Considering a move to the Big Island's east side... Puna? (Honolulu: transplants, for sale)

[UpNorth]

Thanks for reading this and taking your time to respond! I truly appreciate it and I apologize for this LENGTHY post.

My family and I currently live in Anchorage, AK. I am an elementary teacher (although I’m perfectly happy to look into other career paths – tourism, service...) and my husband is nearing the completion of his BA in Business Management. We are a young family (We are 26 and our children are ages 1 & 4) and my husband and I are both just starting our careers - meaning we're ready to move out of Alaska and make a fresh start elsewhere...

We're looking into the Puna area. Realistically we wouldn’t be moving for another 1-2 years, either summer 2007 or summer 2008. We are very laid back and adaptable and we tend to make friends easily. We don’t consider ourselves religious and we’re on the liberal side of many/most issues– SO is Puna the right place for us to establish ourselves? Also we will be relocating with about $25,000 either to help us live until we find jobs, or hopefully for a down payment on a home.

Here are some reasons we are thinking of moving (PLEASE dispel any myths/misconceptions that we have) :

Single-family homes seem attainable for middle/working class (plenty in the lower $200,000 range in Puna), slow-paced life style, warm weather, plenty of outdoor activities (hiking, fishing...), growing area, commutable distance to Hilo...?

Are the above ideas accurate?

We are realistic that Hawaii/Puna is not a “stress-free perfect paradise.” We do understand there are many drawbacks about Puna (or Hawaii in general)– Again, PLEASE dispel any misconceptions:

We understand that there is a higher cost of living (being from Alaska, we can somewhat relate), high state taxes, isolation (again, being from Alaska, we can relate), homes having the possibility of being in a past/future “lava path,” mold/mildew issues in homes, some homes in the Puna area have “rain catchers” for water...

We understand that this area gets a LOT of rain – although I think I'm used to that (I grew up on the northern, northern coast of California where it was grey and rainy for several months each year and many days each month), but does Puna get most of its rain at night? Are residents able to usually enjoy the day doing outdoor activities? What about sunshine... Would residents describe the weather as pleasant or is cloudy & grey mostly?

Did anyone see the article in the Honolulu Adviser titled, “Rural Puna district needs help” ? Here’s a link: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../ln/ln42a.html Granted, it looks to be about 2 years old, but worrisome nonetheless.

And for just a few more questions: Are families (not just retirees) moving to Puna and are they succeeding in finding homes & jobs? Are mainlanders welcomed or discouraged in the Puna area? This is my silliest question yet, but I have to ask: are there poisonous/venomous insects or spiders that residents have problems with either indoors OR outdoors? I’m not at all bothered by cockroaches – I lived in Central America as a high school exchange student one summer and bugs in general don’t creep me out; also the mosquito is known as Alaska's state bird so we're used to those too. However, should I be concerned about my young children with other insects/spiders... how about that venomous centipede I’ve heard about?

Also, I am almost finished reading the book “So You Want to Live in Hawaii” by Polancy. It seems to be a realistic, straight-forward book, except out-dated housing prices, but has anyone read it? If so do they have opinions on it?

Finally, finally... we are planning to visit the Puna area this spring (March 2007) to experience Puna life first hand. We plan to stay in a “non-touristy” condo (we’ve seen several options on (removed) to really experience Puna life, not a Puna vacation. Any further suggestions on that would be most helpful. My husband and I have been to Kauai and Maui a couples of times, but never to the Big Island.

OK, you’ve actually read this entire post and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. All feedback is appreciated.
Again, Mahalo!
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

[leilaniguy]

Aloha Upnorth, sorry I didn't answer sooner, but I was hoping one of the 40,000 or so other Punatics might chime in. Puna is pretty much the dictionary definition of laid back- I hear boosters and detractors both descibe it as an "alternative lifestyle area". Lots of people moving here, many with children, but the school system here is not the best. I'm sure you would get a job in a flash here, they're always looking for good teachers. Life does run slower here, too slow for some. I grew up in PNW (Oregon). The rain here is nothing like there. Here it's warm, usually coming in showers with sun in between, though we can have deluges. All of Puna is on the side of an erupting volcano, that's just a fact of life here, along with mold, high prices and bugs. Infrastucture is somewhat lacking, not all areas have electicity/ water/ good roads, but lots of people are coming anyway, some going solar, catching rainwater, (I do). If you have to commute to Hilo, traffic can be a real bear (only one 2 lane highway). There are plans for improvement soon.. The book you mentioned is probably inaccurate about a lot of things if it is more than 2-3 years old, Puna is changing so fast. Centipedes normally live under rocks, are usually encountered outdoors, about the most dangerous critter here, but only bite when stepped/sat on. The vacation rental site you mentioned (removed) is your best bet to find lodging, (no hotels in Puna). Search the web for punaguide and punatalk, much more info. there than I can give. Aloha

[punababe]

I moved to Puna recently, can you tell

Here's a really good reference with answers to a lot of your questions, and just a general sense of what it's like
http://www.andhawaii.com/big-island/movingtopuna.html (broken link)

[Hoosier Girl]

...you might consider subscriber to the Hawaii-Tribune OR reading it online, to learn what life is like first-hand.

