Aloha from Maui! I'm sitting at a Open House in Wailuku.  It is almost new 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhouse with a small fenced backyard. Large kitchen, nice bamboo laminate floors and staged very nicely.   When I started sitting opens here 2 months ago, it was priced at $424,000.  Now it is down to $396,000.   There are 15 active listings and 5 pendings in this same complex.  Similar units are priced from $385K-465K.  I'm sure the owner is asking,  "Why isn't my house selling?"In the central area of Maui, prices have stayed strong with 8% increase in last year in median condo prices.  So what is wrong?  The median condo price in this area is about $282,000 so these condos are "higher end".  Why should that impact this market?  If you think of basic segments of a market you have: Low end con... 04/20/2008

Work will close Wailuku block WAILUKU — One block of North Market Street between Wells and Main streets will be closed from Sunday morning until daylight Monday for construction work on the Market Street improvement project. The next block east, between Main and Vineyard streets, is being blocked from time to time at night, Sundays through Thursdays, until the middle of May as part of the same project. The contractor, Diversified Machinery Inc., is asking motorists to be alert and to use detours. From 9 a.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday, Market will be completely closed, but Wells and Main streets will remain open. Motorists should anticipate delays. Continuing work on the block that includes Iao Theater will require occasional street closings. Motorists will have to detour to High Street... 04/19/2008

Aloha I didn't post first Friday in time to get folks down town.  Yet I would like everyone to know that First Fridays in Wailuku are highly successful and people are coming out in large numbers. This last one we had was on April 4th 2008 and Gallerie Ha had Tommy Russo of Maui Time Weekly as a guest artist he was radical and was really into it. A guitarist named Halemanu played This young Band called Cody Quintana And The Phonemes My Band Sing Sing Laugh Laugh played  Down the street Na Koho was going off  I bought a t shirt from David Sandell who is a radical artist on Maui.  More then anything little ole Wailuku is jumping and a hopping on the first Friday of every month. Mapa Ballet Dancers   -- Jeffery B. Griffin Realtor® (B) ABR e-Pro Lucky We Live Hawaii 808-280-3442 cell 888-248... 04/08/2008

In light of ATA and Aloha airlines going down we have this announcement from the super ferry. We are pleased to announce that Hawaii Superferry's Alakai will be sailing, daily, between O‘ahu and Maui starting Monday, April 7. We welcome our valued customers on board by continuing our special fare - $39 each way - for voyages through June 5th. Now is a great time to book your Lei Day, Memorial Day weekend, or graduation getaway. Also coming up in May is the annual International Festival of Canoes on Maui and the 50th State Fair at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. Many of our residents have already enjoyed our low fares and the convenience of packing their coolers, surfboards, kayaks, and pets in their own car and visiting ‘ohana on other islands. Additionally, local farmers and businesses have... 04/04/2008

Where are we heading these days, the islands of Hawaii, this current time of economical dismay, the war, the rich, the poor, the homeless, the needy, the ultra rich and greedy. Just a few headlines I have scored, today this morning 8 am. the inconvenience of a power outage this was like a drill, sort practice of things to come. The future of the numb living, back to the basics. Aloha airlines shuts down, 1900 folks with out work. People with bills, mortgages, car payments, medical plans, health issues, Ohana's, children and grand parnets. "When Aloha first came in, they were responding to the prejudices of the time," Forman said. "They created an airlines that a person of any ethnicity could fly on and feel equally welcome. There are many old timers who still support Aloha for this reas... 04/03/2008

A measure designed to expand the venues in which licensed tattoo artists can work will have its final committee hearing in the Hawaii Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Friday. House Bill 2283 was drafted by a group of tattoo artists, with the help of state Rep. John Mizuno, D-Ft. Shafter-Alewa Heights, who wanted to stage Hawaii's first-ever tattoo convention called Hawaii Inked. State law requires that all tattoos must be done by a licensed tattoo artist in a permitted shop, in effect prohibiting any type of tattoo trade show or convention from taking place in Hawaii. The group is pushing for legislation that would create an exception to the law. The original measure proposed allowing the state Department of Health to issue 14-day certificates of registration to tattoo artists to ... 03/31/2008

