Maui Real Estate - Lisa B. Miller R(S)

Luxury-living on a golf course setting nestled on a hill overlooking South Maui can now be found in Kailea, Maui's newest resort community.

Hokulani Golf Villas features well-appointed condominiums designed with the privacy of single-family homes neighboring Kihei's favorite golf course, Ellair Maui Golf Club.

Built by Signature Homes of Hawaii, Hokulani Golf Villas offers six exquisitely designed floor plans, from a 2 bedroom, den, and 2 bath single-story residence to a 3 bedroom, den, and 3 bath two-story residence.

Each villa includes a gourmet kitchen complete with granite slab countertops, custom cabinets, stainless steel Kitchen Aid appliances (including a gas cook top) and an elegant center island.

The kitchen opens to the great room, perfect for entertaining. From the great room, energy-efficient sliding doors with low-E glass opens out onto the tiled lanai with a ceiling fan for ultimate outdoor comfort.

The homes also include a Master Bedroom Suite with spacious walk-in closets, solid surface countertop, ceramic tile, and a generous-sized bathtub.

In addition, the resort community features its own infinity waterfall pool center, which includes a clubhouse for gatherings or private parties.

This exclusive community is perfectly located next to the shopping areas of Kihei, world-renowned restaurants and luxury boutiques of Wailea, and of course, the best beaches Maui has to offer.

Currently priced between $999,000 and $1,459,000, the developer is also including a $200,000 credit off the list price for the next 5 units to go under contract.

Please contact me for more information or to view one of these elegant luxury villas today.

One of the great benefits of living on Maui is the FREE admission to the various community pools on the island. Even though we are fortunate to live near warm, beautiful ocean water where the swimming can be wonderful, the Maui county pools provide a great alternative option.

No need to worry about sand, currents, or waves that may knock your kids over. Plus, you can swim some laps, take swimming lessons, or join a water aerobics class.

One of these community pools is located in Kihei, The Kihei Aquatic Center. I love coming here since it is within walking distance to my house and my 2 year-old daughter loves it too!

The Aquatic center has THREE pools: a keiki (kiddie) pool with a waterfall fountain, a training pool for lap swimming, water aerobics and recreational swimming for the kids, and a competition pool that is OLYMPIC size.

There are other pools are located in Wailuku, Kahului, Lahaina, and Pukalani, which are also free to the public, but vary in amenities.

You can also attend any pool regardless of which town you live in. Click here for more information.

On a hot summer day when you need some exercise or a place to take the family, but want to escape the heat, the community pools are a great place to go!

After enjoying lunch at The Ranch Store and Grill, which I talk about in a prior post, my husband and I walked across the street to the winery at Ulupalakua Ranch to sample some wine.

The grounds are just beautiful, with the well-manicured landscaping, and the historic buildings!

The tasting room is located in the charming main building or house, The Kings Cottage, which was built in 1874.

The tasting room is warm, inviting, and exquisitely decorated with special lighting and an impressive bar that was cut from the trunk of a single mango tree.

The wine tasting is free and you can choose to taste up to 4 of their available wines.

Their pineapple wines are their most popular, which is made from pineapples, not grapes.

Even though i prefer the taste of drier wines, the pineapple wines were refreshing, albeit a little sweet. I found their sparkling wines to be quite nice.

The winery also offers free tours, which we didn't do since we were running out of time, but we did explore the grounds on our own, which was really fun.

Afterwards, we decided to continue along the road which eventually brings you to Hana. The views of the coast were absolutely breathtaking, but we didn't have the time to drive as might as we would have liked. Once I do, though, I'll take pictures and write a blog about it :).

We had a fantastic day! The drive up to Ulupalakua, grabbing lunch the Ranch Store and Grill, and then tasting some wine made for a wonderful day trip on Maui!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend! One of the things my family and I did was take a drive up to Ulupalakua to get some lunch and do some wine tasting. Ulupalakua is located WAY up in the hills of southern Maui.

The only way to drive there from South Maui is to take highway 31 towards Kahului, turn right on Hana Highway, then take highway 37 passed Kula until you reach the town. It's a very round-about way (maybe only an hour drive from Kihei) but makes for a VERY delightful drive.

The scenery was breathtaking! Lots of rolling hills, low clouds, and lush landscaping! It almost feels like you are driving along the backroads of northern California.

Once we arrived, we stopped at the Ranch Store and Grill for lunch, which is really the only place to eat, but it doesn't matter. This place is loaded with charm and the food is great!

As the name implies, it is a store, where you can find lots of souvenirs (mugs, t-shirts, hats, jams, etc) all in a charming setting, which encourages lots of browsing.

In the back of the store, is the deli where you order grilled items or grab prepared cold salads and sandwiches from the cold case and take them outside to eat on the picnic tables.

Their most popular grilled item is the elk burger, but they were out of it when we arrived. I wasn't very hungry so I just grabbed a salad with papaya dressing, but was very impressed! It was SO good! My husband, Chris, enjoyed a burger and he thought it very good as well.

The grounds of the store are very inviting and we enjoyed our lunch outside where you can take in the beautiful scenery!

I HIGHLY recommend the drive to Ulupalakua and a meal a the Ranch Store and Grill!

Living on Maui really does feel like living in paradise with its beautiful beaches, warm weather, tropical breezes, and an island culture that values the spirit of aloha. And as wonderful as it is, it does come with a price, but a price many feel worth paying.

The cost of living is considered high relative to most places on the Mainland. Not everything is more expensive, however, especially when you compare it to an area you are used to.

Consumer Goods are generally more expensive because they are shipped from the Mainland and prices need to reflect those shipping costs. For items you cannot find on Maui, thank goodness for Amazon.com where you can find a lot of products at low mainland prices WITH free shipping!

I like to shop at Safeway for the bulk of my groceries and although full priced items are more expensive than what you would normally find on the Mainland, the store does offer the same great discounts, making it much more affordable.

Property taxes for primary homeowners are very low. Currently they are $2.00 per one thousand dollars of net taxable assessed valuation of the real property. In addition, there is a homeowner exemption, which makes your property taxes even more affordable. That is very good, especially comparing it to California's high tax rates! The tax rates are higher for part-time residents and time share owners, however.

Utilities, such as water and electricity, are higher than what most people are used to. According to Maui Electric Company, the average electric rate for Maui in a residential area, was 37.12 cents per kilowatthour. To help offset the higher rates and to take advantage of the generous tax credits, many people on Maui have installed solar water heaters. We had one installed on our home and love it!

Water rates are also a bit higher. Click here to see the rates.

Other utilities, such as telephone, cable, and internet are pretty comparable to mainland rates, in my opinion.

Gas prices on Maui are some of the highest in the nation. Currently the average price per gallon is $3.30, but down considerably from a year ago by almost a dollar! Gas prices vary by location and will be more expensive in the more remote areas.

Hawaii State Tax rates range from 1.4 to 8.25 percent, and which is based on 9 income brackets.

Kamaaina rates are great! Once a resident, you take advantage of some great discounts at restaurants, stores, golf courses, and other recreational activities! The discounts are usually advertised, but don't be afraid to ask if there are offered. You will usually be required to show your Hawaiian driver's license for proof of residency (or State ID card). And although you are not required to obtain a hawaiian drivers license once you move here (as long as your out-of-state license is current) it is advisable to apply for it through a written driver's test so that you can take advantage of theses Kama'aina discounts.

There is a price to pay for living on paradise, but for many, a price worth paying!

If there are any topics I have missed that you have questions about, please let me know!