Maui Blog - Georgina M. Hunter R(S): January 2011

Speechless Sunday - more lovely pictures from the beach, Kuau Maui HI

More pictures from this Kuau Maui HI location

Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

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Paia Maui MLS search ~ Maui oceanfront MLS search

Silent Saturday - Do you ever get tired of looking at palm trees?

Silhouettes by the beach.

Sunsets in the country.

Images you can't forget.

Dreaming in black and white.

Maui Vacant Land MLS search  ~  Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Maui oceanfront MLS search

  Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL 

visiting Haleakala National Park on Maui

The dominant geological feature of East Maui is the dormant volcano known as Haleakala, rising over 10,000 ft above sea level.  Weather at the summit is ever changing and unpredictable.  High winds are not uncommon at this elevation.  Winter or summer, you are as likely to experience rain as sun, and temperatures can be in the 60's... or below zero. Sometimes on the same day! Recently, we had snow at the summit.  Snow on Maui!  It’s truly a magical place.

Trails are plentiful and always available! You can take the half mile Pa Ka'oao Trail to the top of a cinder cone for a different view or you might choose to explore a section of the long Keoneke 'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) Trail which begins near the entrance to the main parking lot.  Whichever you choose, you must stay on the trail as you hike through the habitat of many rare and endangered species. 

Hikers must be prepared for all possible weather conditions in Haleakala National Park.  Be sure you have plenty of water and protection from the sun. Stop by a visitor center for a trail map and advice on how to choose from among the 35+ miles (56+ km) of trails available in the park. Toilets are available 24 hours per day at both visitor centers.

Be safe and have fun while at the summit, and don’t forget your camera!

Want to see some videos from Haleakala National Park?

Want to see some homes for sale in Kula Maui, just a short drive away from the park? 

Want to receive free email newsletters about the Kula Maui real estate market?

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

iPhone apps I can't live without - Pro HDR

(Inspired by a Michael Thornton post about HDR photography...)

HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography doesn't have to be an expensive and complicated task that requires reading a camera manual.  If you have an iPhone, it's as simple as downloading the wonderful Pro HDR app.  Without any instructions you'll soon be taking great HDR pictures worthy of posting in your blog or adding to your MLS roll.

Pro HDR automatically takes multiple exposures, aligns them and blends them into one image.   All you have to do is frame the shot and hold the camera still for a few seconds.  When the blending is complete you have the option of making your own adjustments if needed, then save the picture to your library or share on the internet.

You can use:

• Auto mode - just aim and click
• Manual mode - take your own 2 pictures for cases of extreme contrast
• Library mode - use images from your camera roll

Compare these pictures taken with an iPhone 3GS.  The standard camera shot is dark and underexposed in the shadows.   With the app working, the scene is captured the way the human eye sees it, with a full range of brightness and shadow.  It works best for capturing still scenes, and waves are a little tricky.  Why not try it for yourself and see if you like it?

  Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL 

YouTube video driving tour of Wailuku Heights

 Wailuku Maui HI 96793

I've been getting a lot of inquiries lately from people who want to move to Maui.  That's not so unusual if you've been here and fallen in love with the beauty of this island paradise.  What's strange though is that more and more of these buyers want to make the move here without having ever been to Maui.  I think it's very brave for somebody to be so dedicated.  To help prospective Maui buyers get a feel for the different neighborhoods, I try to blog about things that they will find useful and interesting.  Video is a great way of connecting with these buyers!

Wailuku Heights is an older Maui neighborhood that's pretty much built out except for a few vacant lots.  Homes date from the 80's and 90's mostly, but there are still some new homes being built today.  Most homes will have a good view of either Haleakala or Kahului Harbor.  An excellent view would include both the north shore (Kahului Harbor) and the south shore (Maalaea Harbor), and everything in between in the Central Valley.  The best views will be from the side of the street that looks directly down on Kahului.  

Currently there are 8 homes listed for sale in Wailuku Heights, with 1 bank owned home under contract.  Prices range from $474,000 (yup that's the REO) to $1,315,000.

Come and join me for a quick drive up to Wailuku Heights. 

Thanks for watching my 2 minute movie!

