I went to the brokers open at Kai Malu in Wailea this afternoon, this community is really spectacular and worthy of my writing about . Kai Malu is located about ½ mile from my home in Maui Meadows, I actually used to run through this area years ago when it was a dirt road across from my house.

When entering Kai Malu, your first impression is awe inspiring. In a setting of terraced ancient lava, and amazing views of the expansive Pacific Ocean this community situated along the Old Wailea Blue Golf Course is one of Wailea's true gems.

The community infinity pool at Kai Malu is 75 feet long (much larger than many pools in Wailea). There is a huge deck area for owners to soak up the sweet south Pacific sun and a large pavillian for the smallest barbeque or a large family celebration. If you're a fitness buff, the fitness room looks to be well equipped and has a men's and women's sauna, steam room and changing room with lockers.

The grounds at Kai Malu are beautifully landscaped, it is evident that the young landscaping will fill in nicely as the years pass. The meandering streets make this community feel like a quaint little village, with a few greenbelts with walking paths.

This residential condominium complex consists of one hundred and fifty 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath units. The construction is top of the line with stucco exteriors, tile roofs, beautiful solid wood entry doors and chefs kitchens. The architecture is just beautiful. Kai Malu has 2 floor plans, both have spacious attached garages. The Lewa model features the master suite upstairs with 1,796 square feet of interior living space and 320 square feet of Lanai space. about 2/3 of the units at Kai Malu are the Lewa floor plan. The Honua model has the master suite on the ground floor, this will be great for those of us that no longer love stairs. This floor plan offers 1,852 square feet with a 299 square feet lanai. Some of the units in Kai Malu have their very own private pool and spa.

View all currently listed units at Kai Malu

The entrance for the pool, spa and pavillion area (This is Ohia from the Big Island)

Spectacular views from the 75 foot long infinity pool

a beautiful sunset by the pool at Kai Malu

For more information on Kai Malu contact Karen at 808-281-5253

Visit our website at www.MauiPropertySearch.com for more information on Maui real estate

Current listings at Kai Malu in Wailea

Learn about Wailea's new developments

Outdoor showers are one of the special joys that can come with owning Maui real estate. With the tropical climate being so comfortable, many Maui homeowners enjoy a shower located out in the yard, these unique showers are made from lava rock, bamboo, or just about anything, as long as it has a shower fixture, and water supply, it will work. This is a great way to enjoy the moon and stars when you have been working indoors too much, or say good morning to the world on a beautiful sunny morning. Many jungle homes on the rural northshore of Maui have these outdoor showers, (they are great for cleaning up after gardening) also, homes in Kihei and Makena which are near the beaches and finally most all Maui homes in Maui with pools will have some sort of a outdoor shower.

Here are some examples of an outdoor shower made with simple materials of bamboo and wood.

Karen Williamson R(s) is a long time Maui resident specializing in Maui real estate sales.

Visit my website at www.MauiPropertySearch.com to search the Maui MLS for Maui properties, and learn about Maui's communities.

View Maui's North shore homes and land

View homes in Kihei Maui

The County of Maui may have a total of 221,800,000 to spend this year. This is based on an increase in the real property valuations for all of Maui County which includes Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Property taxes make up forty percent of the county's overall revenue. Alot of property owners are appealing their valuations this year as they see the Maui real estate market has softened and want to make sure they are not paying more than their fair share of property taxes.

Our property tax rate in Maui County is very low, ranging from $2.00 -$14.00 (per thousand dollars in assessed value) Here in Maui County, we are fortunate to have numerous property tax relief programs for qualifying property owners. The following are some of the most popular programs:

• HOMEOWNER EXEMPTION: If you own and occupy your property as your principal residence on December 31 preceding the tax year, you are eligible for a homeowner exemption

• DISABILITY EXEMPTIONS: There are a variety of disability exemptions offered to property owners.

• CIRCUIT BREAKER CREDITS: This is a tax break that many Maui real estate owners don't know about. Here's how it works: If you qualify for a homeowner exemption (occupy your residence as your principal residence) and your real property taxes exceed 2.5% of your adjusted gross income, you may be eligible for a circuit breaker tax credit.

For more information on property taxes here in Maui County, view our Maui property tax rate sheet. If you're looking for Maui real estate enjoy browsing through all the current listings on the Maui mls at www.MauiPropertySearch.com or contact Karen Williamson R(s) at 808-281-5253.

Maui's spectacular beauty, diversity and comfortable climate lures visitors from all over the world. South Maui, including Wailea, Makena, Kihei and Maalaea has an ideal climate and some of the best amenities available on all the islands. South Maui real estate ranges from inexpensive condos in Kihei to Multi Million dollar oceanfront luxury homes in prestigious Wailea.

In 2007 Wailea home sales increased by 13% from the previous years sales with 36 sales in all. The median sale price of a single family home in Wailea was $2,028,500 in 2007. Kihei real estate is more affordable with a median sale price of $729,850 for a home in 2007, this is down 4% from the 2006 median sales price of $757,500. By far the most reasonable South Maui real estate buy is a Kihei condo, with a median sale price of $427,000.

