# Maui Schooner-Good News/Bad News



## Kauai Kid (Jun 9, 2011)

Good news:  All cabinets are going to be replaced, all counter tops are going to be replaced and the customer diswasher is going to be replaced. 

Everything does need to be replaced and the BOD is going to try doing it with in house labor.

Bad news:  2012 maintenance fees up about 20% and it will take several years to refurbish all units. 

Sterling


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## ww1aerofan (Jun 9, 2011)

*Is the 20% jump a temp increase to pay for the new stuff?*

Sterling,

Is the 20% jump in fees a "temporary" increase to pay 
for the upgrades?


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 10, 2011)

Yes.  I checked and it is about a $200/yr increase for a 2 br every year.

Puts it at about $1200/yr for 2012.  Still lower with +20% than the Point at Poipu this year.

Sterling


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## barefootnAR (Jun 11, 2011)

Well something had to be done. Really wished they had raised our fees years ago by a small amount and saved the money.


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## california-bighorn (Jun 11, 2011)

Kauai Kid said:


> Good news:  All cabinets are going to be replaced, all counter tops are going to be replaced and the customer diswasher is going to be replaced.
> 
> Everything does need to be replaced and the BOD is going to try doing it with in house labor.
> 
> ...



Sterling,  is there a timetable for when the improvements will be complete?  We will be at Maui Schooner for our 1st time in March 2012.  Looking forward to it and would like to see the upgrades.  Sounds like your BOD took a more fiscally sound approach than the initial plans you mentioned they wanted to do a while back.  Maybe your voice was heard!!!


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 11, 2011)

Yes--Five years-but that includes TV's to hang on the wall, all new furniture, and a Hawaiian maiden to put you to sleep every night.  :hysterical:   Several units ADA certified with push button door openers, etc.

As I mentioned the contract has been let for the granite countertop installations--which are quite tricky according to my brother who owns a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company.  Just beyond the capability of  the in house handymen/women.

Of course some of the units will be upgraded in less than a year so it just depends on the statistical permutation curves if you get one.

Sterling


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 11, 2011)

barefootnAR said:


> Well something had to be done. Really wished they had raised our fees years ago by a small amount and saved the money.



I concur, but the BOD didn't raise them.  In the long run doing it bit by bit will end up costing more than doing it all at once but people just didn't want the big one time Special Assessment.  Myself included--I could have managed $2k/unit special assessment but that was my upper limit.

Sterling, starving nursing student


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## barefootnAR (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks for keeping us updated.  Have they replaced the beds??


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## mlpmd56 (Jun 13, 2011)

GEE, I am sure we will INSTANTLY get our Premier Status back!  :hysterical: 
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Marcy


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 13, 2011)

barefootnAR said:


> Thanks for keeping us updated.  Have they replaced the beds??



All new mattresses.  So good I slept till 830 this morning.  Sunrise seems really early to me and sun sets about 7 pm.  It paints the clouds pink until about 715.


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## mlpmd56 (Jun 13, 2011)

Thanks, Sterling.  I LOVE how you keep us updated.  You truly belong on the board.  I am going to campaign harder for you at the next election!  Which unit are you in this time?  The new mattresses will be a really welcome upgrade.  Marcy
PS I am SO jealous.  Great weather currently in Flagstaff, but there is NOTHING like Maui.


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## barefootnAR (Jun 14, 2011)

Yea..new mattresses.
I agree Marcy..he needs to be on the board.
Flag has to be better than our high 90s here in NW TX/ SW AR..we are toasting and have been since the first of June.
I did make a quick trip to Maui the last week of May. Used a bonus week that I won at the pool party and traded into Kahana Falls. Enjoyed staying in a different area but sooo glad we own at the Schooner.


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 14, 2011)

In defense of the present BOD--remember 40% of the owners didn't even vote and the BOD certainly let them know about the Special Assessment.

Several Times.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sterling


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 14, 2011)

We are in A101.

Not sure if I'd run the next time.  My priorities are my wife #1, my nursing education #2, and Hawaii #3.


