Trading Florida for Hawaii (Kahului: real estate market, apartment complexes, rental)

[Captain Karen]

I'm presently a Florida native who is also an experienced RN with an ER and ICU background. I am interested in relocating to Hawaii full time. I presently own a timeshare in Maui and have traveled to several of the islands but being a visitor is much different from living in a place. My two choices are Maui and Kauai. I've been researching jobs and find salaries averaging $60,000-72,000. Is that about right for experienced nurses? Do any of the medical facilities pay for relocation or provide housing? Speaking of housing, what would a monthly rental be? I have to sell my house here in Sarasota first before I could buy elsewhere and think I would like to rent for a couple of years before buying again. What are food and gas prices like? Should I ship my Nissan Exterra over or buy in the islands (shipping is about $5,000 but my car is paid off). What about the cost of furniture in the islands? Should I ship a container over or sell off what I have and buy new? Is there a nursing shortage there? Are all the island nurses unionized? What is the patient to staff ratio? I know these are a lot of questions but could some already established Hawaiian nurses fill in the blanks? Thanks. Captain Karen

[Ghostgecko]

Karen, I lived there for 5 years, and I think that shipping price is WAYY too high! I live in Key West now, left Oahu for it, and although I am closer to the mainland, it's not close enough! I am getting tired of it here too. I miss the mountains and the overall feeling from the islands.

As far as housing, it's all relative. You can find a good place, but don't expect huge apartment complexes like in Florida, as in the Keys, there aren't any. It's more like houses and units from them. But the rents vary. It's all about networking. Get some good friends and talk with them. The Aloha spirit is still alive and well, And though I was a haole, I had a great time there, despite being from Indiana, well welcomed and made many good friends. It's a time of my life I wouldn't trade for anything...

And the as the song says... "I will return" But it won't be Molokai!

[whynot?]

Since you own a timeshare here, I'd recommend that you spend some of your next visit touring our healthcare facilities. I don't want to sound negative -- and we always need more great health professionals -- but Maui's facilities may not be up to what you're used to in Sarasota. We have only Maui Memorial in Kahului and tiny Kula Hospital upcountry. Kauai has a couple of hospitals and a veteran's center. Before you pack your things and ship your car, you might want to see firsthand where you'd be working.

[hotzcatz]

Finding a job will be the most difficult, the rest is just filling in the details except for selling the house, that is another big hurdle. If you are planning on moving, then pack up all your stuff in labeled boxes or numbered boxes if you don't want them labeled as to what is in the boxes. Sell your house and then you will be ready to move. Then, take a vacation at your time share and look for a job. If you get a job, then send for the boxes you need and have someone take your car to the port. If you don't get a job, then go back to the job you do have and tell everyone about your wonderful vacation and work on plan "B".

[drsmiley06]

Karen I'm in the same position you're in. I recently visited Oahu for the 3rd time and loved it, and I'm willing to move there in a few years. I'm a dentist living in upstate Pennsylvania and I could easy get use to that kinda of weather out there. I was also wondering about the salaries out there too, not sure if it'll be the same as in PA, but then again I'm willing to take a pay cut depending on the job. From what the locals have told me they welcome professionals like yourself, especially in the medical field. Once I mentioned that I was a dentist I got all kinds of advice about moving there. Apparently Maui is the place to be, growing faster than any other island from what I'm told. I know it's a big decision to make, it would suck moving out there and finding out that you don't like it. If I was to do it I'd probably put my stuff in storage, pay the yearly storage fee, which will be much much less than moving all that stuff over and see how things go. If you don't like it at least you can just get a plane ticket and come back, you'll stuff is still here.

[hotzcatz]

Renting out your house for a year or two might give you more options for returning to take up your previous life if you find out moving to Hawaii was a mistake. By that time the real estate market might be improved, too.

When you've been researching jobs, have you found any listings for actual available jobs? What folks get paid for doing a job you'd like to do is an entirely different thing than a posting for an available job.