Puna, Hawaii (Hawaiian Paradise Park, Pahoa: appliances, living, cost of)

[cynmkolohe]

Click this link: starbulletin.com | Business | /2007/04/22/ for a Star Bulletin story about Puna (insurance, infrastructure...)

(I'm re-posting this link here...it is also in the "Puna/Hilo friends" thread.)

Another link to explore: Hawaii Hazard Mitigation Forum: Mother Nature
This is an older paper that touches on insurance issues.

The paper is a bit lengthy, but the website is an interesting one. I've looked through it only briefly, but it addresses the major areas of concern as far natural hazards in Hawaii: Hawaii Hazard Mitigation Forum: Mother Nature (Click on the island of interest to you.)

[leilaniguy]

Nanawale doesn't flood because it's almost all a'a lava, crumbly and porous. It won't hold water. if you look in an excavation, the ground looks like swiss cheese. When the lava took Kalapana there was a lot of help given by local people for aloha (for free) loaning trucks, helping people move or tear down their houses, even moving trees. There was a disaster declaration. Royal Gardens is abandoned because lava occasionally still flows through the area and the only reliable way in is to walk or on a dirtbike several miles. I guess I stay calm because I come from Oregon. I've already experienced floods, fires, earthquakes, volcanoes and even a tsunami. The weather is better here though. I go by the name Hutch, Leilani is my neck of the woods.

[GirlinAZ]

Originally Posted by leilaniguy

Nanawale doesn't flood because it's almost all a'a lava, crumbly and porous. It won't hold water. if you look in an excavation, the ground looks like swiss cheese. When the lava took Kalapana there was a lot of help given by local people for aloha (for free) loaning trucks, helping people move or tear down their houses, even moving trees. There was a disaster declaration. Royal Gardens is abandoned because lava occasionally still flows through the area and the only reliable way in is to walk or on a dirtbike several miles. I guess I stay calm because I come from Oregon. I've already experienced floods, fires, earthquakes, volcanoes and even a tsunami. The weather is better here though. I go by the name Hutch, Leilani is my neck of the woods.

Thanks Hutch. How far away would you say any recent lava is from nanawale? More than 10 miles? Leilani Estates is the closest subdivision to nanawale estates, isn't it? I have a map, but it doesn't seem to be very detailed. How different is your subdivision compared to mine other than the size of the lots? Oh, and not sure if you answered this or not somewhere here but, did you know anything about insurance through the state of hawaii? Can you get a building loan/mortgage without having homeowner's insurance? I guess basically, how do people build on this land if they cannot get insured? And do you think that insurance for a home let's say worth $200k would be more or less than $6,000/yr.? As per usual, thanks for your wisom. Julie

[leilaniguy]

It's about 15 miles from your lot to Puu O'o crater, where the eruption is happening. The closest "fresh" lava is about 12 miles away at Kalapana, and it is 18 years old. Leilani is about 3 miles from Nanawale, closer to the volcano, higher up, on the Puna ridge, a little cooler, a lot wetter. The residents of Leilani are mostly older, (I'm 54, and one of the youngsters on my block.) You see more kids in Nanawale. I can't be sure of the price of insurance, but it wouldn't be 6 grand for $200K, a discussion on another forum mentioned $1200 a year for $250K new construction house in lava zone 1. I don't think there's any way to get a mortgage without insurance. Some lenders may offer mortgage/insurance packages for new construction. People that have built here without permits or insurance have done it all out-of-pocket. I have some neighbors that have been building for years, paying as they go.

[GirlinAZ]

Originally Posted by leilaniguy

It's about 15 miles from your lot to Puu O'o crater, where the eruption is happening. The closest "fresh" lava is about 12 miles away at Kalapana, and it is 18 years old. Leilani is about 3 miles from Nanawale, closer to the volcano, higher up, on the Puna ridge, a little cooler, a lot wetter. The residents of Leilani are mostly older, (I'm 54, and one of the youngsters on my block.) You see more kids in Nanawale. I can't be sure of the price of insurance, but it wouldn't be 6 grand for $200K, a discussion on another forum mentioned $1200 a year for $250K new construction house in lava zone 1. I don't think there's any way to get a mortgage without insurance. Some lenders may offer mortgage/insurance packages for new construction. People that have built here without permits or insurance have done it all out-of-pocket. I have some neighbors that have been building for years, paying as they go.

I just listed this question and you already answered it! Thanks again for your insight. When you say kids, do you mean families with children, or younger people? I will be 42 when I come, hopefully not too old for the group.
$1200/year is not a lot of money I think. Is it just that people get turned down? Not sure what the big deal is then about insurance.
I really wonder about how many banks do funding for construction there. I cannot imagine there is a whole lot of them to choose from.
Lastly, you mentioned it being wetter by you. How do you think my lot will compare to the rainfall/weather reporting that is available to me on the internet for the area? [I put in my zip code and no doubt it is giving me info for Hilo] I am hoping for it to be a little less wet. I will love the water as I am so unaccustomed to seeing it, but also do not want to be rained on everyday either. Have a good one and thanks, Julie

[leilaniguy]

Yes, I meant families, especially near the front on Nanawale blvd. to the community longhouse. This part is crowded because it has county water and nearly every lot is built on. The rest of the subdivision is still mostly forest. There are retirees there too. I've heard Wells Fargo will finance in lava zone 1 and 2. The weather is about the same as Hilo. It does rain nearly every day, but most often between 4 AM and dawn. some days are deluges, but most often a few 5-10 minute showers followed by sun. Often we have both at the same time.(land of rainbows.) I have seen it pouring rain over just 1 or 2 acres.

[GirlinAZ]

Night time is great. Just want to be able to lay out and get a tan here and there. When I came out the very first time, I went to Maui and I had never experienced the drop and stop before. It was neat. I did figure that the front was built on because the pool is that way and I noticed that they had county water yet no one else did.....yet. So, maybe by the time I move there will be.
What do you think about the diff between county vs catchment? I was all jazzed about catchment until I read something about animal pee, etc. in the water. Isn't there a way to make it safe?
Thanks and have a good one.

[leilaniguy]

There are many nasty things that live in tropical water. There are several types of water purification for catchment, uv, reverse osmosis, combination fiber/charcoal. Some people here drink right out of the tank (Not recommended). At our house we use catchment for dishes, laundry, showering & flushing, but we use county water, available free at public taps, for drinking and cooking. There is a tap at Nanawale longhouse for residents.

[GirlinAZ]

So, what do you do with the water once you get it from the tap? How do you send it seperately through the pipes? Is this basically a plumbers job? Boy, just when I think I have it all figured out, I learn something else. Thanks again.

[leilaniguy]

No pipes Julie, we get the water in several 1 gallon jugs and just use from them. Many people here use the blue 5 gal. camping water jugs, but we find them unwieldy and they tend to leak.