Moving To Kona In May (Hilo, Waimea: rental car, real estate, apartment)

[freelanceken]

Hi everyone, I have been looking through the threads and found some great information regarding Kona. However, I would like to ask a few more if anyone is able to answer. Please forgive me if this post seems long. First a little about us. My wife and I are both freelance writers. We are not looking for employment in Hawaii as most of our work is done online. We do not require much in the way of housing..a simple 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom is sufficient for our needs although we prefer not to be in an apartment setting. We desire to move to Hawaii for health reasons as well as the "laid back" type atmosphere as compared to say NYC or DC. We have a desire to learn the culture and really become a contributing part of the community. Ok with that said...lol is there any online Hawaiian paper other than Hawaii west for doing preliminary research? We are leaving here in May for Hawaii. Currently have two weeks car and hotel rental set up. We know that actually looking for a place will not take place until we are actually there, but wanted to get a feel for pricing. Currently we are paying $920 without utilities included. Is there any particular area in Kona that would be more accessible by foot on a daily basis until we purchase a car in Hawaii? Yes, we know about the electricity prices, the food prices and the gasoline prices. We have also discussed in great depth the fact that we are going to be very far away from family. All things have been taken into careful consideration. Any advice on rental properties or even preferred rental business to check out when we get there would be greatly appreciated.

[Koczkodan366]

Hello bro!

[cynmkolohe]

First question that comes to mind from the information you've shared: if you are moving to the Big Island for health reasons, is there any chance that the vog in Kona will be an issue for you?

It may be an obvious answer, but have you used Craigslist to search for rentals? You have to be careful, of course, but we have used Craigslist to rent out our Hilo property more than once and have had nothing but success. You can also use local real estate websites to search for rentals -- unfortunately, I can't share the link for ours here on C-D, but with a bit of searching, you'll find a few that will give you properties to compare.

[KonaKat]

Aloha, I also wondered about the vog if you have health problems. More importantly, what sort of medical care do you need on a regular basis? Do you need specialists? Our medical care here is not what you'd call top drawer although there are many very good medical professionals here. You just have to know how to find them! What kind of insurance coverage do you have if you are self employed?

Living in Kona without a car means that you will probably need to confine your search to "town" locations. You should be able to find something around $ 1000/month that is very decent. A moped would be very helpful if you can't afford a car. Walking everywhere in a place where there are few sidewalks, places with no or little shoulders, and basically no public transportation unless you just want to go around the island, can be tedious.

I also use craigslist to advertise our rentals. The West Hawaii Today online "version" is a good starting point too, as most rentals are advertised there.

[freelanceken]

Allow me to clarify "health reasons". Richmond, Va. More of preventative health measures..lol.. Sorry if that came out wrong in the original post.

cynmkolohe - I hear Hilo is nice....but lots of rain? Actually we have been looking at both, but leaning more towards Kona. Don't get me wrong, I love rain...just not every day.

KonaKat - When you say 'in town" where are you saying? We will be purchasing another car within a month or so once we are in Hawaii, just not shipping this 2000 Malibu that would never pass inspection over there. I just don't necessarily want to have to "rush" to purchase a vehicle. The rental car should do fine for the immediate looking around and finding a place.

As far as health insurance we have BC/BS and care credit. Their are some physicians that do take the Care Credit if necessary. We have not had any medical issues (knock on wood) but still carry the insurance just in case.

The West Hawaii Today has a few listings. Just no pics or anything. That is good to know that we could find something for $1000 per month. let me ask you, what about Internet access? All of our work is online. How stable are the wireless connections or high-speed? Just curious.

Thank you again for your help and putting up with my questions.

[KonaKat]

Our hispeed internet connections here is either DSL w/ the phone company or roadrunner thru the cable company. Both work fine.

If you are going to have a car, then your choices would be much broader.

Most of the realty companies that have long term rentals have a website where photos are available of the properties they're advertising.

Also, all of the companies that I know of have an application process which includes a credit check, proof of income (so if you're self employed bring 2 years tax returns with you), and calling past landlords for a rental history.

[hotzcatz]

It doesn't rain all the time in Hilo and when it does rain it is usually a fast burst with sunshine following. Makes for great rainbows. Hilo is lush and green, Kona is dry and rocky. Better beaches in the Kona district, though. How about Hawi, Waimea or Hamakua? What sort of things do you like to do other than find access to day to day stuff like the grocery and hardware store?

[OpenD]

You know, I'd recommend you spend some time on the island before you commit to where you'll live. There are thing about the look and feel and vibe of the different areas (we have all but 2 of the world's climate zones on the Big Island) that you just can't get any other way than to experience them in person.

The Kona side is good for surf and sandy beaches and sunsets, but it's dry. The Hilo side is lush and green, and produce prices are ridiculously low since there are so many farms here. Dry side/wet side, each with its own charms and drawbacks. The Hilo side is generally much cheaper. And it doesn't rain all the time, even up here in Volcano where I live. This is the rainy season, and the last five days have been gloriously sunny at least most of the day, with the only rain falling overnight. I like it here, a half hour from Hilo, because it's cool and pleasant all year round, and Volcano is a reknowned arts center, with many sympatico writers and painters and sculptors and potters and weavers to interact with in a small village setting. The US Census reports that the average education of adults in the Volcano census area is "some grad school." I find it all kind of magical.

But you aren't likely to find that kind of thing out without visiting here. And I could easily name a half dozen more great places to live that are neither Hilo nor Kona. But it takes some exploring to find them.

So I recommend finding the cheapest short-term rental you can find for at least a month or so, and go exploring.