Relocating to Hawaii (Honolulu: fit in, rentals, condo)

[lanai28]

[
My husband just received PCS orders to move to Hawaii. We are African Americans and one of my questions is, how are Blacks treated there, and where would be the most economical place for us to move? Another question is how good is the education system? I have small children, and I want to make sure, that wherever they go to school that it is a safe and that the locals accept them. Any information would be wonderful, I am very apprehensive since, I know absolutely nothing about Hawaii other than, it is a beautiful place and have beautiful people.

[MsHell]

Most (not all) black people in Hawaii are military. I would guess your kids would fit in best in a school near a military base. Where are you going to be stationed? Education system is not highly ranking here, there are better schools than others. Most of the better schools are on the East side of Oahu (Hawaii Kai, Kahala, Diamond Head areas).

I would think you'd better off in base housing. Some of the branches have and are still building lots of new housing, if you got in one of the newer houses - it would be a bonus.

[lanai28]

Thank you so much for the information! I just found out on Friday, and I am not sure of the name of the base. I will definitely be looking up these areas and the cost of living. I am not sure yet if we can get military housing, since he is DOD not a soldier anymore. We do have PCS orders though; I would love it if we could be on post.

[MsHell]

Originally Posted by lanai28

I am not sure yet if we can get military housing, since he is DOD not a soldier anymore.

I believe there is a shortage of military housing and only active military get housing.

Once you find out the base, post up and we can give you more info.

[lanai28]

I believe it is F[SIZE=-1]ort Shafter is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the south shore of the island of Oahu.[/SIZE]

[MsHell]

Originally Posted by lanai28

I believe it is Fort Shafter.

Ft Shafter is good, it's centrally located. If you chose to live near Ft Shafter, both Hickam (AF) and Pearl Harbor (Navy) are near by, so there are lots of military families/kids in the area.

Even if you find some place else to live, the commute shouldn't be too horrible for your husband.

[Jungjohann]

They're rebuilding pretty much all the military housing here in Hawaii, seeing as most of the existing stuff was built in the thirties, forties and fifties. My company did some housing out at KMBH a few years ago, 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhouses, central AC, absolutely beautiful!! Best of luck. Wouldn't be concerned about the race issue, it's not an issue to begin with, Hawaii is a conglomeration of minorities......

Aloha

[MsHell]

Do you know what you are looking for in a home/neighborhood?

Do you want to rent or buy?
Do you prefer a single-family home? Townhouse? Condo?
Do you require a yard?
Do you require an enclosed garage? (Lots of homes have carports, ie covered, not secure).
Do you have pets?
How many bedrooms do you need/want?
What is your price range?

What is your priority for picking a neighborhood?
High ranked schools? (you need elementary only?)
Low crime?
Near Ft Shafter?

[lanai28]

Thank you for putting my apprehension at ease. I am trying to find out as much as I can, but my husband is in Iraq, and we only talk for about 5 minutes. As I find out more info, I will post my questions.

[lanai28]

I want to rent, cannot afford to purchase since I have a house already. We are family of six, would like to be near a good school district, and neighborhood. A yard would be nice since I have small children. I only need an elementary school for now low crime would be beneficial. Price range on rentals would be no more than 2000, cannot afford anything higher.