Maui: Vacations

At one point it was hard work. There was a time when every dollar I spent was a dollar I didn’t have. A time when good food consisted of a corn dog from the local 7-11. A time when the closest thing I had to a stereo was two car alarms going off on both sides of my studio apartment.

But I finally made it. I hit the big time. My worries began to consist of whether or not to take the Yacht out in the late afternoon. Whether or not to drive the Lamborghini Diablo to the mall or slum it in the Cadillac Escalade. And whether or not my wife is going to be ogled by college kids while my sons drive through the streets in their custom made AMV’s.

I was at the point where I tipped 20’s to baristas just to make my wallet lighter. I bet thousands at the races on the horse with the limp, just to laugh hysterically as everyone stared at the only guy brave enough to cheer for the horse that came in dead last.

I had nothing I didn’t own, nothing I couldn’t buy. And, once that happened, nothing that could make me happy. Without value, my possessions became meaningless. It was more painful to look at them than it was to purchase them. I gave away most of my belongings to friends and family, and sold the rest to whoever asked me for them.

With my family (always supportive) in tow, I searched for that little bit of meaning I had lost. Back before I had money, I used to cherish the corn dogs that constituted a “healthy” meal. Now a bite of even the most expensive Italian cuisine was meaningless.

And so, with nothing left to buy, I decided to take to traveling. I thought that leaving my surroundings and enjoying a change in environment would help my regain my soul, but I found that the appeal of most vacations spots was nothing but more materialism. France was nothing if you could not enjoy the food. Asia had its trinkets that made it special, and that specialness was lost on me. Even the landmarks in Italy seemed like nothing more than large structures. I owned large structures. I did not need to see large structures.

It appeared that traveling was ineffective. My stress was beginning to rub off on my family, as they began to stay inside, rarely finding any of their own joys in our traveling adventures. It looked like this would be the way I would spend the rest of my life.

That is, until I found Maui.

When I stepped off the plane and onto Maui’s soft, warm sand, I could tell this place was different. It seemed that even the sun was pleased to be there. The scent of the air was as wonderful as its beauty, and the wind was as calm as its inhabitants.

Although we had several suitcases full of clothing, it appeared that all the clothes we needed could have fit into a single backpack. A pair of shorts, sandals, and the occasional shirt were all I needed to enjoy the Hawaiian sun. My wife found herself wearing nothing but a bikini and a skirt, even in the evening. It was as though materialism was inexistent, because in Maui, less was more.

We stayed at an amazing hotel in Wailea, but we could have slept outside and been equally as comfortable. The air was crisp and comforting no matter what the hour, and even my kids found themselves up all hours of the night, because the only difference between night and day was a light blanket of darkness.

In Maui, I finally felt renewed. Material goods were not only unnecessary, they were a nuisance. I slept well for the first time in years thanks to the soothing comfort of the ocean waves. In Maui, I managed to recapture the appreciation for what I had – a great family, a great life, and the ability to enjoy my surroundings.

My family and I canceled our return trip for almost a month before we decided it was time to head back. But I guarantee we will be going back soon. Though I won’t guarantee we will make the return trip.

Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Wailea homes. Make your vacation last forever, check out Wailea condos. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888

Do you ever recline on your couch and reminisce about all those terrific days you spent strolling through the Seattle streets on a January evening, holding hands with your loved one and playfully kicking the snow as you walk?

Yeah, me neither. No one creates some of their fondest memories in the freezing cold. No one searches for a vacation spot, lies out on the beach and hopes to get frostbite. And no one – no one – plans a romantic getaway to a destination that requires they bundle themselves up in 4 layers of clothing.

Instead, when I plan my travel, I look for places that I know to be warm, safe, and relaxing. The point of travelling is to find yourself in a place you wish you were every day – a haven where even work feels like play, and wherever you go you’re always in the right place.

Finding the Right Place

It took some trial and error, but I found my haven in Wailea and Makena on the island of Maui. Every day I found something to do, and every day was a tremendous pleasure.

