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Whaler Update
September 2019
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Aloha Fellow Whaler Owners,
 The pictures of the Shaka sign above and the hula girls to the left are symbols of our latest accolade. Hawaii was named the "Happiest State in America" for the 2nd year in a row. It's also our 5th time in at least the top 10 on the list. Wallethub, who conducted the report, also noted that Hawaii came in dead last in only 1 category - adequate sleep. I'd try to explain that rating , but I'm just too tired. * Can't believe Autumn actually started this week. According to the National Weather Service, Hawaii's broken 68 summer temperature records, and tied another 74!
 So I've come across a couple of things you might want to check out. I know a lot of people take helicopter tours when they come to Maui. But if you'd like to check flying a helicopter off your bucket list, here's the place you can do it, no experience necessary. Go Fly Maui offers "Discovery" tours where they'll put you through your paces on the ground, then take you up where you get to take the controls at times and turn it into a flightseeing tour instead of a regular sightseeing tour. * Now if you're a foodie, I have a couple of ideas for you: Bon Appetit Magazine just released their list of America's Best New Restaurants 2019. Lineage in Wailea, created by Sheldon Simeon of Top Chef Fame, made that list. If you're looking for a different experience, check out the Grand Wailea signature restaurant "Humuhumu". It's a floating restaurant, under award-winning chef Alvin Savella - the "Kitchen Assasin".
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The median price of a single-family home on Maui reached a new record of $837,500 last month, as unit sales of single-family homes declined by 10%. There were 98 single-family homes sold in August, which was 10.1% fewer than the 109 homes sold in August 2018. However, the median price of $837,500 was a 19.6% increase from the $700,000 in August of last year. * The median price of a condo on Maui declined 0.6% to $496,950 in August, from $500,000 during the same month last year. The number of sales declined 21.5% to 117 units, from 149 sold in August 2018.
Looking at activity for the first 8 months of the year, the number of single-family homes was 722, 9.8% fewer than 800 sold during the same period last year. The median price of those homes was $755,000 - an increase of 7.9% from $700,000 last year. * Looking at condominium activity for the first 8 months of the year, the number of units sold declined by 6% to 1,088 units sold this year compared to 1,158 sold in the first 8 months of last year. However, the price of those units increase by 3.5% from $497,500 last year to $515,000 this year.
Now l
et's take a look at the Whaler
:
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Status
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Unit
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Bd
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Ba
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List $
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Sold $
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Close
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Active
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616
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0
|
1
|
795,000
|
|
|
|
Active
|
319
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1
|
1
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750,000 LH
|
|
|
|
Active
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524
|
1
|
2
|
1,100,000
|
|
|
|
Active
|
420
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1
|
1
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1,200,000
|
|
|
|
Active
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219
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1
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1
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1,295,000
|
|
|
|
Active
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102/104
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2
|
2
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2,750,000
|
|
|
|
Active
|
602
|
2
|
2
|
2,900,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Escrow
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359
|
1
|
1
|
1,100,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sold
|
562
|
0
|
1
|
750,000
|
750,000
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09/16/19
|
|
Sold
|
563
|
0
|
1
|
775,000
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755,000
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05/03/19
|
|
Sold
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213
|
0
|
1
|
795,000
|
750,000
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04/02/19
|
|
Sold
|
464
|
0
|
1
|
845,000
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830,000
|
09/16/19
|
|
Sold
|
1113
|
0
|
1
|
925,000
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840,000
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08/19/19
|
|
Sold
|
820
|
1
|
1
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985,000
|
935,000
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06/06/19
|
|
Sold
|
169
|
1
|
2
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1,169,000
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1,100,000
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08/02/19
|
|
Sold
|
206
|
1
|
2
|
1,175,000
|
1,150,000
|
02/25/19
|
|
Sold
|
370
|
1
|
2
|
1,235,000
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1,160,000
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04/24/19
|
|
Sold
|
1111
|
1
|
2
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1,695,000
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1,450,000
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02/15/19
|
|
Sold
|
573
|
2
|
2
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1,495,000
|
1,425,000
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08/20/19
|
|
Sold
|
552
|
2
|
2
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3,150,000
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2,750,000
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03/28/19
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Figures from Realtors Association of Maui
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FEATURED LISTINGS
Whaler 1 Bedroom/2 Bath
Unit 524
$1,100,000
Whaler 524 is a large bright 1-bedroom, 2-bath corner unit with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors and a large wrap around lanai facing Molokai and the west Maui Mountains, Black Rock, whales and sunsets. Private master bedroom entry and lock. This unit has been upgraded with new cabinets, counter tops, refurbished tub, new sliding glass door, carpet, and new paint. The Whaler is situated on the renowned sandy shoreline of Kaanapali Beach and features an oceanfront pool, massage therapy spa, sauna, health facility, day spa, underground parking and a business hub center.
