About Maui Real Estate

It’s time to sell your home, or condo!
It's time to sell your home or condo in Maui, you must be confident that you've got every element in place for negotiating the best terms and highest price before you even list your home. The Maui real estate market is evolving and changing daily, and you want an experienced residential pro in your corner who can help you move your home, or condo as quickly and professionally as possible. Steven is a professional, full-time agents. I have 36 years in Maui, with 15 years as a Maui Realtor.
Maui is one of the top destination spots on the planet. This will always be a driving factor the will keep the Maui market stable. We have seen an increase in sales in homes and condos with prices finally finding the market correction in price. All in all, the market will continue to level out and 2009 will bring about a much more normal course. As report in September in the Maui News, it looks like we hit the bottom.
Now that you've decided to sell, my job is to do the best job I can of marketing your property. When you decide to list with me, I will provide an extensive marketing plan for your property. My company also has the largest showroom/ office at The Shops at Wailea. We are in the process of remodeling to better represent and promote your properties. Lastly you need a fierce negotiator. We will work hard to make your transaction as smooth and stress-free as possible. Guaranteed!
Getting Started
1. Find the right representative. The experience and knowledge of a dedicated real estate professional can be priceless. A good Realtor® forms a powerful team with his/her clients to ensure a smooth, successful, stress-free sale.

2. Determine your needs/wants for the sale and for your new home. Selling your primary residence can be tricky because you must simultaneously think about where you would like to buy. First, weigh your priorities - selling price is certainly important, but having a quick and efficient sale can often be a fair trade-off for a slightly lower offer. Talk to your agent and make sure you are both on the same page about your personal priorities. At the same time, you should be compiling a needs/wants list for the home you will buy. Chances are good you will have to act fairly quickly when your house sells, so any preparation you can do in advance will serve you well.
3. Prepare your house for showing. Unprepared homes can create sales disasters. Your home will never get as much attention from potential buyers as when it is first listed, so it's essential to clear clutter, clean, make repairs, and put your home's best foot forward. Don't "open for business" until your home is ready to be seen as favorably as possible.
4. Get the lowdown on the Maui market. Being realistic about your market is the key to a smooth sale. You can attempt to do it yourself and save a few thousand dollars, but there's no substitute for a professional real estate representative when it comes to local market knowledge.
5. List away! Lots of photos and online exposure are the key to getting a good response for your listing. So there you go, lets get busy and get your Maui home or condo sold.
If you'd like a FREE market analysis of your neighborhood, Email me at nickens@maui.net for your free market analysis.
Relocation
So you are looking at making a move to Maui. That can be a tricky situation, especially if you never been to Hawaii. There is a lot to consider, schools, work, location, climate that varys dramaticly on Maui. What does Maui have to offer?
 Maui offers festivals, art, and culture, from Maui Arts and Cultrual Center
 A plethora of restaurants that feature cuisines from around the world
 World-class golf courses in Kapalua, Wailea and Makena
 Some of the best beaches in the world.
 A multi-cultrual population from around the world.
Maui is always ranked #1 in Island destination. With great weather, affordable housing, some of the best climate for healthy living, expanding arts and culture, close proximity to LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, and Canada. You will discover endless recreational opportunities, many first-time visitors fall in love with Maui and decide to relocate here.
Maui has been a great place for my wife and I raising our family. Currently we are four generations on Maui. From Grandma to Makenna our grand daughter loving Maui.

Forclosures on Maui
It's a fact of life these days ... due to the shaky American economy and the collapse of the housing industry, more and more homeowners are falling into foreclosure.
As with all things, there are two sides to this situation:
• If you're a homeowner who is behind on your payments, falling into trouble, or finding yourself facing foreclosure. Sometimes, when were too close to a problem, everything looks darker than it really is. I'll be honest, we've helped a number of people in this situation, but we can't save everyone from foreclosure. You won't know, though, if you don't call us to find out. You keep hearing it - and I'm going to say it again - if you're in trouble with your mortgage, the worst thing you can possibly do is nothing.

• The high number of Maui bank sales are making this red-hot buyers' market. So if you're looking to make the move up to owning your first home, this is definitely the time to do it.

Reo and Maui Bank Sales!

I've been asked a lot of question lately about the difference between purchasing bank-owned properties vs. short-sale properties. The term "bank-owned" (also known as REO or Real-Estate Owned) refers to homes that have gone back to the bank after an unsuccessful foreclosure auction. Short sales are still owned by the seller, but they owe more on their homes than they are worth in the current market.
If I were the buyer, I would much prefer to make an offer on a bank-owned home vs. a short-sale home. Why? When you make an offer on a bank-owned property, once they bank agrees to the terms and conditions, you can move forward to the closing knowing that the transaction is approved.
With a short sale, there sometimes is no "real" answer about approval until the bank and the seller come to an agreement - and many times, and in my experience, that seems to be happening more and more often, especially in the last six months or so. This means you could be just about at your anticipated closing date and lose the home because the bank and seller couldn't come to a final arrangement of financial terms.
If you're an investor or you're buying the house as a second home, that isn't such a big deal. But if you intend to move into the home, having the transaction fall apart at the last minute puts you at a serious disadvantage. Think about it ... your lease is up and your moving truck is loaded. You get the picture, and it's not pretty, for this surely would create a very stressful situation for a family. You'd have to make quick choices about where to live, and start looking for another home to purchase.
Both bank-owned homes and short sales will give you the opportunity to do a home inspection, upon which the sale is contingent. Bank-owned properties are sold in "AS IS" condition, so expect that they will make absolutely NO repairs. Also, since the seller (the bank) has never lived in the home, they have no real knowledge of what may or may not be a problem situation with the property. It's the old "buyer beware" situation. This isn't to say there aren't some great deals to be bought in the Phoenix market ... there certainly are some great buys! Just be certain to hire an ASHI-certified home inspector and find out up front what your added expenses will likely be after you close on the home. In this circumstance, no surprises is a good thing.
With many short-sale properties, the seller has no money to do any repairs, so it puts the potential cost of repairs on the buyers' shoulders. On the positive side, the seller often has lived in the home or is still living there, and has full knowledge of the home's condition. The seller can tell you if the AC has been replaced or if there've been any plumbing problems, roof issues, etc. ALWAYS have a home inspection should buy a short sale property.
In our office, we have seen a number of bank-owned properties be bid up over list price. The banks price them low, hoping to bid the sales price up. Once the word gets out to agents about an REO, they flock to the "good deals," hoping they can help their clients win the bidding war.
So sign-up for email updates on all Maui Short Sales and Bank Sales.



Steven Nickens R(S), GRI, ABR
The Wailea Group, LLC
3750 Wailea Alanui, suite 5We
Wailea, Maui, Hi 96753
www.nickensmaui.com
Cell: 808-280-2208
Email: nickens@maui.net