Maui Real Estate

REAL ESTATE A SUPPLEMENT OF THE MAUI NEWS | FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015

How + red tape hinders affordable housing on Maui When + you should INSIDE:

Buying or selling?

Tips to gaining an edge in today’s market

consider buying a home warranty

>>> What will a W. Maui hospital mean for real estate?

THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

The Paper

COMMENTARY

By DAVID DELEON Realtors Association of Maui Government Affairs Director

WALL T How web of rules, laws and bureaucratic entanglements block housing development

here is a debate going on about why we as a community are apparently no longer able to build enough homes to shelter our ordinary working-class residents.

The Realtors Association of Maui has been studying

that question over the last year, talking to folks who build homes for DeLeon a living.

From those conversations, RAM has developed a laundry list of answers: lack of available, entitled land; lack of infrastructure, and in particular water and wastewater capacity; lack of financing for home development; and

NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) resistance to all new development. And then there is the constantly expanding web of rules, laws, authorities and bureaucratic inefficiencies that make doing anything in a timely manner next to impossible, a barrier that increases the costs of whatever we build.

Call it the Paper Wall.

The following true story illustrates the impact of governmental red tap in today’s world. Typically, it takes at

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least five years to build a bridge in Hawaii. And it can often take longer, if there is any kind of community opposition. But an emergency almost a decade ago clearly demonstrated that most of that time requirement is caused by paper: the series of permits and environmental and historic reviews that have to be conducted before a bridge project can proceed.

On Oct. 15, 2006, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Big Island and rattled Maui.

A damage assessment showed that a key Hana Highway bridge linking the tiny community of Kipahulu to Hana was undermined and no longer safe. Likewise, the back road out of Kipahulu, toward Kaupo, was rendered impassable.

Kipahulu was cut off.

Ordinarily, replacing the Paihi Bridge would have taken many years and a small mountain of permits and reports. But because this was an emergency, the engineers were allowed to bypass the paperwork and just do the work. In just a month and a half, Maui County engineers found a replacement metal bridge on the Mainland, brought it back to Maui and installed it in one of the most isolated locations on the island. The same bridge is

See PAPER WALL on Page 4

ON THE COVER: This property in Haiku is being represented by the Hansen Ohana Real Estate Group.

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THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

The Maui News / CHELSEA DUNCAN photos

At left, Joe Pluta poses in front of a map showing the location of the planned West Maui Hospital and Medical Center to be built makai of the Kaanapali Coffee Farms. Above, Pluta holds up a West Maui Hospital & Medical Center Foundation T-shirt featuring a logo designed by his daughter.

A win for W. Maui Longtime Maui Realtor believes a new hospital will boost public safety and real estate market

By CHELSEA DUNCAN, Special Sections Editor

Realty LLC, making his community a safer place to live has been a top priority.

“If you want to find a No. 1 concern anywhere in the world, it’s going to be health and safety,” he said.

His work to improve West Maui didn’t begin with the hospital. He saw early on that the area, despite its large share of property taxes provided to the government, was lacking in several public service areas, from parks and road systems to fire protection and public health.

“It affects the real estate market and values here,” he said. “Because if it’s not safe to live someplace or if the roads are inadequate and all these infrastructural needs that people should have are inadequate, well, it depresses prices and nobody wants to live there, necessarily.”

Pluta joined other like-minded community members and in 1980 founded the West Maui Taxpayers Association (WMTA), a lobbying organization with the intent to ensure that the area would receive its fair share of tax-funded improvements by the state and county.

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oe Pluta sees a bright future ahead for West Maui’s real estate market. For close to two decades, he and his partners have pushed for the construction of a hospital on the west side that he knows beyond a doubt will make the community a safer — and therefore more valuable — We have built over 30 high quality place to live. custom affordable homes in Maui There have been plenty of hurdles and naysayers with shipping, assembly, throughout the uphill battle that many said would be impossible to win. But just last month, the land entitlements needfoundation, and appliances ed to start the project received their final approval from the included.

Maui Planning Commission, following the County Coun

cil’s approval in May. Pluta breathed a sigh of relief as his part in the saga winded down, with the final phases now in the hands of developer Brian Hoyle, president of Newport Hospital Corp., who is expected to apply for construction Floor plans and Videos @ permits within a month for the the West Maui Hospital and www.FabmacHomes.com Medical Center.

808-244-0888 For Pluta, in real estate for 47 years — 37 on Maui, 10 See WEST MAUI on Page 5 on Ohau — and owner-principal broker of Joseph D. Pluta A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Friday, July 31, 2015 – Page T3

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“

THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015 Paper wall Continued from Page 2 still in service today on the Hana Highway, just outside of the Haleakala National Park’s Kipahulu section.

Years of time that would have been spent on paperwork were saved when the usual rules were dropped.

Multiply those years by the number of other county and state projects that face the same paper chase and you start to get the sense of inefficiencies we, as a society, have created.

In a similar vein, a recent news series run by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser told of the state Department of Transportation fighting to hold on to nearly $1 billion in federal highway funds because the state had failed to spend the money. Why? The state said it could not surmount the Paper Wall.

Numerous highway projects are mired in a quick sand of federal environmental rules, the report said. The layers of rules,

Only about 5 percent of Maui’s land mass is zoned urban and most of that is already supporting development.

”

permits and other paperwork entanglements strangle projects and dramatically add to their costs. Quite literally, a billion dollars of much-needed highway improvements were not happening because of the Pa-

per Wall we have built in the name of environmental and cultural review.

Of course, we all want to protect the environment, but we have passed the point at which we have to recognize that the proliferation of environmental rules, planning requirements and land use approvals has reached a point of selfstrangulation. We need to balance our desire for environmental protection against the need for simple efficiency. Environmental Impact Statements are not products. They are steps in a process, a process that has grown endless.

