The Maui News announced yesterday that the County Council has officially set property tax rates for Fiscal Year 2009. I was pleasantly surprised that the tax rates will remain the same as this years. When folks from the mainland purchase property on Maui they are often surprised at how low our property taxes are. Here are the 2009 categories and rates:

• Homeowner: $2 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Improved Residential: $4.85 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Apartment: $4.55 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Commercial: $6.25 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Industrial: $6.50 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Agricultural: $4.50 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Conservation: $4.75 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Unimproved Residential: $5.35 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Hotel: $8.20 per $1,000 of assessed value
• Timeshare: $14 per $1,000 of assessed value

I do enjoy having low property tax rates, but at the same time fear that the slowing economy and real estate market may impact the Maui County budget more than has been estimated. Only time will tell.

There are still advocates pressing for simplification and reform of the Maui County Property Tax System. It looks like that will have to wait for another year. If you would like to read the article in its entirety Click Here

Billy and his family had the opportunity to head out to Hana last weekend. It was a trip that mixed business with pleasure as he was able to show properties and spend some quality time with his family in beautiful relaxing East Maui. Billy's wife Carla is a professional Maui wedding and portrait photographer. Carla usually brings back some great photos. Here are some lower resolution images from this weekend's Jalbert family get away.

Beautiful Hana Hibiscus

Where the Oheo Steam Meets the Ocean

Take out at the Hana Bay Canoe Races

Light water flow at a Hana Waterfall

Hana is one of our favorite places in the world. Its seclusion and quiet pace of life is not for everyone, but for others it can be paradise. Contact us today if you are interested in Hana properties. Check out all of the Hana Properties for Sale on MauiRealEstate.com.

On May 3rd I posted the "unofficial" April 2008 Maui Real Estate Statistics. I came up with these numbers by manually searching last month's sales on our Maui MLS database. The official statistics came out at the end of last week. There are no big changes from what I posted last week, but the official release includes more information on the sales within individual communities. While it is nice to have this granularity, keep in mind that smaller sample sizes make for significant swings in median and average sales prices month to month. The stats also include a nice summary on the state of the market by Realtor Association Chief Staff Executive Terry Tolman. Click here to see last month's Maui Real Estate stats.

I have a few more pictures to share from our new listing in Spreckelsville. This great home offers convenience and luxury while still incorporating green building materials.

This home is listed for $1,495,000. Contact us for additional information or to set up a showing.

I was just listing to RadiOpio and they had an announcement about a great fund raiser tonight at the Maui Tropical Plantation. The Tropical Plantation is hosting a benefit for the Keiki Kokua Foundation. Keiki Kokua is a non-profit that assists foster and adoptive parents on the island. Tonight's benefit features the music of Paula Fuga. Paula is a nationally acclaimed artist who was raised through Foster Care on Oahu. Her soulful music is a real treat. The event also features a buffet and silent auction. Tickets are $75 and the event runs from 6:30-9:30PM. Call 573-4972 for additional information.

Tomorrow is the 35th annual Seabury Hall Crafts Fair at the school's campus in Olinda above Makawao Town. The event will feature over 100 Hawaiian artists and crafts people. The fair offers much more than arts and crafts. The food available is tough to beat. Top island restaurants including Roy's, Duo, Sansei, Kimo's, Hula Grill and more. For those that like to be pampered, there is an area for hair, nails and makeup. There will be two musical stages available with one geared towards the kids and another for adults. Last but not least, there are games and entertainment for the kids including pony rides and water slides. The event runs from 9:00AM to 5:00PM tomorrow. Admission is $3 with children under 12 getting in for free. Check out the Seabury Hall website for additional information.