# Molokai Trip



## slip

We’re leaving for our second Molokai trip this weekend. I didn’t post about the first one. We were checking for a possible retirement spot. We liked what we saw and checked out a few places on our own. 

We have been checking this out for about a year now and we have it narrowed down to a few properties. This trip is definitely last minute. I just got done booking the rental car tonight. 

It’s only going to be a week but it will be mostly walking the properties and making a decision. After talking to her for months, it will be the first time meeting the realtor we are working with. 

While we won’t be doing much touristy stuff, Remember, it’s Molokai, I will be posting some pictures along the way.


----------



## Chrispee

I'm super interested in this as we considered buying a piece of land on Molokai a few years ago.  We decided that we'd work an extra decade to snowbird on Kauai instead but maybe you'll swing the pendulum back the other way!


----------



## slip

Chrispee said:


> I'm super interested in this as we considered buying a piece of land on Molokai a few years ago.  We decided that we'd work an extra decade to snowbird on Kauai instead but maybe you'll swing the pendulum back the other way!



We definitely looked at Kauai but we know we couldn’t swing that. Not much available properties and even far less or none in our price range. Rentals is even a worse situation. We still kick ourselves once in a while for not buying in 2011, 2012 when we could have afforded it.

My company purchased HFM a food service distributor in Hawaii. I was hoping that could lead to a transfer, it looks like I would have to be on Oahu. I know I can’t afford that. Plus, there’s way too many people there for me. So we will see.

I just made my reservation last night and we will be staying in a unit right next to one we are interested in. I’ll post some pictures while we’re there.


----------



## DaveNV

Jeff, you are my hero.  Enjoy your trip, and keep us posted.  Good luck with the property search!

Dave


----------



## Luanne

I loved Molokai when we visited some years back.  But I'm not sure I could live there.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> I loved Molokai when we visited some years back.  But I'm not sure I could live there.



It certainly not for everyone, short term or long term. 
I know people who have gone for a week and didn’t like it. Small, rural is right up our alley for daily living. We’ll see, I know we’ll have more trips in our future.


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> Jeff, you are my hero.  Enjoy your trip, and keep us posted.  Good luck with the property search!
> 
> Dave



I remember when I left Chicago for Baraboo Wisconsin. I figured I could always go back. I never looked back, we’re taking the same approach here. Who knows how it will turn out but it will be an experience either way.

The realtor got a hold me last night and she has four showings lined up already. Sounds like we’ll end up looking at about 10 or 12 Properties with 4 of those being on the top of our list.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> I remember when I left Chicago for Baraboo Wisconsin. I figured I could always go back. I never looked back, we’re taking the same approach here. Who knows how it will turn out but it will be an experience either way.
> 
> The realtor got a hold me last night and she has four showings lined up already. Sounds like we’ll end up looking at about 10 or 12 Properties with 4 of those being on the top of our list.


Jeff, one thing I would be concerned about is how you would be accepted, and treated, if you moved to Molokai.  We didn't encounter any issues, at least none I was aware of, when we visited, but I've heard that haoles are still not much appreciated in many parts of the state.  Since Molokai has been resistant to development, and wanting to stay more native, I would think it would be a hard area to break into.  I'll be interested in hearing your experiences.


----------



## slip

Yep, definitely something we’ve heard about also. There are quite a few condo developments on the island that have been there for years and there have been people doing what we are about to do for just as long. My limited experience has been the same as yours. I’m sure it will depend on individual people.

The one thing I heard often is that if you come here and want to change things, you won’t be welcome. I’m not looking to change anything.


----------



## MrockStar

slip said:


> Yep, definitely something we’ve heard about also. There are quite a few condo developments on the island that have been there for years and there have been people doing what we are about to do for just as long. My limited experience has been the same as yours. I’m sure it will depend on individual people.
> 
> The one thing I heard often is that if you come here and want to change things, you won’t be welcome. I’m not looking to change anything.


Best of luck on your house hunting trip Slip. We just purchased our vacation/retirement home/cottage up north at Higgins lake Michigan, different location but similar process. hope all goes well. AL


----------



## slip

MrockStar said:


> Best of luck on your house hunting trip Slip. We just purchased our vacation/retirement home/cottage up north at Higgins lake Michigan, different location but similar process. hope all goes well. AL



Thank You!!

Already ran into the first issue. The realtor we’ve been working with for months had to pull out because of a referral fee issue. 

When we started looking, I used the Realtor.com app. I clicked to ask a question and they said they would put me in contact with a local realtor. She is stationed in Maui. Molokai is in Maui county and because all the properties couldn’t be shown at once while i’m There, she contacted realtors there to do the showings. That’s where it started to be an issue. So she released me and I have an agent on Molokai now. 

I really wanted one on Molokai and that’s what I thought I was doing through the app. Anyway, the agent on Maui was awesome and answered a ton of questions for us. The new agent sounds knowledgeable too and she is local so that should be a plus. 

Don’t know if I would contact anyone from those apps again. I think I would do a search to find someone. Anyway, this is all working out so far.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> Don’t know if I would contact anyone from those apps again. I think I would do a search to find someone.



That's a bummer.  It's like those pop-up CHAT windows that show up all the time when you try to go onto a retail website for something.  You agree to a chat with someone, only to find out they have no idea what they're supposed to know, they are located in another country, and they can't answer your questions.  WTH???



slip said:


> Anyway, this is all working out so far.



I'm glad you found an alternative.  Good luck, friend!  Make it happen.

Dave


----------



## slip

We’ll it’s moving along well. Just talked to the new realtor and so far so good. I’ll be hitting the ground running, she’s going to take me to a few properties on Sunday. I figured I’d Be relaxing on Sunday.


----------



## Kapolei

slip said:


> We’ll it’s moving along well. Just talked to the new realtor and so far so good. I’ll be hitting the ground running, she’s going to take me to a few properties on Sunday. I figured I’d Be relaxing on Sunday.



Good luck.  If I were buying on Molokai, I would take my time and low ball my offers.  I can’t imagine a lot of buyers.


----------



## slip

Kapolei said:


> Good luck.  If I were buying on Molokai, I would take my time and low ball my offers.  I can’t imagine a lot of buyers.



That is the plan. 
I’ve been looking at past and recent sales. Hope it works out. We’ll see.

One thing I wanted to add, we,ve been watching for close to a year now and Properties move more than I thought. Some have come on and off the market a few time too.


----------



## slip

At the airport ready for my first leg to Denver. Only an hour layover there then off to Honolulu. I have a few hours to kill there. Probably grab some dinner before the last leg to Moloka’i.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> At the airport ready for my first leg to Denver. Only an hour layover there then off to Honolulu. I have a few hours to kill there. Probably grab some dinner before the last leg to Moloka’i.



Safe trip! Keep us posted.

Dave


----------



## slip

Just landed in Denver.


----------



## slip

Just boarded for Honolulu. Everything is still on time. Big plane 777 with about 50 open seats.


----------



## Kapolei

slip said:


> Just boarded for Honolulu. Everything is still on time. Big plane 777 with about *50 open seats*.



Your 777 is flying in the 80’s.

I think your plan is a good one.  Just don’t invest any money in upgrading the property in case you change your mind in a year or two


----------



## slip

Kapolei said:


> Your 777 is flying in the 80’s.
> 
> I think your plan is a good one.  Just don’t invest any money in upgrading the property in case you change your mind in a year or two



Yeah, we’re looking at ones that are more turnkey. I am willing to do some small things and I am going to be checking around to see how expensive items are there. But nothing that will be large.


----------



## slip

Made it to Honolulu. Boy, just in time, i’m Hungry. I have a few hours so i’m Going to grab a bite at the United club before I head al the way across the airport to my gate. 

No delays and every flight was actually a little early.


----------



## DaveNV

Are you alone this trip?

Dave


----------



## slip

Yes, my wife couldn’t get off work and was running short on days for our January trip. I have to take videos and do Skype walk throughs. 

She’s is going to make sure I get good at my video skills.


----------



## DeniseM

Jeff - Are you staying at Ke Nani Kai?


----------



## slip

No, I checked for an exchange there and nothing was open. I’ll be at Molokai Shores. Must be fairly busy. Alamo was all out of cars.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> She’s is going to make sure I get good at my video skills.



So are we. 

Dave


----------



## slip

I took a few videos but through Skype so I couldn’t post them here. I’ll take more tomorrow in regular format. Long day, i’m Going to bed.


----------



## slip

I must have gotten some sleep on the plane because I was up early for me. I did go to bed at about 9pm too. Here is a few pictures from the lanai. I still have to work on the video and remember how I put them on here. 

Feel free to make any comments. Different opinions are welcome and may help us decide if think of something we didn't. Right now the only negative I have is the lack of a\c. I would be fine with a portable but with those jealousy Windows, I Don't know what is possible. Sleeping was fine last night and it only got down to 73 with a high of 87.


----------



## slip

Ok, let’s try this. If you want to hear me, you’ll probably have to turn the volume up high. It was early and it’s so quiet here and most people probably have their windows open, I didn’t want to talk too loud.

Another thing I noticed is that you don’t hear the ocean much at all because of that large reef out there. Don’t know if that’s a plus or not.


----------



## slip

One nice thing about the reef is it keeps it calm and very quiet here and people launch kayaks right in front of the resort.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> No, I checked for an exchange there and nothing was open. I’ll be at Molokai Shores. Must be fairly busy. Alamo was all out of cars.


I had to check a map to see where this is located.  Noticed it's close to the Hotel Molokai. Will you be there long enough to see if the Friday night entertainment (the aunties) is still going strong?  Our dds said that was the favorite part of our trip to Molokai.

As to comments about the place.  Anything on the water is good with me.


----------



## slip

Yes, I will. I’m here until next Saturday. I went to Moloka’i Pizza when I got in at about 7:30. Luckily they were open and I was surprised that they are open until 11pm on Saturday. I missed the grocery store, they were closed so I have to go today before the realtor comes at 11am because they close at 1pm today. So if I miss that I won’t have anything to eat or drink in the condo.


----------



## slip

The rental car worked great. It was waiting for me in the parking lot right by the baggage claim. They had it under a tree and it got peppered by birds. I had to stop at the gas station and scrub it to get it off. You can see it in the picture below.


----------



## slip

I just noticed the ceiling fan and the controls on the lanai. Boy, that makes a difference. I want to see how this lanai is when the silent moves. We are facing south. I have never stayed at a place with the lanai facing south. Mine have always been east or West.


----------



## Kapolei

My concern would be air conditioning.  I can’t tell you about that particular location.  But when trade winds die, humidity picks up.  The problem is when we get unusual durations of humidity.  But I am sure you are already familiar with that.

The other thing I would check on is the shipping costs.  There used to be a ferry from Maui so you could bring back stuff from Costco.  Now, I think bulk items just come by barge?

If you are going to pay for a container, you might need to do some planning of al the things you might need.  For example, If you are buying one new appliance, you might decide to replace all.


----------



## slip

Kapolei said:


> My concern would be air conditioning.  I can’t tell you about that particular location.  But when trade winds die, humidity picks up.  The problem is when we get unusual durations of humidity.  But I am sure you are already familiar with that.
> 
> The other thing I would check on is the shipping costs.  There used to be a ferry from Maui so you could bring back stuff from Costco.  Now, I think bulk items just come by barge?
> 
> If you are going to pay for a container, you might need to do some planning of al the things you might need.  For example, If you are buying one new appliance, you might decide to replace all.



All very good thought. Yes, we are familiar with the trade winds and what happens when they are not around. I am usually an a/c guy too. The heat doesn’t seem to bother me as much as I get older. Same thing happened to my father, sounds weird. If I could get a/c in one room I would be fine. I am going to check the local stores. They do have a furniture store and a large Ace Hardware so I will check and see what’s available there. Plus I will be asking my realtor these questions also.

It will still be a while before we come to stay so we haven’t thought about shipping our things yet. I’m looking at these through a renters eye also.

Here’s another video I took for my wife.


----------



## slip

No elevators here so this is a short one of me going up the steps to the second floor, 15 steps.


----------



## taffy19

Thanks for showing us your pictures and video clips.  I could hear you well and the birds in the background too.  I love the Island sounds!

The ocean looks very calm so is it a sandy beach for swimming and water clean and clear like no algae or seaweed?

In Mexico many condos and small offices use these A/C units and they work very well and are quiet too.

http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/products

I have seen them here at Home Depot too.  They are not too expensive so I wonder if that would work?


----------



## slip

Yes, the beach is nice and sandy. It's shallow for quite a way out there. While I have heard it can be weedy, I don't see anything now but maybe that's seasonal. 

I also love the sounds of the birds .That's one of my wife's favorite things too.

Well it's 10am and my lanai is still we'll in the shade. The other units in the A building that we're in the sun at 8am are now in the shade.


----------



## slip

I can't get over how quiet it is here. You can here a little bits of ocean but not much. The other thing nice about Molokai Shores is that it is mostly solar. So the electric bills are really low. You can see the solar units on this picture.


----------



## slip

I put that shade down on the lanai and here’s how it looks. You can still see out very well.


----------



## taffy19

Total relaxation.  Don’t you love it for a change?  If you close your eyes, you still hear enough sounds in the video clips.

These A/C units may not be allowed because I remember now that they have a condenser for each unit on the roof but we never hear that inside.

They may not have a suitable roof for this at this condo project.

On the ground would be too noisy too unless it is somewhere far away and then it becomes much more costly.


----------



## slip

Just got back with the realtor and she has to check on A/C. It was never allowed before because the association paid the electric bill but now with solar the units are billed separately. I also found out that WaveCrest is also solar so 
Molokai Shores doesn’t have the advantage with that like I thought they did. 

Here’s the first video. Total oceanfront.


----------



## slip

This one is at WaveCrest C214. Just an FYI, WaveCrest is about 12 miles east of Molokai Shores. Molokai Shores is a little over a mile from Kauanakakai. Which is the largest town on the island. The east side is lush. It gets more rain but not like The north shore on Kauai. The area out by WaveCrest is beautiful. I’ll post those pictures when o get some.


----------



## slip

Still at WaveCrest. This one is C105. We can’t get into the Moloka’i Shore unit unil the 25th.


----------



## slip

WaveCrest B209, i Also have one coming upon of the pool area at WaveCrest.


----------



## slip

Here’s the pool area at WaveCrest. I loved this area. I will take one of Moloka’i Shores and post that too. 

I have to look at one unit in WaveCrest yet and that one is allowed a washer and dryer because it is an end unit. So that’s a plus. It’s the only unit for sale that has that. The laundry at WaveCrest does have a plus over Molokai Shores because it has laundry on each floor. Molokai Shores has a separate building for that.


----------



## slip

It’s 3:00om and the sun just made it’s way to my lanai. So late afternoon I would be using that shade. It’s a little overcast today. We ran into a couple sprinkles while we were at WaveCrest but they only lasted a minute.


