Betty Sakamoto: Aloha and welcome to Betty’s Real Estate Corner, brought to you by Coldwell Banker Sakamoto Properties, Roy and Betty Sakamoto. In the studio, today happens to be the famous Cindy Paulos who does everything at the studio. She could run anything. She runs the world.
Cindy Paulos: I couldn’t do what Gary does, though.
BS: No. Gary is the amazing one here because he actually.
CP: His very good at producing and engineering. He’s a rock.
BS: He produces and engineers and he’s a rockstar.
CP: He’s a rock.
BS: He is an amazing man.
CP: He answers phones, he does trafficking, and he does everything.
BS: He does trafficking?
CP: He does it even if. He does, not that kind of traffic. No sex slaves. No, no, we are talking, putting, and inputting commercials and things on the computer.
BS: Too funny. We have Roy on the way here in a little bit, however, not here yet. Cindy and I thought we’d have a good conversation at the moment because we were all in our own ways involved in.
CP: Election coverage.
BS: Election coverage.
CP: It wouldn’t have been possible without you. And I have to. You and Roy have for years and years supported election coverage. You’ve always encouraged people to be engaged, and you have a great way of encouraging people to stay engaged.
BS: We try really.
CP: I think the people who were involved were engaged but then there’s that we still were disappointed by not having more of a bigger turnout on Maui.
BS: It is hard, and I think maybe we’ve got to all start talking about it earlier and earlier because I think it will matter. Cindy and I a few minutes ago were talking about the other thing we have to do now is stop for a moment and whoever we wanted, whoever we voted for, whoever we love, whoever we quote hate, whatever it is, we got to support the winners. They’re the ones that are going to make life better for us, maybe make life a little not as good, but let’s just go with it because it’s what we’ve got. And if we don’t love it, we’ve got four years and then let’s get everybody out to vote again, and let’s talk to everybody, and let’s care. And it’s hard. I know it’s hard because everybody’s too busy, but you know what I’m saying, Cindy? I mean just text.
CP: You always talk about aloha, and that’s what aloha is. Aloha is maybe you were engaged in really behind the person and like the person we’re friends is very easy on the side to be friends with someone who is running. It’s hard not to be friends with someone who is running. But the idea is, yes, you do get behind whatever is the outcome. And you know what? Everyone’s got some part of aloha and good in them, and you just work for the good to be working for the best of all. It’s goodwill towards all, you know?
BS: I think so, too. And I mean, again, it’s easier to go stamping off and don’t like them and figure you’re just going to wait for four years. But maybe if you support and you make a point of asking for what we all need or for what the people that are close to you need or I need, and if we all just step up and help, I mean, there’s so many things happening and look who’s walking into the studio.
C: Perfect timing.
BS: Roy Sakamoto. I think Roy’s been driving along, listening to Cindy and I and our political part. But here we are Roy Sakamoto is here in the studio, so it’ll be kind of fun to see where we’re all at.
Roy Sakamoto: It was great. I heard you starting the show with Cindy.
BS: Oh, good.
RS: It’s kind of an ohana feeling here in a radio station.
BS: Isn’t it?
RS: Yeah
BS: Yes, it is. Because it was fun that I could get here. I’ve done it alone. But I got to say, everybody that knows me, knows I can talk for a half hour, and you can’t shut me up. However, when I get here, it’s easy to kind of do a little what am I going to say? I love if Roy’s with me because we seem to always be able to have enough to say. And Cindy, we just kind of immediately went toward the elections. I don’t know if you got to hear at the point where we’re saying, let’s all now stop and support whoever won.
RS: Absolutely.
BS: It’s what we’ve got to do to make our life better for the next four years.
RS: That’s what democracy is all about.
BS: Right. I mean, actually, the greatest statement you just said, that’s what democracy is all about. It doesn’t matter Republican-Democrat. It matters that we all do our best to work together and care about one another.
