Image Courtesy of Getty Images and Sentry TOC

NEW TITLE SPONSOR FOR KAPALUA'S PGA TOUR TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS AND PRO-AM INFORMATION

Sentry Insurance has signed a five year agreement as title sponsor for the PGA TOUR's premier event, the invitation only Tournament of Champions.

Golf's brightest and best flock to Maui each year for this winner's only tournament.  The defending champion is Justin Thomas (2017).  Past winners include Jordan Spieth (2016); Patrick Reed (2015); Zach Johnson (2014); and Dustin Johnson (2013).

The prestigious tournament dates back to to 1953, starting at Las Vegas’ Desert Inn Country Club, as an event for winners from the previous season. After moving from Las Vegas to California for thirty years, it finally settled

The Hōkūleʻa returns to Kapalua, Maui

After three years of sailing around the world, the Hōkūleʻa is returning to Honolua Bay, Maui.

Back on May 1, 1976, the Hōkūleʻa set off from Honolua Bay on it's inaugural sail to chart the course to Tahiti.  I was fortunate enough to be there, along with my father, Duke, to witness their departure for, what was to be, an historic voyage and the beginning of a movement to Mālama Honua, or care for our island earth.

Hōkūleʻa Worldwide Voyage: Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage: 3-minute overview video

Now, some 41 years later, the Hōkūleʻa has returned to Honolua Bay on the Mahalo, Hawai'i Sail.  The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) has announced that this will be a six month journey throughout the

A Look at the Resort Markets as compared with the overall Maui Real Estate Market.

Maui's Resort Markets of Kaanapali, Kapalua, Wailea 

January 1-July 31, 2017 vs. January 1- July 31, 2016

Comparing the YTD sales in the resort markets with the same period in 2016, we are seeing more condo sales in Kapalua and Wailea and Makena, while in Kaanpali, condo sales is down. Inventory is increasing in the condo markets, with the exception of Wailea, which has an absorption rate of just 9.2 months.  Part of the substantial growth in the Kapalua Condominium Market can be attributed to sales at the Montage Residences Kapalua Bay with 3 sales ranging from $3.795-$6.475M (which is the highest condominium sale on record for 2017 on Maui), and Coconut Grove

The Plantation Estates, Kapalua, Maui

600 Honokohau: Undeveloped Land for Sale in the Plantation Estates, Kapalua

The golden rule of real estate is Location, Location, Location.  However, on Maui the location's value is enhanced by a rather intangible characteristic that varies based on personal preference: view.

Not all homesites are crated equally...this is particularly true here in Kapalua's Plantation Estates, where view is everything to a buyer and has a tremendous impact on valuations. Added to that are more subtle factors, such orientation with regard to the prevailing trade winds and the sunset, buildable area, and whether there will be a lot of site work involved. The ideal orientation for most in Kapalua is to face the channel between

Hōkūleʻa Returns to Honolua Bay, Kapalua, Maui in the Mahalo, Hawai'i Sail

Photo Courtesy of Multicopter Maui

Back on May 1, 1976, my father took me to Honolua Bay to see the Hōkūleʻa embark on its maiden voyage to Tahiti.  Several of his childhood friends were crew members on this double hulled voyaging canoe, named after the star of gladness, and we watched as they left the Bay setting sail to chart the course of their ancestors.  I was quite young, and the memories come in flashes, so I don't recall the size of the crowd back then, but my father tells me it was a fairly small gathering.

Since that time, the Hōkūleʻa has celebrated 40 years of voyaging, been proclaimed Hawaii's first state treasure, and has been blessed by the Dalai Lama

The Champagne Hale: Summer Pops Up at Kapalua's Cliff House

THE MONTAGE, KAPALUA BAY, KAPALUA, MAUI, HAWAII

If you find yourself in Kapalua this summer, one of the most special and iconic spots, the Cliff House, is transformed into an exclusive pop-up bar and lounge.  

The Cliff House has long been one of my favorite spots on all of Maui, having first spent time at the historic site with my father prior to the hotel being built.  

Now, Montage Kapalua Bay is partnering with Veuve Cliquot Champagnes and Chef David Viviano for a one of a kind experience.  There's no better place to watch the sunset, all the while enjoying tasty pupus including oysters, poke, local surfing goat cheese, and bubbles...lots and lots of bubbles.

When: June 29

Maui Property Tax Rates Announced for 2017-2018 Fiscal Year

Per the Maui News article on June 5, 2017, the Maui County Council approved the new property tax rates for the July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018 Fiscal Year.

Maui County Property Tax Rates 2017 to 2018

The figures below show the rates for each year.  Traditionally, the lowest tax rate is for Homeowner, where this is their declared primary residence.  The highest tax rate remains the Time Share Classification.  The figures below are the Rate($)/Million of Assessed Value.

Change in tax rates by classification over 2016-2017 fiscal year:

Taxes increased across all categories from last year to this year, with the larges increase in those properties classified for use as Industrial,

Maui Today: 18:00 hours, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

At this moment, the sun bathed everything in gold

Sunset at the Plantation Course, Kapalua, Maui.

Want to see this every day? View homes for sale in the Plantation Estates

Plantation Estates, Kapalua, Maui: A video walkthrough

Join me on this walkthrough of one of my favorite Maui homes.  This home in Kapalua, Maui's Plantation Estates is situated between the ocean and the Plantation Course, home to the famed Tournament of Champions.

See more Kapalua, Maui golf course homes for sale

Serenity in a bold landscape

Private Residences at the Montage Residences Kapalua Bay