Maui News Front Page Article on Maui Real Estate Market!    So the Maui's News today reported statics from Maui Association of Realtors on Maui home sales for the first six months of 2008.  Homes prices are down 9% from the same period from last year. The number of residential sales has drastically dropped according to Terry Talmon from the Maui Association Realtors. There has been a consistent slowing of the housing market from three years ago. The median home is $592,898 down from 2005 median price of $670,000.  Homes sales in the first half of 2005 there were 666 sales compared to this period of 476 homes sold in the same period. Condos prices are actually up 10% from 2005 period. The median price was $371,500 in 2005 to $514,095 in the first six months of 2008.  Today's median is $6... 07/09/2008

In June Wailea saw only five condominium closings. The surprisingly high median sale price of $1.75 million is a function of two of the five sales being in Wailea Beach Villas. The per square foot average, the better measure in our view, fell 13% from the 2007 average to $1,075. With nearly 180 condominiums for sale, inventory remains very high. Two homes sold in June for a median price of $1.3 million and a per square foot average of $602. Neither of those homes offered an ocean view. While it is always difficult to draw conclusions from only a few data points, it is clear the Wailea real estate market, like the overall Maui real estate market, is in retreat. For details, contact us! For more detailed analysis of Wailea Beach Villas Real Estate (and other areas of Maui) check out our M... 07/09/2008

Ho'olei Wailea Maui   Wailea Maui Hawaii is just an amazing place.  We have world class beaches and golf courses. 5-star hotels and restaurants. One of my favorite places is Ho'olei Wailea town-homes. This quality project is located across the street from The Grand Wailea Hotel and Spa.  There are 120 unit town-homes that are 2-story with elevators. They offer top of the line appliances with Wolf and Sub-Zero and Italian cabinetry.  Also included are limestone floors and granite counter tops. The living room doors are Fleetwood retrackable sliding doors that open up to a large lani and ocean views.   This is a great project if you are looking for Wailea Maui condos for sale.  As far amenities there is a large pool with a sand entry for small kids. They also offer a state of the art fitn... 07/05/2008

Wailea Maui   Wailea Maui offers beautiful weather all year long.  It is also is a very quiet and peaceful place for a little R&R. Wailea offers a variety of custom homes and condos for the quiet getaway. A truly amazing property is the Wailea Beach Villas ocean front condominium. This has to be as good as it gets for on the beach in  Wailea.  This villa is steps away from the ocean with a three bedroom, three and half bath suite. Quality features include European design cabinets with granite counter tops. Line stone floors and custom wood work. Each bedroom suite has it own custom bathroom with spa tub and showers. Walkout side and enjoy your own plunge pool or use the adult infinity pool and cabana located right next to the beach. There is over 2900 sqft to this beautiful unit. Wailea... 07/03/2008

Papali Wailea Maui!     Papali is located in Wailea Maui offering 24 luxury Wailea Maui homes for sale. This new Wailea project offers 10 acres of gated community which offers incredible ocean views from each home site. The homes have all the upgrades you would expect plus Alaskian Cedar ceiling, African mahogany window and door casing. All the units are 3br/3.5ba homes with approximate 2400 sqft of living space.   Out of the 24 homes there are currently 7 units left to sell. Along with the beautiful landscape grounds is a beautiful infinity pool and state of the art fitness center. This is a featured property by the Wailea Group LLC. For more information contact Steven for further information. www.nickensmaui.com to view other Maui properties   Aloha,   Steve Nickens R(S) GRI ABR The W... 07/02/2008

The Wailea Community Association has released its latest construction update and here are the key items:  Renaissance Wailea demolition may begin  in early 2009; Mass excavation, including blasting may begin in early 2009 and would last 10 months; Ulua/Mokapu Beach improvements, 22 parking spaces and resurfacing driveway will occur in early 2009; and Vertical Construction at Wailea gateway will begin in July; For details contact us! 07/02/2008

