to permit or to not permit-c (Hilo, Kihei: sales, violent crime, house)

[Asha_jean]

Looking to move back to Big Island soon. I am currently living on Maui and due to may circumstances (financially and politically) want to get back to a simpler way of life. I am a lomi lomi therapist, full time college student, and mother. That being said, being alone with my son, i need a place relatively safe. Im thinking HPP or volcano. My friends are telling me that HPP is not as safe as it used to be and they would like to see me in Volcano. Anyways, I love living off grid and homesteading, growing plants, going to market, creating art, and would love to build my own home with help. I looked into home kits and found a cool octagon for 26k but maybe a contractor can build it cheaper? Should i finance land and build with 40k? Would that get me a simple permitted structure, septic, and house pad? Or should i just buy a lot in volcano and build off grid structures? I know there are a lot of permitted homes in both areas so please dont try telling me that its a necessity. I am a steward of the aina and wish to not clear cut nor disrupt the eco system as much as possible. Please kindly leave any info that you have for me regarding location and opinions on how to build. Also if you know someone who can help me build also because i know a lot of people need work right now and would love to help out a local family.

[hotzcatz]

There is a book called "Basic Home Building" by Ortho Press. It can pretty much explain everything you need to build a house. The current building code is the 2006 International Residential Code. It's not a fun read, but if you can wade through it, that's the rule book.


If you watch for the Property Tax land sales in Hilo, you'd be able to pick up a parcel of land near Volcano very inexpensively. Then build a small house and do it by buying the parts as you need them, when you're done, it would be paid for. You do want to get a permit, the cost isn't much considering the cost of building a house and they are starting to enforce building permits. Also, later when you want to sell the house, having it permitted means it will sell for a lot more.

[Grassyknoll]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

If you watch for the Property Tax land sales in Hilo, you'd be able to pick up a parcel of land near Volcano very inexpensively. Then build a small house and do it by buying the parts as you need them, when you're done, it would be paid for. You do want to get a permit, the cost isn't much considering the cost of building a house and they are starting to enforce building permits. Also, later when you want to sell the house, having it permitted means it will sell for a lot more.

I went to last year's auction prepared to bid on a few lots. I felt anything halfway desirable was bid up pretty high. I ended up not placing any bids on about 10 parcels I was interested in.
Granted that was the only tax auction I have attended here.

[Arktikos]

You may want to factor commute time needed for your education, work and childs' school into your decision where to buy. HPP is quite the contrast with Volcano. The latter is too chilly for me during wintertime. Coming from Kihei it may be that way for you too. Regarding safety, I would definitely expect more property crime in HPP than Volcano. However, violent crime is still rare in both areas.

Another website that could provide assistance is here: Punatalk - Building in Puna

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Grassyknoll

I felt anything halfway desirable was bid up pretty high.

Although that's about to change when they start doing auctions again.

201,000 unemployment filings since beginning of March - a workforce of 669,000 - or roughly 30% - and we know a lot of people haven't been able to file yet

[hotzcatz]

When property prices are up, the tax auction has folks bidding crazy numbers. I've seen it to where it's had all the seats filled and folks standing up to the doorways. That's when the prices will be high. Last time I bought a lot at the tax auction was in the middle of the Fissure 8 lava flow time so there were very few people there and prices were low.


It will take awhile for all this to filter through, the tax auctions are for unpaid taxes and that takes several years so even if folks don't pay their taxes this year, they have several years to get caught up before anything happens.


Last time we had this level of unemployment was when sugar went down but that was just for a portion of Hawaii Island and folks were able to leave and find work on Oahu or another island. Not sure what happens when the whole state is down and the mainland is hurting as well as the rest of the world.

[Amadrid]

Well the OP mentioned financing land. That’s not going to be possible since there’s no way to finance land except for some sort of seller financing. You also mentioned a septic system and that is $10,000-$15,000. You could still build and permitted but that’s a big expense for the septic but it is the right way to go. If you are truly a steward of the land then I wouldn’t do it any other way.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Last time we had this level of unemployment was when sugar went down but that was just for a portion of Hawaii Island and folks were able to leave and find work on Oahu or another island. Not sure what happens when the whole state is down and the mainland is hurting as well as the rest of the world.

Hawaii - even in the Great Depression (which wasn't hit as hard as the Mainland) - has never seen unemployment in the range we are now - 10% island wide is about the highest it has ever been.

We are currently around 30% and going up.

[Open-D]

Originally Posted by Asha_jean

Looking to move back to Big Island soon. I am currently living on Maui and due to may circumstances (financially and politically) want to get back to a simpler way of life. I am a lomi lomi therapist, full time college student, and mother. That being said, being alone with my son, i need a place relatively safe. Im thinking HPP or volcano. My friends are telling me that HPP is not as safe as it used to be and they would like to see me in Volcano. Anyways, I love living off grid and homesteading, growing plants, going to market, creating art, and would love to build my own home with help. I looked into home kits and found a cool octagon for 26k but maybe a contractor can build it cheaper? Should i finance land and build with 40k? Would that get me a simple permitted structure, septic, and house pad? Or should i just buy a lot in volcano and build off grid structures? I know there are a lot of permitted homes in both areas so please dont try telling me that its a necessity. I am a steward of the aina and wish to not clear cut nor disrupt the eco system as much as possible. Please kindly leave any info that you have for me regarding location and opinions on how to build. Also if you know someone who can help me build also because i know a lot of people need work right now and would love to help out a local family.

Don't bother with the permit because, after all, you're special!!

[Open-D]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Hawaii - even in the Great Depression (which wasn't hit as hard as the Mainland) - has never seen unemployment in the range we are now - 10% island wide is about the highest it has ever been.

We are currently around 30% and going up.

Time to purchase another lot!