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.