moving to big island (Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park: real estate, housing, rental)

[erikkarma]

aloha! first, i'd like to say what a wealth of information this forum has. my wife and currently live in the san francisco bay area, but are planning on moving to hawaii ASAP (most likely, in 1 1/2 - two years). we got married in maui 2 1/2 years ago, and have been back as well. i'd also been to maui before, and in fact, was there during 9/11 (got stranded there for an extra week!). i've also been to oahu.

we were considering moving to maui, but when we found out how much less expensive the big island was, we changed our plans. we're already planning a trip there this spring, and of course in the meantime, we've been devouring every newspaper article and real estate site we can find online. puna seems to be the lowest priced place to live, and like the rest of hawaii, it looks beautiful. i guess the questions i have are:

*if we worked in hilo, how long does it normally take to commute the 25 miles to get there? what about commuting to kona? is the traffic THAT bad? i can't imagine it being worse than the SF bay area.

*is crime in puna a major problem? what types of crimes are common- break-ins and burglaries, or more serious problems, like drugs and violent crimes? are there bad neighborhoods like the bay area and other urban places have?

*amateur astronomy is my main hobby, and i love hawaii for the dark skies free of light pollution. what areas of puna have a smaller amount of rainfall and clear, dark skies at night? or are there other areas we should be looking at that are priced close to the same range?

*how are newcomers generally treated? we've only experienced friendly people there (part of why we love hawaii), but is it different if you're staying there permanently, as opposed to just being tourists?

*we're aware that things cost more, and many people have two jobs. but if we're totally debt free, and only have a mortgage in the $800-1000 range, is it feasible to have a relatively comfortable standard of living (i.e. not completely struggling just to pay the bills) on two incomes from full time entry level type jobs ($10-12 hour)?

*what about "unpermitted" houses? does the state crack down on these often and actually fine people until they get permits?

mahalo for any information you can provide us!!! -erik

[konakor]

Aloha - I live on the Big Island, Kona side. I love living here, the people are friendly and warm. It is very expensive and getting more so. Surviving on $10 -$12 per hour might be a little tough. You may have to work two jobs. A lot of the locals work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet. Kona is a 2 hour drive to Hilo, you wouldn't want to commute from there. Hilo is the wet side of the Island, a lot like Seattle only more downpour. I'm not sure about Puna, from what I hear it's more local Hawaiians living there. There is a lot of drugs and crime (burglaries) because there are not a lot of jobs and interests for the youth.
Your best bet is to do some more research. There are quite a few jobs over on Kona side, can't fill them fast enough. But the housing is very expensive.
If there is a will there is a way. Come over check it out, talk story with the locals, travel around the island. You'll know in your heart if it's right. Life is a journey and the journeys can be rewarding.

[erikkarma]

thanks for the info, konakor! we are planning on doing a lot more research before we move there. just trying to get more of a "feel" for things before we go there. kona seems a lot more expensive, though it sounds like there are reasons for that. our main concerns are living in a safe environment with a fairly short commute (under an hour each way). as far as topography, i love all of hawaii that i've seen, whether it's the lush areas of west maui, or the dry, desert look on the road past hana. if the big island is similar in those regards (which, from pictures, seems to be), than i'm sure we'll love it as much as maui. we really want to get away from the crime, and rude, angry people that seem to be more commonplace here in the bay area and other metropolitan areas on the mainland.

as far as making a living, two jobs isn't out of the question. but i thought that with no debt except for a mortgage (which would likely be less than we currently pay for rent), and with two incomes, it wouldn't be so tough. are things more expensive on the big island than on maui? on maui, it seemed like we could find deals on things. safeway, kmart, etc., were a bit more expensive on many items, but nothing i thought was excessive. and many things, like heating, bridge tolls, 8.5% sales tax, etc., aren't factors on hawaii, and outdoor activities (hiking, snorkeling, etc.) don't cost anything. or are there other large expenses i'm not considering? i know gas, electricity, water, etc., all cost quite a bit more, and my wife and i would likely make less money in hawaii than we do here- but as long as we can get by, money isn't important to us.

in any case, mahalo for the info and replying to my post!

