Tag: Wailuku Country Estates

It has been a while since I have beaten the the local Realtor association to the punch with a true sneak peek at the Maui statistics. That said, I think it is important to still put out a monthly stats post on our blog. We are able to offer some unique data with our pending data and notable numbers. I also try to avoid the hype train that can come with real estate statistics. You will never read the words “the market is on fire!” in one of these posts. That said, here is my look at the March Maui Real Estate sales, and a few thoughts on what some of the numbers might mean.

Maui March Real Estate Sales Volumes and Median Prices

By my count, there were 97 homes sold in Maui during March with a median price of $610,750. In March of 2015, there were 86 homes sold with a median price of $632,625. That is a 12.8% increase in activity and just over a 3% decrease in median pricing when comparing this March to last March.

There were 104 condos sold on Maui in March with a median sales price of $494,000. Last March, there were 123 condos sold with a median price of $440,000. That is just over a 15% drop in sales activity and a 12% increase in median price when comparing the two Marches.

There were 17 lots sold in Maui County during March with a median price of $439,000. The March 2015 numbers included 16 lot sales with a median price of $451,000. That is a 6% difference in volume and a 3% decrease in median price when comparing this March to last March.

Notable Numbers from the Maui March Real Estate Sales Numbers

• The highest priced home to sell in March closed for $5,700,000. The six bedroom, six and a half bath home with 8,210 square feet of living space and 3,100 square feet of lanai space is located in Ka’anapali Golf Estates.
• That was one of 4 homes sold for more than $2,000,000 in March. The other big closes included two properties in Kapalua and one home in Wailuku Country Estates.
• The highest priced condo to sell in March closed for $4,600,000. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom beachfront unit at Ka’anapali Ali’i.
• That was one of seven condo sales over $1,500,000. The other sales included 3 units at Honua Kai, 2 units at Wailea Point and a Mana Kai condo.
• The highest priced land transaction closed for $1,825,000. That was a 24 acre parcel on Waipoli Road in Kula.
• There were 16 bank owned transactions that closed in March. That is up from the 13 bank owned transactions that closed last March. There were only 4 successful short sales completed in March. That is up 1 from the 3 short sales completed in March of 2015.

March Pending Sales
March is the last full month of our peak season for visitors and buyers. Looking at the total number of properties that went pending gives us some sense of what kind of buyer activity occurred with all of those visitors on island.

As the chart shows above, it appears to have been a good month. Homes, condos and land all had more pending sales compared to March of 2015. Home and condo sales activity were up pretty significantly. The increased home buying activity stems from a few factors. Low interest rates, high rents and limited supply have created strong buyer demand at or below the median price points in the market. The bump in condo sales is something of an anomaly from recent market activity. I will discuss that in more detail below.

Thoughts on the March Market
March was a microcosm of the first quarter of 2016 for Maui Real Estate sales. Home sales were up, land was up slightly and condo sales were down. I discussed the boost in the home market above. The dip in condo sales is due in large part to a dip in luxury condos. For the quarter, luxury condo sales on Maui were down 32%. I think we can attribute the drop in the luxury market to a number of different factors. A recent Wall Street Journal Article on price adjustments in the luxury property market suggests that there is a broader slowdown on the mainland. Maui appears to be following part of an overall national trend. I surmise that some of the national weakness could be due to weakness in the stock market during the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. Looking locally, I think another factor could be a reduction in new developer inventory at Honua Kai. Honua Kai has been one of the strongest condos for luxury sales on Maui over the last couple of years. There were 3 fewer sales over $1,500,000 at Honua Kai in the first quarter of this year. The other factor hampering the luxury condo market is the weakness in the Canadian dollar and the Canadian Oil Industry. A number of Maui luxury buyers over the last 5 years were coming from Alberta’s Oil industry. With that industry hurting and a bad exchange rate, those buyers are not as active as they had been.

What Can Buyers and Sellers Entering the Market Expect if They are Entering the Maui Market?
It is tough to paint the Maui market with a broad brush. Some parts of the market are strong and some are slow. It depends in part on the type of properties and the price point. That means the strategy of buyers and sellers is going to be contingent on budget and property type. If you are looking for entry level homes or entry level condos to be used for a primary residence, a pre-approval from a lender is a prerequisite before you start looking at property. When listings that appear to be good values hit the market, showings should be scheduled as soon as possible. If a buyer wants to put in an offer, they are usually advised to act quickly. If it is a potential multiple offer situation, buyers should put their best foot forward on initial offers. While less common, you can see this level of competition at higher price points in the market if the property is extraordinary, well priced or both. Buyers shopping in the vacation rental condo market can expect a different market place with fewer buyers and more inventory. That means a little less pressure to act and a different offer strategy. Reading the above, you might expect that most sellers should have an easy go of things. That isn’t necessarily the case. Overpriced properties can still sit in this market regardless or price point. Shooting for the moon can result in a lower sales price down the road and a much longer period on market. Sellers should also also do what they can to address potential transaction pit falls before they go to market. Deferred maintenance or unknown issues can be identified with a pre-listing home inspection. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you are considering buying or selling a property on Maui. We would welcome the chance to sit down with you to listen to your real estate needs and market conditions specific to properties that might fit your needs.

