|
South Maui
It
is almost without exception that people move to Maui to be near the
beach. Even if they rarely go to the beach, proximity to the beach
is often the goal. South Maui affords the opportunity to be near the
beach because there are lots of housing opportunities there and
there are 10 miles of beaches along the coast of South Maui.
 In
the 1950’s Kihei was still thought of as a possibility for farmland
development, and residential lots could be obtained for as little as
five cents a square foot. An old time Realtor said that he used to
charge extra to list a property in Kihei because not only was it
unpopular but it was too far away.
Who would have known that fifty years later Kihei would be named as
one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. During that fifty
years enough water was delivered to the parched South Maui area
which encouraged condominium development in the 1970’s along the
sunny beaches, increasing housing exponentially. In 1967 the owners
of Ulupalakua Ranch sold 1200 acres for the development of Maui
Meadows but it took decades before this now popular location of
single family homes on larger lots was discovered. During each real
estate market upturn, single family subdivisions were built
infilling the flat areas of south Maui. It
was not until 1971 that a long anticipated Wailea, promising to be a
destination resort, commenced its development. It was previously
considered scrubland and only through vision and planning became the
community of resorts, golf courses, single family luxury homes and
luxury condominiums we know today. Signature hotels call Wailea
their home, adding to the prestige and ambiance of the planned
development. Beyond
Wailea, Makena used to be the favorite spot for locals to go
fishing, camping and picnicking and was inaccessible except by a
rocky dirt road. Seeing someone at a beach cove would indicate that
it was “too crowded” and encouraged one to go further to find one
that was more private. Today everyone knows the “secret” of Makena’s
pristine beauty and has sensed the lure of having one’s own Big
Beach, unfortunately only available to those who can afford it. At
least you hope for the preservation of some beach access, but then,
ironically the beach would no longer be private. We
can’t forget Maalaea at the Northern most end of what we call South
Maui. Anchored by the Maui Ocean Center, a fascinating aquarium
providing an upclose view of some of Hawaii’s marine world without
getting wet, the adjacent shopping center offers restaurants
patronized by all of Maui. Often overlooked are the great deals on
oceanfront condominium units in Maalea. Many of the apartments offer
opportunities for unobstructed ocean views.
Carol Ball
Inc. dba
Carol Ball and
Associates
RB 11347
Maui Mall
70 E Kaahumanu Ave Ste A6
Kahului, HI 96732-2176
(808) 871-8807 • fax (808) 871-2462 •
info@carolball.com
© 2006-2014 Carol Ball and Associates • All Rights
Reserved |