Many Kihei and Wailea condos allow vacation rentals which gives an investor the opportunity to visit Maui and stay in their own condo part of the year and rent the condo out to vacationers while they are away. Not all Kihei and Wailea condos allow vacation rentals.

When looking to purchase a home or an investment property on Maui, I would be honored to help you with your purchase.

Visit my website at http://www.mauipropertysearch.com/ and search the Maui MLS, learn about Maui's communities and current market conditions.

In my search for a flooring that had the least impact on the environment, I think cork is my best choice. What an amazing product! Cork is harvested from the Cork Oak trees mostly grown in the Mediterranean. The bark of the tree is peeled off every 9 years or so and the tree grows a new layer. These trees are so cherished in Portugal, where 50% of the worlds cork supply comes from that they are managed closely by the government.

Cork floors are actually made from the waste of the cork bottle stopper industry, so it is a recycled product. In producing the flooring there is almost zero waste. Cork has an antimicrobial in it that deters pests, molds and mildews. It is comfortable on the feet and joints to walk on, a great sound barrier and elegant to the touch. If cared for properly, cork will last as long as hardwood flooring. Many large businesses are turning to cork as the environmental, long lasting choice for flooring.

Don't you wish all the building material available were so environmentally sound?

Here are some online sources for cork flooring: http://www.sustainableflooring.com/ http://www.igreenbuild.com/_coreModules/common/categoryDetail.aspx?categoryID=503 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/wicanders_lush.php

Contact Karen Williamson R(s) for all your Maui real estate needs.

808-281-5253

Visit my website and search the Maui mls at www.mauipropertysearch.com

I have a friend who has the most awesome avo tree here in Maui Meadows, each year around this time, it produces the the most amazing avocado's. The fruit is almost perfectly round, is from 4"-7" across, and is not stringy or lumpy. We usually get 2 large bowls of guacamole from each one, or several avocado sandwiches. I hope to graft this tree someday, as it is not a variety that I've found in the stores and it has been grown using organic gardening methods. It seems like the typical avocado sold in the big supermarket on Maui are the Sharwill or the Hass (shipped from the mainland). Often in the health food stores I find Maui grown avocados of different varieties.

Here's a picture of todays avocado. I did a little research and found that avocados is native to Mexico, Central America and South America, the earliest proof of it's existence is from the 8th century. (an Avocado was buried with a mummy.) they have long been known as aphrodisiacs even though there is no scientific evidence of this. The milky substance from the seed turns red when exposed to air, the Conquistadors used this substance as an ink, and there are still documents today that were written with this ink. The first avocado tree in America was planted by a Florida Judge in 1833. Avocado trees need another avocado tree to cross pollinate and produce fruit in 1-3 years, a healthy tree can produce for 200 years! Maui is a great place for growing healthy avocado trees.

Contact Karen Williamson, your Maui real estate agent about buying property on Maui.

www.mauipropertysearch.com

Hali'imaile is a sweet little town upcountry Maui, it's the kind of place where people are still friendly and give you a wave when you drive by. At the end of Ao'iki Street is a beautiful community organic garden, this project is supported by Maui Land and Pineapple Co.

With most kids these days feeling that food just comes from the grocery store, this is a great place for families to teach their children where food really comes from. People who don't have space for a garden at home, can have a small garden plot, conveniently located for upcountry residents. The gardeners all practice organic gardening methods sharing the same intentions to be good stewards of our earth. Composting is common practice at the Hali'imaile community garden, this is not only beneficial to building healthy soil, but helps reduce the waste sent to our Maui landfill (which is filling far too quickly). The feeling of community is strong, working beside your friends and neighbors, sharing gardening ideas and techniques, and of course enjoying the sweet harvests.

Some of the future goals for this community garden include educational planting by schools and growing food for the Maui Food Bank. Membership is currently free, but there will be a small fee to cover expenses in time. This is a great opportunity for upcountry residents to enjoy the outdoors, grow some healthy organic food, and help reduce Maui's dependence on imported foods. How lucky we live Maui :)

My kids shucking corn from our organic garden.

I remember when I was a little girl, we would come to Maui each winter. We would arrive at the (old) Kahului Airport, the first thing I always noticed, as soon as they would open the plane door was how moist the air was and the sweet smell of plumeria. Back then, the stairs would drop down from the plane to the runway and we would walk across the runway to the terminal, with our hair and clothing and whatever else we had blowing in the strong Kahului winds. The Kahului airport was so quaint and sweet back then, the most unique part of it was the huge banyan tree growing out of the center of the terminal, it was so beautiful, and there was a little sitting area around the tree for wary travelers to sit and rest. I remember watching all the birds flying in and out of this magnificient tree and thinking, this is the best, I love it here on Maui! The two other things I remember about the old Kahului airport was the upstairs bar up that semi spiral staircase, that my dad would go up to to have a quick drink after a long day of flying with mom and all five of us kids. (Mom would send me up to the bar to go get him.) And the blind man that ran the newspaper/snack stand, I would go there to buy a candy and he would take my money and give me the proper change. I would watch him with my eagle eye wondering how he was so smart. Sweet thing, he was there for many years.

