Private islands offer a lower-priced alternative to Palo Alto luxury homes

Several private islands were cited as costing less than a Palo Alto house while offering substantially more land and resort-style amenities. A 4.5-acre island on North Carolina’s Lake Norman sold for $12.5 million with an approximately 13,000-square-foot mansion. The Financial Times also reported a 600-acre private island in Fiji listed for $12 million, including a six-bedroom residence, five beaches, staff quarters and a deep-water jetty.

Mansion Global reported in March that Vawa, a 75-acre private island in Fiji, was listed for $15 million—described as $1.5 million less than the Palo Alto house used for comparison. Vawa includes a 5,500-square-foot main house, natural swimming pools, open-plan living spaces, outdoor bathrooms and views of the ocean and jungle.

The Vawa compound took approximately five years to build, with the pandemic and the island’s remoteness adding complexity. In some island nations, foreign buyers receive long-term leases rather than ownership of the land, such as leases lasting 85 years; the legal status and terms of the specific properties were not fully detailed.