Maui Blog - Georgina M. Hunter R(S): May 2009

*(Well I guess it's pictureless Wednesday too, since I am unable to add a picture.  I'll be back.

Sure hope they get this bug worked out soon.  I bet there's a whole lot of frustrated bloggers today.)

Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii (for this week only) - I'm so glad that AR is back up and running just the way we like it.

*original post was posted when AR was having a bad hair day.

Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro ~ EMAIL ~ 808 283-0635 ~ SEARCH MAUI LISTINGS

OCEANFRONT MAUI HOMES FOR SALE ~ HAIKU MAUI HOMES FOR SALE ~ HAIKU MAUI LAND FOR SALE

Buying or selling on Maui?  Call a local REALTOR® who knows the area... call The HUNTER

Search Maui MLS - land and residential listings... www.eastmaui.com
Follow me on Twitter .... I'm @mauihunter

 Thanks for reading my blog - Aloha! - Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro - 808 283-0635 - EMAIL

Yesterday I had the privilege of previewing one of Maui's most beautiful resort homes at the new One Palau'ea Bay gated subdivision in Makena - Hale O'ola.  Wow!  What a beautiful home, with it's own 35' waterfall!  I was so amazed, I didn't even take pictures, and you know how I love to do that.  So I snapped a few on the way out.  There's a website for Hale O'ola, with lots of professional pictures, floor plans, details, etc.

What this picture doesn't show you is the most amazing construction and details, fit for a king.  Have you ever seen a bathtub made from one piece of stone?  I'm talking Fred Flintstone bathtub - one huge chunk of rock, rounded off and carved out inside.  There were 2 of these works of art, one in black and one in white, each nestled on a bed of smooth river pebbles!

The house is more like a cluster of connected buildings surrounding a central courtyard.  The courtyard really impressed me as soon as I entered the carved wooded front doors.  Can you imagine a courtyard with a 35' waterfall at one end, and an infinity edge pool at the other end?  In between there's a stream leading into the pool, and spa.  At the side of the pool is a barbecue pavilion with a full kitchen and a swim up bar!   With all the pocket doors tucked away, it was hard to tell if I was inside or outside as we toured the property.  The perfect climate of Wailea/Makena makes this possible, and many luxury homes embrace the concept.

Never mind the breathtaking ocean vistas - I wanted to see more of this incredible home that boasts 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms and a home theater.  My eyes were wide open taking it all in, as the gracious seller showed me around her precious creation.  My hands caressed the natural stone textures everywhere.  What a jewel of a home.  I can see why it's listed for $18,995,000.  There's more details of course, like the 1 acre lot size, the proximity to the Fairmont Kea Lani,  white sandy beaches, and more.  I would be happy to tell you all about this glorious Makena home for sale if you contact me.

I can't get this beautiful home out of my head, so I will keep an eye on it, and find a buyer!  If you're shopping for a spectacular Wailea or Makena home, please begin your search at EastMaui.com

Currently there are 3 homes for sale in this exclusive community of only 17 lots.  Are you ready for one?

* Thanks for reading my blog - Aloha! - Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro - 808 283-0635 - EMAIL *

A Hawaii Recipe for Friday

Have you tried seared ahi yet?  That's yellow fin tuna - caught fresh and pan seared.

I like to spice it up with something you can get here on Maui - Volcano Spice.  It's like a Cajun seasoning and it was developed right here on Maui by Kevin Carlson.  I always keep some on hand.

You really have to get fresh fish, the frozen stuff just isn't the same, especially if you like your ahi rare, the only way to go.  You can always find fresh ahi in Hawaii, and if you're lucky you'll know someone with a boat!

In this case, use a heavy pan like a cast iron skillet that really gets heated up nicely.  You can cut the fish as thick as you like, but thicker is better so the outsides get nice and blackened before the middle cooks.

• liberally season fish on both sides
• place the seasoned fish into the HOT pan
• cook for only a few minutes before turning
• cook the other side briefly
• serve while still raw in the middle
• ENJOY!

