Aloha,

The start of a new year invariably brings at least a subliminal feeling of a new start on many levels.  If nothing else, it’s time again for those New Year’s resolutions we're all too familiar with—get in shape/lose weight (#1 every year by a large margin); spend more time with the kids; get those projects done around the house; buy a house or condo in Maui; and on and on…My resolution every year is to make sure I'm around next year to make another resolution, and so far it’s worked!

Subtle signs are beginning to appear that Maui, at least, is ready to emerge from the past few year’s semi-slumber.  Our hotels, for the most part, are filled to capacity (‘tis the season); Hawaiian Air has announced they are adding flights from various mainland ports in anticipation of increased demand, and indications are that our Real Estate market is truly positioned to begin to move in a positive direction.  If you’ve been following my Newsletter, I have been advocating this eventuality over the past few months, and now there are statistics to support that notion.  That is not to suggest there will be a mad rush to buy, but we have seen our inventory reduced by 18% over the past year; average price of a single-family home has gone up 5% (in spite of all the short sales and foreclosures); number of sales increased by 10%; and for the first time in four years there are no homes in Wailea priced under $1,000,000!

Of equal significance, the National Association of Home Builders reports that in the past month the number of metropolitan areas across the country showing “measurable improvement” in home sales and prices have almost doubled, increasing from 41 to 76.  My contention is that this is the last year you will be able to have bragging rights to say, “You won’t believe what I paid for this place back in 2012!”  For those of you who are interested, here are links to both aforementioned articles.  If the links don’t work, simply copy and paste the URL’s into your browser.

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/557026/Statistics---11-valley-for-real----.html#.Tw4LFBhIU34.email

http://rismedia.com/2012-01-10/road-to-recovery-list-of-improving-housing-markets-nearly-doubles-in-january/

Next month I promise to return to my “Featured Properties” format, but because this is getting out so late in the month I will forego including listings.  If there is something you would specifically like to get information on—homes or condos in a particular price range, neighborhood, amenities, etc.—just let me know and I will do an individual search just for you!  FYI, Carlos Santana’s home at the top of Pineapple Hill in Kapalua has just been listed for $7.8 million, and needless to say, it’s quite spectacular!

Again, Happy New Year to all!  Let’s make this the best year ever!

Mahalo nui loa,

Michael Blaz

(808) 283-9093