The most alluring aspect of Wailea and Makena can be summarized by one word: Golf. They have the most phenomenal golf courses with such breathtaking beauty. I almost regret golfing, because for those few seconds that I watched the ball, I had to take my eyes off the scenery. If you see nothing else in Maui, see the Wailea Blue, Gold, and Emerald Courses. The great artists of the Renaissance could not have designed a more perfect golf course.

In Makena, the Makena State Park looks like a beach that will never end, with the most attractive men and women on the planet relaxing in the sunlight at all hours of the day. Unlike the beaches of California, Makena’s beaches are so vast, while Makena’s population is so small, that on any day of any week you can find a spot on the beach to relax with friends and family.

In Los Angeles, you spend half the time trying to find a spot on the crowded sand, and the rest of the time avoiding the kids running carelessly over your towels. In Makena, the only limit to the size of your spot on the beach is the distance you can throw a Frisbee.

But the greatest memories on Wailea and Makena are not formed during the day – they are formed at night. At night, the air is still warm and fresh, and although the sun has gone down, it feels as though the day has barely begun.

Night in Wailea is as exciting as the day. You can have a romantic evening at the Mokapu beach, complete with the privacy of the darkness as your blanket. Or you can find a place to chat it up with the locals – men and women that purchased a home in this tropical paradise to live their vacations for the rest of their lives.

And in Makena, you can eat at Capische restaurant, or stroll alongside the beautiful houses and simply enjoying their splendor. Rarely will you find a location where the aesthetic quality of the homes matches the aesthetics of the beach, and the inviting atmosphere and safe streets will likely keep you wishing for more during all hours of the night.

Both Wailea and Makena are more than just vacation spots, analogous to any other warm climate region – they are the apex of what travel was meant to be – a way to relax and forget all the pressures of life, while creating long-lasting memories that will endure through even the most stressful time periods and give you a place of refuge should you ever find yourself struggling to get through the day.

Maui may be an island several thousand miles from where I live, but whenever I find myself wishing I could be anywhere other than where I am, the memories of Maui become my home.

Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Wailea homes. Make your vacation last forever, check out Wailea condos. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888

Simply put, if you are looking for high end Maui property you need to look no further than at this Makena real estate.  There is limited space in any island residence and unfortuantly for most, there is only one Maui!  Safe, secluded, modern, amazing.

The Internet Marketing Association of Hawaii officially launched on Sunday, February 1, 2009. The association is made up of local business owners and their marketing staff, Internet marketing experts, web designers, students, entrepreneurs and others interested in learning how to market their products and services from Hawaii on the Internet.

The purpose of the IMA of Hawaii is to give local business owners on each island the resources they need to acquire customers over the Internet. Some people join to learn how to use local search to generate foot traffic to their retail store, while others learn how to target a worldwide market. Some of our members are do-it-yourselfers, while others joined to access local resources who can help them implement their Internet marketing plan.

Membership is free and offers something for everyone.

• Weekly Internet Marketing tips, tricks and techniques.
• Local Hawaii and worldwide search techniques.
• Access to local technicians and professional Internet marketers
• Access to local web developers and designers
• How-to Internet Marketing videos, podcasts and articles
• Seminars, workshops, webinars and more.

If you have a business in Hawaii, you’ll want to join the Internet Marketing Association of Hawaii.

A special shout out and thank you goes to Sydney Smith and Cynthia Conrad at Coloriginals who designed the Internet Marketing Association of Hawaii header. If you want to dramatically improve the visual aspect of your website or blog, give these women a call. I can’t say enough about them or their work. 1-808-572-0977.

As if South Maui and its gorgeous beaches weren’t enough, the golf enthusiast can truly call the area paradise. With prime golfing weather year-round, there are many luxury properties that any golf aficionado would love to call home, or perhaps their “home away from home.” The only dilemma you may have is which golf community you want to claim as your residence. Because from Kihei to Wailea to Makena, you can find several luxury golf properties where you can hang your hat and swing your clubs at some playable courses.

