Puna, Hawaii (Hilo, Keaau, Ainaloa: rentals, hotel, job outlook)

[leilaniguy]

There are many websites that have pictures of this area. Easiest way to access them is to go to google search images, type in any of these words; Puna, Pahoa, Keaau, Kapoho, Kehena, Kalapana, Mountainview, Volcano Village, adding the word Hawaii after each. Several photos & websites of each place will come up.

[testing123]

Thank you DesertCats!
We appreciate your valuable insight! --That others would attack you for providing pertinent information is simply obnoxious. I suspect most of these people are in the real estate business and don't want to publicize the "downside of paradise" -- since it might lower their property values.

We've been attempting to "conduct our own due diligence" as real estate listings suggest, but information like this isn't always forthcoming. Many people post messages of praise like, "Hawaii’s best kept secret, bla, bla..." -- while most realtors describe their listings [1000s of them] as, "one of a kind" – "the best deal around" or "this won't last!" etc., etc.

What I appreciate though is honesty. For you to warn unwitting migrants about insurance, mold issues, etc. is honorable.

Anybody can write, "I love it here." How boring!

We actually would like to hear more negative feedback before we take the plunge and potentially waste our life savings on an uninformed boondoggle.

--What about crime, commuting, homeowner associations, utilities, schools, taxes, price bubbles?
--Are building permits difficult to deal with?
--Where are bugs and mosquitoes the worst?
--What about the "Puna Makai Alternate Route" -- a proposed highway that would slice up the east coast, right through the middle of Hawaiian Paradise Park?

Please, provide us with more realistic and objective advice!

MAHALO!
(Ahui Who?)

Originally Posted by DesertCats

Aloha,

I may not be popular after this post but at least you'll get another opinion...

Leilaniguy mentioned that Leilani Estates is in a lava flow zone 1. Contact your insurance agent before you even consider buying property in zone 1 or 2 (that includes Ocean View HOVE on the west side of the island). My sister lived in Ocean View and had to pay big $$$ (double what we paid in Waikoloa) for insurance over there. I lived on the Big Island for 7.5 years (Kona, Waikoloa & HPP) and I would not live in Leilani Estates. Check into the history of lava flows, steam vents and earthquakes in that area. I would think three-times about moving to Puna at all. I know, the prices are the best you can find in all of Hawaii and it's very tempting but it's not for everyone. We had mold inside and outside of our 1 yr old house (yes, even with good airflow and windows open all of the time) so we had to wash the house with Clorox. I had this throat clearing thing that did not go away until we moved. Our solid wood furniture cracked when it dried out because it had absorbed so much moisture. Also, groceries, gas, electricity, etc. are very expensive in Hawaii. It's romantic to think about living in Hawaii but it's hard being on the island and your retirement $$$ will go a lot further elsewhere. I still love Hawaii as a place to visit but I don't think I would ever live there again. IF (and that's a big IF!) I moved back to Puna I'd move to Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) down closer to the Ocean (6th & below). It's dryer so you may have to buy water once in awhile and there are still lots of mosquitoes (even during the middle of a sunny day) that may prevent you from going out and enjoying your yard and lanai. My first choice for moving to the Big Island would be Waikoloa Village. It's pricier than Puna but much drier (10+ inches of rain a year on average) and can be VERY windy at times but it's worth waiting out the wind to have sunnier days and very few mosquitoes. It's also closer to the best beaches in the world!

Sorry I wrote so much!

Ahui hou!

[hilolarry]

I would say to make sure you come and visit the puna area before you even consider buying. And come in the summer buy also in november or march (the wettest months, since rain is not for everyone). i live in hilo and would not live in puna due to the drive. but i also would not live close to the ocean (due to likelihood of tsunamis which the big island does get). i live 60 plus feet above sea level and on a paved road with underground utilities and running water. there are a lot of places that use catchment for water and many that are without electricity. again it's all a matter of taste but i would not recommend anyone buy until they have visited an area several times. my wife and me came to hilo on vacation almost every year for 15 years before we made a purchase.

[smurfett]

Thanks for the info! My real estate agent really likes MLE and keeps steering me toward there. I like the fact that it's 20K square feet. But he doesn't have as many nice things to say about the neighborhood in Fern Forest and Royal Hawaiian Estates.

