The Holidays, Snowbirds & International Travelers

The skies are clear, the sun is shining, and anticipation for the coming season is in the air. Prior to 2020, this was the time of year we began to see our friends and visitors from cooler climates head into town for the holidays, an extended period of warm weather and maybe a mai tai or two. Here we are, a year later, and the good news is – we are once again looking forward to welcoming not only our mainland US visitors but also international travelers.

As returning to this “pre-Covid” norm generally signals good news for all, it also brings questions, particularly in the real estate market. Looking back over the last year, it was about this time that the state of Hawaii instituted the Safe Travels program and essentially “re-opened” to US mainland visitors. Incidentally, exponential growth within all areas of the local real estate market coincided with the return of our visitors.

So, the looming question is how might the arrival of international travelers impact the Maui real estate market this year? Will owner’s returning for a long awaited visit decide it’s time to sell their properties? Will international travelers see this as their opening to jump in and add to the existing competitive buyer’s crowd? The reality is: only time will tell. What we do know is that being able to quickly adapt to any situation is the sure advantage in a good realtor’s toolbox and we are ready for whatever comes our way.

Speaking of ready…as we begin to ring in the holiday season we would like to share a local style dish that is popular year round, and holds a special place of honor at every Maui Thanksgiving buffet – Chow Fun!

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Hawaii’s Local-Style Chow Fun

Ingredients

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch – We add cornstarch to make the sauce a little thicker, but you can definitely leave it out. It will be delicious either way.
1 tablespoon black pepper – We use a lot of black pepper in this recipe, so I hope you love black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, julienned
3 cups cabbage shredded
½ pound mung bean sprouts
3 green onions, cut in 1-inch pieces
20 ounces chow fun noodles (if using packaged chow funn, pre-cook the noodles according to package directions)

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, black pepper, and ½ cup water. Set aside. Saute the vegetables, adding them in one at a time.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, saute the garlic till golden.
Add the carrots, saute 1 minute.
Add the cabbage, saute 1 minute.
Add the mung bean sprouts, saute 1 minute.
Add the green onions, saute 1 minute.

Note: Vegetables are added in the order of how long they take to cook. Carrots go first because they take longest, and green onions go last. If you cook all the vegetables at the same time you’ll end up with some undercooked and some overcooked vegetables.

Add the sauce.
Pour in the sauce mixture from Step 1. Bring to a boil.
Add the noodles and toss.
Add the chow fun noodles. Gently toss to mix and cook for 1 more minute.

Tip: Be quick but gentle when tossing the noodles. The packaged chow fun noodles are a little more forgiving but fresh chow fun noodles break easily.

Hawaii’s Local-Style Chow Fun Recipe from Onolicious Hawaii