[Sorcerer68]

There are some more posts here regarding Puna in different threads. I'll say that the island is N O T H I N G like Maui. Puna is a consolation prize for many people because it's all they can afford. Others absolutely love it and wouldn't live anywhere else. I suggest you come check it out for yourself.

[KonaDave]

I own a home in the Hawaiian Ranchos which is in the Ka'u District. This area is on the Kona side of the island and still has some reasonable prices. I found that talking to a few knowledgable Real Estate Agents that specialize and live in the different areas was invaluable for me in making my decision where I wanted to live. Doing this gave me a better idea of the climate, home prices, crime rates and feasibility of working 40-50 miles from home. It took a little while to weed out the agents that were not quite forthcoming. Of course nothing is better than visiting and seeing for yourself. Good luck and let us know how your search goes.

Kona Dave

[FranSchaefle]

Originally Posted by Sorcerer68

There are some more posts here regarding Puna in different threads. I'll say that the island is N O T H I N G like Maui. Puna is a consolation prize for many people because it's all they can afford. Others absolutely love it and wouldn't live anywhere else. I suggest you come check it out for yourself.

Aloha - I appreciate the varying views. I posted yesterday as I am planning a move with my family - one a freshmen in college (anxious to move to a warmer climate), another going into 8th grade. My husband works for global company and can work anywhere with internet capabilities and a phone line, I have been offered a teaching position, and have worked in rural Texas, IL, as well as Suburb of Chicago (to name a few places)... I am concerned some about the educational opportunities for my 13 year old, and the changes he may go through. My husband and I have been to Maui and Oahu a few times, and I lived in Kona several years ago and visited Hilo. I have a 30 minute commute now, standard in the suburbs, but we don't have any issues of crime - what areas of Pahoa/Puna would be considered safest? I don't think I want catchment water - and I know we should look for lava zone 2 or 3 - would it be a good idea to find a rental for a few months and observe?

Thanks

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by FranSchaefle

Aloha - I appreciate the varying views. I posted yesterday as I am planning a move with my family - one a freshmen in college (anxious to move to a warmer climate), another going into 8th grade. My husband works for global company and can work anywhere with internet capabilities and a phone line, I have been offered a teaching position, and have worked in rural Texas, IL, as well as Suburb of Chicago (to name a few places)... I am concerned some about the educational opportunities for my 13 year old, and the changes he may go through. My husband and I have been to Maui and Oahu a few times, and I lived in Kona several years ago and visited Hilo. I have a 30 minute commute now, standard in the suburbs, but we don't have any issues of crime - what areas of Pahoa/Puna would be considered safest? I don't think I want catchment water - and I know we should look for lava zone 2 or 3 - would it be a good idea to find a rental for a few months and observe?

Thanks

If your children are school-aged, it's somewhat of a disservice to them to move to Puna. The public schools in Puna are probably among the worst in the state.

The safest subdivisions in Puna are Leilani Estates, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Shores Recreational Estates, and Kapoho Vacationland.

I wouldn't worry too much about catchment water. Properly treated and filtered, catchment water is safer than county water on the Big Island. Here's a link to a PDF of a publication that gives you all of the details on catchment water and systems.
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/RM-12.pdf

As for lava zones, it's not that big of deal, unless you're on a tight budget and want to save a little money on insurance. The subdivisions inundated by lava back in the 1980s and 90s were in lava zones 2 and 3.

Cheers,

Jonah K

[erikkarma]

thanks for all of the replies. looking forward to seeing puna and the rest of the big island firsthand in the late spring.

[marief]

We to are considering moving to the big island, the HiLo area. We have 3 kids school age. Any suggestion on schools? They are OK students and good at sports. We live in a rual town now. thanks

[TERRIE]

imo....they won't get the education the deserve anywhere on the islands...the education system is VERY lacking....kids are kids and they pretty much fit in anywhere in most cases...i would worry more about a high schooler coming in...feeling they don't fit......also, parents fitting in in with the other parents has been difficult for some people.....