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Being a Realtor on Maui is a dream come true for me. Not only do I get to live in such a beautiful place, I get to pursue my passion of helping people buy and sell real estate.
But what happens when the property you're selling is a piece of your family history? This is the gut-wrenching challenge I am currently facing as I find myself selling my grandparent's property that was home to my family for over 70 years. A place where 65 people can trace their roots and always knew they could call home. A place that holds my most precious family memories and helped define me as a person.
This sale means the end of holiday gatherings, Sunday dinners, Portuguese sweet bread baking in the oven my grandfather built, walks to the beach, picking fruits with grandma, the sweet smell of tropical flowers, Easter egg hunts, grandma's famous malasadas on Fat Tuesday, or singing Christmas carols while waiting for Santa (a tradition my grandfather started when he was Maui's fire chief). I'm selling land where bananas, mangos, lilikoi, tangerines, macadamia nuts and Hawaiian chili peppers were grown in bulk to feed my many family members.
It's heart-breaking to know this land will be gone to us forever.
In this desirable, makai-side pocket on the Kuau peninsula, the neighborhood has changed with the development of luxury oceanfront and vacation-rentable properties.
Our family held the property as long as we could, but now it's time to sell.
Mandy Trella
Kihei