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I just read some of this thread and thought I would respond to the OP.
Btw, let me add before I even start, I actually live in Waikoloa Village and have lived in Kona also (near the Nissan dealership, right past Mako).
So here is my opinion.
#1 Kona and Captain cook are amazing.................until 11 or 12 when the Vog rolls in.
#2 My wife and I both felt like Zombies come around 1-2 pm in Kona from the vog.
#3 Sunsets in Kona, if you have a ocean view are mindblowing and maybe some of the best on planet earth.
#4 This one is important, depending where you live in Kona, because of Kona traffic you are still going to have a drive! It took me 25 minutes from my Kona house to get to Kua Bay, and about 20+ minutes to get to Costco or the Farmers market because of traffic and slow speed limits!
#5. Kona driving KILLS your gas mileage
#6 Schools suck for the most part there
#7 Cpt Cook area can be very country, and you mind wind up dealing with redneck idiot neighbors who have no respect for anyone. (Course you could have the coolest neighbors in the world too, it just depends, lots of amazing people there)
#8 THE BEACHES IN KONA SUCK AND YOU WILL DRIVE NORTH ANYWAYS TO KUA BAY OR THE GOLD COAST BEACHES! Kona does have a few surf spots, and don't get me wrong, the ocean is amazing in both places with great diving, but as far as sandy beaches and being a beach bum Kona and below is lacking!
Ok now the Village.
#1 I can walk out in my driveway at night and see the freaking milky way.... You will virtually never see this in Kona or below because of Vog!
#2 Hardly ever any Vog!
#3 Sunny sunny sunny Sunny virtually every day. Kona and South Kona get very gloomy when the Vog rolls in.
#4 Amazing views of the Kohola Mountains. (Some of the most beautiful on the planet, they look like a rainbow)
#4 Amazing views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa! I can see the space observatories from my house!
#5 You do have to water your yard, but we had to do the same thing in Kona.
#6 Drives are not bad because you can drive 60+ mph on the main road! In fact it takes me the exact amount of time to drive to kua bay as it took me from Kona, and the gold coast is 6 miles down the hill with some of the best beaches on the planet! It takes me about 5+ extra minutes to get to Costco from the Village (omg 5 minutes of driving in paradise....soooooo hard!)
#7 Great home owners association that protects your properties values from idiot neighbors. ASSOCIATION WILL ALSO GO AFTER NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE BARKING DOGS! TO ME THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ON THE ISLAND! In South Kona you might live beside some idiot who has 30 dogs and lets them bark all damn day!
#8 Fantastic trade winds! Most people (Who have never lived up here btw) the first words out of their mouth about Waikoloa is "omglolcat it is windy". Well Guess what? Those winds keep your home at a virtually perfect temperature all year long! It is much cooler in the Village then Kona. Does the wind blow hard sometimes? Sure! But my family loves the strong winds, and we miss them when the tradewinds are not blowing (like right now).
O yea and did I mention you will probably pay at least 100k less for a home then you will in Kona? Whether you are paying cash or spreading that out over 30 years.........to me anyways, I would rather drive 5 minutes extra to Costco!
#9 Downside of course is a bit longer drive to say, home depot (Or just go to HPM in Waimea)
The drives though are amazing! We love the insane terrain and features, and you can also take the mountain road which take your breath away amazing!
#9 You are closer to Waimea! Lots of cool things here, farmers market, shopping, eating etc etc
#10 You are close to Saddle Road for going to the other side of the Island
#11 You are close to North Kohola for sight seeing.
All in all having lived in Both, I am VERY happy to live in the Village, and in fact when I build my dream home with a perfect view it will be in this area also! There are parcels here that you can have views of all 3 Volcanoes, Kohola, and amazing ocean views (O yea did I mention you can see Maui here everyday lol?)
And I noticed you have kids? I do not, but from what I have heard the School here in the Village is the best public school in the state and goes up through 8th grade now I believe.
And btw, unless you are loaded or move to Puna, you will have close neighbors in Hawaii! I suggest you do research on where you move, and make sure if you are in a HOA that they enforce their rules against noise/idiocy/ etc etc.
All in all let me say that moving to the Big Island was one of the best (if not best) choices I have ever made in my life and I LOVE living in the Village!
(Also let me state I am a country person who grew up in the country so I do not mind living a few extra minutes from the city, you could not pay me to live on Oahu)
Anyways I hope this helps.
O and if you are looking for a good real estate person, I used John Rabi. He helped me for a good year or so while I waited for my home to sell on the mainland. He is a good guy, straight shooter, and we were very happy with him!
We are in lava zone 8 compared to places in Kona, or South which may be a 2-3. All things considered with the Earth changes all over the planet I like to be outa Mauna Loa's way in case she comes back to life (She is long over due!)
Bigritchie, nice overview of Waikoloa Village. One thing I'll add is in response to "#6 Schools suck for the most part there [Kona]".
Once in high school, the Waikoloa Village students head to Kealakehe HS (Kona), or the public charter school West Hawaii Explorations Academy (Kona). Both schools can offer a decent education, but the parents really need to be involved to make sure it happens. Not all school counselors do a good job of mentoring, so parents need to keep close watch.
