Born and raised in Newport Beach, California, Jim Allison is a fourth generation Southern Californian. His Hawai‘i roots, however, go back more than 60 years to a time when his parents first met as summer school students at the University of Hawai‘i on O‘ahu, while they were both enrolled at USC.
Years later, Jim began a family legacy in the sport of water polo while enrolled at Newport Harbor High School. Jim went on to attend Orange Coast College, University of California at Long Beach, and USC. And his younger brother, niece, and oldest daughter have all carried on the water polo legacy.
Jim launched his real estate career while a student at USC, working for Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate. He became a real estate appraiser after his graduation in 1985 and moved to the Big Island of Hawai‘i in 1988, assisting in various commercial and residential developments on the Kohala Coast. What began as a 2 to 3-year plan morphed into a 30-year Hawai‘i real estate career.
Since then, Jim has worked for several Big Island developers and served as the Residential Project Sales Manager for Maryl Construction, responsible for project sales from Kona to Waimea on Hawai‘i Island, and as far away as Poipu on Kaua‘i.
Jim lives in Waimea with 2 of his 3 children, and his wife Mary Jane “MJ,” who is also a licensed Realtor. Jim’s oldest daughter, Angelique, attends the University of San Diego, his 7-year old son Robert James “RJ” attends Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy (HPA), an exclusive private school in Waimea, and his youngest daughter Kimberly begins kindergarten at HPA this year. His wife, MJ, is very involved with the HPA ‘Ohana Association and has brought the sport of cheerleading back to HPA as the Head Coach for the past 4 years.
“As a Mauna Kea Resort Club Member and agent, I have developed a profound appreciation for the resort and its rich history,” says Jim. “To be able to work with people who share this appreciation is absolutely awesome and a true dream come true.”
As part of the Hawai’i Life Mauna Kea team, Jim continues to provide a wealth of local knowledge and understanding of the unique offerings and many nuances of each individual resort community on the Kohala Coast. Building on a career working with developers and contractors over the past 3 decades, Jim draws on an extensive network and proven knowledge to assist Kona-Kohala clients. When not working, Jim enjoys time with family, cooking, and traveling.
Aloha,
Jim