[DESERTSUN]

I wanted to give you a different view of Puna, being that I grew up there. The school system is one of the worst on the island. Not only are there centipedes, but you will find, like most of the residents, that your homes will be shared with roaches with wings, red ants, that seem to never go away no matter what you do to them, and the famouse cane spiders that are the size of a can of soda in diameter.
There is nothing tropical about the land, it just reminds me of living in the bushes.The beach is beautiful, but to be honest, there is nothing for kids to do!!! Do not do this to your children.

[sazara]

My husband and I and our two kids (at the time they were 3 and 5) moved to the Big Island three years ago. We went there because we did the research and it was clearly the most affordable island. It sounds like you have plenty of $$ to get yourselves grounded, which is very good because you will need it. Although the Big Island is one of my most favorite places in the world, I would not suggest Puna for a family, or for anyone. Of all the places on the island, it is the most dangerous as far as crime and drugs. There is heavy ice usage and lots of stuff going on that you don't want to be around, especially with children. We went the same route as you're thinking about, but ended up instead (thank heavens!!!!) in a beautiful little town up north called Hawi. It is very small and you will be a good 45 minutes to big stores (Waimea and Kona), but it's well worth it. It's mellow, pretty friendly and fairly safe. It isn't cheap, though. There's a reason why the Puna area is less expensive than other areas on the island. However, if you can ride it out, I'm sure that in the next 5 years or so that whole area will be cleaned up as people come in and buy up land/houses, etc. The folks who make it unpleasant won't be able to afford to live there, but unfortunately the really nice people who aren't causing the trouble won't be able to stay either. That's the whole issue with Hawaii. It's a real drag to see all the Hawaiians/locals who've been there for generations not being able to afford to stay. Anyhow, my advice is to seriously consider spending more money and checking into other areas of the island. Check into Captain Cook, Kona, Waimea and even Honakaa (spelling?). Parts of Hilo town are pretty nice, but I'd stay away from anything that's too far outside the town of Hilo. Bugs aren't too bad except centipedes that can give a real nasty bite. When it rains a lot and the trade winds aren't blowing, the mosquitos can be horrendous. If you go with an open heart and a smile you will do well. Good luck.

[William Kester]

One book I would recommend is "Affordable Paradise" by Skip Thomson. It is now in its third edition I believe, but it has good practical stuff about moving to the Big Island and also an analysis of many of the neighborhoods in Puna as well as social and cultural issues for mainland transplants.The book has a lot of the author's very strong bias, but he was a longtime Puna resident and I think you well find it has some valuable insights for you.

I think its smart to spend time looking around Puna there are still a lot of beautiful unspoiled areas.
Real estate prices are really starting to fall in recent months, especially for vacant land, after the real estate bubble of the last two years.
There are thousands of lots for sale in Puna right now, some for as low as $15,000. You might want to consider buying a vacant lot and building a package home.A lot of work but many are doing it and finding they can have their dream home for much less than buying an existing house.
Good luck to you

[bas1]

I am a former teacher and lived on Maui for 5 years. I checked into the teaching jobs and found I wouldn't want to teach in Hawaii. The state has the worst school systems and the pay is low. I would not suggest Puna. Not a desirable location for a family. Too many drugs. Realize that in Hawaii many people grow illegal drugs. Puna is not a tropical paradise. You really need to visit. it is not like Kauai or Oahu. The big island is less developed in every way. Great place to visit. I lived in Hawaii 5 years and never had contact with any problem creatures except one scorpion. there are carpenter ants, especially if you live in a wood frame house. Most are built of concrete. No snakes on Maui. Many cockroaches but they can be controlled.
There are one or 2 ocean creatures to be aware of - lion fish. But you won't see them. YOu could step on them though. Wear aqua shoes or something when you are in the water. Much coral and you can get infected if you cut yourself on coral. have kids waer water shoes of some kind.
As a former teacher Hawaii would not be the state I was looking to move to. Not only the high cost o fliving and low teacher salaries but the school system is substandard. Education is not stressed. you can get most jobs with only a hig school education. kids speak pidgeon english and some refuse to speak correct english even though they lose job opportunities because they refuse to speak correctly. most hotels will not hire anyone for front of the house jobs if they don't speak standard English. Hawii sounds like pradise and it IS if you are only visiting. However if you don't have a high income and can't afford to live in a nice area it can be stressful. I wouldn't call Puna a family safe or friendly area. Live somewhere else on th e island. the Kona side is nicer and drier.

[bas1]

Ps check out the thread on HOmeowner's insurance on the Big Island. YOu could be in a lava flow area and not be able to get or afford insurance.
Many houses were a total loss on the Big Island and the people got no insurance for them when hit by lava.

[no_name]

I agree, my brother live in Oahu, and I have visited him a few times. My husband and I went to Maui for honeymoon. Hawaii is a paradise only if you're visiting--that is a true statement. life there is hard if you don't have the means. it is very nice there but we miss Chicago after 8 days.