In Kihei you can find the Hokulani Golf Villas, the newest luxury planned community in the South Maui area. The elleair Maui Golf Club surrounds the 152 homes designed within the 40 acre community. Not only can homeowners enjoy a recreation center with infinity pool and spa, but also the spectacular views everywhere you turn! The Golf Club is updating everything from the pro shop to the driving range. Golfers can view the on-cart video GPS yardage or try to beat the course record of 65. To make the course with an average rating of 71 and an average slope of 128 even more playable, the fairways are being widened and the greens are being reshaped and enlarged. 

Wailea Golf Club boasts three courses, Gold, Emerald and Blue and each has wonderful ocean vistas. The Blue Course fairways weave through the Wailea Resort, punctuated by coral sand bunkers and cooling fountains. The course, designed by Arthur Jack Snyder, is on the shorter side, at 6,765 yards from the tips. Of course, the advantage to this is that senior players may prefer this shorter, easier course while still enjoying the traditional Hawaiian resort golf atmosphere. 

The Emerald features player-friendly fairways and plentiful views of the ocean and Mount Haleakala. The double green shared by holes #10 and #17 borders a 2.7 million gallon lake and is considered to be a unique and picturesque spot. The average slope on the Emerald Course is in the low 120s and the average rating is 68. The Gold Course is known as “Wailea’s Rugged Beauty” and as the most rigorous and longest of the three courses, at 7,078 yards. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the average slope is 130 and average rating is 70.8 at the Gold Course.

Indeed, a golfer can find several choices of where to rest after a long day at the links in Wailea. There’s the Wailea Golf Estates situated on 30 acres of sloped land above the Blue Course. 61 single family homes may be found behind a gated entrance. Or there is the Wailea Golf Vistas community consisting of 48 homesites with custom designed single family homes, nestled between the 1st and 3rd fairways of the Blue Course. The Wailea Highlands have large half acre lots and overlook the Blue Course’s 17th fairway. Gated, with only 24 homesites available, these single family homes are truly exclusive, located just below the Diamond Resort.

Just south of Wailea you can find Makena, known as an area of untamed beauty. The site of two famous Maui beaches, Big Beach and Little Beach, Makena is also home to the ‘Ahihi-Kina’u Natural Area Reserve, a popular snorkeling spot. And for golf lovers, Makena manages to make a distinct impression with 36 spectacular holes of golf. 

Makena Resort Golf Course consists of two options – a North Course and a South Course. The North Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., embraces the natural beauty that Makena is known for…stream beds and gullies have been kept intact and Hawaiian rock walls remain, captivating golfers as they move along the fairways. The Resort course rating is 70.1 and the slope is 131. The South Course, also designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., is currently in the midst of renovation. It has won many awards and distinctions, ranging from Best Course Design from Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and Golf Digest’s 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America.

Homes in Makena are truly on par with what you would expect for a perfect golf getaway. One new community in development is Maluaka, consists of 69 private residences along the Makena Resort South Course. Ownership at Maluaka includes membership in the Club with amenities such as a spa, clubhouse, concierge and more.

There are many opportunities for the avid golf player to find a luxurious home, either to live in year-round or to use as a getaway, in South Maui. The homes are of the highest quality and surrounded by top-rated golf courses that will challenge the golfer. Why not lower your handicap in paradise?

Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Wailea Homes. Make your vacation last forever, check out Wailea Real Estate. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888

Investment properties are typically looked at as either flips or rentals at the lower end of the financial spectrum. An investor will buy something relatively inexpensively, fix it up and then sell it if the market is right, or rent it out. However, the luxury rental market can be quite lucrative and is often overlooked by many investors. A luxury property can be worth its weight in gold if bought at the right price and in the right location. So, if you’re contemplating investing in real estate, or expanding your existing real estate portfolio shouldn’t you consider buying a luxury home or condominium?

Luxury holds different meanings for different buyers. It may translate into a home with its own stretch of beach. Or a top-of-the-line condo along the fairway of one of the best golf courses in the world. Perhaps your idea of luxury is a secluded retreat where you can get away from it all. Obviously, there is no set definition for luxury to each and every investor, but there is certainly a difference in terms of location, price and features. 

In any given area, the luxury properties will be on the high end of the sales price range. In some small town in the middle of North America a luxury home with all the bells and whistles may cost $400,000. But head on over to the Wailea area on the island of Maui where condominiums are easily found in the million dollar range and luxury properties, especially single family homes, will be well above that million dollar mark.

