanalei on the north shore, you can drive along the coast to Kapaa in the east, then down to Poipu in the south, and never lose sight of the tropical rainforest that earns Kauai its distinction as the Garden Island. Begin heading west, however, and a new microclimate begins to take shape.

Do you have a hotter, sunnier, and dryer vision of paradise? Then Kauai’s west side is your real estate destination. Ask any Kauai real estate agent where to find the most sun and least rain and they’ll take you to the west-facing towns of Waimea and Kekaha. Kauai’s west side isn’t covered in thick jungle like much of the rest of the island because of the amazing effect the of the area’s unique microclimate.

At more than seven times the size of Kauai, Big Island land is affected by microclimates on a much larger scale. The very weather drawing you to Kona real estate is also an essential part of the area’s coffee industry. Coffee plants are very delicate. Anything other than a gentle breeze could spell ruin for a field of coffee plants. Luckily, the Mauna Loa volcano naturally shields west-facing Kona from the main force of the prevailing easterly winds. The winds are forced to undertake a 3,000 foot vertical climb up the volcano’s eastern flank before reaching the region where coffee is grown. This journey turns these once-fierce winds into the gentle, misty breezes needed for coffee cultivation. As a Kona resident, you also get to enjoy the mild weather that makes Kona a Hawaii real estate hotspot!

These two examples are just an introduction to the wonders of Hawaii’s microclimates. Your best resource is a custom-picked Hawaii Realtor who knows exactly what makes each corner of Hawaii special. The right Realtor will tell you how Hawaii’s microclimates can affect Hawaii real estate values and match your perfect climate to your ideal Hawaiian lifestyle. You can bet there’s a Hawaii Realtor at out there at Best of Hawaii Real Estate who’s right for you, just waiting to answer your questions with some local island knowledge.