It has been a while since I have done an island wide stats post. After over ten years, I was struggling with rehashing the same format on a monthly basis. I decided to take a different approach this month. Rather than barraging you with lots of numbers, I wanted to try to distill the numbers into a few key takeaways. I also am gong to try to do this on a quarterly basis. With our smaller market, I think there is some merit to looking at slightly longer time horizons to overcome some of the variability we get on a month to month basis. Hopefully, those two changes will make for a better and more informative read. Without further ado, Here are my three key takeaways from the first quarter of 2017 followed by a some thoughts on what we may expect over the next few months.

1. Scarcity was the biggest driver of the Maui Real Estate market for the first three months of 2017. This was particularly true in the home market under $1,000,000. The lack of inventory in this price range has resulted in a lot of bidding wars and upward pressure on pricing. It also meant a decrease in sales volume as there just aren’t as many homes to sell. Buyers are out looking, but they are having a tough time getting into places. This is reflected in the stats with median prices up 15% compared to the first three months of 2016 and sales volume down 5%. The March median home price of $769,000 was the highest that we have since 2006. Again, this really hammers home the scarcity of listings at lower price points.

Scarcity is not a Maui specific phenomenon. It is happening throughout the United States. I was listening to Jill Schlesinger of CBS on Here and Now. She talked about the factors constraining the housing stock nationally. She cited a Baby Boomer generation that has not been quick to sell their homes at retirement. There are quite a few members of that generation who are choosing to modify their homes so they can age in place. Schlesinger also said that a lot of homes were acquired by private equity companies during the last downturn. They have kept those properties as rentals rather than putting them back on the market. I am not sure that the same factors are in play on Maui. For one, private equity firms were not buying property in big numbers on island. I think the biggest constraint we are seeing on Maui is a lack of new construction. New construction is not even coming close to keeping pace with population growth. It takes a longer period of time for new developments to get off the ground on Maui and many times they will fizzle out in between market cycles. We are also seeing a lot of new development occurring at higher price points in the market and less development occurring at the entry points of the market where demand is highest.

2. Luxury Real Estate Sales Trend up and Shift South. Luxury home sales were up in the first quarter of the year. There were 16 sales over the first 3 months of 2017 compared to 11 over the first 3 months of 2016.

Over the last couple of years, luxury home sales have been stronger in West Maui compared to South Maui. Launiupoko has led the charge with Kapalua and Kaanapali following close behind. There were eight sales in West Maui over $2,000,000 during the first 3 months of 2016. There was a a solitary sale in South Maui during that period. This year, there were four sales in West Maui over $2,000,000, and there were eight sales in South Maui over $2,000,000. Makena market activity was particularly notable with four sales over $9,000,000. It is hard to account for the shift in sales volumes between the different part of the island. Sometimes it just depends on the comparative quality of the inventory. Makena may also be seeing a bump due to the development of the Makena Golf and Beach Club. While none of the four sales in Makena were part of this development, this ultra high end development from Discovery Land Company may be drawing some affluent buyers to explore more immediate options for purchase outside of the new development.

There was also an uptick in luxury home sales outside the resort areas. There was a single sale in each of the communities of Hana, Haiku, Kula and Paia.. That compares to a single sale outside the resorts during the first three months of 2016.

The luxury condo market saw some similar trends. Sales were up overall. There were twenty-three sales over $1,500,000 during the first few months of this year compared to seventeen during the first three months of 2016. Twenty of the sales were in South Maui during 2017 compared to nine last year. Conversely, West Maui has seen a dip in activity with three closes compared to eight in 2016. Some of that can be attributed to a decrease in inventory in Honua Kai. All of the developer units have sold there which means we are now depending exclusively on resales.

3. Overall, the condo market had strong start during the first quarter of 2017. Condo sales do not seem quite as constrained by inventory when you look at the sales volume. Sales volume is up 17% compared to last year***. Almost all of that growth in activity can be traced back to the vacation rental condo market.

The vacation rental market had been in the doldrums for the previous couple of years. Much of that can be attributed to a decrease in demand from our neighbors North of the border. The Canadian Dollar has slumped after a number of years of parity. As a result, we saw relatively limited activity and a glut of inventory in some of the more popular vacation rental condos in the Kihei area. That appears to have shifted during this buyer’s season. Overall, sales of vacation rental condos were up 48% county wide. In Kihei, sales of vacation rental friendly condos were up 73%.