The last of the turkey sandwiches have been consumed and Mele Kalikimaka is playing on the local radio stations. That means it is early December and it is a time to take a sneak peek at the November 2014 Maui Real Estate Statistics. This post takes a look at median sales prices, November pending sales and the sales volume for November as compared to November of 2013. I highlight some of the notable numbers from the November sales. I also provide a few thoughts on market activity and what it means for buyers and sellers who are thinking of entering the Maui Real Estate market. Without further ado, here are the November 2014 Maui Real Estate Stats.

November Maui Real Estate Sales Volumes and Median Prices

By my count, there were 73 homes sold in Maui County during November of 2014 with a median sales price of $590,000. Last November, there were 75 homes sold with a median price of $515,000. That calculates to a 3% drop in sales activity and approximately a 15% increase in the median sales price.

I counted 67 condos reported sold in Maui County this November at a median price of $372,500. In November of 2013 there were 96 condos sold at a median price of $350,000. That is a 30% decrease in sales volume and a 6.4% increase in median price when comparing this year to last year.

There have been 10 lot sales reported in Maui County during November of 2014 with a median sales price of $411,500. Last November, there were 23 sales with a median price of $547,371. That is a 54% drop in sales activity and a 25% drop in median price comparing this November to last November.

Notable Numbers From The November Maui Real Estate Sales

While compiling the November sales volumes and medians, there were some other notable numbers that I came across that I thought were worth sharing.

• The highest priced home sale of the month was $2,350,000 for a 5,529 square foot home with a pool on a two acre lot in the Wailuku Country Estates Subdivision.
• That was one of three home sales over $2,000,000 last month. There was one more sale in Wailuku Country Estates and one sale in the Maunaolu Subdivision located between Makawao and Paia. This was a fairly unusual month for high home sales with no activity occurring in the more traditional resort communities. The two Wailuku Country Estates sales were only the second and third homes to ever sell in Wailuku for over $2,000,000.
• The Montage Residences at Kapalua Bay was home to the highest priced condo sale in November. Since coming to market in June, they have accounted for 80% of the condo sales over $4,000,000. This month’s high sale closed for $4,750,000.
• The Montage sale was one of six closes over $1,500,000. The other five closes included one more transaction at Montage, a sale at Honua Kai, a sale at the Whaler, a Wailea Point close and a close at Hoolei.
• The 67 condo sales this month represented the lowest sales total of the year and the second lowest total in the last two years.
• The highest priced land sale last month occurred in the One Palauea Bay subdivision in Makena. The 1.089 acre lot sold for $3,500,000.
• There were 12 bank owned sales this November compared to seven bank owned sales last November. There were 4 short sales this November compared to 13 last year. This is a continuation of a trend where we have seen a slight increase in bank owned inventory and sales compared to last year, while short sales continue to play a decreased role in the market.

Thoughts on The November Stats

The November sales activity followed recent trends on island. Maui’s home sales totals continue to be very close to what we saw last year. Condo sales are down substantially. Land sales are also down substantially. As discussed in the September and October statistics, this drop in condo activity is driven in large part by a reduction in the inventory of properties for sale at the entry levels of the market. I think volumes may also be dwindling due to the pricing strategies of some sellers. There are still quite a few sellers shooting for prices well above recent sales. If some sellers were to be more realistic about their sales prices, we may get a little bit of a bump in condo sales activity.

The drop off in land sales that we saw this month may not be quite as significant as it appears. Land statistics include both commercial sales and lots that might be used for residential purposes. The November 2013 sales included six commercial new development lots in the Maui Lani subdivision. There was only one commercial sale this November. The Peahi Hui subdivision also had an impact last November with five new development sales.

It is worth making a brief note that changes in median prices are not a direct indicator of changes in value. Medians shift due to changes in values AND shifts in market activity. More high priced sales push medians higher and more low priced sales push medians lower. Small sample sizes can make changes in median particularly dramatic. This difference in Land Medians between this November and last November is a great example. It is safe to say that land values have not dropped 25% compared to last year.

November Pending Sales

While the November Sales weren’t very inspiring, are there brighter days in store for the Maui Real Estate Market? That’s tough to say, but we do have some sense of what future sales might be based on the number of properties that went pending in November.

It was encouraging to see pending home sales were up compared to November of last year. It was even more encouraging to see that the number of pending condo sales was higher than November of last year. I am not sure that this is a sign that the condo market is going to see sustained growth or a turn around from it’s recent activity, but it beats the alternative as we head in to our buying season. Pending contracts for land sales are down again compared to last November.

What Does it All Mean for Buyers and Sellers in The Maui Condo Market.

What does this all mean for buyers and sellers? December officially marks the start of peak buyers season. The increases in visitor numbers during winter months means an increase in potential buyers. Buyers will find varying market conditions depending on the part of the market where they are shopping. Market inventory is greatest at the highest price points in the market. Luxury home and condo sellers will find a good selection to choose from. That said, sellers in the luxury market tend to have deeper reserves so they may or may not be as negotiable on price. The entry level vacation rental condo market has seen inventory decrease significantly over the last 12-18 months. Well priced condos in this segment of the market are tending to go quickly. Conditions are similar for entry level homes with buyer competition particularly fierce for well priced properties. Buyers should be pre-approved before looking at homes and prepared to act quickly when the right opportunity becomes available. Sellers should look closely at current market conditions in their price range and community when looking at go to market strategy. Overpriced properties are sitting in this market. These mixed market conditions require thoughtful representation. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team today for a free consultation. We would welcome the opportunity to learn about your real estate needs and discuss the market.