From Miami To Hawaii............ (Honolulu, Hilo: apartment complex, lease, loan)

[MiamiManny]

I am a 27 Year old Miami,Fl. No kids no wife no attachments other than a recent girl friend that would consider making with me. Like many of you have always had a thing for moving to Hawaii. But now more than Ever I feel that the right time Has come for me. To attempt to move. Let me explain why. I've worked in the retail field for 9 years in big big box retail management. Sports Authority,Staples,Gamestop,Radio Shack. Lost my job.Lost an overprice Apartment I purchase on a 80/20 loan for 200.000 right at the real state boom. I humble my self and realize that materialistic things are not inmportant therefore I sold most of my things. I Moved back with my parents got a new decent paying job expect to have around 10.000 saved in 5 months. I have a paid for vehicle that I should be able to sell for around $4500. Don't have much personal property other than my room stuff . After a lot of partying and working to achieve property gains, I realize that ultimately that does not make you happy. To me what's most unimportant is to be close to nature and enjoy outdoor activities. keep in mind I live in Miami a beautiful city but when it comes to outdoor activities and people everything is about what you have and showing off what you have .There is not much here other than fishing which i do a lot of. I would compare Miami more like Honolulu. I know the economy is bad. I know it will be really hard to find a job. But I dont have huge expectations and truly I don't need much other than a room and a kitchen so i guess I'm looking at $600 for a room. I am a very independent person and fact that I will be so far from my family does not scare me at all. The cost of living does not scare me either because in reality as far as rents and gas Miami is very similar to Hi. The food is the only thing I hope to do a lot of farmers market and fishing of my own. The only thing that I'm hesitant about is the employment situation because of how bad the economy is, considering how most business over there is based on tourism. But I am a jack of all trades. I cook.basic car mechanics.basic handy man. and as i sad work as a store manager for past 9 years. The way I look it at. Is this way If I go over to the islands and I attempt and dont find a job. I tried it and will never look back on it as a failure because I got to see and live in a beautifully place who cares if i lost original investment. I can come back to Miami and move on with my life.

By the way I'm considering something like Hilo on the big island Because of the lower cost and from what I have research decent looking relatively safe area.

My main question is this I would not want ship my car over because even thought is very reliable is a low sporty car and from Miami,fl it would be $2000 to ship. So what I was thinking about doing was buying a used small pick up around 2005 like a Toyota Tacoma,Nissan frontier here in Miami driving over to California getting it shipped there and also flying from there as the plane ticket would be almost half than flying from from Miami. As far as my property I'm not sure what to do with it. This is what i have a clothes.,night table, full size tempurpedic mattress,platform bed, camping and fishing equipment,computer desk,chair 32 inch flat screen TV. basically a room of stuff in excellent condition. I know many of you say flight over check out the place than come back and decide. But for me I don't see that as an option as I say i don't have a lot holding me back. No wife,kids,mortgage, and not much property and don't see the point of wasting around 3000 dollars to flight and visit for 2 weeks when i can used that money to wards my attempt at making it overthere. So what do you think.

I'm looking forward to hearing about strategies,employment,locations that will be appealing to me I'm not looking to move into extremely touristy places because i want to be able to do outdoor stuff, some gardening,fishing,kayaking, but also don't want to be way out of the grid because i need to find a job

as you can see im very straight forward and want to hear the good and the bad Thank you

[PacificFlights]

Cant give you much details on Hilo as my stays there are limited to short visits, the airport and the hotels. But Hilo seldom is what people who have not experienced Hawaii thinks it is. Theres little to compare it to on the mainland.

Expenses are also nothing like people think. There may be some things that compare in cost to a city like Miami but, but overall even shopping at farmers markets, your in for sticker shock. Do you know what Hawaii's electrical rates are? Would you be able to live knowing that your food cost will be the same as shopping at the supermarket with the high prices day in and day out? Have you really looked at Hawaii's gasoline prices over a few years and compared that to Miami. A temporary price drop on Hawaii does not mean it wont hit the $5 a gallon mark again and stay there.

