Tag: Maui Meadows

It’s the first week of August and that means it is time to take a look at how the Maui Real Estate market performed during the month of July. It was a busy month of sales on island as the numbers below will show. Our sneak peek at the July stats looks at sales volume, median prices, notable sales, and pending sales. We also give a few thoughts on what stood out in the July sales activity, and what we think is going on in the market. Without further ado, here are the July numbers.

July Maui Real Estate Sales Volumes and Medians
By my count, there were 128 homes sold in July with a median price of $590,000. Last July, there were 99 homes sold with a median price of $568,000. That calculates to a 29% increase in sales volume and roughly a 4% increase in median price.

There were 93 condos sold in Maui last month with a median sales price of $399,000. In July of 2014, there were 83 condos sold at a median price of $375,000. That represents a 12% increase in sales volume and a 6% increase in median price.

There were 13 lots sold in Maui during July with a median sales price of $250,000. There were 9 lots sold last July with a median sales price of $550,000. That is an increase in sales volume of 44% and a decrease in median price of 55%.

Other Notable Numbers from the July Maui Real Estate Sales
While compiling the sales volume and median price, I came across a few more notable numbers that I thought were worth sharing.

• The 128 homes sold in July was the highest total number of homes sold in Maui County during any single month since the downturn.
• The highest priced home that sold last month was a residential condominium located in the Maluhia at Wailea subdivision. This 4 bedroom/4 bath home with 5,121 square feet of living space sold for $6,900,000.
• The Maluhia sale was one of 6 home sales over $2,000,000. The other sales included two more properties in Wailea, two homes in Ka’anapali and a home in Maui Meadows.
• The highest priced condo to sell in July was located in the Wailea Beach Villas. The three bedroom, three bath, direct oceanfront condo sold for $8,500,000.
• It was a relatively quiet month for luxury condo sales with only one other unit sold for more than $1,500,000. That condo was located at Ka’anapali Alii.
• The highest priced land sale was $10,800,000 for a .47 acre lot in the Maluaka Subdivision of the Makena Golf and Beach Club. I believe this is the first Makena Golf and Beach Club sale reported in the MLS.
• There were a total of 19 bank owned or REO transactions that closed in July. That compares to 11 bank owned sales in July of 2014.
• There were 8 short sale transactions that closed successfully in July. There were 7 short sales that closed successfully last July.

Some Quick Thoughts on the July 2015 Maui Real Estate Sales Activity
July was a busy and interesting month for the Maui Real Estate market. There are a few different items from the stats that are worth discussion. The most noteworthy number was the number of home sales in the month. As I mentioned above, this was the busiest month for home sales since the real estate market crashed back in 2008. Not only that, it was the busiest month by a pretty healthy margin. What is driving this increased activity? If I were to guess at a primary driver, I would imagine that it is buyers trying to get into the market before interest rates increase. With rates expected to increase in the fall, we are likely to see heightened activity over the coming months. I imagine we will see a lag in activity once more substantive rate increases occur. There are two reasons why I am expecting this lag. First, buyers who require financing will have less buying power. Second, a boost in sales activity now tends to come at the expense of sales activity later. This happened when there were tax incentives for first time home buyers during the economic stimulus.

The dip in median sales price for land is notable. This shift is not attributable to a decrease in values. Instead it is a reflection of buyers at the lower price points of the market seeking out lower priced land options with the stock of lower priced homes steadily dwindling.

Sticking to land for a moment, the $10,800,000 sale at the Makena Golf and Beach club is worth a second mention. This is the most expensive cost per square foot sale of residential land in Maui history. The Makena Golf and Beach Club is set to become the most high end community on Maui. It will be interesting to watch sales within this new development over the coming years.

Shifting to the condo market, there were a couple of items that I thought were worth a mention. First, this is the second straight month where the 2015 sales exceeded the totals for 2014. Things look promising for that trend to continue based on the pending sales. On the other side of the spectrum, this is the second month in a row where high end condo sales have been down. I am not so sure that this is a trend as much as it is just variability in the market. That said, it will be worth keeping an eye on the luxury condo market over the coming months.

Pending Sales in July
We like to keep track on the number of properties that go pending in a particular month on our blog. Not only were sales strong last month, it was a pretty good month for pending sales.

Pending home, condo and land sales all increased last month compared to July of 2014. Again, I would attribute a good portion of this increased activity to buyer’s trying to take advantage of lower interest rates.

