Being raised in Lahaina in
the 70's was fun, to say the least. Everything was happening,
the building boom, the tourist industry, the waves, Maui
was becoming a world class destination. With my family being
heavily involved in the building industry of the late 60's
and into the 70's and 80's I could see that things where
changing fast. Life is full of compromises, but where do
you draw the line? Leaving Hawaii was mine. After surfing
through high school at Lahainaluna and moving to the Big
Island for two years at UH Hilo I finally made it to Oahu
and the University of Hawaii. Three years later and lots
of surf, I was back on Maui ready to make a name for myself.
Having come to the realization that surfing for a living
was out of the question (the pros at that time made less
than waiters) my mom convinced me that to have a real-estate
license couldn't hurt. 1982 seems like a life time ago now
but you know what they say "always listen to your mother".
Real-estate has been good to me. What other
industry can you work in that mandates fun. I used to joke
that I made my best contacts while in the water. Guess what,
its true. I have been blessed with meeting some of the most
incredible people through my work and having the pleasure
of helping them purchase their dream properties. Don't get
me wrong, I have a strict business ethic, WORK HARD PLAY
HARD. After setting up my own office in 1991 I soon learned
the down side of being the boss of a real-estate firm, if
you spend all your time keeping your sales people busy you
don't have time to make any sales. You may remember the
early nineties were not that friendly to realtors, or any
one for that matter. Back to basics, I downsized my office
and started doing what I love, meeting fantastic people
and helping them purchase their dream.
It sure is easy to fall into that rut called
reality. Home, office, cars, mortgages, kids (love the Kids)
and all the responsibilities that come with "success".
Is there still time to surf? Oh Ya, you make time. Having
made a yearly migration chasing the big ones through the
South Pacific and the Indian Oceans I can tell you from
experience that nothing motivates me to work harder than
a good surf trip.
Where am I now? I still spend most of my
time helping friends, new and old, buy into the dream here
on Maui, but I have been spending more and more time on
Molokai "The Most Hawaiian Island". Just remember
the next time you are in the waters of Maui or Molokai and
see a guy with a big smile on his face you might be looking
at the SURFER THAT SELLS REAL-ESTATE! |
The Surfing Realtor's Winter 2007 Update |
Aloha friends and neighbors! Welcome to my winter 2007 update - Maui is still Maui THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO LIVE! Some things will never change. We have had a great surf season so far and I am looking forward to some spring time empty waves coming my way. The real-estate market has slowed somewhat but over all is still very strong. We have seen a drop in the volume of sales for both residential and condos but an increase in price per sale. We have seen some price reductions but really it seems that sellers are just moving the asking prices to realistic values and not lowering them below other recent sales.
One thing to note is that the super high end is doing very well - in fact better than very well - better than ever. We have had some incredible oceanfront sales in 2007 and are on track to sell twice as many oceanfront homes this year than last on West Maui. Another interesting fact is that our buyers are getting younger. Gone are the days of the 70+ retiree coming into the Maui market for a retirement home - now we are seeing 45 to 60 year young buyers coming over and living large! Life is good and Maui is a great place to enjoy it.
A few of the projects that I really like right now are Kahana Ridge, I think that it is under valued. Kapalani Estates, again under valued based on the location and quality subdivision. All of Kapalua is great and there are both turn key and fixer upper opportunities depending on your ability.
Molokai has taken the largest hit in regards to sales volume, it has in fact dropped off the map. So far this year there has not been one recorded sale in the Papohaku Ranchlands subdivision. We did sell a lot in Moana Makani but that has been it. We have still been getting lots of calls and expect that the buyers are just waiting to see what will happen with the market. Molokai will be fine - it is a quality of life purchase and as we all mature (LOL) it will pull some of us to the charm and quiet seclusion that only Molokai can offer.
Building costs and permit times are still out of this world. My advise is that unless you are in the trades, buy existing, it may save your sanity. Remodels are doable but can still be very frustrating. I have friends that have been waiting for permits for almost a year and others that are hoping to be in their new home after two years of construction.
Ok - back to basics - did I say how nice the weather is here on Maui today? How much fun I had fishing with my kids last weekend? How much I enjoyed the sunset from the spa last night and the BBQ right next to the ocean? Yes life is good here on Maui and I think that there may be room for just a few more lucky people to enjoy it. Give me a call and let me show you how it can work for you!!!
Buz
your surfing realtor
808-870-6794
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