Don't want to sound harsh but with todays economic conditions, dreamers are the last people employers want to hire. There is probably 100 people on the island with as much or more qualifications for any job you would apply for. As much as your education, experience and work ethics are valuable, they have dozens of others to pick from who have connections or history to the island. Every employer has hired that person who came and was staying for good only to leave a few months later.

Housing cost may seem low, but you have to put that in perspective. What are you getting for $600 a month? Pictures can make the smallest room look like a suite. Unless you have the housing lined up in advance, what will hotels cost you until you find what you want and can move in? For that matter, what will it cost you for transportation until you buy that car you are looking for?

Since you have no restrictiuons, don't make the mistake many others have made (maybe only 1 in 20 dreamers make it before retuning home to the mainland). Take a week, get a ticket, fly over, visit and see what Hawaii is. Hilo is not the post cards from Hawaii. Hilo is not the beach on Wikiki. Hilo is not the paradise so many seek. And Hilo is not the programs from the travel channel. Hilo is vibrant, exciting, beautiful, and plentiful, But Hilo is a town in Hawaii that is Hawaii. It is not anything like any city you have experienced anywhere on the mainland and should never be compared to one. "Toto, your not in Kansas anymore"

[Heiwos]

C'mon, Hilo still has a Wal-Mart, Taco Time, and Borders bookstore. It's Generica, plus Hawaii. However, I agree that the Hawaii part could quickly dash the hopes of those short on funds to begin with.

MiamiManny, I'd consider buying everything incl. the vehicle in Hawaii, all used, off craigslist. That might be cheaper overall. Carefully calculate how long you can last and make sure you've got enough left for a return ticket, in case there are no jobs to be had. I think you want to make sure you can afford at least a 6 month lease, so you don't pay extra visitor taxes. A friend of mine got free rent in Hawaii in exchange for 10 hours/week of maintenance at an apartment complex.

I've visited the four major islands, a month+ overall, and like the Hilo area the best, because of its nature and because it's less touristy. It might be rainier there than Miami.

[MiamiManny]

thank you for your input I appreciate your honestly and completely agree with the employment situation specially what you said about locals choosing locals and it re-affirms my fear of not finding a job. As far as the room living situation, Originally I cam from Colombia as in South America when i was 12 to Miami growing up as a kid up to my late teen years my family financial situation was not good at all. Therefore I've lived thru a lot of hardships and I believe in hard work and persistence the problem will be how to proof that when it will be hard to hired when your not a local and I want to make it I am aware that hilo is not Waikiki and neither would I wanted to be After Living very close to south beach in Miami I'm not interested the the tourist parts. I am more looking forward to being part of the community observing and absorbing local people learning from others and enjoying the beauty. You mention travel channel and I lol because I'm more of an Anthony Bourdain Type whenever I travel anywhere I alway get away from the tourist traps and try to experience the locals

But going back to my original topic I love to hear from people that have more there or lived there. If you have a similar lifestyle as the one I am trying to achieve tell me why your island your area is best. I have read a lot about families moving there for jobs but not much about individuals specially people my age (no offense i just would like to relate)

[hotzcatz]

Bring some of the camping and fishing equipment, maybe a truck, although you can buy a used one on Craig's List and save the shipping costs. Leave all the fancy stuff at your parents house boxed up and ready to mail later if you want it. Can you take a sabbatical or a long vacation from the job you have now? Maybe two weeks paid and another two weeks unpaid? Then you'd have a month to find employment or a living situation and then if it didn't work out you'd have a job to return to.

You could try WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) which may give you a cheap place to stay in exchange for several hours of work a day and may help you find some sort of agricultural employment. WWOOF Hawaii - Willing Workers on Organic Farms WWOOFing with a little money saved up for food costs along with your camping gear should have you set up so you wouldn't be spending much while trying to find employment.

