Observations on my first week on Maui.... (Kahului, Kihei: lease, house)

[Maui Moving Source]

Originally Posted by TwoByFour

Interesting post. The fact is, things change; always have always will. Countless cultures have been plowed under by the forces of time and progress. That will never change. You cannot sit and cry about lost innocence and lost grandeur of what once was or you risk being another complainer stuck in the past. Get over it. At this point in time, Maui is a place defined more by location and weather than by culture and any remaining Aloha spirit. That is wilting away with every new box store and every new chain hotel. The final nail in the coffin will be when the cane fields are replaced with housing developments. It is what it is.

Being honest and aware about the reality around us is not complaining, it's wisdom. When we "get over it", we have surrendered in a very unhealthy way. If Gandhi simply surrendered and "got over it", India would still be a British colony. If Martin Luther King was simply resigned to white culture, African Americans would not have the civil rights act. The same applies to Nelson Mandela's path. History is full of such examples, Jesus, Buddha, Martin Luther, etc - courageous people who questioned rather than accept. Maui may indeed turn into Oahu one day. But it's not there yet, there is still time to effect meaningful change. Democracy gives power to the people, if only the people would recognize the power in their hands instead of becoming apathetic.

[Maui Moving Source]

Originally Posted by justmoved2maui

I'm even thinking of renting in napili on the west side as I've seen several nice places and commuting to Wailuku! I know that is crazy, but south area is very pricey and a lot of dumps if you go below 1200, and Wailuku and Kahului seem to local/crowded for me. Upcountry is also an idea, but so far away from everything....

During "rush hour", certain areas do experience lots of traffic. If you are on the same schedule as everyone else, you'll be delayed. I have done an upcountry to Lahaina commute many many times. I have also lived in Napili, which is wonderful. I miss it. In commuting upcountry to Lahaina I was able to go during off hours, thus missed most of the traffic - which can be SUBSTANTIAL. If you go at the wrong time, your Napili to Wailuku commute, and back, can be far worse than your commute from Kihei to Wailuku. There is a rush hour between Napili and Kaanapali for the resort workers. The main problem is the two lane pali between Lahaina and Maalaea. In the late afternoons going into the west side, it can back up for miles and miles with tourists driving from the airport to the west side resorts. We'll see how the Lahaina bypass effects things.

The pali is a very curvy road, with pretty views, which often leads to accidents by distracted drivers - which can completely shut down the pali, or cause traffic to move very very slowly. Then there are the periodic brush fires which can shut the pali down for 6 - 12 hours. Your only choice to get to Wailuku would be to make the mad dash for the lengthy drive the back way through Kahakuloa. A road that becomes one lane in spots with sheer cliffs, one mistake, on over you go. During fires, the back road becomes one way going out of the west side, the way in from Wailuku is completely shut down.

Upcountry experiences a rush hour in line with what you have from Kihei. Depending where you are, upcountry is not so far away, 15 minutes to the beach and Costco (non rush). The key is to get on a different schedule. Off setting one hour can make a big difference.

Wailuku has some upscale areas, so does Kahului. You might look there, it will free up lots of time for you. In my opinion, Wailuku is that last remaining spot of concentrated aloha on the island - just pick a good neighborhood like Wailuku Heights. It's a big mistake to equate local with bad. If you seek a higher housing standard, there are wealthier local neighborhoods. I LOVE the locals. You will love Napili, but be even more disappointed in the commute to Wailuku. And Napili is no rental bargain, people who work in west side resorts live in Kihei for the lower rent.

As for Maui being crowded. The Big Island has a population density of 46/ square mile (189K people). Maui is 133/ sq mile (158K people). Oahu, which is about 20% smaller than Maui is 1,586 people per square mile (population 1M). Compared to what could be, or what it will one day likely become, Maui is positively rural. A thought that disturbs many. Nearly all of whom, myself included, are part of the problem.

If you seek unfiltered Hawaiiana, parts of the Big Island and most of Molokai are the last hope. Hawaii suffered long ago from a geographical disadvantage. Had Hawaii been in the south pacific, the US government would have been uninterested and Hawaii could be like Tonga - a poor, but completely independent nation in which Hawaiians could create their own immigration laws. Instead, Hawaii effectively has no border, allowing us haole to pour in from the mainland with no more than a plane ticket and sunscreen.

And this leads me to Lanai, 98% of which was recently bought by the billionaire CEO of Oracle. Checkout www.PulamaLanai.com. He has ambitious, perhaps even enlightened plans for the creation of a sustainable Lanai with housing for a variety of incomes. Because he owns the whole island, he can control how Lanai is developed. He is investing hundreds of millions of dollars right from the start. If he does what he promises, Lanai will become very special. It will not be pre-contact Hawaii, but it can become perhaps the best managed/ sustainable tropical island in the entire world. I have very high hopes for Lanai's future.