The other main choices are two private schools in Waimea. If you choose that option for your child, make sure you budget for it.
There are a spattering of other schooling options, but those are the main ones.
I had dismissed Waikoloa entirely but you make some very good points, so I will have to keep it in the running now!
You are certainly trying to do your advance homework! But, don't rule out anything until you have a chance to see for yourself... even if just on a loooonngg circle-island self-tour. What we describe may not be how you "see" it for yourself, nothing will beat your driving through an area.
I wondered about that CyberCity, because I had researched the school in Waikoloa and that was actually my #1 draw for me to the area (along with the proximity to white sand beaches and perhaps the possibility of a management job at a resort or something).....but then I noticed it stopped at 8th grade and thought....."Then what?" I concluded that I would most likely have to homeschool after that point, as I was told from others on this forum that the education really goes downhill once you enter 9th grade....
Yes, I know, you're right. Hearing such differing opinions of each of the 3 regions I am considering (Capt. Cook, North Kona and Waikoloa areas) often just leaves me confused, because there are so many pros and cons to each. There is no substitute for personally viewing each area myself and that's what I intend to do.
For instance, the housing I have looked at (and satellite imagery) of Waikoloa reminds me a little bit of a typical mainland subdivision/planned community...it doesn't "feel" like Hawaii to me, so that's a con....however the protection of an association (especially with a community pool and community activities, etc.) is a pro as BigRitchie pointed out, along with it being a little classier in general. It would nice for the kids to go to a great school, safely ride bicycles in the neighborhood, be close to the beaches that we would have to "commute" to anyway if we lived further south as BigRitchie likewise pointed out...and to be healthier from less vog/allergy issues,etc.
However, I really don't like the look of the desert. AT. ALL. I find it very unappealing in terms of aesthetics. The green lush tropical look is what I love and is part of the whole reason I am considering Hawaii. Even my house here in the Arctic Circle/Seventh Circle of Hell - oops, I mean, Northerwestern Michigan - is decorated with palm trees, beach photography, etc. I never visited my grandparents in Arizona much because I hated how "dead" and lifeless everything looked there...the Tropics, however, I absolutely love.
Before you suggest the East side for it's "lushness", I honestly think the rain would depress me. I thrive off of lots of sun and I LOVE the heat...I don't get too hot. But yet I don't want the dry/yellow/brown/sun scorched look either. (I know, I know, you can't have everything.)
Captain Cook, however, looks green "enough" for me. I like the idea of it being rural/quaint/quiet and away from everything...except the potential redneck issue that you mentioned being farther out in the boonies. The homes I was looking at in North Kona actually kinda sounded like that (multi-family dwellings, barking dogs, pick-up trucks, etc.) from the comments I received from others on this forum...
In Kona Paradise, I love the look of the ocean views and the homes being perched into a hill/sea cliff of sorts...really looks like "Hawaii" to me and not just a typical "neighborhood" setting. But then of course, there's the distance to Kona (20-30 minutes WITHOUT traffic, so I'm guessing....what...45 minutes to an hour with? It sounds like - due to speed limits - the commute from Capt. Cook to Kona [versus Waikoloa to Kona] is a lot worse in terms of time, not scenery...), then there's the water catchment issue, older homes that need a lot of work/maintenance (looks like I get something relatively new and low maintenance in Waikoloa) schools and beaches being limited, more vog, etc.
I have read John Rabi's articles/postings before online and loved them, thanks for the referral.
Am I allowed to post links on here of houses that are for sale? Because I could show you a couple of examples of communities I was considering and you kind people could tell me your thoughts.
(I realize a realtor will be the expert, but they also work on commisison and want to make a sale....they might sugar coat things for me....and I know from experience that on CityData....I'll get the truth, whether it's something I want to hear or not
Last edited by mommyofmanykids; 12-06-2012 at 05:58 PM..
BTW, even though I realize it's all subjective, I still love hearing all the different viewpoints that people have. It does help me tremendously by giving me a mental checklist of things to take into consideration.
I just read some of this thread and thought I would respond to the OP.
Btw, let me add before I even start, I actually live in Waikoloa Village and have lived in Kona also (near the Nissan dealership, right past Mako).
So here is my opinion.
#1 Kona and Captain cook are amazing.................until 11 or 12 when the Vog rolls in.
#2 My wife and I both felt like Zombies come around 1-2 pm in Kona from the vog.
#3 Sunsets in Kona, if you have a ocean view are mindblowing and maybe some of the best on planet earth.
#4 This one is important, depending where you live in Kona, because of Kona traffic you are still going to have a drive! It took me 25 minutes from my Kona house to get to Kua Bay, and about 20+ minutes to get to Costco or the Farmers market because of traffic and slow speed limits!
