Hawaii homes are most expensive
HONOLULU - A real estate company says the average four-bedroom, two-bathroom home is more expensive in Hawaii than any other state in the nation.
Coldwell Banker said Wednesday says the average listing for a house that size is more than $742,000 in Hawaii. That's well above Massachusetts, which ranked second with an average listing price just over $489,000.
The company's U.S. Home Listing Report analyzes the average listing price of four-bedroom, two-bathroom properties on coldwellbanker.com between January 2012 and June 2012.
Nebraska has the cheapest listings at about $145,000. Iowa and Georgia are the second and third most affordable states to buy a home.
Los Altos, Calif. in Silicon Valley has the priciest listings of any community in the nation, with an average of $1.7 million.
*****
Hawaiian launches 2nd route to Australia
HONOLULU - Hawaiian Airlines has launched a new route to Australia.
As of Tuesday, Hawaiian flies nonstop between Honolulu and Brisbane three times a week.
Brisbane is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, a marine park of shallow reefs supporting sharks, coral, fish and many other species. It's also the gateway to rainforests, Outback territory and the Gold Coast.
Brisbane is Hawaiian's second destination in Australia. The airline also offers daily flights between Honolulu and Sydney.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority estimates the route will generate $83 million in visitor spending and $9 million in tax revenue for the islands each year.
