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Thread summary:

Couple seeking comparison between Hawaii and Florida, cost of living, pros and cons of Florida and Hawaii, real estate tax, livable goods cost, weather incidents

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Old 02-18-2009, 12:32 PM
 
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The advice by all the posters is definitely on target. We had researched retiring in HI quite thoroughly. Everything worked for us, considering the higher costs. After renting for a couple of months to try it out, we found the "island fever," distance from family, inadequate medical facilities, high utilities and maintenance, made living in HI permanently not for us. We love HI and visit for several weeks each year.

Florida has unbelievable insurance rates right now. Friend of ours is paying $15K because he lives on the water. Summers (5/1-10/15) are oppressive! You live in a/c for those months. The infrastructure is imploding in FL and there are not enough services to handle the population. We visit the Keys for a few weeks out of the year also.

As long as you do your research, and figure out what is important to you, rather than basing everything on finances, you should be able to make a good decision.

Hawaii wins hands down over FL as far as being a paradise, but it is not for everyone. I would live there for a few months before making a decision.
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Old 02-21-2009, 02:35 PM
 
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
1,490 posts, read 4,165,514 times
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I have been in the Puna area for almost the last three months. Looking also at buying a place. The market is aforable now. Depending on the price range you want to be in. $300K and under can be done. Closer to water drier up the mountain wetter.

I have found from WA Alaska airlines is fairly cheap if you fly during the week. Just last night looked into flying out of Seatac in April for a couple of weeks I coud do for total cost - $437.... and by flying over couple of times the mileage plan is good - after a couple of trips have good discounts. That flight though is without any discounts. You can use Horizon to SeaTac I believe from Idaho. Problem is direct flight to Kona then drive to Hilo side, but it is cheaper.

Mold is a concern - never used AC just had ceiling fans and windows open but it is damp. I noticed a differnce - closer to ocean and having trade winds less of an issue for the mold..still damp and need to air out.... but then you are living with the salt from the ocean. Another problem. The place I stayed at was in Hawaiin Shores next to ocean and she has to treat her house as a boat. You need to garage your car always - mine (bought one because cheaper than rentals) was covered with salt within a day.

I looked at house in Leilani - around 600 ft up - Not as much trade wind - no salt issue but the house did have a de-humidifier. Looked like you definetly need it. No mold but as to it not lived in I can see it would need to be on and I would have someone take care of house when I was not on the island. There are people who will manage your property and rent it out while you are gone also, but tourism is down.

Good thing you don't need employment -

My aunt and Uncle live north of Hilo - they don't really have a problem up there. They left their house for 5 months last year - they were afraid it would be really smelly when returned .... no problem. However that isn't Puna. And the prices are higher.

The thing I would question - what do you want to do for amenities... like do you need? Your not having a town like atomosphere. Allot of entertainment is taking the chairs down to lava and watching the water and have a picnic. Hilo has many things to do but it isn't like Florida. People are great - friendly - incredible in fact! Still much Aloha in the area. The markets are great for fresh veggies - everything grows there easily for the most part. You just adjust you are on an island -

It is interesting you will find when you go there the area on the island will call to you- seems like everyone likes a differnt place on the island. Puna is it for me but not for all. Good luck on your adventures
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Old 02-21-2009, 02:39 PM
 
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
1,490 posts, read 4,165,514 times
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Ohh one other thing to look into for a place is sounds like you need internet - some areas do not have it - my verizon woudn't work and had to do dial up - way slow geezzz
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Old 02-23-2009, 12:19 PM
 
Location: snowbirds Pahoa/Idaho
252 posts, read 655,120 times
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Smile Thank you!

Thank you all! Yes I think HI is the way to go. You only live once in this world and we truely have always loved the Islands better then any other placed we have visited or lived. We will check things out a bit more closely when we go over there end of year and rent for a month or so ot check areas etc. Plus considering this is our 2nd home and we will not be living there more then 4-5 months out of every year.

In fact were leaving this Friday to spend a month on Molokai (but we will only be on the BI for one weekend)

Aloha - HI here we come.

Freespirit

Last edited by 1freespirit; 02-23-2009 at 12:59 PM..
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Old 02-23-2009, 01:11 PM
 
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and Freeespirit, don't make the same mistakes I made.
My company PAID me to come to Hawaii to check everything out. I was given a whole reseach checklist that covered everything from food cost to avilability of my favorite brand of toothpaste. It covered gasoline cost to t.v. repairs to movie theaters. I was asked to visit stores to get a first hand look at availabilty and prices. They said to list my regular activites I would do each week and do it for the week to see what was involved and how it meshed with what I was use to versus how it would happen on Hawaii. Had I seriously looked at the list and followed it, I wouldn't have come to Hawaii and years later had to ask for a transfer back. My mistake was allowing the "tourist" in me (instead of the future resident) to control my research and blind me to all the things that ended up being issues I wasn't prepared for.

