I have fielded a number of inquiries this year from people who are interested in growing their own food. With Maui’s year round growing season and a healthy community of eco-minded people, you can see why Maui would be appealing for this type of buyer. Typically, these buyers are looking for acreage where they can grow food. However, one of the inquiries opened my eyes to other possibilities. He sent me a link to the Dervaes Family website. The Dervaes own a home on a small lot of 8,712 square feet. Over the last twenty years, the Dervaes have transformed this small city lot in to a formidable little organic farm. They grow over 350 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs and berries. They keep poultry and goats for eggs, milk and fertilizer. Altogether, they average over 6,000 lbs of food a year! They also produce their own bio diesel and require minimal electric from the grid thanks to solar and a variety of conservation methods. They are part of a growing movement of Urban homesteaders who are achieving self sustainability in surprisingly small spaces.
Future Urban Homestead???
Citrus in the yard
This inspired me to review our current inventory of homes to find some homes that could have potential as urban homesteads. One home that caught my eye was one of our office’s listings in Paia. This cute little three bedroom/1 bath home is on an 8,754 square foot lot. The home has a modest footprint so there is lots of room for gardening. You already have a headstart with mature citrus, banana and papaya growing in the yard. A ramshackle old greenhouse has potential to be revitalized. The home itself has a good southern exposure for net metered photo voltaic. It is right within Paia town so you can save money and energy by leaving your car parked at home. This home sold. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you are interested in finding your own little urban homestead on Maui.
