The Bare Lot
by Eric Newman

While we were looking at both existing houses and bare property in Maui, we started to gravitate toward bare lots.  We gave a lot of thought to specifically what we wanted in our Maui property.  We wanted acreage with a wide-open ocean view free of power lines, and preferred a sunrise or sunset view.  It's also nice to see something in that ocean view, like another island or a portion of Maui.  Even better it it was inhabited, so you can see lights across the water at night.  After all, the nighttime view is important too.  And the best view in the world won't be so great if somebody builds in front of it, so it's critical to investigate if neighboring land can be built up and assume trees will grow tall.

Of course mild weather is important.  Maui has small microclimates and the weather can vary dramatically just a mile away.  It's nice to be able to open up the house to fresh Hawaiian breezes, so an area where heating or air conditioning isn't required would be best, even though we'd install both.

It would be nice to live within 30 minutes of Home Depot and Costco, and within 15 minutes of a grocery store and a hospital.  The neighborhood should be quiet and safe.

We wanted at least three acres, but not more than seven acres because that's too much work.

While Maui has some of the cleanest air in the world, there are some areas during specific conditions that have significant air quality problems.  Some areas of Maui get Vog during Kona winds.  Vog is volcanic smog, made up of volcanic gases such as sulfur dioxide from the Big Island's active Kilauea volcano.  On the island of Maui, Kihei, Wailea, and Makena get Vog during Kona winds.  Some people are very sensitive and get headaches, dizziness, sore throat, and respiratory problems.  Similarly, Kihei gets heavy ash and pollution from cane fires.  During the harvesting of sugar cane, the fields are set on fire which causes thick ash and burnt pesticides to blow downwind.

Our taste probably isn't completely mainstream, but we thought it would be best to have a lot that's not homogeneous — There should be different areas with different feels, different views, an open feeling, and separated so you can't see the entire lot all at once.

Nothing sounds unreasonable so far, does it?  You can't have a dream house without a little dreaming.

Now for the hard part — the elevation.  I could live a very happy life on beach front property, but there are some issues here.  In Hawaii you can't have a private beach, and folks have to be provided access to any beach in front of your house.  Not a huge deal, but a consideration.  Then there are tsunamis — They occur every decade or so.  This is a consideration for a waterfront home.  Don't forget the salt spray — It's work to keep your windows clean and maintenance is more expensive.  A house with a view has lots of windows.

We don't surf or swim much, so for us the best parts about being on the beach are the waves and the sound of the ocean.  If you want a great ocean view, it's actually best to be up on a cliff or a bluff.  When you think about it, if you're at sea level, the ocean is a thin line.  On a 500 foot bluff, the ocean is now several degrees tall and blue.  Above 3000 ft. elevation, it's cold, cloudy, and you can't see whales jumping.  We decided on 500 - 1500 ft. elevation.

Now pick the windward or leeward side on the island, and they're very different.  The windward side gets the trade winds, tends to be green from more rain, with moderate temperatures.  The leeward side is hotter, often too damn hot, a lot drier, a lot sunnier.  Both have advantages, but now bring in the initial requirement of having acreage.  Acreage on leeward side is brown, acreage on the windward side is green.  For a condo lifestyle the leeward side is better.  For a country lifestyle, the windward side is best.

We looked at Kula, Makawao, Ulupalakua, Paia, Haiku, Makena, Launiupoko, Kaanapali, Kapalua, and finally, Maluhia Country Ranches between Kahakuloa and Wailuku.  The finalists came down to Ulupalakua and Maluhia Country Ranches.  Ulupalakua was at 2000 ft. elevation and over 40 minutes to The Home Depot and Costco.  Also, water meters were in short supply on empty lots in Ulupalakua, and the waiting list with Maui County was several years long.

Maluhia Country Ranches is a small gated community with small 2 - 24 acre gentleman's farm lots, underground utilities, great weather, and wide open views.  It's on the windward side of West Maui, off the beaten path where few tourists tread, but just 15 minutes to a grocery store, 18 minutes from the largest shopping center, and less than 25 minutes from The Home Depot and Costco.

We bought a 3.5 acre lot at 1300 ft. elevation in Maluhia Country Ranches, with great unobstructed ocean views, beautiful mountain views, and 420 ft. of running stream along the gulch.  Yes, it met pretty much all our criteria.

