We love the area where Maria and Steve's place is located. Hilo is a great town and the Keaukaha shoreline is gorgeous and just a few minutes walk from the house. My husband, sons, and I stayed in the apartment above the garage. It was perfect for our needs, the beds comfortable, the kitchen well-equipped. It has both front and back porches. The back porch overlooks the yard which is private and lovely. Maria has two charming goats who tend the yard and a rooster who crowed in the early morning but settled down after the sun was up. There are also several hens, one of whom was mothering 3 adorable week-old chicks. Best of all is Hapa, the sweetest little doxy mix ever. She came up the back stairs every morning to greet us as we had breakfast, and spent much of the afternoon snoozing on our front porch where she had a good view of all the comings and goings. A note to those wary of bigger dogs--Maria also has 2 pitty mixes that are less friendly. Except for one encounter with one of them, Maria kept them close and we had no contact with them. Maria was totally responsive to our needs, invited my sons to harvest a banana tree with her, and shared the ripe bananas. Communication was easy. Overall, a very comfortable home, perfect for visitors interested in exploring Hilo and having a local, and somewhat agricultural, experience.