The same phenomenon is happening to housing development. It is estimated that it takes between seven and 10 years to entitle vacant agriculturally zoned land in Hawaii so that it can be used for housing. On the Mainland, the same transition takes two years. And

See PAPER WALL on Page 6

The Maui News file photo

Plans for the Kahoma Residential Subdivision, a 68-unit affordable housing project along the Kahoma Stream in Lahaina, remain tied up in land use approval processes.

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THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015 West Maui Continued from Page 3 One of the top projects that stemmed from the association’s work involved building a fire and ambulance station in Napili in the ’90s.

Efforts to build the station led to the creation of the West Maui Improvement Foundation (WMIF), a nonprofit with a public charity designation that was able to accept tax-deductible donations — including the land donated for the site. Funds were privately raised to build the station, with the county taking over operations upon completion.

No other community in Hawaii had undertaken such a project, Pluta said, and people had been skeptical. But the result was improved public safety and drastically lower costs for fire insurance for property owners, which ultimately provided a return on their

financial investment in the station.

“Our logic was so sound. They couldn’t argue with the logic,” he said. “And sure enough, we did it.”

Other achievements accomplished through the WMTA and WMIF include improvements to the Lahaina Youth Center, the creation of Napili Park and the Lahaina Skate Park, improvements to Honoapiilani Highway and pushing for the Lahaina Bypass, among many others.

But the largest undertaking has remained the push for a West Maui hospital. Under the best of circumstances, Pluta said, it can take an hour for someone on the west side to arrive in an ambulance to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Room after calling 911. Traffic or a road block, for example, can delay care even more.

Not long after the fire and ambulance station opened, work be-

gan to determine what it would take to build a hospital. What would follow was years worth of studies, negotiations, land use processes and recovery from the financial meltdown. The biggest hurdle, besides finding the millions of dollars needed to back the project, was obtaining a certificate of need from the State Health Planning Development Association that would deem the project worthy, finally granted in 2009.

The West Maui Hospital and Medical Center calls for a 24hour emergency department, 16 medical surgical beds, nine critical-care beds, three operating rooms, a diagnostic radiology department and outpatient services, among other services, according to the hospital’s website. Plans call for the hospital, which will be located on Kakaalaneo Road, makai of the Kaanapali Coffee Farms, to open in 2017 with additional phases to follow.

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The county has been working with Newport Hospital Corp. to get final permits in order, Mayor Alan Arakawa said during the annual Mayor’s Luncheon last week.

“It’s very exciting,” Arakawa said, according to a Maui News report. “We’ve been working for years with the hospital, but we’re getting to where things are getting done.”

Once the hospital is built, Pluta expects more benefits for the community to fall into place, from road improvements, high-paying jobs in high-tech fields and additional housing.

“It’s going to spring-start incredible real estate values, improvements and growth and development here,” he said.

Now able to look beyond the West Maui hospital, Pluta can focus more on sales, including his listings in Kaanapali Golf Estates and Papakea Resort. But he remains president of WMIF and di-

rector of WMTA and hopes to next tackle issues including homelessness, affordable housing and traffic.

The hospital, he expects, will help alleviate some of those issues. Noting that some 10,000 people commute to the west side for work each day, Pluta said more affordable housing needs to be built in the area to accommodate at least a portion of that population. With the hospital as the incentive to create more development, more affordable homes are likely to follow, he said. If fewer workers have to commute, that will ease traffic on the roads.

No doubt there will be more land use laws to tackle, more funds to raise and more skeptics to win over along the way. But Pluta, crediting his faith in God, knows that what’s best for the community will prevail.

“These things are essential,” he said. “They’re going to happen.”

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THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015 Paper wall Continued from Page 4 that is bemoaned as taking too long.

According to state economists, Maui needs to be building 1,400 homes a year, just to keep up with natural population growth. Most of that housing growth will have to happen on land now designated agricultural. The first step will be to get those lands designated for urban use. Can we afford to wait for seven years while that happens?

Only about 5 percent of Maui’s land mass is zoned urban and most of that is already supporting development. But when builders try to use agriculturally zoned land for housing development, they face Hawaii’s land use approval process — seven layers of review, including the State Land Use Commission, the Maui Island Plan, Community Plans, Zoning, Subdivision, Special Management Area Permits and Historic District reviews.

The years spent before all of these approving authorities have a direct impact on our availability and cost of housing.

Private developers are generally more successful in getting the permits and approvals they need compared to government, because they cannot afford to wait: For the private sector, time is

quite literally money. The longer an approval process takes, the more interest they will have to pay on borrowed money.

If you talk to Doug Spencer of Spencer Development while he is working on a project, you will undoubtedly hear about his latest fight to get the bureaucracy out of his project’s way. The Spencers’ success in building affordable homes is directly tied to their willingness to go toe to toe with the land use bureaucracy. Time is money to Spencer and to the folks who will buy his homes. In Spencer’s case, his tenacity is a family trait. Anyone who worked in the County Building 10 years ago will tell you how his dad, Jesse Spencer, would regularly camp out in the Mayor’s Office to get his projects unstuck.

For as long as anyone can remember, Maui County political leaders have promised to improve our building permit process, to make it more efficient. The promises were made but progress has been limited, builders report.

Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective. For home builders, the process cannot move fast enough.

For the folks who operate the various offices that make up the approval process, the slow-motion, glacial pace of governmental time is a fact of everyday life.

Those of us who have lived and worked in the slow-moving

world of bureaucracy know that the longer you work there, the more that becomes your expectation.