----------



## slip

After about 4 hours of checking out properties and another couple talking to my wife. I think I’m about ready for a nap. 

But first a fresh Molokai Papaya, then it’s time for some rest.


----------



## DaveNV

Jeff, are these units in a rental program? Or are they privately owned?

Also, I don't see any sand or beach area out front.  Is it on a rise, and just can't be seen?  The views seem really nice.

Dave


----------



## taffy19

Thanks for sharing your property hunting with us, Jeff.  Am still not done with all the video clips but will continue after dinner.

The oceanfront condo has a real nice view and looks lovely inside.


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> Jeff, are these units in a rental program? Or are they privately owned?
> 
> Also, I don't see any sand or beach area out front.  Is it on a rise, and just can't be seen?  The views seem really nice.
> 
> Dave



These are all privately owned but most were rented out. To rent them out they don't have a rental pool. You have to have someone on the island take care of that for you. That's how I got my rental this week for Molokai Shores. There are some people living in them full time and some are rented out to long term renters.

To cover all my costs I would have to rent out about 15 weeks a year. I don't need all the costs covered so it's really a bonus when it rents. Molokai Shores seems to rent better and for higher fees.

As for the shore at WaveCrest there is no sand. It's not a drop off you can step in there. It is a larger drop off in front of the A building. You can hear the water more at WaveCrest than here at Molokai Shores and I think I like that a little better. I haven't seen all the properties I want to see yet but my wife and I do have a favorite at WaveCrest. Any guesses?

Just to keep these in perspective, these properties have asking prices ranging from $129,000 to $179,000 and HOA's between $500 and $600.


----------



## slip

Here’s the pool area for Molokai Shores. I forgot my key so I didn’t go in but you should see it pretty well. Molokai Shores definitely see’s more people but it shows a little more in the upkeep. Being close to town I’m sure is the biggest draw.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> These are all privately owned but most were rented out. To rent them out they don't have a rental pool. You have to have someone on the island take care of that for you. That's how I got my rental this week for Molokai Shores. There are some people living in them full time and some are rented out to long term renters.
> 
> To cover all my costs I would have to rent out about 15 weeks a year. I don't need all the costs covered so it's really a bonus when it rents. Molokai Shores seems to rent better and for higher fees.



So are you thinking of living there part time for now, and full time later?  If you can rent enough to cover costs, I don't see a down side to that.  I have a friend who bought a condo in Puerto Vallarta while on vacation one year.  He had it in a rental pool, and visited a few weeks a year.  Within about five years he was staying there more and more, and eventually he packed up and moved there.  He lives there full time now. Lucky guy!



slip said:


> As for the shore at WaveCrest there is no sand. It's not a drop off you can step in there. It is a larger drop off in front of the A building. You can hear the water more at WaveCrest than here at Molokai Shores and I think I like that a little better. I haven't seen all the properties I want to see yet but my wife and I do have a favorite at WaveCrest. Any guesses?



I'm guessing the end unit with washer and dryer? If not, then the one with the great ocean view.



slip said:


> Just to keep these in perspective, these properties have asking prices ranging from $129,000 to $179,000 and HOA's between $500 and $600.



Those prices don't seem too high, especially for Hawaii.  Add in the solar, and your monthly costs will be lower.  Win-win!

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> So are you thinking of living there part time for now, and full time later?  If you can rent enough to cover costs, I don't see a down side to that.  I have a friend who bought a condo in Puerto Vallarta while on vacation one year.  He had it in a rental pool, and visited a few weeks a year.  Within about five years he was staying there more and more, and eventually he packed up and moved there.  He lives there full time now. Lucky guy!
> 
> 
> 
> I'm guessing the end unit with washer and dryer? If not, then the one with the great ocean view.
> 
> 
> 
> Those prices don't seem too high, especially for Hawaii.  Add in the solar, and your monthly costs will be lower.  Win-win!
> 
> Dave



I haven’t seen the one with the washer and dryer yet. Actually it is allowed to be put in the unit on that one. We would have to install the hookups and get the appliances. There was one property  video that had the hookups and used to have a washer and dryer in there but the association made them take it out because of ventilation issues. It was strange that everything was still in there but the appliances. 

The oceanfront one is a very close second. I was surprised that the oceanfront one wasn’t the most expensive.


----------



## slip

Funny story from the short plane ride to Moloka’i from Oahu. We were all getting to our seats and I was sitting next to a young girl who was going home from a vacation on Colorado. While we were talking an older couple walked by and sat In front of us. I had a Green Bay Packer shirt on and the guys says Lambeau Field, I’ve been there. I said I have too and it’s great. Then he started talking about the bad weather we have in Wisconsin. After that the flight attendant went by and was having trouble getting a bag in the over head and I helped her out and returned to my seat.

Just then the older guy asked if he could move to an open seat. She said no because of weight distribution and he started grumbling and give her a hard time. She stood firm and walked away helping other passengers. While she walked by him again he must have had his foot out in the aisle and she almost fell. She looked back and gave him major stink eye.

We’ll later as we were getting closer to take off. She told some people in the back that they could move to some open seats in the front. Well of course the older guy didn’t like that and asked her a couple more questions. After she told him no he couldn’t move, she comes to me and winks and asks me if I would be more comfortable in the row behind me that was totally open. I thanked her and moved and I can see the old guy in front of me grumbling more. It was funny.

Because I now had access to the window I took a few pictures. The best part was right as we were going by DiamondHead the pilot banked so I got a great shot.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> The oceanfront one is a very close second. I was surprised that the oceanfront one wasn’t the most expensive.



My second choice would be the one with all the upgrades.  Those were very nice.

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> My second choice would be the one with all the upgrades.  Those were very nice.
> 
> Dave



I’ll hold off a little before I answer.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> After she told him no he couldn’t move, she comes to me and winks and asks me if I would be more comfortable in the row behind me that was totally open. I thanked her and moved and I can see the d guy in front of me grumbling more. It was funny.



I knew a guy who was a flight attendant in Hawaii.  He said if a passenger gave him a hard time on the flight, at the end when they came down the aisle with a trash bag to collect empty cups and such, he'd hold it out ask the nice people, *"Your trash?"* inviting them to drop their disposable items in the bag.  When he came to a rude passenger, he'd hold out the bag and say, *"You're trash!"  *Attitude is everything. 



slip said:


> Because I now had access to the window I took a few pictures. The best part was right as we were going by DiamondHead the pilot banked so I got a great shot.



That's a great shot!

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> I knew a guy who was a flight attendant in Hawaii.  He said if a passenger gave him a hard time on the flight, at the end when they came down the aisle with a trash bag to collect empty cups and such, he'd hold it out ask the nice people, *"Your trash?"* inviting them to drop their dispoable items in the bag.  When he came to a rude passenger, he'd hold out the bag and say, *"You're trash!"  *Attitude is everything.
> 
> 
> 
> That's a great shot!
> 
> Dave


 
I was actually stretching to get a good shot and I couldn’t but just then like I asked the pilot to bank, he just banked and stayed there so I got a great picture. I even got the propellers in there.


----------



## slip

So are you thinking of living there part time for now, and full time later? 

Sorry Dave, I didn’t answer this one. Right now I would rent it while I’m still working. I would stay there whenever I would be able to go. Seven years is my max for work. I could go earlier but healthcare costs would make it harder retiring any less than four more years. But things are changing all the time so of course we have to keep an eye on everything. Unfortunately, things change for the worse too.


----------



## slip

Sleeper in a little after a long day. I have to go in and pay for my rental car and then I think I’ll Have some lunch in Kaunakakai somewhere. Then I want to check out the other grocery store. After that, I’m going back to the east side toward WaveCrest. I will stop there again and walk the grounds by myself. I want to check out Murphy’s Beach a couple miles past WaveCrest. It’s supposed to be a great sandy protected beach that’s good for swimming and snorkeling. 

So be ready for east side of the island pictures and video. Tomorrow will be the west side, where the Timeshare Ke Nani Kai is.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> Sleeper in a little after a long day. I have to go in and pay for my rental car and then I think I’ll Have some lunch in Kaunakakai somewhere. Then I want to check out the other grocery store. After that, I’m going back to the east side toward WaveCrest. I will stop there again and walk the grounds by myself. I want to check out Murphy’s Beach a couple miles past WaveCrest. It’s supposed to be a great sandy protected beach that’s good for swimming and snorkeling.
> 
> So be ready for east side of the island pictures and video. Tomorrow will be the west side, where the Timeshare Ke Nani Kai is.


I'll be interested in hearing about the Ke Nani Kai area is doing. When we stayed there the Molokai Ranch was still open and there was a small grocery store, and restaurant there.  Since it's closed down it's got to be a long drive each time you need to get to food.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> I'll be interested in hearing about the Ke Nani Kai area is doing. When we stayed there the Molokai Ranch was still open and there was a small grocery store, and restaurant there.  Since it's closed down it's got to be a long drive each time you need to get to food.



Yes, I’m sure that was a big change. I know there are a couple places to eat over there. I don’t know about grocery. I’ll be going over there tomorrow. The beaches are great over there. I know the golf course is really overgrown.


----------



## Kapolei

Is everything you are looking at fee simple or are there lease hold properties?


----------



## slip

Fee simple, the leaseholds don’t go far enough out to work for us.


----------



## Kapolei

slip said:


> Fee simple, the leaseholds don’t go far enough out to work for us.



I think would prefer to own the land anyway.  I am not good enough at math to figure out what a lease hold property is worth.


----------



## slip

Kapolei said:


> I think would prefer to own the land anyway.  I am not good enough at math to figure out what a lease hold property is worth.



Fee simple is ideal but we would have definitely considered a Leasehold at the right price and expiration date.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> Yes, I’m sure that was a big change. I know there are a couple places to eat over there. I don’t know about grocery. I’ll be going over there tomorrow. The beaches are great over there. I know the golf course is really overgrown.


I wonder if those places to eat are new since the Molokai Ranch closed down.  As I recall there was one tiny little store type place in the development where Ke Nani Kai is, but no restaurants.  I don't remember if the golf course was even open at that point.

The beach that was closest to there was beautiful, but when we tried to go it was windy to the point we were getting battered by sand, so didn't stay long. We ended up using the pool a lot more than we normally do when we're in Hawaii.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> I wonder if those places to eat are new since the Molokai Ranch closed down.  As I recall there was one tiny little store type place in the development where Ke Nani Kai is, but no restaurants.  I don't remember if the golf course was even open at that point.
> 
> The beach that was closest to there was beautiful, but when we tried to go it was windy to the point we were getting battered by sand, so didn't stay long. We ended up using the pool a lot more than we normally do when we're in Hawaii.



I believe there are two or three places to eat in the west side. I don’t think they are close to each other but I will find out more tomorrow.


----------



## slip

Here’s some videos from today. When to the east side back to WaveCrest. The first time I drove it and it too 17 minutes from Moloka’i Shores. That’s about the same I drive into town from my rural subdivision now. 

I don’t know the name of this beach yet, I’ll have to look it up on a map.


----------



## slip

I must really be good at off-roading because somehow this one came out sideways. You’ll have to turn your head.


----------



## slip

This is the actual beach area.


----------



## slip

I goofed up my order here. This one should have been before I started with Murphy’s Beach. This is the actual beach I walked to after I parked the car two posts ago.


----------



## slip

Ok, now the other side of Murphy’s Beach.


----------



## slip

The General store a couple miles wast of WaveCrest. There is a small home in the wall for plate lunches too.


----------



## slip

There was a nice turnout just past mile marker 20. That’s where I took this one.


----------



## slip

I went to the other grocery store today too. Much better variety. Prices are about on par with Kauai but not as good a selection. 

After that I stopped in and paid for my rental car. I just have to park it in the grass by the airport and leave the keys under the mat when I’m done. 

This morning, I noticed in my paperwork that I was supposed to checkin at the office of Moloka’i Shores. I did that before I left this morning. After I checked In she gave me a parking pass. 

Before I left town, I stopped at the LunchBox. Looks like they where new. They had a sign saying they didn’t take credit cards yet. I had the Big Taco. It was actually two big chili tacos. They were really good and they were big, $12.00. 

I took it to the public beach just past Moloka’i Shores. I guy working at the building I was eating at noticed my tattoos and we talked for quite a while.


----------



## slip

Here’s some more of the beach park I ate lunch at.


----------



## slip

It’s 4pm and I put the screen half way down for some shade. It is warm today with a high of 89. It’s about 83 in the unit but it feels cooler than that with the airflow. Its a good time to be here and Check everything out.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> I guy working at the building I was eating at noticed my tattoos and we talked for quite a while.



I told you those would come in handy. 

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> I told you those would come in handy.
> 
> Dave


Same thing happened outside the grocery store on Sunday. A guy had a small stand in the shade by the grocery store. The store didn’t have any Apple Bananas so I went to see if he did.  Right away he asked me about the Niihau shell lei I was wearing then we started taking about each other’s tattoos.

I had picked out some bananas, Papayas and two mangoes and we kept talking. In the mean time another guy comes over and picked out the same items and quantities I did and the stand owner said $10 and the guy paid and left. We talked for a while longer and I pulled out $10 to give him and he says $5. I said the other guy got the same thing and he says, yeah but he’s a tourist. I laughed and said I was too. He said no that’s all in the Aloha and you have the Aloha.

I left him the extra $5 there too but he would have none of that. He came back to my car and have it back to me. He said come back on Wednesday and talk to me again. I told him I’ll see you Wednesday.

So I’ll see him Wednesday. 
I’ll need more mangoes by then too.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> So I’ll see him Wednesday.
> I’ll need more mangoes by then too.



Sounds like you're making friends.  I don't think you'll have any trouble fitting in there.  Attitude is everything.  Respect for Islanders, their culture, and who they are as people goes a very long way toward acceptance.

When I was in high school on Oahu, I made a point of making friends with as many people as I could, especially the Locals.  I wanted to fit in.  I might have been the haole boy from the Mainland, but the more I merged into things, the less of an outsider I was.  I had no trouble, ever, and was accepted by my peers at a very mixed high school.  

My father was hard core military, and absolutely hated everything about Hawaii. He especially didn't like Hawaiian people.  He made all sorts of rude ethnic slurs about Hawaiians, and treated them like the hired help when he interacted with them.  (Come to think of it, he hated Asians and Blacks, too.)  I liked everybody, and it was humiliating to be with him in public sometimes.  I've never forgotten that kind of blind hatred of people he had made no effort to get to know.  I didn't understand it when I was fourteen, and I don't understand it today, fifty years later.  I treat people the way I want to be treated.  He never seemed to understand that was an option.  