RS: I think it’s important to be able to discuss different issues. I just got out of a very, very, very I wouldn’t say a heated, but a very much discussed Hale Makua board meeting. Where we had one topic in particular and we spent about 20 minutes discussing different aspects of it. And, you know, then we ended up with a vote and the majority won and we’ll go with it.
BS: That’s good. I mean, because I do think everybody has to know Hale Makua, the local nursing homes and they are spectacular. And Roy’s been on the board since just before his mother passed away.
RS: A long time.
BS: Long time. Yes. And it’s an amazing facility. They do so much and they’re so kind and they’ve seen so many people come through, young people that maybe had a stroke and needed to have in, you know, not in home, but in the facility care, and that have walked out proud and happy. When they first walked in there, they were so surly and unhappy, and they didn’t want to be there. They just wanted to be home. But they change their life by just accepting and being at Hale Makua.
RS: Yeah. A lot of people look on Hale Makua as a kind of the old folk song. We go to Hale Makua to get ready to die. Not true. We serve the frail and elderly of Maui, and the frail could be as young as a four-month-old baby who we’ve taken care of all the way up to hundred-year-plus residents.
BS: Remember Luna, Mr. Luna, I can’t remember right now his first name. He was amazing.
RS: Right.
BS: He took such great care of him.
RS: Yes
BS: Amazing. What about some real estate?
RS: Well, you know, one thing, and driving over I made pretty good time from Lahaina to Wailuku, but I heard it was probably a public service announcement on KAOI about the Maui Food Bank. A donation of $25 will supply a Thanksgiving meal for a family. A $100 donation, you will supply for Thanksgiving meals for four families.
BS: Four families.
RS: What a great thing. Maui Food Bank, I think the number was over 12,000 meals last month and wow, that’s a lot of hungry people that we have here in Maui. Hungry and needy. By going to mauifoodbank.org you can find out how to donate. How to donate time and money to Maui Foodbank.
BS: Anybody that is not going to be having their own Thanksgiving dinner and that needs help, I know can be involved in Lahaina. I would think that you’d call the Maui Food Bank for your family. They do an amazing thing. I think they do it they’re at Kamehameha cooking Kam third.
RS: Right.
BS: And it’s supposed to be really great. They used to do it at a different location. Do you remember?
RS: The Hard Rock.
BS: The Hard Rock Cafe and that closed so now it’s there at the school, but it really is great. When you see something like that happening, you know that the people are welcome. I don’t think for that moment, for that day, for Thanksgiving, I think they all stop and are happy for Thanksgiving and they’re sharing it with the community. They’re having their family there and especially young kids, they don’t know. If everybody is just happy and caring and takes care of one another there, that’s Thanksgiving. And even if you didn’t have it at your own home, so support it and hope that they have room for everybody.
RS: And you can help by just coming out and serving.
BS: That’s right.
RS: Helping serve meals or deliver meals. Lots of different ways that it’s not only money but lots of different ways.
BS: We don’t have a number handy for the Maui Food Bank right now, but I think everybody can find it if you want.
RS: Right, mauifoodbank.org is the web page and very, very well worth your time visiting that. We had a nice surprise, one of our old clients, and I think they’ve heard this on our show, our radio show. We got a notice from the Maui Food Bank that these old clients had sent a donation in to Maui Food Bank.
BS: The Hudson’s. Amazing, amazing people. They’re such caring, they’re a great family. We’ve known them for probably close to 40 years. Their kids were babies.
RS: That’s right.
BS: Now they’re growing up and have their own kids.
RS: But they still have Maui in their hearts they’re from Edmond, Oklahoma. Thank you, John and Janet. Great donation. And thanks for all you do for Maui.
BS: They’ve really done a lot.
RS: They’ve also been big supporters of Hale Makua.
BS: Right, Hale Makua and the Food Bank.
RS: Right.