#5. Kona driving KILLS your gas mileage
#6 Schools suck for the most part there
#7 Cpt Cook area can be very country, and you mind wind up dealing with redneck idiot neighbors who have no respect for anyone. (Course you could have the coolest neighbors in the world too, it just depends, lots of amazing people there)
#8 THE BEACHES IN KONA SUCK AND YOU WILL DRIVE NORTH ANYWAYS TO KUA BAY OR THE GOLD COAST BEACHES! Kona does have a few surf spots, and don't get me wrong, the ocean is amazing in both places with great diving, but as far as sandy beaches and being a beach bum Kona and below is lacking!
Ok now the Village.
#1 I can walk out in my driveway at night and see the freaking milky way.... You will virtually never see this in Kona or below because of Vog!
#2 Hardly ever any Vog!
#3 Sunny sunny sunny Sunny virtually every day. Kona and South Kona get very gloomy when the Vog rolls in.
#4 Amazing views of the Kohola Mountains. (Some of the most beautiful on the planet, they look like a rainbow)
#4 Amazing views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa! I can see the space observatories from my house!
#5 You do have to water your yard, but we had to do the same thing in Kona.
#6 Drives are not bad because you can drive 60+ mph on the main road! In fact it takes me the exact amount of time to drive to kua bay as it took me from Kona, and the gold coast is 6 miles down the hill with some of the best beaches on the planet! It takes me about 5+ extra minutes to get to Costco from the Village (omg 5 minutes of driving in paradise....soooooo hard!)
#7 Great home owners association that protects your properties values from idiot neighbors. ASSOCIATION WILL ALSO GO AFTER NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE BARKING DOGS! TO ME THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ON THE ISLAND! In South Kona you might live beside some idiot who has 30 dogs and lets them bark all damn day!
#8 Fantastic trade winds! Most people (Who have never lived up here btw) the first words out of their mouth about Waikoloa is "omglolcat it is windy". Well Guess what? Those winds keep your home at a virtually perfect temperature all year long! It is much cooler in the Village then Kona. Does the wind blow hard sometimes? Sure! But my family loves the strong winds, and we miss them when the tradewinds are not blowing (like right now).
O yea and did I mention you will probably pay at least 100k less for a home then you will in Kona? Whether you are paying cash or spreading that out over 30 years.........to me anyways, I would rather drive 5 minutes extra to Costco!
#9 Downside of course is a bit longer drive to say, home depot (Or just go to HPM in Waimea)
The drives though are amazing! We love the insane terrain and features, and you can also take the mountain road which take your breath away amazing!
#9 You are closer to Waimea! Lots of cool things here, farmers market, shopping, eating etc etc
#10 You are close to Saddle Road for going to the other side of the Island
#11 You are close to North Kohola for sight seeing.
All in all having lived in Both, I am VERY happy to live in the Village, and in fact when I build my dream home with a perfect view it will be in this area also! There are parcels here that you can have views of all 3 Volcanoes, Kohola, and amazing ocean views (O yea did I mention you can see Maui here everyday lol?)
And I noticed you have kids? I do not, but from what I have heard the School here in the Village is the best public school in the state and goes up through 8th grade now I believe.
And btw, unless you are loaded or move to Puna, you will have close neighbors in Hawaii! I suggest you do research on where you move, and make sure if you are in a HOA that they enforce their rules against noise/idiocy/ etc etc.
All in all let me say that moving to the Big Island was one of the best (if not best) choices I have ever made in my life and I LOVE living in the Village!
(Also let me state I am a country person who grew up in the country so I do not mind living a few extra minutes from the city, you could not pay me to live on Oahu)
Anyways I hope this helps.
O and if you are looking for a good real estate person, I used John Rabi. He helped me for a good year or so while I waited for my home to sell on the mainland. He is a good guy, straight shooter, and we were very happy with him!
Maybe you could help sift through the information here on the site, and how it applies to you, if you did a "priority list".
If "lush vegetation" sits higher than, say, good public elem school, that would then be in black and white for you. If "drive time to work" is more important than "drive time to the beach", then that would be in black and white. Also, you should define what your "lush vegetation" means [to you]. I have mango, banana, blooming bougainvillea, ti, papaya, laua'e fern, grass, ornamental trees. All here in West Hawaii, where it is much dryer than Hilo side. And being drier, I don't have coqui frogs (which often populate areas of wet thick vegetation).
For example:
1) lush vegetation [with definition]
2) near a hospital
3) short drive time to work [where is work?]
4) short drive time to a safe swimming beach
5) multitude of organized after school activities for youth
6) walking distance to a market
7) near my favored church
8) quiet evenings (no coqui or traffic noice)
9) great sunsets
10) nearby adult education facilities
11) good public schools K-5
12) good public schools 6-8
13) good public schools 9-12
14) association (dues amount? what is covered by the fee? increases property values?)
If you prioritize your list, you'll have your selection of home locations narrowed down. OR maybe, you will see that some of what you currently think are major priorities are really not all that important when compared to other things.
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But, don't rule out anything until you have a chance to see for yourself... even if just on a loooonngg circle-island self-tour. What we describe may not be how you "see" it for yourself, nothing will beat your driving through an area.
I never visited my grandparents in Arizona much because I hated how "dead" and lifeless everything looked there...the Tropics, however, I absolutely love.
