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Old 07-20-2007, 12:40 PM
 
14 posts, read 56,210 times
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I am planning to spend a week on the Big Island in April/May 2008 - I have plans to make that area my home away from home in 3-4 years so I want to get a jump start on researching the area, living conditions, culture, costs, weather, bugs, etc....

I plan to spend 1-2 weeks a year visiting and looking for the right area settle into.

This being my first visit to the Big Island this coming year, can anyone suggest what I should do, where I should go, who do I talk to, etc. in terms of really understanding what it would be like to live there and become a resident of the island.

Where would be a good centralized location to stay during the week (other than downtown Hilo)? I plan on renting a house for the week as my sister and father will be joining me.

Mahalo in advance for your assistance
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Old 07-20-2007, 01:40 PM
 
Location: Big Island of Hawaii
1,375 posts, read 6,285,990 times
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Your first major decision will be what area of the island to focus on as a potential place to make a home. East side or west side? "Rain forest" or near the sandy beaches? Is being near town required, or is distance away ok (up to 1-2 hours considering traffic). The Vacation Rentals By Owner website might be a good place to start as you look into places to spend your weeks here. In the Puna district, Kapoho is an area to consider if you want to be near the water, Volcano if you want easy access to Volcanoes National Park. On the Kona coast, I'd recommend exploring Captain Cook for a rental. On the Kohala coast, Puako is a favorite of mine because of its central location. Hope this helps! Click this link to visit the VRBO website: Big Island Vacation Rentals - VRBO® is Vacation Rentals by Owner Big Island - Big Island Hotels, Big Island Lodging, Big Island Travel and Tourism (http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/hawaii/big-island - broken link)
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Old 07-20-2007, 02:33 PM
 
14 posts, read 56,210 times
Reputation: 15
Thank you for the information.

At this time I not sure what area, thus the start of a few years of research. I would like to live where it is still fairly affordable, and where it doesn't rain 320 days a year...


Mahalo cynmkolohe
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Old 07-20-2007, 04:25 PM
 
Location: Na'alehu Hawaii/Buena Vista Colorado
5,529 posts, read 12,584,016 times
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I second the previous poster's recommendations of Vacation Rentals by Owner. You can find some very affordable homes and stay in the neighborhoods in different areas. (ours near South Point is #54441).

In order to narrow your search, there are some parameters. Will you be working or retired? This makes a big difference, because commuting to Kona is dreadful from either north or south; commuting to Hilo much easier although still a lot of traffic. What about weather? Do you want hot and sunny, mild and some rain, or very green with lots of rain? There are even different elevations; we have friends who live in the town of Volcano and their climate is very different from ours 30 miles away near South Point.

You also need to define "somewhat affordable" because that can vary widely. Anything near Kona is very expensive. The more rural areas are more affordable, but you give up certain amenities. Check out the Hawaii Information Service, which lists homes for sale by price and area.

There have been books suggested by posters in other threads, including "So you want to live in Hawaii" by (I think) Toni Polancy.
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Old 07-24-2007, 10:42 AM
 
14 posts, read 56,210 times
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Thanks for the feed back Dreaming of Hawaii.

I know I was not very clear on my needs, because I am still very unclear. As I mentioned, this is the start of a 3-4 year journey to narrow things down, just wasn't sure where to start.

I do want to work, I do want affordable housing and I would love the mild with some rain areas - where would those be in relation to Hilo?

Thanks again
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Old 07-24-2007, 01:55 PM
 
35 posts, read 183,097 times
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Default Not Hilo

Your climate requirements will not be in Hilo. Think about Waimea (north of Hilo, almost 1/2 way to Kailua-Kona) and commute to Hilo. You don't say what work you do and Big Island is really 2 conected islands in almost every sense of the word.
Hilo gets the most money (after Honolulu) although Kona tourists and expensive homes generate most of the tax dollars. [the rules are quite different here and although it is a state the power evolved from the plantation mentality] As a result Hilo has the best roads and quicker commutes.
U of H at Hilo and most of the technical education is on the Hilo side as is a lot of the work force. The jobs are primarily service positions at the resorts between Waimea and Kona. Kona has the jobs but terrible roads and 10-15 miles can easily take over an hour.
The weather is so variable and this island has 6 of the 7 possible climate zones. I lived in Captain Cook (S. Kona) at 900' and then at 1500'. Wonderful weather both places, afternoon showers and abundant fruit and flowers. A friend one valley over had wind when I had rain. You just have to be here to get a feel for it.
I enjoy the same climate you describe and recommend North of Hilo (although Volcano just to the south can be nice) or South Kona (Captain Cook or Kealakekua).
A note of warning: coqui frogs are a huge problem and are rapidly spreading from Pahoa out in both directions toward Hilo and Volcano. They will be worse by the time you get here.
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Old 07-25-2007, 01:14 PM
 
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Mahalo Hawaii Beth

I appreciate any and all information about the big island I can get.

Are the frogs a threat to people?
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Old 07-25-2007, 03:53 PM
 
Location: Big Island of Hawaii
1,375 posts, read 6,285,990 times
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Though there's nothing funny about at the coqui's presence, this website made me smile (contains some valuable information and an alternative perspective--it was the coqui with the lei that caught my attention): About The Coqui! ...

The UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) also has resources with information abou the coqui: Control of Coqui Frog in Hawai'i

A couple of notes...the coqui population is a certainly a concern for us and there are several communities with active programs to combat coqui infestation.

On the other hand, I live beside a stream and in one of the areas known for coquis. (My broker once told me that when he wants to demonstate to a client what the coquis sound like, he brings them to the bridge just past my house. I never knew!) We have gotten so used to the night-time sound that we hardly notice it any more. I know that sounds like a trite answer, and it took a while (we used to sit outside just to listen to them). But since it gets cool at night, we usually close our windows at the back of the house, which helps a bit, and just go on with life as usual. The coquis are barely a passing thought these days. We talk sometimes of moving "up the hill", but the reasons don't include the frogs...more that the neighboring property owners are clearing away so many trees we are losing our sense of privacy. Rather have the frogs than a view of my neighbor's garage or the sounds of construction early every morning when I'm working at my home office.

If you purchase almost any type of property on the Big Island, there is an addendum that you will be asked to review and add to your Purchase Contract. The addendum deals with local issues such as the coqui, lava zones, etc...All part of island life, but worth taking time to carefully consider!

By the way...you can't kill a coqui by pouring a latte on it!! A friend came into the office in tears a few weeks ago...from laughing. Apparently, her husband had seen a coqui under his car (?) and poured his triple-shot latte on it thinking the caffeine would kill it...what a waste! Details on the sites above...the concentration of caffeine has to be much higher!

Last edited by cynmkolohe; 07-25-2007 at 04:13 PM..
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Old 07-25-2007, 06:39 PM
 
Location: not sure, but there's a hell of a lot of water around here!
2,682 posts, read 7,539,557 times
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Kolohe,
I belive that the state of Hawaii, given it's infinite wisdom, is considering importing brown tree snakes from Guam, and placing them in Hilo to eat all the coqui frogs! Problem solved. Who could forget the rat vs mongoose fiasco, bring the mongeese in to kill the rats, only one slight hitch, rats are nocturnal, mongeese aren't, they never met, not even briefly. And then there's the gorsch or hedgerow deal here on Maui.

Aloha
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Old 07-27-2007, 05:43 PM
 
35 posts, read 183,097 times
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No they are not a threat, well maybe possibly to hearing. When we moved into a house in Pahoa town the first thing we did was buy wireless headphones. At 70 db's you can't hear tv, music... We did sign on our lease that we understood there were coqui's on the property. LOL. We just didn't understand what it meant since we were coming from the other side (Kailua-Kona). I never, ever took plants when visiting my friends there and always checked my car thoroughly to get rid of any. That would be a terrible gift to bring. My cats loved to bring them in to play but wouldn't eat them. Some cats do. Chickens love them.
***Visit any place you're thinking of living after sundown.
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