A former Microsoft executive has sold her oceanfront retreat in Kihei, Maui, for $6.65 million, closing a chapter on a meticulously renovated Hawaiian residence that occupies one of fewer than 100 direct Pacific Oceanfront homesites in South Maui.
The property at 1250 Uluniu Road, Unit B, had been asking $7.25 million when it entered the market in May. Publicly available transaction records show that the sale closed on Sept. 16, 2026, at $6.65 million. The result represents a roughly 8.3% discount from the original asking price.
For the sellers, Denise Rundle and Jeffrey Leach, the transaction marks the end of a six-year ownership period during which the residence underwent a substantial transformation. Rundle, a longtime Microsoft executive who retired in 2023, and Leach acquired the property in February 2020 for $3.65 million.
The sale price is roughly 82% higher than what the couple paid in 2020, before accounting for the substantial renovation and other ownership costs incurred during the intervening years.
A Rare Piece of South Maui Oceanfront
The appeal of 1250 Uluniu Road begins with something that cannot be replicated: its position on the Pacific.
According to Coldwell Banker Island Properties, the residence occupies one of fewer than 100 direct oceanfront homesites in South Maui. The home is also set on a raised lot behind a gated entrance, creating a meaningful buffer between the residence and the shoreline.
“South Maui’s beachfront market is defined above all else by scarcity,” listing agent Evan Harlow said.
“Direct oceanfront homesites on this stretch of coastline are extraordinarily finite, and those that combine a gated setting, a raised lot, and a complete, high-caliber renovation are rarer still.”
That combination became especially relevant in a year when coastal exposure has remained a major consideration for Maui buyers.
Hurricane Lowell passed west of the Hawaiian Islands in early September, producing coastal flooding and debris in parts of Maui. The County of Maui reported road closures in South Maui and West Maui after hurricane-fueled waves and high tides affected coastal areas.
The 1250 Uluniu property was not reported as damaged in the transaction coverage, adding another layer to the story of a home whose elevated position and setback from the shoreline were repeatedly highlighted by its representatives.
A 2007 Maui Home Reimagined
Built in 2007, the residence contains approximately 3,751 square feet of interior living space. Current and historical property records consistently identify the home as a three-bedroom residence with three-and-a-half baths in the main house, while the separate guest accommodation above the garage brings the total bedroom count to four.
The architecture follows a relaxed plantation-inspired Hawaiian vocabulary, with the interiors opening naturally toward the surrounding landscape.
The main level includes two living areas, an office, a kitchen with a dining nook and a primary suite, while the upper floor contains additional en-suite bedrooms and balconies oriented toward the ocean.
A separate studio-style Ohana sits above the detached two-car garage, giving visiting family or guests a degree of separation from the main residence.
When Rundle and Leach purchased the property in 2020, it was already a custom-built oceanfront home. Earlier MLS materials described travertine flooring, mahogany cabinetry, Merbau hardwood floors, a chef’s kitchen and expansive sliding doors that opened the interiors toward the pool and outdoor entertaining areas.
The couple subsequently undertook a far-reaching renovation.
Inside a Design-Driven Transformation
The more recent iteration of the home is considerably more restrained in aesthetic.
Listing materials describe limestone floors, Brazilian teak, high-efficiency fiberglass windows and a kitchen centered around a backlit quartzite slab with Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. The design moves toward a clean, contemporary palette while retaining the indoor-outdoor relationship that is central to the property.
“The curated and design-driven transformation of this home has been total and uncompromising,” Harlow said.
“Every element has been reconsidered and executed to the highest standard, creating a residence that is both impeccably finished and deeply livable.”
The result is a home that appears designed less as a conventional vacation house than as a full-time retreat capable of accommodating both private family life and entertaining.
Sliding glass doors connect the principal living areas to the outdoor spaces, while the upstairs rooms open onto balconies that capture the Pacific setting.
Behind the house, a lanai and swimming pool form the centerpiece of the outdoor living area.
From there, the ocean is not simply a view framed by windows. It becomes part of the daily experience of the house.
The Former Microsoft Executive Behind the Renovation
Rundle’s professional background adds another dimension to the property’s story.
Before retiring in 2023, she spent decades at Microsoft, holding a succession of leadership roles. Microsoft itself identified her in company materials as a director of Online Support in the late 1990s, while later professional biographies describe her as a general manager and partner overseeing consumer, advertiser and other support operations.
