Paia town is home base for the Maui Real Estate Team. It also happens to be one of the more in demand real estate markets on island. A bohemian vibe, Plantation town charm, access to great water sports, galleries, good restaurants and shopping have made this little town internationally renowned. We want to take a look back at how the Paia market performed in 2016 and how it might perform in 2017.

One quick note, typically the Spreckelsville neighborhood is lumped in with Paia when people talk about Paia real estate. We believe Spreckelsville is somewhat unique within Paia and opted to exclude it from this overview. We did a separate Sprecks market update at the end of 2016.

The map above shows the 2016 sales as well as the one 2017 sale that was based on a contract from 2016. You can click on individual pins on the map for additional details on the sales.

Looking back at the year in sales, there were some notable numbers that I think are worth highlighting.

• There were 31 homes sold in Paia and Kuau during 2016 with a median sales price of $600,000 and an average sales price of $1,119,216. In 2015, there were 26 home sales with a median price of $587,000 and an average price of $701,942. That is a 19% increase in volume, a 2% increase in median price and a 59% increase in average price.
• The highest priced home sale was $6,000,000 for an oceanfront estate in Kuau. The property consists of a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom home with 6,258 square feet of living space and a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cottage with 1,050 square feet of living space on approximately 1.283 acres of land. Last year, the high sale was $2,995,000 for a single family oceanfront home on Kuau Point.
• This year’s high sale was one of three transactions to close for over $4,000,000 in Paia and Kuau during 2016. All three properties were oceanfront.
• The lowest priced home sale was $455,000 for a 3 bedroom, one bath house with 1,104 square feet of living space on a 6,791 square foot lot. This home is located in the Skill Village Neighborhood. The 2015 low sale was $345,000 for a three bedroom, one bath home with 1,080 square feet of living space on a 6,599 square foot lot.
• There were three condo sales in 2016 at Kuau Plaza. Kuau Plaza is the only condo in the Paia/Kuau area. The highest of the three sales closed for $325,000.
• There was one land sale in Paia in 2016. This oceanfront .432 acre lot closed for $2,950,000. There were no land sales in Paia in 2015.
• There were no bank owned properties or successful short sale transactions that closed in Paia during 2016.

While the numbers above give you a glimpse into market activity in Paia and Kuau as a whole, I also wanted to take a look at some of the individual areas and neighborhoods around Paia.

Kuau Bayview
Kuau Bayview has been one of the strongest performing neighborhoods on the island. It was setting all time high prices before any other neighborhood on the island during this market cycle. The neighborhood holds a lot of appeal to buyers due to location, walkability, consistent pride of ownership and in some cases views. Last year was another strong year for the neighborhood. Record sales prices were set not once but three times. The current record high of $952,000 pushes Kuau Bayview pretty close to the $1,000,000 threshold. In addition to the three high sales, there were two other smaller floor plan sales. The five total sales for 2016 was up sharply from the single sale in 2015. That said, it is worth noting that sales volume in this neighborhood tends to be more of a reflection of available supply instead of demand.

North Shore Village
North Shore Village was the last new development built in Paia. It is hard to believe that it was completed 14 years ago. There were only two sales in the neighborhood in 2016, but one was quite notable. 21 Hoku sold for $750,000. That is a new record high sale by a considerable margin. It sold for 13% more on a cost per square foot basis than the other sale in the neighborhood which only closed 4 months prior. On a cost per square foot basis, it was 19% higher than the previous neighborhood high sale. It will be interesting to see if that will be the new standard or if that sale is viewed as an outlier by future buyers.

Skill Village
Skill Village is another neighborhood that had a record high sale in 2016. A four bedroom, three bathroom home sold for $680,000 in September. It also remains the busiest neighborhood in Paia for sales volume. This was the second straight year with 9 transactions. While the recent high sales price may suggest otherwise, Skill Village provides the most opportunity for buyers who want to get into Paia for below the island’s median sales price for homes.

Oceanfront Paia
While Paia has seen a strong real estate market since the start of the recovery, Paia oceanfront has been slower. There has been a lot of inventory and relatively few sales. We saw a change in dynamics during 2016. After just one sale per year in 2014 and 2015, we saw four transactions in 2016. There were three oceanfront home sales and one land sale.

