Betty Sakamoto: Aloha and welcome to Betty’s real estate corner, brought to you by Roy and Betty Sakamoto. We may – I think we should rename this Roy and Betty’s real estate corner because we’re doing it mostly.
Roy Sakamoto: No, it’s always been Betty’s real estate.
BS: So, we’ll just leave it. We’ll leave it for now, then. Well, here we are. We’ve got another day going on. We’re here over at KAOI and fortunately, we’re hearing from a lot of people that have been listening to us. And it was great, with Cindy, Cindy Paulos. We talked off and on, as politics were more or less coming to a close and I had a lot of fun chatting with her and thinking about it. And we’ve had a lot of comments on that. Cindy’s, they show there right after the election, we weren’t involved in that, but Cindy did a fabulous job. It was really, really great.
RS: And it’s nice to have the elections over, really. Now we can move on and support whoever got elected.
BS: I think that’s the greatest statement, Roy, is that I think it’s time for all of us, whoever it is, let’s support the person for four years. It’s not going to kill us. And we might just get something done that will surprise us. And I think we also have to remember, whatever the things are we want, aren’t always exactly what someone else wants or what is going to be the best for our community for the next four years. But let’s give support and we got something, I’m sure that’ll be exactly what we thought should happen and a few other things won’t be. But again, if we don’t support one another, it’s never, ever, ever going to work.
RS: And that’s life.
BS: That’s life. What’s the old… Send in the clowns. I thought that you’d want what I wanted. Sorry, my dear. Yeah. Anyway, so we’re going to do some real estate today we’re hoping for.
RS: We’ll do some real estate, but also community affairs.
BS: Hale Makua. Over the years, we’ve talked a lot about this. This year, are they able to have people coming in to do singing, etc., or is that still kind of closed?
RS: Not as yet.
BS: Okay.
RS: Very guarded. As far as, you know, the COVID virus is still active in the community. And so now very, very limited. I think there are ways you can get in with the same singing group if everybody’s been vaccinated and boosted and so forth, but very guarded as far as who is able to get on campus.
BS: Yeah, it really is hard. But I do think over the holidays at Hale Makua, there have been so many great people that have gone by and sang for the guests or for the residents. And that really has been spectacular for them. So, I hope they get to have a little bit of happiness.
RS: I think they will. What’s been great? The Maui Humane Society has brought over some cats and dogs.
BS: Oh, that’s so great.
RS: To the residence to associate with, and just to see the residents beaming as they pet a dog or a cat. It’s amazing.
BS: It really is. Roy and I are both pet lovers, and we have cats, and I wish we would have a dog, but somewhere a cat found us a long time ago and the number has grown up to three and it’s been pretty great. But again, we come home, and you’ve got these great little people just sitting there waiting for you and happy and playful and it really does bring a lot to your life and to see the people at Hale Makua appreciate that. When the Humane Society comes by, it’s got to make such a huge difference. Everyone has had a cat or a dog or a loved one at some time.
RS: Totally. Yeah. Yeah.
BS: But Hale Makua is amazing, Roy.
RS: As we get into the holiday season, like we are right now, 1st of December, I can’t believe it’s December already. Wow.
BS: I can’t either.
RS: It’s a great time to sit back, reflect and see what we can do for our community. We’ve talked about Hale Makua. We’ve talked about the Maui Food Bank. Lots and lots of great Maui charities out there. And whoever you like, please support them.
BS: Absolutely Roy, and one of the biggest things has been the food bank. And we’ve talked about that a lot. And as the holidays come up right now, that is another time for any of us – nobody wants to ever think of anybody in our world hungry. So, let’s say if you take the whole island of Maui and we know that people are hungry today, let’s try to make it joyful for them, which I know the food bank does make nice get-togethers and gatherings and…
RS: Don’t forget, for every dollar you donate to the Maui Food Bank, it feeds four people.
BS: That is so amazing. So, it makes you realize also how many more people are involved in making the food bank work. Because nobody can make four meals out of a dollar. So obviously they’re getting contributions – so many. And we should actually get a list and say that on the radio one of these days.
RS: Yeah, absolutely. Maybe have somebody from Maui Food Bank on.
BS: Good idea. We should do that because it is very, very amazing.
