Housing & Real Estate

Mayor Richard Bissen today signed Bill 9 into law after Maui County Council approved the measure on second and final reading, marking what he calls “a historic step toward restoring housing availability for residents” and “realigning zoning policy with its original residential purpose.”

The Maui County Council members passed Bill 9 on second and final reading Monday by the same 5-3 vote that advanced the controversial measure earlier this month. Later Monday, Mayor Richard Bissen signed the bill into law. Bissen introduced the measure to phase out transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts in May 2024. While the […]

Hawai’i Community Lending (HCL), a nonprofit mortgage lender, announced the date for its second annual Hui Waiwai, to be held at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets and sponsorships are now available for this inspirational event celebrating HCL’s accomplishments from the past year and looking ahead to next year, as HCL furthers its goal to solve Hawai‘i’s housing crisis.

A draft environmental impact statement has been filed with the state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development for a now scaled-back Mākena Mauka master-planned community project in South Maui.

Maui’s housing market continued to soften in November, with year-over-year declines in both single-family home and condominium sales, according to the Realtors Association of Maui. Single-family home sales dropped by 22.2%, while condominium sales fell 5.7%. Median sales prices also declined, with single-family homes down 11.5% to $1,150,000, and condominiums down 19.0% to $595,000.

The Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation invites students pursuing higher education to apply for its 2026 Presidential Scholarship program. Applications are now available online at www.ramaui.com/foundation.

Maui’s real estate market remained active in October, with single-family home sales rising 20.8% year over year and condominium sales down 4.6%, according to the Realtors Association of Maui. Both property types saw price declines: the median sales price for single-family homes fell 3.1% to $1,245,000, while the median price for condominiums dropped 32% to $625,750.

Marking a significant chapter in rebuilding, the County of Maui Office of Recovery announced that eight families received First-Time Homebuyer Opportunity Program shopping letters today, which allow them to begin shopping for a house within their approved price range.

A council committee will consider bills to change a zoning condition for the Pulelehua mixed-use project in Kahana and to change the zoning and amend the Maui Island Plan for the Hoʻonani Village mixed-use project in Pu‘unēnē at separate meetings on Wednesday, Councilmember Tamara Paltin announced.

Mayor Richard Bissen urged Maui County Council members to pass Bill 9, which would phase out apartment district properties operating as transient vacation rentals, arguing the move is critical to addressing direly needed long-term housing for residents.

Maui’s housing market reflected a mix of steady activity and continued price adjustment in September, according to the Realtors Association of Maui . Single-family home sales rose 7.7% compared to last year, while condominium sales declined 11.8%. Despite the difference in volume, both property types experienced price declines.

The grand opening and blessing of Kaiāulu o Kūku‘ia Thursday morning marked an emotional milestone in West Maui’s recovery, becoming the first newly built, permanent multifamily affordable housing project to open for local families since the August 2023 wildfires. The complex includes Hawai‘i’s first Bezos Academy preschool.

Maui Resort Rentals, the leading vacation rental management company on Maui, has formally announced its acquisition of Newport Beach-based Beachview Rentals and the creation of a new parent company, Dream Resorts. 

Lahaina Strong is calling on the Maui County Council to pass Bill 9 in its “clean form—without carve-outs, amendments, or delay,” and has launched a petition detailing their request.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of an initiative, the “Maui Housing Future Survey: Assessing Resident Needs,” a community-wide effort to gather essential, real-time data to “directly combat Maui’s deepening housing crisis.”

Kōkua Realty has appointed Stephanie Poree, R(S), CMCA, AMS, PCAM, as director of property management, overseeing more than 2 million square feet of assets across Hawaiʻi.

The Realtors Association of Maui has appointed Malama Minn as its new Chief Executive Officer. A native of East Maui, organization leaders say she brings a wealth of experience in clean energy, community advocacy and public policy, along with a deep personal commitment to Maui’s recovery and resilience. In this role, she will lead RAM’s strategic direction, government relations and member engagement efforts. 

Maui County Council members have unanimously approved a state, fast-tracked affordable housing, mixed-use development called Kaiahale ‘o Kahiluhilu.

Maui’s housing market showed mixed results in August, with a sharp decline in condominium sales favoring buyers while single-family homes remained steady, according to a report released this month by the Realtors Association of Maui.

In a move to address lingering concerns about a proposed law to phase out transient vacation rentals, the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee voted 8-0 on Wednesday to form a Temporary Investigative Group. The TIG, a “permitted interaction group” under Hawaiʻi’s Sunshine Law, would investigate policies and procedures for vacation rentals in […]