Maui: Opinions on housing... (Kahului, Kihei: lease, lofts, condo)

[Momma4Kauai]

Aloha! We may, or may not, be moving to Maui, and I wanted to start narrowing down areas that would be suitable for us to live. Hoping that some of you Maui locals can offer some advice!

First, I've been thinking about living in a townhouse/condo as my husband works a lot and doesn't have time for yard maintenance. I also like the idea of on-site amenities like a swimming pool and playground. If we move, my husband will be working in Kahului. I have 4 children, one in 6th grade (do middle schools there start with 6th grade or 7th?), one in preschool, and the other two would need a babysitter.

Can you give opinions on these housing complexes? Safety, ameneties, area (ghetto? upscale?), traffic, schools, and anything else you'd like to mention.

Kehalani Gardens
Iliahi at Kehalani
Villas at Kenolio
Iao Parkside
Haleakala Gardens
Villas at Kahana Ridge
Pacific Shores
Pukalani Gardens

I appreciate your help!

[TN2HI]

I can't speak for most of those places. We live in Iao Parkside, and the complex is very nice, but there are not the ammenities that you mentioned. We are close to a park, but we don't have a playground or pool.

The best advice I could give is to find a short-term lease. I would aim for 1-2 months if possible. It would mean moving twice or living out of boxes/suitcases for a while, but in the end, it would be worth it. We are in a 6 month lease and I thought that would be short enough; but we have decided that Kihei suits our needs more than the Wailuku/Kahului area, and we will have to wait until January to move again.

I really haven't found any areas where I felt unsafe. It is more about what you are looking for and what area or neighborhood suits your needs as a family. Depending on where you are coming from (we came from a mid-sized city where I could get across town in 30 minutes), I haven't run into anything that I would consider "traffic".

[Jungjohann]

Iao Parkside is convenient, close to everything in town, I was actually a subcontractor there years ago. It's short on amenities, but a public park is within walking distance. Pacific Shores in Kihei is one of those projects that you look at and wonder, "What were they thinking", layout kind of reminds me of the set from Rear Window, your view is pretty much your neighbor looking at you. Haleakala Gardens is nice, if you're working in Kahului, Kahana would be a bit of a drive, especially when the Pali closes down due to accident or fire, happens fairly often, and you can be stuck for hours. Best of luck.

Aloha

[Momma4Kauai]

Thanks for the insight! TN2HI, can I ask why you prefer Kihei over Kahului/Wailuku?

Jungjohann, is Haleakala Gardens an old complex? Pictures that I've found on the internet look a little dated, but it's hard to tell for sure...

[Jungjohann]

I think Haleakala Gardens was built around 1976-77 or so. It's an older complex, that may be a downside, but it is built with CMU and concrete, the upside being that concrete grows stronger with age. It's also pretty much across Kihei Road from Kamaole Beach 3, which is a great spot for weekend BBQ's, snorkeling and swimming. I'm just north of there, despite the traffic, I still enjoy it. You can walk to Foodland, do a little shopping, and walk home, very convenient. Lot of great resturaunts in the area as well.

Aloha and best of luck

[LovinMaui]

I love the Villas at Kenolio... Many of the units have very large lofts and most of the floor plans are larger than your typical Kihei condo (range is about 780-1200 square feet). The complex is only about 3 years old; there is a GREAT pool, fitness center, bbq areas and small playground. The complex is in north kihei (about a 20 minute drive to Kahului) and it is across the street from the beach. The complex is very safe, and everyone who works there is soooo nice! There are a lot of families in the complex with many kids. I would highly recommend it!