One of the most successful programs for promoting affordable housing developments in Hawaii is successful precisely because it recognizes that time is money to a developer. Known as 201H (from its title in Hawaii Revised Statutes), this law basically allows developers to skip Hawaii’s elaborate, time-consuming land use approval process in exchange for building projects that are at least 50 percent “affordable.” The 201H only gives the County Council 45 days to say yes or no to the project, no matter what its zoning is. If an approval is not completed after 45 days, it is automatically approved. When a process that ordinarily takes years is reduced to days, that’s a real incentive to builders. The time saved translates directly into greatly reduced front-end investment costs and gives the developer a major incentive to build for the working class.

Unfortunately, the same state law that allows this incentive for building affordable homes fast also has a built-in Achilles heel that can disable otherwise very desirable housing projects: the law requires that the State Land Use Commission also approves any

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project bigger than 15 acres.

Hawaii is unique in the nation for having what is essentially state zoning. Every part of the state falls into one of four state zoning categories: urban, rural, agricultural and conservation.

The counties basically control through zoning the uses allowed in the urban district, which statewide makes up about 5 percent of the state’s land mass. The appointed State Land Use Commission oversees the whole system, and approves amendments to the four districts, special use permits and 201H housing applications.

If we are serious about getting homes built, RAM believes the Legislature needs to remove the LUC’s authority over 201H projects because the LUC is proving to be a significant barrier to housing development.

Like the County Council, the LUC is only given 45 days in which to approve a 201H application. But that depends on when you start counting those 45 days.

One developer explained to us that the commission staff controls the flow of applications, and the applications are regularly forced to wait for months until the commission is ready for them. And only then does the 45-day clock start. That lack of urgency on the part of the commission is apparently indicative of an agency that

has not gotten the message that the lack of housing in Hawaii is hitting emergency proportions.

A Maui project is the poster child for how the commission is an impediment to affordable housing development. Kahoma Residential Subdivision is a proposed 68-unit, 100 percent affordable, 201H, single-family, in-fill project along the Kahoma Stream in Lahaina. It includes Habitat for Humanity and Na Hale O Maui as active partners and will produce homes that local working families can afford in a regular market environment that starts well above $500,000. Because 201H is a fast-tract process, Maui County moved the project through expeditiously.

But when it arrived at the state LUC, KRS was given a choice.

There was a petition to intervene from neighbors in opposition to the project, and the commission advised the developers that the LUC was not capable of handling a contested case in an expedited manner. The LUC could either reject the application within the 45-day window or the applicants would have to agree to a standard, non-expedited process.

The intervention was possible because when a board or commission hears an application such as a 201H project in Hawaii, the

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THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

Ask the expert: If you’re buying or selling a home, take these steps ith Maui’s real estate market continuing to improve, it’s important for both buyers and sellers to be on top of their game when it comes to securing a deal.

With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Realtor Donna Hansen of the Hansen Ohana Real Estate Group has developed tips to help give both buyers and sellers an edge.

W

For sellers:

Price is, of course, one of the most integral parts of preparing your home to sell at its highest and best price, says Hansen.

But preparing your property is also key to how quickly it sells.

“Make sure your home outshines your competition,” she says.

Study the pros and cons of your competition and then have a professional designer come in and assess how your property appears to the public. Adding or removing items from the space can make a world of difference. For those who can’t afford to hire a professional, Hansen recommends asking someone you respect for suggestions.

“Yes, you do have to get rid of personal pictures, the comfortable pillow, the dog bed, that favorite rug and all those figurines,” she adds.

And don’t forget that the exterior of a home provides the first impression potential buyers will carry with them throughout the entire viewing.

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Hansen suggests clearing out clutter, painting if necessary and cleaning everything from windows, to doors to the gardens.

“You may think you see it as it appears but you would be surprised how a professional designer and experienced agent can make your home welcome the buyer,” she says.

For buyers:

Not surprisingly, Hansen recommends that potential buyers evaluate their finances first and foremost.

Potential buyers should receive pre-approval from a lender if they know they will need financing. Check with your favorite banker or ask for referrals.

“There is nothing more painful than to find a property you love and then not qualify to purchase it,” she says.

The next step is to find the right agent for you. Reputation, values, experience all count when choosing someone to represent you in your purchase, Hansen says.

“You want someone who will really focus on you and your needs, not the dollars they will earn when you purchase,” she says.

It’s also important to research the weather, neighborhoods and schools within the area you’re looking to buy. Then, check out comparable sales.

If you are financing, Hansen warns that

Welcome potential buyers to your home with a fresh doormat

Inexpensive ways to spruce up your home ou can spend a fortune to make your home more appealing to potential buyers, or you can use these simple, lowcost tips instead. Pick and choose from this list, and do what works on your property, but definitely do all of the smallest and least-expensive things.

1) Trim bushes so they don’t block windows, cutting down on the light inside.

2) Buy a new doormat. Make it something local if you can. It wouldn’t hurt if it had “Aloha” woven into it.

3) Put a pot of colorful flowers on the lanai near the front door, or maybe a red ti plant.

4) Replace all your doorknobs.

5) Whatever the coating on your driveway, freshen or re-do it.

6) Edge the grass around walkways and trees.

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7) Get the garden tools out of sight.

Reminders of work are not appealing.

8) Be sure family members put away their toys, work and craft projects.

9) Replace your mailbox, maybe taking the opportunity to install one that locks.

10) Upgrade or install outdoor lighting.

11) Replace your usual light bulbs with soft, warm lights.

12) Polish or replace your house numbers.

13) Clean your gutters.

14) Think about the scent of your home. Should you put out pot pourri or burn scented candles?

15) Consider new pillows for your

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4

5

A B ALAELOA B2

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5295 L. Honoapiilani Rd.