[HawaiiLover]

I just vacationed on Maui for two weeks and DH and I did get into traffic around Kihei, and hit traffic in the later afternoon heading back to Lahiana. I loved everything about Maui (9th trip back to the islands) but their traffic. I wonder how bad it is in the winter with all the snowbirds?
Maui is a nice place to live if you're retired and can afford it.

[TwoByFour]

Originally Posted by Maui Moving Source

Being honest and aware about the reality around us is not complaining, it's wisdom. When we "get over it", we have surrendered in a very unhealthy way. If Gandhi simply surrendered and "got over it", India would still be a British colony. If Martin Luther King was simply resigned to white culture, African Americans would not have the civil rights act. The same applies to Nelson Mandela's path. History is full of such examples, Jesus, Buddha, Martin Luther, etc - courageous people who questioned rather than accept. Maui may indeed turn into Oahu one day. But it's not there yet, there is still time to effect meaningful change. Democracy gives power to the people, if only the people would recognize the power in their hands instead of becoming apathetic.

Jesus, Gandhi, MLK were all agents for change - they wanted a new improved world. I think most of the complaining on this forum (at least the Maui section) is that there is too much change and why can't things be like the good old romantic Maui of the past. I am guilty of that also. But my point is, change is inevitable. You cannot stop it. It is part of human nature to always be "improving" things. Yes, Jesus and MLK were agents of social change, but it is the same mindset that exists in the minds of people who plan big public works projects like freeways. They think they are changing things for the better for all of us.

[8o8state]

Originally Posted by justmoved2maui

They tell me I need to fit it into an 8 hour day..

Maybe it is not so much the traffic as it might be the unrealistic expectations that the company you are working for is placing upon you

[trinity1111]

Need HELP!! SOS !! Any realtors out there? Mitch, you there? I did put a call in to Landlord Tenant Hotline...got 2 different stories.

I rented the house 'Furnished" , sight unseen. Huge mistake. first,last, and deposit Paid in Full. I did a 5 min. walk thru. I agreed to rent it Furnished with 'personal items" like Pictures, trinkets.
The house is a 67 year old plantation house infested with termites. But more importantly it's infested with spiders in all the furnishings and items. Nests of Spiders. I had exterminator come out and fog and spray but they said you can only kill spiders directly, not residually.
I called Landlord Tenant yesterday, they said I could put stuff in Storage as long as I returned it back when I moved out.
I called Landlord Tenant today they said if I agreed to leave furniture in , then I have to leave it in house. She is a Meth Addict and Alcoholic in Recovery and not dealing with a full deck. The furniture is crap.

Now, my Landlord gave me 24 hour notice and is coming tomorrow a.m. send her boyfriend John to:



Quote: " John will inspect per out lease in my absence to decide of the lease should continue ".

She's looking for ways to brake lease is this legal? I 've photographed and doucumented everything.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by trinity1111

I rented the house 'Furnished" , sight unseen. Huge mistake. first,last, and deposit Paid in Full.

Right there, what the landlord did was illegal. Under Hawai'i law, a landlord is legally allowed to collect only first month's rent, plus up to a one month deposit.

She's looking for ways to brake lease is this legal? I 've photographed and doucumented everything.

Anybody can try to break a lease at any time. But they must follow the law. And for a claimed violation of the lease the landlord must give you 10 days notice to correct the violation before they can start the legal process. If they don't follow the law they can be held liable for damages.

Here's a handy brochure from the Legal Aid Society that will help you sort out what your rights are, etc.

http://www.legalaidhawaii.org/Evicti...s_Brochure.pdf

Good luck.

[trinity1111]

Thanks. I really appreciate it.

[OpenD]

Here's the citation I was referring to:

The Landlord Tenant Code 521-44 (b) states that “the landlord may not require or receive from or on behalf of a tenant at the beginning of a rental agreement any money other than the money for the first month’s rent and security deposit.”

Beginning in November they will be allowed to accept an additional amount of up to a month's rent deposit IF you wish to have a pet. But for now, what she already did was illegal.

[trinity1111]

Here's a copy of my deposited monies...looking into filing a complaint at Maui District Court.

To complete lease: Deposit required:
First month prorated at $1,575.00, Last Month $2.250.00 and Deposit : $2,250.00
Total $6.075.00
Deposit to Chase Bank upon signing: