Lifestyle

HOA Guidelines for Blissful Barbequing

We enjoy beautiful weather year-round in Hawaii, yet summer always seems more synonymous with barbequing. In an HOA, having a few BBQ guidelines could mean the difference between summer fun or disaster. Experts suggest that if you've got a grill or several in shared areas that owners can use, you should post some rules to ensure safety. Since "grilling season" is upon us, now is a great time to review, or if you don’t have rules, incorporate them into those areas where you have grills located. I [...]

April is Tsunami Awareness Month

Tsunamis are a series of hazardous, large, long ocean waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. You cannot swim or surf tsunamis because they flood the land like a rushing river (or fast-rising tide) rather than curling and breaking like a regular surfing wave. A tsunami picks up and carries debris, significantly increasing the chance of injury, property destruction, and death. Emergency officials will be holding events around the state this month to raise awareness of the [...]

Tips for Minor Home and Rental Updates

Whether you are looking at do-it-yourself projects to freshen up your home or to upgrade your condo to offer it as a vacation rental, updates need not be extensive or expensive. With some planning, you can make changes that will matter without breaking the bank or having your home torn apart for months. Here are some basic tips to ensure your project goes smoothly. Prioritize, plan, purchase It’s always a good idea to plan your project, prioritizing what you want to do, then make your purchases. [...]

Protect Your Home, Yourself, and Your Property

You may feel some assurance living near neighbors or in a housing development or condominium complex. Your neighbors look out for each other, keeping an eye on one another so you feel “safe.” But make no mistake- you ultimately are responsible for your own safety. While we can often depend on each other for help, we still must take our own measures to protect what is important to us – our families and our property. If your association has a security force, remember they should keep an eye out fo [...]

Does Your HOA Have Holiday Decor Rules?

The holidays are officially upon us. Does your association have rules on visible décor and lighting? Rulemaking can be a quandary. If you allow displays for some, you have to allow for all. Or the other option, none. Either way can be challenging. Fortunately the Community Associations Institute has developed sample holiday and religious display guidelines that are easy for residents to follow and simple to enforce. Here are a few of CAI’s tips. Board Members Ask residents whether they believe y [...]

Should You Upgrade Your Vacation Rental Condo?

Travelers expect a certain level of updated décor, cleanliness and amenities when they book a vacation rental property. Fair or not, they will compare your rental to the level of living in their own home. Dated, worn out or poorly working household appliances and furnishings send up red flags to travelers and could prevent them from rebooking the rental. According to various vacation rentals’ guest feedback, there are seven common recommendations for improving your vacation rentals. Living room [...]

Dining Out on Maui? It Will Cost You More

Expect to pay more dining out on Maui, including at casual restaurants. Menu prices rose at Hawaii restaurants for four straight months over the summer as owners and managers continued to cope with increasing supply costs and rising wages for employees. The Food Gurus Hawaii Restaurant Index provides data each month to Hawaii Business Magazine, tracking over 3 million transactions monthly at over 130 statewide restaurant locations, according to founder Doug Harris. “Quick serve restaurants serve [...]

New Hawaii Condo Living Guide Video Series Now Online

The Hawaii Real Estate Commission released its new “Hawaii Condo Living Guide” video series to help deliver valuable information to current and prospective condominium owners and boards. The first six educational videos are available online and broken up into a series of short segments for ease of viewing. The commission intends to continue releasing more engaging episodes periodically. “This locally produced video series is a creative way to reach out to residents with important information,” s [...]

More EV Rollout for Hawaii

Hawaii is not doing too bad in efforts to move away from fossil fuels and focus on electric vehicles. Overall, Hawaii ranked 11th out of all 50 states — and the District of Columbia — for its electric vehicle policy progress, according to a new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, or ACEEE. Hawaii scored 40.5 out of a possible 100 points in a scoring system for the rollout of EVs spanning areas like planning and goals, incentives for deployment, and transportation syst [...]

12 Jolly Holiday Activities While Staying Safe at Home

The December holiday season may look different on Maui this year, but can still include meaningful celebrations and activities for our communities. Large group gatherings are out of the question due to COVID-19, and some folks might even be celebrating alone. I combed through several resources to compile a list of a fun ideas for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza (or however you are rejoicing this time of year). Remember that good holiday experiences are what we make of them, from our heart, and share [...]

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