LAHAINA INN E2

NAPILI RIDGE B3

THE WESTIN KAANAPALI OCEAN RESORT VILLAS C2

127 Lahainaluna Road

120 Hui Road F

6 Kai Ala Drive

LAHAINA RESIDENTIAL E2

NAPILI SHORES B2

VALLEY ISLE RESORT C2

1034 Front Street

5315 L. Honoapiilani Rd.

4327 L. Honoapiilani Rd.

LAHAINA ROADS E2

NAPILI SURF B2

WESTIN MAUI D2

1403 Front Street

50 Napili Place

2365 Kaanapali Parkway

NAPILI SUNSET B2

THE WHALER D1

E

HOYOCHI NIKKO C2

20 Alaeloa #8

Lahaina

7

2015

Kapalua 30

6

30

46 Hui Road

POLYNESIAN SHORES C2

Condominium & Resort Directory Wailuku

3975 L. Honoapiilani Rd.

Kahului 36 37 37

380

2481 Kaanapali Parkway

NAPILI VILLAGE HOTEL B2 48 Hui Road F

F

LAHAINA SHORES E2 475 Front Street

350 31

NOELANI C2 4095 L. Honoapiilani Rd.

Maalaea

Kihei G 31

MAUI H

Map

A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Friday, July 31, 2015 – Page T8

Maalaea

Kihei G 31

MAUI H

Map Detail

I

South Maui

J K L

ALOHA PUALANI G6

KAMAOLE BEACH CLUB H7

KIHEI KAI RESORT F6

MAKANI A KAI G5

NANI KAI HALE F6

15 Wailana Place, Kihei

2381 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

61 N. Kihei Road, Kihei

300 Haouli St., Maalaea Village

73 N. Kihei Road, Kihei

AUHANA HALE H7

KAMAOLE BEACH ROYALE H7

KIHEI KAI NANI I7

MAKENA BEACH & GOLF RESORT J6 NONA LANI COTTAGES G6

90 Auhana Road, Kihei

2385 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2495 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

5400 Makena Alanui, Kihei

455 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

AWIHI TOWNHOUSE H6

KAMAOLE NALU I7

KIHEI MANOR H7

MAKENA SURF J6

ONE KOUNOU PLACE H7

2141 Awihi Place, Kihei

2450 S. Kihei Road., Kihei

2136 Konou Place, Kihei

96 Makena Rd., Kihei

2152 Kounou Place, Kihei

BAY VISTA APARTMENTS H7

KAMAOLE ONE H7

KIHEI PARKSHORES H6

MALUHIA AT WAILEA I7

OUTRIGGER MARRIOTT I7

2140 Awihi Place, Kihei

2230 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2037 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

3400 Wailea Alanui, Kihei

3700 Wailea Alanui Drive, Kihei

HOTEL WAILEA I7

KAMAOLE PARK H7

KIHEI REGENCY H7

MANA KAI MAUI I7

PACIFIC SHORES APARTMENTS H7

555 Kaukahi, Kihei

Keonekai Street, Kihei

2441 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2960 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2219 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

FOUR SEASONS WAILEA J7

KAMAOLE SANDS I7

KIHEI RESORT H7

MAUI BANYANS I7

THE PALMS AT WAILEA I7

3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Kihei

2695 S. Kihei Road., Kihei

777 S. Kihei Roads, Kihei

2575 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

3150 Wailea Alanui, Wailea

GRAND CHAMPION GOLF & TENNIS VILLAS I7

KAMOA VIEWS H7

KIHEI SANDS F6

MAUI BEACHFRONT RESORT H6

POLO BEACH CLUB J6

2124 Awihi Place, Kihei

115 N. Kihei Road, Kihei

1312 Uluniu Road, Kihei

20 Makena Road, Kihei

KIHEI SHORES I6

MAUI COAST HOTEL H7

PUNAHOA BEACH I7

2747 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2259 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2142 Iliili Road, Kihei

KIHEI SURFSIDE I7

MAUI COURT I7

ANDAZ MAUI AT WAILEA I7

2936 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2747 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

3550 Wailea Alanui Drive, Kihei

KIHEI VIEW H7

MAUI GARDENS H6

ROYAL MAUIAN I7

Keonekai Street, Kihei

1450 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2430 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

KIHEI VILLA H7

MAUI HILL I7

ROYAL MENEHUNE H6

2135 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2881 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2061 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

KIHEI VILLAGES F7

MAUI ISANA RESORT G6

SLEEPY HOLLOW H6

140 Uwapo Road, Kihei

515 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

1667 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

KIMO KE APARTMENTS I7

MAUI KAMAOLE I7

SHORES OF MAUI H6

10 Walaka Street, Kihei

2777 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2075 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

KOA KAI APARTMENTS H7

MAUI LU RESORT G6

SUGAR BEACH RESORT F6

99 Walaka Street, Kihei

575 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

145 N. Kihei Road, Kihei

KOA LAGOON G6

MAUI OCEANFRONT HOTEL I7

VILLAGE BY THE SEA G6

800 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2980 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