My problem is that I'm nowhere close to Hawaii right now and I'm hoping to get some third opinions. I lived in MLE for a few days and I loved it there. But the price is also higher than the subdivisions very close to it (Fen Forrest, Royal Hawaiian Estates, Orchid Isles). For those 3 subdivisions, what is the crime rate like and neighbors like there?

thanks so much
nancy

[Hoosier Girl]

Originally Posted by pukaboy

Welina me ke aloha,
I too, fell in love with Hawai'i and will spend every waking moment in the pursuit of moving there. I am in the healthcare industry so Hilo or Kona are pretty much it. I read that the healthcare/hospitals are poor compared to the mainland . Any input there? Which town is better for the hospitals, or do you know of any others. I mean instead of Honolulu (too much like LA). Mahalo.

Are you familiar w/Waimea area??? I have heard it's hospital is excellent; WAY better than Hilo's! I live in Ninole, (Big Island) Hawaii which is about half way between Waimea and Hilo.

[Hoosier Girl]

Originally Posted by RetiredGuyInPanama

Leilaniguy

I graduated from UH many years ago. Now retired living temporarily in Panama. I've always dreamed of retiring in Hawaii. Now that I am retired I am looking into it seriously.

Your info posted here is great. I hope you can supply more of the same by answering a few of my questions. I am looking at buying property in Puna or Kau and building myself.

Are there any subdivisions that should be avoided because of drugs or drug dealers? I was warned to stay away from Fern Acres for example.

Do you have any idea what the cost of construction per square foot is?

Is there a construction material of choice (wood, cement, brick, bamboo, adobe, etc.)?

I assume air conditioning is not necessary?

How difficult is it for new arrivals to fit in?

My wife is into bird watching. I assume there is a large variety of interesting birds in addition to the Nene?

What activities are available for retired folks?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

I am a 'transplant' from Indiana; let me share my thoughts after living here 3 years (in regard to your questions, and then some ):
1. You can't be TOO careful if choosing a builder; go thru a reputable company like ARGUS Construction in Hilo. Argus is the owner and professional and honest to work with.

2. Consider Hardee Plank cement board

3. No A/C needed where we are, but WISH we had put in fireplace; dampness sets in and there is a dew film over everything!!! If you/wife have asthma/allergies, you may want to re-think a move here.

4. We 'white people from the mainland' never felt unable to fit it. I worked for 1 1/2 years and was accepted just fine.

5. Birds??? If there are any pretty ones, they haven't flown by here, save for a few small cardinals and yellow finches!!!

6. Activities? Seems to be a lot: quilt making classes, lei making, learn to fish classes, book writing, learning to hula, etc...........craft classes at Ben Franklin, snorkeling.

Ok, think I answered a few. With that, I must say that we are selling out; just too far from family/friends. None of them, but a couple, can afford to come here and we can't afford to go back/forth either!!!!!!!

Some other things to consider: living is just plain $$$, no getting around it. We thought w/no A/C, heating, etc. we would be living 'cheap.' HA, that was our first mistake. Groceries are HIGH and selection is LOW/bad. Elec is at least 15 cents kwh. Water is sometimes scarce and there was NO lp gas for a time this spring. Also, if you/wife like to shop, forget it: there is Wal-Mart plus a few mom/pop-tourist shops on East side plus a 'doll-size' mall with minimal selection (if you do find something, everyone else you meet will have the same thing.) Same with furniture: there is Wal-Mart furn OR sets from furn store that cost in the $3,000 range........

Gotta go, these are just my own personal 'living' situations.

[smurfett]

wow. that's really useful info in regards to builders and such. I've heard that because it's an island, sometimes there aren't enough skilled workers.....

[Hoosier Girl]

... or ANY workers, actually. People are nice, to be sure, but the lack of comittment is BAD. If anyone gets to the serious building point, you can PM me and I will give names of the really good companys for building supplies, driveway work for example).

[Hoosier Girl]

ALOHA 'Testing 123'

We didn't have prob w/getting permits; we had a reputable company help us (ARGUS BUILDING in Hilo). I unterstand now the the wait for permits is several months versus the few weeks of a short time ago.

Mosquitos can be bad once the sun decends; but prob not any worse than anywhere else.

Watch out for Coqui 'invasion' if you don't like the sound of them. They haven't gotten to our area YET, but....

Taxes are not bad for us 'cause we have mostly-AG land where cows run and we get a big 'break' for that.

Commutes can be dicey; always some road work, or spraying/mowing, etc. being done. I never minded that however, because my commute was mostly ocean-view

That's all the help I have to offer at the moment!

[tylertoo]

Hi, this is a great thread, very helpful!

Can you tell be anything about Ainaloa? Would that be on the dryer or wetter side?

And all this talk of mold has be worried because I have a lot of books! How do books do in the climate there?

Thanks for all the info-