With a conversation, not a listing search. Before we look at specific properties, we should talk about what you want out of your Maui home — second home, primary residence, or investment — which part of the island fits your lifestyle, your timeline, and the full cost of ownership (not just the sticker price). From there, I’ll set up a tailored search and we’ll start looking at the right properties instead of scrolling through everything on Zillow. Reach out any time and we’ll set up a short intro call.

Last updated: May 9, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

More than anything, this depends on lifestyle rather than budget. The island has six real estate regions: West Maui (resort coast — Ka’anapali, Kapalua, Napili), Central Maui (primary-residence value — Wailuku, Kahului), North Shore (surf-town character — Paia, Spreckelsville, Haiku), Upcountry (cooler climate and acreage — Makawao, Kula, Pukalani), South Maui (sunshine and beaches — Kihei, Wailea, Makena), and East Maui (remote Hana). Take a look at my Maui Neighborhoods guide for the full breakdown, map, and links to each area’s in-depth guide. Most buyers end up choosing between two or three regions, and a short conversation usually narrows it down quickly.

Last updated: May 9, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Maui County assesses property taxes based on your property’s classification — owner-occupied (with a homeowner exemption), non-owner-occupied, long-term rental, short-term rental / TVR, commercial, and a few others. Each classification has its own rate, and the rates are reset annually for the July-to-June fiscal year — the current cycle is fiscal year 2026-2027, effective July 1, 2026. Because the classification dramatically affects your annual bill — sometimes by thousands of dollars — and because rates change, I prefer to quote current numbers for your specific property situation rather than post a figure that goes stale. Reach out and I’ll send the current rate sheet along with an estimate for what you’re considering.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

Maui County uses four main property-use classifications: owner-occupied, non-owner-occupied, long-term rental, and TVR-STRH (short-term rental). Each carries its own property tax tier, has its own qualifying criteria, and changes what you can legally do with the property — including whether you can list it on AirBnB or VRBO.

The biggest mistake mainland buyers make is assuming the classification is locked in or that it follows the listing description. It doesn’t. Classification follows your actual use, and Maui County actively reviews. A property listed as a “vacation rental” that you don’t actively rent can land in a different category at a different rate. A “primary residence” you only spend six months a year at may not qualify the way you think it does.

One more layer worth knowing if you’re looking at a Minatoya List condo: the County created two new hotel-zoning categories, H-3 and H-4, under Ordinance 6008 (signed June 22, 2026) — a possible route for some vacation-rental buildings to keep short-term rental use past Bill 9’s phaseout dates. It’s a building-by-building process: each complex has to apply for and win its own rezoning (nothing changes automatically), and as of late July 2026 no property has completed it — the first batch of rezoning requests is still working through the County Council. I’ll flag exactly where a specific building stands in that process the moment it’s relevant to you.

Picking the right classification early changes the math meaningfully — and sometimes changes which buildings are even worth looking at. Tell me how you’d actually use the property and I’ll walk you through which classification fits and what each one means for your annual carry.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Sometimes — it depends on the building and the area. Maui County’s short-term rental regulations are evolving: some buildings are legally permitted for nightly rentals, some are limited to long-term (30+ day) rentals only, and many Minatoya List condos affected by Bill 9’s phaseout (West Maui by 2029, elsewhere by 2031) now have a possible — but not yet used — path to keep their STR rights through the new H-3/H-4 hotel zoning created by Ordinance 6008 (signed June 22, 2026).

That path isn’t automatic. Each condo complex has to apply for and win its own rezoning, a process that’s just getting underway: the first property-specific rezoning requests cleared committee in early July 2026 and are headed to a full Council vote, then the Maui Planning Commission this September.

If vacation rental income is part of your plan, please reach out early — ideally the moment a building catches your eye. I track the current status, building by building, and will walk you through whether the specific property you’re considering supports the rental model you want.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Bill 9 — now Maui County Ordinance 5909 — was signed into law December 15, 2025, and phases out short-term rental use in roughly 7,000 apartment-zoned condominium units across the island. The phase-out timeline is January 1, 2029 for West Maui and January 1, 2031 for the rest of Maui.

The honest answer to “does it affect me?” is it depends on the specific building. Some Maui condos are hotel-zoned and unaffected. Others are on the Minatoya List and losing their STR rights on the dates above. A third group never had legal STR rights to begin with — though listings don’t always say so.

Where things stand as of late July 2026: the County has been building a possible off-ramp for some of the ~4,500 grandfathered Minatoya List units (104 complexes) — but it’s a multi-step process, not a done deal.

