Water Storage Tanks options in Haiku Maui HIIf you're in the market for a rain water catchment storage tank in Hawaii, your choices have gotten better. These days you can get some great solid covers to keep the sun and debris out. In the past you would probably have gone with a simple black mesh fabric cover which did an adequate job of keeping debris out while still letting water through, but it tended to sag in, no matter how tight you stretched that fabric.  What a great place for birds to come and play... and poop!As things advanced, a PVC framework became the best way to keep the cover suspended above the top of the tank, and this was a huge improvement over the "bird bath" effect by keeping everything out of the water.  Really, though do you even want that small amount of sunlight... 08/09/2016

Streams and waterfalls in Haiku Maui.Many buyers of Maui properties are looking for a stream or a waterfall to complete the picture.  Having access to a stream can be useful as a back up source of running water, or a place to swim and play.  There's many streams on Maui, and in Haiku you can find these properties if you know where to look. Not every stream runs year round, so it's good to know which ones do.  For example, Honopou Stream in Huelo is constantly running and recently has increased flow due to less usage for the sugar cane fields. See more pictures of streams and waterfalls on my Facebook album.KekoanuiWaterfall from Georgie Hunter on Vimeo.Find a home for sale in Haiku Maui Hawaii.Thanks for reading my Maui blog...Georgie Hunter R(S) e-Pro, Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers1... 07/25/2016

Maui's North Shore Realtor Caravan July 2016Thursday is the day we head out and preview some new listings on the north shore of Maui, in Paia, and Haiku. We convene at the beautiful Maui Country Club in Spreckelsville to exchange information and network.  After the meeting we car pool or drive on our own to see the homes for sale.  It was a big line up of properties priced from around $500,000 and up to $6,400,000.  The first one in Kuau, is very close to the ocean, with a transformed old plantation house.  What a well thought out property, with a house and pool, a roof top deck to enjoy the ocean views, and a cozy guest suite around back.  Indoor and outdoor living blend perfectly together with the help of pocket doors that disappear into the walls.  I can't believe I liked the effect ... 07/15/2016

Hungry for a good healthy breakfast on Maui's north shore? If you're looking for somewhere to eat breakfast or lunch in the Haiku Pauwela area, check out the little restaurant in the front corner of the old Pauwela Cannery - Baked on Maui.  It's a bakery and coffee shop serving the community for years and they continue to please with their coffees and teas in the morning along with hot dishes to start the day right.  Pancakes and waffles, omelets, sandwiches and salads - that kind of stuff. Baked on Maui  375 W. Kuiaha Rd, Haiku 808 575-7836 Hours are from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm Join the Haiku Maui group on Facebook You can sit down and eat inside or out, or do take out.  It's casual and friendly, with a view of the comings and goings at the old cannery that used to process pineapples back ... 07/13/2016

Silent Saturday - pick your own pineapples in Haiku MauiYes you really can grow a pineapple from the cut off top, as you can see here. These were grown from recycled pineapple tops.  It helps if you're very patient as it can take years.  It shouldn't take you years to find a home for sale in Haiku Maui, especially if you have helpf from a local Haiku Realtor like myself.  Buy a home in Haiku and start growing pineapples!Thanks for reading my Maui blog...Georgie Hunter R(S) e-Pro, Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers127 Hana Hwy. #G, Paia HI 96779E-mail or call/text: 808 283-0635 07/09/2016

Aha!  Gotcha. So you're the culprit who's been eating the flowers of the Jamaican passion fruits, or lilikoi.I spied these nastly looking caterpillars on the leaves, looked around and found about 10 of them. No wonder we weren't getting any of the delicious sweet fruits to set, since these pests have a taste for the flowers. And sure enough, I also found a butterfly just opening his wings and hanging from a nearby leaf.Since then, with some diligent hand picking of the pests, we now have plenty of fruits ripening on the vines. These vines were a gift from another gardener in Haiku and we are really looking forward to the first harvest. Jamaican lilikoi are very delicious and worth growing if you live in Haiku. If you ever have too many you can sell them to the local markets because ther... 06/08/2016

Organic yellow bush beans, bursting with flavor and goodness.Just picked this morning and ready to cook up tonight!  We sure do love growing our own organic vegetables on our Haiku property.  Every day we eat something we grew ourselves, and it's a great feeling to know where it comes from.These days you kind of wonder about what you're putting in your body when you buy food at the store, or eat in a restaurant.  More and more I see people opt for the organic choice because they are concerned about pesticides. More and more young people are getting sick with ailments that should not be happening... kidney disease, allergies, autism to name a few.  The chemical companies sure don't care, because they just want to sell more of their toxic products.  I hear that Costco is experiencing so m... 05/12/2016