High Airfares off set by Hotel packages!   So what I keep hearing is that the airfare is way high and travelers are not taking to the skies as they usually do. So this does have a dramatic effect on the tourist industry and will eventually trickle down in resort communities. I do see a ray of hope. There is nothing like a little competition to get things moving.  I work in Wailea Maui Hawaii and what I am hearing is hotels like the Four-Seasons and Grand Wailea are offering packages to get families traveling again. With hotels offering 5 nights stay and the 6th night free or week packages with two free additional nights for free. This will motivate people to pack their bags and to take to the skies to Hawaii and other places. I remember when my kids were young the hotels offered island ... 07/01/2008

(This is my entry into the TOP 5 contest suggested by Jo-Ann Smith.) It's your wedding anniversary, and you want to celebrate a whole lot of years together, so what do you do? This year we treated ourselves to a trip to a Maui resort - the Maui Prince Hotel in Makena. It was a first for us, to stay at this swank hotel, and we had a great time. I would highly recommend treating yourselves to something like this on any special occasion. Here's my top 5 list, to enjoy the experience.         #1 - Check-in to the resort as early as you can. Park the car and don't go anywhere. If you arrive earlier than the normal check-in time, just ask if your room is ready, and you might be happy to know that it is. I requested a quiet room, and we got a really nice ocean view room with lots of privacy. I... 06/30/2008

The Palms at Wailea - a vacation resort in South Maui - what's selling? Current listings for sale: 5 one bedroom units  - $649,000 - $875,000 - only 1 with an ocean view 10 two bedroom units - $759,000 - $1,500,000 - 6 with ocean view Pending now: unit 405 - one bedroom ground floor garden view condo - short sale listed at $649,000 Sold in the past month: unit 1206, an upper floor ocean view condo in a prime central location sold on May 30th for $1,225,000. (was listed for $1,300,000 and came on the market in mid December) If you're thinking of buying a vacation condo in Wailea Maui, please contact me for market info and updates.  I want to hear from you.  KIHEI/WAILEA relocation package. Aloha from Maui - the Hunter - Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro - 808 283-0635 06/28/2008

How will current interest rates affect the real estate market? It looks like the Feds are going to raise the 30 year loan to 6.38%.  They were saying that it most likely will not becoming down any time soon.  So the window for low interest rates looks like they are over. The reason the Federal Reserve Chairman gave for the increase rate is to cut off inflation.  So how will this affect an already slow real estate market? To compensate for higher rates I believe we will see a lowering of house values if real estate is going to sell.   Sellers are going to have to be on the money in pricing their homes.  Also an option is agreement of sales or Purchase Money Mortgage might come into play. I think we  will see more incentives from developers to move all ready built out inventories.  It is ... 06/16/2008

We are pleased to announce that Wailea Fairway Villas X-103 is now in escrow. That three bedroom condominium is listed for $1.325 million. UNIT X-103 may well be the finest unit in the complex. This 1790 square foot, three bedroom, three bath townhome rests in the quietest and most private portion of the complex. Due to its geographic placement, X-103 looks from south of Molikini all the way to West Maui and offers sensational views from both floors. 06/16/2008

MAUI REAL ESTATE MARKET WILL SURVIVE!!!!   What is happening in the Maui real estate market? I do believe we are different from a lot of the mainland market problems. Maui has always been a destination for people looking for sun and great beaches. The upper end of the market will not slow down but will survive.  Higher airline tickets will not make a difference to the wealthy. They will be purchasing new homes and condos.  With those purchases they will be doing a lot of remodel work. Tearing out the old lime stone floors and installing new wood or granite floors. There will also be a lot of yearing out walls and putting a lot of carpenters to work. A newly purchased condo or luxury home will have a nice remodeled kitchen with all the latest appliances and finishing.  This is a benefit ... 06/15/2008

Maui Film Festival is on this weekend in Wailea Maui. They will have showing at the outside Celestial Cinema featuring fims such as Before Rains, The Visitor which I heard is a great movie. The Celestial Cinema is shown on the golf course in a beautiful Wailea setting.  This is a very hugh Maui event put on by Barry Rivers and his crew. So look for this weekend for great films, great food, great music and great parties. Aloha, Steve 06/14/2008