2017 Market Outlook
After a strong 2016, the big question is what should we expect during 2017 in the Paia Real Estate market. There are few things that I think will drive the market.

Inventory tops the list of market drivers. Island wide, we have seen home inventory shrink. Paia is seeing a more acute decrease in active listings than most other parts of the island. There are currently only 14 active home listings in Paia and Kuau. Three homes are currently under contract. Of the active listings, only five listings are priced less than $1,000,000. The one home priced for less than $500,000 is a short sale facing foreclosure. It also happens to have four additional liens on the property. The lack of available inventory makes it hard for me to imagine that we will come close to last year’s sales volume.

Low inventory and continued demand are a dynamic that is likely to provide continued upward price pressure in the Paia market. Interest rates are something that could prove to be a counterweight to the lack of inventory. Conventional wisdom suggests that we are going to continue to see increases in rates throughout the year. If that comes to fruition, I would suspect that might limit the increase in values particularly in the bottom of the half of the market. Entry level buyers face a tough barrier with current pricing in Paia. Increases in rates will make the cost of ownership that much higher.

We may also look at recent market history for a forecast of the future. Paia has seen significant appreciation since the last downturn, but appreciation has not been linear. If I were to chart values over the last four years, it would likely look like a stair case. Strong increases in value were followed by a pause in values as the market would seemingly catch its breath. Kuau Bayview is a good example of this dynamic. That neighborhood saw a series of record high sales in 2013. The next year and most of 2015 were pretty quiet due to a lack of inventory and sales. As mentioned above, 2015 saw the neighborhood high sales mark broken three times. If the pattern continues, we might see a quieter 2017.

One segment that will be interesting to watch is the oceanfront home market. This price range tends to be less interest rate sensitive due to the higher percentage of cash transactions. The last year was the strongest year since the downturn and one of the strongest overall historically for Paia and Kuau Oceanfront. Part of that stems from sellers adjusting to the market. The high sale for the year closed well below replacement cost. There is currently one oceanfront home under contract, and sellers have continued to adjust their pricing hoping to find the market. I would anticipate the oceanfront market might remain more active particularly if sellers continue to adjust prices.

The Future of Paia Real Estate

The strength of the Paia market over the last 15 years has been a simple case of supply and demand. Demand has only increased over the years as the town has become more and more renowned. Paia has made a couple of lists for the Best Beach Towns in America. Numerous other publications have cast the spotlight on Maui’s hip beach town. For each new article, there seemed to be more buyers of Paia real estate. All the while, supply has been practically unchanged since North Shore Village was built back in 2003. The town’s growth has been limited by the surrounding cane fields. The closing of the sugar plantation in December of 2016 may mean the end of that growth barrier.

There has already been one large parcel of land sold to the West of town. A 340 acre parcel directly to the West of Paia sold for $9,900,000 in January. The agriculturally zoned land is on the Mauka (Mountain) side of Hana Highway. The land runs from the town’s parking lot and mini bypass up towards the mill and heads West towards Baldwin Beach Park. Plans for the land have not been presented to the public. The coconut wireless has suggested 16 high end agricultural lots with the potential for mixed use development along Baldwin Avenue closer to the mill. I don’t anticipate that development will happen quickly. The subdivision process can be lengthy on Maui. If any rezoning is done, that could lead to additional delays.

While we are unlikely to see changes over the next couple of years, the cane fields may no longer serve as a limitation for growth. Some of this cane land will become ranch land. Still more areas could be sold off for future development.

Buying and Selling Paia Real Estate
You can see all of the Paia Area Real Estate Listings on MauiRealEstate.com. Our office is located in the heart of town in Paia Plaza at 71 Baldwin Avenue. Our agents live in the area and have decades of experience in this market. We watch the market closely and keep our ears to the ground for properties coming up for sale. Contact The Maui Real Estate if you are interested in buying or selling in Paia.

The Maui Real Estate Team’s office is based out of the North Shore community of Paia. This small town known for its bohemian feel and proximity to world class water sports has been one of the stronger real estate markets on the island over the last 10-15 years. I wanted to take a look at the Paia Real Estate market and how it is fairing to start 2016. This post looks specifically at Paia and Kuau. It does not include the Spreckelsville neighborhood. If you are interested in that area, check out our recent Spreckelsville Market update. In this post, I wanted to show the general activity in Paia during 2016 with comparisons made to sales activity in 2015. I will also drill down and look at sales activity in certain neighborhoods around Paia.

