Haliimaile General Store, Maui

On the slopes of Haleakala, Maui, in the upcountry town of Haliimaile, there is a great world class restaurant. The owners have taken an old general store from the plantation era, and turned it into a fine dining establishment.

The owner, Bev Gannon, has created a really unique and interesting place to have a business lunch, or family dinner. The atmosphere is cozy and relaxed, with lots of nostalgic mementos from a time gone by. The old store shelves are filled with items that customers can purchase, in addition to their meals.

If you make it away from the resort areas, and experience this wonderful restaurant with it's country atmosphere, you will be very pleased. It's a scenic drive through upcountry and well worth the time. Neighboring towns are Paia and Makawao.
There are many more places to eat upcountry.
When you're in Haliimaile, you might notice that there are a few of the older camp homes for sale. These are some of the most affordable homes on Maui. There are usually 1 or 2 on the market, and they really appeal to home buyers who are looking for a fixer-upper. If you're one of those buyers and want more details on the Haliimaile market, please contact me. I can send you some listings and pictures.
Aloha from the quaint little plantation town of Haliimaile!
email: thehunter@eastmaui.com
Jim Sanders Realty Inc.

Maui Oceanfront Property

We have a great new oceanfront listing in Paia/Kuau on Maui's north shore. This town is very popular with the watersports crowd, as Ho'okipa, Spreckelsville and Kanaha Beaches are all close by.
See some pictures of Maui north shore beaches.
This property has a large lot and a nice large home that could use some personal touches to make it your own special Maui retreat.


If you're looking for an oceanfront home on Maui, please call or email me about this opportunity. I have more pictures and information for anyone seriously interested.



Georgina M. Hunter ...
Jim Sanders Realty Inc.
thehunter@eastmaui.com

Honua Kai update - beachfront Ka'anapali pre-construction offering

HONUA KAI - the first whole ownership condo-hotel resort to be built on Ka'anapali Beach in over 20 years is now offering RESERVATION FORMS. As your buyer's agent, I can submit your reservation along with your refundable deposit check for $20,000.

The site will consist of 2 towers, a North and South Tower with varying heights up to 10 stories, as well as the detached townhouses. Swimming pools, a public park and open spaces will be on the grounds as well. Golf courses are nearby. About 242 units in the South Tower will be offered in the initial release.

INITIAL RELEASE:
A collection of fee simple studio, one, two and three bedroom condos available through a Limited Priority Reservation Program
- Studio, one and two bedrooms sold fully furnished with two color scheme choices
- three bedrooms sold unfurnished with furniture packages available for purchase
- Buyers will have a choice of 2 designer finish packages. Interior appointments to include granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and tile entries.
- priced from the low $500's to $3.5+ million.

Please inquire for more details: thehunter@eastmaui.com or call 808 283-0635
Jim Sanders Realty Inc.

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to own a Maui beachfront condo.

Slate floor for Maui cottage

Here is a picture of the Chinese slate floor tiles in the entryway. Due to the fact that we get lots of wind and rain, we want to keep the entry tiled to avoid water damage in the future.


The tiles are laid out and ready to be set in place. Now I have to move them all aside, waterproof the cement board, and prepare the thinset. It will be a tricky job, but well worth it. Since it's a small area, about 80 sf, we can do it ourselves without much difficulty. There's no way I would want to tile a whole big room. Knee pads really make it easier!
Update: It looks great now, all grouted and sealed, but there were many times when I wondered "why am I doing this?" It was difficult and very time consuming to get it just right. My hands were shot for days, and talk about sore legs! Next time, I think I will hire a professional.

Do-it-yourself vs Hire a Professional

Don't you often wonder if you should do a job yourself, or hire an expert?

Some things are easy enough to do yourself, such as painting a bedroom, fixing the railings on your deck, or changing the oil in your car. By all means, why not save some money and time, and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
Then again, some things you would never dream of doing yourself, such as filling your teeth, removing a gall bladder, or painting a car. Many jobs are best left to someone with more credentials and experience. Not only with the results be much better, it will be quicker when handled by a pro.

