Moving To Hawaii

Grow Your Own Garden, Avoid the Crowds, Move to Maui

Having lived on Maui since 1978, raised 3 children, all born on Maui, and been a real estate broker since 1979, I have seen many changes. Why Laura (my wife) and I have decided to live the rest of our lives here is because we love the lifestyle, clean warm air and water all year long, and the option to have an outdoor lifestyle, with a huge garden, orchards, and 45 chickens.

I raise fish, lots of vegetable and fruits at my Maliko Bay farm

During present times, we watch television and social media about the chaos in the world and we really count our blessings. Our social distancing has been from the garden, to the beach, and occasional Zoom calls or meetings with clients. We can’t imagine living in a city right now with limited options.

After your Zoom call and your surf, you have to do your harvest.

Certainly, we have our limitations. We wear our masks and know the 6 foot rule, but when you are on your surfboard or in your canoe paddling up the coast, it is wonderful right now with no crowds.

Real Estate Market in Flux

In real estate, I know one thing for sure, the market is always in flux. We face a lot of uncertainty with statewide 30% unemployment due to the fact that our economy is very tourist oriented. Over the next year, there is going to be a lot of pain for owners of short term rentals with no visitors. The local families who rely on tourism for their incomes are going to suffer the worst. The maids, taxi drivers, landscapers, restaurant workers, and many others will be facing dire economic issues soon.

Not being a doom and gloom type of person, but more of a realistic survivor as you have to be in the real estate business, I look for opportunities.

There are going to be some bargains coming up in our market over the next few years for investors and those who may want to change their lifestyle options.

Many of you who are still employed are doing so in a drastically different manner. Offices are emptying out, many forever, and a lot more people work from home, thanks to the internet and the new tools we have to use for communication.

If you are tired of commuting, driving your car, riding the train, the airplane and want to look at some options, consider this; Hawaii has great high speed internet and you can surf between meetings! Many home based entrepreneurs have been moving to Maui over the past ten years. We have had Google, Microsoft, Facebook executives move here who work from home. Why not you?

6 person outrigger canoe paddling is a statewide sport

Haiku Property in Lush, Private Valley

Take a look at this option at 740 E. Kuiaha, Haiku, Maui — Click Here to View Listing. This property sits in a very private valley with a stream running most of the year, with two small houses separated by the stream. Including full utilities, solar PV on the main house, tons of great fruit trees all on 2.6 acres for $925,000. Allowing rental income or just an extended living situation for friends and family. It will be a great way to find lost family members because when they find out you have an extra bedroom on Maui, they always find you.

I encourage you to think about what it would mean to move to Maui. After all, we have proven we can handle crisis and still function as possibly the safest place to be in the United States right now and you don’t need a passport to come. No winter, no snow, no subways or crowded freeways, just warm water, sunny skies, and pleasant people is what we have to offer.

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Beth

June 11, 2020

If you can find me land under $200,000 that has fruit trees on the property away from town but not too far away I’m in!!!

Tracy Stice, R(B) ABR, CRS, GRI, Green

June 11, 2020

Beth, as much as I would like to encourage you, $200,000 for what you are looking for on Maui is not realistic. There are many options available on the Big Island of Hawaii and I would be happy to put you in touch with my agent friends there if you want. Tracy@hawaiilife.com

Laura Grabowski

June 15, 2020

Aloha Beth and Tracey —

Tracey, didn’t I see a small piece of property in Hana – Maui under $200K? As for Beth, it might be too long a drive away from town and doesn’t have any fruit trees from what I remember — but would certainly have a beautiful view.

Beth, I’m like you! I want land that I can live off of w/fruit trees, etc. I did check out the Big Island but after putting in a bid on a property (was a great house with lots of fruit trees and fenced in yard all-around) – the land around it contained fissures and soon after in May of that year — did have the volcano eruption in May. House did make it but I cancelled my bid immediately upon hearing about fissures nearby in February.

Also, the numerous negative “comments from locals” against “hollies” — i.e., meaning anyone that did not originate in Hawaii buying houses were not nice in their online comments. I brought it up to the Hawaii Life Agent but never heard back from her. Wonder if she is still a Hawaii Life agent in the Big Island? She had long black hair and I think her first name was Debbie or Deborah. If so, I’d suggest avoiding using her — due to her avoidance of my comments needing her support. I never did hear back from her whatsoever.

Yes, you can get properties like what we want (for under $200K) on the Big Island but, unfortunately, it comes with negatives beyond just “comments” by Hawaiians asking “hollies” to stay home — it involves burglaries, and other crimes, etc. Be sure to check out crime statistics for the area you are interested in purchasing before buying.

It sounds like Tracy is a “solid” for Hawaii Life; a good agent. May he direct you to a safe and affordable location. Warmest wishes… Mahalo for allowing me to comment..

Tracy Stice, R(B) ABR, CRS, GRI, Green

June 15, 2020

Dear Laura,

Thanks for your comments regarding the Big Island.

Yes, it is a different world with lots of volcanic action. As far as locals and
“Haoles ” , this is something that goes on every place in the country. If you are an outsider coming into a small community, you will have to pay your dues and earn your place in the community. It took me 3 years after I moved from California to Maui to finally begin to understand the local perspective. Many mainland people move to Hawaii and want to ” make it better like on the mainland ” . Locals like things the way they are and if you are going to plan to live in Hawaii, anyplace, you need to integrate yourself into the culture. Paddle canoe, take Hula, learn some of the language, go to baby luau’s , funerals, and get to know the people. Once they know that you are sincere, there is no place in the US that is as colorblind, and accepts you in to their culture. You just have to earn the right !

Dar Alex

June 18, 2020

Being from Hawai’i in NYC and now Newark, as a 1000000% NATURE girl I’m subject to exactly that limited urban nightmare you talk about…so I second this picture of great QUALITY of life on the islands. There is no healthier place. It is truly a dream come true for people from practically every other part of the world.
In short, there is no [better] place than Hawaii!

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