Fred Haywood's Blog by Fred Haywood

The Three Best Things.....

What are the three best things in life? 1. To be the first born son. 2. To be the second wife. 3. To be the 3rd real estate broker.

Maui's Best Kept Secret

I was just thinking about the rain in Haiku over the past few weeks or more. It is no wonder why Haiku is the greenest part of the island. There are many gorgeous properties in Haiku as the zoning has allowed parcels to develop in many areas with minimum 2 acre lot sizes. This zoning was originally put in place to assist farming families help pay their mortgages with farming income. However, this was back in the late 60’s when two acres cost under $10,000 while today they can range well over $500,000 so the ability to do farming and pay the mortgage remains a myth with today’s pricing. During the Dot Com bubble of the 1990’s, we experienced many cash buyers flying in to the island and to buy what they felt was under priced land and homes. This buying fever did not stop when the their bubble burst in 2000 because after 911 the interest rates were lowered to all time lows which increased the demand and price increases a few years more. However, the biggest boom ..(read more)

Maui Real Estate Figures 2007

It is an exciting time in the arena. Home sales are up 5% and condo sales are down 5% for Maui in 2007 compared to 2006. However, it is interesting to read between the lines. Central Maui (Wailuku and Kahului) is up 38% in homes sales while Kihei is down 18%. So what is happening with this big range you might ask?….Well the Central market has had the most new residential sales in the island. In 2006, 371 homes sold in Central Maui while 512 homes sold in 2007. Many of these homes that sold were brand new to buyers who put nonrefundable deposits down on them two years ago. There were only 1,138 homes sold in Maui in 2007 so central Maui gobbled up nearly half of the sales of homes. If you are looking for homes, check out www.MauiHomeFinders.com.

Real Estate Quip

What are the 3 best things in life? 1. The first born son. 2. The second wife. 3. The 3rd real estate broker.

Free Evaluations from Fred at www.Mauihomecomparison.com

Cool Kula!

I just moved up to Kula at about the 2,000 foot elevation into a home I purchased last year. It was very pleasant and warm for the first week until a low pressure system moved in and sent a chilly arctic rain across Kula dipping the temperature into the 40’s at night. Two nights ago, I left two windows open and last night the back door blew open sometime during the night. It will take some time to get used to this weather! This reminds me of my coldest experience in Maui back 50 years ago when my Mom took all the kids up to see the snow at the top of Haleakala. We all jumped out of the car to play and take pictures and it was then that I realized that my bare feet just didn’t do well in the snow… although Mom did get a picture. I guess I will never get used to cold weather but I do love heavenly Kula and it just may be the best piece of I ever bought! If you want to find a beautiful Maui property from Kula to Lahaina or Wailea, just come to ..(read more)

Pricing Your Maui Home....

Having experienced 4 real estate slowdowns in my 35 years of and along with a small fortune in the 1981 turndown, my experience tells me that we are now in a price war. You have to be the best priced to be the next one that sells and eliminate any thinking of needing some negotiating room! Not only will you have to win the price war, you will also have to win the beauty contest….Yes!…clean, paint, flower, de-clutter, and stage your home to win the beauty contest. So it is about winning the price war and beauty contest. Why would you tell your broker that you need to list at 10% more to negotiate, or that you have to sell for more because of bills…this only helps your well priced neighborhood homes sell. Would you go to your doctor if you weren’t sick? Right now there are many financially upside down folks that need to sell and are indeed pricing aggressively. So, please don’t list to sit…list to sell. Take the medicine of your Realtor’s ..(read more)

Jaws...the Maui Phenomenon

It was back in the late 60’s that I first pulled up to the cliffs of Peahi, Maui overlooking Jaws with our balsa wood surfboards on top of our Willys Jeep. The roar of the pounding waves and the earth shaking below my feet made me curl my toes in fear with the thought of trying to surf such a spot. No way could we paddle in! The wave heights were well beyond 60 feet which would be large enough for a sugar cane hauler to probably fit in the tremendous tube the wave created. The waves break over a quickly ascending reef from the deep and only start breaking when the waves reach heights of 12-15 feet (Hawaiians measure the waves from the back of the wave) which is “not big enough” for the best of the best tow surfers around the world. As I write this the wind is light, the surf is building from the West and my toes are curling…the perfect conditions for Jaws... The Maui phenomenon! Are you going? It is no wonder why many of the top tow surfers have purchased ..(read more)

Maui Real Estate Investing Part III

All real estate is cyclical and single family residential and multifamily properties are countercyclical. As single family home sales slow, more people will choose to rent and not buy thus staying in their apartments which causes higher occupancies and higher rents values for multifamily. When housing becomes less affordable as in the current market, vacancies go down in multifamily and their rents rise making them appreciate. The value of these multifamily properties will be determined by the value of the rents they represent Multifamily offer opportunity for high cash flow while investing in homes will offer the most stability. It is best to be in the largest market where you find average-priced properties. This is where you will find the majority of renters and buyers. has mostly single family and condominium sales. If you want to be notified of great home deals here on Maui on the same day they are listed or have a price change, go to www.Mauihomefinders.com and sign in for free ..(read more)