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## deemarket (Jun 20, 2011)

We may stay at the Schooner in October.  Is there a nice swimming beach there?


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## taffy19 (Jun 20, 2011)

I am afraid not.  There is a dead reef in front of several resorts and some private condo projects too but there is a sandy beach very close by that you can walk to.

Our resort (Maui Sunset) is two buildings over so we have the same problem too but the beach looked a lot better this year with less dead coral and seaweed and I kept asking why.  Some people blamed it to the Tsunami in Japan but I read or heard that they found the problem and this company paid a heavy fine for dumping in a sneaky way and are very closely monitored not to dump anymore as that gave the problem so there is hope for us.

It is a good walking beach and people do a lot of kiting and windsurfing or surfboarding here.  We like to watch them.  Both resorts look out over lots of grass which is a local park but have an unobstructed view of the ocean.  I took many pictures this year and over the years but here are some older ones that I found from the Maui Schooner when I stayed there.








 


 
Here are a few beach pictures too of our walk on the beach from the MS past the MS and some very old pictures.  I will look for some more recent pictures of this year.​


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## slip (Jun 20, 2011)

Maui is the only island I haven't been to yet and I was thinking of the Schooner
for a week before my week in Kauai in 2013. I have an exchange week I plan to
use from Platinum Interchange. I haven't checked out Maui Sunset, being an owner
can you tell me some pros and cons. I haven't looked into that one yet.

Thanks


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## taffy19 (Jun 22, 2011)

We have owned here since 1983 and have been back almost every year so we obviously like it and are biased in our opinion.  

We consider the Maui Sunset our home away from home and are very happy with the accommodations.   They have 1, 2 and 3 BR units but the 3 BR units are privately owned. All units angle towards the ocean unless you are on the ground floor or all the way in the back towards the road. The bathrooms are tiny but that was the norm in the early 70s when the two buildings were built. We even have rented there from private owners but some have nicer condos than others so you'll have to be careful who you are renting from.

Maui Sunset is mainly a private condo project with two timeshare developers who are still re-selling timeshares there but no new timeshares will be added anymore.  The Master Association put a stop to it. Each developer has their own association plus there is the Master Association for the individual owners. We are kept up to date about everything that is going on in the condo project. We are Maui Sunset II in RCI (#0439) and Maui Sunset in II (MUI) because the other association is not with II at the moment. We don't even have a rating yet because the resort joined II only recently. I just found it in the II directory.  I feel that we should get silver or whatever they call it, I hope.

The biggest drawback with the Maui Sunset is that the beach is not a nice swimmable beach so, if that is important to you then you will be disappointed.  We have also noticed in the last few years that there is less beach late in the afternoon like there used to be as I used to walk the beach twice a day but not lately.

Do not compare this resort to a Hyatt, Marriott or Westin luxurious resort because we are not that fancy but we pay so much less in maintenance fees so you cannot compare apples with oranges. We feel that our timeshare resort is clean, comfortable and kept up to date nicely plus we have a well equipped kitchen and enough gas barbeques on the premises.  They even have an herb garden which is a nice touch. I also find the staff very friendly and accommodating.

People seem to like the pool and it is heated in the winter and still was in April to about 79 F as I checked it out myself one evening but there is no shade so I will not use it during the day as I prefer the ocean anyway. We used to drive to Wailea (Ulua beach for snorkeling) as that is closer than to Black Rock on Ka'anapali beach.

Please, read the reviews or check their website out and I will post some pictures of our interior because I made a few this year of our fixed 1 BR unit. I also found the beach pictures in front of the Maui Schooner and added those already to the link I posted yesterday. I also found this movie clip of the beach that I had posted while we were still on Maui. This beach is a few steps left of the Maui Sunset and Maui Schooner has a very nice sandy beach to the right of their resort and also very close as we have walked to it ourselves. I am still looking for the name of that beach so can find a link to it.  Kihei has so many nice little beaches right along the roadside where you can park your car but they are not public beaches.

