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Old 07-01-2010, 02:30 PM
 
145 posts, read 489,228 times
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My wife and I have decided that we are going to live in alifelong dream, and move to Hawai'i for retirment. We have both made a lot of money in investments, and with our 401K(and 403b plans), as well as both receiving a signicant windfall recently we would like to se if this dream can become a reality. We have been to all of the islands, but have particularly found Maui to be a place where would most like to call home. Is this feasible? We would definetely be downsizing to a smaller house, and would like an ocean view, but its not a deal-breaker. We would however, like something with a nice private little backyard. We would like it to be in South Kihei, Maui Meadows, or Wailea, but are open to anywhere on the island that is close to supermarkets, movie theaters, and a great swimming beach.

Can we make it in Maui?
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Old 07-01-2010, 02:47 PM
 
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As you probably know from your visits here, Kihei/Wailea area has only one movie theater, but you can drive up to Kahului for a couple more.

Great beaches, 3 grocery stores: Safeway, Times (was called Star before), and Foodland. Also Hawaiian Moons for natural foods, and one pricier small store in Wailea for the gourmet crowd.

Other than that, no one here would have enough information to make the call of whether you can make it here.

If you read through some of the other threads, you'll see that one concern might be healthcare. If you have a health concern of a specialty or routine nature, you should check into whether those services are available on Maui or if you would need to hop over to Oahu for them. South Maui has a couple of emergency clinics and a Kaiser clinic, but the hospitals are up in Kahului. So if you anticipate any need for emergency response, factor in the time delay to getting care.

Financially... can't tell from your info provided. "...a lot of money..." and "...significant windfall..." can mean very different amounts based on your viewpoint. We don't want you to provide specific personal information, but you can read about, or ask questions about certain costs to see if our experience here matches your expectations.

There are a lot of good deals in real estate right now, what with all the foreclosures and stale sales. So it might be worth your while to come out to Maui, rent a place for at least a couple of weeks, and really explore the island. Hook up with a good real estate agent (glad to recommend one if you Private Message me), see all the areas, and also take the time to find out about the cost of living.
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Old 07-01-2010, 02:50 PM
 
18,325 posts, read 18,911,027 times
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it sounds like it, but hard to advise when one man's "lots of money" is more than enough for some, but not enough for others. you can buy a house in that area with a yard. start at 500,000 for something livable. you got 8 or 9 or more and it will be closer to the beach and nicer. depending on how much you spend, how much debt you carry I think anywhere you need at least 2 grand a month to live. more depending on lifestyle. good luck. maui is great
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Old 07-01-2010, 02:51 PM
 
18,325 posts, read 18,911,027 times
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homes in the kahului and wailuku areas are cheaper. try delmore realestae on line he has a great website where you can search the mls for examples without having to sign up
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Old 07-01-2010, 03:32 PM
 
145 posts, read 489,228 times
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We just really like Maui Meadows. It seem like a very quiet and beautiful place, plus it seems a little away from tourist central. Its also seems close enough to drive to Kihei for things like food, church and family.We have lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. Maybe its just me, but while I absolutely LOVED Wailea, I just got this pretentious Southern California snob mentality in Wailea. I never felt this way when we were in Kihei. Maybe its just me, but we're just trying to find a nice quiet place to retire with our 2 dogs. We are VERY laid back people, and always have connected with Hawai'i and its culture.
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Old 07-01-2010, 03:49 PM
 
18,325 posts, read 18,911,027 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Vox View Post
We just really like Maui Meadows. It seem like a very quiet and beautiful place, plus it seems a little away from tourist central. Its also seems close enough to drive to Kihei for things like food, church and family.We have lived in Las Vegas, Nevada. Maybe its just me, but while I absolutely LOVED Wailea, I just got this pretentious Southern California snob mentality in Wailea. I never felt this way when we were in Kihei. Maybe its just me, but we're just trying to find a nice quiet place to retire with our 2 dogs. We are VERY laid back people, and always have connected with Hawai'i and its culture.

lol, pretentious is also about the money people have to spend, the nicer you live the more pretentious it looks to others who don't have so much. the same thing can be said for maui meadows. that area is far from cheap.
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Old 07-01-2010, 03:54 PM
 
1,046 posts, read 4,881,251 times
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We've been semi-retired in West Maui for 10 years, and we love it. "Plenty of money" aside, we do find that everything costs more than we anticipate, from food and entertainment to car and house repairs and utilities. The only other thing we'd change is that we'd downsize and simplify even more were we doing it again. Our house has only a few large-ish rooms and is relatively easy to maintain, but we find it's too accommodating for long-term guest stays, and we could do with a lot less space.

I think it's a good time to buy -- especially if you feel at-home in an area. Feel free to DM me, too, if you have specific questions. Best of luck.
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Old 07-02-2010, 02:31 AM
 
Location: Maui County, HI
4,131 posts, read 7,408,060 times
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A lot of people retire to Maui. I'd want to live in South Kihei or Wailea too. No other part of the island has the combination of nice beaches and commerce except Lahaina
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Old 07-02-2010, 02:33 AM
 
Location: Maui County, HI
4,131 posts, read 7,408,060 times
Reputation: 3391
Quote:
Originally Posted by hothulamaui View Post
homes in the kahului and wailuku areas are cheaper. try delmore realestae on line he has a great website where you can search the mls for examples without having to sign up
They may be cheaper but it's a long way to the beach. Not only that, but Wailuku doesn't have a single grocery store. If I didn't have to walk to work there's no way in hell I'd live in Wailuku.
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Old 07-02-2010, 08:52 AM
 
5 posts, read 12,025 times
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Any regrets on Hawaiian retirement. Would like to make this transition, but have reservations concerning island fever.
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