I only wish I was wise enough to have taken pictures of our precious Maui back then, I would love to share with you the essence of island life. If anyone has any pictures, I'd love if you'd share them.

Aloha

The Neighbor islands in the Hawaiian Island chain have long been known for a more rural lifestyle than Oahu, (the most populated island). The controversy over the Hawaii Superferry has brought up some very uneasy feelings among Neighbor island residents. Some say the Hawaiian Islands are at a tipping point and that the root is far bigger than the Hawaii. Some people call the Superferry H-4 a new kind of freeway linking the islands. Recently when the ferry tried to enter Nawiliwili harbor on Kauai, over one thousand protesters came to stop it. There were lawyers, doctors, real estate agents, union agents, construction workers, activists, retirees, students, pharmacists, college professors, tourist industry workers, government workers and contractors at the harbor and in the water on surfboards, kayaks and canoes, to stop this massive boat. You may ask, why all the fuss?

Maybe the fact that cruise ships and direct flights from the mainland come straight in to the neighbor islands now, bringing crowds of tourists to places that local folks aren't used to having them.

Maybe it's the fact that all the neighbor islands real estate has been booming for a number of years and the prices are unrealistic for the regular working folks, or the fact that the property taxes have surged because of this.

Or it could be the traffic that our neighbor islands residents are not accustomed to, with the infrastructure always two steps behind in these areas that have grown so quickly, like Kihei, Lahaina, and Haiku on Maui, and Kailua on the Big Island.

Or possibly because some of the schools are overcrowded now.

Mabey some are standing up and opposing the Superferry because they feel that this is the straw that will break the camels back with automobiles driving off and on the ferry on each island, possibly bringing mud and dirt with invasive species eggs, larvae, and seeds.

Or maybe neighbor island residents are concerned that their natural resources will be plundered, including hunting on the Aina and in the water and taking stone and cinder that are no longer available on Oahu. A good example of this being that on one of the first voyages 3 trucks came to Maui from Oahu, they were all filled with ocean rock from Maui's beaches and brought back to the Kahului harbor for the trip back to Oahu. Luckily that voyage home was canceled and the rock was returned to the Valley Isle beaches where it belongs.

It could be any or all these things that have brought us to this "tipping point". I do know having lived on Maui for 25 years, that I have never seen so many residents on the neighbor islands feeling uneasy, I've never seen such a split in the communities as I do right now.

Here are a couple of articles about the Hawaii Superferry: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/NEWS09/708270351 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20837793/

Before the 1970's most visitors that came to the Hawaiian Islands came to Waikiki on Oahu.

The Maui Lu was the only resort on Maui's south shore, this resort was built by a Canadian logger Gordon Gibson and named after a yacht he sailed across the Pacific, it housed the snowbirds that would hide out in Maui for the winter.

In the 70's "Maui was found"

• Amfac developed Kaanapali and Maui started gaining in popularity.
• condos were developed on the shores of Kihei. Hale Kamaole, Haleakala Shores, Kamaole Beach Royale, Kamaole Nalu, Kihei Akahi, Kihei Alii Kai, Kihei Surfside, Kihei Parkshore, Mana Kai, Punahoa Beach, Royal Mauian, Shores of Maui, Island Surf, Maui Sunset, Waiohuli Beach Hale, Waipuilani and Kihei Beach Resort and many others.
• Wailea Ekahi and Wailea Elua were built on the ocean in Wailea.
• The Intercontinental Hotel and the Maui Beach Hotel were built in Wailea.

Previously, Kihei had been considered "out of the way and off the beaten path" With pavement only to Keawakapu beach there was mostly cactus and Kiawe throughout Wailea and Makena area. Upcountry and the north shore including Kula, Pukalani, Makawao, and Haiku were all very rural farming communities.

In the late 1980's the Japanese buyers came to Maui with their strong Yen. They bought up Maui real estate like it was going out of style until the mid 90's when their economy began to falter.

In the mid 1990"s Wailea's master planned community sprouted three new luxury resorts. The Grand Hyatt Resort (Now the Grand Wailea), the Four Seasons Resort, and the Kealani Hotel (now the Fairmont Kealani) With all the luxury accommodations and golf courses and fantastic beaches, Wailea had become "the crown jewel" of Maui.

In west Maui Kapalua's planned community development was reaching maturity with beautiful Villas, Homes and two luxury hotels, the Ritz Carlton and the Kapalua Bay Hotel.

From the late 1990's till 2006 the Maui real estate was booming, many of the buyers came from the mainland and much of the money came from the stock market and Internet companies.

Recently, Maui's real estate market has cooled down, with far more opportunities for buyers than the last few years. With all that our lovely island has to offer, it will always be sought after by mainland and foreign buyers alike.

For more Maui real estate information contact Karen Williamson R(s)

A beautiful Maui sunset