There are plenty local restaurants nearby and two big supermarkets.  You can even get by without a car because the bus stops there but it is not recommended as there is too much to see on Maui so you need a car or you will miss a lot.


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## slip (Jun 22, 2011)

*Maui Sunset*

Thanks for all the info on Maui Sunset. When I was reading your description 
it reminded me of myself when I'm describing Pono Kai.  This does sound like what
I'm looking for. Are there any bad units in the resort to try to stay away from
if I try to exchange in? What area of the resort would you recommend, If I had
any choice at all, being an exchanger? On ocean view would be great. 

I was really leaning toward the Schooner but this gives me another really good option.
We've been to all the other islands. This will be our first trip to Maui so we will
definitely rent a car.

Thanks Again


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 22, 2011)

The county was grooming the beach every day.  No seaweed anyplace and it seemed wider than before. 

I actually saw 4 people swimming right in front of the Schooner.  I'd never seen it before. 

Lots of work going on with the county park seeding, repairing sprinklers, putting up windbrakes around the tennis courts.  

Also, the beaches between Kihei and Lanhina were immaculate.  I've seen them before where there was trash flowing out of garbage cans and blowing across the highway.  Much, much more attractive. 

Now all we have to do is wait a year or so for all the Japanese Tsunami
debris to hit Hawaii.  I believe the currents will take 3 years before it hits the west coast.

Sterling


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## taffy19 (Jun 22, 2011)

slip said:


> Thanks for all the info on Maui Sunset. When I was reading your description
> it reminded me of myself when I'm describing Pono Kai.  This does sound like what
> I'm looking for. Are there any bad units in the resort to try to stay away from
> if I try to exchange in? What area of the resort would you recommend, If I had
> ...


I guess so as we like our independent timeshares too  as they are a lot less hassle than the big brand name resorts are today.

I have a site plan and a list of all the timeshare condos they have but will have to scan it first. It is still in my Maui folder of this year.  I may do it later tonight as we are leaving for dinner now. 

I wished they would have it on their own web page for the owners and will recommend it when I talk to them. They have a re-sale page that I didn't even know they had until last night.

When are you planning to go to Maui?  It makes a difference for what building you should ask for.  Building B has the better views as you will always see the sunsets.  We are in Building A and do not see it part of the year.


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## slip (Jun 22, 2011)

*Maui Sunset*

Thanks for the information. 2012 we have Kauai for 2 weeks,so we were
thinking 2013. We're very flexible on the date but we want to escape some of
the Wisconsin winter.  I would say sometime January-March. We would do one 
week on Kauai and one on Maui. I was thinking the Maui week first. I have a 
deposited in Platinum Interchange that I have to use before Thanksgiving of
2013. I was going to try to get it through them. Thanks for all your help.
I've been checking out the resort and I like what I see.


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## slip (Jun 22, 2011)

Sterling

I'll have to hurry to beat the Tsunami debris. Just my luck, all that will be 
washing up on the shore when I check in. Maybe I would be able to get
a part time job with the county to help with clean up and stay a few 
more weeks.:hysterical:


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## taffy19 (Jun 24, 2011)

slip said:


> Thanks for the information. 2012 we have Kauai for 2 weeks,so we were
> thinking 2013. We're very flexible on the date but we want to escape some of
> the Wisconsin winter.  I would say sometime January-March. We would do one
> week on Kauai and one on Maui. I was thinking the Maui week first. I have a
> ...


Jeff, I have scanned the information (site map and recommended condo numbers) so will PM the information to you now.


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## slip (Jun 25, 2011)

I got the info. Just what I needed. I sent you a PM. This one looks like a
winner to me.


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 25, 2011)

There is more than enough to do  for two weeks on either Kauai or Maui.

Are you sure you want to check out, try to cram groceries in your luggage, drive to the airport, dump the rental car, get groped by TSA, and then go through the same thing on another Island?  :annoyed:

Why waste a complete day just to check out another Island?

When the economy was good we spent 3 weeks on Kauai and never ran out of things to do.