The same concept applies to Real Estate. Sure, if you've got nothing better to do, and you have a lot of patience, why not try and sell your home without any help. How hard can it be, you think? Many people have had success by marketing their own homes in today's market. Many more have had equal success by hiring Real Estate professionals to do the job. Those who buy and sell multiple properties, know the value of a good agent, and wouldn't even consider for sale by owner. A good agent will be there when you need them, to answer questions and find resources that might be elusive. A good agent will advertise your property in a much more comprehensive way than you can do on your own. A good agent will be available 24/7, so you can concentrate on what you do best. Leave the scheduling and appointments to someone who cares. A licensed Realtor has been trained to market your home, and work with all parties to ensure a smooth and successful transaction. When the seller is happy, his agent has done a good job and is happy too.

Would you like to sell your home in Hawaii? If you have any questions about the process, please call or email. I'm here to help you.
Georgie Hunter
Jim Sanders Realty Inc.
808 283-0635

The Sound of Rain

Thursday September 22.

Waking up to the sound of gentle rain outside, trickling down the gutters and into the pipes that fill the tank, I'm sitting at the 'puter and blogging. The satellite images show that we can expect rain all day. This is hurricane season, and we are on the fringes of Jova. Most of Maui will be getting wet today, not just us lucky folks in Haiku. Good thing yesterday was sunny and I was able to get some tomatoes and brocolli transplanted. Today those little plants will love the rain, and I won't have to think about watering them.

No wind, no sun.... means we're not going to be making much power today. The batteries will sustain us for the day, but by tonight we may have to run a generator.

Meanwhile, back at the cottage that's being built, there are plenty of rainy day projects. This week we are concentrating on flooring. We have decided to put bamboo flooring in the main living/kitchen area, with a tiled entryway between the kitchen door and sliding French doors. Due to the fact that the rain will occasionally blow in, we've agreed that tiling the entry will help to prevent water getting on the bamboo flooring in the future. The bathroom will be 12' tiles, and the bedrooms will most likely be carpeted.

We are almost all prepared to lay the subflooring. Most items have been bought, save for a few tools that are needed. This will require another trip to "town".... Kahului, to those fabulous big box stores we love... Home Depot and Lowes. It's nice to have the large selection all under one roof, but we find that even still, there will be shortages of items that are very much in demand. Once that subflooring is down, I have the fun project of tiling the entryway with tumbled Chinese slate tiles in 2 sizes. We found just the right amount of leftover tiles that will do the job nicely. The bamboo flooring is another story... there are so many choices, that we haven't yet decided on a supplier and color.

Okay, so the blogging is off to a great start. More on the Maui cottage later. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about building a home on Maui. I'm no expert, but I can at least steer you in the right direction.

New kid on the BLOG

Day 1. Wednesday Sept 21, 2005

Before I get started, I'd like to introduce myself. Georgina M. Hunter. I'm a Realtor sales associate with Jim Sanders Realty Inc. on Maui. This blog is another way to connect with buyers and sellers who are looking for professional guidance. You can find more info at my website ... www.eastmaui.com Please contact me with any of your questions. 808 283-0635. hunter@eastmaui.com

It's time to start blogging about Maui Real Estate. Today's topic... building a cottage on Maui's north shore.

Building your own home is something many of us dream about, and some are lucky enough to accomplish. We are currently enjoying building our "secondary farm dwelling" on our Huelo country property on Maui. It's been a long process with many ups and downs, and I hope to be able to shed some light on all that it entails.
Here in Huelo (or outer Haiku), we have our own set of unique lifestyle challenges to deal with. Maui Electric service is not always available, and County water is not available at all. Telephone service is often on a "do-it-yourself" basis, but that's another whole story for a rainy day. So, basic utilities and access are some factors to think about out here, before even breaking ground to build.
What about the weather? Huelo is on the windward side of the island, meaning we are usually blessed with NE tradewinds which blow about 10-15 mph most of the day. Clean fresh air blows through our environment and home, and helps to keep a nice cool temperature. Yes it rains a fair amount in Haiku, but that's the beauty of it. Without ample rainfall, we'd all be living in a desert. Roughly we get about 75" of liquid sunshine a year. That's enough to keep the lawns and gardens watered, keep the dust down, and fill up the water storage tanks. We have never had to irrigate our lawn in the 15 years we've lived here! And the best part is... no bill for water service.
I will go into more detail about water catchment systems another time. Basically, it requires a surface to catch water, usually the roof of the house, a storage tank, and a pumping system to service the home. Being self sufficient in the water department is a really satisfying.
Power self sufficiency is another topic that will need serious coverage another time. Once again, it's a great feeling to be in that position. Much more on that later.
In the next weeks I will be detailing the building process of a 1,000 sf frame cottage.

Thanks for checking in to the new blog! Stay tuned for updates.