Central Maui homes for sale - Wailuku and Kahului

  Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL 

"This post is written as a submission to the ActiveRain Kodak Video Challenge contest. I have the chance to win the KODAK PLAYTOUCH Pocket Video Camera, great for realtors looking to create wide angle home tours and real estate marketing videos!"

A pretty little spot to sit and watch the waves and people coming and going.  You can see them windsurfing and kitesurfing up and down the coast of the north shore here.  Kuau Cove, Paia Maui HI 96779.

An outrigger canoe on the lawn, named after Leila.

Just walking by the beach at Mama's Fish House Restaurant on a Sunday afternoon on Maui's north shore.  The place is abuzz with hungry and happy tourists, and kama'aina too.  Such a special spot.  See more pics from Kuau Cove.

Paia Maui MLS search  ~  Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Maui oceanfront MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Elton John is coming to Maui for 2 shows!

It's creating a lot of buzz over here.  This doesn't happen every day on a little island.  Elton John is going to play on Maui at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center.  For 2 shows!

It all started with a first time ever, one night only event for Maui on February 25th, 2011.  Because Sir Elton is not playing on Oahu, as would be expected, there is so much demand that fans are flying over to see the show.  Due to an overwhelming response from ticket buyers the show sold out, and a second show has been added for Feb 24th.  Ticket prices range from $77 to $252, plus extra charges!

The timing is perfect for the show to be the inaugural public event in the newly upgraded Yokouchi Pavillion at the MACC.  That's our outdoor venue where all the seats are good seats.

Tickets and more information is available from the MACC box office, online at www.mauiarts.org/tickets or by phone at 242-7469.  photo courtesy of www.8notes.com

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

5 reasons why it's easy to be GREEN in Haiku Maui Hawaii

1.  No HVAC. With our mild climate there's no need for heating and cooling systems in your home.  If you build with plenty of windows and a good overhang you can enjoy cooling breezes most of the year.  If it gets too cold, just close the windows!  If you properly insulate your roof, you can also eliminate the need for air conditioning. It very rarely reaches 90 degrees in Haiku, and with proper insulation and shade, your home will stay much cooler than this.  Traditional homes in Haiku don't have any kind of heating, and only a few newer Haiku homes have A/C as a luxury for the summer months.

2.  Save on water usage.  You'll never have to water your lawn.  Our yearly average of about 50-75" of rain is nicely spread out through the seasons and we don't often have months in a row without any rain.  In the summer the rain is mostly at night and in the early morning, leaving everything fresh and clean and green.  

3.  Harvest rainwater.  When you don't have access to county water mains you have 2 options... drill a well or harvest rainwater with a catchment system.  Either way you'll be using some sort of catchment tank for storage, and a pump/pressure tank for distribution to your household.  With a rainwater harvesting system you can feel good about not depleting valuable water resources elsewhere, and your supply is totally self sustaining and renewable.

4.  Grow your own.  You can grow a garden and raise animals.  There's nothing quite like cracking open some farm fresh eggs that you raised yourself.  Pick papayas and bananas for your breakfast every morning.  Fruit trees thrive in the lush climate of Haiku.  It won't be long and you'll be giving away baskets full of your organic produce to friends and neighbors.  With a compost bin in the corner of the yard you can recycle all the garden and kitchen waste and turn it back into the soil.

5.  Alternative energy.  Harness the power of the sun and wind.  The trade winds blow consistently on the north shore of Maui and it's an ideal location for a home wind turbine.  Most days are sunny and warm, making photo-voltaic systems a feasible alternative to supplement our high priced electricity.  Large parts of Haiku are not serviced by the county water lines or Maui Electric, making it a necessity to be off-grid.  Hawaii is really getting on board with alternative energy as a way of weaning ourselves off expensive imported petroleum products.  It makes sense when you live on an island, to take advantage of all the natural and renewable energy that's available.  State and county tax incentives make it even more attractive and affordable.

If you're ready to "go green" on Maui, please consider Haiku as a great place to live where you can leave a much smaller footprint.  As someone who has been living off the grid for over 20 years, I can tell you that it can be very rewarding.  Call me for more details.