I will be sitting open house Iao Parkside All Week end Long Iao Parkside 44-202. Iao Parkside 01-206. Easy to show cool breeze Saturday March 29th 1 to 4 pm Sunday March 30th 1 to 4 pm three bedrooms two bathrooms. 917 square feet of living space Maintenance fee $333 I know the Iao Parkside. Jeffery B. Griffin Realtor® ABR e-Pro Lucky We Live Hawaii 808-280-3442 cell 888-248-4015 toll free/information/message/fax Hawaii MLS LuckyComeHawaii@yahoo.com Century 21 all islands 7 E. Kaahumanu Ave. Kahului, HI 96732 03/25/2008

The projects are: • Waiehu Mauka Rental Housing (Lokahi Pacific), $1.2 million. Lokahi plans to develop 40 affordable rental units in seven multifamily buildings on a 6.5-acre lot in Waiehu. Total cost is estimated at $6.9 million. Projected start date is March 2009. • 901 Lower Main St. (Habitat for Humanity), $1 million. Forty affordable homeownership apartments would be developed on land owned by Habitat for Humanity at 901 Lower Main St. in Wailuku. Total cost is $16.7 million. Projected start date is January 2009. • Wailuku Wahine Hale Transitional Housing (Lokahi Pacific, Women Helping Women), $1 million. The money would go toward the purchase of a building at 1592 Mill St., which would provide transitional housing to low-income women leaving Women Helping Women’s emergency shelte... 03/21/2008

Gary Kubota's Hokule`a book opening at 3 p.m. on March 15 (Saturday) at Gallerie Ha in Wailuku Aloha Fellow poets, artists, musicians and normal people: If you haven't heard, you have now. You're invited to a book signing/reading of Gary Kubota lyrical prose (I'd say poetry, but that scares some people) book about the voyage of the Hokulea. There will be photographs of the voyage on sale and fellow Hokule`a crew members, as well as a performance in Hawaiian and English.- Below is a press release with details. Attached is a flyer that you can print out and post! - Mahalo for your support, Gary News Release—March 5, 2008 BOOK TITLE: "To Honor Mau: The  Voyage of the Hokule`a Through Micronesia" A book signing /reading for “To Honor Mau: The Voyage Of The Hokule`a Through Micronesia” is pl... 03/05/2008

This is fun and easy photo to take in the Iao Valley. It is by the pagoda. A Japanese shrine. A friend of mine Patti LeGary showed this to me in 2000. She's a wonderful photographer who has since left the island. If anyone wants their picture taken her just give me a call. Jeff @ 808-280-3442 I love meeting new people and taking photos. I might even buy you lunch. Aloha ha ha 02/27/2008

“NEW LIFE SHOW” 15 years on Maui studio relocation sale rik fitch Friday, Saturday, Sunday 2008 February 22, 23, 24 10 a.m.-4 p.m Gallerie Ha 51 N. Market St. Wailuku Town 244-3993 Howzit friends! Hope you can make it. As many of you know, Rik is the artist whose works are reminiscent of Van Gogh, but with a local twist. They can be found at places like Koho’s Restaurant, as well as in international collections. His works include some wonderful portraits from his student days in Vermont. For three days only, prices will be discounted 50%. ($500-1000.) Whether you purchase or not, it will be fun to just drop in… and bring a friend. Alo-hahaha! 02/22/2008

Seeking to end the flow of windblown plastic shopping bags across the Maui County landscape, County Council members joined a worldwide debate on use of the petroleum-based bags Wednesday. The Public Works and Facilities Committee also opened discussions on a resolution to support a bill in the state Senate to prohibit research involving genetic modification of taro. The committee lost its quorum after several hours of public testimony Wednesday morning and deferred action on the two issues, with Council Member Danny Mateo saying both deserved much more discussion and consensus building The proposal to ban plastic shopping bags, introduced by Council Member Michael Molina, would require businesses with annual gross sales of more than $250,000 to provide compostable plastic bags, recyclab... 02/21/2008

WAILUKU — The County Council Policy Committee on Tuesday recommended authorizing the purchase of a site for a county morgue. The county has already budgeted $2.9 million to buy the 8,324-square-foot, two-story Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii building on Wili Pa Loop, with additional funds available for renovations. The county’s existing morgue is a small, cramped facility housed at Maui Memorial Medical Center. “We outgrew it a lotta years ago,” said Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips. Council members rejected former Mayor Alan Arakawa’s request for $4 million for the morgue project in 2006 but approved it when Mayor Charmaine Tavares made the same proposal last year. The item is expected to go before the full council for first reading March 7. 02/21/2008