The map below shows activity in the 2016 Paia Real Estate market. The Red pins represent sales. The yellow pins represent pending sales and the green pins represent active homes. You can click on the individual pins for details on each of the properties.

I have also included a map of the 2015 Paia Real Estate Sales for some context.

While the maps give you a visual reference as to what has been happening in Paia, the numbers below may be a little easier to digest. This is a look at the sales volumes, median sales prices, average sales price, some 2015 numbers for comparison and some other notable numbers from the first five months of sales.

• There have been 15 homes reported sold for the year to date in the Paia/Kuau area with an additional 5 homes under contract. One of those pending homes could conceivably be classified as a land sale due to the condition of the home. In addition to the reported sales, I am aware of one other home that sold without Realtors in Kuau Bayview.
• By comparison, there were 9 homes that sold over the first five months of 2016. There were a total of 26 home sales throughout all of 2016. That calculates to a 66% increase in sales for the first 5 months of 2016 and 57% of the total sales for all of 2015. It looks the 2016 sales volume is well on its way to beating 2015 totals.
• The median price for the 15 2015 sales was $600,000 and the average price was $1,372,000. By comparison, the median and average sales prices for the first 5 months of 2015 was $599,000 and $684,222. The difference in average sales price speaks to a couple of big dollar sales that closed earlier this year. The negligible difference in median price does not accurately reflect changes in property value. Perhaps we can glean more when we look at some of the individual neighborhoods below.
• The highest priced sale during the start of the year was $6,000,000 for an oceanfront estate. The property located at 23 Wa’a on Tavares Bay includes a 4 bed, 4.5 bath home with 6,258 square feet of living space and a 1 bed, 1 bath 1,025 square foot cottage on a 1.28 acre lot.
• There were two condo sales at Paia’s one and only condo complex, Kuau Plaza. There were no sales at Kuau Plaza during the first five months of 2015. There was only one Kuau Plaza sale in all of 2015.
• There were no land sales in the Paia area during the first five months of the year. There is one property under contract and arguably a second when you factor in the condition of the property’s home. There were no land sales during the same period of 2015. The low volume of sales is not a reflection of demand. There just isn’t any supply. Paia is hemmed in by agricultural land and there are very few remaining vacant lots. That could change in the future with the end of the sugar plantation, but nothing is imminent at this point.

For a small community, Paia has a pretty diverse market of homes. From old Hawaii Plantation Style Homes to luxurious oceanfront estates, there is a significant range in property values. With that in mind, it is worth looking at some of the market activity of some selected neighborhoods around Paia.

Kuau Bayview
Kuau Bayview was one of the more resilient neighborhoods coming out of the downturn. While many areas of Maui were just starting to see modest appreciation, Kuau Bayview was setting new market highs. The neighborhood offers proximity to town and area beaches, a community park, good views from selected homes and consistent pride of ownership. There have been two sales publicized in the MLS this year, one sale that did not involve Realtors and two pending sales. The three sales to date have all set new record highs for the community. Two of the three sales closed in the mid $900,000s. All three homes are two story, have good ocean views and they have been remodeled and upgraded. The two homes under contract are both smaller single level floor plans. While these homes will not set any new high prices when they close, they will be among the highest ever sales price for their floor plan.

Additional activity in the neighborhood during 2016 will be predicated on new inventory coming to market. Potential sellers should realize that the run of high sales does not necessarily mean the next home to hit the market will set a new record. For a relatively small neighborhood, there is a decent range in home values. The highest priced homes tend to be located towards the top of the neighborhood where views are better and there is little to no road noise from Hana Highway. Remodels and additional square footage are also factors in pricing.