Sterling


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## slip (Jun 25, 2011)

I'm not worried about running out of things to do on Kauai. I can sit on the
lanai and just look at the ocean all day.  You are making me rethink though,
when I go to Maui, I may just want to spend the 2 weeks there. I have some
time to mull that over. Thanks Sterling.


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 25, 2011)

What is the premier status? 

Sterling


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 26, 2011)

Don't know your age but I'd say Maui is more for the 40 and under crowd and Kauai for the old folks who don't need to go zip lining to have a good time.


Definitely think on one island for two weeks though.  Hit the next one on your next 2 week trip.

You'll be back to both.


Sterling


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 26, 2011)

mlpmd56 said:


> Thanks, Sterling.  I LOVE how you keep us updated.  You truly belong on the board.  I am going to campaign harder for you at the next election!  Which unit are you in this time?  The new mattresses will be a really welcome upgrade.  Marcy
> PS I am SO jealous.  Great weather currently in Flagstaff, but there is NOTHING like Maui.



Thanks for appreciating my efforts.   Please remember me during the next BOD election--2 yrs I think.  Pass on the word.  Term limits, new blood, and new ideas.  Like-survey the owners at the Schooner, find out what an acceptable special assessment is--and then fix up the Schooner and stay under budget.

Don't just go in, let the interior decorator decide what needs fixing, and act like the cost doesn't matter during the Great Recession.   

Sterling, Registered Professional Engineer


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## slip (Jun 26, 2011)

Sterling

I'm 48 and my wife is 52 but she thinks she needs to go zip lining through the
trees. We know we're going back every year so we'll definitely think about
the 2 weeks one one island. It does make sense.


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## mlpmd56 (Jun 27, 2011)

Sterling, you are welcome, and I DO SO APPRECIATE your updates.
Ok, maybe this should be a new thread, BUT
I just got an eblast saying Maui Schooner is still Premier.
Not just Select....
TRUE?????
I hope it is true!!!!!
And without a big assessment!   
Hurray!
Sterling, you are always the expert....is it true?
Marcy


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## Kauai Kid (Jun 27, 2011)

I'll check on the status.  I really thought it needed a 24 hr front desk and an on site restaurant to maintain status.

No big assessment but expect the MF to increase around 20%/yr for the next 4-5 years to cover essential improvements which include new kitchen & bath cabinets, granite countertops in kitchen and baths.

Thanks for the complements.  I'll try and live up to your expectations (except around finals week.  :hysterical: )


Sterling, RN to b


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## mlpmd56 (Jun 29, 2011)

*Premier Status*

Yes I thought they needed 24 hour front desk, restaurant, kiddie pool, and more, and therefore we had been demoted to "Select" from "Premier". 
HOWEVER, I think the latest eblast said we were still Premier. Great for us for trading, etc.  I think the pressure for trades IN to Maui is so great the requirements for Premier may not be as rigid.  Let us know what you find.  And thanks!
Marcy


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## chellej (Jun 29, 2011)

Kauai Kid said:


> There is more than enough to do  for two weeks on either Kauai or Maui.
> 
> Are you sure you want to check out, try to cram groceries in your luggage, drive to the airport, dump the rental car, get groped by TSA, and then go through the same thing on another Island?  :annoyed:
> 
> ...



OR............ two weeks on kauai and one on Maui    I just broke my 2012 plan to dh.

We statred going for 2 weeks....and it wasn't enough. so we went for 2.5 weeks and it wasn't enough.....sooooo next year is 3 weeks....... we'll see how much more i can push him.   BTW... he doesn't like Hawaii so it is just my DD and I that go.:hysterical:


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## taffy19 (Jun 29, 2011)

Your husband doesn't like HI?  How is that possible?    Three weeks is better than two and four weeks is better than three and so on....    JMHO, of course.


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## slip (Jun 29, 2011)

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they don't like Hawaii. 

I probably have a couple years to wait for 3 weeks and about 10 for 
4 weeks but as long as I can get there every year, I'll be happy.


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