Mark Harbison, R(S) (GRI)

Hotel room rates on Maui dropped 16 percent as of November 14th to an average of $188 per night. Of course, mid-November is one of the slowest times of the year for the Hawaii visitor industry, which tourists should keep in mind if they prefer a lower density of other visitors on their vacation.

Room rates have dropped for all the major islands, in fact. Oahu fell 8.8 percent to $144, Kauai dropped 4.3 percent to $176, and the Big Island fell 4.3 percent to $146 per night.

[Full Story - "Lower Hotel Room Rates on Maui Benefit Visitors"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Real Estate Maui Hawaii,
Specializing in Maalaea Homes.

To find the perfect Maui property for you, feel free to use our online real estate search tool. Also, we recommend you take a look at our featured Maui properties and If you need any help with our website or your pursuit of great Maui real estate, please send an email to Mark mark@realestatemauihawaii.com or Lisa lisa@realestatemauihawaii.com. You can also call (866) 874-1942 toll free or Lisa's cell at (808) 283-7426. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

While some degree of optimism is necessary for the Realtor who is determined to be successful, it sure is reassuring when the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shares the same outlook.

The recent news reports say the the home buyer tax credit has improved the general outlook for the housing market, and many economists now predict that we are beginning to see the start of a sustainable recovery. The NAR released a statement to that effect last Friday, in fact.

[Full Story - "Good National Outlook for Housing Market"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Real Estate Maui Hawaii,
Specializing in Maalaea Homes.

Looking for Maui real estate? See our Maui real estate listings, or you can always use our online Maui real estate search tool. If you need any help with our website or your pursuit of great Maui real estate, please send an email to Mark mark@realestatemauihawaii.com or Lisa lisa@realestatemauihawaii.com. You can also call (866) 874-1942 toll free or Lisa's cell at (808) 283-7426. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

The numbers are in for Maui real estate sales, and we'll get to them in a minute, but first, the good news from congress. The first-time home-buyer tax credit has been extended to April 30th, 2010.

For those of you who aren't familiar, the Federal Government has extended a tax credit of $8K to those purchasing a home for the first time. New home owners are not the only ones benefiting, however. $6.5K is also being credited to current homeowners who are purchasing either a new or existing home until that deadline as well. The income limits have been increased to $125K for single buyers and $225K for married couples.

[Full Story - "Maui Real Estate Sales Statistics"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Real Estate Maui Hawaii,
Specializing in Maalaea Homes.

To find the perfect Maui property for you, feel free to use our online real estate search tool. Also, we recommend you take a look at our featured Maui properties. If you need any help with our website or your pursuit of great Maui real estate, please send an email to Mark mark@realestatemauihawaii.com or Lisa lisa@realestatemauihawaii.com. You can also call (866) 874-1942 toll free or Lisa's cell at (808) 283-7426. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

A couple of weeks ago, we blogged about the development of Smart Grid technology which keeps track of and reduces energy consumption in homes. Smart Grid monitors peak energy consumption times and powers off appliances and other items powered by electricity during those times. Using electricity at peak hours is more expensive, so those who have Smart Grid technology installed in their homes should save money with it. Reducing energy consumption during peak hours also takes pressure off the grid, allowing more power from renewable sources to be used.

[Full Story - "Hawaii Smart Grid to Get $5.3M"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Real Estate Maui Hawaii,
Specializing in Maalaea Homes.

To find the perfect Maui property for you, feel free to use our online real estate search tool. Also, we recommend you take a look at our featured Maui properties. If you need any help with our website or your pursuit of great Maui real estate, please send an email to Mark mark@realestatemauihawaii.com or Lisa lisa@realestatemauihawaii.com. You can also call (866) 874-1942 toll free or Lisa's cell at (808) 283-7426. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

General Electric recently announced that it will be testing its "smart grid" technology in the luxury resort community of Wailea.

What is smart grid? It's a new kind of power grid that saves energy by turning off household appliances when electricity is expensive. It also utilizes more wind and solar power than the norm. The goal is to have it reduce peak electricity by 15 percent as of 2012.

[Full Story - "Smart Grid on Maui"]
Today's Maui Real Estate Spotlight brought to you by Real Estate Maui Hawaii,
Specializing in Maalaea Homes.

To find the perfect Maui property for you, feel free to use our online real estate search tool. Also, we recommend you take a look at our featured Maui properties. If you need any help with our website or your pursuit of great Maui real estate, please send an email to Mark mark@realestatemauihawaii.com or Lisa lisa@realestatemauihawaii.com. You can also call (866) 874-1942 toll free or Lisa's cell at (808) 283-7426. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!