Chapter 26 – Jan Smythe
Pukulani Native
Please tell me a little bit about yourself.
I am married and have four kids, and I work as a psychologist. My husband and I both work, and my husband is from California.
How long have you lived in Maui?
I’ve lived here a total of 30 years on and off. I was here through childhood and then moved back 15 years ago.
Is your home a house or condominium?
It’s a house. I live in a suburban neighborhood next to a golf course. The houses are modest—it’s a working class neighborhood. It’s a three-bedroom, three-bath with an office. I have an income property on my land that’s a one bedroom that we rent out to a lovely older lady.
What is Pukulani like as a community?
It’s working class. People mind their own business, but they are also there for each other if they need neighbors. Pukulani tends not to be the wealthiest part. It’s the middle of the road economically. Kids play on the street. It’s a great place for families.
Do you need to be rich to move to Maui?
It doesn’t hurt. Basically in Hawaii you can’t really live comfortably unless you make $80-$100K a year at least.
Do you worry about crime in Pukulani?
I don’t think people worry about crime in Pukulani. Like anywhere else there are occasional break-ins, but they are few and far between.
Was it hard to meet people when you moved in Pukulani?
You definitely have to be outgoing. People keep to themselves or keep to their family community in Hawaii in general. If you are from the mainland and don’t know anybody, it’s hard to make friends and connections. It can be pretty insular. But once you are in you’re in. Everybody thinks it’s a great idea to live here, but once they live here they realize it’s not perfectly easy to connect with the community. Locals tend to reserve getting close to people until they know they aren’t going to wash out.
Are goods and services hard to find or pay for in Maui?
It can be harder. Online things often don’t deliver to Hawaii in general. If you want to order you often have to find someone to ship it for you. It makes things more expensive for sure,
Would you have any advice for the newcomer regarding transportation or traffic in Maui?
There’s rush hour traffic. Maui is really country compared to Oahu. Maui has country roads, but the infrastructure has been expanding to allow tourism. Although you have a basic rush hour, it’s not terrible. Commuting to Lahaina side or Kihei can be a real pain in the butt when it comes to bottlenecking that happens with tourism. Especially in Lahaina– there’s only one road that goes there and that can be pretty brutal.
What surprised you most about moving back to Hawaii?
It genuinely surprised me how family-oriented Hawaii is. Personally I didn’t realize that when I was a kid and now it’s really clear that’s very family friendly.
What would you say is the one “can’t miss” event or place that a family living in Maui and Hawaii should be sure to experience?
Obviously the beaches. I would also say Maui Arts and Cultural Center. They have great films, a Maui film festival, and they have amazing shows and performers that are hard to get tickets for. It’s a tiny place and you get to see the best shows there. It’s a fancy outdoor gorgeous venue.
What places should you avoid if you don’t want to see a lot of tourists?
Lahaina on the west side. It’s so beautiful; it’s absolutely gorgeous for whale watching and snorkeling so that’s obviously where the tourists are. If you want to avoid tourists you have to stay up country. You’d still see them wherever you went, but you wouldn’t have a hotel type experience.
If you were to move to Maui today, what neighborhood/town would you choose and why?
We’d move to Haiku because that’s the most likeminded community for us and they have the best public school there.
Do you have a favorite restaurant in Maui?
Mama’s Fish House: it’s on the north shore and it’s right on this little cove. It’s so beautiful but super expensive.
Is there anything that you don’t like about living in Maui or living in Hawaii?
There are things that are annoying. I wish the amount that people got paid in work was commensurate with the cost of living. Moving here is a lot more expensive than the mainland. A decent 3 bedroom 3 bath place starts at $3,000/month and that’s just insane. It’s like New York City.
Testimonials
“The pros of Team Lally simply cannot be surprised in the real estate world. They have done and seen it all. I was astounded and relieved to see them address all my concerns and even accurately predict what would happen next. The mark of a true professional is to be so in tune with your chosen field that to a lay person like me, it looks like magic!”
“Adrienne Lally and Attilio Leonardi of Team Lally are great! They take the time to get to know their clients needs, making the buying/selling process that much easier. I would definately refer my family, friends and clients to Team Lally and so should you!”
“Adrienne and Howard and their team were amazing for us. We both bought and sold our home thru them, and they helped us through every step, every time. They were understanding, knowledgeable and professional. they made what would have been a grueling process easier, and I can say how much we appreciate all their hard work! Highly recommend!!!”
“Adrienne and her team helped tremendously with the sale of our home. I had relocated to the mainland on short notice due to a job and my wife was left with the daunting task to prep and sell our home before she could follow. Adrienne helped her get the property ready and advised her along the way. The sale closed pretty close to the schedule that Adrienne estimated and soon after my wife was able to join me on the mainland. Thanks Adrienne and Team Lally.”
“Team Lally definitely earned our business. They took pictures of our house and gave us a detailed pictorial guide of what we could do to get our house ready for the market. Everything they recommended was doable, concrete, and incredibly helpful. They are consistent, very professional and we’d highly recommend them!”
“Aloha, My name is Bryon Tucker. My wife and I sold our home via Short Sale with Remax Team Lally. We are very pleased with the sale! I have had the pleasure of working with Adrienne & Attilio for the past several years. They work hard and educate themselves. There is nobody in this business that works harder, studies more, and has the experience to sell your home.! And their marketing systems is second to none!! They make it easy….they handle the banks for you…so you don’t have to! When it comes to selling your home in distress, do what I did! Sell your home with Remax Team Lally! Yay!!!!”
“Loved working with them! They completely understood the Military lifestyle and our needs and concerns! They were there to answer every question and help us work out any issues that came up resulting in an Excellent Sales Experience!”
“As first-time home buyers, I couldn’t have asked for a better realty than Team-Lally!Three months prior to moving to Hawaii from the mainland, we began our search online by looking at pictures and viewing videos of current listings in Kaneohe and Kailua. We were so fortunate to have Team Lally as our agent. Team Lally was knowledgeable, patient, and honest; they even went out of their way to record videos of a few homes. Via e-mail and over the phone, they addressed all my questions and concerns. By the time we arrived, we were so well prepared and closed on the house we wanted in no time! If we buy or sell again, we are definitely calling Team Lally”
“My husband and I worked with Cherie Fikani. Amazing customer service. She was always available to answer questions in person, emails, texts and phonecalls. My husband and I never had to wait on a response or ask for an update. She was always well prepared.I like that she was patient… understanding even. She listens to the specifics and works with us on it without rushing us through. This experience could have been a scary ride but Cherie made sure nothing takes away the excitement of buying a home.Mahalo Nui Mrs. Fikani I would most definitely recommend TEAM LALLY to family and friends.”
“Team Lally has been very helpful during our short sale process. They are committed to us and have a lot experience in short sales so it makes it much smoother to complete this long drawn out process. I am thankful for all their help, expertise, and patience during this short sale. I absolutely recommend Team Lally for anyone who wants an experienced Team working for them in the real estate and housing market.”