435 Ho'olawa Rd, Haiku Maui Hawaii is a botanical delight, with abundant tropical trees and flowers.  The owners of this country property have built it from the ground up and planted all kinds of fun things.  After turning this home into a B&B they called it Windward Garden Bed & Breakfast.Orchids do very well in the humid climate of Maui, and you just have to park them in a safe place outdoors, like a crook of a tree branch, and give them a little spritz of fertilizer once in a while.  In return they will show off their colorful and beautiful flowers which last a long time.Interestingly, Hawaii only has one native orchid, but the imports and hybrids sure do love it here.  If you love to garden and grow flowers all year round, think about moving to Haiku Maui where it's really easy to i... 05/05/2016

I recently had the privilege to help a close friend of mine since pre-school at Haiku Elementary sell her property located at 784 Kihau Place in Haiku, Maui. I am grateful for many reasons: Aiko Da Silva and I went to the same Maui schools our entire lives together starting at Haiku Elementary onto Kalama Intermediate and then finishing up at high school at Seabury Hall preparatory academy.Aiko is in the process of taking over the family business Chris Curtis Landscaping which has been one of the island's most well respected landscaping businesses which has been operating since 1993. This is another connection in that Aiko and I were both born and raised in Haiku and are both working in family businesses-my dad is one of the most well respected real estate brokers in the state with over... 04/27/2016

Can you believe it's that time again... the annual Haiku Ho'olaule'a Flower Festival is coming this weekend on Saturday April 23, 2016.I've posted about this fun family day before and it's always fun to go and see what's happening. Ho'olaule'a Flower Festival 2015 Haku Lei making at the festival 2013 Colorful flowers at the festival 2011 Flower pics from the 2008 festival Well I won't bore you with the details, except to say it's from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Haiku Community Center on the Hana Highway by the Haiku Elementary School.  Will I see you there?  I hope to come back with some more colorful pictures this year!You can always search for Haiku Maui homes for sale on my website, then contact me with your questions...Georgie Hunter R(S) e-Pro, Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers127 Ha... 04/20/2016

Surinam Cherries  or Pitanga, can be stewed up just like strawberries or blueberries, to make a thick sweet jam.  We have a couple of these bushes and one of them has been producing an abundant crop of these little bright red berries, about the size of a cherry.Surinam Cherries - PitangaThey are tart to sweet, and loaded with vitamin C.  But how many can you eat at once?  Why not make jam?  Just put them in a pot with some sugar and boil it up until the mixture is thick and jammy.  Pick out the large seeds - usually one per cherry. Then pour into a sterilized jar and voila!  I was surprised to see how thick the jam was, so I guess there's a lot of pectin.Living in Haiku Maui affords us a lot of edible landscaping and we make the most of it.  Neighbors will share their plants with us, an... 04/10/2016

We love to be growing our own oranges in Haiku Maui!While it's taken some time for the trees to mature, it's been worth the wait of about 20 years.  It wouldn't have taken so long normally, but due to many adverse conditions these trees were slow to grow and produce fruit.  We had to amend the soil and there were a few years when we didn't give them enough attention.  But since some time has passed, the ground is much more fertile and the windbreaks have protected these fruit trees. Now we can enjoy some juicy ripe oranges right off the trees. Besides the delicious fruits, the orange blossoms are a real delight to smell!  Right now the trees are bearing a few oranges, and flowering as well.  The scent is heavenly, and reminds me of a visit to Orange County in California many many years ... 03/30/2016

If Europe is taking Roundup off their shelves, why aren't we?Do you wonder why the health of American is so bad, yet at the same time you can walk into any WalMart and see shelves and shelves of toxic products there for everyone to load up into their shopping carts?The European Union is way ahead of us on this front.  They have been banning the use and the sale of it in more and more countries.  How is that we are so slow to react in this country?  Does anyone care that cancer causing chemicals are applied by the ton to our public parks, roadsides and along waterways, let alone massive agricultural operations?Around the world, other countries are also banning products like Roundup which contain the poison glyphosate.  Russia, Sri Lanka, Peru and Argentina are seeing the light and steppi... 03/11/2016

Try Pangea - a new restaurant in downtown Haiku MauiWe are so lucky in Haiku with all the great restaurants and food trucks offering such a wide variety of foods when you don't feel like cooking...burger, pizza, Thai food, Japanese sushi, Chinese food, vegetarian, and more. Pangea, Haiku Maui   808-575-5055.The latest new addition we tried recently is Pangea, which took over from Hana Hou, in the parking lot at the Haiku Marketplace, at the intersection of Kokomo Rd. and Haiku Rd.  The atmosphere is pretty much the same as before, with indoor tables and a small bar, along with outside seating and live music.  But the food!  It's a lot more exciting and different.   Some interesting sounding highlights from the menu: Hawaii honeycomb with seasonal fruit, chevre, garlic toast, mustard and... 02/29/2016

