Maui Real Estate Blog - Kapalua, Upcountry, Wailea News and More.


All ocean users are barred from approaching humpback whales within 100 yards...but sometimes they come to you! This behaviour is known as “whale mugging” and the boat captain is required to stay put until the whale decides to swim away.

For decades, Maui residents have come together to celebrate the island’s most beloved wintertime visitors—humpback whales.

In 2020, the Pacific Whale Foundation will hold its 40th annual Maui Whale Festival, a series of events designed to inspire environmental stewardship and honor the great giants that migrate to the islands each winter. Held since 1980, the festival offers a range of events for residents and visitors alike. But isn’t the only event dedicated to the whales. Here are a few ways you can get involved

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Marilyn Griffin R(B) has become the latest real estate professional to join Island Sotheby's International Realty's growing team, drawn to the firm's focus on giving back to the community and raising the bar for industry as a whole.

In her short time with the firm, Griffin has already become part of the Island Sotheby's 'Ohana, spending a day in earlier this month volunteering with other Realtors to help feed families experiencing homelessness at Ka Hale A Ke Ola.

Griffin is a retired emergency room nurse who found her calling in real estate, eventually leading her to advocate for the industry on a local, state and national level. Most importantly, however, she is passionate about serving her clients and the greater island community. We sat

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Island Sotheby’s International Realty’s Candy Mulcoy R(S) sells another extraordinary residence on Maui’s west side shores, Kahua Kai Pl, located in the coveted gated community of Kaanapali Golf Estates.

This 3,800 Sq Ft residence features a spacious 3 bedrooms and 4 baths with an ocean view office that makes any work from home job a dream. The 1,000 Sq Ft of covered lanai offers the ultimate entertaining space or outdoor oasis. A gorgeous pool and relaxing spa and sauna are just a few of the many amenities offered.

Located in this residence you will find that the custom interior design blends some of the most exotic arrays of wood and Italian marble imported from Italy. The professionally designed kitchen is decorated with the finest

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“For the first time this year – I felt the Christmas Spirit!” 

Island Sotheby's International Realty's Broker in Charge for the South Maui Office, Ron Silva R(S) boasted about this year’s Christmas dinner at Ka Hale A Ke Ola on Thursday morning.  


Chefs: Marilyn Griffin R(B), Ron Silva R(B) and Ricardo Ralha R(S), Entertainment: Brooks Maguire and Patrick Kilbride, Cookie Decorating: Mari Ippolito R(S)

December 4th, marked Ka Hale A Ke Ola’s annual Feeding the Homeless Christmas Celebration. This year Island Sotheby International Realty teamed up with Fidelity National Title & Patrick Kilbride of the Kiwanis Club to bring joy to the community! Volunteers made this year’s event bigger than ever by coming together to put on a feast,

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Teresa Nelle, Realtor (S), Island Sotheby's International Realty - West Maui Office

The Hawaiian value of aloha has a lot of different meanings. But, during the holiday season, aloha means spreading love throughout your community and to those who need it most. At least, this is true for Island Sotheby International Realty Agent Teresa Nelle, who’s been volunteering her time to feeding the community of Maui for the last 7 years alongside a program called Feed My Sheep.

“I believe no one should go hungry, its a basic human right to have enough to eat, especially in a rich country,” said Nelle when asked about why she started working with FMS.

Feed My Sheep is a mobile food distribution program, unlike any other. By driving out into the

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For me, working in Maui’s Real Estate market is more than buying and selling homes. There are stories behind the homes embedded in their history and the surrounding landscape. Stories that span both generations and geologic time. Whether a place boasts monumental history, has complex place names, or is as simple (or diverse) as the features of its landscape, all places have their own uniqueness which imbues in them intrinsic value. Knowing these stories, histories, and understanding the physical landscape adds to one’s sense of place. I’d like to share some of these stories, like this simple background of my own neighborhood here on Maui, Kula Kai:


At the time of the Mahele Aina (1848), the lands of Kula Kai were granted in formal Land Grants to

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Island Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to announce that Diana Rodbourn, R(S) has become the latest agent to join its growing team of real estate professionals. 

Rodbourn has worked in the real estate industry for more than 20 years, 15 of which were spent as an escrow officer and operations manager in Colorado. In 2014, she moved to Maui, immersing herself in the complexities of the local market by working as a full-time independent consultant to several top agents on the island. 

Rodbourn is passionate about redefining real estate by offering a superior level of service, innovative marketing and a highly personalized boutique-style experience to her clientele. We sat down with Rodbourn to learn more about why she chose to join Island

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Contributed photo of Anita White and her husband.

Pilot and Island Sotheby's International Realty agent Anita White has been involved with aviation and real estate since 1986. Her real estate career began in Mexico, before she moved to Maui in 1989 to earn her real estate license.

It didn’t take long for her passion for flight to take over. After a year and a half in real estate, she left for flight school, eventually becoming a flight instructor and Big Island Volcano tour pilot.

Yet a decade later, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 spurred her to make the switch from full-time commercial pilot to full-time real estate associate, specializing in oceanfront property on Maui's west coast. “Now I'm known as the Aviator Agent because I

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The holidays usually bring one of the slowest times of year across the country for real estate sales. But that’s not true on Maui: The winter rush of visitors and second-home owners to the island is poised to usher in a one of the largest boosts in sales during the first few months of 2020.  

“We are going to see a great uptick in real estate sales, both on the number of transactions and the price points,” said Island Sotheby’s International Realty owner and Principal Broker Ryan MacLaughlin. “Historically, January through April we see record sales.”

According to recently released data from the Maui Association of Realtors, the median sales price jumped 5.7 percent so far this year compared to last year. At the same time, the number of

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Photo courtesy of Greg Sturm.

Last month, more than 300 paddlers took to the seas to raise money for breast cancer research and community resources as part of the Paddle for Life, an event supported for years by Island Sotheby’s International Realty’s longtime Lana’i agent, Greg Sturm R(S). 

“It was Breast Cancer Awareness Month so a bunch of crews paddle from Maui to Lana’i and everyone sponsors paddlers with donations,” Sturm explained. 

Sturm helped sponsor a team of paddlers from Lana’i, whose team ended up raising more than $6,000. That team joined more than 300 other paddlers, who altogether raised a whopping $224,654 to support breast cancer research and services for Maui families who are touched by cancer. 

Photo courtesy of Greg

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