What Does This All Mean for Maui Buyers and Sellers?
Buyers looking at properties at or below the median sales prices for Maui will find that the market remains competitive. Well priced properties in this price range are quick to sell. Buyers shopping in this range should get pre-approved prior to their search if they require financing. When a property comes on that meets their needs, being slow to act could cost you an opportunity. Sellers will find that this is an interesting market. While there is increased sales activity, I am reticent to call this a true seller’s market. There is varying level of activity depending on geography and price points. Overpriced properties are sitting at almost all price points. These variable market conditions only serve to increase the importance of quality representation. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you are interested in exploring the Maui Real Estate Market. We would welcome the chance to sit down with you and learn more about your real estate needs.

June is the middle of fruit season on Maui. Local mangoes, lychee and lilikoi can all be found in farmer’s markets and grocery stores. June is also a month of Festivals and celebrations with the Wailea Film Festival, the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival, The Slack Key Guitar Festival at the MACC and more. The start of June also means that it is time to take another look at the performance of the Maui Real Estate market. We take a look at last month’s sales volumes, median sales prices and a few other notes and numbers from May sales activity. Sales are a lagging indicator that don’t reflect current demand so we also wanted to take a look at the number of properties that went under contract last month. Without further ado, here are the real estate sales numbers for May on Maui.

By my count, there were 85 homes sold in Maui County last month with a median price of $540,000. By comparison, there were 109 homes sold in Maui County during May of 2013 with a median price of $549,000. That is a 22% drop in sales activity and a 2% drop in median price compared to last May.

There were 116 condo sales reported in May of 2014 with a median price of $476,000. Last May, there were 139 sales reported in Maui with a median price of $380,000. That is a 17% drop in sales activity with a 25% jump in median price when comparing this May to last May.

There were 20 land sales reported in May at a median price of $575,000. In May 2013, there were also 20 sales with a median of $267,500. That is a 215% increase in median price.

While compiling the numbers above, I came across some more numbers and data from the May Maui Real Estate Sales that I thought were worth sharing.

• The highest priced home sale last month was $3,150,000 for the Rainbow House in Ka’anapali Coffee Farms.
• That was one of five home sales over $2,000,000 last month. The other four sales were geographically diverse with closes in Haiku, Launiupoko, Wailea and Maui Meadows.
• The highest priced condo transaction was $5,000,000 for a beachfront unit at Coconut Grove in Kapalua.
• That was one of 15 condo sales over $1,500,000 last month. Honua Kai Resort led the way with seven sales over $1,500,000. There were also two sales at The Whaler, one sale at Ka’anapali Ali’i and one sale at Ka’anapali Shores. The Ka’anapali area condos were a hot ticket for luxury buyers. The other big sales occurred at Kapalua Bay Villas, Wailea Point and Na Hale O Makena.
• The highest priced land sale last month was $1,600,000 for 42 acres on the ocean between Wailuku and Kahakuloa.
• There were only 8 bank owned closes all of last month. That is down 50% from the 16 bank owned closes we saw last May. Buyers looking for bank owned bargains will find that the pickings slim.
• There were 10 successful short sales last month. That was done 58% from the 24 completed in May of 2013.

The thing that stands out most to me about this month’s stats is the drop in sales activity. As noted in the April stats, there was a drop in the number of properties that were pending in April as compared to the same time last year. That makes the drop in sales a little less of a surprise. We are also mirroring some trends that have been occurring on the mainland. The National Association of Realtors Reported that April existing home sales were down 6.8% compared to the same time last year. It is hard to pinpoint all of the factors that have led to the drop in sales activity in Maui County. That said, I think a significant driver has been the lack of inventory. The decrease in homes and condos at lower price points in our market has meant not enough supply to meet demand.

There were a few other things worth noting about the stats. The median sales price was down a little from last year. That seems counter intuitive with less low end inventory and clear signs of price reductions. The bigger driver may be a little less activity on the high end of the market. There were 7 fewer sales this May compared to last May over $1,000,000. On the other end of the spectrum, the condo medians were way up this month. Some of that gain could be attributed to price increases. The rest is due to shifts in market activity. Less inventory on the low end plays a part as does a big increase in activity on the high end. There were 26 condo sales over $1,000,000 this year compared to 12 last year. That is in spite of a 17% drop in overall condos sold. The huge jump in land medians can be attributed to a decrease in low end sales, an increase in high end sales and modest price increases. The small sample size for land sales contributes to big fluctuations in medians.

