$179K Yurt With Private Lava Tube Seeks Off-Grid Buyer in Hawaii

An affordably priced yurt with an unusual feature has landed on the market in Mountain View, HI. The round dwelling comes with its own private lava tube.

Now available for $179,000, the studio abode on the Big Island was initially designed for folks drawn to an off-grid lifestyle.

“My sister owns the property, and she bought it back in 2005,” says listing agent Kahili M. Hahn, of Venture Sotheby’s International Realty. “There is no power system in place. The solar system is connected to the existing power at the house next door, but that will be disconnected. A new owner will have to set up a new solar system—including panels, batteries, and an inverter.”

The 707-square-foot space sits in the Fern Acres subdivision. There is a variety of different homes in the neighborhood, where new-construction houses are in the $400,000 range and most of the roads are paved, Hahn says

“Each of the homes is on a 2-acre lot,” she explains. “The subdivision itself is about one-third developed. Each lot is 100 feet wide and 871 feet long, so it’s long and skinny. The yurt is set back 500 feet from the driveway, so it’s pretty private.”

The offbeat domicile was built in 1993, on a lot teeming with tropical landscaping. And the off-grid property has a bathroom situation unlike most tract homes.

“It has a composting toilet that is included with the property,” Hahn says. “You have to put peat moss in it, spin the handle, and it becomes fertilizer. It has water catchment as well.”

The interior features bamboo furniture from Bali. And in true Hawaii fashion, there’s a separate lava-rock shower house for bathing.

In addition to the lava rock used in the outdoor shower, the lava tube runs about 60 feet to the back of the property and has enough clearance for someone to stand up inside, Hahn says.

“In 2019, the seller was going to put in a cesspool to eliminate the composting toilet and convert it into more conventional plumbing,” she explains. “But the backhoe operator got about six feet down and came upon the lava cavern. They never would have known about it otherwise. It’s really cool. … Once the tube was discovered, they had lava rock built around it. It’s just a cool feature, and they are fairly common in the area.”

Naturally formed stalagmites and stalactites adorn the cavern. The lava-rock formations—created by water seeping through the porous rock—hang from the ceiling and protrude from the floor.

“They are really cool and look like hot wax dripping from a candle,” Hahn notes. “I think the next buyer will be someone who wants to live off grid and use the home as a primary residence. We get calls daily about it and are just looking for the right buyer.”

And because the yurt is a nontraditional home, the buyer will need to pay up right away.

“It is not financeable and needs to be a cash sale,” says Hahn.

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