BS: I mean, that really makes us feel good that they care about what we care about. And think about that for all of us you know, a lot of people are so critical of our visitors, and I think it’s time to stop that, too. In so many cases, our visitors also support a lot of the causes that are important to us.
RS: Oh, so fantastic.
BS: Have a little love in our heart for that, too.
RS: Yeah. We’re not totally a real estate show.
BS: No, it’s not. Totally. We drift off, but we may be totally back on it by next week. We’ll see.
RS: You know, on the promise we made was to talk briefly about restaurants we patronize.
BS: Oh, true.
RS: Remember that?
BS: Yes. We’ve done that off and on. Roy’s right now. Now, Roy’s restaurant is an especially important one to talk about, because, in the early days, they thought it was our restaurant. People thought that Roy was Roy Sakamoto, not Yamaguchi. But anyway, it is one of the greatest restaurants. I mean, he is one of the greatest chefs in Hawaii ever.
RS: Yeah. And it’s funny, over the years, we’ve gotten to be very good friends.
BS: Yes
RS: With Roy.
BS: We go to the Kaanapali restaurant probably a few, often a few times a week, usually for a late lunch. It’s really the food is fabulous, and we love it and we love everybody there. So go there. I mean, make a reservation. Roy’s Kaanapali.
RS: And how about the Sea House?
BS: Oh, the Sea House everybody knows Napili Kai.
RS: Yeah
BS: That’s another spot that we love.
BS: Right on the ocean.
BS: It makes you feel good.
RS: Right. One nice thing, they also have kamaaina discount.
BS: Yeah, they do. They have a really good both of those have a great kamaaina discount.
RS: Yeah. For residents that are listening in try the Sea House. I think many of you have. They’re a great organization there. Great location right on the water at Napili Bay.
BS: You can take your bathing suit with you and go right in the water.
RS: Oh, yeah.
BS: And when you’re there sitting in that restaurant, even if you haven’t been in the water as much as we once were, it does make you want to get back in the water.
RS: Absolutely.
BS: It’s the greatest feeling there. And the food is really good. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
RS: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
BS: It’s really, really good. What else are you thinking right now?
RS: Well, you know, we’ve gone lately to The Ritz-Carlton at Kapalua.
BS: Yes
RS: Alaloa Lounge, which is right off the lobby, one of the best hamburgers you can ever have.
BS: It’s a Smashburger.
RS: Smashburger.
BS: You know how they came up with that, but it is a great hamburger, really super. I mean, we’ll end up sharing it and getting a salad or getting some sushi with it.
BS: Yeah, there’s a sushi bar you can get sashimi. A whole lot of them different items.
BS: What’s the crispy rice thing? What do they call that? The ahi crispy rice or something.
RS: Right
BS: That is one of my favorite things.
RS: Yeah
BS: I don’t know how they crisp up that rice, but we ought to learn.
RS: Not sure.
BS: No, it is really great. And everybody there is great. There’s music every night, which is really good.
RS: Yeah. Get there before six. And there’s a fantastic sunset ceremony that they do every night at 6 o’clock. Honoring the ancestors that preceded us at Honolua Bay and the environments right there. It’s a great ceremony and then there’s music right after that.
BS: The Ritz-Carlton, I mean, an interesting story that most everyone that lives here knows that when The Ritz was under construction, they found thousands of burial sites out in front there, and they had to move the hotel way back.
BS: Right.
RS: But they still have out there an area totally dedicated and I believe everybody was re-entombed more or less out there.
RS: Right
BS: The grave sites so that when they make this, when they talk about it every night, it really is respectful and beautiful. And I think everybody staying at The Ritz-Carlton feels it. It’s a lot of aloha there.
RS: A lot of aloha and kamaaina discount.
BS: And kamaaina discount.
RS: Also
BS: In reality, everybody assumes it’ll be way too expensive.
RS: It’s not.
