Is it a safe to invest in a Hawaiian lava zone?

[Andrew Flora]

I have several long term rental properties on the mainland, but I am considering diving into short term rentals. I would like a decent return but would love to just have a place to stay when I vacation. I have found some properties in Hawaii for sale but are in a lava zone 2, this seems to be a risky investment. They already make an extremely high ROI via VRBO. I can buy with cash but is it possible to get lava insurance? Is it dumb to take a risk? The plan would be to hold for 5-6 years then sell. Any input or advice?

[Eric Nurmi]

@Andrew Flora I use to sell real estate on the Big Island when I lived there. If there is a lava flow over your property, it reverts to the State of Hawaii. It’s not as simple as having insurance to make the property whole.