Does it look like the slow down in sales activity will continue into the summer? Right now, the numbers are mixed. The chart below compares the number of properties that went under contract in May of 2014 to what went pending last year in May of 2013.

It looks like we might see an uptick in home sales. Home pending sales were up a whopping 27% over last May. While condo numbers appear to be continuing their recent drop in activity with a 21% drop in pendings. Land pending sales were down 55% compared to last May. I did a little digging behind that number and some of that difference can be traced to a solid number of commercial land listings that went under contract last May. Commercial and residential land are lumped together in our MLS. It will be interesting to see what happens with activity as we move into the summer months. It is safe to say that Maui is experiencing an unpredictable market.

What does this all mean for buyers and sellers? Buyers will find that prices are still below peak market levels in all but a very few neighborhoods around the island. That said, buyers will also find that we have seen significant appreciation from the bottom particularly at the lower price points of the market. Those that are expecting to find rock bottom deals will be challenged by the limited inventory and the smaller number of distressed and bank owned properties. Buyers should expect that well priced properties will go under contract quickly. If it is in a particularly desirable part of the market, those properties may attract multiple bids. Sellers should expect improving market conditions, but those that are swinging for the fences on their prices may be disappointed. Overpriced properties are sitting. There are also some communities and price points that are softer than others. Go to market pricing strategies should take into account recent sales prices and activity levels. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team for a free consultation to discuss the specific market conditions for the communities and price ranges that fit interests and budget. We welcome the opportunity to be of assistance.

The ghosts and goblins of Halloween have disappeared from Front Street in Lahaina. They will soon be replaced by the sounds of cheering college basketball fans on island for the EA Sports Maui Invitational, the crash of high surf and splash of breaching whales. October has come and gone and it is November on Maui. It is a time to look forward to Thanksgiving and a time to look back at the October Maui Real Estate Statistics. Here is our look at the October statistics with video commentary.

By my count, there were 80 homes sold in Maui County at a median price of $540,000. By comparison, there were 100 homes sold last October with a median price of $485,000. That is a 20% drop in sales volume and an 11% increase in median price when comparing this October to last October.

Thus far, Maui Realtors have reported 103 condos sold in October of 2013 with a median sales price of $360,000. Last October, there were 96 condos sold at a median price of $349,995. That calculates to a 7% increase in sales and approximately a 3% increase in median price when comparing this October to last October.

There have been 23 land sales reported for October 2013 with a median price of $370,000. Last October, there were nine lots sold in Maui County at a median price of $250,000. That is a 255% increase in sales activity and a 48% increase in median pricing when October of 2013 is compared to October of 2012.

While compiling the sales volume numbers and median prices, I came across some other numbers worth sharing.

• The highest priced home sale last month was $3,250,000 for a home in the Kaimanu Estates area of Maui Meadows. The Italian Villa style home is situated on over 2 acres.
• The Kaimanu Estates sale was one of four closes over $2,000,000. The other sales were in Sprecklesville, Kapalua and Launiupoko.
• The high condo sale last month was $3,400,000 for a 2,428 square foot unit at Wailea Point.
• The Wailea Point sale was one of five condo transactions over $1,500,000.
• The land sales figures were bolstered in part by 7 closes at the Peahi Hui subdivision in Haiku. This 16 lot agricultural subdivision hit the market in May and all of the lots went under contract quickly. We are starting to see closes after the developer received final subdivision approval in early October.
• There were a total of 8 bank owned sales that closed through Realtors last month. That compares to 18 bank owned sales last October. Those that are hunting for bank owned opportunities will find scarce inventory.

It was a pretty healthy month for sales on Maui with condo sales and land sales outpacing the October numbers, but we are starting to see a trend that I predicted last month. While most of 2013 has seen stronger sales activity than 2012, thatis starting to shift. Market conditions really started to take off during the last quarter of 2012. That means a stronger baseline of comparison for the 2013 sales numbers. We saw that in the comparison of home sales in October. I expand on those thoughts and give a few more insights in the video commentary below.

We welcome you to contact the Maui Real Estate Team with any questions or comments on this month’s stats or to discuss your real estate needs. We look forward to listening.