It is hard to attribute an exact reason for the sudden boom in the Kihei condo vacation rental condo market. While we may be seeing a few more Canadian buyers, the Canadian dollar remains far below the peak that prompted the last wave of Canadians. I surmise that there may be a number of factors at play. The concept of vacation rental ownership is being more ingrained into people’s psyche as companies like Airbnb become more prominent. A number of our domestic feeder markets are feeling their own real estate booms. West coast markets like Seattle, Portland and much of California continue to see strong activity. We also have seen a sustained bull run in the stock market that may provide people with the discretionary capital to make a second home purchase.

As with the luxury condo market, West Maui hasn’t seen quite the same level of activity for the general vacation rental condos. Numbers are down slightly in West Maui for condo sales. Again, Honua Kai plays a part in the lack of activity. This condo complex has been the driving force in West Maui condo sales in all price ranges since 2010. With the remaining inventory higher priced resale units, sales have slowed substantially at Honua Kai.

What can we expect over the next few months?
There is no immediate relief coming with the housing supply issues on Maui. On the demand side, island rents remain high and interest rates are still comparatively low. Barring a cataclysmic shift in the economy or a major upheaval in global politics, market conditions should remain similar to what we saw in the first quarter of the year. That means that competitive bidding will likely remain the norm for well priced homes in the $1,000,000 and under price range. You may even see a few bidding wars at well priced homes over $1,000,000. This can be a frustrating time for buyers as strong offers can still be trumped by irrational exuberance. That said, buyers should remain patient, make sure they have their ducks in a row when it comes to financing, be realistic about their financial picture and act decisively when properties that meet their needs come to market. While this is a seller’s market, there is some variability in demand by town and even neighborhoods on the island. Not everywhere is booming so sellers should consult closely with their Realtor and study recent sales to develop a realistic market price. Contact the Maui Real Estate Team if you are considering buying or selling property on Maui. We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you face to face or to talk on the phone to discuss your real estate needs.

***Note the numbers reported for vacation rental condo sales are not 100% accurate. It is not a mandatory field in the Maui Multiple Listing Service to report whether or not a condo may be vacation rented. As a result, vacation rental condo sales can be under reported.

Back when I posted the June Statistics, I promised a series of mid year updates on the real estate markets around the island. Mea Culpa. Sometimes, the rest of my work obligations get in the way of blogging. I have only been able to produce updates on Paia and Spreckelsville. Today, I wanted to turn my sights on the island’s luxury home market. Since it is the end of August, we are going to include all of the sales for the year date. We wanted to look at the volume of high end home sales around the island, notable sales and market conditions specific to some of the different neighborhoods and communities around the island.

Just from a methodology standpoint, I am classifying luxury homes as homes priced for $2,000,000 or more. We have used this $2,000,000 threshold for luxury homes regularly throughout our discussions of stats on this blog. That isn’t to say that there aren’t some very nice homes that have sold this year for less than $2,000,000.

Luxury Home Sales Volumes and Median Prices
There were 43 homes sold for $2,000,000 or more between January 1, 2015 and August 22, 2015. The median price of those sales was $3,196,000. Between January 1, 2014 and August 22, 2014, there were 45 homes sold. The median luxury home price for this period of 2014 was $3,800,000. When comparing this year to last year, there was roughly a 4% drop in sales volume and a 16% drop in median price. Just to be clear, the drop in median does not reflect any sort of change in values in the market. It is a reflection of the inventory sold.

Notable Maui Luxury Home Sales for the Year to Date
Here are some notable numbers that I thought were worth passing along from this year’s luxury home sales.

• The highest priced sale thus far this year was for a home in the Keahou at Makena Subdivision. The 4 bed/ 4.5 bath home with 6,737 square feet of living space is located on 4.23 acres. It sold for a whopping $41,775,000. That isn’t just the high sales price for the year, it is the highest ever sale price for a home on Maui by a significant margin.
• Including the Keahou at Makena sale, there were 8 sales over $5,000,000.
• Wailea/Makena and Ka’anapali were the two busiest luxury home markets through the better part of the last eight months. Realtors reported nine sales in both of those markets.
• Of the 43 luxury home sales for the year to date, 14 sales were either oceanfront or beachfront.
• The 43 sales were spread among 12 different towns or resorts in Maui County. Hana and Molokai are two communities that haven’t seen all that many $2,000,000 sales over the previous few years, but they each had one $2,000,000 plus transaction this year.
• The 43 sales included one bank owned property and two short sales.

