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
“Adrienne Lally and the team are absolutely wonderful. Adrienne exudes excellence and knowledge in the real estate field. Customer service and great communication skills are just a few of the qualities that Adrienne and the team take pride in. She looks out for the best interest of her clients and makes sure that the buying and selling process is easy and pain free! I would strongly recommend Adrienne and the team for the purchase or sale of your Hawaii home or condo.”
“Adrienne was extremely helpful!! We were first-time homebuyers and purchased a short sale on top of that. Adrienne helped us understand every step and the entire process was smooth from start to finish. We highly recommend her and her team!”
“Adrienne and her team helped us find our condo in Makakilo, HI. We were very happy with all of their on going help after purchase like referrals and yearly associate parties. Go Team Lally!”
“To put it simply…Team Lally never gave up! The short sale of our home was dragging on for more than a year! With Team Lally it was completely over in 4 months. Thank you Team Lally.”
“Team-Lally Rocks! It’s great to be considered a part of the Team-Lally family! After 13 years away from Hawaii, and looking for a house on the Ewa plain, we hooked up with a Team Lally realtor who was showing a house that we visited. Throughout the buying process, the knowledgeable staff addressed any problems that we encountered and concerns that we raised. We left the process feeling that our interests were properly represented and protected. This is the very thing that we expect from my realtor and weren’t disappointed. Our relationship didn’t end there. Through customer appreciation events (great food and prizes), newsletters and other resources, we stay connected. Also, if we have a question about market trends or need a contact for everything from a mortgage broker for refinancing or a plumber, we send an email or pick up a phone for a quick response—in practice, this team is really a network of businesses that work well together to meet the many needs of the customer. This is what the relationship between customer and realtor should look like, but seldom does. If we buy or sell again, we know who we’re calling—Team Lally! Joe & Tammy Waligura.”
“I purchased my home as a single woman nearly 10 years ago in what I call a “big girl moment”. I improved it over the years, and then decided to move home to the mainland to be closer to my family. I was referred to Team Lally, and much differently than other agents I was referred to, they called me immediately, providing a full scope of their services, which is impressive. I liked the fact that they had me meet them in their office, outside the potentially emotional environment of my home. This is business, after all! My home was first shown on June 10 and closed at a handsome price on August 30. Wow. These guys communicate regularly by phone, provide excellent service via email and while closing the sale I experienced the best possible service. Were I to contemplate moving back to Hawaii, Team Lally would be my first call!”
“We worked with Cathy from Team Lally during the purchase of our new house, and it was great. She was very professional, knowledgeable, responsive and fun to work with. We found a great house that we love and moved in ahead of the estimated closing date. Best of all, we paid less than the asking price, and her recommended offer was right on point with the VA appraisal. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would recommend Cathy and Team Lally to anyone looking for a house.”
“I love Adrienne and her crew. I am always impressed by how much they care about their customers and the time and effort they put into the care and feeding of all of us. I also am humbled by how much Adrienne does for the local community and those in need. It is just a relief to let Adrienne and her crew take care of you. Lori and Dennis Bennett”
“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!”
“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!”