The demands of our information-based society, compounded by traffic and lack of time, make living and working in two locations more and more difficult. As a result, live-work units, which offer living and working spaces under one roof, have become increasingly popular across the country and are now available in Kapolei. D.R. Horton-Schuler Division’s new planned community, Mehana, which includes some of Oahu’s first live-work units.

“More people are time-starved and technology-dependent, and buying one place to live and work is an ideal choice for those who want to simplify their busy lives,” states Mike Jones, division president of D.R. Horton-Schuler Division. “Live-work units fulfill buyers’ needs for convenience and efficiency, which will play an important role in improving the quality of their lives.”

The first of nine neighborhoods of Mehana, Nãnãlã will feature 78 townhomes and 20 live-work units, enabling residents to use the first floor for business purposes-home office, retail or other commercial use-and the upstairs as a living area.

For people whose boundary between work and home continue to blur, especially with the increased use of computers, live-work units offer convenience and savings. Because it is more economical to own one property instead of two, people who own live-work units can save a significant amount of money. They also have the pleasure of simply walking a few feet to work.

Currently on sale, Nãnãlã offers six new town home floors plans that range from 1,140 to more than 1,800 square feet and are priced from $374,000. Nãnãlã will also offer two commercial units, each more than 2,000 square feet. With completion expected in 2008, Mehana will have approximately 1,150 single and multi-family and perhaps as many as 500 live-work units.