Need advice about Kona

[KonaBlake]

I can't help but wonder what you'd say to me if I told you I was planning to move to your city and camp out until I found a job...

[LeezaMont]

Um. . .why hasn't anyone told this dear soul that it rains like he#$ in Hilo? Riding a bike is just not gonna be possible. I went to college there, grew up in Kona. There is no way you can get around on a bike in Hilo.

Honestly, this is where the dumb haole tag got started. WAYYYYY back when the hippies were camping out in Honaunua and swimming in our water supply.

Rent an apartment. Have a job before you move to Kona. Best advice I can give.

[LuvnKona]

I wish anyone following their dream success. Saying that...we moved to Kona this past summer from the South East. I left a well paying job and had nine months of salary saved up. One thing we did not consider was all the expenses just to settle in here -- groceries, kitchen staples, paper products, furniture (bought much of it on Craigslist), doctor visits, eating out while waiting for our household goods to arrive, vehicle registrations, etc...the list goes on and on. Those expenses ate up a couple of months of saving.

The job market is TOUGH! Even as a seasoned sales professional, decent jobs are RARE. I have seen 5 positions that I qualified for and was only contacted about one.

While I love for anyone to follow their dreams, one must also be realistic about the obstacles. Good luck to you!

(p.s. my first post on the board - looking forward to exchanging information with everyone)

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by LuvnKona

I wish anyone following their dream success. Saying that...we moved to Kona this past summer from the South East. I left a well paying job and had nine months of salary saved up. One thing we did not consider was all the expenses just to settle in here -- groceries, kitchen staples, paper products, furniture (bought much of it on Craigslist), doctor visits, eating out while waiting for our household goods to arrive, vehicle registrations, etc...the list goes on and on. Those expenses ate up a couple of months of saving.

The job market is TOUGH! Even as a seasoned sales professional, decent jobs are RARE. I have seen 5 positions that I qualified for and was only contacted about one.

While I love for anyone to follow their dreams, one must also be realistic about the obstacles. Good luck to you!

(p.s. my first post on the board - looking forward to exchanging information with everyone)

Well said.

A lot of the other posters think the people who live here are being harsh about the reality and expenses here - and, well - we are just being realistic.

People move here and can be successful - but more often than not people are not prepared for the expenses, cultural shock, and the reality of living on a remote island versus what is it like on vacation or on TV.

The I'm on my honeymoon crowd, I want to live my dream, I'm drawn to the islands, the I've watched Magnum PI or Hawaii Five-O crowd - and the I'll surely make more money because it costs so much crows group will more likely than not find it is not the paradise they were expecting.