Maui has a number of great options for snorkeling around the island. There are a variety of snorkeling spots in Makena like Palauea Beach. There are good places to go along Wailea’s beaches. Honolua Bay up near Kapalua is a fantastic summer snorkeling spot. One of the most popular and well visited snorkel spots is Black Rock at Ka’anapali Beach. The reef around the rock attracts all kinds of sea life. Here is a quick video from a summer snorkeling session.

It is usually a pretty safe bet that you will see sea turtles (honus) and a variety of fish. You may even get to see a Spotted Eagle Ray like the one who swam up to check me out.

Great snorkeling is one of the draws of Ka’anapali area real estate. If you are looking for a place that also offers great beaches, shopping and golf, you can check MauiRealEstate.com for the current inventory of Ka’anapali Condos for Sale. While there is a limited inventory of beachfront homes in Ka’anapali, there are a number of beautiful executive homes within a short drive of the beach offered for sale. Check out the current inventory of Ka’anapali Homes for Sale on MauiRealEstate.com. You may also contact The Maui Real Estate Team for assistance or to discuss the Ka’anapli market.

Over the last few months, I have been giving updates on the Maui Luxury Real Estate Market. I started with an overall view and have since provided updates on Wailea, Kapalua and the combined North Shore and Upcountry luxury real estate markets. Today, I am going to take a look at Ka’anapali and its luxury market comparing 2008 year to date performance vs. the same span in 2007. Specifically, I am comparing overall homes sold and condos sold for more than $1,000,000. Ka’anapali is West Maui’s original resort community. It is renowned for both its golf and its world class beaches.

• Ka’anapali Home Sales

Sales between January 1, 2007 -> July 30, 2007 = 14
Sales between January 1, 2008 -> July 30, 2008 = 11

• Kaanapali Condo Sales over $1,000,000

Sales between January 1, 2007 -> July 30, 2007 = 52
Sales between January 1, 2008 -> July 30, 2008 = 16

Here are some thoughts on the stats. The home market is off 21% in volume from last year. Comparatively, island wide home sales volume is off 27% through the end of June. This appears to support the notion that the luxury market is weathering the current slow down a little better than other parts of the market.

The condo numbers are a bit of a shocker. We have seen a 69% drop in volume from last years numbers. This is obviously a sizable decrease. What makes these numbers interesting is that it does not follow trends in other luxury markets around the island. Kapalua saw a more modest decrease in volume of 27% while Wailea actually saw an increase in sales volume. Wailea’s increase in volume was not insignificant. What does this all mean? Frankly, I am not sure what accounts for the difference and anything I would proffer would be little more than a guess.

For those that are in the market for Ka’anapali Luxury Real Estate, there is pretty good inventory available on the market. Check out MauiRealEstate.com to see the current inventory of Ka’anapali Homes for Sale, Kaanapali Condos for Sale and Land for Sale. Contact us for additional information on Ka’anapali Luxury Real Estate.