Moving from Honolulu, HI to the Mainland - Suggestions (real estate, 2013)
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My husband and I are currently residing in Honolulu, Hawaii living out his once in a lifetime dream. As we end our year here we have decided that Hawaii though a gem is a great place to vacation but not to live- the high cost of living does out way the beauty of the island for us. Currently we are looking at different places to live and have utilized websites such as Find Your Spot.
Briefly we are originally from California and do not wish to go back due to the high cost of living and outrageous taxation. Professionally my husband worked in the Casino/Hospitality Industry as a mid level manager, where as myself I would like to gain experience in logistics being I have dual degrees in International Business and Spanish. Though I know I will have to pay my dues I want to begin building my career from the bottom up.
We are looking for a place which can provide a combination of the following:
*Reasonable Cost of Living
*City with great employment opportunities
*Warm weather almost all year around
*Outdoor activities such as hiking, the beach, entertainment (Zoo) and parks
Another web site suggested States such as Florida, Texas, South Carolina. More specifically Plano, TX, Greenville, SC and multiple cities in southern Florida. I would greatly appreciate any guidance as to cities we should look into living.
Mahalo
Last edited by JMT; 06-08-2013 at 06:34 PM..
Reason: Removed competing web site to city-data.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcfaith2013
Aloha everyone,
My husband and I are currently residing in Honolulu, Hawaii living out his once in a lifetime dream. As we end our year here we have decided that Hawaii though a gem is a great place to vacation but not to live- the high cost of living does out way the beauty of the island for us. Currently we are looking at different places to live and have utilized websites such as Find Your Spot.
Briefly we are originally from California and do not wish to go back due to the high cost of living and outrageous taxation. Professionally my husband worked in the Casino/Hospitality Industry as a mid level manager, where as myself I would like to gain experience in logistics being I have dual degrees in International Business and Spanish. Though I know I will have to pay my dues I want to begin building my career from the bottom up.
We are looking for a place which can provide a combination of the following:
*Reasonable Cost of Living
*City with great employment opportunities
*Warm weather almost all year around
*Outdoor activities such as hiking, the beach, entertainment (Zoo) and parks
Another web site suggested States such as Florida, Texas, South Carolina. More specifically Plano, TX, Greenville, SC and multiple cities in southern Florida. I would greatly appreciate any guidance as to cities we should look into living.
Mahalo
Since you're coming from the Islands, how important is living near the ocean to you? Would you feel landlocked to the point that it was bothersome if you lived 4-6 hours away from the waves making a spontenious weekend or day at the beach more challenging?
Agree with caphillsea77, how important is that to you? But from you preferences San Antonio seems to hit what your looking for. Also how important is Living somewhere warm all your around for you? Is it to the point of depression or just annoyance?
The casino industry? Nevada would seem logical. Real estate has fallen drastically, taxes are low, warm almost year round (relatively speaking), lots of entertainment!
Moving from Honolulu, HI to the Mainland - Suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by caphillsea77
Since you're coming from the Islands, how important is living near the ocean to you? Would you feel landlocked to the point that it was bothersome if you lived 4-6 hours away from the waves making a spontaneous weekend or day at the beach more challenging?
Thank you for your thoughtful response. We thoroughly enjoy visiting the Honolulu Zoo, hiking up the different mountains such as Koko and Diamond head. We don't necessarily need to live by the beach, we can be 2-4 hours away but would prefer a warm ocean. Even the water at Hanauma Bay in Oahu is a bit cold for me at times
As I continue to pair places to live with opportunities the top priority is living in an area with reasonable cost of living from rent being roughly below $1200 per month to eventually buying a home $180K-$200K.
2. Finding a location with a variety of industries, I am specifically looking at logistics such as import/export
3. Living in a warm climate area with mild winters
4. Living 2-4 hours from the beach with warm waters, preferably or a location surround with plentiful water ways such as rivers and lakes.
Since you're coming from the Islands, how important is living near the ocean to you? Would you feel landlocked to the point that it was bothersome if you lived 4-6 hours away from the waves making a spontenious weekend or day at the beach more challenging?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DevanXL
Agree with caphillsea77, how important is that to you? But from you preferences San Antonio seems to hit what your looking for. Also how important is Living somewhere warm all your around for you? Is it to the point of depression or just annoyance?