Maui Real Estate Investing Part II

The Best homes… When looking at homes, location is important so look for desirable and emerging neighborhoods with great streets, great schools, great neighbors, great view, great city, great privacy, and great access. Homes that are in a neighborhood that are in transition may be undervalued and good deals. A home in a small cove brings higher value than a home on a busy street, next to a busy mall or one a valley. Trees will bring value as well as better zoning or larger lots. If you want to find homes on Maui, please sign up to receive automatic email notifications of all homes for sale and any price changes on the same day at www.mauihomefinders.com Choose your area and price range! It is free to you as I own and run the site from Maui!

Maui Rainbows

If you’re looking for rainbows on Maui, the most vivid afternoon ones seem to be near Hailiimaile which is below Makawao town in the upcountry area of Maui. On Baldwin Avenue there is a tiny park called “Rainbow Park ” which is full of Shower and Rainbow Trees that bloom several times a year. These trees also dot the most spectacular morning drive down Baldwin towards Paia where there dozens of these colorful trees framing the incredible views over the sugar cane fields of central Maui and the North Shore. There are also many rainbows between Pukalani coming down the Haleakala Highway in the early morning commute. What is at the end of the rainbow???... Maui! Lucky we live Maui.

Soulful Kula

The State has been widening the beginning of the Haleakala Highway heading towards Kula which captivates my 4 year old son. Large earth movers, back hoes, and oversized bulldozers peak his curiosity. The workers are currently busting up the old Kula highway which reminded me of the 2 hour road trip that used to connect Kahului to Kula, whereas today it is only takes 20 minutes! Kula, which I call “God’s Country” is the favored ownership due to it’s superior mild and cool climate with mid-day cloud cover, rolling green hills dotted with vegetable and flower farms and purple Jacaranda trees. There is nothing like the morning and sunset views across five islands. Everyone loves Kula and how it inspires the soul. There is nothing like loving life and living Maui in Kula…

Maui Real Estate Statistics November 2007

The November 2007 numbers for sold homes to date show an increase of 8% in home sales on Maui, a 5% drop of condo sales and an 11% drop on land sales. The median home price is 10% lower than a year ago, the condos are up 6% in median price and the median land price is down 17% The months it will take to sell the current inventory is the absorption rate and that number is 18 months for Upcountry Maui, 16 months for West Maui, 13 months for South Maui and 10 months for Central Maui.

Big Surf....Good Friends

I just got off the phone with Laird Hamilton who was out tow surfing yesterday on the outer reef of Baldwin Beach Park in Paia, Maui on the biggest swell we have seen in years. He was riding a 75 foot face when he fell and after a great scare and a lot of breath, his towing partner, Brett Lickel immediately picked Laird up on the jet ski and gunned the engine to race away from another monster approaching. Apparently, there was so much white water that the jet ski didn’t move fast enough for the massive white water engulfed the both of them and together with jet ski and tow boards, they tumbled like ragged dolls in the biggest washing machine imaginable. Brett’s calf muscle was split in two down to his ankle from a fin of a tow board and the ski was nowhere to be seen. Laird removed his wetsuit and tied it around Brett’s leg to stop the bleeding. Laird left Brett and had to swim a mile to retrieve the jet ski and returned to complete the rescue. They raced to Baldwin ..(read more)

Fifty Years in Paia - Real Estate Specialist Fred Haywood

It has been 50 years since I drove through Paia Town with my Dad who visited patients in the Plantation Camps for 1$ a house call. Today, when I walk down the streets of Paia near my office I see a young, hip water sports group, older hippies, occasional movie stars and tourists shopping the many unique shops in this former sugar plantation town turned world class windsurfing and kiting mecca. The plantation is now closed but the thousands of acres still surround the town and beaches. It is one of those secret spots of great fun and good living on Maui with so much nearby.

Maui Real Estate Investing Part 1

September 28, 2007 What I hope to do is help you understand some of the best investment vehicles in light of today’s market. Before I do this, I want to talk about how your investment mindset was created. How were you influenced in the way you think about spending your money and investing? "A penny saved is a penny earned!" Isn't this a post-depression mindset that many boomers were brought up with? Many of our parents were the savers of the 50's and have suffered since they feared debt and therefore resisited leverage. The irony here is that those who chased financial security by paying everything with cash and not leveraging into growth opportunities perpetuated the financial insecurity they feared.........more to come.. Maui Real Estate Search for Maui homes on Fred's site: www.MauiHomeFinders.com