Of course, it’s exciting to purchase a luxury home as an investment property. Doesn’t everyone want to add high end homes to their real estate portfolio? But there are more explanations why buying a luxury investment property is a smart move, other than just the “feel good” aspect. Here are seven reasons why a luxury real estate purchase can work in your favor:

1 – Right now is the perfect time for an investor to buy! Real estate is a cyclical industry. Prices go up and prices go down. The market gets hot and properties are selling left and right. And then the market cools. That’s just the nature of real estate. And currently, prices are extremely favorable to buyers. Not only are prices reasonable, but many sellers are very motivated and are pricing their homes to sell!

2 – Luxury real estate is a great long-term investment…it does not depreciate to the extent that other markets may. Yes, the market is favorable to buyers at this moment, but over the long run, you won’t see the ugly drop in your investment. Meaning, you won’t see your property depreciate by 50% or worse. Luxury properties tend to hold their value fairly well.

3 – Luxury properties are flexible! You can purchase it as your upscale getaway and then turn around and rent it out to travelers by the week or by the month. You can even rent it out annually until you plan to retire to your luxury property paradise. But the flexibility is there. Many investors are able to make it work financially buy renting luxury property out on short-term agreements with travelers or locals and then still take advantage of the property themselves.

4 – Luxury rentals are typically treated better by tenants. The reality of renting a property out is that people may not treat the property as you would. However, when you are renting out higher end properties you attract those who will care for the property.

5 – You can see a higher rate of return on a luxury investment property because you can rent it out at a higher rate. A property in a coveted location can demand a higher monthly payment from tenants.

6 – Luxury property is typically quite secure and can bring with it peace of mind. Gated homes or gated communities are the norm for luxury real estate. Depending on the community, there may even be a dedicated security force. Increased security is a great bonus in terms of protecting your investment and keeping you and your tenants comfortable, knowing that extra level of security is in place.

7 – If you own a business or network with other business executives, a luxury rental makes a great reward for business well done, or as a getaway for a business retreat. It can also be used as a perk for exceptional clients.

Imagine everything you could do with a luxury real estate investment! A wonderful place you can call your second home, in a paradise of your choosing. A relaxing getaway and a lifelong investment rolled into one!

Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Wailea Condos. Make your vacation last forever, check out Maui Real Estate. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888

When a homeowner is contemplating the sale of her home, she immediately begins to think of how she can find the right person to represent the sale. Surprisingly, most sellers don’t return to the real estate agents who helped them with the purchase of the home several years prior. Most agents fail to keep in touch and the seller just doesn’t know how to contact that agent, and in many instances, might not have completely pleasant memories of the agent if there were any hiccups during the purchase of the home. So for those sellers without a family member or a friend who works in the real estate industry, how do they find an agent to list their home? There are several methods sellers use and typically it’s a combination of a couple before they make the final decision to sign on the dotted line of the listing agreement.

The first thing that many homeowners do is ask for referrals. They go to local family members, friends and business colleagues and ask them whether they know of a good real estate agent. In the case of referrals, any kind of bad word of mouth by previous clients can hurt a real estate agent tremendously. Seriously, if your co-worker tells you that Bob was horrible to work with and hard to get a hold of, you’re not going to be giving Bob a call anytime soon to sell your home.

But a positive testimonial from a former client can be as good as gold. It reassures the homeowner that someone she knows has had a good experience with a particular real estate agent. It leads her to believe that she too will have a good experience. So positive referrals on a real estate agent’s behalf can lead a homeowner to make the phone call and set up an appointment with that agent.

Another thing that many homeowners will do, especially those technology savvy homeowners, is search the internet. They will use a search engine and look for the real estate agents listed in their area. From there, they will head to an agent’s website and take a look. Let’s face it, the internet can be a real estate agent’s living (and almost breathing) calling card. With videos, audio, pictures and words, a real estate professional can really have her personality come across within each web page. A homeowner can see whether the agent has embraced technology within her business and how it might be used to sell the homeowner’s house.