RS: The many volunteers they have are fantastic. What a group effort.
BS: And it’s fun to just hear them talk because they are all so attached to the people that work there.
RS: And we just did something today I didn’t know we could do. I think a lot of people have the app, the dining app, Open Table, where you make reservations for dining anywhere, or a lot of places on Maui, wherever you travel. And we’ve used it quite often wherever we travel. We’ve used it here on Maui and I know we get points, but I never realized what we did with the points. And today we were asked if we would donate 600 points, which would make 30 meals, 30 meals that would be donated for 600 points. So, we did we donated 600 points. I think we have more points. I got to find out how many points we have, but what a great way to – doesn’t cost us anything – making the reservations was great, easy to go to Honu or wherever make reservations. And then to be able to donate these points to an organization that will supply free meals.
BS: That’s a lot of meals, too.
RS: Yeah.
BS: That’s amazing. I bet everybody that does that Open Table takes a look today and figures it out. I didn’t realize that you’d mentioned that this morning, but you actually got it accomplished.
RS: Yeah. Was able to do it and I think we do have more points, so we’ll figure that out.
BS: Probably not another 600 or maybe we do.
RS: Maybe
BS: Maybe. Okay.
RS: We’ve used Open Table for quite a while, so whoever’s out there using Open Table check and see if you can donate your points for free meals. It’s a great way to donate back to the community.
BS: Especially right now during the holiday season because again, hunger is so difficult. It sounds almost too simplistic to say it that way, but it should be fun to have something over the holidays where people go, it’s festive, they can take their children and it’s a party atmosphere. Look into it if you need something to do for the holidays and you’re having difficulties or check and see, check with the food bank and see if you can help out. Because I think there’s so many ways to be involved.
RS: Yes, I think you can get to Maui Food Bank by mauifoodbank.org. And also, we spoke about Hale Makua. Halemakua.org, for donations. Many of us are looking for year-end donations for tax write-offs and what a great way to do it.
BS: It really is. Lahainaluna Highschool. The Lahainaluna High School Foundation is really another great organization that does their best to help students with any needs. And you would have to contact them also. I think it’s lahainalunahighschoolfoundation.org.
RS: I think so.
BS: If it’s not, I’m sure if you just Google the Lahainaluna High School Foundation – I don’t know why I’m drawing a blank on it. I’m on the board, but it really is an amazing school.
RS: What the foundation does for the students of Lahainaluna – it’s the needs of students are many, not only financially but also emotionally. And I think the foundation does a great job of supporting Lahainaluna High School.
BS: Over the last couple of years, I know that we ended up putting air conditioning units into any classroom that didn’t have one. The very fact that there was a high school classroom at Lahainaluna that didn’t have air conditioning was totally bizarre in my mind. But as of last year, I know that we did get every classroom – hopefully. I think it’s time for everyone to have air conditioning. So, there are a lot of things that are happening. What about real estate?
RS: What about real estate? Yeah, absolutely. We’ve got a few of our listings here – Coldwell Banker Island Properties. And again, you can always reach Roy, myself, at (808) 870-7060 and Betty at (808) 870-7062.
BS: One of the listings the office has right now, Mary Anne Fitch, who is (808) 250-1583, is located at 5045 Lower Honoapiilani Road. It’s a four bedroom, three and a half bath. It’s a little private gated community. It has its own swimming pool listed at $1,900,000. Really a great little home, great place to live. You’re very close to Kapalua. You can walk up to the Napili market. For anybody, it’s really a really spectacular location. So, give Mary Anne a call about that and she’ll bring you up to date. I think that really is worth talking to someone on that one. Great, great property, gated community, etc. So, give her a call.
RS: Here’s something we haven’t talked about before, and that’s a business that’s for sale. It’s Dina’s Sandwich Restaurant and Bar at the Sugar Beach Resort in Kihei. And oftentimes we get asked by people what kind of businesses are for sale. And here’s one for sale at $248,000. It’s an established restaurant and bar at the Sugar Beach Resort in Kihei, and it’s listed at $248,000 by Cliff Jordan with Coldwell Banker Island Properties. Cliff can be reached at (808) 446-5350. Cliff Jordan. And tell him you’re interested in Dana’s Sandwich Restaurant and Bar.
