September 2023 Email Update

The August median sales price for single-family homes was $1,110,000 (1.4% lower than August 2022) and for condos was $515,000 (3.3% higher than August 2022).  Demand continues to slide with a 19.7% drop in single-family home sales last month and a 16.9% drop in condo sales.  Pending sales continue to decline with 14.4% fewer single-family contracts waiting to close and 10.5% fewer condo contracts.  Fewer sellers are putting their homes on the market with a 13.4% reduction in new single-family home listings and 9.7% fewer condo listings.  It appears that the market still has months to go before reaching a new equilibrium from rising interest rates. 

Maui County sued Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) on August 23^rd for failing to de-energize downed power lines, accusing the company of starting the wildfire that leveled Lahaina.  HECO announced in a press release on August 28^thdenying Maui County’s contention.  HECO claims the power lines were de-energized for six hours before the wildfire ignited at 3:00 pm on August 8^th and HECO will vigorously defend itself in court if necessary.

Officials recommend making cash donations if you are planning to send relief to the wildfire survivors.  Maui’s port has been overwhelmed by food, clothing, and other donations because there are not enough vehicles to take them away from the dock.  Relief coordinators also ask individuals to avoid self-deploying because Lahaina is closed off as teams search for human remains.

State and federal workers have started the cleanup of Lahaina Harbor the week of September 4^th after completing a search for bodies in the harbor and nearshore waters.  Officials don’t know how many boats sunk but the harbor had 99 boat slips reported near capacity when the wildfires broke out.  An absorbent boom has been deployed around the harbor to contain hazardous materials and an initial assessment was made with remotely operated submersible vehicles.  Three contractors have been designated to help with the cleanup efforts and 33 Coast Guard personnel have initially been assigned to the effort.  The Coast Guard won’t allow public access to the established safety zone until the navigation channel has been freed of debris and harmful chemicals.  

The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) issued a report on the economic impact from the wildfires.  The economic losses currently include about $70 million per month from the destruction of Lahaina businesses and about $13 million per day from the closure of West Maui including Kaanapali to visitors.  The number of visitors has dropped about 75% resulting in layoffs of about 15,000 employees so far.  Here is a link to the full article.

“Tree-huggers” are working to revive a 150-year-old banyan tree in Lahaina after an arborist found no significant signs of charring or cracking of the main trunk or root system and the ground did not appear to be burned and the benches were still standing.  The group is watering the tree and ground daily and will put down a layer of compost to help the tree heel.  The tree was a gift from India in 1873 and has been providing shade for residents and visitors for generations.  Here is a picture of Tim and Tracey’s kids playing in the tree during a family vacation.

Greater Good Charities in partnership with Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew 130 sheltered kittens, cats, and dogs to Portland Oregon to make room for injured, lost, and displaced pets from the Maui Wildfires.  A Portland Oregon resident immediately adopted Toulouse, when she learned Toulouse, the kitten she sponsored after finding him hiding in a cabinet at the sanctuary, was on the flight.

A state senator from Maui announced he would retire on October 31, 2023, so he could participate in the lawsuits from Maui wildfire victims as a partner in law firm Takatani, Agaran, Jorgensen, & Wildman.

A Honolulu wastewater executive, Milton Choy, was sentenced to three years in prison for a multi-million-dollar bribery scheme, paying over $2 million in bribes in return for $19.3 million in sole-source contracts.  Choy paid Stewart Stant, the then Director of Maui County Department of Environmental Management who spent the money on hostess bars, luxury hotel stays, travel, and jewelry.  Choy also paid bribes to convicted former Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English and former state Representative Ty Cullen.  The bribery scheme is considered the largest in Hawaii’s history.

Another Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) employee has been sentenced to prison for taking bribes to fast-track projects through the permitting process.  She is the fifth person convicted of taking bribes from architects totaling more than $300,000 combined.

The state’s long-term care crisis continues to worsen.  219 hospital patients are ready for discharge and have been waitlisted for an average of 123 days for a space in a long-term care facility.  One hospital patient has been waiting two years.  Some licensed facilities have beds available but don’t have the nurses and nursing assistants available to take care of the additional patients.  Assisted living facilities won’t take the patients because Medicaid won’t reimburse them for their services.

The City and County of Honolulu opened a new lifeguard tower at Kahe Point, more commonly known as “Electric Beach” due to the electric power plant outlet that returns warm water from the plant to the ocean about 100 yards offshore.  The lifeguards have acted about 160 times per day to prevent beachgoers from injuring or killing themselves and many beachgoers check in at the tower to ask about ocean safety before swimming.  Tim and Tracey have conducted ocean swims several times over the years marveling at the variety of tropical fish attracted by the warm water from the power plant outlet and have witnessed pods of dolphins swim by.

Three Kaneohe-based U.S. Marines were killed in a V-22B Osprey crash in the jungle of a northern Australian island while participating in Predator’s Run, a multi-national training exercise.  Fifteen U.S. Marines were onboard, nine have been treated and released, and three remain in the hospital with more serious injuries.  There have been five deadly crashes involving the Osprey since 2012.

The U.S. Navy started repacking operations to fill empty pipelines on August 28^th to remove air and commence gravity draining of the Red Hill Fuel Tanks by October 16^th.  The repacking operation will take several days where the integrity of the system will be reverified and gravity draining will follow and conclude roughly three months later.  The U.S. Navy will then have to decide how to remove the remaining 100,000 to 400,000 gallons of fuel remaining in the tanks after completing the gravity drain.

The City and County of Honolulu awarded a $2.58 million contract to remove the Haiku Stairs, known as the “Stairway to Heaven” and the Moanalua Saddle Stairs.  The Nakoa Companies, Inc. was chosen for its specialization in complex construction projects.  The process will include having a biologist inspect each section of the stairs before removal to protect the native plants and add native plants as necessary to prevent erosion.

The Honolulu District Courthouse was closed on August 16^th due to damage by a contractor during the evening of August 15^th to address structural damage.  Coincidentally, one of Tracey’s friends texted pictures from a courthouse showing a garbage can catching a water leak from a ceiling, and “out-of-order” elevator, and section of tiled flooring blocked off and covered with plywood.  The decay of the state’s infrastructure makes one wonder how Lahaina will ever be rebuilt.

The seventy Ho’olau Kanaka hula festival brought together Hawaiian practitioners to Moanalua Gardens including musicians, cultural experts, and eight hula halau.  The annual event concludes with the halau performing hula in a noncompetitive environment.  The purpose of the event is to educate and inspire people to continue the Hawaiian tradition while encouraging people to enjoy what they are doing and creating.

Zippy’s is opening its first restaurant outside Hawaii in Las Vegas this fall.  Tracey grew up eating at Zippy’s and was dismayed when we moved to Pflugerville, TX and thought her kids would grow up eating at Springhill Café.  Fortunately, we moved to Hawaii in 2004 and our kids enjoyed the meals that Tracey grew up with.