North Shore Village
North Shore Village was built in 2003. It was the last new development in Paia. The two story homes are located on small lots. The area also offers consistent pride of ownership, and it is just a few minutes walk from all of the amenities of downtown Paia. Due to the limited number of homes in this neighborhood, we don’t see a lot of turnover. In 2015, there were no sales in the neighborhood. This year there has been one sale and one additional property is pending. The home that closed was a smaller two bedroom floor plan that sold for $589,000. The pending sale is particularly noteworthy as it was listed for $780,000. That is well above previous sales in the neighborhood. The home was well maintained, but not significantly upgraded. It is rumored to be under contract for close to the asking price. That would smash the neighborhood high sale. If say it were to sell for $740,000, it would be selling for 26% above the last neighborhood sale for a home that is only 145 square feet larger.

This is another neighborhood that would require new inventory if there is going to be additional sales activity in 2016. It will be interesting to see how the next home that comes to market is priced. Will this pending sale reset prices in the neighborhood or will the market view the one high sale as a one off close?

Halelani
Halelani is a small neighborhood nestled between North Shore Village and Kuau Bayview. It is behind the Paia Community Center. Most of the homes were built in the early to mid 70s and they tend to be modest in size and construction. There have been some nice remodels in the neighborhood over the last decade. It is a desirable neighborhood due to proximity to downtown and area beaches. It also offers a lower price point under $700,000. Halelani was pretty busy in 2015 with 5 sales in the neighborhood. Those sales included the two highest neighborhood sales of all time. This year, it has been quiet with no listings and no sales reported to date. With limited Paia inventory under $700,000, well priced new inventory inventory would be well received.

Skill Village
Skill Village is a neighborhood of more modest homes built in the mid to late 80s. The neighborhood is located above the old Mill in Paia close to Paia Elementary School. It is the primary location for entry level homes in Paia, but there have also been some homes that have been significantly updated. This neighborhood has had some pretty healthy activity this year and last year. There have been five sales thus far this year, with two additional pending sale and one active listing. Last year, there were 3 sales in the first five months of 2015 and 9 total sales for the year.

There were more high priced sales in 2015 than what we have seen to date in 2016, but that is a reflection of the homes sold rather than market dynamics. There was actually one home sold in both 2015 and 2016 with little to no new improvements. On August 20, 2015, 32 Palekana sold for $530,000. Less than 7 months later, it sold again for $561,500 on March 7, 2016. That is almost 6% increase in that period of time. Other signs of appreciation in the neighborhood are apparent when you compare the low sales in 2015 with the low sales in 2016. The lowest priced sale for the year to date was $465,000. Last year, there were two homes that sold for $385,000.

I would imagine, we will continue to see steady activity in Skill Village this year if there is sufficient inventory. Paia remains an in demand community and this is one of the more accessible neighborhoods for potential buyers.

Kuau Point
The Kuau Point neighborhood is a mix of older plantation homes, newer homes and oceanfront properties. Neighborhood amenities like a high end convenience store, Mama’s Fish House, Mama’s Beach and a great launch for wind and waves sports make this little community on the ocean side of Hana Highway very desirable. There have been three home sales in the neighborhood this year, with one oceanfront lot under contract and one new oceanfront home listing. The range of sold homes provides a pretty good cross section of Kuau Point properties. At the low end, there is a small residential condo just off of Hana Highway that sold for $590,000. With only 720 square feet of living space, it came at a pretty hefty price. That said, its size is offset by its proximity to amenities. The middle sale was a former vacation rental just a stone’s throw from Mama’s Fish House. This home sold for $1,323,000. The high sale was $4,850,000 for a house and cottage on .4139 acres of oceanfront. Last year, there were 3 sales during the first five months of the year and 7 total sales throughout the year.

Paia Oceanfront
Paia Oceanfront isn’t a neighborhood. This class of property spans across a number of neighborhoods and there is some overlap with my Kuau Point discussion. That said, oceanfront is it’s own unique market segment that merits a separate discussion. It is also the only part of the Paia market where you can find an abundance of inventory. There are currently 10 active oceanfront home listings in the Paia/Kuau area. You could make a case that one of the home listings could be thought of as more of a land listing. The 1.1 acre oceanfront lot we have in Paia is one of the more stunning parcels along the coast. The older structures have less value and the heavy lifting has been done to get approvals to construct a new home. There is also one oceanfront lot on the market that is currently under contract. Thus far this year, there have been two oceanfront sales. That is ahead of the one oceanfront home sold last year.

