Moving from California to Hawaii - but which Island?? (Honolulu: real estate, oceanfront)

[MagaMarie]

With all the threads I've been able to get my little hands on about those planning to relocate to Hawaii, I am hopeful that now I can ask for my own insight! My hubby and I are young (okay not as young as we'd like to think ~ we're just about to hit 30) and truly want to leave Sacramento, CA to plant our feet in the Hawaiian sand. To piece our story together, my husband is a Construction Manager for a general contractor and I myself am a Project Administrator/Project Engineer for another general contractor. Yep, we are haoles. We have no babies yet (just fur babies for now) but plan on having kids shortly.

We realize visiting and living in Hawaii are quite different animals, and we have been researching high and low for any information that will help us in our adventure... hence, bringing me here to you all! I am open to any opinions, advice, and info you may be able to bring to the table. After exploring pet quarantine, property/income/excise tax, weather, bugs, crime, ethnicities, schools, shipping, and so forth ... I still need information on two major areas before we can consider packing up any moving boxes... HOMES and JOBS!!

We have visited Maui but have not yet been to Oahu or the Big Island... I know what you're thinking... BUT we already have tickets so we can return to Hawaii and visit the other islands to get a better feel for where to live... however, I am trying to do all the research possible BEFORE we go, so we know where to put our focus on... therefore enabling us to make smart decisions when we are ready to leave our California home for good.

So, here's where I am looking for help:

JOBS: Being in the commercial construction industry, which island will have the most work available in this field? Where is the majority of construction happening? What area is our best bet for the long term look ahead of continued construction? Can anyone offer names of reputable construction companies we may be able to pursue? I've researched Goodfellow Brothers (corporate office in Maui), Swinerton (corporate office in Oahu), but have much more exploring to do! Are employees often flown back and forth between islands for construction projects or do companies tend to hire/keep you on projects on the island you live on? So many questions, I know. Any help will be tremendously appreciated! We both get paid decent wages in our positions here, and I do need to look further into what we can expect there.

HOMES: Of course this all depends on the work situation, which makes our progress seem ever so slow! but we are trying to gather everything possible. From reading through other threads, the east and south areas may be the better choices in Oahu. As for Maui, the west and south sides seem like a good pick. I still feel very unfamiliar with the Big Island -- and haven't been able to form any opinion quite yet. We do realize the price of housing but are willing to make the sacrafices for the uncomparable things we'd get in return! Schools for the future kids will eventually be an interest of ours. I've got the overall consensus about the local education system... to tell you the truth, after researching for a brief moment, it looks like CA is right there along with HI so I can't say we'd be in much of a different position here. Overall, we want to settle in a family environment since our plans are to establish our own family. I am learning about the lava zones and could use any additional info on this... I've also seem flood zones mentioned here and there (we are VERY familiar with flood zones in Sacramento).

That's it for now! Your words of wisdom are much appreciated!

Mahalo!

[dc1225]

I too am in your "young" age bracket. Having just returned from a 7 day vacation from there last month and wanting and hoping to move there someday and to avoid having "island fever", I'd probably most likely recommend Oahu(Honolulu area) if you can afford it. Its not as scenic as some of the other islands(its still beautiful, don't get me wrong). It pretty much has everything a big city would i.e. entertainment, jobs(still not as good as mainland but....)night life, restaurant, outdoor adventures, etc...Me personally, I would not even consider any islands unless I was 70+ yrs. old and was moving to hawaii to die! I am not sure if you're planning to rent or buy but good luck with that as real estate is crazy expensive on the islands, both to buy and rent. Also, some of the housing there are not as nice as mainland, i.e. outhouse, no hot water(not that you'll need it but) small things like that...

The other islands are beautiful too but pretty remote compared to Oahu....you may want to also look at Gov. jobs as alot of people in Oahu work for the Government. You may also want to search the major hotels job websites as they may have proj. mgmt. positions available(hilton, marriott, etc...) Good luck!

[cynmkolohe]

Kohala coast of the Big Island might be a possibilty. (Waikoloa, Puako, Waimea, Hawi)

The resorts, possible future University site, harbor, luxury housing market...and beauty! It's worth checking out--I'm not sure how competitive the job market is right now with some of the slow-downs in the economy, but it would likely be my top pick. Oahu would probably run a close second.

Here is some lava zone info:

Lava Flow Hazard Zones on the Island of Hawai`i

As a general rule, insurance premiums in lava zones 1,2 will be higher and you can insure only up to 350K unless you want to go to Lloyds of London for a policy.

[whynot?]

Since you seem to appreciate information, the US Census Bureau actually offers pretty detailed data on not only the state, but also counties and cities/localities at: Hawaii QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

The reason I am suggesting this is so that you can compare and contrast criteria that are important to you personally about the areas in which you might want to live. Having read A2M69's assessment of the neighbor islands (OUCH! I live on Maui and I am retired, but I am NOT 70 or dying!), and having been to Maui yourselves, you probably have a good feel for it's general positives and negatives. That said, I think you'll find West Maui has a fairly small number of families in their 20s. There are some, of course, but it's too expensive for many to live and work there, let alone raise a family there. South Maui (Kihei, mainly) offers more reasonably options, probably, but Wailea -- not so much.

Cynmkolohe, as always, has offered great info about the Big Island. Each of the islands really does have its own charm and personality. Oahu is very scenic in addition to having the most jobs. And the fallout of the economic downturn is yet to be fully seen here, I think. Construction has been booming for a few years, and the plans were for it to continue, but if people stop buying, it will no doubt slow down. That doesn't mean you shouldn't move, it just means the pickings might be slimmer. (Maybe.)

