WWC is the best condo complex I found in Kailua, and one of the best I found on all O'ahu, and here are some reasons why:
- LOCATION: walking distance to Library, District Park (tennis, pool, etc.), Kailua Elementary, Kailua Intermediate, and Target/shops. Biking/running distance to Ka'ohao School, St. Anthony's, and the beach.
- OVER 70% OWNER OCCUPANCY: This truly distinguishes WWC from other Kailua condo complexes, which hover around 50%, and has two main benefits: (1) if you live here, you are living with other residents who care about the place because it's theirs, and there are full families (children and such) - this is huge for me, on a personal level, and (2) if you do not live here and want to rent out your place, you are unlikely to trigger any lender problems or condo rule issues regarding the complex's diving under some threshold (usually 50%)
- CARE OF THE BUILDING: just go and look at the other complexes around, and you'll know what I mean... At WWC, the elevators are new and in excellent, clean condition. The walkways are gorgeous and clean. The pool and hot tub are in fact new this year - fully replaced in 2018-19. The core structure - the walls, floors, etc. are in excellent repair, largely due to major overhauls in 2017-2018 (particularly spall repairs and garage renovations). The resident manager is on top of her game, keeping everything in tip-top shape. Furthermore, I heard this sentiment echoed by other residents, who told me that WWC has come a long way (i.e., improved) from what it was in the 90s - and in the 90s it was still new! This also becomes crystal clear when you look at the OTHER complexes in the area. We looked at them all - Gardenia Manor, Poinciana Manor, Windward Harbor, Windward Passage, Hokulani, Bluestone in Lanikai, and more... and some of them had holes the size of bowling balls in their exterior structure (no joke), elevators with broken/flickering lights and dirty smells and damage, termite problems (big ones, not just for 1 to 2 units), and other problems. Having thoroughly researched Reserve Studies, Board minutes, and public records for all the complexes, WWC simply came out on top for actually following the maintenance recommendations and requirements for the building, while other complexes simply ignored or continually "postponed" serious building problems because they didn't want to raise maintenance fees or issue Special Assessments. I heard through the grapevine that WWC used to be like the other complexes, but new management as of about a decade ago and especially the last 5 years have really improved the situation.
- CARE OF FINANCES: as I said, I researched Reserve Studies and such and found WWC to be over 87% funded, which no other complex in the Kailua area could match. It also had well over $1 million in liquid and readily available reserves, which only one other complex matched, especially considering the smaller number of units at WWC. Furthermore, WWC is a member of Kailua Gardens, an organization of complexes that, last I checked, is 100% funded and takes good care of inter-complex common areas, such as the road (recently re-done with bumps). I've been to several board meetings, that the board members are serious and detailed about taking care of their home.
- DESIGN OF THE BUILDING: my mother-in-law has a handicap and we wanted to make sure our building and unit were child-friendly, too. WWC has zero mandatory stairs (depending on how you enter), great elevators, vertical railings (as opposed to horizontal, which kids always want to climb on), and physically strong structures (reinforced concrete where other complexes have wood). The glaring exception is the main entrance, with its koi pond that a child might want to lean over... but honestly, it's not that hard for us to watch our 4-year-old for the 1 second it takes to walk through that spot.
- FRIENDLY AND SOPHISTICATED PEOPLE: as I mentioned before, WWC is about 70% owner-occupied, and most owners are relatively well-off, but not uptight. They're all down-to-earth and, just, chill, but at the same time smart, accomplished, and simply observant and astute. The whole area is fairly nice, so it's hard to say the other complexes aren't just as nice in terms of demographic (and I'm trying to stay politically correct and not offend anybody), but... Some of the other complexes have the occasional illegal vacation renter, the occasional ultra-loud TV, and wafts of cigarette smoke from time to time. WWC has roughly zero of that, and there's actually a new initiative to go fully smoke-free.
- AMENITIES: You can read about this elsewhere. The best is the hot tub and common-area gas grilles, and the fact that WWC has fewer units than other hot tub complexes (less crowd). WWC has a pool, but for swimming we prefer the beach or District Park (huge pool). WWC has tennis courts, but they need repair (happening 2019-2021), and we prefer the District Park for tennis (more social, good lighting) read more