4327 S. Kihei Road., Kihei

KOA RESORT H7

MAUI PALISADES H7

WAILANA SANDS G6

811 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

Kilohana Street, Kihei

25 Wailana Place, Kihei

LAULOA G5

MAUI PARKSHORE I7

WAILEA EKAHI I7

100 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village

2653 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

3300 Alanui Drive, Kihei

LEILANI KAI H6

MAUI SCHOONER RESORT H6

WAILEA EKOLU VILLAGE J7

1226 Uluniu, Kihei

980 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

10 Wailea Ekolu Place, Kihei

LEINAALA H6

MAUI SUNSET H6

WAILEA ELUA VILLAGE I7

998 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

1032 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

600 Alanui Drive, Kihei

LIHI KAI COTTAGES I7

MAUI VIEW APARTMENTS H7

WAILEA GOLF VISTAS I7

2121 Iliili Street, Kihei

76 Walaka, Kihei

Above the Blue Course, Wailea

LUANA KAI H6

MAUI VISTA H7

WAILEA POINT J7

940 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

2191 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

4000 Wailea Alanui, Kihei

MAALAEA BANYANS G5

MENEHUNE SHORES G6

WAIOHULI BEACH HALE H6

190 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village

760 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

49 Lipoa Street, Kihei

MAALAEA KAI G5

MILOWAI G5

WAIPUILAN H6

70 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village

50 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village

1002 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

MAALAEA MERMAID G5

NA HALE KAI G6

20 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village

34 Wailana Place, Kihei

MAALAEA SURF RESORT F6

NA HALE O MAKENA J6

12 S. Kihei Road, Kihei

4955 Makena Road, Kihei

MAALAEA YACHT MARINA G5

NA HOLOKA I G6

30 Haouli St., Maalaea Village

34 Wailana Place, Kihei

Above Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea KANA'I A NALU G5 GRAND WAILEA RESORT J7 250 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village 3850 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea KANOE RESORT H7 HALE HUI KAI I7 2050 Kanoe Street, Kihei 2994 S. Kihei Road, Kihei KANOELANI APARTMENTS H7 HALE ILI ILI J7 2065 Kanoe Street, Kihei 2172 Iliili Road, Kihei KAPULANI KAI H6 HALE KAI O'KIHEI H6 73 Kapu Place, Kihei 1310 Uluniu Road, Kihei KAU HALE MAKAI H6 HALE KAMAOLE I7 930-938 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 2737 S. Kihei Road, Kihei KE ALII OCEAN VILLAS H7 HALE MAHIALANI H7 28 Hauwahine Lane, Kihei 21 Kaiau Place, Kihei FAIRMONT KEALANI J6 HALE PAU HANA I7 4100 Wailea Alanui Drive, Kihei 2480 S. Kihei Road, Kihei KEALIA F6 HALEAKALA GARDENS H7 191 N. Kihei Road, Kihei 15 Kulanihakoi, Kihei KEAWEKAPU I7 HALEAKALA SHORES I7 2895 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 2619 S. Kihei Road, Kihei KEONEKAI VILLAGES H7 HO‘OLEI AT GRAND WAILEA J7 160 Keonekai Road, Kihei 146 Ho‘olei Circle, Wailea KIAWE TERRACE G6 HONO KAI G5 851 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 280 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village KIHEI AKAHI I7 ISLAND SANDS G5 2531 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 150 Hauoli St./Maalaea Village KIHEI ALII KAI I7 ISLAND SURF H6 2387 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 1993 S. Kihei Road, Kihei KIHEI BAY SURF G7 KAI MAKANI BEACH VILLAS G6 715 S. Kihei Road, Kihei Kai Makani Loop, Kihei KIHEI BAY VILLAS G7 KAI MALU AT WAILEA J6 775 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 3550 Wailea Alanui Drive, Kihei KIHEI BEACH RESORT G6 KALAMA GARDENS H7 36 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 36 Walaka Street, Kihei KIHEI COVE I7 KAIAMA TERRACE H7 2181 Iliili Road, Kihei 35 Walaka Street, Kihei KIHEI GARDEN ESTATES H6 KALAMA TOWNHOUSE H7 1299 Uluniu Road, Kihei 46 Walaka Street, Kihei KIHEI HOLIDAY G6 KALAMA VILLA H7 483 S. Kihei Road, Kihei 2144 Konou Place, Kihei

1

2

3

4

Wailea

Makena

How To Use This Map The condominiums & hotels in West Maui and South Maui are listed here in alphabetical order according to region. A grid letter and number coordinate is listed with each property for map location.

Be advised that street addresses are not necessarily the correct mailing address. (Example: Addresses in the Maalaea area are served by Rural Route Delivery from the Wailuku Post Office.)

5

6

7

In Today’s Real Estate Market There’s No Substitute For Experience Joseph Hogin, Broker Jodi Hogin, Broker Direct: 808-870-2775 Next Home Pacific Properties BuyaHomeOnMaui.com

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Serving the Islands for over 30 Years 1279 S. Kihei Rd., #119, Azeka Mauka, Kihei, HI 96753 A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Friday, July 31, 2015 – Page T9

THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015 Paper wall Continued from Page 6 process is quasi-judicial, as opposed to a County Council’s legislative process. The quasijudicial process gives opponents legal standing to challenge the project before the commission.

It is a process that tees up a lawsuit. After KRS prevailed at the LUC, one of its opponents challenged it in Circuit Court, where KRS won as well. But that opponent appealed the Circuit Court ruling and now KRS is drifting, waiting for an Intermediate Court of Appeals decision.

As it spins its wheels in this drawn-out process, its financing cost increases, making the homes more expensive to build.

What was supposed to be an expedited process has now taken 11 years, and still there is no end in sight for its quest for land use approvals. The KRS project

makes you wonder how any affordable housing gets built in Hawaii.

If KRS did not have to be approved by the LUC, those critically needed homes would be going up right now because the Maui County Council had no problem approving it. This case demonstrates that the state land use approval system is weighed to protect the status quo. If we are going to make any headway toward correcting our housing shortage, projects like KRS have to be given every reasonable advantage. That’s what the 201H process is supposed to do.

The message to the state is this: If we want to meet the housing demand that our planners are telling us to expect — on the order of 1,400 new units a year on Maui for the next 10 years just to keep up with natural population growth — then something has to change. The

status quo will not support the level of housing development our community needs. As the Kahoma Residential Subdivision case shows, a good first step in doing that would be to remove the state Land Use Commission’s authority over 201H projects.

We are not going to make any progress on the housing front unless we are willing to step away from the comfort of the legal status quo and make a conscious effort to streamline the approval process. We can’t just keep adding to the Paper Wall and expect a better outcome.

■ David DeLeon, the government affairs director of the Realtors Association of Maui, is a former Maui News reporter and served as an executive assistant to Mayors Linda Lingle and Alan Arakawa. He can be reached at gad@ramaui.com.