Market dynamics for oceanfront properties in Paia are pretty interesting right now. The two homes sold and the lot under contract are an uptick in activity over last year. That said, the most recent close could put some downward pressure on list prices. Sellers have been shooting for premium prices. A number of those asking prices feel high in light of the sale of 23 Wa’a. The cost per square foot was significantly lower and the quality of construction was significantly higher than some of the other homes currently on the market. It will be interesting to see if the existing inventory is able to shrug this off as an outlier sale or if buyers successfully leverage the 23 Wa’a sale to negotiate lower prices.

Overall Paia Market Thoughts
The overall Maui Real Estate market has seen upward pressure on pricing due to a lack of new supply and strong demand fueled by compelling interest rates and high rental costs. These issues are particularly acute in the Paia area where the lack of new construction dates all the back to 2003 and market demand has increased as Paia has become seen a significant increase in demand from second home owners. Those dynamics would suggest that we may continue to see upward pricing pressure in Paia as long as the economy maintains or outperforms current level and borrowing costs do not increase too much. That being said, I would not be surprised to see the rapid rates of appreciation we have seen in some neighborhoods cool off. Price increases in Paia tend not to be linear. We get something of a stair step effect where prices shoot up and then level off for a while before they increase again. I can see that happening in a few neighborhoods. If you made it to the end of this tome, you have to be pretty interested in the Paia market. Feel free to contact us if you have questions about the market or if you need assistance with your real estate needs. We would welcome the chance to learn about your needs. You can find more details about the current Paia Real Estate Listings on MauiRealEstate.com.

Paia town has grown in acclaim over the last 15 years. Back in the 80s and 90s, Paia was only really a destination for windsurfers. It is still a big draw for water sports enthusiasts, but now it attracts a broader cross section of people. People are drawn to its plantation style charm, bohemian vibe, assorted boutiques, good restaurants and yoga studios. Paia has been featured in national publications and made lists as one of the Best Beach Towns in America. While demand and awareness has grown for Paia Real Estate, the community has seen very limited growth in housing inventory over the last 20 years. North Shore Village was the last new development in the town, and construction on that community was completed in 2003. Prospects for increased housing inventory remain limited in the near term as the community is hemmed in by cane fields. The static supply and growing demand has helped to fuel strong growth in pricing.

Earlier this week, we did a midyear update on the Spreckelsville market. Today, I wanted to look at the community of Paia. Spreckelsville is actually considered to be a neighborhood of Paia. Properties in Sprecks are part of the Paia MLS listings. Last year we decided to split the communities of Paia and Spreckelsville when we did our market analysis. We feel that they are different enough markets that they merit a separate discussion. This post will look exclusively at Paia and the neighborhood/community of Kuau located just to the East of Paia.

The map above shows the homes that sold as well as the homes that are currently under contract. If you click on the individual pins, you will find information on the sales price, closing date and property specifications.

There were 9 homes sold in Paia during the first six months of the year with a median price of $599,000. There were 5 homes sold in the first six months of 2014 with a median price of $644,500. There was also a condo sold at Kuau Plaza in the first half of 2015 compared to two condos sold during the first half of 2014. There were no land sales in Paia thus far this year compared to one during the first half of 2015. There were some other things that I thought were notable about the Paia Real Estate market during the first half of the year.

• The Skill Village area was the busiest neighborhood for sales activity with three sales and an additional four home sales pending currently. Kuau Point also saw three homes sell, although one of those sales was a private sale that did not involve Realtors.
• That private sale closed for $1,200,000. That was the highest priced transaction in Paia to start the year. The property is located at 4 Kaiholo street right next to Mama’s Fish House. Based on Public Records, it appears as if it was purchased by the owners of Mama’s.
• There was only one other sale over $1,000,000 in Paia during the first six months of 2015. It was for a four bedroom, two bath condominium home on Kuau Point.
• Kuau Bayview was quiet in terms of sales activity with only one close and no properties currently listed on the market. That said, the one sale was a new record high for the neighborhood.

This was a pretty good first six months of the year for the Paia Real Estate market. The bulk of the activity was focused on the entry level of the market. It was the increased activity with lower priced properties that drove the decrease in median sales price compared to last year. If anything, the increased activity at lower price points has resulted in rising prices. Neighborhoods like Skill Village and Lower Paia are right below the all time high sales prices that we saw in the last real estate boom. There are potentials for records to be broken among the pending sales.