Ever think that nothing happens by coincidence and that everything happens for a reason? Many people do! As homeowners go about their everyday business they meet people and bump into strangers. And interestingly enough, a simple comment can turn into a conversation and the next thing you know, it comes out that the stranger is a real estate agent! Then the homeowner takes the business card and ponders later over how fortuitous it was to have bumped into a real estate agent when he was just thinking that he was going to start looking for one!

Whether a homeowner calls a real estate professional due to a referral, an internet search or just pure “luck,” an interview typically comes next. A majority of homeowners want to speak in person with the agent who may list their home. We’re talking about not only a lot of money but a level of trust that is necessary to create a fruitful working relationship.

An interview with a few agents can help clear any questions up. Sometimes there may be a clear “winner” and the decision is an easy one. Other times, there may be more deliberation about the agents and at that point, the homeowner will re-evaluate the interviewees…thinking back over the demeanor and personality, the marketing plan and the level of expertise…and then decide which real estate agent to list with.

While there is no one specific way of how real estate sellers find an agent to list their property in every single situation, these ways are used most often. Sure, there are some real estate pros who have the listing from the phone call or the referral alone – no interview required. Some sellers just have that gut feeling or they don’t want to take time to interview others. In the end, a homeowner should feel that the real estate agent has his best interests in mind, financial and otherwise. A homeowner should feel that his home is in good hands and will be marketed at the right price, to the right buyers and that the whole transaction will be handled by an expert.

Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Wailea and Makena condos. Make your vacation last forever, check out Wailea and Makena Real Estate. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888

Years ago, before the use of the internet became commonplace for the real estate industry, print ads in local newspapers were the norm. Real estate agents would place ads in the classifieds notifying readers of an upcoming open house or details of their new listing. They would buy space to include pictures of the home and a small blurb to entice readers to make a phone call and schedule a viewing. But those days are gone. Here are twelve reasons why print real estate ads are a thing of the past:

1 – Print papers only go out to the public daily or even weekly, depending on the publication. The internet is 24/7. Information flows as fast as your internet provider can carry it. Perfect for the “I want information NOW” crowd.

2 – Readership of printed papers is going down. Why pay for a subscription when you can go online and come up with the latest headlines for free? So print ads are reaching fewer people and becoming a less effective marketing tool.

3 – Ad space in printed papers is expensive. On the internet, there are many, many options for real estate agents to market their listings or promote their real estate business. From free to low-cost options, real estate agents have a lot of alternatives to choose from online.

4 – Many consumers conduct their searches online. Whether looking for a home, or looking for a real estate agent to work with, few consumers pick up a newspaper during their search. Instead, they go to a search engine such as Google and type in keywords, and they find the agents who have an online presence. Agents sticking with print ads lose out on those prospects.

5 – Print ads have rigid space guidelines. With newspapers, there is a tight space issue. Classifieds are reduced to a few lines and the more you add, the more your cost will be. Want to add special headlines or a graphic? Start expanding your budget!

6 – The internet gives you more flexibility in terms of space. Sure, some sites with real estate ads might have some space restrictions. But many allow for a good amount of text and pictures. Then, with your own real estate site, you should be able to upload pictures, and as long a description about the property as you want. And consumers like that!

7 – Print ads have tight deadlines. Have a last minute change to a sales price or a property description? You’re out of luck if you’re past the newspaper’s deadline. But the internet is fluid. The information is easily updateable. Last minute changes can typically be accommodated within minutes or seconds.

8 – Newspapers are going out of business! Due to the immediacy of the internet and the fewer subscribers, newspapers are shutting down left and right.

9 – The internet is easy to search! Consumers may be able to look for homes for sale according to geography when looking at print ads. But they can’t search according to price or features of a home in a newspaper like they can online.

10 – The internet can be easily manipulated by consumers. Just as the internet is easier for a home search, once the search results are found, a consumer can manipulate the findings…typically being able to sort properties according to price, zip code or several other fields. With a print ad, a consumer can circle a desirable ad, but cannot move it around, copy and paste the information to another document or email a loved one about the really neat home they just found.

