Makalii vs. La'i Loa: Comparing Wailea's Newest Luxury Condo Communities

Lai Loa vs Makalii

Wailea has added two standout luxury condo developments in the past few years, and they're close enough in age, price point, and hillside setting that buyers in either community regularly compare them directly. 

Makalii (pronounced mah-kah-LEE-ee) and La'i Loa (pronounced lah-ee-loh-ah) have a lot in common, which is why we often compare the details of both for buyers. Both are luxury gated, low-density condo communities that are newly built. Both offer the kind of modern design and resort-style amenities that older Wailea complexes simply don't have.

But the two luxury communities take genuinely different approaches, and the right fit depends on what you're actually…

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What Is the Typical Closing Timeline for a Home on Maui?

Most home purchases on Maui close 30 to 60 days after an offer is accepted, with cash transactions sometimes closing in as little as 12 to 14 days and financed purchases occasionally running 45 days on average and sometimes past 60 days, depending on the lender and loan type. 

Closing Timeline on Maui Real Estate

That's the short answer. What actually happens during those 30 to 60 days, and what pushes a closing longer or shorter, is worth understanding whether we're on the buying or selling side of the transaction.

Week by Week: What a Typical Maui Escrow Looks Like

The first few days after an accepted offer are about opening escrow and getting the clock started. The purchase contract sets the pace for everything…

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Finding the Best Realtor on Maui

Evan Harlow Best Maui Realtor

Aloha! If you've been searching for the best realtor on Maui, you've probably noticed that quite a few of us realtors on Maui are competing to show up in your online search for the digital claim to that elusive, somewhat subjective title. Honestly, real estate is about relationships, and the best realtor for one client might not be the best realtor for the next client. 

There isn't an annual award ceremony where this title and a large golden trophy are presented to Maui's best realtor. I have a hard time writing a generic article explaining why I'm the best, as it feels a little disingenuous, so I am going to take a slightly different approach to staking my claim on why I deserve mention in the conversation. 

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Maui Luxury Market Update – September 2026

Maui Luxury Market Report

September 12, 2026 – This page gets updated regularly with current data across Maui's luxury markets, so bookmark it if you're tracking pricing, inventory, or trends at the high end of the island's real estate. Below is where things stand as of Q3 2026.

Current Maui Luxury Snapshot by Area

Wailea and Makena — Maui's most established luxury corridor. Luxury home sales are holding a median price around $2.65 million, with the overall Wailea and Makena single-family median sitting near $2.8 million, well above the island-wide figure. 

Makena inventory remains extremely thin, with only a handful of active listings at any given time, typically ranging from $9 million to $30 million. Wailea condo…

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How to Approach Buying Luxury Real Estate on Maui 

buying luxury real estate on maui

Most buyers researching a luxury purchase on Maui focus on the fun parts first: ocean views, architecture, and which resort community fits their lifestyle.

As we should. This is the right-brain side of real estate, the emotional side – the falling-in-love aspect. I believe a property and community should speak to the buyer first before engaging the left brain – the analytical aspect.

It’s just as important to fall in love as it is to bring our analytical side to the deal.

Everyone is different; many clients lead with the emotional side and complement it with the analytical side, and vice versa; others are more left-brain dominant and focus on the numbers before anything else. 

My…

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Selling a Luxury Property on Maui - Fact vs. Fiction

Selling Luxury Real Estate on Maui

Fact: Luxury listings that sit on the market for months rarely have a problem with the property itself. They either have a problem with the plan (marketing strategy) or the price. That’s not to say market conditions aren’t a factor; they absolutely are, but how we navigate and position the property makes all the difference. 

Generic photos without a cinematic video, no price adjustment despite months of market data, and no real marketing beyond the MLS – that's the pattern behind most stalled luxury listings, and it's completely avoidable with the right approach from day one.

That's the pattern I see on stale luxury listings on Maui. The property itself is rarely the problem, just the…

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Maui Real Estate Market Report September 2026: Closed and Pending Sales Rise, Bill 88 Moving Forward

maui real estate market report

Since my last market report in June, the Maui real estate market hasn’t changed dramatically. The market remains a buyer’s market, with values continuing to retreat but showing more and more signs of stability through increases in closed sales, new transactions, and decreases in inventory. 

Even if the pace of the decline has slowed and sales are up, the catalyst to fully shift the cycle to a more neutral or inclining market remains elusive, especially as we head into a typically slower time of the year for the market in the fall. 

Sales Are Up, and Hopefully Confirmation on the Bill 88 Lists Is On the Way

The large increase in pending…

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Moving To Maui: Live Your Best Island Life

Moving To Maui

Updated 6/1/2026: In June of 2010, I made the leap to move to Maui and am now celebrating 16 years living my best island life. Since I moved to Maui,  a lot of things have changed, obviously, and the challenges our island has faced over the last few years have tested everyone's resolve in different ways.

However, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of Lahaina as well as the entire island. No matter what we have gone through to live here, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. 

When I look back at moving to Maui all of those years ago, I realize I knew nothing about Maui when I moved here. I had never even been to Hawaii or Maui before. Prior to deciding to move to Maui, I had…

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