Obamas vacation in $9 million home in Kailua, Hawaii

KAILUA, Hawaii (AP) — While on vacation in Hawaii, the Obama family is staying in a $9 million single-story oceanfront home in a laid-back neighborhood over the mountain from downtown Honolulu where the president-elect grew up.

The five-bedroom wooden-frame house sits on almost an acre of land fronting Kailua Beach, a favorite spot for windsurfers, kayakers and dogwalkers.

The white sand in front of the house is public land, just like all beaches under state law. The Obamas may see neighbors out for a walk or jog.

Martha Burke, who has lived several houses down from the property since 1972, said she is thrilled and honored to have Barack Obama nearby.

“I’m sure he wants a lot of privacy, so I hope we can restrain ourselves from waving at him. But I doubt it,” Burke said, laughing.

Don Dymond, owner of Kalapawai Cafe and Kalapawai Market, said it is particularly thrilling because Obama “knows enough about the state and the island that he would know if there’s a better spot.”

He added, “The community is lucky that he picked here. And hopefully over the next eight years, he’ll pick here some more.”

Obama’s vacation home sits on a dead-end road with few other homes. The street is wider than most of the narrow lanes leading to Kailua Beach, so the Secret Service has plenty of room to drive and park its SUVs.

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