>>23673237 lb
10 facts about Obama’s $18M Hawaiʻi beachfront mansion (only one of his and Michelle's many mansions - D.C., Chicago, Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii)
by: Sandy Harjo Livingston
Posted: Mar 14, 2025 / 12:00 PM HST | Updated: Mar 17, 2025 / 03:18 PM HST
HONOLULU (KHON2) — "Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, bought a home in Waimānalo which is on Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi.
The home has been under construction for nearly 10 years, and reports indicate that it is nearly finished and ready for the Obama clan to move in.
Here’s what we know about the palatial estate:
-
There are sea walls
Sea walls a really big controversial issue here in Hawaiʻi. They contribute heavily to beach erosion which causes a great deal of damage to properties long-term. While sea walls heavily restricted and monitored by County governments, … the Obamas’ applied for [and apparently received] an exemption to maintain and repair their sea wall. It’s caused a good [amount] of controversy.
-
It’s located at “Robin’s Nest”
In the 1980s, the original Magnum P.I. television series used that site as Robin’s Nest. Robin, who’s voice was given by Orsen Wells, was Magnum’s benefactor and lived in the beachfront property in the show. Robin was never seen much like Charlie in Charlie’s Angels from the same time period.
-
It’s near Native Hawaiian sacred sites
Waimānalo is quite possibly Hawaiʻi’s earliest Polynesian landing site. The area contains burials, artifacts and remains that date back to 1040-1219. Archeological discoveries made in Waimānalo include trade beads from early European contact and reburied ancestral remains. These finds near the area of the Obama compound reinforces Waimānalo’s deep cultural and historical significance.
-
It’s actually 3X3
The property actually is the consolidation of three properties on three acres of beachfront land.
-
Lots and lots of bathrooms
There are 11 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms.
-
Lots of water recreation
It has two pools and two Jacuzzis spread out over the three acres.
-
The Obamas have private beach access
Although it is illegal to make beaches private in Hawaiʻi due to their cultural and historical connections to Native Hawaiian peoples, [Obama's] Waimānalo home is afforded private beach access for security reasons.
-
Jim Nabors owned it - prior to the Obama’s LLC purchasing it.
Nabors was famous for his role as Gomer Pyle in The Andy Griffith Show and the spin off, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.
-
Originally purchased at a much lower value
The home was originally purchased for $8.4 million. The Obamas have spent the last several years since its purchase remodeling and repairing the estate. [completely razing the existing homes]
-
It has a white roof
The property boasts a white roof. White roofs are used to lower power consumption and to cool off the home. It’s an innovative way to deal with Hawaiʻi’s heat.
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/10-facts-about-obamas-18m-hawai%CA%BBi-beachfront-mansion/
The property was purchased by an LLC apparently run by Nesbitts - the couple who some believe "supplied" the two girls for the Obamas to raise as their own "family," and which suspected birth parents were often on hand and vacationed with the Obamas and "their daughters" throughout Barry's Senate and White House years.
"Wedged between the Koʻolau mountains that jut 1,300 feet into the sky and a stunning turquoise ocean, the beachfront estate is sprawled across 3 acres …
…"Presidential purchases often carry some mystery. The Obamas’ identity was initially shrouded last year when they bought a seven-bedroom mansion on Martha’s Vineyard Opens in a new tab in Massachusetts; a trust headed by James F. Reynolds, a longtime friend and onetime presidential fundraiser, oversaw the purchase.
"Obama’s office declined comment on the Waimanalo property, referring inquiries to Nesbitt. In written responses to questions, Nesbitt said “the Obama family and my family have been close for many years, and we have a long tradition of spending time together in Hawaii that I expect will continue.” [In addition to purchasing and overseeing all of the renovations on the Hawaii property, Nesbitt is also chair of the Obama Foundation board and co-CEO of a Chicago-based private-equity firm.]
"… Nesbitt found another loophole. If a single-family home is less than 7,500 square feet, local officials can grant an exemption from the permitting process.
"Last year, Nesbitt subdivided the property, proposing a 7,496 square foot home on one parcel and a 7,485 square foot home on the other, according to building permits, sliding just under the threshold.
"Records also indicate that a 5,623-square-foot home is planned for one of the lots, as well as two pools and a septic tank.
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/08/15/hawaii-news/obama-and-the-beach-house-loopholes/