Pete Jalbert R(S)

I will be honest in saying that I had pretty low expectations for market activity this month. Traditionally, September is the start of our slowest season for tourism and reale estate. During the fall, the family vacationers of the summer are gone and we don't really see higher occupancy on the island until Thanksgiving. Sustained visitor and real estate activity does not begin until Christmas. There are other factors that played a part in my low expectations for the market. This summer we saw the two slowest months for sales volume in ten years. Of course, the economic news of the last few days hasn't been all that rosy. That makes the market over the last couple of weeks that much more surprising. We have seen an uptick in the number of properties under contract over the last two weeks. Pendings are up by about 15 from the end of August and there have been a few high profile sales.

This oceanfront property in Paia just sold this week for $4,500,000. It is the second highest sale ever in Paia.

At this point, it is a little too early to call this a market trend. However, it is worth noting that we have also seen an increase in inquiries. Perhaps, the drop in interest rates is causing an increase in interest in the Maui market. Maybe the actions of the federal government is seen as encouraging news to buyers? This will be an interesting trend to keep an eye on over the next couple of months. I will keep you posted with updates on the market on my AR blog and THE Maui Real Estate Blog.

Earlier this week, the skies around Maui started to become Voggie. Vog or volcanic haze is a pollutant that is emitted from the active Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island. While Vog impacts areas of the big island year round, we see Vog on Maui and the other smaller islands when our normal tradewind conditions change. Light southerly and southeasterly winds will often bring the haze up from the Big Island to Maui and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. We have seen an increase in Vog conditions over the last 6 months or so when Kilauea began a more active erruption cycle.

Vog can have an impact on people with respiratory illnesses. I myself have mild asthma. I know on days where the Vog is heaviest, my breathing is a little more labored during exercise. Vog also can significantly reduce visibility in the islands. It is not uncommon for our towering mountains and volcanos to be obscured by the thick air.

The one positive about vog is that it will often produce some pretty surreal sunsets. My sister in law Carla was taking wedding photos in South Maui earlier this week when she snapped this photo of the evening sun. The north east trade winds returned to the islands on Monday clearing out the haze. We are back under normal conditions with our usual clear blue skies.

I have always been a fan of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's Earth From Above photography. Billy recently did a helicopter trip over part of the island. He had his camera with him was able to take quite a few photos. While it isn't quite as artistic as Yann's photos, he was able to get some great pictures. Here are some selected photographs when he was flying over the West Maui area. These photos show some of the coastline along Olowalu and points south.

Luxury Properties along the Olowalu Coastline

I like how you can see the reef off of Olowalu in this shot

The Rugged West Maui Mountains are dry in the summer, but green with winter rain.

The West Maui area is connected to the rest of the island via a roadway known as the Pali. Pali is Hawaiian for cliff.

These are just a few of Billy's photos. I will be posting others on the site in the near future. Enjoy!

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

A sickly lap top has prevented me from being as active as I would like to be on the rain and on my other blog. That being said, I have a few recent Maui Real Estate Blog posts that are worth sharing.

• I recently came across a good blog post on seller perspectives on the housing market. Inspired by this post, I argue that one of the most important steps a seller can make when getting to list their home is to evaluate their expectations vs. the reality of the market.
• I posted an update on the status of recent county council deliberations on Maui Bed and Breakfast regulations. The planning committee reveresed course this week when they voted that bed and breakfasts should be allowed in ag zoned areas. This will be subject to full council vote.
• I had a chance to look at the MLS and come up with the unofficial Maui Real Estate statistics for August. The month was the slowest in over 5 years. That being said, I do talk about one positive trend that I saw in the market.
• Last but not least, I posted a couple of beautiful photos taken at the beach in Makena by my sister in law Carla.

I am planning on getting a new laptop this week. Hopefully, that will make for a more productive week on both of my blogs.