BS: There’s so many different properties right now. We’re at a time that we almost – everybody says nothing for sale. And it is difficult, especially in price ranges that, say, are attractive to our local residents. But one thing that I would say for that, it’s not like we’re going to come up with a bunch of them right now but call your real estate agent or call someone that you know that sells real estate. Just find someone. Everybody these days seems to know somebody and if that’s what you’re looking for, get together, get on a list with them, if you’re going to be a first-time home buyer, how to get on the list. Because all of a sudden, we’re going to have properties that are available. There are going to be a variety in the next couple of years where we’re going to have properties that will work for first-time homebuyers. They’ll call it workforce housing or… it’ll happen. So, get set up with your realtor ahead of time and they might just find something else that pops on the market when you’re ready or work with them. Ethan Kaleiopu from our office. He’s spectacular about trying to help people – he’s very young himself – but be able to get in and buy a place. He’ll work with you, figuring out how you handle your finances. He has somebody that he works with closely that’s been trying to see to it that you are able to qualify and that you work toward maybe bringing down debt, not ending up with high credit card responsibilities, etc. And anybody can do that, you know, but find a realtor ahead of time and work with them. And there’s lots and lots of people to do that. Find a Coldwell Banker agent. If you call us, we’ll try to help you get Ethan working with you or figure out the best way for you to be ready.
RS: Absolutely. Doesn’t matter where you’re looking. If you’re looking in Wailuku, if you’re druther is Kahului or Pukalani or wherever we’ve got offices all over. And we can refer you to agents that specialize in these areas too. Again, call Betty Sakamoto (808) 870-7062 or Roy at (808) 870-7060. Or go to our website if you want to do some anonymous shopping – sakamotoproperties.com. And by clicking around our website, you’ll be able to access all the listings in the Maui Multiple Listing Service. So go to sakamotoproperties.com.
BS: It’s a great website actually. It’ll get you into any properties that are listed with the Board of Realtors, and you can figure out almost anything. You can send us a message from there if you want, or again, we’re happy no matter who deals with anyone. Coldwell Banker is really a great source, and you can reach us to talk to us about it or get a reference from us if it’s in an area that we aren’t specializing in, the other side of the island.
RS: And I think the big key is to work with a realtor. A realtor subscribes to a higher code of ethics than just an average licensee. To be a member of the board is not easy. You’ve got to go through some testing and so forth. Deal with a licensed realtor. And again, we can help you find one.
BS: Absolutely. Here’s a listing, Roy. This gets us up in the upper end of listings. 1000 Sunset Place. Listed at $4,550,000. Four bedrooms, four and a half baths. It has a really nice view and is in good shape. It’s not a brand-new home, so at some point, you’re going to end up doing upgrades, but really nice, nice home on a corner. And I would talk to Mihaela Stoops on that one. Her phone number is (808) 357-4000. And she would be the one that would get you in there to see it, etc. So, give Mihaela a call, (808) 357-4000. And she would also be able to represent you in other properties that you’d like to talk about. She’s a realtor that is very responsible and will be there for you and find anything you want. Excellent at financing.
RS: That’s a fairly easy property to view also – 1000 Sunset at Pineapple Hill – and contact Mihaela. Here’s the listing by Myrna Ah Hee from our Coldwell Banker office. This is in Lahaina. The address is 660 Luakini Street. It’s a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home about 2,164 square feet. Listed price is $2,500,000. It’s right in downtown Lahaina on Luakini Street and Myrna Ah Hee is the listing agent. She can be reached at (808) 264-8794. Call Myrna and tell her you’d like to see 660 Luakini Street.
BS: Here’s another one, Roy, that we haven’t talked about much for a while, and we’ve sold a number of these units over the years at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. Unit 142628 located right oceanfront listed at $4,250,000. Spectacular, two bedrooms, two baths, fabulous rental program there. Typically, this is going to be your second homeowner or investor buyer, but really fantastic. Listed by Daniel Toth (808) 268-7614 and again give him a call – or any of our agents – that’s Coldwell Banker Kapalua. Any of our agents that you work with is really well worth asking what else is on the market if this isn’t for you. But I think the Ritz-Carlton residences at Kapalua is a spectacular property and this one has unbelievable views.