Dave


----------



## slip

It’s 6:55pm and the sun is setting just over the A building here at Molokai Shores. I used the shade screen for about 3 hours today. Worked great, the A building only gets the sun early in the morning.


----------



## Kapolei

DaveNW said:


> ....  I've never forgotten that kind of blind hatred of people he had made no effort to get to know.  I didn't understand it when I was fourteen, and I don't understand it today, fifty years later.  I treat people the way I want to be treated.  He never seemed to understand that was an option.
> 
> Dave



Molokai would definitely be the wrong place for that attitude.  That might fly at an expensive resort where people are paying a lot of money for service people to be nice no matter what the attitude.

On Molokai, people will be nice to you for free.  Of course they will size you up first.  It won’t work well for those that are easily offended when people start asking lots of questions about you and make wrong guesses and assumptions.  You just got to roll with it and be kind.  If they sense kindness, they will be kind.  This is true in most cases.  But there are exceptions.  You just got stear clear of the exceptions.


----------



## pedro47

Thanks for sharing your review and all those amazing photos.


----------



## geist1223

Patti and I are realistic enough about our selves to know that we could never retire to Molokai. We like to see our Grand Babies too much and we like to travel too much. Also for the last 9.5 years we have lived less than a mile from downtown. We like the ability to walk to all our favorite Restaurants and Bars. That is why we could never live at Anini Beach (which I love) on Kauai. You have to drive 10 minutes just to get to a Coffee Shop.


----------



## Kapolei

geist1223 said:


> Patti and I are realistic enough about our selves to know that we could never retire to Molokai. We like to see our Grand Babies too much and we like to travel too much. Also for the last 9.5 years we have lived less than a mile from downtown. We like the ability to walk to all our favorite Restaurants and Bars. That is why we could never live at Anini Beach (which I love) on Kauai. You have to drive 10 minutes just to get to a Coffee Shop.



This is a good point.  I don’t think a lot of people could make Molokai their full time home.  But, on the other hand, that is part of what makes it what it is.  And it is certainly not an extension of Southern California which other places in Hawaii are in danger of becoming.


----------



## geist1223

Several years ago we looked at at House on Kauai in the Poipu area. It had been beautifully updated and made over. The Sellers had only owned it for about 5 years and were selling to move to Oahu. They were both retired educators and had traveled to Kauai many times over the years and thought it would be a wonderful retirement location. Unfortunately they traveled a lot. So they were finding they had to fly to Honolulu to catch most of their flights. So they would go over a day early and stay in a Hotel the night before and also on their return. So after a year or two of that they bought a small Condo in Honolulu for these stays and for a place to stay went they wanted shopping trips. So after a year or two of that they decided to sell the House on Kauai and the small Condo in Honolulu and buy a large Condo in Honolulu.

We also visited a Condo on Maui that was on the Market for substantially less than the last sale in the Complex. A couple had retired and moved to Maui, again where they had visited for years. After a couple years they discovered they missed grandchildren and family too much. So they told the real estate agent to sell it and hopefully they did not take too large of a bath. 

Every place we have traveled to around the World except three (Florida, Fiji, and Cancun) we have liked them well enough to live full time. But then we remember these two stories and how much we enjoy our time with our Granddaughters. Also it has to be a place where we can walk to our favorite Restaurants and Bars.


----------



## slip

geist1223 said:


> Every place we have traveled to around the World except three (Florida, Fiji, and Cancun) we have liked them well enough to live full time. But then we remember these two stories and how much we enjoy our time with our Granddaughters. Also it has to be a place where we can walk to our favorite Restaurants and Bars.



We’re definitely not like that. I have been to quite a few places and have only felt that way about Hawaii. At the moment no grandchild and none on the foreseeable future. DD lives in Florida and DS lives in the same small town we do. They are both very independent and living their own lives, as it should be. We see our son every couple of months, he works nights. We are in contact with our daughter through the internet mostly. She visits every year or two.

DD bought a condo and move out when she was 20 and DS bought a house and moved out when he was 19. I feel blessed, I always say we must have raised them well. They are good people.
I suppose we may not see my son as often but nothings saying he’s going to stay where he’s at either. Plus, there’s plenty of ways to stay in contact now a days. 

The being close to town is a part of our decision here. One property is a mile from town and the other is 13 miles from town. We live about 10 miles to town now in Wisconsin so we have done both and we’ll have to see. This may come down to where the best deal is at.

People can always talk their way out of not doing something. Sometimes it’s right, sometimes it might not have been, who knows. All you can do is think it through the best you can and decide. We are either going to buy at the right price or not buy at all. That way if things don’t work, we can go wherever we want. We wouldn’t look at that as a failure. I don’t think that way. if we decide to leave,  It will be something we tried and we moved on to something else.


----------



## slip

We’ll I have my three s’s done as my father always said so i’m Ready to make the trip over to check out the west side. The realtor comes over at 5:30 so I can check out the property next to the one i’m Staying in at Moloka’i Shores. So i’ll Have some videos of the west side and another property late today.


----------



## slip

Just got back from the north and west sides. I will have to go back that way again because I missed one section of the highway. Saw a lot of turkeys at Kepuhi Beach Resort. This is right by the hotel and golf course that are closed down. I think these are Merriam Turkeys. I went to Wyoming one year and hunted them. I did get one and they have the light colored band on the tail. The turkeys by us in Wisconsin are Eastern Turkeys and they have a dark band.


----------



## slip

I’ll have a few post in a row again with videos. I have a couple hours before I meet the realtor at WaveCrest today. 

This one is over looking Kepuhi Beach. On one of these I mistakenly say the north side of the island. I wanted to say North West side. At least as far as the roads I could take were.


----------



## slip

This one is actually down on the beach.


----------



## slip

A short one of pulling into Ke Nani Kai. The Timeshare there. It’s amazing having a couple we’ll kept properties right next to that large one that’s all boarded up. It’s a shame.


----------



## slip

Another short one of a pull over I did on the Hwy. to Kepuhi Beach.


----------



## slip

Very short one of the Kalaupapa Lookout Trail and the Restroom.


----------



## slip

Here’s Phallic Rock, this hike wasn’t bad but not near as easy as the Kalaupapa Lookout. The last 50 yards were pretty steep. At least it wasn’t rocky.


----------



## slip

The best one for last, walking to and the Kalaupapa Lookout. It was beautiful.


----------



## Kapolei

Thanks for sharing that.  Nice reminder about how beautiful and tranquil it can be on Molokai.


----------



## slip

Kapolei said:


> Thanks for sharing that.  Nice reminder about how beautiful and tranquil it can be on Molokai.



Yes, Moloka’i is definitely that. With that in mind, I’ll start out with some pictures of the church Father Damian built. It’s about two miles west of WaveCrest right on the Kam V Hwy. great place for reflection.


----------



## slip

Now some of the inside of the church.


----------



## slip

A couple more from the church.


----------



## slip

Here’s an exciting one my wife wanted, me going up the stairs to the third floor.


----------



## slip

The back of the A and B buildings at WaveCrest. I didn’t talk loud enough on this one.


----------



## slip

There is a dip in the road for rain water drainage about two miles from WaveCrest and I asked about being cut off because of it. My realtor said it does happen but it’s rare and it’s temporary if it happens, like one or two hours.


----------



## slip

And here’s one of the ones we were waiting to see. The end unit B301 at WaveCrest.


----------



## slip

Today I have to get a couple things at the grocery to finish out my week. Then I want to check out the book store. 

The realtor comes over at 1pm today to check out a couple units here at Molokai Shores. I know one for sure is availabile to look at. Then I have to call the mortgage broker and go over everything with my wife. 

We’ll see if I have time for anything else.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> Today I have to get a couple things at the grocery to finish out my week. Then I want to check out the book store.
> 
> The realtor comes over at 1pm today to check out a couple units here at Molokai Shores. I know one for sure is availabile to look at. Then I have to call the mortgage broker and go over everything with my wife.
> 
> We’ll see if I have time for anything else.



So have you narrowed down your choices any?

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> So have you narrowed down your choices any?
> 
> Dave



Yes, we’re down to three but that includes one i’m Looking at today and it has an offer on it. So probably down to two. 

The realtor was going to check if A310 was available for me to look at today also. It has a loft and I at least wanted to see one of those. It’s listed at our high end and Moloka’i Shores are selling closer to the list price. So I’m guessing it will be out of the running but if we like it we can always throw out an offer.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> Yes, Moloka’i is definitely that. With that in mind, I’ll start out with some pictures of the church Father Damian built. It’s about two miles west of WaveCrest right on the Kam V Hwy. great place for reflection.


This church is not inside the Kaulapapa settlement I'm assuming.  I didn't realize Father Damian had built anything outside that area.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> This church is not inside the Kaulapapa settlement I'm assuming.  I didn't realize Father Damian had built anything outside that area.



Yep, you are correct. We are going to go to the peninsula in January. This church I believe was at the 11 mile marker right on the Kam V Hwy. it’s a couple miles from WaveCrest. I forgot to post this picture.



[/QUOTE]


----------



## slip

Just got done with the realtor and talking to my wife. I'm uploading the videos now so I will be posting them soon. The one I really wanted to see wasn't as nice as I thought but still easy fixes. Paint and fixtures and decorating.

the unit in the A building here at Molokai Shores was a surprise. I wanted to see it because it's a loft and the HOA is the same as a one bedroom. It needs some work and it's right on the edge of being too much work. More to think about.

That A building is is facing the same way as the B building at WaveCrest and the breezes just sweep right through. It was noticibly cooler in that unit and it was closed up for a while. It's price higher but been on the market for a long time so I know they know they have to come down. We just have to decide if we want to be on the third Floor and have to walk the steps all the time. We're not getting younger. 

I'll post the videos after I get finished uploading them.


----------



## slip

Here’s the other one that I’ve been waiting to see. This one and the next one are in the complex a mile out of Kaunakakai, Moloka’i Shores.


----------



## slip

Here’s the other one at Molokai Shores. This one is in the third floor and as the loft. Same HOA as a one bedroom. The video is a little longer because it has the loft.


----------



## slip

Dinner tonight was a Tempura Shrimp Plate from Maka’s Corner, $12.00. One thing I am surprised about here on Moloka’i is that many places stay open until 9, 10 and 11 o’clock at night.


----------



## slip

I did find time to stop at the produce stand next to the market. I sat and talked to him almost an hour. He was busy today and did pretty well. I asked him his name and he said a Hawaiian name with about 25 letters in it. I laughed and said yeah, I’ll remember that. We both laughed and he said to just call him Kepi.

We sat, talked and ate some tangerines he had. He said he would be there on Friday and I told him I would stop again 

My new joke is when ever someone asks where i’m From, I say born and raised on Moloka’i, with a big smile. Everyone just laughs then I tell them I’m from Wisconsin.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> My new joke is when ever someone asks where i’m From, I say born and raised on Moloka’i, with a big smile. Everyone just laughs then I tell them I’m from Wisconsin.



He sounds like a cool guy.  And your name in Hawaiian, in case you don't already know, is Kepeli. So if you introduce yourself that way, you'll be set. 

Dave  (aka Kawika)


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> He sounds like a cool guy.  And your name in Hawaiian, in case you don't already know, is Kepeli. So if you introduce yourself that way, you'll be set.
> 
> Dave  (aka Kawika)




I think I did look that up once  it beck I can barely remember Jeff half the time. 



Well the search is down to two. Both at WaveCrest, B209 and A203. Both second floor, A building is oceanfront and B is ocean, mountain and garden view.

B209 tops the list for both me and my wife. While not oceanfront, we like the view as a whole better. All you see is ocean in A203, you have to look over the rail to the left to see the pool or anything else.

We are comparing these to the Pono Kai too and at the Pono Kai the oceanfront buildings have the Coastal Path and the beach and even some of the grounds to look at. If i’m There a week or two, I chose A203 but for living there we prefer B209.

There are a couple other things we weighed in also. B209 is the second to last unit in the building and with people being able to walk down the hallway, the only people that would need to come all the way down there would be anyone staying in B210. A203 is right by the stairs and people could be going either way past the unit. The bedrooms are in the back by that hallway.

Looking at the past sales over the last year, the A building unit is probably listed close to where it will sell. It’s only been on the market 20 days. We thought about starting out throwing them a low offer and see what happens but we really do prefer the one in the B building. We still have some talking to do but that sounds like the way we will go.

I know we can get the one in the B building way cheaper than list price. It’s been on the market a year and a half. So we will probably start low and see where we end out. Who knows maybe he won’t come down as much as I think.

Probably won’t offer until I get home but we’ll see. I’ll keep posting.


----------



## taffy19

slip said:


> I think I did look that up once  it beck I can barely remember Jeff half the time.
> 
> 
> 
> Well the search is down to two. Both at WaveCrest, B209 and A203. Both second floor, A building is oceanfront and B is ocean, mountain and garden view.
> 
> B209 tops the list for both me and my wife. While not oceanfront, we like the view as a whole better. All you see is ocean in A203, you have to look over the rail to the left to see the pool or anything else.
> 
> We are comparing these to the Pono Kai too and at the Pono Kai the oceanfront buildings have the Coastal Path and the beach and even some of the grounds to look at. If i’m There a week or two, I chose A203 but for living there we prefer B209.
> 
> There are a couple other things we weighed in also. B209 is the second to last unit in the building and with people being able to walk down the hallway, the only people that would need to come all the way down there would be anyone staying in B210. A203 is right by the stairs and people could be going either way past the unit. The bedrooms are in the back by that hallway.
> 
> Looking at the past sales over the last year, the A building unit is probably listed close to where it will sell. It’s only been on the market 20 days. We thought about starting out throwing them a low offer and see what happens but we really do prefer the one in the B building. We still have some talking to do but that sounds like the way we will go.
> 
> I know we can get the one in the B building way cheaper than list price. It’s been on the market a year and a half. So we will probably start low and see where we end out. Who knows maybe he won’t come down as much as I think.
> 
> Probably won’t offer until I get home but we’ll see. I’ll keep posting.


Both condos look nice inside and a second floor gives you a better view and more privacy too because many people will take a shortcut so walk right by your Lanai or windows.

What view you and your wife like best is a very personal decision.  It is great that you both agree on that. 

We both prefer full ocean view with lush green or colorful tropical plants and the fewer structures in front of us, the better we like it so our choice is different from yours with the two you like the best.

The shade screen on the Lanai to keep the hot sun out with a fan overhead and good cross ventilation from the front to the back of the condo may make it not too hot in the summer without air condition.

Decisions, decisions so wish you good luck with that!


----------



## slip

Decisions, decisions is right. We had always talked about full ocean view so it’s kind of odd that we are both agreeing on the other unit.

We’re still talking it over and I’m going back Thursday or Friday to look at them both again. I know my wife is weighing in cost too. The B unit is about 30% cheaper and that’s a lot but I told her in a few years it probably won’t be a big deal. Just like when we bought our other two houses.