A Look at Selected Luxury Home Markets Around the Island
The Maui Luxury home market is fairly diverse. Buyers typically focus their search on one or perhaps two areas of the island. With that in mind, we want to look at how some of the different areas around the island performed during the first eight months of 2015.

Makena and Wailea
The Wailea and Makena area typically sees the most sales activity of any luxury community on island. That rang true during the first half of 2015 as it tied Ka’anapali for the busiest area for closes on the island. Digging a little deeper within the numbers, there were 8 sales in Wailea and just one sale in Makena. Within Wailea, there was a good cross section of neighborhoods that saw activity. There was a sale in Maluhia, a sale in Wailea Highlands, 2 sales in Wailea Golf Vistas, 2 sales in Wailea Golf Estates and 2 in Wailea Kialoa. The sales activity in Wailea was actually up a little from last year. There were 7 homes sold in Wailea proper in the first eight months of 2014.

Makena saw a drop in activity with the one solitary sale compared to 5 sales during the same period the year before. It is hard to say why there was a dip in sales in Makena. Some of that could just be a case of market variability and inventory. The one other factor that could be coming into play is the Makena Golf and Beach Club. This new development spearheaded by Discovery Land Company is located at and around the current Makena Golf and Beach Resort. This new community is set to be Maui’s most exclusive and high end luxury development to date. There are no single family homes for sale in the community yet, but there are some very high end home sites on the market in Maluaka Estates. There has been one lot sold and an additional three lots are under contract. All four lots have prices of $10,000,000 or more. It is possible that some of those buyers may have been potential buyers for other Makena properties. That said, Discovery Land Company is known to have a loyal following that might draw buyers who might not have otherwise looked at Maui.

I thought it was worth briefly revisiting the high sale in Makena. The sale at Keahou smashed the old Maui sales record by $14,700,000. I will be honest, the sales price is something of a head scratcher. The neighboring property is on a smaller piece of land and the house is 1,200 feet smaller, but it is currently listed for sale for $13,400,000. It seems like quite a stretch for there to be a $28,375,000 difference in value between the two homes. As much as it makes the new listing seem like a value, I think it points to the big sale as something of an outlier.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the rest of the year in Wailea and Makena. There is still a fair amount of inventory for buyers to choose from. There are twenty active home listings on the market currently with 7 properties in Makena and 13 in Wailea. Check out the full inventory of Makena and Wailea Homes for Sale on MauiRealEstate.com.

Ka’anapali
Ka’anapali had a pretty strong first eight months of the year with 9 total sales. That is up a little over the seven sales last year. The sales came from six different neighborhoods within Ka’anapali. There were 3 sales in the Pinnacle Neighborhood, 2 in the older section of Ka’anapli Golf Estates, 2 in the Summit at Ka’anpali, and a single sale in both Ka’anapali Hillside and Ka’anapali Coffee Farms. The high sale for the year to date was $3,500,000 for a four bedroom, three and a half bath home with 3,715 square feet of living space on a .65 acre lot in the Pinnacle.

There are 13 homes actively listed for over $2,000,000 in Ka’anapali. That should give buyers who prefer Ka’anapali some pretty good options. You can see the full inventory of Ka’anapali Homes for Sale on MauiRealEstate.com.

Kapalua
Kapalua has been the third busiest luxury home market this year with 7 closes over $2,000,000 for the year to date. All of the subdivisions of Kapalua with the exception of One Kapalua Place have seen sales activity thus far this year. There were 2 sales in Pineapple Hill Estates, 2 sales in Pineapple Hill, 2 sales in Plantation Estates and a single sale in Honolua Ridge. The high sale was $5,700,000 for the Honolua Ridge property. For a price tag of $5,700,000, that buyer now owns a four bedroom, five and a half bath home with 6,509 square feet of living space on a 2.82 acre lot. It has stunning views overlooking the renowned Honolua Bay.

The Kapalua market currently has 29 homes actively listed for sale. This is the biggest inventory of luxury homes of any of the communities around the island. This makes for an excellent selection for potential buyers. That may also allow for some opportunities. Typically, high end sellers have more staying power and will hold out for a premium. That said, you could make an argument that we have already seen a premium property go at a substantial discount with this year’s high sale in Kapalua. The home in Honolua Ridge sold for $4,000,000 below its original asking price and $1,995,000 below the list price at the time that it sold. You can see the full inventory of Kapalua Homes for Sale on MauiRealEstate.com.