Spruce up Continued from Page 7 sofa or new covers for the pillows.

16) Put a potted plant — tropical or flowering — in a prominent window.

17) Make a centerpiece for the dining table from island fruits and flowers, even artificial flowers would help.

18) Replace heavy curtains with a sheer one to let more light into the house.

19) Put out new towels and fresh linens.

20) Put a seasonal wreath or some tropical decoration on the front door.

—Courtesy of the Realtors Association of Maui

Ask the expert Continued from Page 7 the property might not appraise at the asking price, as appraisers aren’t always as current as they should be.

“There have been a lot of low appraisals occurring these days. It is an appreciating market so comparables are few,” she says.

Hansen also recommends visiting the neighborhood near your chosen property at different times of the day and on weekends to get a sense of what it would be like to live there.

“A neighborhood quiet in the daytime could be a party haven at night,” she says. “Just be aware, be educated and prepared and enjoy the excitement that is offered through this wonderful adventure.”

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A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Friday, July 31, 2015 – Page T10

THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

Warranty versus Insurance What to consider when buying a new home A re you buying a new home? If so, you’ve likely pondered whether or not you should invest in a warranty to protect your investment.

Below are some of the pros and cons of buying warranties and some information on how they differ from homeowner’s insurance.

The benefits of buying a home warranty Home warranties are an excellent solution if you’re buying a brand-new home that has a lot of new appliances and fixtures inside of it, or if you’re not really the “do it yourself” type and would

prefer to make a service call if something inside of your home breaks down. For example, imagine that you have a home warranty that covers your central air conditioning system and one day it stops working. You simply call the warranty provider to book a service call, and as long as the problem falls within the scope of your warranty the repairs are completed without any additional cost to you.

How a home warranty differs from homeowner’s insurance Home warranties and homeowner’s insurance are vastly different but work together to protect your invest-

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ment. Insurance policies cover your home against unexpected damage — fires, crime, wind storms, water damage and more, depending on your policy. A home warranty tends to cover items inside of the home — the furnace, the plumbing, electrical wiring and appliances — and will provide you with discounts on repairs or replacement should the covered items break down or otherwise stop working.

Cost and other home warranty downsides Of course, there are a few downsides to buying a home warranty. You’ll need to pay

the upfront purchase cost of the warranty unless you’re buying a brand-new home in which the warranty is included. You’ll also find that warranties generally won’t cover a lack of maintenance due to the previous homeowner, which can be a bit of an issue if something breaks down and you find out it’s not going to be covered. Finally, you may find that any necessary repairs are actually less costly than the warranty itself.

■ Carolann Guy is a senior loan officer at Mason-McDuffie Mortgage Corporation.

Home warranties can be a great option when buying a brand-new home, but there are several factors to consider first.

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THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

Helpful tips from Realtors Association of Maui Appraised value doesn’t have to be a mystery

How much is your home worth?

You’ll hear several phrases used to describe the value of your home, especially as you prepare to either buy or sell. One you’ll hear often as you prepare to sell is “appraised value.” This refers to an objective opinion about the value of the property. Appraisal, however, is not an exact science, so different appraisers may assign different values.

When houses are being bought and sold, the appraisals are usually based on the market value, what it is believed the property could probably be sold for. This is a number that is always in flux, especially in an active market like Maui is these days. Besides appraised value and the closely related market value, you may also hear of insurance value and replacement value, as well as assessed value — for property taxes. These numbers will not all be the same.

Appraised value is not a constant number. Any change in market conditions can dramatically change the appraised value. A nearby and similar home selling at an unexpected price or a change in the

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Other homebuyers’ mistakes can be your lessons

Even when a homebuying experience is a complete success, and the buyer loves the home, there are often regrets. People say, “If I’d known then what I know now.”

If you’re thinking of buying a piece of paradise for yourself, learn from other people’s mistakes. Here are five common shortcomings that

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number of buyers looking for homes in a specific range will change the appraisal.

Appraised value doesn’t take into consideration special circumstances that will change when a home is sold, such as the owner’s need to sell rapidly. It is based on conditions that derive from the property and the market, not the buyer or seller.

Lenders usually use the appraised value or the actual selling price of a property, whichever is less, to determine the amount of the mortgage they will offer.

So, what’s the value of your home? Depends which value you’re asking about.

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A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Friday, July 31, 2015 – Page T12

THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

Nurturing local roots Coldwell Banker opens new Wailea, Central Maui offices ith the opening of two offices at the new Wailea Village Center and another in Central Maui, Coldwell Banker Island Properties has not only broken new ground, but taken another step in embracing a long-standing tradition.

“It has always been our company philosophy to represent not only the top real estate brand on the island and in the world, but also to establish and nurture local roots in the neighborhoods we represent,” said Bob Lightbourn, general manager of the brokerage. “It really is the key to our success — our agents live, work and play in the communities, and we know them better than anyone. That benefits our clients.”

The opening of two more state-ofthe-art locations is part of sweeping changes at Coldwell Banker Island Properties. The firm’s dominant global presence is backed by the addition of a wave of new, forward-thinking management at the helm of the Maui brokerage. Among the key players: Maile Masada, hired this year to spearhead the new Central Maui location, and Marina Batham, who joined the firm as director of systems integration.

Coldwell Banker’s focus on global exposure is balanced by a fresh team of local managers who have embraced and implemented the most technologically advanced tools and techniques available to the industry. As a result, business is up 20 percent over last year.

With five Maui locations, the firm is the island’s top-ranked brokerage in

W

Coldwell Banker Island Properties’ new Wailea Village Center location features a working office used by some of the agency’s 190 active agents.

Photo courtesy Coldwell Banker

dollar volume, closed transactions and listings. Coldwell Banker reports that its listings sell 10 percent faster than the island average and that the company has led the island in Wailea business for more than a decade.