She did say she would rent the Oceanfront unit if she was going there but thinking about living there she likes the B unit.

The sun shade and fan are not on the oceanfront unit. They would have to be added. And your right they make a huge difference. I see that staying in my unit at Molokai Shores. The oceanfront unit at WaveCrest and my unit here at Moloka’i Shores are both at the same angle so they don’t get as much breeze and the sun will hit them from about 3pm to 6pm. I think those would be two upgrades we would have to add to that unit before we moved there. 

More thinking and we’ll see if another viewing changes anything.


----------



## Luanne

Jeff, loved the descriptions of your trip and your real estate journey.  I think we are all anxious to hear about which one you and your wife pick. So exciting!


----------



## Chrispee

I’m sure there are a bunch of us lurkers living vicariously through you!


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> Jeff, loved the descriptions of your trip and your real estate journey.  I think we are all anxious to hear about which one you and your wife pick. So exciting!



Thank You to everyone for all the support. If anyone has any opinions please let me know. We’re trying to take everything into account. Even if we don’t agree, I’ll put how we approached and decided on that question.


----------



## slip

I heard back from the mortgage broker and we’re all set no matter who one we pick. 

I stopped over to the rental agent I will probably go with and showed her my videos of the two properties we’re deciding on. I wanted to get her opinion on what can or needs to be done to make them more rentable. She said living room furniture in both of the properties and a new tv in B209. Then jus general decor in each. Something my wife wanted to do anyway. 

I drove back out to WaveCrest to answer a few questions my wife had. I had only noticed one entry to the pool area and there was actually a second that leads to the loungers by the ocean. I’ll post a couple of those videos too. They are mostly the grounds, behind the buildings and out to the office by the tennis courts. Maybe kind of boring but i’m Trots give a lot of different angles of the same thing for my wife. 

One thing I noticed doing these videos is that the camera makes everything seem further away than it is. My phone doesn’t have a very good zoom but I had to use it sometimes just to make it look more like when you are actually there.


----------



## slip

A lot of rambling on this but more behind the buildings at WaveCrest.


----------



## slip

Behind the pool and grounds. There was a guy doing some trimming


----------



## slip

This was on the other side of the property. This is in the edge of the A building. It would be the opposite side of that lot the resort was thinking of expanding on years ago.


----------



## slip

This is when I walked up to the office and tennis courts.


----------



## slip

I traveled Hwy 460 all the way to the end today. Nicest beaches on the west side with great sand. I’ll follow up with a couple of my corny videos.


----------



## slip

Papohaku Beach Park, really nice two mile stretch of sand. Only a few people by the park entrance and no one down the south end of the beach.


----------



## slip

Dixie Maru Beach at the end of the road. Really nice spot. Even had a porta potty in the parking lot. No one there and it would be a great spot to watch a Sunset.


----------



## MrockStar

Jeff you have inspired me to think about visiting Molokai, we are going to  Pono Kia & Maui in late June 2019. Is there a ferry from Maui or do you have to fly to get there?


----------



## taffy19

slip said:


> Dixie Maru Beach at the end of the road. Really nice spot. Even had a porta potty in the parking lot. *No one there and it would be a great spot to watch a Sunset.*


So true, Jeff.

Molokai is special and who can blame the local people for trying to keep their beaches and shoreline pristine like they used to be on all the the other Islands too before the tourist industry took over.

You won’t regret living your dream and nothing stops you from selling it again, if you change your mind, because they will not overbuild the Island and that is to your advantage!


----------



## Luanne

MrockStar said:


> Jeff you have inspired me to think about visiting Molokai, we are going to  Pono Kia & Maui in late June 2019. Is there a ferry from Maui or do you have to fly to get there?


I think flying is the only way to get there now.  There was a ferry, but service stopped some time ago.


----------



## bizaro86

taffy19 said:


> So true, Jeff.
> 
> Molokai is special and who can blame the local people for trying to keep their beaches and shoreline pristine like they used to be on all the the other Islands too before the tourist industry took over.
> 
> You won’t regret living your dream and nothing stops you from selling it again, if you change your mind, because they will not overbuild the Island and that is to your advantage!



I don't agree with this from a financial point of view. More development on Molokai would make the existing development more valuable, because then there would be more services (restaurants, tours, ferry, etc).

That obviously isn't what the locals want, and I'm not saying it's "right" to have more development, but it would definitely increase the value of the real estate at least to Kauai levels.


----------



## slip

MrockStar said:


> Jeff you have inspired me to think about visiting Molokai, we are going to  Pono Kia & Maui in late June 2019. Is there a ferry from Maui or do you have to fly to get there?



There was a ferry but it closed down in 2016. There are day trips you take take that boat over from Maui. There are full and half day trips and some have some snorkel time. Or you can take a plane over and rent a car. Car rentals are limited here. Alamo is the only name brand on the island I went with Moloka’i Car Rentals the local guys. They tell you what car you will have and the license number. Then they park it in the airport parking lot with the keys under the mat. If you stop in Kaunakakai and pay them in cash you get a discount. 

We’re doing Maui and Kauai in January. Maui Schooner first and then the Pono Kai. That may change if we do purchase a place here. It may turn into Maui and Moloka’i. I know my wife will want to start doing some things with the place. 

Regardless, we are doing the plane over to Kalaupapa.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> There was a ferry but it closed down in 2016. There are day trips you take take that boat over from Maui. There are full and half day trips and some have some snorkel time. Or you can take a plane over and rent a car. Car rentals are limited here. Alamo is the only name brand on the island I went with Moloka’i Car Rentals the local guys. They tell you what car you will have and the license number. Then they park it in the airport parking lot with the keys under the mat. If you stop in Kaunakakai and pay them in cash you get a discount.
> 
> We’re doing Maui and Kauai in January. Maui Schooner first and then the Pono Kai. That may change if we do purchase a place here. It may turn into Maui and Moloka’i. I know my wife will want to start doing some things with the place.
> 
> Regardless, we are doing the plane over to Kalaupapa.


When older dd and I visited Kalaupapa we had the option of plane, hike or mule ride.  We opted for the plane.  Or rather it was she looked at me with horror in her eyes and said we're not hiking or taking the mules are we.  My response "H#ll no!".


----------



## slip

bizaro86 said:


> I don't agree with this from a financial point of view. More development on Molokai would make the existing development more valuable, because then there would be more services (restaurants, tours, ferry, etc).
> 
> That obviously isn't what the locals want, and I'm not saying it's "right" to have more development, but it would definitely increase the value of the real estate at least to Kauai levels.



I don’t know, it’s kind of relative. If new places are built that would be a different customer who has the money and wants a new developement. A new million dollar house built in your neighborhood doesn’t necessarily increase the value of your home. More services and things on the island will make it appeal to more people. It’s more supply and demand and I think that is Emmys point. There will certainly not be any new development here, at least for quite a while. So if the economy keeps improving, these are all of what’s here and the value will increase.

For going on close to a year now I have been watching the listings and researching the last sale prices and it’s a similar story here compared to elsewhere. When the economy tanked and the housing bubble burst, it happened here to.

The swings in the market were large on these units. They go from $60,000 on the low end of the market to close to $500,000 on the high end. Large down swings look like they can happen quickly. Going up happens slow and steadier. I’m not looking at the bottom of the market now, it is rising but i’m Not anywhere near the top either. That’s why I will see if I can get a deal or not. Or at least what I consider a deal. 

All that stuff above is just my opinion. 

As I’ve been saying, we’ll see.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> When older dd and I visited Kalaupapa we had the option of plane, hike or mule ride.  We opted for the plane.  Or rather it was she looked at me with horror in her eyes and said we're not hiking or taking the mules are we.  My response "H#ll no!".



I’ve seen some video of the mule rides too and that won’t work for me. I’m scared of heights and those mules have a mind of there own. So I won’t do the mule ride, my wife won’t hike so looks like a plane ride. It will be more expensive but probably much more comfortable.


----------



## slip

Last full day here. My wife and I discussed everything yesterday and we’re ready to place an offer. We have a price in mind and will wait and watch the listings if we don’t get it. There are a couple more we will think about too if this doesn’t work out. We’re not doing a best and final. We are starting low and see how much they want to sell. So again, we’ll see.

Also, I know they won’t take my first offer.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> I’ve seen some video of the mule rides too and that won’t work for me. I’m scared of heights and those mules have a mind of there own. So I won’t do the mule ride, my wife won’t hike so looks like a plane ride. It will be more expensive but probably much more comfortable.


It's a tiny little plane.  On our way back in order to "balance" the load the pilot had my daughter (she was 16 at the time) sit up front with him.  "Balance the load" sure.  Mom knows better.  I told her he was flirting with her (he was a young guy) and she kept saying "No he wasn't".  As I said, Mom knows better.

Also on the way back he dipped down and got closer to a couple of areas so we could see better.  Another advantage of the plane is that you get there earlier than the hikers and mulers and get to watch a film about Kaulapapa.  Very interesting.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> It's a tiny little plane.  On our way back in order to "balance" the load the pilot had my daughter (she was 16 at the time) sit up front with him.  "Balance the load" sure.  Mom knows better.  I told her he was flirting with her (he was a young guy) and she kept saying "No he wasn't".  As I said, Mom knows better.
> 
> Also on the way back he dipped down and got closer to a couple of areas so we could see better.  Another advantage of the plane is that you get there earlier than the hikers and mulers and get to watch a film about Kaulapapa.  Very interesting.




Yep, the plane ride itself should be cool. We did a plane ride around Kauai and I think that held six. That will work out great. We have friends joining us for the Maui part of our trip so they will probably come with.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> Car rentals are limited here. Alamo is the only name brand on the island I went with Moloka’i Car Rentals the local guys. They tell you what car you will have and the license number. Then they park it in the airport parking lot with the keys under the mat.



That was how they did it in Ketchikan, Alaska, last Summer when I rented a car for the few hours we were in port during our Alaska cruise. They parked a car near the ship terminal, and left the keys under the mat. When we were done with it, I left the car in the same lot, called them and said we were done. Pretty easy.

Dave


----------



## Luanne

I think we used the local guys for car rental on Molokai as well.  However, we had to go to their location to get the car.  They picked dh up at the airport, took him back to the facility, then he came back to the airport and picked the rest of us up.  I think we returned the car to their facility as well.  I like this new method better.


----------



## slip

I couldn’t compare prices because Alamo was all out of cars. This was very last minute. I ended out with a four door Toyota Yaris for $280 for the week. I booked the car on Wednesday for a Saturday pickup. For everything being last minute, I was happy.


----------



## slip

The car has been good in gas. I’ll probably go through just under a tank of gas. I have been driving around this small island a lot. Gas is $4.97 a gallon here now.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> The car has been good in gas. I’ll probably go through just under a tank of gas. I have been driving around this small island a lot. Gas is $4.97 a gallon here now.



That’s about the only time a car that small would be a good idea! 

Dave


----------



## taffy19

slip said:


> I don’t know, it’s kind of relative. If new places are built that would be a different customer who has the money and wants a new developement. A new million dollar house built in your neighborhood doesn’t necessarily increase the value of your home. More services and things on the island will make it appeal to more people. *It’s more supply and demand and I think that is Emmys point.* There will certainly not be any new development here, at least for quite a while. So if the economy keeps improving, these are all of what’s here and the value will increase.
> 
> For going on close to a year now I have been watching the listings and researching the last sale prices and it’s a similar story here compared to elsewhere. When the economy tanked and the housing bubble burst, it happened here to.
> 
> The swings in the market were large on these units. They go from $60,000 on the low end of the market to close to $500,000 on the high end. Large down swings look like they can happen quickly. Going up happens slow and steadier. I’m not looking at the bottom of the market now, it is rising but i’m Not anywhere near the top either. That’s why I will see if I can get a deal or not. Or at least what I consider a deal.
> 
> All that stuff above is just my opinion.
> 
> As I’ve been saying, we’ll see.


That’s exactly what I meant because a few other islands are overbuilding now and are having gridlock at certain hours of the day that makes it hard to get around for everyone.

I even heard that locals are not allowed to drive certain hours of the day so have to leave work early or stay late.  This is in the Ka’anapali Beach Resort area.  Their commuting hours are regulated.

They are overbuilding timeshares too and that will have an effect on sales and rental prices too sooner or later, IMO.

More people may want to escape to Molokai and see the difference how the Islands used to be.

PS.  Enjoy your evening with the Local Aunties.  We enjoyed the evening with them very much.


----------



## slip

Just took a ride further west and did some filming along the way. A couple of these get long. I spared anyone that wants to watch and take a ride because I didn’t talk much. You can ride shotgun and listen to the radio.


----------



## slip

Then we continue on past WaveCrest. Some of these will end abruptly because the road goes down to one lane and I have to pull over so people can go by from the other way. No one was injured durinythe making of these videos.


----------



## slip

Still further east.


----------



## slip

Heading back now so going west. It is beautiful over there.


----------



## slip

Last one on the road, still heading west going toward WaveCrest.


----------



## slip

I can’t remember if I posted when I was by the A building at WaveCrest, a guy was Fishing over there at a small beach. This was the beach today at low tide.


----------



## slip

I’ll bore you with one more. Me sitting on one of the benches they have by the pool a few feet from the ocean.


----------



## slip

I take my last look at two properties in a couple hours and then I will talk to her about putting in an offer.


----------



## Luanne

Your posts make me want to go back to Molokai.  I don't think I can talk any of the rest of the family into going with me though.  None of them were as enthralled with it as I was.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> Your posts make me want to go back to Molokai.  I don't think I can talk any of the rest of the family into going with me though.  None of them were as enthralled with it as I was.



I can understand that too, it's certainly not for everyone. I thought I was relaxed when I was on Kauai. This makes Kauai feel like Oahu.


----------



## DaveNV

Jeff, I have to tell you - I totally understand your interest in Molokai.  Watching these videos has shown me why it would be a quiet and satisfying place to retire.  I've been amazed at how empty the beaches have been, how little traffic I've seen on the roads, and how few people have been seen.  I realize you're trying to see the area, and not the people, so have likely avoided recording any crowds, but if it's truly as deserted as it seems, it would be a great place to spend time just relaxing.

Your search for a place to buy has been pretty thorough, I think, and you've definitely done your due diligence.  I hope you can put a deal together on the place you want.  Fingers crossed for you both.  Keep us posted. 

Dave


----------



## taffy19

slip said:


> Still further east.


Thank you for posting these last two beautiful car rides.  I believe that takes you to the beautiful Halawa Valley where we hiked to a beautiful waterfall through dense tropical rainforest.  You will love to do this too when you return again or are living there.

Here is some more about the scenery and hike.