Lahaina
There are two parts of Lahaina where high end home sale activity tends to be concentrated. The first is along the oceanfront. Homes along Front Street and Baby Beach typically start over $2,000,000. The other area is just south of the town in the neighborhood of Launiupoko. Launiupoko has been one of the stronger markets for high end sales over the last couple of years. There have been five sales in Lahaina thus far this year. Three of the sales have been in Launiupoko and two have been oceanfront homes. The highest priced sale was $3,500,000 for a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom residential condominium with 3,675 square feet of living space on 8.513 acres.

There are 16 active luxury home listings for sale in Lahaina at this time. Eleven of the homes are in Launiupoko with the rest located along the ocean. Lahaina is another market where buyers have some pretty good options. Check out all of the current Lahaina Luxury Home listings on MauiRealEstate.com.

Upcountry
The Upcountry area of Maui tends to see fewer high end sales than the resort communities of the island. That said, there are some pretty spectacular estates located along the flanks of Haleakala. Kula and Olinda are places where you will see some bigger acreage estates. There are also some homes along Baldwin Avenue below Makawao that fit the luxury home mold. The first eight months of the year have seen only two sales above the $2,000,000 mark in the Upcountry Area. There was one sale in Kula and one sale in Olinda. Last year, there was just one sale over $2,000,000 in the Upcountry area in the first eight months of the year.

The highest priced sale Upcountry for the year to date was $3,500,000. That was for a 24 acre estate in Olinda. It included a 3,300 square foot, three bed, three bath home and a separate two bedroom cottage. The 24 acres property included three separate parcels of land all with their own water meter.

While there haven’t been a lot of high end home sales Upcountry this year, there has been an uptick in buyer activity over the last two months. There are four homes in Kula listed for $2,000,000 that are currently under contract. That is more than anywhere else on island. There are an additional 16 homes listed for more than $2,000,0000 currently on the market Upcountry. That means a pretty good selection for high end buyers looking for more privacy or a different feel than the resorts or the beach. You can see all of the Upcountry Luxury Home listings on MauiRealEstate.com.

North Shore
The North Shore of Maui has become an increasingly popular location for luxury home buyers over the last five years. Prior to this year, Paia and Spreckelsville was the focal point of high end sales while the Haiku market lagged behind. We saw something of a shift this year. The Spreckelsville market has had limited inventory, Paia has been quiet and Haiku has seen the strongest sales activity since the downturn began. There were three total sales over $2,000,000 through the first eight months of the year. Last year, there were six sales on the North Shore in the first eight month’s of the year. For this year’s sales, two were in Haiku and one in Spreckelsville. The Haiku sales were particularly notable as they were the first and second highest priced transactions for homes in that community. The highest sale was for the 38 acre Baldwin Estate. This historic property includes a 10 bedroom, 10.5 bathroom home with 8,716 square feet of living space as well as a number of outbuildings.

Buyers looking for North Shore luxury homes will find that market conditions are going to vary based on the specific community. Spreckeslville is arguably one of the only true seller’s markets for luxury homes on the island. There are no active home listings for more than $2,000,000. Over the last few years, roughly half of the homes that have sold in this neighborhood have sold before coming to market. Paia has been quiet and it currently boasts the largest inventory of oceanfront homes of any area on the island. I think there may be some values and/ or motivated sellers to be found among those listings. Haiku has seven active listings currently on the market giving buyers some good options. You can check out the current inventory of North Shore Luxury homes on MauiRealEstate.com.

Overall Maui Luxury Home Market Outlook and Thoughts
The Maui Luxury Home market continues to offer a broad cross section of homes for potential buyers. From the privacy of Upcountry Estates to Beachfront Luxury compounds, there is considerable depth of inventory. While a deep inventory typically gives buyers more leverage, that isn’t always the case with the luxury home market. Luxury home owners typically have the means to hold on to properties for longer periods of time and many are less likely to adjust their pricing. That said, there are still bound to be a few sellers out among the current inventory who may have higher motivations. The challenge is finding those sellers.

I would anticipate that the rest of the year will continue to see sales figures at or close to the levels we saw during the fall and early winter of 2014. While projected increases in interest rates have the potential to slow sales activity at lower price points in the market, the majority of the luxury sales involve cash transactions or private banking. The biggest threat to the high end market is the overall economy. If the recent stock market uncertainty continues, you may see some buyers postpone their purchases. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you are interested in buying or selling a luxury home on Maui. We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you for a free consultation to discuss your needs.

