The 5 Types of Wealth: What 20 Years of Hawaii Real Estate Has Taught Us

I recently heard author Sahil Bloom speak about his book The 5 Types of Wealth, and I had one of those moments where everything clicked into place.

For nearly 20 years, Eric and I have been helping people buy homes in West Hawaii and then make the connections for many of them to go on to meet friends and get involved in the community. We've always knew our clients weren't just buying real estate - but we didn't have the language for what they WERE buying:

They were buying purpose through volunteerism in the community. They were buying their best health in their 60s. They were buying time with adult children and grandchildren. They were buying a home base for the next season of adventure.

The 5 Types of Wealth framework gave us that language.

These aren't just concepts in a book - they're real patterns we see in the happiest, most fulfilled people who've made Hawaii their home or chosen it as their second home sanctuary.

What Are The 5 Types of Wealth?

Sahil Bloom's framework identifies five distinct types of wealth that create a truly fulfilling life:

Time Wealth - Having control over your time and how you spend it

Social Wealth - Your relationships, connections, and the depth of your bonds with others

Mental Wealth - Connection to purpose, meaning, personal growth, and space for reflection

Physical Wealth - Your health, fitness, vitality, and overall wellbeing

Financial Wealth - Traditional assets and income, but with a focus on defining your version of "enough"

Here's the revolutionary part: True wealth isn't just money. Your wealthy life may involve money, but it will ultimately be defined by everything else.

Bloom also introduces the concept of "seasons" - you can't maximize all five types of wealth simultaneously. Different life stages call for different priorities. Maybe you're in your 40s building financial wealth through your career. Maybe you're in your 50s with grandchildren and social wealth becomes paramount. Maybe you're retired and time wealth - the freedom to structure your days around what matters - is what you crave most.

The Stories We've Witnessed

As part of a new video series/podcast we are launching called "Real Stories in Real Estate",  we are interviewing our clients and friends who embody these different types of wealth in their Hawaii journeys. Our first video is Brad discussing owning a home BEFORE he retires and using it as homebase. 

Here are stories of our clients and future homebuyers that help illustrate what the framework looks like. 

Time Wealth: Hawaii as Your Home Base

Our clients Nicci and Gerry from San Diego sold their 20-year home and bought a single-story "age in place" home in Kona. They're not just retired - they're living. They're volunteering in the community, creating a beautiful garden, and traveling to bucket list destinations like Ireland. . They haven't given up anything by moving to an island, they created a sanctuary to recharge and find joy in travel - their Kona home is a launching pad. When they're home, their days are theirs. That's time wealth. 

They found out, that Hawaii isn't the end destination - it’s the home base for their next season of adventure and purpose. 

Social Wealth: The Multigenerational Vision

We worked with a Colorado family who bought their dream property - not for themselves alone, but as a gathering place. Grandchildren learning to snorkel in the same bay where their parents learned. Annual reunions that don't require coordinating five different vacation schedules. Their wealth isn't measured in square footage - it's measured in the memories being made across three generations in one sacred place that now will also be a home that can be passed down to their familes for memories for years. 

Mental Wealth: Purpose Through Conservation

J is an avid snorkeler and ocean advocate who bought her condo here specifically to be close to the reef she loves. She's become deeply involved in coral reef conservation, combining her love of the ocean with meaningful community impact. Her mental wealth comes from knowing her presence here serves something larger than herself. She finds joy in having created a group of women she meets for snorkeling weekly to different bays and coves in West Hawaii. (She thanks me all the time for introducing her to Reef Teach and my friends!) 

When you watch the video with Brad, he and his wife Krissy, are from Alaska and work in wild life management. Krissy has a passion for helping Kahalu'u Bay and coral reef restoration. Each time they visit, they volunteer with Reef Teach and Krissy help me raise funds for the chemical free sunscreen offered for free at the bay.  The mental wealth this creates for this couple far exceeds the financial wealth of owning a home in the Pines. 

Physical Wealth: Running Toward Health

Mike and Sue relocated to Kona to retire and discovered a level of physical vitality they didn't know was possible. They run regularly and play pickleball several times a week. They trained and ran the Honolulu Marathon last year and have participated in many 5 and 10k races with my husband and myself. Sue is now addicted to pickleball and has created a fantastic friend group to get coaching and starting to compete. Mike is involved in a senior softball league and also has made many new friends. The year-round warm weather makes daily activity effortless. They're not just aging - they're thriving physically in ways that wouldn't be possible in their previous lives before moving to Hawaii. 

Financial Wealth: Making Money Work Strategically

We helped our friend Mark from Oregon buy an oceanfront Kona condo with a saltwater pool in 2019. His equity doubled during the pandemic and he keeps the income flowing by self-managing the condo and keeping it at 90% occupancy - it pays for itself and generates income that funds his trips to Hawaii with his wife. His aloha spirit and generosity helps his friends stay for a discount and he gives back to the island by donating stays to silent auctions I help create for local nonprofits. He's already volunteering and building community before retirement, so when he DOES get to spend more time here, he fits right in! Financial wealth done right creates all the other types.

Which Type of Wealth Is Calling You?

As we think about the patterns we've seen over two decades, we keep coming back to these questions:

• If you're in your 50s or 60s and want to create a "vacation getaway" for your family and friends - is social wealth calling you?
• If you're burned out from decades of career building - is time wealth what you crave?
• If you're seeking meaning and purpose - what would mental wealth look like in Hawaii?
• If your health needs attention - could physical wealth through an active lifestyle make a difference?
• How can financial wealth (investment property, rental income) enable the others?

Let's Talk About Your Definition of Wealth

If these stories resonate with you, if you're in a season of life transition, if you're trying to figure out what "wealth" means beyond just money - we'd love to have a conversation with you about your Hawaii dreams.

Book a Zoom discovery call with us by emailing me at Julie@Ziemelis.com 

No pressure, no sales pitch - just a conversation about what matters to you and whether Hawaii might be part of that vision. True wealth isn't just money - it's ultimately defined by everything else.

We're not just real estate agents helping people find houses. We're helping people design lives around what matters most - whether that's time with friends and family, purpose through conservation, health through an active lifestyle, or the freedom that comes from smart financial planning.