Molokai Trip

[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.

 

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

 

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

 

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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.

 

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

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.