Amazing how you drove and took video clips of the scenery at the same time and shared it with us.  It brought back happy memories to us.  We loved Molokai too.

https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/content/hike-molokais-lush-halawa-valley-its-250-foot-moaula-falls

Looking forward to find out what you decide to do.

Aloha and Mahalo.


----------



## taffy19

slip said:


> I’ll bore you with one more. Me sitting on one of the benches they have by the pool a few feet from the ocean.


Paradise!  Will listen to your comments or Island sounds later...


----------



## MrockStar

slip said:


> There was a ferry but it closed down in 2016. There are day trips you take take that boat over from Maui. There are full and half day trips and some have some snorkel time. Or you can take a plane over and rent a car. Car rentals are limited here. Alamo is the only name brand on the island I went with Moloka’i Car Rentals the local guys. They tell you what car you will have and the license number. Then they park it in the airport parking lot with the keys under the mat. If you stop in Kaunakakai and pay them in cash you get a discount.
> 
> We’re doing Maui and Kauai in January. Maui Schooner first and then the Pono Kai. That may change if we do purchase a place here. It may turn into Maui and Moloka’i. I know my wife will want to start doing some things with the place.
> 
> Regardless, we are doing the plane over to Kalaupapa.


Thanks Jeff, hope that some day our paths will cross at Pona Kai and I can say hello in person. AL


----------



## slip

MrockStar said:


> Thanks Jeff, hope that some day our paths will cross at Pona Kai and I can say hello in person. AL



That would be great!! We are definitely keeping some Pono Kai weeks although I may downsize some of my rental weeks. We’ll see. I always say that and then they rent so quick another year goes by. I will definitely hold on to my Maui Schooner weeks. Although I may get rid of the one bedroom but anyway I want to hold on to at least a week for bonus time. It may come in handy if we go to Maui for stuff, we can just stay they for a day or two.

If we end out Purchasing, our January trip will change to Maui and Moloka’i. My wife will definitely want to start putting her stamp on the place. I haven’t purchased the short flight to Kauai and back yet so I can easily book it for Moloka’i. If a purchase doesn’t happen we will still make a day trip or maybe two days over on Moloka’i.


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> Jeff, I have to tell you - I totally understand your interest in Molokai.  Watching these videos has shown me why it would be a quiet and satisfying place to retire.  I've been amazed at how empty the beaches have been, how little traffic I've seen on the roads, and how few people have been seen.  I realize you're trying to see the area, and not the people, so have likely avoided recording any crowds, but if it's truly as deserted as it seems, it would be a great place to spend time just relaxing.
> 
> Your search for a place to buy has been pretty thorough, I think, and you've definitely done your due diligence.  I hope you can put a deal together on the place you want.  Fingers crossed for you both.  Keep us posted.
> 
> Dave



Thanks Dave. 

The people I recorded on the beaches were the only ones there so there’s not too many on the beaches. These were mostly weekdays and I got in too late for Saturday but even at that I’m fine with it. Having a beach for just the two of us would be fine. 

I would think that the traffic is a pretty good representation of how it is. I was out on all days at different times and it wasn’t much. 

The busiest place is definitely in Kaunakakai town right by the two markets. There are always people there and sometimes a Food truck and most days farmers selling fruits and vegetables. Today there was a guy with his tailgate down on his pickup in front of the two markets and he had a sign that said Freah Poi. If it wasn’t Friday with me leaving tomorrow I would have bought some. I have always heard fresh makes all the difference. So that will be for next time. 

I was later than I thought with the realtor because I put an offer in. She needed a lot of information for the 17 pages of forms, good grief. 

She will scan it and email it to my wife so she can print and sign. I have to send some information to my mortgage broker on Monday anyway. So we’ll find out late next week I would think. They won’t accept but we’ll have to see what they do.


----------



## slip

taffy19 said:


> Thank you for posting these last two beautiful car rides.  I believe that takes you to the beautiful Halawa Valley where we hiked to a beautiful waterfall through dense tropical rainforest.  You will love to do this too when you return again or are living there.
> 
> Here is some more about the scenery and hike.
> 
> Amazing how you drove and took video clips of the scenery at the same time and shared it with us.  It brought back happy memories to us.  We loved Molokai too.
> 
> https://www.hawaiimagazine.com/content/hike-molokais-lush-halawa-valley-its-250-foot-moaula-falls
> 
> Looking forward to find out what you decide to do.
> 
> Aloha and Mahalo.



Yes, you are correct, that’s where the waterfall is. You have to have a guide take you on the hike in to see it. That will be another thing we will still have to do. And you are also correct about paradise. It is beautiful up there!!

This is where I missed my copilot on this trip. She would have been taking the video. I must have done alright because she said she liked those videos because she was able to see so much. It was just like she was there too because after she watched them she said the radio was on too loud and she always tells me that. 

I never thought about it though, I had the phone right by the steering wheel so it probably was pretty close to the speaker. But she loves the Aloha Friday song. 

Great pictures of the hike!! I hope my wife will be able to make that. I know she would love it. She would be slow but I think she would make it.


----------



## slip

I didn’t make it to see the aunties. So that will have to be for another trip too. It took a long time with the realtor, then of course I had to get back and go over it all with my wife. I did make it back before Maka’s Corner closed so I could get a bowl of Saimin. Not Hamura’s but pretty darn good. $7.95 for a pretty big bowl. I thought I had a picture of it but I forgot, I was Skyping with my wife and I just showed it to her. She loves Saimin. Here’s a picture of there menu board, they serve breakfast too.


----------



## Luanne

Jeff, I imagine your wife was sad she couldn't make this trip with you.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> Jeff, I imagine your wife was sad she couldn't make this trip with you.



Very and I felt terrible. I offered for her to go when she could get off from work. I wouldn’t be able to get off from work later but she said she didn’t want to travel alone. So the best thing was me alone. 

It worked though, by the second day she was loving all the videos and she said it helped he a ton. So it turned out well in the end.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> Very and I felt terrible. I offered for her to go when she could get off from work. I wouldn’t be able to get off from work later but she said she didn’t want to travel alone. So the best thing was me alone.
> 
> It worked though, by the second day she was loving all the videos and she said it helped he a ton. So it turned out well in the end.



Actually, it may have worked better that she wasn't there.  That way, all she could see were the videos you took.  She wasn't distracted by the smell of the air, or feel of the wind.  You both had a goal, and she was able to stay on point by not being there.  She'd notice things you may have overlooked.  So not necessarily a bad thing.  You'll have plenty of time there together in the future.

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> Actually, it may have worked better that she wasn't there.  That way, all she could see were the videos you took.  She wasn't distracted by the smell of the air, or feel of the wind.  You both had a goal, and she was able to stay on point by not being there.  She'd notice things you may have overlooked.  So not necessarily a bad thing.  You'll have plenty of time there together in the future.
> 
> Dave



That is true, that was the reason for the third viewing. She noticed about four things she wanted me to look at again. Some where ok or better and a couple things were negatives that I mentioned with our offer.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> That is true, that was the reason for the third viewing. She noticed about four things she wanted me to look at again. Some where ok or better and a couple things were negatives that I mentioned with our offer.


For those of us, well okay me, that were having trouble keeping the units straight, would you post again the video(s) you took of the one you made an offer on.


----------



## slip

We had a hard time keeping them straight too. Before I got here I wanted to look at six. It was really tough then to keep them straight but then we were down to two and it wasn’t too bad but we still mixed things up between them. 
Here’s the one we made the offer on. 






And here’s the one we will offer on depending on what they come back with. 
She knows we have other options so hopefully that will put a little more pressure on with our low offer.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> We had a hard time keeping them straight too. Before I got here I wanted to look at six. It was really tough then to keep them straight but then we were down to two and it wasn’t too bad but we still mixed things up between them.
> Here’s the one we made the offer on.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here’s the one we will offer on depending on what they come back with.
> She knows we have other options so hopefully that will put a little more pressure on with our low offer.




I like the deeper lanai on the B209 unit, and water views in two directions. Hope you get it. 

Dave


----------



## slip

So here’s how we decided. Slight edge in condition goes to A203 but that is mostly because it has been available to rent for a long time so it is being cleaned regularly. B209 just entered the rental market and is under a different rental company. I would switch the rental companies. The other company does better with the cleaning and advertising. 

A203 is oceanfront and would rent more often. It’s funny though because the rental prices are about the same. Only a zero to $15 a night difference depending on the season. With B209, Looks like there’s no reason why we couldn’t at least get our HOA paid through the rentals so that’s good.  We would do better with A203 but it still wouldn’t cover everything. 

When I first can here we were looking at two complexes too. Molokai Shores and WaveCrest. We quickly eliminated Moloka’i Shores even though it was close to town. WaveCrest has a more community feel, was kept up better, units we’re larger and the loft units at Moloka’i Shores turned out to be less appealing when we saw them and third floor was a lot of stairs. 

So the deciders for us on B209, next to the end of the building so the only people going by our unit would be anyone staying in B210. Not a big deal for short stays but a plus when we’re living there. Next the view, while we love the oceanfront, we’re used to seeing more that the oceanfront, a beach, people on the walking path or just people walking the resort. Many times people would go by and start up a conversation. So with B209 we get a nice view of the ocean and Maui, the beautiful grounds and the wonderful mountains that look like Na Pali right over the C building. Then lastly and isn’t a deal breaker by any means but B209 will probably sell for $40 to $50 thousand less. That’s about 30% less and its definitely more of what we want when living there. If we were just going to rent this and not live there, only go once a year. We would probably go with A203. And we still may end out there depending how the offer goes.

I do want to mention also that the pool area at WaveCrest is awesome and I Think we would be there a lot. So we can get all the full on ocean we could want by walking about 50 yards. Plus get interaction with other owners or vacationers. 

So, there’s our thought process. We should know more in a week.


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> I like the deeper lanai on the B209 unit, and water views in two directions. Hope you get it.
> 
> ave


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> So, there’s our thought process. We should know more in a week.




It all makes great sense, and I agree about foot traffic walking past your unit.  Lofts tend to collect noise, dirt, and heat.  Ocean front is always nice, but once the sun goes down, then what?  If you can walk 50 yards and have the OF experience, I'd say it's worthwhile.

Good luck with this. Fingers crossed.

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> It all makes great sense, and I agree about foot traffic walking past your unit.  Lofts tend to collect noise, dirt, and heat.  Ocean fort is always nice, but once the sun goes down, then what?  If you can walk 50 yards and have the OF experience, I'd say it's worthwhile.
> 
> Good luck with this. Fingers crossed.
> 
> Dave



Yes, didn’t mention that, the grounds are lit with the touches at night and it looks great then too. Nothing in front by that 25 yard patch of grass in front of A203. It was very dark there at night. 

We realize all these are subjective and other will feel different about the same things.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> We had a hard time keeping them straight too. Before I got here I wanted to look at six. It was really tough then to keep them straight but then we were down to two and it wasn’t too bad but we still mixed things up between them.


Thanks!  The speakers on my computer are weird so I didn't hear your narrative.  Looks like the layout of the units is pretty much the same?  For Hawaii I like tile floors better than wood, but I don't think I've ever stayed any place with wood floors.  Personally I might go for the ocean front.........but those wood floors.   Both units looks very nice.  I think you would be happy with either one.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> Thanks!  The speakers on my computer are weird so I didn't hear your narrative.  Looks like the layout of the units is pretty much the same?  For Hawaii I like tile floors better than wood, but I don't think I've ever stayed any place with wood floors.  Personally I might go for the ocean front.........but those wood floors.   Both units looks very nice.  I think you would be happy with either one.



Yes, they pretty much are the same layout. The wood floor will be fine for renting but we agree and will probably change over to tile when we move. 


If this all happens of course.


----------



## Luanne

slip said:


> Yes, they pretty much are the same layout. The wood floor will be fine for renting but we agree and will probably change over to tile when we move.
> 
> 
> If this all happens of course.


The one you put an offer in on has tile though right?  One thing I thought was odd in both units were the two kitchen stools stored kind of under the counter.  Where would you use them?  I thought maybe on the other side of the counter, but I noticed in one of the unit they already had stools on the other side in addition to the ones in the kitchen.  Is there room to sit in the kitchen?  Also noticed the teeny, tiny dishwashers.  Those are about the size of what we had at Maui Hill.  I'll have to check next time we're there, but I think they all got swapped out for larger units.  They also used to be placed right under the sink which was very inconvenient. Again, I think they've been moved, but I'll have to double check.

Are the units being sold furnished?  With everything included?


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> The one you put an offer in on has tile though right?  One thing I thought was odd in both units were the two kitchen stools stored kind of under the counter.  Where would you use them?  I thought maybe on the other side of the counter, but I noticed in one of the unit they already had stools on the other side in addition to the ones in the kitchen.  Is there room to sit in the kitchen?  Also noticed the teeny, tiny dishwashers.  Those are about the size of what we had at Maui Hill.  I'll have to check next time we're there, but I think they all got swapped out for larger units.  They also used to be placed right under the sink which was very inconvenient. Again, I think they've been moved, but I'll have to double check.
> 
> Are the units being sold furnished?  With everything included?



Yes, the stools are kind of useless in both units, a little better in A203. The dishwasher are small but fine for now. Yes, all the ones we looked at come complete with everything you see.

We would probably change out the countertops in either of them once we moved.

No, the one we out the office in on has some wood flooring but that is fine with us for now. Flooring is again something we would change when we moved.


----------



## dsmrp

DaveNW said:


> I like the deeper lanai on the B209 unit, and water views in two directions. Hope you get it.
> 
> Dave



I agree with Dave, deeper lanai  and multiple views of water and mountains are all good.
Thanks Jeff for letting us live vicariously through your search.
Makes me want to go to Molokai some day; maybe not for a whole week cause I gotta see Lanai too LOL.
Very few people I know in Honolulu go to Moloka'i unless they have friends or family living there.


----------



## slip

Just got out of Moloka’i and have some time in Honolulu, then Kona. Strange flight home but then it San Francisco straight to Madison. They just started this route so not bad. 

I’ll stay with this thread and report any ups or downs.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> Just got out of Moloka’i and have some time in Honolulu, then Kona. Strange flight home but then it San Francisco straight to Madison. They just started this route so not bad.
> 
> I’ll stay with this thread and report any ups or downs.



Have a safe flight home!  And good luck on your offer!!

Dave


----------



## LisaH

I am just catching up on your posts. Good luck with getting B209. A deeper Lanai would be so much more useful especially if you live there full time.
I have a question: does your cellphone work well on Molakai? If so, which carrier do you use?


----------



## slip

I use Verizon and the phone worked well for calling but the data not much at all. I did most of my posting when I went back to my unit. They are getting a free hot spot in Kaunakakai next year. A free hours usage for each device. Just read that in the Moloka’i Dispach today.