• The Council created two new hotel-zoning categories, H-3 and H-4, through Bill 88 — passed first reading 7-2 on June 5, 2026, passed second/final reading 7-2 on June 19, 2026, and was signed into law by Mayor Bissen on June 22, 2026 as Ordinance 6008.
• Ordinance 6008 doesn’t rezone any building automatically — it only creates the H-3/H-4 categories a complex can apply to be rezoned into. Each complex has to win its own zoning change, and the land-use studies required to apply run roughly $200,000–$500,000 per property.
• The first property-specific rezoning requests — Resolutions 26-110 (timeshare/leasehold properties in Ma’alaea, Kīhei, Lahaina, Kā’anapali) and 26-111 (properties already operating like hotels in Wailea, Lahaina, Kā’anapali) — cleared the Council’s Housing & Land Use Committee 6-2 in early July 2026 and are now waiting on a full-Council vote (no date set yet). If approved, they head to the Maui Planning Commission, expected to take them up in September 2026.
• Two lawsuits challenging Bill 9 (Malter v. Maui County; Lynam v. County of Maui) remain pending in 2nd Circuit Court, with no rulings yet.

The takeaway: the picture is still actively shifting, and no building has completed the rezoning process yet — which is exactly why the moment a building catches your eye, its zoning and current legal status deserve a fresh, building-specific check.

I keep a working reference of every Maui condo with its Bill 9 status, zoning, and any known HOA red flags. If you’re considering a specific building, send me the name and I’ll tell you what I have on it.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

For short-term rentals, almost always yes — running a vacation rental remotely is a full-time operation that a good manager handles for you (cleaning, guest communication, maintenance, bookings, taxes). For long-term rentals, it depends on your comfort with remote management. Most of my out-of-state and foreign owners use a local property manager, and I can recommend several I trust.

Last updated: May 9, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

FIRPTA — the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act — is a federal law requiring 15% of the gross sale price of US real estate to be withheld at closing when the seller is a non-US person. It’s a withholding, not a final tax — the seller recovers any overpaid portion by filing a US tax return. As a buyer, this affects you only if you’re purchasing from a foreign seller (the withholding happens through escrow). As a future seller, if you’re a foreign national, you’ll want to plan for this.

Last updated: May 9, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

HARPTA — the Hawaii Real Property Tax Act — is the state-level equivalent of FIRPTA. 7.25% of the gross sale price is withheld at closing if the seller is a non-Hawaii resident. It applies to mainland US residents selling Hawaii property as well as to foreign sellers. As with FIRPTA, it’s a withholding, not a final tax — you recover the overpaid portion by filing a Hawaii state tax return after closing.

Last updated: May 9, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Yes, and in almost every case, nothing out of pocket. In Maui residential transactions, the seller typically compensates both their listing agent and the buyer’s agent through the sale. Having your own agent means someone represents your interests, walks properties with you, checks the building financials and HOA health, flags red flags, and negotiates on your behalf. Going directly to a listing agent means that agent represents the seller — not you.

Last updated: May 9, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Usually 30 to 45 days for a financed purchase, 14 to 21 days for cash. Some transactions take longer — condos with complex HOA document reviews, properties involving a 1031 exchange, or purchases from international sellers can each add time. I set the timeline on every offer based on the specific property and your situation, so there are no surprises.

Last updated: May 29, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Maui packs dramatic microclimates into a small space. The south and west sides are sunny and dry — South Maui sees about 10 inches of rain a year. The north and east sides are lush and wetter — Haiku on the North Shore can get 50+ inches. Upcountry runs 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the coast and can need a fireplace on winter evenings. This is exactly why “where on Maui” often matters more than “Maui.”

Last updated: May 29, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

If Maui is your primary residence — generally meaning you live here at least 270 days a year and file a homeowner exemption application with the county — you qualify for a preferential tax classification AND an exemption that reduces your taxable value. The savings are meaningful, often several thousand dollars per year. Full-time Maui residents should absolutely file. Second-home owners don’t qualify because the property isn’t their primary residence.

Last updated: May 29, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Standard coverage on Maui includes homeowners (fire, theft, liability), hurricane insurance (often a separate policy on condos), and potentially flood insurance if your property is in a flood zone. Rates have increased in recent years and vary significantly by location, building, and age. I work with several Maui-savvy insurance brokers and can connect you with someone to quote coverage before you close so you know what you’re stepping into.

Last updated: May 29, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

The purchase price is rarely the whole story. Closing costs (cash and financed run differently), monthly HOA or AOAO dues, annual property tax, insurance (which has shifted significantly post-Lahaina), utilities, and — if you’ll rent it — property management plus rental licensing all stack on top.

For a single-family home, add maintenance reserves, landscaping, and potentially separate hurricane coverage. The annual carry on the same purchase price can vary by tens of thousands depending on the property type, region, and how you’ll use it.

I build a full estimated-cost sheet for every buyer early in our search, so the number you’re really committing to is on the table from day one. Send me the property you’re considering and I’ll put one together for you.

