Live the Good Life and Retire in Maui – Geezers in Paradise

Calling all Baby Boomers—Live the good life and retire in Maui.

Having just recently experienced my 60^th birthday in March, 2011 has made me realize that I have made a few excellent decisions in my life; most notably getting married to Laura, moving to Maui in 1978, and buying real estate immediately on Maui’s north shore in Haiku.

My wife, Laura, and I enjoying a walk with our dog, Spike, on our Haiku property that we purchased in 1978

Daily, my son, Jeremy Stice, and I talk to buyers all over the world, many looking to purchase now in order to spend their golden years in paradise. Read about two different Baby Boomer couples that were recently assisted by The Stice Team in this endeavor.

1. Baby Boomers’ dreams come true at Lahaina Shores – Buyer Testimonial
2. Baby Boomers realize their life long dream at Honua Kai Resort in Kaanapali – Buyer Testimonial

Since I have been licensed to sell Hawaii real estate since 1979, I have been able to take advantage of markets like we are experiencing right now, and I have managed to acquire properties for all three of my children, Jeremy, Brianna, and Chloe. All of these purchases took advantage of either a depressed market at the time, good financing options, great locations, or a combination of these elements.

Buyers, you have a choice that you may not be aware of right now with Maui prices reaching pre-2000 levels in many segments of our market. Brianna, my 24 year-old police woman daughter, just purchased a ground floor unit with a fenced yard, 2 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms in Southpointe, a Kihei condo one block from the beach for $133,750 (click here to view listing).

This is very close to the same price that this unit sold for when it was built in 1992. You could not come close to building a similar unit today for less than $200,000. My daughter pays less for her mortgage and maintenance fees that it would cost her to rent the same unit. The entire cost to own this unit is under $1,000 per month and she only used $6,000 of her own money to buy it. We are seeing price corrections like this in almost every segment of the Maui market—where in Maui will you call home? Whether you are looking to invest $200,000 or $10M, the Stice Team is here to get you the most bang for your buck.

If you are looking at retirement, why not look at Maui? With year-round temperatures in the range of 60 to high 80 degrees Fahrenheit, most of the time, you don’t need to heat or air condition your home; the beaches are some of the nicest in the world, and after all, you are still technically in the United States. One’s driving is generally a lot less than many places, as shopping, health care, and recreational opportunities are generally convenient.

Since people tend to live longer in Hawaii than most places in the United States, it is important to understand that we don’t shovel snow in Hawaii, don’t own winter clothing, we don’t know what snow tires are, and if you ask a Realtor about what kind of furnace the house has, you will get a dumbfounded look.

Me getting ready to paddle out and enjoy geezer long board surfing at Puamana Beach Park in Lahaina, Maui (8/11/11)

The best part of Hawaii is the general fitness of the older population who live here. It is very common to see 60+ people in the water (for example, Mike Spalding swimming the channel) doing stand-up paddling, surfing, canoe paddling, open ocean swimming, softball, golf, tennis, hiking, fishing, and the list just goes on. The best thing is, you can do all of these sports all year long.

I live the life of an active, borderline geezer and I am a very healthy, happy person, married to Laura since 1978. Come share what we have, you have a choice, and as your Realtor of choice, I will show you how.

If you have any questions/requests regarding this post, or would like to enlist Tracy Stice’s high level of expertise and experience for your purchasing or selling needs here on Maui, you may contact him directly, or feel free to create your own HawaiiLife.com account, where you can view all properties on the MLS and save your favorites. Just click here and you will see the tab at the very top of the page called My Hawaii Life, which you can then click on and follow the steps—it is easy and rewarding.

Tracy Stice, Realtor (Broker)
Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers (Wailea)—Maui Broker in Charge
Direct Cell: 808.281.5411
Tracy@HawaiiLife.com
ABR CRB CRS GRI GREEN
President Hawaii Association of REALTORS 2010