Maui Vacant Land MLS search  ~  Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Maui oceanfront MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Bring your shopping bags to Maui when you come because we now have a plastic bag ban in effect since January 11, 2011. You won't be asked "paper or plastic" anymore when you go grocery shopping in Maui county.  Those handy plastic grocery bags were just causing too much mess on our lovely island.  

Makawao Maui HI 96768 - vintage style photos and pictures of Makawao today

Boutiques with dresses, collectibles, treasures, and Italian shoes!  

Photography, paintings, art galleries.  Art supplies and inspiration.

Real estate and properties, for sale and rent.  Farms and ranches, land with views.  Cowboys.

Old meets new.  Places to meet and linger.  Places where memories are made.

What are you looking for in Makawao Maui?  How can I help you find it?

Makawao dining  ~ Makawao Maui MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Photo Fridays - evening sky in Haiku Maui Hawaii

Check out the crazy evening clouds on the north shore of Haiku Maui HI 96708.  Winter weather conditions from Jan 18, 2011.  Today the trade winds are back with a vengeance!  We sure have been missing the usual weather pattern for Haiku, and we appreciate it when the wind blows.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Paia Maui MLS search ~ Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Makawao Maui MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Haleakala Maui gets snow today

Yes it's true, there really is some snow on our mountain today.  This was taken last week, before the snow, from Huelo Maui, part of Haiku.  Today I can't get a good picture because the clouds are still lingering up there in the snow zone at the top.  The road to the top was closed due to winter weather conditions... ice on the road!  

Pictures from the Maui News.

I hope that our little bit of snow will stick around for a few days, as it doesn't happen very often.  Maybe I'll get lucky later today and get a picture.  

We are very fortunate to only get the occasional snow here on Maui, and believe me, we know how lucky we are.  Every day we are bombarded with news footage of the latest blizzards and storms that the rest of the country is experiencing.   I guess Florida is the only state without snow so far this year, but that can change.  

With the days getting longer, it kind of feels like time to plant a garden already!  I bought some seeds and I'm digging in.

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Watch out for this weed in your Maui pasture - fireweed is poisonous to livestock

It's easy to identify this pest known as fireweed, by the yellow daisy-like flower with 13 petals.  The leaves are oblong and serrated.  The plant is only about 12" tall or less.  Plenty of images are available online.

Senecio madagascariensis is the noxious plant that has taken hold in upcountry Maui farmland.  Originally from Australia, the seeds were brought to Maui in a carpet grass mix for applying to roadside areas.  Each plant produces thousands of seeds that are spread by wind, boots and tires.  The plants are toxic to cattle and horses, causing slow growth, illness and even death.  Sheep and goats seem to be unaffected, and have been used as a method of controlling this weed.

Learn more from the Maui News.

The infestation is mostly in Makawao and Kula on Maui, with limited range in West Maui.  The Big Island also has populations of fireweed.  I was dismayed to find this plant in our Haiku pasture and suspect it came from the tires of our backhoe which did some work on a Makawao pasture that was very full of the weed.  Now I'm keeping a wary eye out for more specimens, which promptly get pulled and discarded safely.

It's not so easy to control this weed.  The Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture is working on a biological control by way of a moth that feeds on the plant...Secusio extensa.  Tests will be conducted later this year to see if it will work.  The alternative is to use a lot of pesticide, repeatedly and extensively.  Seeds can stay viable for years in the soil. 

Paia Maui MLS search ~ Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Makawao Maui MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Paia Maui HI 96779 - new shops in town

What do people do on Maui when it's raining?  Well there's always shopping!

Paia Maui has a lot of new shops opening up. Come along and see some right now...

DaKine Hawaii sells clothing and accessories for the surfer crowd. This company started out in Haiku, moved to Hood River Oregon, and was bought out by Billabong a few years ago. Now they've opened a brand new retail store at the corner of Baldwin Ave and the Hana Highway, where Conrad's Ship Gallery was for many years. Not sure what happened to Conrad.  

Call DAKINE HAWAII - 808 579-8676 ~ www.dakine.com

Sophie Grace Maui started out in West Maui, then opened a kiosk in Wailea before opening this shop in Paia where Moonbow used to be. (Moonbow moved across the street.) Sophie Grace sells jewelry and hats, and will soon have a custom jewelry bar when people can design their own piece and have it made just for them!

