Kohala Ranch: club, rules, land and risk.

Independent guide. Hayden Fennoy and eXp Realty are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any community, resort, club, association or developer named here. Names are used only to identify them. Club membership, where offered, is subject to each club's own rules and approval.

At a glance

Elevation

1,134 ftat sample point; USGS 3DEP

Rainfall

~13 in/yrat sample point; UH Rainfall Atlas

USGS lava zone

9approximate; varies by parcel

FEMA flood zone

Xat sample point

Tsunami evac zone

Noat sample point (County, Mar. 2025)

Drive to KOA

~52 min32.8 mi; light traffic

Sample point: Kohala Ranch (central). Readings come from public GIS layers at that single point on October 22, 2026. They describe the land there, not any particular home.

Club

“Verify” means no official source published it on October 22, 2026. Ask the club or association in writing, and confirm in the documents you receive during escrow.

HOA and associations

Expect association assessments, design review for building and remodeling, and road and gate upkeep. Get the CC&Rs, budget and reserves.¹

Short-term rental rules

County zoning at the sample point: RS-20 · State Land Use: Urban · General Plan (LUPAG): Open Area. Other sample points: A-3a at two points and A-20a at one (all State Agricultural district).⁶

The County framework. Hawaiʻi County's short-term vacation rental rules (Ordinance 2018-114) allow unhosted rentals of under 30 days in resort (V), general commercial (CG) and village commercial (CV) zoning. They also allow them in residential and commercial districts inside General Plan Resort and Resort Node areas, and in qualifying condominiums. Elsewhere, only rentals that held a nonconforming use certificate from before April 1, 2019 may continue, renewed each year. Agricultural-district parcels created on or after June 4, 1976 can't operate one. Private covenants that ban rentals still apply. Separately, Ordinance 25-50 requires transient vacation rentals of 180 days or less to register each year. Registration opened in September 2026, and more changes (Bill 147) are pending before the County Council as of Oct. 22, 2026.²³⁴⁵

In this community. Most sample points read County A (agricultural) zoning in the State Agricultural district. The County bars short-term vacation rentals on agricultural parcels created on or after June 4, 1976, so check the lot's creation date and the CC&Rs. Some parts of the ranch read RS-20 residential zoning.

Lava, flood, tsunami and insurance

USGS rates lava-flow hazard from Zone 1 (highest) to Zone 9 (lowest). The sample point here is in Zone 9.⁷ At this sample point, the FEMA flood zone is X (minimal flood hazard). Oceanfront and low-lying parcels nearby can differ, so pull the FEMA map for the exact address.⁸¹⁰¹¹ The sample point is outside the County tsunami evacuation zone, but shoreline parcels in the community may be inside it.⁹

Get homeowners, hurricane and (where relevant) flood quotes for the exact property before you remove contingencies. Coverage and price depend on the parcel, the structure and the insurer.

Water and wastewater

Water. Water comes from the Kohala Ranch Water Company, a private system on the Department of Health's list of regulated public water systems. Its 2023 Consumer Confidence Report describes deep wells as the source.¹²¹³

Wastewater. Expect an individual wastewater system (septic or similar). Confirm the type and permits in disclosures and with the Department of Health.¹⁴

Getting to KOA

From the sample point, Kona International Airport is about 32.8 miles, roughly 52 minutes in light traffic.¹⁷

Questions buyers ask

Before you write an offer

• Is club membership mandatory with this property, optional, by invitation, or waitlisted? Is it tied to the lot?
• Is the club equity or non-equity? Who owns and controls it today?
• What is the current initiation fee or deposit, and is any part of it refundable or transferable when I sell?
• What are the annual dues, food and beverage minimums, and any capital or assessment calls in the last five years?
• What do the master association, neighborhood HOA and (if any) condominium association each charge, and what do they cover?
• What do the CC&Rs and house rules say about rentals: minimum stay, number of rentals per year, approved rental programs, guest fees?

Hayden Fennoy and eXp Realty are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any community, resort, club, association or developer named here. Names are used only to identify them. Club membership, where offered, is subject to each club's own rules and approval. Fees, dues and rules change: everything here reflects what the cited source showed when it was checked, and must be verified in the current club, association and HOA documents during escrow. Hazard, zoning and elevation readings are from one public-GIS sample point per community. Parcels vary, so verify each property by its TMK.