(click on pictures for more information)
Whaler Studio
Unit 616
$795,000
This 6th floor studio is in Tower 1 with lots of lush trees and landscaping near your lanai so you'll enjoy some shade without compromising those Maui views. Remodeled upgrades include new cabinets, counter tops, and sliding glass doors. Enjoy the renovated courtyard, the tropical landscaping and koi fish pond. Maintenance fees include all utilities, electricity, central AC, water, sewer, trash, WiFi access, cable TV, local phone service, storm flood and general liability insurance, as well as security.
(click on pictures for more information)
Whaler 1 bedroom/1 bath
Unit 319
$750,000 LH
Whaler 319 is a spacious courtyard 1-bedroom in Tower 1. Both the living room and master bedroom walk out to a large oceanview lanai. This apartment is furnished and a popular rental unit. The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach offers many amenities: tennis courts, fitness center, pool, spa, and all the nearby amenities of a first class resort.
(click on pictures below for more information)
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 Hawaiian Airlines
saw a 4% increase last month compared to August 2018, when it carried more than one million passengers! And for those of you who love Hawaii's 9th island (Las Vegas), Hawaiian is going to make things a little easier for you. Beginning December 15th Hawaiian will begin 4 times a week service ... just in time for the holidays. And if your travels are taking you farther East, Hawaiian Airlines will begin nonstop service between Honolulu and Fukuoka, Japan November 26th with 4 weekly flights. This new connection marks continued expansion for Hawaiian's Japan service, which includes 31 weekly nonstop flights between Hawaii and Japan. Routes include connections to Osaka, Sapporo, and Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports.
Alaska Airlines is increasing its flights to popular sun spots this winter to provide rain-addled folks from the Pacific Northwest with more options to Hawaii. Alaska will add a third daily flight between Seattle and Maui starting November 21st. That's in addition to a recently added third daily flight between Seattle and Honolulu. A little side note, Alaska Airlines has launched a new initiative ... #FillBeforeYouFly ... encouraging passengers to fill their own water bottles up before boarding. All part of the airline's effort to reduce its in-flight waste by 70% by 2020.
TOURISM
The number of guests staying at hotels across the state increased last month compared to August of last year. Occupancy was up 5.5% to more than 84%. * The Hawaii Tourism Authority and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau have begun rolling out a statewide video campaign aimed at educating visitors to our islands. The short videos are called the "Kuleana Campaign", and cover topics like outdoor safety, ocean conservation, and cultural concerns. Shown in hotels and airlines, they'll also appear on Instagram and Facebook. It'll include things like using reef-safe sunscreen, and researching potential vacation rentals to ensure they're legal.
And speaking of illegal vacation rentals, the Maui County Planning and Sustainable land Use Committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of a bill that would increase the initial civil fine from the current $1,000 to $20,000, and the daily civil fine from the current $1,000 to $10,000 for unpermitted bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rentals.
On the other hand, the owners of legit vacation rentals are enjoying a steady stream of income for their property when they're not using it. I do it with my rental properties. At first I tried renting them out myself - what a headache. Now I have all my rental properties being handled by
M
aui Beachfront Rentals
.
Do what I do now and check out
MBR
. They take all the hassle out of it for you like taking care of the taxes so you don't have to worry.
And they market the heck out of your place with extra advertising on sites like VRBO, HomeAway, Flip Key and others ... all at no additional cost.
GREEN
Solar is great! But there are a lot of folks who don't own their roof ... like renters and apartment dwellers. Well Hawaiian Electric has begun phase 1 of a community solar program broken down by approved solar PV megawatt capacity by island. Maui is approved for 1MW capacity at $0.165 per kWh. Small companies and nonprofits are moving into Phase 1 now. But hopefully be next year residents will be able to subscribe. * Maui Electric is taking over 4 electric vehicle charging stations that were previously located at the Queen Kaahumanu Center, Piilani Village Shopping Center, Lahaina Aquatic Center, and Pukalani Terrace. They will offer plans to lower the charging rate, and incentivize driver to charge during the daylight hours when solar energy is abundant. * And last but not least, Hawaii is introducing a new form of concrete that reduces greenhouse gas emissions! Concrete is the second-most used material on the planet after water. The new material is "carbon-sequestering concrete", carbon-injected concrete or carbon dioxide mineralized concrete. Whatever you call it, this CO2 mineralization takes waste carbon dioxide from say a gas company or power plant, injects it into a concrete mix ... badda-bing, badda-boom, and you've got a product stronger than concrete that gets rid of what would otherwise be pollution and turn it into a mineral permanently embedded in concrete! Okay, it's a little more complicated than that ... but it's happening right here on Maui with CarbonCure, Island Ready-Mix, and HC&D. CarbonCure will be working with Oahu concrete producers next.