The two construction firms you mentioned have very good reputations. (Yes, they seem to just send crews to where the work is to be done. It doesn't seem like such a big deal once you live here.) You might also check out Leis on Maui. Homes: it's where you WANT to live until your kids start school. A lot of Maui families live upcountry -- away from the beaches and in the cooler climate -- so they can send their kids to private schools.

Do visit any place you think you might want to live. It's a huge investment not to spend a little more to experience first-hand before you move.

[MagaMarie]

Thank you all for your advice so far! A2M69, how would you rate Ewa, Ewa Beach area? What about Kailua or Kane-ohe? Diamond Head would be great, but I know that's where it can get really pricey. Any other areas you can throw my way?

Cynmkolohe, thanks for the names of some good areas on the Kohala coast of Big Island, as well as the lava flow hazard zones. I now have something to work with...

Whynot, your info from the census looks extremely helpful. I do have to agree that I love Maui and don't mind the slower, quieter life as long as we can find jobs there to support us. You have confirmed a few people suggesting Kihei and that's where I've done most my homework for homes so far. It seems more decent pricing -- just want to make sure it's an overall good area of primary residence, not too extremely touristy, etc. I notice a small price jump between the west and east sides of Hwy 31. Is that mainly because the hwy makes a separation from the beach side... or is it not as nice of an area to live? And will look into Leis and the surrounding areas. Thanks again and keep 'em coming!

[ZhugeLiang]

I'll say this plainly. DO NOT MOVE TO EWA BEACH, whatever you do. Maybe by 2015 when the roads are redrawn and opened up, perhaps then. Not that its a bad area, but traffic resembles something like California's 405 Santa Monica freeway, this is not hyperbole. I made the mistake of moving to that area when I first got here.

[whynot?]

I mentioned Leis because it's a locally-owned Maui construction company. Turner (I don't know where they're headquartered) seems to do a lot of work here, as do others. I'm sure your husband has access to a trade association list of prospects.

And yes, it is proximity to the beach that changes the prices on Hwy. 31. There is nothing wrong with "the other side of the street" (which -- at times -- is also oceanfront except for public beach parks). Kihei is quite touristy, though, depending upon your definition of "extremely touristy." It is more dense than most areas of West Maui, and thus has a bigger mix of permanent residents, part-time residents, renters, time-share people, and vacationers. It's really a "feel" thing to me -- where you feel comfortable, where you feel you belong. (And I'm a former uptight East Coast type.)

[dc1225]

Originally Posted by MagaMarie

Thank you all for your advice so far! A2M69, how would you rate Ewa, Ewa Beach area? What about Kailua or Kane-ohe? Diamond Head would be great, but I know that's where it can get really pricey. Any other areas you can throw my way?

Cynmkolohe, thanks for the names of some good areas on the Kohala coast of Big Island, as well as the lava flow hazard zones. I now have something to work with...

Whynot, your info from the census looks extremely helpful. I do have to agree that I love Maui and don't mind the slower, quieter life as long as we can find jobs there to support us. You have confirmed a few people suggesting Kihei and that's where I've done most my homework for homes so far. It seems more decent pricing -- just want to make sure it's an overall good area of primary residence, not too extremely touristy, etc. I notice a small price jump between the west and east sides of Hwy 31. Is that mainly because the hwy makes a separation from the beach side... or is it not as nice of an area to live? And will look into Leis and the surrounding areas. Thanks again and keep 'em coming!

Yeah, I did not hear anything good about Ewa Beach...I know there are some affordable housing there but the place where I went to skydiving, people there told me to stay away from Ewa beach. Diamond Head and Kailua are both heavenly places if you can afford it and very close to Honolulu!

But the bottomline is that you will most likely have to go to where ever your job takes you and if it were me, it would be a concern of mine because I know the only place i'd want to live would be in Oahu.

[MagaMarie]

Now that you've mentioned the traffic in Ewa Beach, I do remember hearing that before. I wasn't sure how relative the term for "traffic" was since I am used to long commutes already... but when you mention the 405, it puts iy into perspective! Yes, Diamond Head and Kailua would be a great goal. Is Kaneohe considered to be in the same area as Kailua? Is it just as nice? Are the homes in the same price range as Kailua? Is anywhere within Diamond Head a good bet?

Oh and thanks for the clarification of Leis, whynot. Too many names floating around in my head!

I'm liking the Kohala Coast on BI too. Much more looking into to do here still. Does anyone recommend any other areas besides Kihei in Maui? Yeah, Wailea is probably a bit much $$ for homes... even Kapaula/Ka'anapali/Lahaina look to be up there.

Looks like we'll be back in a just a few months to start looking around. Many thanks to everyone - you've all been fabulous help!

[whynot?]

Wailea is probably a bit much $$ for homes... even Kapaula/Ka'anapali/Lahaina look to be up there.

These are probably THE most expensive areas of Maui. That's not to say that families don't live there; they just have the priciest housing, for better and for worse.

To add to your perspective on traffic in Honolulu, yesterday's Star-Bulletin also had an article comparing it to other cities nationally: Honolulu's traffic among worst in U.S. | starbulletin.com | News | /2008/06/18/

I think a visit will help your clarify your thoughts on where you'd want to be long-term. And you can always post again!