Wailuku is a very residential old Hawaii town located in Central Maui west of Kahului. This town was the main tourist destination on Maui in the early 20th century but has been overshadowed by other resort towns like Wailea and Ka’anapali. In fact, there are no true hotels in Wailuku. People travelling to the central part of Maui stay in nearby Kahului which is much more a destination area of Maui. Wailuku has one of the coolest climates in central Maui
Situated at the base of the West Maui Volcano, Wailuku showcases its historic feel with centuries-old sites. Ka’ahumanu Church and the Civic Center Historic District are well known sites in Wailuku as well as Chee Kung Tong Society and Bailey House, home of the Maui Historical Society and History Museum. Several of Maui’s government offices are also located in Wailuku.
Although, most of the residents head to Kahului for shopping and business, Wailuku has several shopping centers in town including the Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center and Maui Mall. Additionally, Market Street features the main business district in old-fashioned looking wood storefronts.
Real estate in Wailuku is abundant. With tons of small neighborhoods, there is a wide range of prices to fit every budget. On the lower end of the spectrum, neighborhoods like Old Wailuku Town starts in the mid $300s. Other homes starting in the same ballpark are located across the street from the beach. These homes need a tremendous amount of work but give buyers the opportunity to buy prime locations at lower list prices with the intentions of a complete renovation or tearing the structure down and replacing it with a much nicer home. Most of the homes needing little help start in the $400s in popular neighborhoods like Waikapu Gardens and Waiolani Pikake. More affluent neighborhoods like Sand Hills Estates, Wailuku Heights and Waiehu have homes in the $800s and above.
One of the largest master-planned communities in Maui is Kehalani. This large community is a popular area in Wailuku and showcases smaller subdivisions with homes staring at just under $400K in the Cottages at Kehalani to just under $600K in Koa Kehalani.
In Wailuku, you will find many (native Hawaiians) living here. In fact, there is a neighborhood, Waiehu Kou, which is dedicated to Native Hawaiians only under the Department of Hawaiian Homelands requirements. This area offers affordable opportunities for locals to have home ownership.
Condominium communities are not as prevalent in Wailuku because of the lack of tourists in the area. Here, units start at under $100K for small homes in Puuone Towers and Puuone Terrace. The Kehalani also has a handful of condominium neighborhoods starting as low as $200K in Kehalani Gardens and $400K at the Villas at Kehalani and Iliahi at Kehalani.
As for real estate statistics in this area, the median sales price of condos in December was $129K while homes hit $355K for the month. The overall average number of days on the market was 247 days in November 2011. There are tons of short sales and foreclosures in Wailuku. They can be found in many neighborhoods starting in the low $200s and between $500K and $600K in the more affluent neighborhoods like Wailuku Heights and Koa Kehalani.
For those who desire to live away from the hustle and bustle of the tourism driven areas of Maui and enjoy a small town with lots of character and history, Wailuku is an ideal place. Still close to more active areas, the residents of Wailuku are working hard to bring more life back to their quaint with a major redevelopment plan making it a great time to look at Wailuku.