Chapter 15 – Paia
Paia, known as the windsurfing capital of the world, is nestled on the northern shore of Maui, Hawaii. With less than 3,000 year-round inhabitants, this tourist destination definitely has a small town feel. However, you shouldn’t confuse small town feel with small town choices. Fourteen restaurants dot the streets of Paia for plenty of culinary options. Restaurants aren’t the only thing this small town boasts, you can also find beauty services, health and wellness shops, quaint inns and art galleries. Paia also hosts events and festivals throughout the year, there is always something to do.
Paia is a small town more than one hundred years old. Formerly the home of the Paia Sugar Mill, plantation camps were established here in the late 19th century for immigrants coming to work on the plantation. Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean Puerto Ricans, Portuguese, and Native Hawaiian peoples all came to Paia to work on the sugar plantation. As a result, there is great diversity in the town of Paia today.
In 1978 a group of young windsurfers discovered that Ho’okipa Beach Park in Paia had weather conditions perfect for windsurfing. Since that discovery, Paia has been developing and promoting the small town as the world capitol of windsurfing.
Paia has three beautiful beaches, Baldwin Beach Park, Ho’okipa Beach Park and Paia Bay. Baldwin Beach Park is excellent for swimming and shore fishing, and life guards are on duty daily. Paia Bay (referred to as “Baby Bay” by the locals) is a sandy beach good for swimming, but do so at your own risk as there are no lifeguards on duty here.
Ho’okipa Beach Park is Paia’s most famous beach due to its ideal windsurfing conditions. At this beach you can watch windsurfers and surfers year round – there are even many competitions held here throughout the year. Ho’okipa beach is not ideal for swimming. The shore is rocky and the currents are strong throughout the year. Swimmers are encouraged to use extreme caution and heed warnings. Lifeguards are on duty daily.
In 2009 the median price for a home or condo in Paia was $600,000. Most people in the town of Paia drive a personal vehicle for transportation, but there are also many walkers and bicyclists as well. Paia has a very low unemployment rate of 4.3% as of July 2013.
The weather in Paia is fantastic with an average temperature of about seventy five degrees Fahrenheit year round. There are two schools in Paia, one is public and the other private. There are also many churches in Paia. With all these amenities, daily life in Paia is quaint, but busy.
Testimonials
“I purchased my first home with Team Lally. Cathy was an absolutely fantastic agent and I would recommend her to anyone! We had very specific needs for our home, and Cathy helped us meet every single one of them. We also were in the need of moving in within 45 days of moving to the island. Cathy made that happen! Team Lally is fantastic. Buy a house!”
“Adrienne and Atillio knew the urgency in selling our home and worked so quick that at times I was overwhelmed. When they got a buyer, their team Member Howard Nett was so helpful in keeping us informed and updated as to how things were progressing and things we needed to do, that it made this whole process comfortable for us. We are VERY satisfied with their services. We recommend Team Lally when you are looking to sell your home.”
“Aloha, I am in the Coast Guard and my husband is a self employed landscaper, together we are very hard workers, but we aren’t the only ones. Team Lally is a hardworking real estate team who deliver exception customer service, care about their customers needs, remain patient and cater to customers ultimate desire. We purchased a beautiful home in Makakilo August 2012. When Team Lally showed us the house for the first time, we said “this is the one we want and we will wait a year if we have to.” Team Lally understood our end desire, accommodated us, and didn’t try to detour us into another purchase. They remained patient and informative through the short sale process and in the end, six months later, we got the house we wanted and felt relieved that we had an outstanding team who assisted us in making our dreams come true. Thank you Team Lally, I will always refer your team and I hope others will trust in your team as we did. Mahalo Crystal & Sandro”
“My husband used to work with one of the agents and we were put on their mailing list. We have really enjoyed all the information that we receive. “
“Team Lally is amazing!! What a great experience dealing with a stressful time in our family’s life! They were easy to talk to and knew everything we needed! I would recommend them to anyone looking to buy OR sell a home in Hawaii!”
“Team Lally is an excellent team! They know their stuff, they are true professionals, and they care about their clients needs before they care about making themselves that extra $$$$. They treat you like family even after the sale of you home!”
“We were looking at vacation and investment opportunities and heard about Team Lally from their radio ads. They were very prompt and helpful and gave us a ton if insight about what to look for. We haven’t yet found the right opportunity but with this awesome team of pros I know we will. I was also super impressed with their website- very easy to use. Thanks Team Lally”
“We interviewed three different Realtors and we Team Lally were incredibly organized and impressive. We hired them to help us find a home in Hawaii. They had such great local knowledge and incredibly responsive. True Professionals!! Unfortunately, my job situation changed and we ended up not buying a home, but if we are coming back we know who we would work with. Team Lally is #1 in our book!”
“Adrienne and her team is one of a kind . They have advocated well for me and helped me navigate the scary world of short selling. It was an uncharted territory for me but they”re so keen of putting me at ease by answering all my questions. (redundunt may it seems)with remakable patience. During the whole process I felt confident that somebody in Hawaii is looking out and working hard for my best interest. Now that its over I can truly say that I can enjoy the holiday with peace of mind. More power to you guys…God Bless.. Thank you so much again….”
“Team Lally is really quite exceptional. Each time we have been to the office we have had a personable and helpful experience. The connections they have with other businesses are also extraordinary. Team Lally doesn’t settle for less and they will work hard on your behalf.”