Posted on: Monday, November 10, 2003

Hundreds line up for new Maui homes

Associated Press

WAILUKU, Maui — Security personnel and portable toilets had to be brought in to accommodate the hundreds who spent hours in line for a chance to make refundable $5,000 deposits on homes they have never seen.

Some even spent the night in line, vying for the first-come, first-served chance on Saturday to reserve the 140 homes in the undeveloped project called Ohia at Kehalani.

"When I saw the crowd, I jumped out of the car right away," said KC Stallsmith, who got in line around 9 p.m. Friday and was issued

No. 156. "I wasn't going to get left behind. You just do what you have to do."

The planned three- and four-bedroom homes in the project were being advertised at prices ranging from the mid-$300,000s to the mid-$400,000s.

Demand is strong for affordable homes on Maui, where the average resale price for a single-family home is $559,000 and rising.

Although she fell 16 slots behind the 140 expected to be offered first chance at the homes, Stallsmith was hopeful.

"We're hoping people will cancel. All you can do is hope," Stallsmith said.

Hundreds of applications were processed Saturday and some potential buyers were told to return yesterday.

Although, Towne Development of Hawai'i cautioned people not to camp overnight, the developer ended up setting up lights and portable toilets with the help of its contractor Goodfellow Brothers.

Towne Development also offered free bottled water and snacks. It had to hire off-duty Maui police officers to provide security. Other officers were called to handle the traffic.

Debbie Moniz arrived at 4 a.m. Saturday and ended up with No. 218.

She said motorists passed by and were puzzled by the crowd.

"They asked, 'What's going on? What's going on?' " Moniz said. "We tell them, 'We're buying a home.'

"I think they thought we were nuts."