After looking at the North Shore communities of Paia and Spreckelsville, we decided to head to South Maui for a look at the Wailea and Makena Real Estate markets. This is an overview of how this market performed in 2014 and what we may expect in 2015. Wailea is Maui’s most renowned resort community thanks in part to its beautiful beaches, three golf courses and luxury hotels and spas. Makena is the more understated of the two communities, but is arguably more exclusive with some of the island’s most expensive real estate. These are the notable numbers from the 2014 Wailea and Makena Real Estate Sales activity, a few thoughts on the 2014 market, followed by our thoughts on what to expect in these luxury communities during 2015.

There were 32 homes sold in Wailea and Makena in 2014 with a median price of $1,892,000. In 2013, there were 29 homes sold with a median price of $2,750,000. That is a 10% increase in activity and a 31% decrease in median price.

There were 92 condos sold in Wailea and Makena in 2014 with a median price of $1,021,250. In 2013, there were 122 condos sold at a median price of $1,105,000. That is approximately a 25% drop in volume and an 8% drop in median price.

There were 7 land transactions in Wailea and Makena in 2014 with a median price of $1,550,000. There were 12 land sales in 2013 at a median price of $1,150,000. This is a 42% drop in sales activity and a 35% increase in median.

Notable Numbers from the 2014 Wailea and Makena Real Estate Market
While compiling the numbers above, I came across a few other numbers that were worth sharing.

• Of the 32 homes sold, 7 were in Makena.
• The high sale price for a home was $9,300,000 for an Oceanfront home in One Makena Place. This is the second year in a row that the highest priced sale was located in this gated enclave.
• The Makena Place transaction was one of 15 sales over $2,000,000 and 6 sales over $5,000,000 that closed during 2014. In 2013, there were 14 sales over $2,000,000 and 7 sales over $5,000,000.
• There was one sale under $1,000,000 in all of Wailea and Makena during 2014. The Wailea Kai home with three bedrooms, three baths and 1,766 square feet of living space sold for $890,000.
• Wailea Fairway Estates was the subdivision in Wailea with the most sales activity with 6 closes in 2014.
• The highest priced condo sold in Wailea and Makena during 2014 was one of the Villas at the Andaz Residences. This 3 bedroom, 4 bath condominium sold for $5,495,000.
• The Andaz Condo was one of 26 condos that sold for $1,500,000 or more during 2014. There were 36 condo sales over $1,500,000 in 2013.
• Grand Champions was the condo complex with the highest number of sales in 2014 with 12 total sales.
• Only 2 of the condos sold were in Makena. Both of the condos that closed were at Na Hale O Makena.
• There were 5 condo sales under $500,000 in 2014. In 2013, there were 2 condo sales under $500,000.
• There were 5 REO or bank owned properties that closed in Wailea during 2014. That was the same as the 2013 REO sales totals for the area.

Thoughts on The Wailea and Makena Real Estate Market During 2014
There are a few things worth discussing from the 2014 Wailea and Makena Sales numbers. The dip in condo sales is certainly noteworthy. There was a decrease in condo sales island wide, but the 25% drop in Wailea outpaced the 11% drop throughout Maui County. It is especially interesting considering the fact that condos sales over $1,500,000 were up 9% around the island. There are no obvious reasons for the decrease in activity that jump out at me. With that in mind, I broke down the sales further to see if any plausible explanations appeared.

The first thought that came to mind was that there may have been a decrease in activity at the lower end of the market due to a contraction of inventory. That was something we were seeing in other geographic areas around the island. Looking at condo sales under $1,000,000 in Wailea, there was a 25% drop in total sales compared to 2013. However, when you look at condos sold between $1,000,000 and $1,999,000, there was a 38% drop in activity compared to the previous year. When you look at condos priced over $2,000,000, there was a 20% drop in activity compared to 2013. While it is possible the dip in activity below $1,000,000 may still be related to the contraction of inventory, what would explain the drop in activity in other parts of the market? It can’t claim to have definitive answers, but I have a couple of thoughts.

The dip in buyer activity in the $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 range may be a case of buyers deferring their purchase. There are a few different condo project that are expected to come to market in the Wailea market soon. Keala O Wailea and Makali’i at Wailea were both supposed to start pre-construction sales during the second half of 2014. Delays have pushed the initial sales sometime into 2015. There may be some buyers who opted to wait with the hopes of purchasing in one of the new developments verses purchasing at existing complexes like Kai Malu.