While the low end market saw strong activity, the Paia high end market and specifically the oceanfront market have been quiet. There have been nine different properties listed for sale on the ocean during the first six months of the year. There are eight oceanfront homes listed currently. There have been no sales and no properties under contract. You can get a sense of the location and additional information on the current Paia oceanfront home inventory via the map below.

With eight ocean and beachfront homes on the market, Paia has more oceanfront inventory than any other community on the island. Many of those homes have been on the market for a considerable amount of time. I would imagine that there might be some opportunity for oceanfront buyers based on the depth of inventory. It will be interesting to see if any buyers step forward for these properties before the end of the year.

The overall Paia market looks like it will continue to see a fair amount of activity at lower price points. There are 5 properties under contract under $700,000 as it stands currently. That part of the market has the potential to cool off if expected interest rate increases occur sometime in the fall. There is a bit of gap in inventory between the entry level of the market and the oceanfront inventory. There are only two properties listed for sale for more than $700,000 that aren’t oceanfront. This could be a good time to go to market for potential sellers in Kuau Bayview or for non-oceanfront owners along the ocean side of Hana Highway. Well priced properties in those areas should be attractive to buyers. You can see the current Paia Real Estate Inventory on MauiRealEstate.com. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you have questions on Paia or need assistance buying or selling property. Our office is located in downtown Paia. We keep a close eye on the market and our ears open for unlisted properties.

This is the third post in our series of articles looking at the Maui Real Estate market midway through the year. We have already published a midyear Maui Real Estate market update and a Haiku Market update. Today, we are taking a glance at the Paia real estate market. Paia is situated on the North Shore of the island and is known throughout the world as a mecca of wind and water sports. Athletes from all over the world are drawn to the combination of wind and waves that make this a premier destination for windsurfing, kiteboarding, stand up paddling, surfing and big wave surfing. You don’t have to be a big wave rider to enjoy Paia Town. The town has a bohemian vibe, great shopping, good Yoga facilities, very good restaurants, natural beauty, the best little heath food store on the planet, proximity to good schools and a better sense of community than the resort areas on the island.

The Paia Real Estate market consists of three geographic areas. Going from West to East, the Spreckelsville Neighborhood runs from right next to the airport all the way to Baldwin Beach. It is home to the Maui Country Club and three main beaches. The community is an ideal gateway for the beach lifestyle with a good walking beach, windsurfing, kiting, surfing, body boarding and SUP. Many residents own golf carts so they can bring all their toys down to the beach. Real estate options include executive homes near and on the golf course, two acre compounds with beach access, beachfront estates and the North Shore’s only luxury condominiums. Heading further east, you get to Paia town proper. Paia town is an eclectic mix of older plantation homes, 1970s and 1980s vintage entry level homes, newer town homes in North Shore Village and a smattering of beach and oceanfront homes. As you head past Paia town towards Mama’s Fish House, you get to the Kuau area. Kuau includes the neighborhood of Kuau Bayview, an interesting mix of homes on the Mauka (Mountain Side) of Hana Highway and more high end homes along the Makai (ocean) side of Hana Highway.

The numbers below include information on sales volumes and median sales prices in the Paia area for the first six months of the year. I also included some other noteworthy numbers I came across along the way while compiling these stats. These are followed by a look at how the sales broke down by price point, the current state of the market and what we might expect for the rest of 2013.

During the first six months of 2013, realtors reported 14 home sales in Paia with a median price of $678,500. During the first half of 2012, there were sixteen sales reported with a median price of $457,500. That is a 12.5% drop in sales volume and a 48% increase in median price.

There were three condo sales reported in Paia during the first six months of 2013. There was only one condo sale during the first half of 2012.

There were three land sales reported in Paia during the first half of 2013. No land sales were reported in Paia during the first six months of 2012.

While compiling the numbers above, I came upon a number of other facts and figures about the Paia Market during the first half of 2013 that I thought were worth sharing.