BS: If you just pay attention, I mean, you don’t need to over-order and spend a ton of money, but you can really go in there as a couple and have enough to eat. When you walk out of there, you’re going to feel great.
RS: Absolutely. And how about Frida’s?
BS: Frida’s, love Frida’s.
RS: Mark Ellman’s, Frida’s, right on the ocean, right in Lahaina, on the ocean side of Safeway, and great Mexican food, great location, and kamaaina prices again.
BS: And they have my favorite drink Arnold Palmer on the beach.
RS: Yes
BS: Which is an Arnold Palmer, but they add guava juice to it and it’s so good. It’s just so refreshing. One of my all-time favorite things.
RS: One last restaurant, maybe Honu.
BS: Love Honu. Yeah
RS: Right adjacent to Frida’s and right on the ocean. Best clam chowder in Hawaii, for sure.
BS: Everything really is good there. The ahi bruschetta.
RS: Yeah
BS: All-time favorite thing. And then what’s the new dish? The ahi, it’s an ahi.
RS: Ahi poke plate.
BS: Plate, okay, so it’s got really, really nice, kind of almost warmish rice, but not quite warm.
RS: Brown rice.
BS: Brown rice. And it has I don’t know what it is. Oh, it’s got guacamole or probably not guacamole, but I don’t know it’s fabulous. Whatever it is, we’ll get in there and share one of those too.
RS: Yeah, we just had it yesterday.
BS: Yeah, really super.
RS: Yeah
BS: And it’s easy sometimes you’ll have to park over in the shopping center, but then you can work off some of the food on the way back to get your car. That all works, too. And you’ll often see little Honu when you’re sitting there.
RS: A lot of turtles right out there.
BS: Yeah, that’s really fun. We actually saw two small sharks there once.
RS: Yeah
BS: That was a little interesting.
RS: And kamaaina discount also.
BS: And kamaaina discount.
RS: Yeah
BS: That matters really to all of us, I think. It’s fun to go someplace where they’re good and I think they only do a kamaaina discount Honu at lunchtime.
RS: Right.
BS: They don’t do a dinner one anymore because I think it got to.
RS: Too complicated.
BS: Too complicated and whatnot. But again, we tend to be the lunch crowd these days anyway, so we’ll end up home.
RS: So, how about some real estate?
BS: Okay. What are you thinking?
RS: Well, we’ve actually got a new listing that’s not formally on the market yet. It’s a two-bedroom, three-bath at The Ridge at Kapalua. It’s on the second floor, two bedrooms. It’s about 2,100 square feet. So very spacious looking right down the third fairway of the bay course onto the ocean, Lanai, Molokai. And it’s coming on at a great price of $1,750,000.
BS: Nicely upgraded.
RS: Very nicely upgraded.
BS: It’s an older upgrade, but I think spectacular.
RS: Yeah. Any time you want to take a look at this give me a call. Roy at (808) 870-7060 or Betty at (808) 870-7062.
BS: It’s going to be a little hard for us to get in and out because they have it rented off and on until April. It does look like we’re going to have that sold pretty quickly.
RS: I think so.
BS: Yeah
RS: It’s not formally on the market, as I mentioned but you know there’s nothing else for sale right now at The Ridge.
BS: It’ll be on within a couple of days.
RS: Right
BS: So give us a call. We are going to be able to get in there, I think, today and tomorrow and then it’ll be tied up for a week, I think.
RS: Yeah
BS: Give us a call.
RS: And we’ve also got a fantastic new oceanfront home coming on the market towards the end of the month. This is at 59 Hale Malia Place. Hale Malia is a nice private oceanfront subdivision. This is coming on at $16,000,000 main house has three bedrooms, three and a half baths. It’s got an ohana, a two-bedroom, one-bath ohana. Nice swimming pool. You’re on about a half-acre. This is in Kahana, Napili area. And you look North to Kapalua and South to the Kahana area, just about 180-degree ocean view directly looking at Lanai and Molokai, fantastic location.
