There’s no need to go to Tahiti or Hawaii to live the Polynesian life—a slice of paradise can be found much closer to home.
A spectacular Polynesian-inspired property in Mississippi is offering a rare opportunity to soak up some island living, complete with proximity to nearby beaches.
Listed for $315,000, the home is located in the Diamondhead community, a planned development dating back to the 1960s.
“Diamondhead, Mississippi, was basically created to mirror Diamond Head in Hawaii. It’s the highest point along the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” explains listing agent Megan Bryant with eAgent Gulf Coast.
There are, however, some stark differences between the two communities—namely the height that they reach; Diamondhead, MS, is only 100 feet above sea level, while Diamond Head, HI, is 760 feet high.
The Mississippi community has Hawaiian street names like Makiki Drive, where this home is, and some of the houses like this one have a tropical style.
“It’s got the really high ceilings. It’s got the crow’s nest at the top that’s accessible by a ladder on the second floor,” Bryant says. “It has kind of the beachy vibes with the tile, and it has fun little gecko pulls on the cabinets and drawers, lots of palm trees throughout for the landscaping.”
The 1,760-square-foot home was built in 1975 and the current owner has done some updating like landscaping, converting a carport to a garage, and adding plantation shutters to the windows.
“[It is] just really, really cool, very unique. It just kind of gives you a relaxed feeling when you go in,” she says. “All the different features that they’ve included, you can tell they really took their time.”
There are three bedrooms and two full baths as well as the extra crow’s nest space.
“I really love the crow’s nest. I think it’s really neat,” Bryant explains, adding people ask if it gets hot up there, but she says it does not. “You could definitely put furniture up there, but it’s really just for sitting.”
The home sits on almost three quarters of an acre, which Bryant says is rare for the Diamondhead area.
“Typically, the homes are on about a third of an acre, so this one is three consolidated lots, which is nice,” she says. “If a buyer wanted to come in and split the lots up and sell, they would just need city approval. The way that [the house] is built, it’s kind of on the center lot, which is nice.”
Bryant says the seller has lived in the home full time, but it could also be a vacation home.
“People coming in from New Orleans or Mobile even Hattiesburg, that’s only an hour commute, so if they’re wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle, this is a nice, quiet area,” she says.
“A majority of the people in Diamondhead are retired, however, we are seeing an influx of families coming in just because of the affordability and the amenities that the community has to offer.”
Whoever buys this property could be part of the HOA and have access to community pools, golf, and other amenities.
While the home feels tropical, it doesn’t seem kitschy.
“I don’t think it’s anything over the top. I feel like they did it really tasteful, not any bright, crazy colors or anything,” Bryant says about the Polynesian style. “They tried to make it very warm and inviting with the red and the brick and kind of the natural pink colors.”