While the drop in sales was not as pronounced above $2,000,000, the dip was surprising nonetheless. There are a couple of factors at play that may have curtailed high end sales. Again, there may be competition from new developments. Makali’i may be causing some buyers to defer their purchase. At even higher price points, the Makena Golf and Beach Club may be causing some buyers to defer their purchases. The other factor at play is the draw of Montage in Kapalua. Traditionally, Wailea Buyers have been Wailea Buyers and Kapalua Buyers have been Kapalua Buyers. Even though they are both high end resorts on Maui, they tend to draw their own distinct clientele due to the unique personality of the resorts. When you look at the sales that have occurred at Montage, you are seeing quite a few buyers represented by Wailea area Realtors. It would appear that Montage is a property that has appeal to some traditional Wailea buyers.

The Wailea and Makena home market did not experience the same dip in activity as the condo market with sales exceeding 2013 totals. The dip in median home price does not reflect a decrease in values. It points to a shift in market activity with fewer high end sales and a few more homes sold in the $1,000,000-$2,000,000 range compared to 2013.

Activity in the the Wailea and Makena land market reflected the Maui Land market overall which saw a decrease in sales during 2014. The lack of sales wasn’t for lack of inventory. It is a question of where that inventory is positioned in the market. There was a lack of lower priced lots for sale. It also appears that the Ridge at Wailea, Wailea’s newest land development, may be priced above what the market is willing to support. There has only been one sale in the development since it came to market almost a year ago.

Wailea and Makena 2015 Real Estate Market Outlook
In our 2014 outlook, we anticipated that the Wailea and Makena Markets would be heavily impacted by the influence of new condo developments such as Makali’i at Wailea and Keala O Wailea. While some buyers may have deferred their purchases waiting for new developments scheduled to market, none of the new developments actually came up for sale. While we still don’t have definitive go to market dates for those two projects, the Makena Golf and Beach Club is starting to come on the market. This new development should have a big impact on the Maui Luxury market.

The Discovery Land Company’s Makena Golf and Beach Club is a significant new development. The area was in the initial stages of development during the last real estate boom only for the property to go into foreclosure during the downturn. The Wailea Beach and Golf Resort hotel, two golf courses and a total of 1,800 acres of land were purchased by consortium of AREA Property Partners, Trinity Investments and Stanford Carr Development LLC. The ownership group has chosen Discovery Land Company to spearhead a major redevelopment of the area that will occur in phases. Malauaka Estates is the first part of the development to hit the market. Maluaka Estates consists of eight oceanfront home sites with price tags ranging from $9 to $12 Million. Two of the Eight lots that hit the Maui Multiple Listings Service in the last month, and both are already under contract.

The existing Makena Beach and Golf Resort Hotel is being converted from a 310 room hotel into the Makai Residences. The Makai Residences will include 50 private residences ranging in size from 2,500 feet to 5,600 feet. Prices will range from roughly $6-$20 million range. The highest priced units will be far and away the highest priced condos sold to date on Maui.

In addition to the Makai Residences and Maluaka Estates, this phase of the Makena Golf and Beach Club will include the Kula Villas, Spa Hales and the Beach Cottages. The nine Beach Cottages will have 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and roughly 3,400 square feet of living space. Prices are anticipated to range from $9.5-$12 million. The 12 Kula Villas will be 3 or 4 bedrooms with sizes ranging from 2,950 to 3,900 square feet. Pricing is as of yet to be determined. The 5 Spa Hales are the smallest offerings in the resort to date. They will be two bedrooms and are likely to have the lowest entry point into the first phase of the Makena Golf and Beach Club.

Discovery also plans to create a a small village with a general store, restaurants, post office, retail space and a resort hotel. All residents will also be members of the Beach Club and have access to a variety of resort amenities.

The Makena Golf and Beach Club will be nothing short of the most significant new luxury development on the island since the creation of the Wailea and Kapalua Resorts. By all indications, the entry level price points will be significantly higher than either of those developments. It is tough to say what the impact will be on the rest of the Wailea and Makena market. The high price points will limit the impact on the lower priced properties in Wailea, while I suspect it may draw some buyers who would have otherwise been looking at some of the existing ultra luxury homes and condos within Wailea. This development also has the potential to attract buyers from some of the ultra high end resort communities on neighboring islands such as Kuki’o on the Big Island.

While we have spoken about the supply side of the market for 2015, we haven’t talked too much about demand. As it stands it appears that current economic conditions should favor a strong year for sales in Wailea and Makena. We may see a little less demand out of Canadian buyers due to the decrease in value of the Canadian Dollar.

You can check out the current inventory of Wailea and Makena Homes for Sale and Makena and Wailea Condos for Sale on MauiRealEstate.com You can also contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you are interested in buying or selling property in Wailea or Makena. .