----------



## MrockStar

slip said:


> I use Verizon and the phone worked well for calling but the data not much at all. I did most when I went back to my unit. They are getting a free hot spot in Kaunakakai next year. A free hours usage for each device. Just read that in the Moloka’i Dispach today.


What airline are you flying on Jeff? I am in Detroit so delta & spirit and southwest are good here. AL


----------



## Kapolei

Thanks for all the efforts.  I just put a bid in on the property.

j/k


----------



## slip

Kapolei said:


> Thanks for all the efforts.  I just put a bid in on the property.
> 
> j/k



If it’s more than my bid you can have it. I’ll move on to the next.


----------



## slip

MrockStar said:


> What airline are you flying on Jeff? I am in Detroit so delta & spirit and southwest are good here. AL



I use United just about all the time. Chicago is a hub and there are great times out of Madison. Used to to Madison to Denver but now they go all the way to San Francisco from and to Madison so we’ll see if that’s better. Prices are usually better too on United.


----------



## slip

Made it to Kona. Lot of construction here. I have to go through security again. Leave for San Francisco in an hour.


----------



## slip

Wow, security was slow and I had Pre-Check. 

One thing I forgot to mention on the cellphone question. I heard that AT&T works there. I had three bars but nothing ever refreshed. There was someone Skyping at the airport so something most work there. I checked and there was no WiFi. I believe I read that there are two restaurants I. Kaunakakai that have WiFi. 

I did eat at the Food Counter at the little grocery store just past WaveCrest. I had the Teri-Chicken plate lunch, $11.00 and really good.


----------



## taffy19

Have a safe flight to San Francisco, Jeff.  

After that, you still have another long leg in front of you to fly back home but you still manage that long flight several times a year to visit your favorite Islands. 

I hope that you will hear from your broker soon with an acceptance by the seller of your offer.


----------



## slip

Made it to San Francisco. Two hours to rest before the last leg. I am breaking down and getting one of those neck pillows though.


----------



## slip

Waiting for a computer reboot. Sounds like all the planes. Then we can start this last leg.


----------



## slip

Yeah, they just got everything they need and we’ll be pushing out in a few minutes.


----------



## LisaH

Have a good flight home. The food plates in Moloka’i look delicious...


----------



## slip

Well the offer is officially signed and sent back. She will probably present it tomorrow. Hopefully hear back by the end of the week.


----------



## Kapolei

Just wanted to pass along to the TUG community following this thread that Platinum Interchange has a bunch of Ke Nani Kai weeks for next summer.


----------



## slip

We received a counter offer today and we just sent back a best and final. I’m feeling this may work out but we’ll see. I’ll post some particulars if it goes though.


----------



## slip

Holy cow, I haven’t done a mortgage in over fifteen years. I don’t remember having to get this much crap together for them. 

Anyway we are approved and are just waiting on our best and final offer. I’m thinking we hear tomorrow.


----------



## slip

Realtor just got a hold of me and our best and final offer was excepted. 

They started listing the property at $165,000 and then dropped to $155,000 earlier this year. The 2018 assessment was 115,900 and as a comp the unit right above it sold earlier this year at $148,000. We started at $120,000 and they came back at $140,000. Then we just said 130,000 best and final. It sounded like they were looking to settle at $140,000 or $135,000.

When we started, I told my wife if we got it at $120,000, I would be shocked. I would be ecstatic if we got it at $125,000 and extremely happy if we got it at $130,000.

So now the work begins. Closing will be in October and I have to contact the rental manager.


----------



## Luanne

Great news Jeff!  You may have already mentioned it, but when do you, and your wife, plan to go back to Molokai?


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> So now the work begins. Closing will be in October and I have to contact the rental manager.




Hearty handshakes, my friend.  Congratulations!  You earned this one. 

Dave


----------



## slip

Thanks Dave!!

I know my wife is ready to make a Moloka’i hot bread run to celebrate but that will have to wait until January.


----------



## slip

Luanne said:


> Great news Jeff!  You may have already mentioned it, but when do you, and your wife, plan to go back to Molokai?



Yes, we had a Maui and Kauai trip already booked for January so that will change to Maui and Moloka’i. I priced the airfare to Kauai and back from Maui but I never booked it. So now I just need to book Maui to Moloka’i and back now.

We have friends going with us to Maui and we were thinking of a day trip to Moloka’i. We probably will still do that. That way they can see it too.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> Yes, we had a Maui and Kauai trip already booked for January so that will change to Maui and Moloka’i. I priced the airfare to Kauai and back from Maui but I never booked it. So now I just need to book Maui to Moloka’i and back now.
> 
> We have friends going with us to Maui and we were thinking of a day trip to Moloka’i. We probably will still do that. That way they can see it too.



So this isn't the one with the loft, is it?  Where do Tuggers sleep when we invade your privacy?  

Dave


----------



## slip

Nope, pull out sofa for Tuggers.


----------



## taffy19

Congratulations, Jeff.  You are willing to skip your favorite Island but keep your Maui week this coming January?   I guess you have decided to give Maui one more chance.

You must be really excited to look forward to your retirement plans.


----------



## slip

taffy19 said:


> Congratulations, Jeff.  You are willing to skip your favorite Island but keep your Maui week this coming January?   I guess you have decided to give Maui one more chance.
> 
> You must be really excited to look forward to your retirement plans.




Thank You, yes we are. One thing I remember that my father said, “don’t wish your life away”. So we will enjoy this until that day comes and we can get it ready for that day. 

Yes, we haven’t been to Maui for four years and we are ready for a return. We have friends that have been to Kauai with us a couple times so this will be their first trip to Maui. They are doing a road to Hana tour and before we started this buying process we talked about a day trip there so we may still do that and then they can see the place too. 

We may make a second trip in 2019 but that will probably be to Moloka’i too. So one trip in 2020 will be at least a week in Kauai.


----------



## slip

My wife added new wallpaper to her phone already. She’s really excited.


----------



## slip

I want to Thank everyone who followed along and I appreciate all the comments along the way. It made it fun and the time went by pretty quick sharing this experience. A couple friends and family knew we were looking but not too many people. So now you know how high you Tuggers rate. 

My wife just posted it on Facebook and now the rest of our friends and family are finding out.

The only surprise I had a long the way was when the sellers came back with the first counter offer at $140,000, I asked my wife if she wanted to try the A203 Oceanfront unit but she said she took that one off her list so this was the only one left in her list. So if this didn’t work we were going to wait and watch the market. It must have been meant to be.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> So if this didn’t work we were going to wait and watch the market. It must have been meant to be.



I'd like the thank YOU for allowing us to share in your journey.  You did a lot of research, and putting boots on the ground gave you firsthand knowledge of exactly what was what.  You made a great purchase of something you wanted, and you got it for a great price.  Maybe it was not so much "meant to be" as "deserved to be yours."  I don't believe a lot in luck, but I do believe wholeheartedly in putting yourself in the path of opportunity.  You did well, Jeff.  Congratulations again. 

Dave


----------



## controller1

Jeff,

I've been following your hunt and I wish you and your wife the best in retirement.

Aloha!


----------



## LisaH

Excellent! Sounds like you and your wife have got a great deal. I’m wondering how much the previous owner paid for this unit...$130K just seems rediculously low but good for you!


----------



## slip

Thanks Again Dave. I’ll keep watching the market to see where sales go. We are coming up on the higher season for sales so I’ll see if that makes a difference where the way things are heading. In the end you can only do so much thinking and analyzing. We ended out where we wanted to be so that’s what matters. 

We’ve been talking about it so long that my wife still can’t believe it happened. 

We’ll be using Amazon Prime a lot. The rental manager said we can have things shipped to her and she will get the stuff set up in the unit. So that is great. First thing will probably be a flat screen tv. We’ll have to decide if we want to do a wall mount. 

We’ll probably be bringing stuff over from our Maui visit too so that should work out great.


----------



## slip

LisaH said:


> Excellent! Sounds like you and your wife have got a great deal. I’m wondering how much the previous owner paid for this unit...$130K just seems rediculously low but good for you!



Yep, I knew that too. They bought it in 2015 and paid $115,000. Strange thing was that they never rented it out and never went there so they never saw it. They just recently started to rent it.

It was strange all the way around. I was a little surprised we got it for that price. I also knew they turned down a $130,000 last year. So We were preparing ourselves for a no sale going with a best and final at $130,000.

Sounds like they own one on Kauai too but they were renting that one out. Strange but it worked for us.


----------



## taffy19

slip said:


> My wife added new wallpaper to her phone already. She’s really excited.
> 
> View attachment 7639


Jeff, really nice that your wife is so excited that you got your offer accepted of the condo that both of you liked the best.

Wallpaper on your phone is so nice to remember something that you want to be reminded of often.  Congratulations to both of you!

I wonder why the other couple never even went to see it?


----------



## dsmrp

Happy for you, congrats!!!


----------



## slip

taffy19 said:


> Jeff, really nice that your wife is so excited that you got your offer accepted of the condo that both of you liked the best.
> 
> Wallpaper on your phone is so nice to remember something that you want to be reminded of often.  Congratulations to both of you!
> 
> I wonder why the other couple never even went to see it?



Thank you!!

Yes, it was strange. Sounds like they bought it as an investment but it’s strange they didn’t start renting it until recently. Until their recent rentals, the last three owners didn’t rent it. The two owners, before these sellers only kept it for their own use. The information I got was they were farmers from Nevada. 

I’ll keep watching the market. I’m curious what the other properties will end out going for now.


----------



## slip

dsmrp said:


> Happy for you, congrats!!!



Thank You, it’s always nice when things work out.


----------



## taffy19

slip said:


> Thank you!!
> 
> Yes, it was strange. Sounds like they bought it as an investment but it’s strange they didn’t start renting it until recently. Until their recent rentals, the last three owners didn’t rent it. The two owners, before these sellers only kept it for their own use. The information I got was they were farmers from Nevada.
> 
> I’ll keep watching the market. I’m curious what the other properties will end out going for now.


In a way, it is good for you because the condo still is in a very good condition and the light wooden floors with the contrasting color furniture make it look really nice and light inside.  Darker wooden floors often make it look darker and smaller inside.

I hope that your rental experience will be good but if you get a good rental agency, you should be OK.


----------



## slip

taffy19 said:


> In a way, it is good for you because the condo still is in a very good condition and the light wooden floors with the contrasting color furniture make it look really nice and light inside.  Darker wooden floors often make it look darker and smaller inside.
> 
> I hope that your rental experience will be good but if you get a good rental agency, you should be OK.



Yes, I thought the same about the floors. You never know about renting. We can do it without renting but it will definitely help. I’m looking for about 12 rentals a year and the managers I talked to said that wouldn’t be a problem. I actually have it rented out for five weeks next year myself from people I know. 

We won’t do certain upgrades until we’re ready to retire. We won’t want those things wore out before we’ll be there full time.


----------



## LJT

Thanks for sharing the journey and I hope to be a renter in 2020!  What kind of beer did you drink to celebrate???


----------



## slip

LJT said:


> Thanks for sharing the journey and I hope to be a renter in 2020!  What kind of beer did you drink to celebrate???



Thank You! I actually had a Kona Brewery Big Wave golden Ale.


----------



## taterhed

Assuming you're going to do taxes and shed E for now, remember to keep very good records and note the maintenance days etc....

We did not start off by doing such a good job.  Your phone is your friend.
Camscanner is a great app to copy and convert to PDF for expenses and records.

So happy for you!!!


----------



## slip

taterhed said:


> Assuming you're going to do taxes and shed E for now, remember to keep very good records and note the maintenance days etc....
> 
> We did not start off by doing such a good job.  Your phone is your friend.
> Camscanner is a great app to copy and convert to PDF for expenses and records.
> 
> So happy for you!!!



Thank You!!

I have done my own taxes for quite a while now but I may have them done next year.


----------



## SandyPGravel

Congratulations...Can't imagine why you want to leave SC Wisconsin for a tropical island...oh wait yes I can

How many more winters here?


----------



## slip

SandyPGravel said:


> Congratulations...Can't imagine why you want to leave SC Wisconsin for a tropical island...oh wait yes I can
> 
> How many more winters here?



Probably 5 to 7, depending how everything goes, including health and the economy. In the mean time we will probably make two, two week trips a year. That will have to do for now.


----------



## slip

Things are moving along pretty fast. Yesterday we filled out the escrow document to set up the escrow account. Today I wired the earnest money and then we got the official loan application signed and sent back. We were already Pre-qualified and Pre-Approved. Sounds like we will get disclosure documents to sign in a day or two. 

They were doing an inventory on the contents in the condo and I will have to sign off in that when they send it to me. I will need to send that to my property manager so we can go over it and see if I will need to add anything. 

It’s moving along. The appraisal will probably take a bit to schedule since they have to get someone from Maui.


----------



## slip

Just received my inventory list of the contents of the condo. I’ll have to give this to the property manager too. Mortgage broker messaged me today to send in the fee for the appraisal. They should schedule that as soon as they get my check. I will send that out tomorrow.

I still have to contact either the Moloka’i Credit Union or the Bank of Hawaii to set up a savings and checking account. Still haven’t decided which on to go with.

So things are definitely moving along. I guess i wouldn’t be surprised if we close in September but we’ll see.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> So things are definitely moving along. I guess i wouldn’t be surprised if we close in September but we’ll see.



Were you thinking it could all happen this fast?  Seems like it has been a very quick deal.

Dave


----------



## slip

No I didn’t. The appraisal can still slow it down if it takes him a while to get there.
I know my mortgage is on the small side so maybe that’s moving it faster but still a crap load of stuff to sign.


----------



## TXTortoise

Slip, congratulations...great thread.

What sites were you using to track the market there? Redweek?


----------



## slip

TXTortoise said:


> Slip, congratulations...great thread.
> 
> What sites were you using to track the market there? Redweek?



Thank You!!

I used a few realtor websites, Hawaii Life, Zillow and Realtor. Between those three I was able to find all the past sales history. Sometimes there was a link on the listing to the county records.

I was watching sales for about eight months before my offer. My realtor also gave me a print out if the last sale prices for the last year on properties in the development we chose, WaveCrest.

When I was looking at rental histories, I contacted the two main property managers on the island. I was able to get other rental histories that were comparable to what we were looking at. I also Googled and got pricing from a couple other owners rental sites.

It really wasn’t too hard getting all the data. Keeping them straight and making sure you making good comparisons was the hard part. It would have been harder if the development would have been larger. This was hard enough but i’m Happy where we ended out.


----------



## slip

We’ll things are still moving along well. The appraisal was done today and we should have the report next week. We’ve been doing a lot of DocuSign for all the papers. I wouldn’t think there would be much left after the appraisal but we’ll see. 