Her long tenure at the technology company places the Maui residence within a broader pattern of high-end second-home ownership among executives who have used Hawaii as a private escape from mainland life.
For Rundle, however, the property appears to have been more personal than transactional.
“It felt magical getting to live in paradise and to watch whales from the lanai, to be steps from the beach, and to see turtles on my walks each day,” Rundle said.
“I truly loved getting to share this piece of paradise with my family and friends.”
That description helps explain why the renovation emphasized both design and livability. The property was not merely prepared for resale; it was substantially reworked during the sellers’ ownership.
A Six-Year Ownership and Sales History
The property’s transaction history stretches back well before the 2020 purchase.
Public records show a $2 million sale in September 2004. The current house was subsequently constructed in 2007. In December 2018, it returned to the market at $4.49 million. The asking price was reduced to $4.175 million in March 2019 and then to $3.95 million in June. The property eventually sold for $3.65 million on Feb. 26, 2020.
After Rundle and Leach’s acquisition, the home remained off the market for several years while the renovation took place.
It returned in May 2026 at $7.25 million. After 133 days on the market, the property sold for $6.65 million in September, according to current transaction records.
That final number places the sale at approximately $1,773 per square foot based on the home’s 3,751-square-foot interior.
The transaction also puts the residence among the notable luxury-home sales recorded in Kihei during September. Local market data lists the property alongside other multimillion-dollar transactions in the South Maui community.
Why the Shoreline Setback Matters
For the buyer, the most significant feature may be something that cannot be captured in a conventional list of amenities.
The residence does not sit directly at the water’s edge. Instead, it occupies a raised site with a natural buffer between the house and the shoreline.
That distinction has become increasingly important for oceanfront buyers as Maui confronts erosion, coastal hazards and changing rules surrounding shoreline protection.
Eric West of Team West Maui at Real Broker represented the buyer. He said the oceanfront setting, the condition of the recently renovated house and the distance between the residence and the shoreline were among the principal attractions.
“Under current state and county policy, owners are no longer allowed to armor or otherwise protect their private property from shoreline erosion,” West said.
“That has changed how buyers evaluate oceanfront.”
West added that homes positioned immediately at the water’s edge can carry different long-term considerations, while properties with a natural setback can offer an alternative approach to oceanfront ownership.
For a property whose primary value proposition is access to the Pacific, that distinction is particularly consequential.
Life in Kihei
The address also benefits from being in Kihei rather than in a more isolated resort enclave.
Kihei occupies Maui’s southwestern coast and offers a mix of beaches, residential neighborhoods, restaurants, shops and everyday services. The community provides access to South Maui’s resort corridor while maintaining a more local, residential character.
Wailea’s resort, dining and shopping districts lie a short drive south, giving residents access to luxury hotels, golf, restaurants and retail without placing the home directly inside a resort development.
The broader South Maui coastline is also known for its succession of beaches and oceanfront recreational areas. County-managed facilities such as Ulua-Mōkapu Beach Parks provide swimming, bodyboarding, beach access, showers, restrooms and parking, illustrating the range of coastal amenities available within the wider area.
For daily necessities, Kihei offers supermarkets, cafés, restaurants and local businesses along the South Kihei Road corridor, while larger commercial and transportation hubs are available elsewhere on Maui.
Kahului Airport, the island’s principal commercial airport, is also accessible from South Maui by road, connecting residents to Honolulu and mainland destinations.
A Maui Sale Defined by Scarcity
The $6.65 million sale of 1250 Uluniu Road is ultimately about more than a former Microsoft executive selling a vacation home.
It is a story about limited oceanfront land, the value of a carefully renovated residence and the increasingly complicated relationship between luxury real estate and Maui’s coastline.
Rundle and Leach bought the property at a markedly lower price in 2020 and spent the following years transforming it into a highly finished retreat. Six years later, they exited at $6.65 million, while the buyer acquired a four-bedroom oceanfront compound with a pool, guest accommodation, contemporary interiors and a raised position above the shoreline.
For the new owner, the appeal is straightforward but difficult to replicate: a private gate, a natural buffer, a recently renovated house and the Pacific Ocean beyond the lanai.
As the Maui luxury market continues to place a premium on rare coastal property, 1250 Uluniu Road illustrates why the most valuable feature of an oceanfront home may be the one that cannot be renovated, expanded or recreated—its place on the shoreline.