The Wailuku Inn  stays a B & B. This is a grand old home that has been refurbished and loved.In another matter, the committee voted 8-0 to recommend a 10-year conditional permit for the Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono to operate as a transient vacation rental. The vacation rental was initiated as a bed and breakfast more than 10 years ago by owners Janice and Thomas Fairbanks and has been expanded to 10 bedrooms on a half-acre property. The rentals are in a restored historic home at 2199 Kahookele St. 02/09/2008

Nevada – 1 in 61 householdsCalifornia – 1 in 88 householdsFlorida– 1 in 95 householdsMichigan– 1 in 102 householdsOhio– 1 in 107 householdsColorado– 1 in 109 householdsArizona– 1 in 112 householdsGeorgia– 1 in 142 householdsIndiana– 1 in 196 householdsTexas– 1 in 205 householdsNevada is the worst state having nearly 1 in 61 homes in foreclosure up 200 percent since last year. Since a huge portion of the market was speculation in Nevada and Las Vegas this was not the mortgage money that was lost but instead investment dollars. None the less, the combination of heartache and opportunity will remain the longstanding tradition that is Las Vegas. 02/06/2008

First Fridays   Aloha ha It's that time again when I remind you to stop in to old Wailuku after work on the first Friday of the month 5 to 7pm. I would appreciate seeing some smiling faces down here. We have several loan companies to visit that you can network with. Kamaaina properties, old school Maui Realtors, a few solo brokers and permanent fixtures in the Maui Wailuku real estate scene are seen around this event.   Chris Hart just opened up a donut shop on Central and Vineyard, cheap coffee and donuts come down and support him, he surely has done great things for old Wailuku. Pat Masumoto's Gallerie Ha is always a continuing hot bed of creativity, the celebrity guest artist is Adel Rugg is known by many, she is the Queen Diva dell'lucious of the red hot momma's of Maui, in other wo... 01/31/2008

Ma’alaea Properties LLC plans to develop a large $400 million subdivision on 257 acres of former sugar-cane fields south of Wailuku on the island of Maui, despite opposition from the County Department of Planning and nearby residents. Plans for the Ma’alaea Mauka development include 949 residential units in a mix of single-family homes, multifamily units, senior housing, and rental apartments plus 37 acres of open space. the site is classified as prime agricultural land by the state and zoned for agricultural use. 01/30/2008

WAILUKU – Computers, televisions, stereo systems, cell phones and any electronic product with a circuit board can be “e-cycled” Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the War Memorial Stadium parking lot. Participants can also investigate a reuse site, where working electronic gear will be given away as part of the e-cycling event supported by Maui County and managed by Habitat for Humanity. The electronics recycling project is intended to keep the gear that contains toxic but recyclable metals out of the county landfills. Equipment that can be reused will be repaired and given away or donated; obsolete or unrepairable equipment will be shipped to an electronics recycler. An e-cycling day will be held for businesses and agencies with large loads of equipment on Friday. The Saturday event is... 01/24/2008

Aloha First Friday of Wailuku is here again. December 7th 2007, 5 to 7 pm. Should be a great time as always with music, food, drinks and retail shopping. The Banyan Tree on the corner of Vineyard will have a lighting ceremony at 6pm. The Mayor will be a guest painter at Gallerie Ha and there will be music in many of the stores. One feature is Request Music has an eight piece reggae band playing. Lets hope the rain stays away tomorrow. mahalo    Jeffery B GriffinRealtor® (B) ABR, GRI,  e-Pro eCertified®808-280-3442 cell888-248-4015 toll free/information/message/faxhttp://www.LuckyComeHawaii.commailto:Jeff@LuckyComeHawaii.comCentury 21 All Islands7 E. Kaahumanu Ave.Kahului, HI 96732"Lucky We Live Hawaii"   12/06/2007

WAILUKU, Hawaii _ With sunset still arriving earlier every evening, parks officials on Maui say they may be willing to keep some beaches open later. Gates to beach parks have been locked up at 7 p.m., partly to cut down on drunkenness, vandalism, disorderly conduct and other crimes at public beaches and parks. Most of the popular parks in South Maui are closed to any after-dark activity. But Maui Parks Director Tamara Horcajo says some residents have been asking that beaches be kept open as late as 9 or 10 p.m. County officials heard such appeals at a recent meeting in the Kihei area and are expected to make a decision soon. 11/20/2007