Barack Obama’s Former Hawaiian Vacation Home Lists for $14.9 Million

For about as long as there have been U.S. presidents, they have sought to escape Washington, D.C.’s hot, humid summers and bitter cold winters at private vacation retreats across the country. John F. Kennedy spent time at his family’s compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts; Harry Truman would go to the so-called Little White House in the Florida Keys; and Herbert Hoover went to Camp Rapidan in West Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. 

During his presidency, Barack Obama and his family frequently vacationed in Hawaii, his birthplace. One of their former rentals in a gated enclave along Kailua Beach, where the former commander-in-chief signed the 9/11 First Responders Bill into law, is still taking short-term rental bookings. For those looking for a more permanent foothold, however, this alternative just down the street, where the Obamas holidayed for the first time in 2011, is now up for sale at $14.9 million. Olivia Sadeler of Compass holds the listing.

Overlooking 110 feet of ocean frontage, the private, Balinese-Hawaiian-inspired estate sits on three-quarters of an acre of land in convenient proximity to the Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Kaneohe Bay and offers panoramic vistas of Kailua Bay and the Mokulua Islands. 

Up to six cars can be parked in the expansive driveway that’s capped by a two-car garage, while the Eden-like courtyard ahead of the wooden front doors holds a lagoon-style saltwater pool and spa, complete with a waterfall. An airy lanai, an essential feature of Hawaiian residences for gathering with friends and family, trails alongside the pool and hot tub, which are flanked by an abundance of palm trees, croton plants, and other tropical foliage.

Stone pathways and a short bridge lead to the main living areas of the recently renovated single-story residence, where soaring exposed beam ceilings cap both the living and dining rooms. Extensive glass doors open one side of the room to the courtyard and pool and the other to a covered patio facing the ocean. A spacious chef’s kitchen is configured around a large island snack bar, and an alfresco dining space alongside the pool seats a dozen guests next to a summer kitchen. 

Four of the five bedrooms connect to the gardens, while a step-up soaking tub and walk-in closet with luxe paneling are standout features of the primary suite. There’s also a fully equipped gym just off the garage. 

Hawaii has ushered a number of unique listings onto the market in recent months, plus a substantial residential project by an acclaimed architectural firm. Pretty Woman star Julia Roberts’s former Kauai hideaway came up for grabs at a cool $30 million this past May, while Robert A.M. Stern Architects unveiled a pair of limestone-clad luxury condo towers in Honolulu’s master-planned Ward Village.

Click here for more photos of the waterfront estate on Oahu.