Aloha from Maui - have a great weekend!

Georgina M. Hunter (RS) e-Pro ~ (808) 283-0635 ~ EMAIL THE HUNTER

Search Maui MLS - land and residential listings... www.eastmaui.com
Follow me on Twitter .... I'm @mauihunter

Kula Maui Hawaii Real Estate Newsletter     -         May 2009

The May Kula Caravan had a wide variety of homes and land for sale upcountry.  I thought the price of land in Kula was going down, until these listings came along.  If you're looking for land, there's plenty of low priced building lots with good views.

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1.    Good Price, Kula   $593,500.00
- multi-level 3BD/3BA 2,814 sf home that could use some TLC
- walk to Morihara Store and Cafe 808, and community tennis courts

2.    New Carpets, Kula   $635,000.00
- tri-level 4BD/3BA home that is somewhat private down a long driveway
- ag zoned half an acre with many fruit trees and room for huge garden

3.    Walk to Kula Lodge, Upper Kula  $719,900.00
- charming 3BD/2BA home with beautiful remodeled kitchen, den, fireplace, and cul-de-sac privacy
- back yard has lots of decking, hot tub, raised fire pit and tree ferns

4.    Gated Estate, Omaopio $995,000.00
- 6.6 irrigated acres of vacant land, good to go and ready for a home to be
built
- ocean views everywhere you look, access from 2 roads, underground
utilities in place

5.   Chalet Style, Lower Kula $1,093,000.00
- panoramic bi-coastal views from this 4BD/3BA A-frame home, tastefully
remodeled in 2004
- 2 acres landscaped for beauty and privacy with Jacaranda, avocado, orange
and tangerine trees

6.    Pineapple Fields, Kula  $1,800,000.00
- 85 acres of former pineapple fields, very private with incredible home sites available
- great location for a horse ranch, bring your own water - no water meter

7.    More Fields, Kula  $2,300,000.00
- 89 acres adjacent to the parcel listed above, buy both and be a land baron on Maui
- this one has a water meter, making the meter worth about $500,000

8.    Sunny Villa, Lower Kula  $2,495,000.00
- 2 acre estate with custom 3BD/3BA home with huge views, in a neighborhood of fine homes
- exquisite wood floors, granite counters and high ceilings, extra large water meter
- yet to be built cottage site has been prepared and stubbed out for utilities, lovely gardens

9.    New Subdivision, Lower Kula  $2,995,000.00
- reservation agreements being taken for this 22 acres of raw land in
upcountry Maui's newest subdivision
- private and exclusive gated community offers with underground utilities,
bi-coastal views

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PROPERTY TAXES - The Maui County Council on Wednesday approved keeping
property tax rates at existing levels for the next year.  Even though tax
rates will stay the same, property tax collections, the county's largest
source of revenue, are expected to drop by double-digits in the coming year.
That's because property values are continuing to decline due to the weak
housing market, and slowing construction is adding fewer new homes to the
tax rolls.
(Source - Maui News online)

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Georgina M. Hunter (RS) e-Pro (808) 283-0635

Jim Sanders Realty Inc.
PO Box 792050, Paia, HI  96779
(808) 579-8255  FAX: 579-9004

Looking for a large acreage?    Call THE HUNTER... Georgie Hunter, your Upcountry Expert

KULA MAUI HOMES FOR SALE NOW

Search Maui MLS - land and residential listings... www.eastmaui.com
Follow me on Twitter .... I'm @mauihunter

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Aloha from Maui... Georgie Hunter     "I want to help you reach your Real Estate goals."

I really liked this post by another like-minded Realtor who also lives off-grid.  Now I have a new goal - getting my EcoBroker designation!  If you're thinking of living off-grid on Maui - let me help you.  We have decades of experience with alternative energy, private water, and green lifestyle, so please give me a call.

Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro ~ EMAIL ~ 808 283-0635 ~ Search Maui homes and land for sale

 Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro ~ 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

MAUI HOMES FOR SALE ~ MAUI REAL ESTATE MARKET STATISTICS

Thanks for reading my blog!  Aloha from Maui... the Hunter

I hope these flowers will brighten your day!  Happy Mothers Day everyone!  (Update - I'm glad to see the points finally arrived for the Sunday posts.)

