The rolling hills of Waimea, HI, on January 30, 2024. The rural city is located between Mauna Kea and the Kohala Mountains.

Ronit Fahl/NPR

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Ronit Fahl/NPR

The rolling hills of Waimea, HI, on January 30, 2024. The rural city is located between Mauna Kea and the Kohala Mountains.

Ronit Fahl/NPR

Hawaii isn’t any stranger to extravagant properties owned by the super-rich. But when a tech billionaire began shopping for up land in Waimea, a small, rural city on the Big Island, the neighborhood obtained curious – and apprehensive.

Locals worry it’s going to develop into much more troublesome for Native Hawaiians to afford to reside in Waimea and purchase property. In Hawaii, the typical dwelling worth is near one million {dollars}.

Who’s buying all this land in rural Hawaii and the way will it have an effect on the already excessive value of housing in Waimea?

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This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta and Brianna Scott. It was edited by Jeanette Woods and Pallavi Gogoi. Our govt producer is Sami Yenigun.