Living in Hawaii part time. (housing, condos, rental)

[kellywilliams]

Hi all,

I was hoping to hear from anyone who lives in Hawaii part time. My husband and I currently live in small town Alaska. Our son will graduate in a few years and we are thinking we might want to spend part of the year in Hawaii. I am currently employed in a seasonal position here. My husband, a commercial electrician, works for a company who we believe will not have a problem with him leaving during the winter. Summer months are when most of the constuction is in full swing here. We have visited Hawaii several times and after 15 years of long winters, we would like to lay around in flip flops and shorts after work!

I have a few questions. Can anyone tell me what commercial electricians make there? I saw some statistics that seem low.

Also, would one rent while they are there? or would you possibly purchase a condo and rent it during the months you are not in Hawaii? I'm not sure we could pull off purchasing a home.

I think we would do fine there. We are the out door kind. We deal with isolation and the high cost of groceries, utilites and such already. We have "cabin fever" rather then island fever...but we do fine...

Does anyone think we could make that work? Do you think we could possibly find jobs there like we have here? Seasonal/flexible?

Just thought I would throw it out there.

[LeeHigh]

Quality Electricians make decent money. Check out "Craigslist" & google "jobs oahu"..
Buying a Condo: They have huge fees each month so beware. Some range between $500-$800. If your landlord will allow you to sublet - you should be ok but you will be responsible for any damage. Affordable housing is obtainable but the cheaper areas have more crime. Check out "oahure.com" and the amount of "sex offenders" in the area. It has rentals and lists all of the homes/condos for sale. It should help. Good luck.