Found an insurance agent, just waiting on a quote. Opened a Bank of Hawaii checking and savings account. Plus we’re learning how Amazon Prime works for shipping to Hawaii. We will order a couple things after the closing. We’ll need a new flat screen tv. My realtor and property manager said we can just ship it to either one of them whenever we order anything. We’ll see how long it takes. I’m sure it will be different for different items. 

DW told me today, only 142 days to Maui  and a 149 days to Molokai.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> We’ll things are still moving along well. The appraisal was done today and we should have the report next week. We’ve been doing a lot of DocuSign for all the papers. I wouldn’t think there would be much left after the appraisal but we’ll see.
> 
> Found an insurance agent, just waiting on a quote. Opened a Bank of Hawaii checking and savings account. Plus we’re learning how Amazon Prime works for shipping to Hawaii. We will order a couple things after the closing. We’ll need a new flat screen tv. My realtor and property manager said we can just ship it to either one of them whenever we order anything. We’ll see how long it takes. I’m sure it will be different for different items.
> 
> DW told me today, only 142 days to Maui  and a 149 days to Molokai.



Good to hear things are going well.

Can you order from Costco.com and have it drop-shipped there?  Might find a better bargain, and you can score the cash back on the Costco Visa card and your Costco Executive percentage.

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> Good to hear things are going well.
> 
> Can you order from Costco.com and have it drop-shipped there?  Might find a better bargain, and you can score the cash back on the Costco Visa card and your Costco Executive percentage.
> 
> Dave



I will have to check on that. Always good to have more choices and we’re members so we may as well see if that is a good option too. Thanks for reminding me.


----------



## slip

Appraisal report came in today. It appraised at $150,000 so $20,000 over what we paid. We’re happy with that. The report had six sales from the past year. They were all sales I had researched while we were looking. 

I keep watching the market there, it kind of became a habit, and the unit that was  number two on our list just sold. That was A203 the oceanfront Property. It was only on the market 60 days and it ended out selling just under asking price. So about $20,000 more than we would have went if the one we got fell through. 

So now we just wait until close. They had the closing date as October 15th. Shouldn’t be much left to do so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was earlier. We’ll see.


----------



## controller1

slip said:


> Appraisal report came in today. It appraised at $150,000 so $20,000 over what we paid. We’re happy with that. The report had six sales from the past year. They were all sales I had researched while we were looking.
> 
> I keep watching the market there, it kind of became a habit, and the unit that was  number two on our list just sold. That was A203 the oceanfront Property. It was only on the market 60 days and it ended out selling just under asking price. So about $20,000 more than we would have went if the one we got fell through.
> 
> So now we just wait until close. They had the closing date as October 15th. Shouldn’t be much left to do so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was earlier. We’ll see.



Excellent!


----------



## slip

Looks like another unit at WaveCrest sold, A302. I didn’t look at that one while I was there. We didn’t want third floor with no elevators. It also sold for just under ask of $189,000. It was on the market 150 days.


----------



## slip

Just got word today that closing should be on 09-26-18. That’s a couple weeks earlier than originally said. We have to set a time with a mobile Notary. I should be getting the closing disclosure today. 

It’s been a long process and I’m sure the distance and time differences had something to do with it but the end is finally in sight. I will be glad it is over. 

I’ve been very busy at work too preparing for our annual audit. Once the closing and the work audit are done, I will be on vacation countdown. 

Another WaveCrest unit came on the market yesterday. This one is listed $40,000 more than we paid and ours is in a better location and is nicer. So it seems the prices are rising but we’ll see what it sells for.


----------



## Kapolei

Bad news.... missing tourist hiking above Wavecrest found dead after search.  Still awaiting details.


----------



## DaveNV

That's very sad. Are there (dangerous) hiking trails there? Or is this maybe a foul play thing?

Dave


----------



## slip

Kapolei said:


> Bad news.... missing tourist hiking above Wavecrest found dead after search.  Still awaiting details.



I saw that on Hawaii News Now. Sounds like he was an experienced hiker too. No details yet. They were there on their honeymoon. He was hiking alone.  I didn’t hear where he was found but in the picture below you can see the mountains behind WaveCrest.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> I saw that on Hawaii News Now. Sounds like he was an experienced hiker too. No details yet. They were there on their honeymoon. He was hiking alone.  I didn’t hear where he was found but in the picture below you can see the mountains behind WaveCrest.



Wow.  On his honeymoon?  That makes it even worse. 

Dave


----------



## slip

Well getting closer but not done. I got more of a timeline today. Mobile Notary is coming tomorrow so we can sign and the documents get sent back for a final review. There was some confusion with the insurance and the paperwork says it started but the bank wants it with a different date on it so hopefully that doesn’t hold things up. My mortgage broker said the Bank of Hawaii is being too nit picky with this. Anyway, after the documents get back to Hawaii there is a final review and then they get filed. So he’s thinking it will be done 10-03-18 or 10-04-18. 

Still earlier than they originally said but I will be glad it’s over.


----------



## slip

Well, we just signed the closing documents with the Mobile Notary. My insurance guy had to cancel the old policy so he could add the date the bank wanted on the new policy. I had to sign the cancellation so hopefully he gets the new document to the bank. Then I only have to wait until the final review and filing late next week. 

I also sent all the information the property manager needed today. It should be open as a rental starting late October or early November. After the final closing she’ll have to take a look and make sure we have everything that’s needed for renting. 

We’re getting there.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> We’re getting there.



Jeff, you are my hero.  Just sayin'.

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> Jeff, you are my hero.  Just sayin'.
> 
> Dave



I’m holding off being extremely happy until we get the keys. Hopefully next week.


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> I’m holding off being extremely happy until we get the keys. Hopefully next week.



That's when you pop the champagne!  Have a glass for me. 

Dave


----------



## slip

Well it’s official, I got a call today and the closing was officially filed and the keys are ours!!

It was funny, I got an email from my realtor yesterday telling me it would be done today and she would drop off some keys off to my property manager for me. The property manager asked when it would be official because there is some canoe paddler event going on and everyone was out of units to rent. So my first day of ownership and it’s rented out right away for a little over a week.
So that was a little extra bonus. 

Now that it’s official DW is doing some shopping this weekend for some items that we need and I will order the new tv. 

I’ll have to save the celebration with the drinks until tomorrow. Too many people told me to have one for them. 

And since I just had my big annual audit at work that I’m responsible for, I can officially start my vacation countdown. 
106 days until Maui and 113 until Molokai.


----------



## LJT

slip said:


> Well it’s official, I got a call today and the closing was officially filed and the keys are ours!!
> 
> It was funny, I got an email from my realtor yesterday telling me it would be done today and she would drop off some keys off to my property manager for me. The property manager asked when it would be official because there is some canoe paddler event going on and everyone was out of units to rent. So my first day of ownership and it’s rented out right away for a little over a week.
> So that was a little extra bonus.
> 
> Now that it’s official DW is doing some shopping this weekend for some items that we need and I will order the new tv.
> 
> I’ll have to save the celebration with the drinks until tomorrow. Too many people told me to have one for them.
> 
> And since I just had my big annual audit at work that I’m responsible for, I can officially start my vacation countdown.
> 106 days until Maui and 113 until Molokai.


Congratulations!!  So happy for you!


----------



## DaveNV

slip said:


> Well it’s official, I got a call today and the closing was officially filed and the keys are ours!!




Well, damn skippy!  Congratulations!!  And just so you won't confuse me with anybody else's good wishes, have TWO for me.  

Good job, Jeff.  You did well.

Dave


----------



## slip

LJT said:


> Congratulations!!  So happy for you!





DaveNW said:


> Well, damn skippy!  Congratulations!!  And just so you won't confuse me with anybody else's good wishes, have TWO for me.
> 
> Good job, Jeff.  You did well.
> 
> Dave



Thank You, after my audit was done I told my President not to look for me Friday afternoon because I won’t be there. So, I’ll be able to start the celebration early.

I am pretty surprised how quickly it went. From the start of my trip on 07-21-18 to putting in the offer on 07-28-18 and the filing of the closing on 10-04-18, pretty quick for a small sleepy island.


----------



## pedro47

Congratulations are now in order. I am so happy for you.


----------



## klpca

Congratulations! Since you have too many drinks to deal with, I will raise a glass to you and drink it myself


----------



## bizaro86

Congratulations! That's very exciting, and great to get a rental right away to start offsetting your costs.

I read the whole thread again today, and I had what might be a stupid question. 

Do real estate transactions in the US not have a specific closing date in the contract? I've done a bunch of real estate transactions in Canada, and the closing date is always in the contract, and that's when it closes. I've seen people comment about being unsure when their transactions will close, which has always surprised me. How does it work, just close when everyone is ready?


----------



## slip

bizaro86 said:


> Congratulations! That's very exciting, and great to get a rental right away to start offsetting your costs.
> 
> I read the whole thread again today, and I had what might be a stupid question.
> 
> Do real estate transactions in the US not have a specific closing date in the contract? I've done a bunch of real estate transactions in Canada, and the closing date is always in the contract, and that's when it closes. I've seen people comment about being unsure when their transactions will close, which has always surprised me. How does it work, just close when everyone is ready?



Thank You!

Every one that I have ever done had a target date and it was always closed before that date. This one had the furthest out target date, It was 60 days and closed 11 days before the target date. All of my other ones closed around the 30 day mark. 

I figured it would take a little longer with the distance and the scanning, signing and the electronic DocuSign. So yes, In my experience we closed when everyone had everything completed and ready.


----------



## slip

So my wife is doing some online shopping this weekend. We need a few sets of sheets and towels. We also need pillows, beach towels and some miscellaneous things. 

Unfortunately, she is at the time where the anticipation of getting there is tough.
If our friends weren’t going with us, I know she would want to go straight to Molokai and skip Maui. So I’m trying to keep here excited about the Maui trip too. The other good thing is we’re going back to Molokai for two more weeks in June.


----------



## bizaro86

slip said:


> Thank You!
> 
> Every one that I have ever done had a target date and it was always closed before that date. This one had the furthest out target date, It was 60 days and closed 11 days before the target date. All of my other ones closed around the 30 day mark.
> 
> I figured it would take a little longer with the distance and the scanning, signing and the electronic DocuSign. So yes, In my experience we closed when everyone had everything completed and ready.



Ahh, ok, thanks! Here real estate transactions have a closing date specified, and they close that date and not sooner. Makes sense, just different than what I'm used to! 

Congrats again!


----------



## DaveNV

Jeff, how's that hangover today?  If you had one for everyone who wished you Congratulations, (and two for me), you must be crawling this morning.  

Dave


----------



## slip

DaveNW said:


> Jeff, how's that hangover today?  If you had one for everyone who wished you Congratulations, (and two for me), you must be crawling this morning.
> 
> Dave



Definitely had some Corona’s, so I Hope everyone likes them. 

I didn’t get going very early today either. But my son came over late in the afternoon and we even got some stuff done around the house. Bait stations filled, patio furniture in, had to replace a window, lawn mower got fixed and my son changed his oil. You can tell winters coming in Wisconsin, it starting to cool down but all my outside work is done now. 

While we were doing all that my wife was shopping for supplies for the condo. 
104 days until Maui and 111 until Molokai.


----------



## Tamaradarann

slip said:


> I’ve seen some video of the mule rides too and that won’t work for me. I’m scared of heights and those mules have a mind of there own. So I won’t do the mule ride, my wife won’t hike so looks like a plane ride. It will be more expensive but probably much more comfortable.



I know this is an old post about getting to Kalaupapa whether by foot, mule or plane but I have to share this story.  My husband has a torn knee cartridge so hiking down and then up an 1800 foot cliff was not going to work.  I fear edges of cliffs walking or driving so being on a mule on the edges of cliffs was not going to happen.  We chose the plane with only the 2 of us and the pilot going down to Kalaupapa.  

However, when we went on the bus tour of the settlements there was a woman who did ride the mule down and threw her back out so bad that she couldn't get off the bus at the stops around the settlements.  She said that she was NOT going back up by mule and flew back with us at the end of the day.


----------



## slip

Tamaradarann said:


> I know this is an old post about getting to Kalaupapa whether by foot, mule or plane but I have to share this story.  My husband has a torn knee cartridge so hiking down and then up an 1800 foot cliff was not going to work.  I fear edges of cliffs walking or driving so being on a mule on the edges of cliffs was not going to happen.  We chose the plane with only the 2 of us and the pilot going down to Kalaupapa.
> 
> However, when we went on the bus tour of the settlements there was a woman who did ride the mule down and threw her back out so bad that she couldn't get off the bus at the stops around the settlements.  She said that she was NOT going back up by mule and flew back with us at the end of the day.



Sounds like your situation was similar to what ours is. We will do the fly in. We will probably do this on our May trip not our January trip. 

I’m sure the January trip will be just my wife getting used to the condo and getting things the way she wants them.


----------



## amycurl

Jeff, 
As someone who came late to this thread (and read it all at once, over the course of about three days,) I can safely declare this to be the best episode of House Hunters EVER. 

Enjoy, and thanks for sharing!
Amy


----------



## slip

amycurl said:


> Jeff,
> As someone who came late to this thread (and read it all at once, over the course of about three days,) I can safely declare this to be the best episode of House Hunters EVER.
> 
> Enjoy, and thanks for sharing!
> Amy



That was good!! I never thought of it like that.

While my wife was looking online for some new lanai furniture today, she had a video playing on YouTube. She asked me if I recognized it. It took me a minute but the first time we heard it was at the flood benefit concert on Kauai with Jack Johnson. I've heard quite a few versions since then but this is one of my favorites. It was a nice video after a high of 25 today with some snow.


----------



## mmthomas

I read that the properties on the former Molokai Ranch are without water.  Bankruptcy of the Ranch shut down the water supply.


----------



## slip

mmthomas said:


> I read that the properties on the former Molokai Ranch are without water.  Bankruptcy of the Ranch shut down the water supply.



I’m certainly not an expert on the subject but I know there was always a contention about their permit or not having a permit for the water. The ranch has been through a couple of owners and is currently on the market for a cool $270 million. It’s about 53,000 acres and is about one third of the whole island.

I do know there are a few other large condo complexes in that area and they do have water. I drove through there during my last trip.

The owners of the ranch always proposed opening new complexes on different parts of the property but they were always protested against. Depleting the water supply was always a concern.

48 days!!


----------



## slip

One other thing I wanted to mention. Quite a few posts ago, I posted that the oceanfront unit we looked at,  A203, had sold. That deal must have fell through. It is not listed as pending anymore. It shows it has now been in the market for 153 days and is still for sale. 

That one surprises me a little. One unit in the A building and two in the C building have sold since it has been listed. Plus our unit in the B building of course. One unit in the C building sold for $10,000 more that the asking price of that A203 unit. Kitchen may have been a little newer but it was a different style. Maybe that made the difference. 

I'm still watching the market. Units are no big and the busy season is coming up so we'll see what happens in January and February.


