A Local Who Wants To Help New Residents and Visitors (work, house)

[masmadi]

My husband quite unexpectedly was asked to move to Oahu for work. We currently live in South Florida (Miami area), and I am a bit concerned about the housing and schools. I am very used to planned communities where I think it is easy for the kids to meet friends and for us to meet friends. As for the schools...Hawaii does not rank very high nationally. Education is very important to us. Was hoping for some advice on schools and neighborhoods on Oahu. I have looked into Ocean Pointe, but the schools do not seem very good there. I like the master planned community concept though.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[~elise~]

Aloha!
My husband and I are moving to the mainland after living in Hawaii for 11 years. If we didn't have to move because of family responsibilities, we would never leave this "rock" as people call it. We have never regretted our move here.
We lived in Southern California for about 14 years before moving to the Big Island of Hawaii and I was thrilled with the Aloha Spirit shown to us in the islands. Hawaii is a beautiful place to live and anyone who has the chance to live here--even for a few years--should grab it!
Ask me if you want to know about the Big Island of Hawaii.

eloika
~elise~

[Torghaole]

Attitude is Everything: (Aloha/Namaste'/Divine Radiance)

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I am at peace with the visualization of BEing in Aloha-land.
Everyone came from somewhere else at some time. It matters not the ground you stand on, only the sky. Where were you born? Your parents? Their parents? Is this all the same place? No, not likely. If so, you should've moved, if you are like many others since the Industrial Revolution and its ubiquitous revolution of boundaries/economies. If you don't accept that, look back to hunters/gatherers, who pre-dated any Cro-Magnon setting up a cornfield and setting fruit to ferment. {See History/Egypt or /Fertile Crescent: Invention of Beer}. Don't tell me pizza and beer is a new thing, brah.
"You can change your ground, but not your sky."
This is an old Native American saying. It could be a native saying from any people, or person, at any time in human history; whether in words, heiroglyphs, pictographs, or oral tradition and song. People have always moved to find game, pasture, crop lands, and seaways or rivers.
Many times, war was the sad result. Political power and History emits from the point of a weapon well-placed. (See: Cro-Magnon vs. Neanderthal/HistoryChannel.com)
Occupation is not a new thing, either. It is the way of Mankind. (Usually not Womankind: (see Celtic Queen Boudicca; resistance to the Roman Empire, Ireland.)
Is this not so? N'est-ce pas? Esto no es verdad? Est is nicht Treue und Ehrlich? How do you say it in "Brah"? I don't know, brother/sister; tell me a story, elucidate, illuminate me: we are all teachers/learners, all the time, from birth to transition to the higher frequency, again, from whence we came.
This, to me, is "Aloha". Hello/goodbye. (Remember the Beatles' song?):
"I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello."
If I step off, a N.O.P, newby-off-plane, I am only what I am, only what I consciously WILL to BEcome. If I exude "ahloha" I shall receive "aloha". The Universe will bend to your Will. Perception and action is that power which bends reality into a cohesive frequency with the people around you.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans", ja? When in Hilo, be a Hilo.
You will find that which completes you when you complete the other before you: whether that be the first person you see in Hawai'i, your loved one or the one you seek to love, the person you wish your child to become, or the loving, cherished, worthy, giving person you see in the mirror!
I was a peacetime Soldier. I wanted then, and want nothing more now, than Peace. The Roman Senator/Soldier Seneca said the same, over 2000 years ago. Be strong, be happy, be secure upon your own two feet, in your heart, in your Mind and Spirit, and all will become as you Believe it to Be.
This is Aloha, to me.
I am perhaps a "haole", a foreigner, to some living in the land of Pele. How much are they foreigners, (or is anyone), who treats another as less than a brother or sister? They make themselves foreign to the Human Family, if they do not see the Divine Radiance shining in every pair of eyes, whether they be Hu-man, animal, plant, rock, wind, or sea. We are inextricably interconnected, interdependent, and so capable of cruelty, shame, and beastiality to one another, to other "creatures" and to Gaia, our Mother Earth.
It is time for change. Let the change begin in your Heart. Let the change begin whether you are coming to Gaia's Breast in Hawaii, or in another land/space/time. This is who I shall BEcome. Who shall YOU BE?
Mahalo and Aloha.
Torg White Bear

[PacNW]

A thought from a Hawaiian.
I was born and raised in Hawaii and it will always be in my heart. I think that there is (unfortunate) truth to the worries about 'locals' vs 'haoles.' There is a resentment of those who would come and buy up already sparse land, a feeling that it just makes the cost of living even higher. On the other hand, most locals are the children of past immigrants, from many countries and cultures. There is something people talk about, being Hawaiian at heart, that really makes the difference. Go there and love the land like the locals do, and you will understand. The cost of living is high. We used to make do. It's possible, you just have to be creative and accept that you are going to be a resident of Hawaii, not living at one of the five star hotels there.

[oneblessedmommy]

Aloha!! first of all I love all the positive posts! Secondly any recomendations were to move on the big island? We are a family of three with a two yr old son. We would like to be near the ocean and shops if possible. We are leaning twords ohana or studio. Small and simple, clean any suggustions from anyone will be greatly appretiated ... Muhalo!

