Condominium Property Regimes on Maui
When searching for a single family home on Maui, you may overhear your real estate agent use the acronym "CPR", but don't panic, no one is in need of cardio pulmonary resuscitation. We are referring to a condominium property regime. Believe it or not, the property and home in the picture above is technically a residential condominium. It is unit B of a 3 unit CPR in Launiupoko. You'll notice that many properties are described in listings as being a ‘CPR property’, or have unit A or unit B next to the address, that is there to designate the conforming use of that lot. If that's a little confusing, keep reading to learn more.
These types of 'condominiumized' properties are not what we actually think of when we hear the word condo, these are properties with acreage and/or single-family homes. These properties have special considerations that can affect how you can use your new property, developing on the property in the future, and more. Understanding exactly what a CPR property is can help you make a well-informed decision about your next real estate purchase, especially in Maui communities like Launiupoko and Haiku.
What Is a CPR Really?
Again, CPR stands for Condominium Property Regime, but a property does not have to be a condo to be classified as a CPR. When many people think of a condominium, the idea of a cluster of residential units with shared roofs, walls, hallways, and amenities comes to mind. While a condominium complex is one type of CPR, there are other types as well. A condominium describes the real estate ownership rather than the property type.
Because of this, single-family homes on acreage may be part of a CPR. When you purchase a CPR property on Maui, you will be the exclusive owner of the property, but what you can do with it is determined by whether you are the 'main home' parcel or the 'cottage' parcel. Moreover, each unit in a CPR is deeded separately. It also can be mortgaged exclusively by the owner without approval from the CPR membership. In addition, each unit is taxed individually.
The unit owner can lease the property or sell it as desired. The maintenance and upkeep of an individual residential unit is the owner’s responsibility.
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How a Property Becomes a CPR
Not all residential communities qualify to become a CPR. For example, if a single-family home community’s association has adopted restrictions and by-laws forbidding the formation of CPR units, that property will not qualify. Even if this is not the case, properties must comply with factors related to water sources, vehicular access, structures, and uses in order to qualify as CPRs. In addition, the County of Maui must perform a Miscellaneous Inspection on buildings more than a year old to ensure that the buildings comply with established building codes as well as electrical and plumbing codes. Properties must also be used as they were originally intended.
The process of forming a CPR may take up to or more than a year to complete and usually result in the property being split into 3 limited common elements. Only 2 of these are permitted to develop on, while 1 is reserved for a main home site with relatively unlimited square footage and the other developable parcel is limited to building a home of 1,000 square feet or less. There are numerous ways that developers find extra square footage, but that's its own article.
A CPR developer will work with a real estate attorney to register the property with the State of Hawaii DCCA Real Estate Branch. Simply applying, however, does not guarantee that the property will be approved as a CPR. The process requires the developer to provide a CPR Map, which consists of an as-built certificate as well as floor plans and elevations for each structure. For some properties, the County of Maui may need to certify that the property complies with established requirements.
In addition, the CPR developer’s attorney will prepare the CPR declaration as well as community by-laws and house rules. These will be filed with the state. Going forward, a community’s association of unit owners must amend public reports, declarations, and the CPR map as changes are made. The County of Maui then assigns tax identification numbers for each of the units. The CPR developer can then sell the units to individual buyers.
The Benefits of a CPR
Generally, a CPR property will be priced more affordably than a comparable single-family, non-CPR property. As a result, CPRs allow real estate shoppers to take advantage of the benefits of ownership at a lower price. Such benefits include property value appreciation, pet-friendly accommodations, the ability to make improvements inside the individual unit and more.
A CPR property can require the owner to pay a community association fee, which may seem to be a disadvantage to some buyers who are shopping for real estate on a budget. However, even traditional single-family homes in a non-CPR community may have an owners’ association with its own fees and by-laws. In both cases, the by-laws are designed to ensure a quality living experience for all owners in various ways.
Legal Considerations Before Buying a CPR on Maui
Each CPR property is individually deeded and taxed, but CPRs stand apart from other single-family homes in an important way. The units in a CPR community share a parcel number. This parcel number is assigned to the entire group of community members rather than to a specific unit on the property.
This group of community members is a collective organization. In addition to managing the common areas of the property, a CPR organization often governs and enforces community by-laws and restrictions that all individual owners are required to comply with. These community laws trump the local jurisdiction’s laws. Some community laws may establish quiet hours, pet rules, use of common areas, renting out individual units and others.
Finding CPR Properties for Sale on Maui
For many real estate buyers, the advantages of a CPR property make it an attractive option. Through a buyer’s individual research for properties for sale on the island, these properties can be identified as “CPR Property” on the listing page online. A real estate agent can also assist with finding CPR properties within a specific price range and with desired amenities.
Two communities where you will find a lot of these properties are, as I mentioned, Haiku and Launiupoko. Haiku is located in the rain forest in northern Maui, but it is only a few minutes from the beach. Launiupoko sits directly on the coastline in western Maui just south of Lahaina. Both of these are smaller communities that support a quiet way of life. As these are only some of the areas on the island with these types of residential CPRs. If you're circling in on a CPR property on Maui, give me a call at 808-214-4799 and I would be happy to answer your questions.
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Evan Harlow is an award-winning Realtor on Maui ranking in the top 1% of Coldwell Banker agents worldwide. Evan has the expertise, experience, and work ethic to help you achieve your real estate buying and selling goals. We promise exceptional service and support from the beginning of the process through closing and beyond. See what our clients are saying on Google.
Posted by Evan Harlow R(S) 82003 on
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