11 – Print ads are visual only. But with the internet, you can appeal to other senses. You can add an audio recording to a listing page, describing a property in detail and drawing the listener in. You can also add video clips – virtual tours of homes, an introduction of you and your real estate team – something that will appeal to the visual nature of the consumer, but also be more interactive than a static print ad.

12 – The internet can get to more people, period. An online ad can be emailed to colleagues and prospects. A link to an ad can be placed on forums that will be viewed by hundreds of potential buyers. No print ad can ever be placed in front of the eyeballs of so many people as can be done online.

In the end, while few agents still might use print ads as a part of their marketing plan, none use print ads as their sole advertising venue. The internet has taken over and has truly replaced print ads by being more affordable, more flexible and more accessible.

Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Makena condos. Make your vacation last forever, check out Wailea Real Estate. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888

Real estate agents routinely get bashed by buyers and sellers for being too pushy, not pushy enough, out for themselves and the almighty dollar. In fact, often consumers will equate real estate agents with the persona of the car salesman. You know, the guy who dresses a little too nice and talks a little too fast…all the while pushing you toward something you might not be able to afford or even like. While there might be a small handful of real estate agents who fall under those descriptions (as there are in any profession), the majority of real estate agents are honest, hard-working professionals who live and breathe real estate. Here are reasons why a real estate agent outclasses a car salesman any day of the week:

1 – In a word: education. Real estate agents must take hours of classroom instruction in order to become licensed. This isn’t a week’s worth of sales training. A licensed real estate agent has to learn about the laws and procedures regarding the state in which he intends to sell real estate. A licensed real estate agent is then tested on that knowledge via an intensive state exam. And the education is not over once the agent gets his license. Every state has renewal requirements, requiring the real estate agent to take continuing education classes to ensure that every agent is up to date on the latest news and policy in the real estate profession.

2 – Another difference is oversight. Real estate professionals are kept in check by their state’s Department of Real Estate (sometimes known as a Commission or Board). Not only are there many license requirements that each state has but there are also disciplinary actions that can be implemented by each state’s real estate department. Real estate agents can get their licenses suspended or revoked by the department.

3 – Did you know that the National Association of REALTORS(R) (NAR) is the largest professional organization in the world? Each and every real estate agent who joins the association agrees to adhere to the Code of Ethics, which is geared toward protecting consumers and ensuring that real estate professionals act within ethical standards. Think you can find a car salesman with membership in a similar organization?

4 – In real estate there is also a requirement of disclosure. A real estate agent must disclose material facts known about any home. An agent can’t misrepresent a home to you, its condition, etc. in the hopes that you won’t find out until it’s too late (and you’ve rolled off the lot). There is no crossing of fingers and hoping all works out because not only is the real estate agent’s reputation on the line, but also his status as a licensed agent. With every single real estate transaction, an agent is putting himself at risk of legal and financial consequences. Why would any reputable agent risk losing his career and possibly a lot of money in court? He wouldn’t. So the real estate agent will err on the side of caution and disclose everything he ethically and legally must disclose.

5 – A home is the single most important financial transaction of your life. Real estate agents understand this. They understand that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to helping you purchase your home. While a car salesman might hear how much you make and steer you to the vehicle that will take advantage of that fact, a real estate professional will also take into account your monthly expenses to help you determine what you can truly afford to pay. From there, the real estate professional will encourage you to speak with a mortgage professional to obtain the most accurate picture of your financial ability to buy. Only then will the real estate agent start to narrow down your home search. Because the real estate agent understands that it’s not only a financial issue. You have wants and needs that the real estate agent will evaluate in order to find you a home; you’re not looking merely for a roof over your head.

While it’s easy to make jokes and compare real estate agents to car salesmen, they have little to nothing in common. While both help you out with a purchase, the motivations and the expertise behind that help differs vastly. A real estate agent is continually educated, adheres to ethical and legal standards and is looking to build a life-long successful real estate business, not just sell you any old car off the lot.

Volker Weiss – Maui Realtor(R/S) specialist focusing on Wailea condos. Make your vacation last forever, check out Wailea Real Estate. For immediate help call VW directly at 888.572.6888