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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Dozens of Maui Realtors raised almost $15,000 for the Realtors Association of Maui’s scholarship program this year, representing a fraction of more than $1.3 million raised for more than 100 local nonprofit’s during the county’s annual charity walk. 

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association announced the final tally of the fundraising numbers last week: More than 2,400 walkers from Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i raised $1,316,956 during the 41st Visitor Industry Charity Walk in May 2019, the Maui News reported.

Thirty of those walkers laced up their sneakers to represent the Realtors Association of Maui, whose 114 donors pledged $11,891. With additional contributions from the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, “Team RAM” raised $14,918 total, exceeding

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Island Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to announce that Napua Banks R(S) has become the latest agent to join the prestigious firm’s growing team of real estate professionals.

Napua was born on Maui and spent her early childhood on her family’s ancestral land in Waiehu and South Kihei before moving to Kaua’i, O’ahu, Thailand and then Los Angeles. She moved back to Maui more than 30 years ago and has since become an active member of her island community.

As a proud part of the Island Sotheby’s International Realty ‘ohana, Napua prides herself on navigating complicated transactions and finding solutions for her clients — always with a smile on her face. Whether she’s listing an investment property or helping a family find a home that

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Island Sotheby’s International Realty has helped a late Lahainaluna High School teacher’s dream to support students come true.  

Tom Hansen, a longtime english teacher at Lahainaluna High School, recently passed away and instructed that the proceeds from his home and other financial accounts be used to start a nonprofit foundation — the Tom Hansen Scholarship Foundation. That trust will help support Lahainaluna high school students with demonstrated financial need as they pursue higher education and trade schools.

Island Sotheby’s International Realty agent Rob Shelton was asked to oversee the sale of Hansen’s home, a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home on Kaniau Road in Lahaina. The two-story building boasts ocean views and a 600-square foot ohana.

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Depending on what type of property you own in Maui County, you could be paying a higher property tax bill.

The Maui News recently reported that the county council approved a property rate rate increase for the next fiscal year (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020), with hotels and resorts seeing the highest hike. Homeowners, however, won’t see a significant increase in their tax rate.

These are the changes:

 

• Hotels and resorts will see a surge from $9.37 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed value to $11.00 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed value, a boost of 17 percent.

• Short-term and vacation rentals will see an increase from $9.28 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed value to $10.75 per $1,000 of net taxable assessed value, a

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Island Sotheby’s International Realty agent Courtney Brown R(S) has yet again facilitated the sale of a unit in one of West Maui’s newest and most luxurious communities — the Montage Residences Kapalua Bay.

Nestled in the heart of the Kapalua Resort, Brown represented the buyers of a $4.95 million unit — a three-bedroom residence directly fronting the azure Pacific Ocean. Situated on the ground floor, the new owners of the nearly 3,000-square-foot condominium will be able to stroll from their home to beautiful walking trails leading to the silky, white sands of the famed Kapalua Bay and through the Kapalua Resort.

This expansive unit boasts three and a half bathrooms, in addition to a den. One of the most desirable features is the spacious,

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Island Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to announce that Jane Ford R(B) has become one of the latest agents to join the prestigious firm’s growing team of real estate professionals.

Jane moved to Maui from Grand Cayman last year, where she was a broker with the Sotheby’s brand while representing clients seeking luxury vacation properties and second homes. She has more than 25 years of experience in real estate both abroad and in the United States, including previously owning her own brokerage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Jane provides her clients with the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary to navigate the intricacies of real estate transactions.

Whether she’s representing a first-time home buyer or an investor searching

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Despite predictions for a tougher year for the real estate industry, the number of sales and property prices are holding steady on Maui.

Each month, the Realtor Association of Maui releases market statistics, including a broad outlook of the industry and historical data. The numbers from February 2019 show that new listings jumped 7 percent and pending sales increased 10 percent for single-family homes compared to the year before.

The growth wasn’t positive for condominiums, however. New listings decreased 21 percent and pending sales dropped 24 percent.

And for both condominiums and single-family homes, inventory remained tight: It actually dropped 14 percent for single-family homes and 22 percent for condominiums. A steady demand for homes

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A breathtaking condominium in Wailea has sold for $3.39 million, marking one of the first significant sales for Island Sotheby’s International Realty agents in 2019.

Ryan MacLaughlin, principal broker and owner of the prestigious real estate firm, facilitated the sale of the 2,426-square-foot condominium, nestled in the heart of the luxurious Wailea Resort. Ho’olei is known as one of the finest developments on its kind on Maui, with resort-style amenities like lavish pools, spas, outdoor barbecue areas and an extensive fitness facility equipped saunas, locker rooms.

“The most alluring thing about this unit is its location,” explained MacLaughlin. “It is perched at the very top of southeast corner of the property, allowing for sweeping ocean

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    Island Sotheby's International Realty is proud to announce that Keoni Grundhauser R(S) is one of the newest members to join the globally-recognized firm's team of real estate professionals.    Keoni has a long history in the islands. A fifth-generation Maui resident, he graduated from Seabury Hall and went on to study at Colorado State University before returning home. Prior to joining Island Sotheby's International Realty, he worked as a facilitator for Hawai'i VIP and Makena Wailea Property Services before delving into real estate. When he's not working with clients, you can usually find him outdoors exploring Maui's lush hiking trails or azure waters.      As part of Island Sotheby's International Realty's team, Keoni is…