----------



## Henry M.

Hi, Jeff!

I just read through the whole thread again. Congratulations on your property and I hope you are enjoying it. It looks like a very nice place.

I've been to all the islands, but have never staid on Molokai. I only took a small boat over from Maui a few years ago, and had a guide take us to some waterfalls and around the eastern side of the island. We rode from Maui with "Uncle Walter", who picked us up right by Kahekili Park. He dropped us off at Eddie Tanaka's house and then picked us up later to take us back to Maui. We saw Eddie again a couple of years later when he started singing at Duke's and Pailolo. He took us around the East Side of Molokai and showed us the area. It was a fun trip. 

My wife has proposed spending a few days on Molokai next year, for a big birthday. We love Hawaii, and may end up actually buying something on Molokai to enjoy retirement in a couple of years. We already own timeshares on Maui and the islands are our favorite place in the world. Maybe you can answer a few questions about Molokai? We are total newbies when it comes to selecting what side of the island to stay on and such.

1.) How does Ke Nani Kai compare to Molokai Shores and WaveCrest? It looks like its far away from Kaunakakai, on the far west side. Is it is easy to get around all over the island?
2.) How did you decide to narrow things down to just Molokai Shores and WaveCrest? It looks like there are a few other nice condos on the island (Ke Nani Kai, Kepuhi Beach Resort, etc.). Are there some key things to know about any of these properties?
3.) You mentioned Molokai Shores rented for more than WaveCrest, yet it sounds like WaveCrest is perhaps nicer. Any insights on that?
4.) We will be 7 people next year, maybe March or April timeframe. Do you have any recommendations for a property manager to find a house or a couple of condos there? We would rent two rooms in a condo: a two bedroom for 2 couples, and something else for the two parents and a toddler. A nice house would be good too, but I haven't seen one that I really like. For reference, we own at the Westin on Maui and like nicer amenities in a condo setting. WaveCrest looks nice in your videos.
5.) We are considering buying something too, so it would be nice to stay in one of the likely candidates. A house is an option to buy t

Thanks for any insights you can give us.


----------



## slip

Henry M. said:


> Hi, Jeff!
> 
> I just read through the whole thread again. Congratulations on your property and I hope you are enjoying it. It looks like a very nice place.
> 
> I've been to all the islands, but have never staid on Molokai. I only took a small boat over from Maui a few years ago, and had a guide take us to some waterfalls and around the eastern side of the island. We rode from Maui with "Uncle Walter", who picked us up right by Kahekili Park. He dropped us off at Eddie Tanaka's house and then picked us up later to take us back to Maui. We saw Eddie again a couple of years later when he started singing at Duke's and Pailolo. He took us around the East Side of Molokai and showed us the area. It was a fun trip.
> 
> My wife has proposed spending a few days on Molokai next year, for a big birthday. We love Hawaii, and may end up actually buying something on Molokai to enjoy retirement in a couple of years. We already own timeshares on Maui and the islands are our favorite place in the world. Maybe you can answer a few questions about Molokai? We are total newbies when it comes to selecting what side of the island to stay on and such.
> 
> 1.) How does Ke Nani Kai compare to Molokai Shores and WaveCrest? It looks like its far away from Kaunakakai, on the far west side. Is it is easy to get around all over the island?
> 2.) How did you decide to narrow things down to just Molokai Shores and WaveCrest? It looks like there are a few other nice condos on the island (Ke Nani Kai, Kepuhi Beach Resort, etc.). Are there some key things to know about any of these properties?
> 3.) You mentioned Molokai Shores rented for more than WaveCrest, yet it sounds like WaveCrest is perhaps nicer. Any insights on that?
> 4.) We will be 7 people next year, maybe March or April timeframe. Do you have any recommendations for a property manager to find a house or a couple of condos there? We would rent two rooms in a condo: a two bedroom for 2 couples, and something else for the two parents and a toddler. A nice house would be good too, but I haven't seen one that I really like. For reference, we own at the Westin on Maui and like nicer amenities in a condo setting. WaveCrest looks nice in your videos.
> 5.) We are considering buying something too, so it would be nice to stay in one of the likely candidates. A house is an option to buy t
> 
> Thanks for any insights you can give us.



Thank You, I’ll be happy to help. First thing, small island. On our last trip to the island, my wife was going to the acupuncture lady and I went into All Things Molokai in the same complex. I talked to Dave and he ended out helping me out with a ton of things. I ended out giving him my sofa and chair after we bought a new one. When I was talking to him his wife came in at the same time my wife came back and she went down to see their baby. Turns out Dave is married to Eddie Tanaka’s daughter. I had to mention that. 

Now to your questions.

1. Yes on both points. It is quite a bit further from Kaunakakai. So you will be making that drive anytime you need anything. It is a very easy drive but you have a ridge you have to climb. It’s about 30 to 40 minutes.

Ke Nani Kai has larger units than both WaveCrest and Molokai Shores. They are a little more expensive and the maintenance fees are a little more. I would say they are a little nicer than the other two but not as close to the water.  For us, it was just too far from everything but if your used to driving, it’s doable.

2. All those other properties were close to each other on the west side. So they were all out for us because we thought they were too far from town.

As far as rentals go, they rent well and some people on the island absolutely love the west side. It is beautiful there and there are some nice beaches. I wish I had seen it while the ranch was open. The boarded up buildings look a little depressing.

3. In looking at both properties and in talking to other people, WaveCrest has better upkeep. My wife described it as dirtier. Laundry is in each building on each floor at WaveCrest instead of a total separate building like Molokai Shores.

The condos are all individually owned so quality varies with each but I really think Molokai Shores rents the best because it is only one mile east of Kaunakakai. That’s why before my search we both thought we would buy there. I even stayed there during my search but after a couple days I wished I had stayed at WaveCrest but my unit was still nice.

4. WaveCrest is no Westin. 
But it is fine for us and we can make it into anything we want.

Yes, I will recommend Dayna Harris. She is my property Manager and I think she has the most connections on the island. I know she manages some units on the west side also, not to mention some houses. Here is her link.

https://molokai-vacation-rental.net/wp/

5. Yes, if I were you I would rent a unit in the complex you are both leaning towards. It maybe hard if you all want to be close to everyone going. If you could spend three days there, I think you could decide which part of the island you prefer.


Make sure you go into Kaunakakai and buy some groceries. It’s like stepping back in time and it’s not for everyone.

You didn’t mention if you are just going to use it as a vacation home or if you were eventually going to live there. If you are just going to vacation there and rent it out, that would move the west side up on the list for me.

Dayna is a realtor also so you can ask her about houses too. They seem to rent well too as long as you have a good location. We checked out houses but they were a little too expensive for us and I wanted to be done with all that maintenance anyway.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions.


----------



## MrockStar

slip said:


> Thank You, I’ll be happy to help. First thing, small island. On our last trip to the island, my wife was going to the acupuncture lady and I went into All Things Molokai in the same complex. I talked to Dave and he ended out helping me out with a ton of things. I ended out giving him my sofa and chair after we bought a new one. When I was talking to him his wife came in at the same time my wife came back and she went down to see their baby. Turns out Dave is married to Eddie Tanaka’s daughter. I had to mention that.
> 
> Now to your questions.
> 
> 1. Yes on both points. It is quite a bit further from Kaunakakai. So you will be making that drive anytime you need anything. It is a very easy drive but you have a ridge you have to climb. It’s about 30 to 40 minutes.
> 
> Ke Nani Kai has larger units than both WaveCrest and Molokai Shores. They are a little more expensive and the maintenance fees are a little more. I would say they are a little nicer than the other two but not as close to the water.  For us, it was just too far from everything but if your used to driving, it’s doable.
> 
> 2. All those other properties were close to each other on the west side. So they were all out for us because we thought they were too far from town.
> 
> As far as rentals go, they rent well and some people on the island absolutely love the west side. It is beautiful there and there are some nice beaches. I wish I had seen it while the ranch was open. The boarded up buildings look a little depressing.
> 
> 3. In looking at both properties and in talking to other people, WaveCrest has better upkeep. My wife described it as dirtier. Laundry is in each building on each floor at WaveCrest instead of a total separate building like Molokai Shores.
> 
> The condos are all individually owned so quality varies with each but I really think Molokai Shores rents the best because it is only one mile east of Kaunakakai. That’s why before my search we both thought we would buy there. I even stayed there during my search but after a couple days I wished I had stayed at WaveCrest but my unit was still nice.
> 
> 4. WaveCrest is no Westin.
> But it is fine for us and we can make it into anything we want.
> 
> Yes, I will recommend Dayna Harris. She is my property Manager and I think she has the most connections on the island. I know she manages some units on the west side also, not to mention some houses. Here is her link.
> 
> https://molokai-vacation-rental.net/wp/
> 
> 5. Yes, if I were you I would rent a unit in the complex you are both leaning towards. It maybe hard if you all want to be close to everyone going. If you could spend three days there, I think you could decide which part of the island you prefer.
> 
> 
> Make sure you go into Kaunakakai and buy some groceries. It’s like stepping back in time and it’s not for everyone.
> 
> You didn’t mention if you are just going to use it as a vacation home or if you were eventually going to live there. If you are just going to vacation there and rent it out, that would move the west side up on the list for me.
> 
> Dayna is a realtor also so you can ask her about houses too. They seem to rent well too as long as you have a good location. We checked out houses but they were a little too expensive for us and I wanted to be done with all that maintenance anyway.
> 
> Hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions.


Jeff, I never really considered Molokai until reading your posts. Can you fly there from other islands directly "Kauai" or only Maui? We primarily stay at Pono Kia through Bluegreen and we really like that island the best so far. I think I would enjoy Molokai though not Shure about a whole week. Is it safe to swim/snorkel from shore there that's primarily what we like to do and sight seeing. AL


----------



## slip

We really love Kauai also, along with the Pono Kai.   It would be best to go for a weekend at first. There’s plenty to do and see for a week to keep you busy. If you are always in the go, then Molokai won’t be a good fit for a week.

You can fly Hawaiian from Lihue,LIH to Molokai,MKK for about $210 round trip. So you could add that on to the start or the end of a Kauai trip. I have been flying into Maui,OGG or Honolulu, HNL whichever’s cheapest and then taking either Mokulele or Makani Kai air over. They are about $110 round trip but they are 9 seater prop planes. Hawaiian flys there in about 50 seat prop planes. It’s their Ohana line.

There is a snorkel/Dive shop in Kaunakakai and the snorkeling around the reef on the south side is supposed to be excellent. There are a few beaches we have snorkeled at and I would compare it to Kauai but not as good as the Big Island. But there are no life guards on the beaches on Molokai and not many, if any people either so you have to be safe.

Like some other islands, some people go once and then never return. We find it very peaceful I haven’t felt that since we started going to Kauai years ago.

So I would suggest a long weekend to explore the island. After that you’ll know if you want to return to. You can get most rentals for two or three nights or you can try Hotel Molokai.

We haven’t set our 2020 visits yet but we’ll be there for two weeks in 45 days and then for a week over Labor Day.
Stop by and I’ll take you to Paddlers for some Paddler Fries and a cold one.


----------



## Henry M.

Thank you for the detailed reply, Jeff. It is very helpful. 

We love Hawaii, and I think Moloka’i is representative of what Hwaii used to be. I only know the east side, but it is a very beautiful place. I will need to spend some time there before deciding whether we would want to retire there. We would likely spend half our time there, and half in Texas, where our kids are. We’d probably go back and forth every few months, rather than alternate every 6 months. 

It sure is a small world with the connection to Eddie! Our trip was a real adventure. We knew a lady that drove a shuttle bus at the Westin and got to talking to her. She mentioned her Uncle Walter had a boat and could take us over. He knew someone who would show us around (Eddie). She gave us his phone number and we made the arrangements. This was February or so many years ago, and the channel had some significant swells. The ride was fun, but probably a bit tougher than a typical tourist ride. We were bruised and wet by the time we got back. It is interesting how everybody knows everybody else even in the larger islands. Everyone is uncle this or auntie that. Ohana and family are central. It is one of the things I like about Hawaii.


----------



## slip

Henry M. said:


> Thank you for the detailed reply, Jeff. It is very helpful.
> 
> We love Hawaii, and I think Moloka’i is representative of what Hwaii used to be. I only know the east side, but it is a very beautiful place. I will need to spend some time there before deciding whether we would want to retire there. We would likely spend half our time there, and half in Texas, where our kids are. We’d probably go back and forth every few months, rather than alternate every 6 months.
> 
> It sure is a small world with the connection to Eddie! Our trip was a real adventure. We knew a lady that drove a shuttle bus at the Westin and got to talking to her. She mentioned her Uncle Walter had a boat and could take us over. He knew someone who would show us around (Eddie). She gave us his phone number and we made the arrangements. This was February or so many years ago, and the channel had some significant swells. The ride was fun, but probably a bit tougher than a typical tourist ride. We were bruised and wet by the time we got back. It is interesting how everybody knows everybody else even in the larger islands. Everyone is uncle this or auntie that. Ohana and family are central. It is one of the things I like about Hawaii.



Your description is right on, Molokai is like stepping back in time. In you describing what you may do in retirement, it may work for you. Take a long weekend and check it out. If that goes well, you’ll come back.


----------



## MrockStar

slip said:


> We really love Kauai also, along with the Pono Kai.   It would be best to go for a weekend at first. There’s plenty to do and see for a week to keep you busy. If you are always in the go, then Molokai won’t be a good fit for a week.
> 
> You can fly Hawaiian from Lihue,LIH to Molokai,MKK for about $210 round trip. So you could add that on to the start or the end of a Kauai trip. I have been flying into Maui,OGG or Honolulu, HNL whichever’s cheapest and then taking either Mokulele or Makani Kai air over. They are about $110 round trip but they are 9 seater prop planes. Hawaiian flys there in about 50 seat prop planes. It’s their Ohana line.
> 
> There is a snorkel/Dive shop in Kaunakakai and the snorkeling around the reef on the south side is supposed to be excellent. There are a few beaches we have snorkeled at and I would compare it to Kauai but not as good as the Big Island. But there are no life guards on the beaches on Molokai and not many, if any people either so you have to be safe.
> 
> Like some other islands, some people go once and then never return. We find it very peaceful I haven’t felt that since we started going to Kauai years ago.
> 
> So I would suggest a long weekend to explore the island. After that you’ll know if you want to return to. You can get most rentals for two or three nights or you can try Hotel Molokai.
> 
> We haven’t set our 2020 visits yet but we’ll be there for two weeks in 45 days and then for a week over Labor Day.
> Stop by and I’ll take you to Paddlers for some Paddler Fries and a cold one.


Ok, will do. I hope to make it to Maui next year or 2021, so we will put Molokai on the list for that trip. thanks for the info Jeff.


----------