There was a story I was looking at on the Drudge report yesterday. It looks like with the weak dollar foreign money is pouring in to our country. European travelers have been spending a of money for I- Phones to luxury condos in America. The newest sale was a majority share of Manhattan's historic Flatiron Building. It was the tallest building in New York in 1902 with 22-stories.  Located on Fifth Avenue, Broadway and 23 St.  It was purchased by A top Italian real estate investor.  I also believe that the Crystler Building was also purchased by a company from the middle east. So with the dollar so weak America contiunes to look like a good buy for foreign investors. Do you think they know that the real estate market is going to turn around? www.nickensmaui.com/wailea_condos.htm 06/12/2008

  Maui will get a little taste of Hollywood over the next few days as the Maui Film Festival At Wailea starts tomorrow. The festival runs from Wednesday through Sunday with events scheduled throughout the Wailea Resort and at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. The festival includes feature films, documentaries and short films with a particular attention to independent productions. In addition to movies, there are film panels, taste events, musical performances and celebrity tributes. This year the festival will honor Dennis Quaid, Virginia Madsen, Pierce Brosnan and Felicity Huffman. This is always a great event. To me the highlights of the festival are the outdoor movies. The Celestial Cinema is held on the Wailea Gold and Emerald Course. It is really nice to be able to take in a movie... 06/10/2008

(Once again, this is the blog version of my free Maui real estate newsletter which goes out every month to subscribers - this version has pictures added. Click the link near the bottom for more info about signing up.) Maui South Shore Condo Newsletter     -         June 2008June 11th is King Kamehameha Day here in the islands, and it's a declared national holiday in Hawaii.  This famous monarch first established a united kingdom of Hawaii in 1795, uniting the islands of Ni'ihau, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Kaho'olawe, Maui, and Hawai'i.  It has been an official holiday since 1871, and these days is usually celebrated with a floral parade, hula competitions, and the draping of his statue with long strands of flower lei (including his statue at the U.S. Capitol).---------------------... 06/08/2008

    It's an international market place!   The world has changed a lot in the last twenty years. We are now a global market place where we are deeply related to other countries and markets. We have become dependent upon outside manufactures for goods and services.  There are new merging markets such as China and India with new wealth.  We are competing for natural resources and oil.  So how does this affect me as a real estate agent in Maui? It really depends where you live maybe New York City or Las Vegas'.  It could be resort areas in Florida or the South Hampton's. What I am getting at is we are now more than ever dealing with foreign buyers from around the world. Just today I had potential clients come by the sales office from Japan looking for a second home or condo to invest in.  T... 06/08/2008

Planes, Trains and Automobiles!   PADDLE POWER So the news on travel is not sounding too good. We are looking at the airlines cutting flights by 20% to the islands to save fuel and to get rid of gas guzzler planes.  This is going to impact the tourist industry and it will ripple down through out the state. I have seen better fares flying to Paris than to the islands.  WIND POWER Today oil prices made a major leap to record highs. Just when they were saying it was going to level out and maybe drop down. So all of a sudden our travel options are becoming slimmer and so are our wallets. It seems speculators are also driving oil prices up and with the devalued dollar it inflates oil prices. Okay this is starting to piss me off. One good thing is we can take our frustration out at the polls ... 06/07/2008

I was taking pictures of the Wailea Beach Villas for a client and thought you might enjoy these photos. A Yellow Hibiscus's Red Ginger Hope you enjoy the flowers   06/06/2008

The Wailea Beach Villas in Wailea Maui Hawaii.  This is a gem located in one of the world's most beautiful beaches in Hawaii.  Lush landscaping and enchanted beaches make the Villas the exclusive resort community that is known around the world.  Wailea Beach Villas is surrounded by 5-star hotels and world class golf courses.  You are just steps away from The Shops At Wailea for dining and all your shopping needs.  The units at Wailea Beach villas range from 2000 to 3100 sqft of luxury living.  There are thirty eight villa units running towards the ocean. The penthouse has 60 units offering beautiful ocean views.  Prices can range from $,2,500,000 to $10,900.000 for a Wailea Maui ocean front unit.  The amenities include a family pool with fitness center. There is an adult pool located to... 06/05/2008