Wailea Village Center, also the new home to the Wailea Blue clubhouse, is located up the hill from Coldwell Banker’s The Shops At Wailea location, recently recognized as the top performing real estate office in Hawaii. The village center location features a working office used by some of the agency’s 190 active agents and a sales office dedicated to providing expert insight on Wailea’s growing community.

“We’re within two minutes of every property and project in Wailea, and we’re able to quickly and efficiently provide the most relevant and current data and information,” said Lightbourn. “Wailea is embarking on another growth cycle with some exciting new projects, and we’re proud to be at

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the epicenter.”

Coldwell Banker’s Central Maui office, located on Hana Highway next to Maui Coffee Roasters, a few blocks from the Kahului airport, opened earlier this year and has already exceeded sales projections for all of 2015.

Along with the South Maui market, Central Maui is among the most active on the island. New home construction and commercial development are rampant in Central Maui, and prices are elevating, the company reports.

“We’re in a very exciting time in Maui real estate,” said Lightbourn, who has led Coldwell Banker to a pivotal role in developing and marketing nearly every top luxury community in South Maui. “We’re very appreciative and humbled to be on the leading edge of it. From the beginning, our business has been based on two things: product knowledge and making our clients’ dream of ownership on Maui a reality.”

Give your home a high-tech checkup T

echnology that would have been inconceivable a few years ago is now readily available, and much of it is well within the budgetary limits of many homeowners, too. What’s more, computer technology — online shopping, at least — has made smart-home technology easy to find. Lowes and Home Depot in Kahului are just the obvious choices for brick-and-mortar, face-to-face smarthome shopping on Maui.

Even if you don’t feel you need all that technology, you might consider whether adding, say, a door lock that can be checked on a smart phone before offering your home for sale. Tech readiness and in-place technology can be a factor in selling your home. It may be something others look for when choosing a home to buy, as well.

You’ll need to be a techie, know a techie or do your homework to move into the most current technology, but you probably should ensure that your home is at least ready for this century before listing it. Here’s a checklist to help you evaluate how tech-friendly a home is, in a very basic way.

1) Are there phone jacks and cable outlets in all rooms to accommodate Internet access, including high-speed connection?

2) Are there telephone jacks or extensions in places like the garage, greenhouse and lanai?

3) Has the house been adequately pre-wired for a home entertainment system, including contemporary audio and video options?

4) Does the home have a local area network for linking computers? Alternatively, is it in an area capable of using trouble-free wireless linking technologies?

5) Does the home have multi-zoned thermostats?

7) Is the home supplied with automated multiroom lighting controls, window covering controls and other technical conveniences?

8) Is the home’s in-wall wiring sufficiently multipurpose to allow for reconfiguration to take advantage of emerging technologies?

—Courtesy of the Realtors Association of Maui

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A Supplement of THE MAUI NEWS – Friday, July 31, 2015 – Page T13

THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

Fed teases interest rate hikes: What’s your move?

Tips Continued from Page 12

you can avoid because you’re learning about them now. t’s no longer a matter of if, but ■ Buyers don’t ask when. The interest rate on everyenough questions of their thing from credit cards to adlenders. By failing to ask justable-rate mortgages could soon questions, even when dealbe headed higher. ing with a completely repThe Federal Reserve signaled utable lender who is eager to once more earlier this month that it serve you well, you may will likely begin raising its benchGAUGE RATE HIKE IMPACT miss out on the best deal. mark interest rate later this year.

Many economists anticipate that ■ At times, homebuyers The rate has been near zero since ASSESS YOUR DEBTS the Fed will begin rising rates as don’t act quickly enough to December 2008 as part of the censoon as September. They predict, at Do you have any variable-intermake a decision, and sometral bank’s strategy to stimulate job most, two increases of 0.25 percent est loans, such as credit cards, an one else buys “their” dream growth. in the Fed’s benchmark rate this adjustable-rate mortgage or home house. This can happen even Keeping the federal funds rate so equity line of credit? These are the year. if your piece of Maui has low has lowered the expenses of types of loans that will be primarily Going by that forecast, borrowbeen on the market for a CONSIDER REFINANCING consumers with variable-interest affected by changes in the federal ers wouldn’t see much in the way while. It is a common misAlthough the Fed appears unlikerate debt, such as credit cards. funds rate. of added interest costs. For examtake, and it is one that cannot ly to raise interest rates quickly, it After an initial rate hike, the Fed That’s because the annual perple, take a $5,000 credit card balbe reversed. Sold is sold. may be a good time to consider opsays interest rates would likely recentage rate, or APR, on these ance. A 0.50 percent increase ■ People might also fail tions for refinancing any debt that main at very low levels for quite loans is typically a combination of would amount to about $2 a month to find the right real estate See RATE HIKES on Page 16 professional — one they feel some time. One or two small rate a percentage rate that’s determined or roughly $24 annually in extra figood with and about — to help them through the homeEXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY – KAANAPALI GOLF ESTATES buying process. Your relationship with the professional you choose is important.

Give it the attention it deserves.

■ Buyers occasionally think their offer just has to be high enough to get the attention of the seller. Another buyer may make the same offer. Sometimes there are other things besides the purchase price that may influJUST LISTED 332 Aalii Way, 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, pool/spa. Appraisal ence a seller’s acceptance of priced at $1.995 Million. MLS #365794. Owner financing is available. an offer. Ask your real estate professional what you might do to make your offer look good to the seller.

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By ALEX VEIGA

The Associated Press

I

increases would have a negligible impact on borrowing costs.

“Consumers should be mindful of what the potential cumulative effect could be if the Fed raises rates several times over the course of a couple of years,” said Greg McBride, Bankrate.com’s chief financial analyst.

Here are some steps to consider before interest rates begin climbing:

by the borrower’s credit score plus the prime rate.

