Best place to live in Hawaii? (Honolulu, Hilo: sale, apartments, for rent)

[designerjunkie]

Okay, my husband and I were dead set on moving to Georgia in a couple of years, but after all of the horror stories...we are weighing our options. It's alway been between Cali, Georgia, Hawaii (far fetched dream), or somewhere further out in Texas. We want to know where you would recommend to live in Hawaii.

Specs:
Large Family
Excellent school system
Nice Suburb that's not too far from the city
Great Shopping
Great Employment
Low violence
All for under 250k

I know that this sounds unattainable, but this is what we are looking for. We appreciate any answers. Thx.

[sevenofsix]

as of 4/08 "On the Big Island, the median sale price for a single-family home fell 15.9 percent to $389,000 from last year's $462,500 median."

[Brav989]

Originally Posted by sevenofsix

as of 4/08 "On the Big Island, the median sale price for a single-family home fell 15.9 percent to $389,000 from last year's $462,500 median."

Yes but do not forget the massive amount of $1 million properties on the island, which certainly drive up the average a great deal. In the more rural areas there is still quite a bit of cheap housing to be had. Though of course it may be in a lava hazard zone, may not have running water, and will be far from a large town.

You also mentioned 'city'. So can I assume you are only talking about Oahu/Honolulu?

[TERRIE]

It would probably be best to visit Oahu first. It's very different living that the "usual" suburbs...oh and $250k is the impossible dream in Hawaii. If you want an excellent school system you won't find it in Hawaii. I've lived in Cali and HI both, been to TX many times, your criteria leads me to recommend TX, preferably Austin or San Antonio....good luck!

[Erma]

There are many from the east coast relocating to Texas as well. House prices, jobs etc. Especially the healthcare fields.

[alanm96ss]

Originally Posted by designerjunkie

Okay, my husband and I were dead set on moving to Georgia in a couple of years, but after all of the horror stories...we are weighing our options. It's alway been between Cali, Georgia, Hawaii (far fetched dream), or somewhere further out in Texas. We want to know where you would recommend to live in Hawaii.

Specs:
Large Family
Excellent school system
Nice Suburb that's not too far from the city
Great Shopping
Great Employment
Low violence
All for under 250k

I know that this sounds unattainable, but this is what we are looking for. We appreciate any answers. Thx.

If you read this post and took it seriously, then you've been PUNKED!!

Really designerjunkie, in all respect, this is not realistic! Just to give you an idea of how unrealistic, let me give you an equal example. "I want a brand new Chevrolet Surburban, needs to get 50 mpg, have all the options and be under $10,000".

A large family means that you will want more than a 700 sq. ft. condo. And you will NOT find anything else for 250K. Even for 250K it will be a dumpy 700 sq. ft. one room condo. I agree, Texas is the way to go. It's not paradise, but a VERY nice state.

[Pink flamingo]

Certainly you must have done some research, what makes you think you can take a large family to Hawaii and survive? I don't live in Hawaii, I am single and even I realize Hawaii can only be a dream, and that holds true for most Americans.

[whynot?]

I agree with most of the posts below. I live on Maui (now in middle age); I grew up and worked on the east coast. The cost-of-living in Hawaii is stunning, and I lived in Metro D.C. for 20 years, which is also quite expensive. In addition to the high cost of housing, utilities and taxes are high. And the cost for everyday items -- especially food -- is higher than average because of shipping. Gas is about $4.50/gallon right now.

The educational system is, shall we say "lacking" from kindergarten to university. Public or private. Unemployment is very low, and most people work two or three jobs. A single job that allows an individual or a family to make ends meet is rare. Home ownership is a dream to many who were raised here.

Violent crime is not common, but there is a great deal of petty crime. (When you are the victim, no crime seems "petty," however.) There is a sizable drug problem, especially crystal meth, which creates a number of social and healthcare challenges downstream.

I would never discourage anyone from moving here. I love it. But before I moved a family here, I would find a reason to come over and spend several weeks in any locale I was seriously considering. Each island has its own personality, and even though it is paradise, you may not find an exact fit for your reality.

[brian21]

Cali, Hawaii, Georgia, and Texas eh? None of those states have that much in common. Why have you narrowed it down to those states? Ive lived in 3 of them so I know a little about them. I left the Big Island around 3 years ago. When I looked around for land while living there I found lots for 5,000 - 20,000 anywhere from 10 - 20 miles outside of Hilo, Hawaii. I remember someone saying you could get an ocean front lot in certain areas for 80,000 but I'm not so sure about that. I never really looked at any houses but the apartments ran from about 600-1000 for a 1 bedroom.

Keep in mind when you go over there that there is almost no work on the Big Island. It took me over a year to find a bs job. I met a woman who had a 4 year degree working at a shoe store and she told me it took her 8 months to get that job. There is more work on the west side of the Island in Kona then the east side but its more expensive on the west side. Expect to pay 1,000 and up for rent in Kona(and that was 3 years ago). I never visited Oahu but I heard it was a minimum of 1500 a month for an ok apartment on that Island. There should be more work in Oahu but I wouldn't want to live some place that was described to me by more then one native as LA on an Island.

Are you white? If you are be prepared to put up with some **** if you move to Hawaii. Some of the locals are racist and don't like any outsiders. Especially if your white. That being said some of them will treat you like your there brother or sister which is something I really miss. I've never experienced that anywhere else and I've lived in many places.

As much as I loved Hawaii If I had kids like yourself I'm not sure I'd want to live there. Like the guy said above me the education system sucks and your kids would probably have to put up with a lot of crap being outsiders. It takes a while getting used to being the minority if your white and have never lived outside of the continental US.

If your looking for good weather your not going to find a better place then Hawaii or southern Cali. Just be prepared to pay astronomical prices for it. You will also have to deal with smog if you move to Cali which takes away some of the appeal of the nice weather.

I lived in Georgia for a short while and Alabama for several years. I can tell you now the weather here pretty much sucks. 100 plus temps in the summer and even more humidity. So many bugs its almost unbearable. I hope you like gnats. It gets pretty cold in the winter too. Don't expect to be wearing shorts and a t-shirt on Christmas day. It's usually just rainy and cold throughout the winter but the first winter we spent in Alabama we had a blizzard.

I wouldn't recommend moving to Georgia unless your originally from the south. If your not, I don't think you'd like it much. I know I haven't.

[Ellwood]

We spend a few weeks in HI every year and considered retiring to Maui. We decided against it for many of the reasons stated by other posters with the main reasons being the distance from family and cost of living. We stayed 2 months before making our final decision. After two months we both had "island fever" and missed jumping in the car for a road trip to another state. It's a wonderful place to visit, but you pay the "paradise tax" to live there.