Last updated: May 29, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Not usually, outside of a few well-known hotspots. Popular beaches like Kamaole III, Wailea Beach, and Big Beach can draw a crowd on a nice weekend. But Maui has dozens of beaches, and locals know the quiet ones. Part of what I do for new buyers is help them find the neighborhood where “their” beach is moments from home and rarely packed.

Last updated: May 29, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Yes — if the system is owner-owned (not leased), the existing Net Energy Metering (NEM) agreement transfers with the property. As the new owner, you assume all rights and responsibilities of the prior owner’s NEM agreement and remain enrolled in legacy NEM with the grandfathered retail-rate credit structure.

Why this matters: NEM has been closed to new applicants statewide since October 13, 2015. A home with an existing NEM agreement is offering a benefit that cannot be obtained any other way. New PV installations today fall under successor programs (CGS+, Smart Export, Battery Bonus) that pay materially less than legacy NEM for surplus energy sent back to the grid.

At closing (owner-owned PV):

1. Submit HECO’s New Property Owner Assumption Form to transfer the interconnection agreement.
2. Provide a copy of the recorded deed.
3. Open a HECO account in your name.
4. The NEM agreement is reassigned to you — you keep the legacy benefits.

For leased PV systems: You’ll also need a signed lease transfer agreement OR lease buyout documentation. Read the lease carefully — terms vary widely between providers, and some have escalators or buyout clauses that materially change the math.

This is regulated under HECO Rule 18 (the NEM tariff approved by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission) — at the state PUC level, not the county.

Last updated: May 29, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Yes, and the majority of my buyers live on the mainland. Everything can be handled by email, e-signature, video walkthrough, and phone, with a good title company and escrow team that’s used to remote transactions. I strongly recommend flying out at least once before you close — just to make sure you love the property in person — but the paperwork and logistics are designed to accommodate remote buyers.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

If you rent the property, you’ll owe Hawaii’s General Excise Tax (GET) and, for short-term rentals, Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) on rental income, plus Hawaii state income tax on net rental earnings (filed on Form N-15). When you eventually sell, there’s HARPTA withholding (7.25% of the gross sale price withheld at closing for non-residents) **[VERIFY CURRENT]** that you recover by filing a state tax return. Federal income tax and capital gains tax apply as usual. I recommend engaging a Hawaii-savvy CPA before you close so your tax setup is clean from day one — happy to refer one.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Yes — 1031 exchanges are one of the most common paths into Maui investment property. The IRS rules are strict (timing windows, qualified-intermediary requirements, like-kind investment-use criteria), and the line between qualifying “investment use” and personal use is where most exchanges run into trouble.

There’s also a sequencing question that catches buyers off guard: the qualified intermediary needs to be in place **before** you sell the relinquished property, not after. By the time most buyers are ready to talk Maui, that ship has sometimes already sailed.

If a 1031 is part of your Maui plan, the earlier we connect, the better. I work with 1031 buyers regularly and can introduce you to qualified intermediaries who handle Hawaii exchanges every day. Just message me with where you are in the timeline.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Yes. Hawaii has no restrictions on foreign ownership of residential real estate. Any foreign national can purchase property here, hold it in their own name, rent it, sell it, and pass it on through their estate. Canadians, Japanese, Australians, and European buyers make up a meaningful share of the Maui market.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

Yes, but nothing that should put you off. Canadian buyers are a meaningful share of the Maui market — particularly in the luxury North Shore and Wailea segments — and the cross-border path is well-worn.

A few areas where Canadian buyers approach things differently than US buyers: **financing typically routes through cross-border lenders rather than local Hawaii banks, currency exposure between CAD and USD is part of the real cost calculation, US tax filings work differently than what you’re used to at home, and Canadian-side reporting requirements continue to apply on US property.**

None of these are obstacles — they’re sequencing decisions that need to be made early. I work with Canadian buyers regularly and can connect you with the cross-border CPAs and lenders who know exactly how this should be set up. Reach out and we’ll map your timeline.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

No. Unlike British Columbia’s foreign buyer tax or similar surcharges in other jurisdictions, Hawaii doesn’t impose any additional tax on foreign buyers at purchase. You pay the same conveyance tax and closing costs as any other buyer.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.

It varies significantly by property type, location, rental model, and management. A well-run short-term-permitted condo in Wailea or Ka’anapali performs differently from a long-term rental in Kihei or a single-family home in Upcountry. Because the math depends entirely on your specific property, nightly rate assumptions, occupancy, HOA fees, property taxes, and management costs, I’d rather pull real numbers for the specific property you’re considering than quote a general range. Ask me and I’ll run it.

Last updated: July 28, 2026. This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Maui real estate rules — particularly property tax tiers, short-term rental regulations, and county ordinances — change. Always verify current details with the County of Maui, a qualified Hawaii-licensed CPA or attorney, and a Hawaii escrow officer for your specific situation. I’m happy to refer you to my trusted Maui partners — just ask.