Thank you for your thoughtful response. We thoroughly enjoy visiting the Honolulu Zoo, hiking up the different mountains such as Koko and Diamond head. We don't necessarily need to live by the beach, we can be 2-4 hours away but would prefer a warm ocean. Even the water at Hanauma Bay in Oahu is a bit cold for me at times
As I continue to pair places to live with opportunities the priority list is as follows
1. Living in an area with reasonable cost of living from rent being roughly below $1200 per month to eventually buying a home $180K-$200K.
2. Finding a location with a variety of industries, I am specifically looking at logistics such as import/export, having had an internship with the U.S Department of Commerce.
3. Living in a warm climate area with mild winters (day lows ranging from 50 to the low 60's)
4. Living 2-4 hours from the beach with warm waters, preferably, or a location surround with plentiful water ways such as rivers and lakes.
Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and thorough response. We thoroughly enjoy visiting the Honolulu Zoo, hiking up the different mountains such as Koko and Diamond head. We don't necessarily need to live by the beach, we can be 2-3 hours away but would prefer a warm ocean. Even the water at Hanauma Bay is a bit cold for me
As I continue to pair places to live with opportunities in import/export (logistics) I will keep your suggestions in mind, this is a great community. Have a blessed weekend, you guys are awesome.
Thank you everyone for your thoughtful and thorough response. We thoroughly enjoy visiting the Honolulu Zoo, hiking up the different mountains such as Koko and Diamond head. We don't necessarily need to live by the beach, we can be 2-3 hours away but would prefer a warm ocean. Even the water at Hanauma Bay is a bit cold for me
As I continue to pair places to live with opportunities in import/export (logistics) I will keep your suggestions in mind, this is a great community. Have a blessed weekend, you guys are awesome.
Well just from my experience sometimes if you can survive cooler winters (low's High 30's low 40's) the area has a much more pleasant and enjoyable summer. Areas in the south are extremely hot, not like hawaii. You may even find them uncomfortable. From your preferences it seems like going to a more Urban city is in mind. Some Cities in Texas and Atlanta could support you but I would rule out Some northern cities like Seattle and Portland (which neither have extremely cold winters but excellent summers) of further on teh Eastern Sea board like Virginia and North Carolina!
Thank you for your thoughtful response. We thoroughly enjoy visiting the Honolulu Zoo, hiking up the different mountains such as Koko and Diamond head. We don't necessarily need to live by the beach, we can be 2-4 hours away but would prefer a warm ocean. Even the water at Hanauma Bay in Oahu is a bit cold for me at times
As I continue to pair places to live with opportunities the priority list is as follows
1. Living in an area with reasonable cost of living from rent being roughly below $1200 per month to eventually buying a home $180K-$200K.
2. Finding a location with a variety of industries, I am specifically looking at logistics such as import/export, having had an internship with the U.S Department of Commerce.
3. Living in a warm climate area with mild winters (day lows ranging from 50 to the low 60's)
4. Living 2-4 hours from the beach with warm waters, preferably, or a location surround with plentiful water ways such as rivers and lakes.
Mahalo
I'll tell you about my hometown, Jacksonville, FL. I'm not necessarily thinking it's the best choice for you but it's worth consideration.
1) Very low cost of living. Maybe too low...I really wish taxes were higher (assuming the money was also spent more wisely)
2) Fairly diverse economy with a particularly strong focus on logistics. We have a burgeoning port, great freight rail infrastructure (CSX plus a handful of smaller rail companies headquartered here) and right at the intersection of I-95 and I-10
3) Very warm climate obviously...I can't stand the summertime here lol.
4) Living at or within an hour of the beach...depending on your neighborhood. But wherever you live in Jax, there's tons of water access all around: the majestic St. Johns River, many other rivers and creeks, the Intracoastal Waterway and the ocean.
As for the hospitality industry, I don't think Jax proper is much of a tourist destination. There are a handful of large hotels in the city, and a handful of really nice resorts at the beach, but not what you expect from a metro of 1.4 million. But you can look to touristy St Augustine (45 min south of Jax) or Amelia Island (45 min north) for many more options. Good luck!
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Moving from Honolulu, HI to the Mainland - Suggestions