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Dean Rathbun
of
Avis Mortgage
has a couple of mortgage notes to share with you this month. First, The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point last week, its second move since late July. The vote was 7-3 in favor of the move, with the majority of dissenters demonstrating a more hawkish bias. Kansas Fed President Esther George and Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren favored leaving rates unchanged. St. Louis President James Bullard favored cutting rates more deeply by 50 basis points. While the median Fed official expects rates to stay at the current level through the end of this year, 7 of 17 expect another rate cut - compared with zero in June. That suggests momentum is shifting toward additional accommodation before the end of the year.
Dean also wanted to bring to your attention a plan that the Trump administration unveiled this month to end federal control of two mortgage giants (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), that had been bailed out by taxpayers during the 2008 financial crisis and return them to the private sector. The latest plan, put forth by the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development departments, includes recommendations meant to limit the federal government's role in the mortgage market and inject more private competition, which they say will bring down mortgage rates. Officials say it would promote affordable housing and protect taxpayers from bailing out Fannie and Freddie in the event of another housing crash.
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MAUI HAPPENINGS
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Kris Kristofferson |
Every Sunday: Maui Gift & Craft Fair Lahaina Gateway Center 9-2
Every Monday: Maui Cruise n' Crafts Fair Maui Mall 10-3
10/3-6: 97th Annual Maui Fair
info
10/12: 24th Annual Maui Wedding Expo
schedule
10/12: Aloha Maui Pride Festival
events
10/12: 2019 Maui Fil-Am Heritage Festival 10-3 Queen Kaahumanu Center
10/13: Maui Marathon, Half, and Relay
info
10/19: Hope Fest Maui for the American Cancer Society
details
10/19: Annual Chili Festival
info
10/26: 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer's
schedule
10/27: Xterra World Championship
details
10/31: Lahaina Halloween (more details next month)
10/18: Roys 22nd Annual Golf Classic
10/19: Wicked Cocktails, Wicked Plates
10/20: Keiki in the Kitchen
10/20: Pasta la Vista
Maui Arts & Cultural Center
tickets
10/05: "One Little Finger" concert & film
10/06: Richard Thompson Electric Trio
10/10: Christian Sands Trio
10/10: Artist to Artist: Henry Kapono & Jerry Santos
10/12: R. Carlos Nakai Quartet
10/12: MAMo Wearable Art Show
10/13: Pualani Kanaka'ole-Kanahele in the Green Room
10/16-17: Art & Activism
10/18: Starry Night Cinema "Aladdin"
10/19: Kris Kristofferson & The Strangers in concert
10/20: Trio con Brio Copenhagen
10/25: Okaidja Afroso West African music Dance Floor
9/13-29: Strangers On A Train
It's evident that more and more visitors continue to flock to Maui. While they're here they inevitably fall in love with it. I can't tell you how many of those visitors end up wanting to own a piece of paradise themselves. One they know they can keep coming back to. That's where we come in.
If you'd like to see what your property is worth in this market, we
'd be more than happy to provide you with a free, no obligation, confidential assessment of your property. Conversely, if you're looking to add to your real estate portfolio while the rates are low, let us know.
As owner of Berkshire Hathaway Maui Properties I have over 30 years experience in the Maui market with sales approaching $2 billion! We a
re the
only
Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate Brokerages on Maui. Our offices are located in Lahaina-Kapalua and Wailea-Makena. I'm available to you 7 days a week.
I hope you're enjoying our monthly updates. Feel free to share them with your friends and neighbors. If they like, we'll add them to our update list. Completely private and never any junk mail.
John Skenderian
Broker/Owner
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If you are currently listed with another Broker, this is not intended to disturb that relationship
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Low Fixed & Adjustable Rates
Condo-tel Lender for over 23 Years
DEAN RATHBUN
Toll Free (888) 455-AVIS (2847
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Increased Income Reduced Expenses
Never Pay For Guest Damages
Guest Travel Insurance Eliminates Guest Refunds
MAUI BEACHFRONT RENTALS
Toll Free (888) 661-7200
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Berkshire Hathaway
HomeServices
Maui Properties 
Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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