So here's my advice, Look and research Hawaii when you come as a resident. Don't let the "tourist" in you cloud reality. Don't ignore the warnings signs or un-naturally alter your lifestyle unless you are 100% sure that's how you will live. You may end up deciding that all the changes in lifestyle IS something you can and will live with. If so great, start the planning and packing. But if you don't address any concerns before you come, you may find out that they can not be addressed while your here.

Hawaii is a beautiful place and she loves those who love her, but if your faking that love, she will (like all good women) find out and toss you to the curb. Good luck.
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Old 02-24-2009, 04:42 AM
 
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
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I so agree with above poster - I love hawaii but in first month not even a good driscption to living on HI - I will come bacl to iive but if you donn't have escape route in order - again live it - I loved and thought I lived it in a month - just in love - no way to explain - you just have ato do it but as much in love it would be really scary to depend on the island
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Old 03-27-2009, 01:46 PM
 
Location: snowbirds Pahoa/Idaho
252 posts, read 655,120 times
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Default Mahalo all again...

Well we have decided to possibly just find a rental a couple months out of every year since this is all we would want to stay even if we purchased a place. We do like our Idaho home so would not be giving that up.

I have researched Hawaii cost of living and the cost of electricty alone is unreal... shoot for the price of what one pays just for electricity in a years time would almost pay for a rental. Plus then there is taxes, insurance, mortgage payments, interest, utilities etc..

The market is flooded with rentals - and since it is only my husband and myself. We can get by with a 1 bedroom rental which some say are harder to find renters for as most are looking for rentals that are large enough for their group. Renting a few months every year as of now this is the direction I think we are heading and probally the most logical.. We are not even considering Florida anymore - why purchase something else anywhere if you plan only to live there a few months. Shoot our Idaho house we only owe less then $25K why get back into the mortgage crunch ~ Why not just rent and vacation different places every year is sounding kind of good right about now.

We love Hawaii and know that the tourist effect would not have clouded our judgement we would be able to adjust living just fine on an island, we live in the Idaho winderness now so that would not have been an issue. I tend to consider myself a logical rational individual and not noted as one to just react on an impulse. Realistically looking at the additonal mortage and cost of living expense is what has waived our decision I think on purchasing anywhere.

Mahalo & Aloha,
freespirit

Last edited by 1freespirit; 03-27-2009 at 02:03 PM..
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Old 03-27-2009, 07:15 PM
 
Location: Waikiki
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Follow you heart....Aloha
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Old 03-27-2009, 10:19 PM
 
Location: Kauai
649 posts, read 3,436,951 times
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PacificFlights, I am wondering - what are the things that made you move back, after you took off the "tourist glasses"? Was it costs, unavailability of activities (what?), attitudes, or something else? I am just curious.

I, too, had "tourist glasses" on when I visited - even when I came back to job hunt, take the bar, and 'try out' daily life, I was still a bit 'rosy goggled', but after 7 months here, with a most 'mundane' lifestyle, I have not been disappointed or surprised at all. Maybe I'm still too new, but I think if there were going to be any major problems they would have surfaced by now. Dealing with work, school and activities for my son, finding reasonably priced things to do on weekends, the price of things, availability of stores, etc. have all been about what I expected.
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Old 03-31-2009, 12:11 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweetbeet View Post
PacificFlights, I am wondering - what are the things that made you move back, after you took off the "tourist glasses"? Was it costs, unavailability of activities (what?), attitudes, or something else? I am just curious.
It wasn't one thing, more a combo of many things. I had a good job, subsidized housing, and free trips to wherever we were flying.
The first was family and friends. But there was no such thing as a spur of the moment visit or get together. Had to plan everything. Missed many surprise parties, birthdays, etc. Family and friends did visit but not as often as living on the mainland.

The second was cost. For whatever reason, I saw what many saw, good prices when things were on sale and you're willing to chase sales. That wasn't me. Between the higher food, gas, utilities etc, things started adding up and my free money was now expense money. All the prices was known before I made the choice to move to Hawaii if I looked, but I pretended I would behave a certain way which I just didn't, so the monthly added cost started cutting into my lifestyle. Just like eating out became an added expense above what I was use to.

Arts and entertainment was used up within a year. I saw everything and because I had free time to do things, there wasn't much new left to see. Also couldn't just run to a show in another state without big cost.

On the other side of the coin, the weather, sights and sounds were great but it lacked some variety after awhile (the island fever thing started kicking in).

I know that 99% of the things I encountered was told to me, but I ignored the reality and pretended that all those things could be overcomed by the "tropical paradise", but not all of it was and in time, I needed to be where I had what i just couldn't let go of.

Not Hawaii's fault
Not the Hawaiian people's fault
Not anything to do with locals
All my fault because I didn't look a reality I ignored what so many were telling me.
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