808 214-3325 ~ www.sophiegracemaui.blogspot.com

Paia Maui MLS search  ~  Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Maui oceanfront MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

You have to watch this short video to see how motivational a simple change can be.  I wonder if it would work in this country?

Foodspotting - seen any good food lately?

This weekend marks the 1 year anniversary of the iPhone photo app called Foodspotting.  It's a way of sharing pictures of your favorite restaurant meals, so others can see what a menu item looks like.  Sort of a visual guide to dining.  Sounds like a good concept doesn't it?  Imagine being able to visually check out that meal before you buy... and deciding whether it's worthy or not.  This could be really handy when traveling to places like Maui! 

Foodspotting just received $3,000,000 in funding from BlueRun Ventures and has released a Beta version of its Android app.  They have a website where you can see what meals are most popular, and you can search by location.

I should have known about this app sooner, as I love to take pictures of food.  Now that I'm onto it, you can expect to see plenty of my food snaps on Foodspotting.  Pictured here is the Mahimahi fish burger at the Paia Fish Market Restaurant, one of our favorite places to eat in Paia.  This will make a really good excuse to go out and eat more!

Here's another handy dining guide for some Maui locations:

• Paia Maui dining
• Haiku Maui dining
• Upcountry Maui dining

Paia Maui MLS search ~ Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Makawao Maui MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Aloha Friday from Haiku Maui Hawaii - evening colors and skies

Wishing you all a fun weekend - get out there and enjoy nature!

The magic hour before the sky goes dark can be a great time to take photos.

Use you iPhone apps to tweak your pics just the way you like them.

Aloha Friday!  No work 'til Tuesday - have a great long weekend!

 Haiku Maui MLS search 

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Maui flood waters can be fun - new oceanfront properties on Maui

While the rest of the country is suffering from the usual miserable winter weather, here on Maui we are also having our share of rain.  A huge storm front moved over the islands this morning and dumped a lot of water, causing road closures and flooding.  The scene in south Maui resulted in the usual road closure at Kaonoulu Rd and S. Kihei Road.  You can see why when you watch this short video.  Video and picture courtesy of Tara Crawford.

The Villas at Kenolio is a low density townhouse condo development off Kaonoulu Road, adjacent to a wetland, making for nice open space by the complex.  Most of the year it's dry here and they even have to water the vacant land to keep the dust down at times.  Not so this morning.  The Villas at Kenolio suddenly became waterfront property when flood waters and ocean mingled, creating an easy passage to nearby Maalaea Harbor.  Here you can see a happy homeowner Andrew Crawford paddling his stand up paddle board over the wetlands, on his way to work at Bevinco.  Good thing they have an upper unit!

The storm has caused a big stir here on Maui and you can keep up with the latest events online:

• Read about it in the Maui News  
• sign up for Maui county civil defense email alerts 
• check #mauistorm on Twitter

Maui Oceanfront condos for sale ~ Search all Maui condos for sale by name

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL

Haiku Maui HI - new fire station will start building next year

It's been a long time coming, but it looks like Haiku Maui will have it's very own fire station soon.  Construction is to begin next year on the new facility which will serve a large and scattered community on the north shore of Maui, especially areas beyond Huelo.  Once completed, the Haiku fire station will be home to 5 employees.

The new station will be on a 6 acre site mauka of Valley Isle Memorial Park Cemetary, at the corner of Hana Highway and East Kuiaha Road.  One of the features will be a heli-pad to aid in emergency rescues from outlaying areas like Keanae and Kailua.  The project seeks LEED certification by incorporating wind energy from two off-site wind turbines, and an ecological wastewater system for recycling water, among other things.

Currently firefighters in Makawao or Paia, both about 10 minutes away, will respond to fires and emergencies in Haiku.  Ever increasing numbers of Haiku homeowners are looking forward to this community improvement for 2012.

Maui Vacant Land MLS search  ~  Haiku Maui MLS search ~ Maui oceanfront MLS search

Thanks for reading My Maui Blog!  ~ Georgina M. Hunter Realtor(S) e-Pro  

Search the Maui MLS right here 

call or text me 808 283-0635 ~ EMAIL