RS: We’re very familiar with the Ritz-Carlton at Kapalua, and we had a client actually a few years ago who bought a few of these units for kind of her senior housing.
BS: She did. She bought four of the units, two on each side. So that her plan was that the one side, she was an artist, and she wanted the ones that were on the side where the sun rises because it has the morning sun. And she thought that would be really great as she liked the light there. And then the other side she had two units where she’d be able to utilize the afternoon sun and there was a lot more going on out there. The pool was out there.
RS: The courtyard.
BS: Music – you can hear all the music from the hotel. And she loved it. She absolutely loved it.
RS: Kind of an upscale assisted living. But what a great idea.
BS: Absolutely. She was going to have room for some help, so she had one where she’d be able to have some assistance. She also did a lot for Maui.
RS: Right
BS: And she deserved anything she did for herself.
RS: You’ve got total security. You’ve got 24-hour room service. Nice assisted living.
BS: They’ll bring you anything, mostly for 24 hours a day.
RS: That’s right.
BS: And you’re not alone.
RS: No, absolutely.
BS: She had it set up in a way that it was going to work. She also helps Hale Makua a lot and Lahainaluna High School a lot.
RS: Yes
BS: Amazing what she did for the community.
RS: Fantastic lady, and we miss her. But you know, it’s all good. And Ritz-Carlton. Kapalua.
BS: Another thing Ritz-Carlton – dinner. We’ve decided that one of our favorite spots for dinner – we live at Kapalua, we’re fortunate to be able to do that – but we can go there. There is a bar area there, and they have a fabulous sushi chef that’s there pretty much every day now. And they have a burger called a smash burger that you almost feel like you’ve got to have – it’s so good. They’ve got some great sandwiches. The sushi, you’ve just got to have some of that. And the view is really great. There’s music every night, Hawaiian music, and it’s really a pick me up.
RS: Come at 6 o’clock for the sunset ceremony. There was a ceremony acknowledging the Bay and acknowledging the history of Kapalua, where the Ritz-Carlton is situated, with the ancient burial grounds and so forth, and quite an interesting sunset ceremony. And then the music starts right afterward.
BS: The sunset ceremony really is powerful.
RS: Yes
BS: And it’s fun to go there. And we can all get a little lackadaisical, let’s say most of us. But you get there and if you just stop for a moment and listen to that and watch our visitors and how they look at it, everybody will almost get up and move over and want to listen and find out what is doing and what’s going on. And he tells the story of exactly what happened and how the burial sites were found and how the decision was made with the County and the Hawaiian Foundations.
RS: Right
BS: I can’t remember that.
RS: That’s another organization speaking about the Ritz-Carlton. They do a lot for the community.
BS: Oh, absolutely.
RS: And they help maintain the Hawaiian history and the Hawaiian spirit. Andrew Rogers, the general manager, is a friend of ours, a good friend of ours, but he’s very much into keeping the history of Hawaii going and the history of that area around the Ritz-Carlton and Kapalua.
BS: He has to be one of the best general managers of any hotel that we’ve known.
RS: No question. You can go there for breakfast, and you’ll run into Andrew. You can go there in the evening and run into Andrew.
BS: If you overstay at nighttime, if you’re just there a little too late, Andrew will suddenly be there.
BS: And a wonderful family and a super puppy. Some of our favorite people there. We’re not we’re at the two-minute warning.
RS: We’ve got time for.
BS: Another property?
RS: Yeah, maybe a quick blurb on our new listing at Kapalua. It’s a two-bedroom, three-bath unit at The Ridge. Apartment number is 1223-24. It has two doors basically for the apartment and listed at $1,750,000. A rare commodity – A two-bedroom at The Ridge that’s on the market.
BS: Right now, is the only Ridge unit listed.
RS: It’s only one.
BS: And it’s been listed for, I think 24 hours.
RS: Yeah, we actually hit the market two days ago. We had I think seven showings yesterday and four so far this morning.
BS: And they’re still going on without us right now.
RS: And we do have an offer in on it. So, if you’d like to see it, call myself, Roy (808) 870-7060.
BS: And listen, we got Danny Couch coming back up right now, so we are signing off quickly. Call us any time and we’ll be there for you.
BS: Absolutely
RS: And listen for Danny Couch Christmas music too.
RS: Aloha.
BS: Aloha.