 Attention Hella M Rothwell & Georgie Hunter in Hawaii I worked on a commercial building project in downtown San Jose California for 11 months in 2015 for a company named Center Glass.When I was working for Center Glass the foreman mentioned a 27 story commercial building they may be working on in Hawaii.When I heard this I mentioned several times to the foreman that if Center Glass landed the project that I would want to work on it.Center Glass should know some time in 2016 if they get the project in Hawaii. And there is a chance that I will be working in Hawaii. I have spoken to both Hella M Rothwell & Georgie Hunter within comments at the ActiveRain network about my chances of working in Hawaii in the near future. And if Robert Vegas Bob Swetz does start working in Hawaii for the Cen... 02/16/2016

Are there monkeys on Maui? Yes, at a sanctuary in Haiku!You wouldn't expect to see monkeys on Maui, and you won't see them in the wild, but it's nice to know there is a safe haven for monkeys in Haiku.  The Pacific Primate Sanctuary is home to a number of monkeys that have been rescued from labs, animal dealers, smugglers and tourist attractions. Some of them are endangered species suffering from loss of habitat in a crowded world. The species being helped are: capuchins marmosets tamarins spider monkeys The Pacific Primate Sanctuary is a non-profit wildlife conservation program dedicated to helping threatened, endangered and distressed new-world monkeys. They are housed in naturalistic environments where they can see the sky and climb trees and forage for themselves.  They can experien... 02/09/2016

It's time to get back to blogging, and sharing Maui with the world.I have taken some time off in the past few weeks, time off from blogging that is.  Well it's been nagging at me and I'm ready to get back to work!  Many of you enjoy the beautiful pictures of Maui, especially during the cold winter months when you're digging out of snow drifts or driving to work in the dark. Some new listings in Haiku will provide eye candy to tease you about packing up and moving to Maui, or maybe just coming over for a short visit.  These photos are taken in Huelo, a part of Haiku Maui, on the north shore.  Both of them are off-grid properties currently listed for sale with Hawaii Life.  You can get all the details by clicking the links below the picture.  Yes, it really is this beautiful all year roun... 02/04/2016

Where do I buy gravel on Maui, and have it delivered?If you live in the countryside, like in Haiku Maui, or maybe Makawao or Kula, you're going to need some gravel from time to time.  I'm talking a truckload, not just a little scoop.  After a rainy season your gravel road might need freshening up.  Maybe you want to improve your Maui property for sale and make the driveway nice, with no pot holes or mud.  Who you gonna call?Earl Calasa  808-572-9361Call Earl Calasa, that's who to call.  Earl and Gigi live in Haiku Maui, and he knows his way around all the little roads of Upcountry.  He can haul your gravel and dump it in a nice pile, or he can even spread it from the back of his dump truck like a real pro!  This guy is the best.Thinking about buying or selling a home or property in Haik... 10/26/2015

Haiku Maui - new luxury listings offer some real surprisesLast week was the usual North Shore Maui Realtor Caravan, with lots of great new listings in Paia and Haiku featured and available to tour. We get together and visit the homes and properties as a way to preview for our clients.  It's fun to network and keep abreast of the real estate market.This past week offered up some fantastic luxury homes for sale and it's hard to say which one was the best!  My favorite would be 166 Apuwai St. which had a dramatic transformation from a run-down bank owned "windsurfer hotel" into a absolutely lovely trophy home.  The seller said it took 3 years to create such a well appointed custom residence that feels like a resort.  The results are just amazing and the home was so inviting it was hard to ... 10/13/2015

Off the grid land sale in Haiku Maui HI - super good dealJust last week (9/14/15) a really nice parcel of land sold in my neighborhood.  I've been waiting for it to close since I have clients in the same Ho'olawa Point subdivision and everyone wants to know the sale price.  After 3 months of suspense we now know that this 2.9 acres sold for only $445,300.  What makes this lot so special?  There are only 5 lots in the Ho'olawa Point Subdivision, so it's a very exclusive oceanfront development.  A private well services all the lots with potable water.  The ocean can be accessed by a footpath to a lovely little bay with a rocky beach.  This area is completely off the grid regarding Maui Electric and county water lines.  In this case the shared well is a huge benefit if an owner is not read... 09/23/2015