The prime rate is a benchmark interest rate that tends to follow the trajectory of the federal funds rate.

If the Fed funds rate is steadily rising, so will the prime rate, translating into a higher overall interest rate on many consumer loans.

nance charges, said Paul Siegfried, senior vice president and head of TransUnion’s card business.

The borrower in this example would also see his or her minimum monthly payment increase as well.

That’s because it is typically based on a combination of finance charges, which would rise along with the prime rate, plus a percentage of the balance.

“This is not something that has necessarily a big impact on your household budget, because of the payment flexibility, the ability to make minimum payments,” McBride said.

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THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015

Striking a balance: Are you paying too much for insurance?

By ALEX VEIGA The Associated Press

aving money on homeowners insurance can often take a back seat.

Many homebuyers fail to comparison shop for the best policies, potentially missing out on a better deal elsewhere.

That means some may sign off on a policy that leaves them paying for more coverage than necessary to rebuild their home, or with too little coverage for antique furniture and other valuables.

S

“A lot of people go to one agent and they say, ‘I’ve shopped,’” said Bob Hunter, director of insurance at the Consumer Federation of America. But there’s no guarantee the agent will connect a homeowner with the most affordable insurance carrier, Hunter added.

Striking a balance between buying enough insurance to protect perhaps your biggest asset and keeping costs in check is feasible.

Here are four steps you can take toward that goal.

1. Break it down

The first step to identifying possible savings is to understand how the typical homeowners insurance policy is set up.

Take a single-family house without any other structures on the property. Generally, a policy for such a home will have three main coverage areas: the structure, the owner’s personal belongings and liability against someone being injured on the property.

If the homeowner is paying off a mortgage on the home, the lender will require they carry insurance to cover the costs to fully rebuild the house. This will typically be the most costly component of the policy. Keep in mind that you’re on-

ly paying to cover replacement costs for the structure, not to recoup the market value of the home and land it’s built upon.

The second coverage area involves personal belongings such as furniture, housewares and rugs. Certain items, such as jewelry, a stamp collection and firearms, among others, will have coverage caps.

Another big component of homeowners insurance is liability coverage. This is meant to shield you should you be sued by someone who gets hurt on your property.

Beyond these categories, a homeowners policy can incorporate coverage for a host of other

risks, or add-ons for coverage above caps.

Your costs will also depend on what part of the country you live in, the projected expenses to rebuild your home, how much coverage you purchase and your deductible, among other factors.

2. Size up coverage needs

Your insurance costs depend largely on how much coverage you buy or are willing to do without.

Your insurance company will come up with the amount of coverage needed to fully replace your house and recommend that you insure it for that amount.

Because construction costs are always changing, it’s a good idea to review your policy annually to make sure your coverage hasn’t

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THE MAUI NEWS | REAL ESTATE GUIDE | JULY 2015 Rate hikes Continued from Page 14 would be affected.

The prospect of rising interest rates makes balance transfer credit card offers particularly appealing.

Generally, such offers include an introductory period to pay off the balance with no, or a sharply reduced, interest. The period can last for a year or more.

Introductory balances for credit cards were not always at zero percent. That became the norm over the past six or seven years, because the federal funds rate has been so low. Before that, it was common to see card balance transfer offers of 3.9 percent for periods ranging from 12 months to 21 months.

But when the Fed begins raising rates, that will make it less attractive for banks to

offer these deals.

“As the costs of funds go up, institutions may not be able to issue such an aggressive or competitive price,” Siegfried said. “The question is, where is that point?”

Homeowners may be tempted to access the equity in their home to refinance their debts. That can make sense, especially because mortgage interest payments can be deducted come tax time. But remember there’s a trade-off: Shifting unsecured debt onto a loan that’s secured by your home.

Getting a fixed-rate personal loan from a bank or from a peer-to-peer lender, where individuals borrow money from a pool of investors, may also be a good option. Rates on those loans can be lower than credit card rates, and they’re fixed. Note that they’re not immune from rising rates, so if you’re going to refinance, it’s best to do so before any rate hikes begin to kick in.

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Balance Continued from Page 15 fallen below 80 percent of the cost to replace your home, suggests the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Homeowners get more leeway to select how much insurance they want to gird against liability and personal property losses. The less coverage, the more you save on premiums.

A detailed inventory of your belongings will help you determine how much coverage you need for your personal belongings. And if you need to buy additional protection beyond any policy caps.

“We don’t want to think of insurance as a maintenance policy. It’s really meant for the bigger things that would really devastate us financially,” said Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst at Insurancequotes.com, an insurance comparison website. “We really need to weigh that premium against that potential claim.”

The NAIC has some guidelines for conducting an inventory and a worksheet at www.insureuonline.org/insureu_ getready_newhome.htm.

3. Shop around

Many homeowners reach out to an insurance agent who recommends one or more insurers. Another option is to search your state insurance department

4. Consider a higher deductible

A recent study by Insurancequotes.com found that raising the homeowners insurance deductible to $2,000 from $500 can lower the annual premium in the U.S. by 16 percent, on average.

A deductible is the portion that is paid by the homeowner on a claim before the insurance policy kicks in. Still, don’t raise your deductible unless you have enough money saved to cover it in the event you have to file a claim.

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website. It will typically list pricing information for the biggest insurers.

When discerning which is the lowestcost policy, make sure you’re comparing the same coverage from carrier to carrier.

Hunter of the Consumer Federation of America also recommends finding a handful of the lower-cost carriers and then narrowing them down further by checking their track record of consumer complaints on the NAIC website, www. eapps.naic.org/cis.

“You don’t necessarily need to talk to an agent,” Hunter said. “You can start by talking to an insurance company directly.”

Even after you’ve been in your home a few years, it pays to get quotes from other insurers and use it as a bargaining chip with your insurer to give you a better deal.