Molokai Trip

[DaveNV]

We’re getting there.

Jeff, you are my hero. Just sayin'.

Dave

 

[slip]

Jeff, you are my hero. Just sayin'.

Dave

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

 

[DaveNV]

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]

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]

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]

Congratulations!! So happy for you!

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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