Mainland Build Quality (Kihei, Lahaina, Kapalua: hardwood floors, real estate, mortgage)

[SavannahPalm]

I was browsing real estate ads today and saw a home that was advertised as having "mainland build quality".

This got me thinking: What are the differences between island houses and those on the mainland? Is there a real difference in quality or build features?

[whynot?]

Yes. Well, we do have our little eccentricities over here. I would guess that "mainland build quality" is meant to be a reassuring, qualitative phrase. Since I lived on the mainland for a long time before I moved here, I'd say it doesn't say much.

There are a number of old (and new) single-wall construction homes here on Maui. That might sound odd on the mainland, but I know of single-wall summer homes on the mainland, too. Since the climate is so moderate, these are not as inefficient as they might sound. A very large number of people outside the cities do not use air conditioning because utilities are so expensive. (That is quite surprising to houseguests who are familiar with climate-controlled hotels and shopping centers.)
Our West Maui house's monthly electric bill is about the same as the mortgage payment on the first house I bought. (In the D.C.-area, so "not cheap.")

My guess is that whoever wrote the ad meant to imply that the house was well-built with designer-home pretensions. Another real estate ad anomaly here is that a house's square footage may include the lanais, which may or may not be clear. Since we live literally indoors and out, lanais count as "living space." Sometimes the square footage is listed as "interior" v. "exterior."

We also (here on Maui) typically have more licensed realtors than properties listed. I am not one, but it is clearly a popular trade.

[SavannahPalm]

I've been to Maui and I can see how many people get by with no air conditioning. Trade winds in the afternoon make things bearable even during the hot summer.

Are there areas of Maui that on the leeward side that don't get the cooling winds in the summer? I can't imagine going without ac in those conditions. AC is probably a necessity.

[whynot?]

Yes! South Maui (Makena, Wailea, Kihei) and West Maui (Lahaina, Ka`anapali) are very hot and dry. A bit farther north (Napili, Kapalua) is cooler. That said, I live at Ka`anapali, and many of our neighbors do not have (or choose not to use) A/C. I admire their forbearance, but we cool our house 12 months. Lahaina, by the way, means "land of the burning sun" in Hawaiian.

[boynbeagle]

There are several differences between "mainland" and Hawaii built homes. In addition to the single-wall construction that was common up until the 1990s, many of the features that people from the mainland want such as hardwood floors, granite counters, wood-wrapped windows, etc. are not the norm in Hawaii's new construction.

The style of the houses is often a hybrid of craftsman with an island flair.

My wife and I looked at several beautiful new construction houses in Hawaii. We were surprised when things such as tile floors, granite, hardwoods and the like were not standard as they often are on the mainland.