About Paia's Spreckelsville

This past Sunday on Maui there was a big celebration at Baldwin Beach Park, just outside of Paia. It was to be an Earth Day celebration, with information booths, entertainment and food. Since the permits weren't obtained in time, they had to downsize the event. Nevertheless, there was a huge amount of cars parked at the park, and up and down the Hana Highway. So many cars in fact, that we decided to skip it and headed to the next closest beach, at the other end of Baldwin Beach.

If you drive through the residential area of Spreckelsville, towards the Maui Country Club, you'll find this beautiful stretch of white sand, known as Baby Beach. The large tidepool makes a great safe place for small kids to play in the water. Well we certainly enjoyed ourselves for a couple of hours. The usual tradewinds were nowhere to be found, and the sun was shining. It sure feels good to relax at the beach and swim in the ocean.

Did you do anything memorable on Earth Day?

MAUI OCEANFRONT HOMES FOR SALE ~ LOOKING FOR A PAIA MAUI HAWAII HOME?

Aloha from the North Shore of Maui! - Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro - EMAIL - Maui Property Search

Energy efficiency isn't only about conservation of energy, it is also about conservation of your money. There are a few obvious ways to do this such as to replace all of your traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescents, add insulation, upgrade your furnace, install a heat pump, or make sure all drafty doors and windows are sealed. Although all of these things cost money, over time they will pay for themselves. However, even the little things (lightbulbs!) can save you a substantial amount of money on your energy bill (PGE rate increase, anybody?) while conserving a LOT of energy.


What I really want to focus on is the Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). Many people haven't heard of these but they have been around for decades. EEMs can help you do a green renovation to an existing home or fund the construction of a new home. Call your Mortgage Broker or Lender and ask them about EEMs. If they have no idea what you are talking about, call around until you find one who does. Although all lenders COULD offer EEMs, not all do. A good place to start would be Earth Advantage, here in Portland. http://www.earthadvantage.com/financing/

How they work:

A broker or lender doing an EEM will calculate, using a certified third party ratings guide, how much you could save by doing a green renovation. Whether that means replacing old appliances with energy efficient appliances, calculating the benefit of green building practices on new construction, or adding insulation, etc., they will add this savings to your income. This will also enable you to buy more house by improving your debt-to-income ratio and, although your loan may be higher, the EEM is calculated so that the energy savings should make up for it.

Here is a list of third-party certification programs and links to their websites so you can see what their systems are:

Energy Star - http://www.energystar.gov

Built Green - http://www.builtgreen.net

RESNET Home Energy Ratings - http://www.RESNET.us

LEED - http://www.USGBC.org/LEED/homes

American Lung Association Health House - http://www.healthhouse.org

Made with my iPhone on 09/21/2008 at Kanaha Beach / Maui / Hawaii

Spreckelsville is a community on Maui's North Shore located between the towns of Kahului and Paia. It has a Paia mailing address, but is located in the Kahului school district. It has long been valued by both Kama'aina and visitors alike for its combination of natural beauty, convenience, acccess to world class ocean sports, and the presence of arguably the world's most laid back country club. You can walk to three separate beaches. Baldwin Beach is a great white sand walking beach. The western most end of the beach has a reef roughly ten yards off shore that extends above the waterline. This creates a sheltered area out of the brunt of the wave energy. The calmer, protected, shallow waters have led this area to be dubbed as Baby Beach. Sugar Cove is small beach that is often sheltered from the prevailing winds and popular for water sports. Spreckelsville Beach is a world renowned wind surfing beach. The Maui Country club is right in the heart of the neighborhood. It features a nine hole golf course. In addition to great access to leisure pursuits, you are a short drive to the shops and restautants of funky Paia and all of the big box stores in Central Maui.

Baldwin Beach, the Maui Country Club and Part of Old Sprecks Looking Towards Paia

While Spreckelsville is a relatively small community, there are five or six distinct little neighborhoods/subdivisions in the area. The area that gets the most interest from real estate buyers and probably sees the least amount of inventory is what most people call Old Sprecks. It includes the following streets: Laulea Place, Paani Place, Nonohe Place and Kealaka Place. The homes on these streets are for the most part older Kama'aina style homes. Many of the properties have ocean frontage with a handful having beachfront access. Mature foliage like old Kiawes, big Mangoes, and towering conconut palms add to the setting. Again, this area sees very little inventory and turnover. Prices start in the $1,200,000 range for properties located off the ocean. There have been no oceanfront sales in the last five years.

Our Green Listing in Sprecks V

The most accesible neighborhood from a price standpoint is a subdivision called Sprecks V. This is an area that was developed in the early 90s between Hana Highway (a two lane road) and the Maui Country Club. The entry price point for real estate in the neighborhood just dipped below $1,000,000 for the first time in a couple of years. Homes are a mix of one and two stories averaging between 2,000 and 4,000 square feet. Most lots are around 10,000 square feet in size. We have a great listing in this neighborhood that is a healthy blend of green building practices and luxury amenities. Click here for the current inventory in the neighborhood.

Kai Holu is a neighborhood of 17 2 acre lots. These are the biggest lots available in Spreckelsville. This area is set back from the ocean, but it has private beach access via Sugar Cove. Most of the lots have been built out in the neighborhood, but there is currently one vacant land parcel listed. Prices for homes in this area start just below $2,000,000. There are two homes currently listed in the neighborhood. Here is a map of Kai Holu.

E Paepae Ka Puko'a is the newest subdivision in the Spreckelsville area. This new neighborhood consists of 16 lots ranging in size from 8/10ths of an acre to just over an acre. All of the lots have deeded beach access to Spreckelsville Beach and its great windsurfing. There are no lots on the MLS, but there are lots available for purchase. The developer's asking prices start just under $1,000,000. Contact us for additional information on the development.

Beach Scenes from Spreckelsville, Maui

Stable Road is a section of Spreckelsville that has become renowned as a great place for windsurfing properties. There are a mix oceanfront homes and homes set just off the ocean. Many local residents keep their wind surf gear rigged and ready to launch at all times. In addition to windsurfing properties, Stable Road is also distinguished for its large Oceanfront Estates. There are a mix of Kama'aina style homes and Asian themed mansions. Prices for homes set off the ocean start over $1,000,000 while oceanfront estates have been offered at prices exceeding $10,000,000. There is currently one listing active on Stable Road.

Sugar Cove Condominiums in Spreckelsville, Maui, Hawaii

Spreckelsville also has one small beachfront condo complex. Sugar Cove Condominiums consists of 18 spacious, two and three bedroom, luxury units spread among 6 buildings. The complex has its own pool and tennis courts. Of course nature's great playground is out the backdoor. Sugar Cove is a good launching point for windsurfing, kite surfing, stand up paddling and surfing. This is another area of Spreckelsville that sees limited inventory. There are no current listings in Sugar Cove. The most recent sales in the complex were direct beachfront condos that went for over $2,000,000.

Spreckelsville Maui Real Estate tends to have a limited inventory especially in neighborhoods like Old Sprecks, Sugar Cove and Stable Road. It helps to have ears to the ground. I am fortunate in that my brother and partner Billy lives in the neighborhood. He always has his ears open for new opportunities in Spreckelsville. Contact us today for all of your Spreckelville Maui Real Estate needs.

Pete Jalbert R(S)

Jim Sanders Realty Inc.

www.MauiRealEstate.com