Hapa returns to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s (MACC) Castle Theater stage on Saturday, April 17. 

The modern Hawaiian music of Hapa founder Barry Flanagan is a cultural melting pot mix of influences ranging from ancient Hawaiian chants to the ballads of Portuguese fisherman and Spanish cowboys. Adding to this stew inspired melodies and harmonies of traditional church choirs of the early missionaries and a healthy dose of American folk-rock arrangements, you get a pretty good description of Hapa’s musical flavor. 

Hapa’s benchmark initial release, which was nominated for six categories by the Hawaiian Academy of Recording Arts, swept the 1994 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. 

Produced, composed and arranged by Barry, HAPA to this day remains in the top ten on the Hawaiian music charts. The record’s groundbreaking sales have established it as the No. 1 selling recording by a group or duo in the history of recorded Hawaiian music. 

Although Hapa’s lead singer changed from Keli‘i Kaneali‘i to Nathan Aweau approximately five years ago, the duo’s captivating sound has remained unchanged. Flanagan and Aweau are accompanied on stage by Hawaiian chanter and cultural specialist Charles Ka‘upu. 

One of the best examples of the power of these three artists is Hapa’s rendition of the U2 classic, Pride (In The Name of Love). It will give you chicken skin. 

In concert, Hapa will perform selections from their latest record, It’s A Slack Key World, which is not yet released to stores. 

Enjoy pre-show dining by Aloha Events Catering from 5 p.m. 

Tickets are $12, $28 and $37 for adults; $14 and $18.50 for keiki aged 12 years and younger. 

Call the MACC Box Office at (808) 242-SHOW or visit MauiArts.org 

The majority of home buyers begin their search for a home on the Internet, and they want to see a lot of pictures before they 

spend the time to view a property, says home stager Judy Colburn in a blog post on EnergizedSeller. 

Here are the Top 4 Tips:

1. Make a good first impression. A home’s exterior should be welcoming and inviting. Clean the windows. Paint the trim. Add seasonal flowers. Clear up clutter and debris. 

2. Be ready to show. A for-sale home needs to be ready to be shown to buyers at all times. Don’t leave dishes in the sink. Dust the furniture and sweep the floors daily. Make the beds. Put the toilet seat down. 

3. Kitchens sell homes. Replace or update old cabinets and counters. Clear off tables and countertops. Everything should be clean, fresh and sparkling! 

4. De-personalize your home. Pack away collections, personal photos and unused items. Buyers should be able to focus on your house, not your belongings. 

Key Information- http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/key_info.php

Following are key points that prospective home buyers should be aware of when considering a home purchase under the tax credit program.

• A tax credit of up to $8,000 is available for first-time home buyers purchasing on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. In cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
• A tax credit of up to $6,500 is available for repeat home buyers who have owned a home for five consecutive years out of the prior eight years. The repeat home buyer tax credit applies to houses sold after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. In cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
• Income limits of $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples filing jointly apply to all sales occurring after Nov. 6, 2009.
• The income limits for sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before November 6, 2009 are $75,000 for individual taxpayers and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
• Homes priced above $800,000 are not eligible for either the first-time home buyer tax credit or the repeat home buyer tax credit.
• Expanded tax credit benefits apply to members of the military, the foreign service and the intelligence community.
• Home purchases in 2010 may be claimed on an amended 2009 income tax return.
• Persons who are claimed as dependents by a taxpayer or who are under age 18 do not qualify for a tax credit.
• Home purchases from relatives of the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse do not qualify for the tax credit. The IRS defines relatives as ancestors (parent, grandparent, etc.), lineal descendants (child, grandchildren, etc.) and spouses.
• Married couples are not eligible to claim the first-time home buyer tax credit if either spouse has previously owned a home. They may, however, qualify for the repeat home buyer tax credit.
• Neither the first-time home buyer tax credit nor the repeat home buyer tax credit have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.
• Taxpayers must submit a copy of the HUD-1 settlement statement and IRS Form 5405 to claim either the first-time home buyer tax credit or the repeat home buyer tax credit.

By HARRY EAGAR, Staff Writer 

POSTED: March 31, 2010 

Maui County welcomed 174,027 visitors in February, a gain of more than 7 percent compared with the same month last year. Every other county showed an erosion in the already weak traffic count, although small ones. 

Maui island did even better with visitors who chose to stop at just one island, with those visits up 12.4 percent. Maui island’s increase in visitors in February comes on the heels of a 2.4 percent increase in January. February marks the second consecutive month of positive growth in visitor numbers since December 2005. 

The statistics are published by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. 

Although this was a February without a Pro Bowl on Oahu, overall the numbers held almost steady. The statewide count was 531,094, up 0.7 percent. Oahu was down 1 percent to 312,371. Kauai was off 3 percent to 69,896, and the Big Island fell 0.7 percent to 102,635. 

”Momentum from the strong fourth quarter in 2009 continued through February 2010 as anticipated,” said Mike McCartney, president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. ”We are especially pleased that despite the Pro Bowl not being in Hawaii this year, total visitor arrivals and spending held stable over last year.” 

Maui and the Big Island are showing net gains for the first months of the year, although early 2009 was a very slack time. In normal times, Maui would have closer to 200,000 visitors in February. 

Still, state Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert was encouraged that things are starting to turn around, helped by an increase in flights. 

“We continue to be encouraged by the improving performance of our visitor industry. We also appreciate the unwavering commitment the industry has demonstrated in rejuvenating our economy,” she said. 

Flights from Canada and Asia were up by notable amounts, and since February even more Mainland routes have been added. 

“It is clear that the strengthening of international economies has resulted in increased demand for travel, and Hawaii has certainly benefited from this improvement,” Wienert said. 

For two months, Maui has welcomed 321,934 visitors, a gain of 4.8 percent. Visitor-days are up even more, by 5.5 percent, but discounting is keeping overall spending from rising as much. 

So far this year, per person per day spending on Maui is unchanged at $178.80. Statewide, however, it is down $4 to $171. February spending on Lanai averaged $261.10, down 27.1 percent; and visitors spend an average of $108.40 per day on Molokai, up 8.3 percent. 

Lanai tourism was up 10.5 in February to 5,789. Molokai tourism was down 3 percent to 4,246. 

Among the top four visitor markets, losses in arrivals by air from U.S. West (2.6 percent) and U.S. East (8.2 percent) were offset by growth from Japan (2.5 percent) and Canada (16.2 percent), the tourism authority said. 

For the first two months of 2010, total spending by air visitors grew $31.4 million to $1.8 billion, a 1.7 percent increase over the same two-month period last year, the authority said. Total visitor days rose 2.5 percent while total arrivals by air and cruise visitors increased 1.4 percent from the same period last year to 1 million visitors, it said. 

* The Associated Press contributed to this report. Harry Eagar can be reached at heagar@mauinews.com.