[honu_follower]

I am seriously considering moving to Hawaii. There are two inspirations for this: I am currently living in Washington, DC and have not been as successful here as I had before this recession; secondly I am a Turtle follower.

The DC area is full of the nastiest meanest people I have ever encountered in my life! I have lived in England, from Chicago, lived in LA, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tallahassee, been to New York, San Fransico, Berlin, Milan, and many other places. These people are just foul. I had made my mind up to leave when I read A Civil Action and the main attorney went bankrupt doing the right thing and in the end moved to Hawaii. Sounds a bit like my life here except I'll be arriving there with $4K in my pocket and hopefully (fingers crossed) with a job I am currently solicitating.

What do you think are my chances? I am 39 with teenage boys who will stay here with their father. I will be on my own when I arrive. Any suggestion will help as well.

Thanks!

[ambirosetulitops]

I understand your point. I've experienced what I thought was racism first hand by the police force here on Oahu when I was wrongly arrested. It's a hard thing to get past especially when it cost so much money to take care of it just because of somebody's ignorance. I'm a loving person and despite that one bad seed everyone else has been wonderful to us here. Just makes it harder to get over since it was in such an extreme form. I cant decide if it was truly because I was white and a military wife or if it was just a police officer with a chip on her shoulder abusing her power. Guess I'll never know. Just not the best first impression since we've only been here a couple months.

[maui08]

Aloha

I just read original post offering "help" with potential moves to Hawaii. -I think this is great as long as you are upfront about the real side of living in paradise. There are some real issues here that affect not only "locals" but also the local transplants. We are looking to move back to the main land again....we just moved back out to Maui less than 6 months ago after spending years here and on Oahu from San Diego. We are greatly concerned about the schooling here which is drastically behind the times both public and private schools. The medical care is horrible. For any serious thing that happens you need to either get to Oahu or back to the main land, definetely would not want surgery on Maui. The lifestyle of being laid back and relaxing is great if that is all you want out of life. BBQing and hanging at the beach every weekend is great for the soul and recharges you for the next week but this way of life brings so much rif-raft to the islands that the parks and beaches are generally populated with homeless or folks who would rather drink beer at 9AM than go to work.

-Main land life is much different...you have the crazy drivers, busy highways, populated cities, fast paced life, keeping up with the Jones' mentality......but at least children have a shot at a decent education and are safe if they get seriously hurt knowing there will be accessible medical care nearby.

-Hawaii is perfect if you're ready to retire, have no drive to succeed, don't care much about your children's future, are single, would rather park it on the beach all day with a case of beer then get a haircut and a shower, plan to just kick back and let yourself go for awhile.

-We have lived Hawaii for over 15 years. Sometimes you just need to be honest with folks wishing to come. Let them decide and not paint a picture of "paradise" like the travel books. Paradise is reserved for those going to heaven....Hawaii has ups and more downs just like any other place to live.

[Garth Lydick]

Originally Posted by Francis-Safi

Hi Kaimuki !
We are intrested moving to Hawaii Islands, 5-6 months a year.
Therefore we would like to ask you if you can give us some information.
We would be delighted if you could help us answering some questions.
My wife is a writer, myself I am an art painter.
We would like to rent a small and cheap... house in the countryside, somewhere on the less... touristic Islands. Is it easy to find a house to rent or are they rather rare?
Could you help us with some information?
We would come from Europe, (France) and stay from January till June 2009.
Wework in Europe the other 6 Months.
How much do we have to spend for rent.
What would cost a rented car.
I may be intrested having art exhibition, but that is not important yet.
Friendly regards from Ibiza, we are on Holiday
Francis & Safi

For your needs, I would suggest the Island of Hawaii (The Big Island), one of the less touristic Islands. For a Painter there are multiple climates, tremendouse variety of terains, Lush folage, sparse moonscape, flowing fields, beaches, snow covered mountain tops and volcanoes. For a writer all I can say is that Mark Twain found great insperation there.

As far as long term rentals in the country side, check out VBRO on the internet. Also various Real Estate Agents can help. The prices won't be cheap however. I usually rent a small studio in Kona for $1,400 a month when I am there. There many contry side areas however that may have lower rentals available. I am not sure about long term car rental, it may be cheaper to buy a vehical and then store when not on the island. I Vacation there for the month of April every other year and find that the car rentals could run from $800 to $900 or even higher a month. I haven't checked reciently.

Hope this is helpfull.

Aloha

[kaimuki]

Originally Posted by maui08

Aloha


-Hawaii is perfect if you're ready to retire, have no drive to succeed, don't care much about your children's future, are single, would rather park it on the beach all day with a case of beer then get a haircut and a shower, plan to just kick back and let yourself go for awhile.

Ha! Wow! BTW, I'm local, educated, employed (stay-at-home dad working out of my home office raising, not babysitting, our 3-year-old daughter). As for our daughter's future, we work hard on it daily! I can't remember the last time I sat around at the beach all day getting liquored-up, but a haircut, what's that. Maybe the haircut thing you got right. GL to you!