Below are pictures of the property and some short videos.  Enjoy.

Location of Property on Maui

The Neighborhood - Late October Sunrise over Paia

The Neighborhood - Moonrise

Thunderstorm and Lightning over Haleakala

Cruise Ship at Sunrise

The Neighborhood - Neighbor's Horses
Aerial Photographs Prior to Construction Aerial View of Property with Footprint of House, Property Lines, and Edge of Pad Enhanced Full Resolution Image Aerial View of Property with Footprint of House, Property Lines, and Edge of Pad Enhanced Full Resolution Image Aerial View of Property with Footprint of House Staked Full Resolution Image Aerial View of Property with Footprint of House Staked Full Resolution Image

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Topographic Model.  Each Layer is Five Feet.  Click photograph for larger image.
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Microsoft Virtual Earth Images of Maluhia Country Ranches.  Lot Outlined in Yellow.
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Google Earth Image of Property.  Lot Outlined in Red.

Topographic Map with House Each Line is Five Feet

Aerial Topographic Overlay

Click Thumbnail for Larger Image

Early Aerial View of Property

Early Aerial View Oct. 2006

Late October Sunrise over Paia

Blowhole Four Miles to NW

Freshly Made Rainbow

Upcountry and Harbor at Night

Nearby Kahakuloa Head

Kahakuloa Head

South Entrance

Lot Cleared for House

Grass Grows Back Quickly

One of Several Fields of Ferns

Path Cut by Old Fence

Second Trail to Stream

Old Sign Found in Middle of Property (you would've trespassed long ago)

Mt. Haleakala at Dusk with Reflection from Science City Telescope

Small Waterfall Near East Corner of Property

Stream Near Southern Corner of Property

Path Near Stream

Stream

Plumeria in 2007

Moonrise Over Ocean from Propertry

Ponds and Stream Above Property (Mid July)

Waterfall Along Road One Mile South from Property

Early Morning View to North along Road

Cruise Ship and Hawaii Superferry at Dusk

Dusk from Road with Property Below

Sunrise at the Property

Sunrise Panorama at the Property

Clear Sunrise at the Property

Beautiful Sunrise at the Property

Sunrise Panorama at the Property

Upper Slope by Road Planted with Native Hawaiian Plants

Native Hawaiian 'Ohi'a Lehua in Bloom

Mt. Haleakala and Harbor to Southeast

Natural Stream on Southeast Edge of Property

Some Kind of Wild Mushrooms

Top View of Wild Mushrooms

Neighbor's Horse in Morning

Brazilian Red Cap Cardinals and Male Northern Cardinal

Yellow Flower Near Property Line

Baby Pineapple Starting to Grow

Baby Pineapple Starting to Bloom

Stream on Lower Edge of Property

Stream on Lower Edge of Property

Waterfall near East Corner of Property

Pineapple Growing in Lower Clearing

Wild Passion Flower (Liliko'i) Blooming

Something Growing on Old Tree in Gulch

Something Growing on Old Tree in Gulch

Native Hawaiian 'Ohi'a Lehua in Bloom

Lots of Plumeria Blooming Lower Clearing

Sunlit Clouds at Sunset

Full Moon Over Haleakala

Vanda Orchid Blooming

Moonrise over Haleakala

Thunderstorm and Lightning Over Haleakala

Thunderstorm and Lightning Over Haleakala

Thunderstorm and Lightning Over Haleakala

Thunderstorm and Lightning Over Haleakala

Jackson's Chameleon Found on Property

Click Thumbnail to Watch Video
Need a DivX Player?

Sunrise

Stream Along Back of Property

ATV Ride 1

ATV Ride 2

Lower Clearing (June, 2007)

Lower Clearing w/ Trails

Second Trail / Lower Clearing

Second Trail from Stream

Third Trail from House Pad

Third Trail from Lower Clearing

Pools Above Property

View from Driveway

Third Trail from House Pad Down to Second Trail

Lower Clearing with Plumeria Cuttings (Oct. 2007)

Lower Clearing after Trees Removed (Oct. 2007)

Smaller Forest above Lower Clearing (Oct. 2007)

Corner of Lower Clearing

Path to Driveway

Dusk

Sensitive Plant

Second Trail to Dropoff

Need a DivX Player?   Click Thumbnail to Watch Video

Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment.
-Rumi