• The highest sale in Paia for the first half of the year was $5,500,000 for an older home on almost an acre of oceanfront land. My understanding is that this was more of a land purchase than a home sale as the buyer intends to tear down the existing older homes on the property and build a larger estate home.
• There was one other sale over $1,000,000 during this time frame and it was another big deal. An estate property across the street from Tavares Bay sold for $4,600,000.
• In addition to the home sales, there was one other big land sale in Paia to start the year. An 18,875 square foot lot right on Tavares Bay sold for $2,300,000.
• Kuau Bayview was the busiest neighborhood in the Paia area with four total closes. It also saw the strongest signs of price appreciation with a new all time high sales price and a couple of other sales notable for their high price considering location and/or home size.
• On the other end of the spectrum, Spreckelsville saw no sales during the first half of the year. Anecdotal evidence would suggest this might be a case of variability verses the neighborhood falling out of favor. I know of a couple of listings that had heavy showing activity and received offers.
• If there was one number that really grabbed me, it was that six of the fourteen sales were properties that were not listed on the MLS. Buyers were doing some digging to find properties with the inventory of homes on the market under $1,000,000 limited.
• There weren’t many distressed sellers on the market in 2013. There was only one short sale that was completed and there were no bank owned sales during the first six months of 2013.

It was an interesting first half of the year for the Paia market. At first blush, the decrease in home sales might suggest diminished demand. That being said, I think the case can be made that it wasn’t demand that was lacking as much as quality inventory. We can see that by the number of homes that were sold that were unlisted. Buyers had to scrounge for unlisted properties under $1,000,000 to meet their needs. Pricing was a mixed bag. Properties under $1,000,000 saw varying levels of upward price pressure depending on the neighborhood. Skill Village saw modest appreciation despite limited inventory. North Shore Village sales are infrequent, but the most recent sales were well over the last sale in 2011. Kuau Bayview saw signs of significant appreciation. A new record sales price was established. There was also the second highest sale on a cost per square foot basis and the highest sale for a home abutting Hana Highway.

The luxury market was a little less clear cut than entry and middle levels of the Paia market. The two big sales were both noteworthy. The high sale was the third highest sale in Paia history. It is particularly notable in that the home is a tear down. The buyers paid a healthy sum for arguably the best piece of land in the Kuau area. The second highest sale of the first six months of 2013 was the highest ever sales price for a non-oceanfront home. Beyond that luxury home sales were relatively quiet particularly in the $1,000,000-$2,000,000 range. I don’t think this was due to a lack of interest as much as it was just the variability in the market and the inability of sellers and buyers to find a common sales price.

The land and condo market both saw upticks in activity during the first half of 2013. After seeing little interest for at least a year, Kuau Plaza started to garner interest from the market place in the second half of 2012 and we saw three sales in the first half of 2013. There is never a whole lot of activity in the Paia land market. The reason being that there is very little vacant land in the community. Three sales is pretty busy for a six month span by Paia standards.

Looking at the current inventory of Paia Real Estate listings, the inventory options under $1,000,000 remain pretty limited. The chart below shows the distribution of properties by price point. The Blue Bars represent sales during the first half of the year and give some sense of market demand. The green bars represent pending and contingent listings. The red bars represent active listings.

The map below gives a sense of the geographic distribution of recent sales, current pending sales and active listings. The map also includes land and condo listings. Clicking on the individual pins on the map will bring up property details. If you click on the link below the map, it will bring it up as a separate page with additional detail on the all of the properties on the map.

View Paia Real Estate Sales 2013 in a larger map

As it stands, there is a pretty good inventory of homes to choose from in the higher price ranges while the options under $1,000,000 remain limited with only three active listings in the Skill Village neighborhood. Of note, two of the skill village listings are listed for near peak market prices. While Kuau Bayview has seen that type of price increase, we haven’t seen as strong a demand for Skill Village to date. With so little inventory available, it will be interesting to watch the market feedback for these properties.

Now that we have a better sense of what is available in the current market, I wanted to give my thoughts on what me might expect for the Paia market for the rest of 2013 via the video commentary below.

Contact The Maui Real Estate Team with questions or for additional information. Paia is where our office is located and it also happens to be the home of three members of the Maui Real Estate Team. We know the community like it is our backyard. We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with potential Paia buyers and sellers for a free consultation. You can find all of the current active Paia Real Estate Listings and Spreckelsville Real Estate Listings on MauiRealEstate.com.