BS: And it really beautifully built, spectacular home, easy living and you’re just sitting on the water and very unusual layout and everyone has seen it so far loves it.
RS: Oh, no question.
BS: Spectacular.
RS: Absolutely. And to be on a half-acre oceanfront, it’s fantastic.
BS: Then if we go to the opposite side of the market, more or less. We’ve got some really nice listings right now and I’m trying to be careful that I don’t tell you one that’s already sold. At Kahana Manor Unit 516 listed, it’s a one-bedroom, one-bath listed at $540,000 and that’s a really great spot. It’s remodeled so it’s in fairly good condition. The listing agent is Bobby Bryan, and he should be fairly easy to reach, so I would at least check in with Bobby. His phone number is (808) 397-7234. And I think that’s really a super listing. Bobby’s been with Coldwell Banker for a while, an amazing agent who has sold the very top of the market, and yet he’s always there taken in a listing and working with someone that’s looking to buy their first home. And I think this is a great spot and it may turn out to be more affordable than you think, especially at a time that interest rates have gone up. But check in, check in with us, or call Bobby. Again, his number is (808) 397-7234.
RS: Kahana Manor is a great location. It’s right in the heart of Kahana. It’s not oceanfront, but right across the street from the ocean, and really a nice there’s a good portion of them owner-occupied.
BS: Dollies pizza.
RS: Dollies pizza right downstairs. There are other commercial establishments downstairs and what a great location right across the street from the bank and so forth.
BS: And right across the street, like you said, from the ocean.
RS: From the ocean.
BS: So, you could be over there swimming, hopping in the water. It’s really a great spot, a super spot.
RS: For owner occupant, a lot of owner-occupants and it’s also licensed for vacation rentals. If any of you are interested in vacation renting an apartment.
BS: That’s the other one, Roy that is Rick Kepler’s. Let’s see, that’s a studio apartment at The Breakers for $469,000 and that again is a really great property.
RS: Very affordable. Breakers again right across the street from the ocean. But really a nice location with a lot of owner-occupants there also.
BS: This one’s top floor, nice and really one worth taking a look at. There aren’t that many right now that are the in the price range that works from most of us when we were young. But some of these will work if you want to give it a go, call us and we’ll either talk to you or have someone else chat with you and try to help you. Ethan Kaleiopu is one who’s really great and has been really willing to sit down and spend time with someone and work with you for the next couple of years to be sure that you are able to buy something. Give you a great idea for it.
RS: Ethan’s great. He’s a young dynamo.
BS: He is a young dynamo. We’re already pretty much at the three-minute warning. We could be at 2 minutes by now. Well, no, 4 minutes, 5 minutes. We’re good.
RS: Here’s a great listing. It’s listed by Mary Anne Fitch from our office. This is a Maluna Kai residential subdivision. It’s 5045 Lower Honoapiilani Road. It’s in a subdivision called Maluna Kai. It’s a four bedroom, three and a half baths, 1,700 square foot home. Really a nice, nice subdivision. And it’s listed at $1,900,000, had a slight price adjustment, had been listed at $1,995,000. Now, listed at $1,900,000 and Mary Anne can be reached at (808) 250-1583. (808) 250-583 for Mary Anne Fitch.
BS: Here’s another one. This is an oceanfront at Kahana Reef listed at $895,000. Now, that steps it up a lot from the ones that I was just talking about, but a one-bedroom, one-bath direct oceanfront. And for the right person, it’s going to be spectacular. Anything oceanfront now really is a great value. David Quandt is the listing agent and can be reached at (808) 457-0604. I think there’s a lot of available properties right now.
RS: No question.
BS: I mean, if you have an agent you’ve been working with, check in with them or call us. Here we are at the end of a half-hour show. Thank you so much. Aloha
RS: Aloha
BS: And remember, take care of yourself and spread the ohana. I mean spread the aloha.
RS: Aloha.