What is Google saying about you?

After reading Steve Kappre's post about Googling yourself, I decided to give it a whirl.  Today when I Googled myself I got some interesting results:

1. www.eastmaui.com - my own site was ranked first (Phew!)
2. eastmaui.com/ghunter.html - my own profile page
3. Twitter.com/mauihunter - (down for maintenance)
4. ActiveRain profile for Georgina M. Hunter
5. plaxo.com profile - funny, I just joined that less than 2 months ago
6. zillow.com profile - one of them anyway - I think have 2 profiles and it's a big mess, don't get me started on that
7. www.mauihunter.com - another of my own sites
8. Twellow.com - what the heck is this?  Did I sign up for that too?
9. localism.com - OK, glad to see this is moving up the ranks
10. websearch.ramaui.com - my public IDX site - Grand Champions units for sale - don't know how that happened, but it's OK - maybe this area could use some maintenance to increase my SEO

Page 2 was headed up with MyMauiBlog (the AR outside blog) and some of my other sites and finally a link to a FaceBook Gina M. Hunter!  Close but not me. 

I conclude that Plaxo and Twellow have something going on.  What happened to my Trulia profile?  I'm surprised that wasn't on the list. 

Ideally, only my own sites would be in the top ten, but at least all my profiles will point to my sites.  Do your profiles link to your website?  It's easy to do so take that extra step and ensure that you can be found by consumers - your site, your email, or your phone number.  Because if they can't contact you when they find you on the web, then what's the point?

Of course you can easily reach this MAUI REALTOR®:  808 283-0635  EMAIL ME

Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro ~ Maui Real Esate Sales

Aloha from Maui - watch out for those SEO rats!

60 S. HOLOKAI RD. HAIKU MAUI HI

I have a new residential listing in Haiku Maui that's a real winner. 

It's a custom 2-story house and detached cottage on 1.66 acres in Peahi Haiku - that's on the north shore out towards the famous surf break knows as JAWS.  This gated estate, has mature fruit trees, tropical flowers and so much more, including big ocean views, which is always desirable in the Hawaiian Islands.

I loved this listing the first time I saw it, when helping my buyer client find a Maui home.  She did too, and ended up buying it a few years ago.  Now she's ready for something different, and putting it back on the market, for less than she paid!  It's listed for only $1,200,000.  Somebody is going to get a really good deal here.

 Some of the home features which I like:

• Australian cypress wood floors
• lofted living room ceiling
• indoor and outdoor shower for master bedroom
• huge covered lanai with built in benches
• butcher block kitchen island
• high end appliances, Viking gas range

If you're searching the Maui active listings it's MLS #337389.  Call your Maui REALTOR for more info and to set up a showing.

Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro ~ email me

Doing a Broker Price Opinion in Hawaii

Can you do Broker Price Opinions in your state?  Do you get paid for it?  Is it legal?  Have you checked lately? 

With the recent spotlight on Appraisers and appraisals, a closer look has been taken at the rules.  The fact that Hawaii Realtors are prohibited from charging for this service surprised a lot of people.

Here in Hawaii we are governed by Hawaii Association of Realtors(HAR) rules.  HAR 16- 114- 74 specifically states that we must not recieve payment for doing a BPO.

Sure, we can still provide this service to banks or their asset managers in the case of foreclosures, but we are not to be paid.  So we do it in hopes of getting the listing, provided that:

In any case, if you're a buyer or seller of a Maui home, I can still help you to make an educated decision about what a home might sell for, and what the real estate market is doing.  Don't hesitate to contact me and get my opinion if you need help buying or selling on Maui.

Georgina M. Hunter R(S) e-Pro ~ 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

MAUI HOMES FOR SALE ~ MAUI REAL ESTATE MARKET STATISTICS

Thanks for reading my blog!  Aloha from Maui... the Hunter