[MiamiManny]

how is the fishing situation there. here in miami is inpossible i have to drive out to the florida keys because even thoug im sorrounded by water there are no fishing sings in almost all the bridges and people really dont fish of the beach. Unless you have a boat thats a different story. Having flashbacks of the time my cousin and I got the bag limit on mahi mahi I MAKE THE BEST BEER BATTER DOLPHIN FINGERS
But Once in HI dont care so much for sport fishing more for somethign to eat to help the food cost overthere I could Live on Mangrove Snapper for the rest of my life

[MiamiManny]

Before



After

[hotzcatz]

That's a whole mess of nice little mahis. You probably won't catch that many at one time around here unless (or even if) you use a boat. They say it is longliner fleet that has moved into our waters which has caused the less fish here now.

Diligently fishing you could probably feed yourself although it wouldn't hurt to have a garden as well. Feral pigs are probably more dependable of a meat source than fishing these days.

From shore, we don't usually catch mahi although it isn't completely unheard of. Usually folks fish for papio/ulua (trevally). The small ones are papio, the big ones are ulua, same species of fish. Weke are also tasty, o'io (bonefish) are fun to catch but kinda bony for eating. Taape (yellow fish with a blue stripe) are tasty, too. I can catch loads of pipefish, but so far I haven't eaten any of them. There are brackish water tilapia in some areas, too. No fun to catch, they aren't a sport fish at all.

On the Big Island, it isn't so much the "no fishing" signs as it is the access to the ocean. Most of our shoreline is ocean cliffs. Some folks fish from them, but anything higher than fifty feet above the water just doesn't seem like anywhere I want to fish. There is also a lot of surf on rocks to contend with, whipping lures around rocks means a lot of lost lures and when you do hook up, it isn't a guarantee you will get the fish out of the water, either. Loads of fun, but I wouldn't want to depend on feeding myself with fishing.

There is a good fishing store in Hilo, Tokunaga's: S. Tokunaga Store, Hilo, Hawaii - fishing, diving, archery, darts

[MiamiManny]

I was looking at the ulua fishing pretty crazy stuff plus I'm sure the tackle would be expensive for those huge rods I'm used to using 7 foot rods with lbs flouro leaders and 15-20 line for bridge/reef fishing thats mostly for barracudas/mackerel/all kinds of snapper/grouper/ and what you guys call travally which we call jacks/yellow jacks,amber jack,pompano,permit but people here really do not eat the jacks unless is a pompano or permit. the yellow jacks are purple very bloody meat have not eating them but most people would throw back. Oh and when in season you can throw a castnet for shrimp . I wouldn't expect to live out of fishing like i said I'm realistic i want to find a job to cover my basic living expenses I don't have this Idea that HI is this paradise and i can be a beach bum fisherman.About the feral pigs. I'm not a hunter, not that i don't love a good roast pork (caja china style, in miami)<look it up, but i never had anyone take me out hunting. I really admire the people that move there from non coastal states. with a family and kids. I'm a Floridian so I'm used to the heat. Not getting culture shock because Miami is a melting pot. And hi price of food gasoline and rent. So in a way i think Miami is similar to Hi minus the beutifull landscapes and from I;ve read great people, plus I've found that no matter where you go, people that live close to the water have a lot of the same vibe. Oh and the long liner thing I feel your pain and even thought as you can see in my pictures there was a lot of Mahi only 11 of those were my cousin and I and were all florida required size and bag limit, we brought back that same day and had a fish fry with beer and family and friends not one mahi finger left and the next day mahi head soup lol I am really into nature and thats what attracts me about HI. Florida is nothign but flat,flat,swamps. I see how a lot of people garden,grow stuff and try to live a good clean green life and I think thats great you can always lessen the impact on the environment and do your part. People think you have to live in the middle of no where to live that way but from what i see. the people overthrew are resourceful and try do do what they can.

I was thinking how each culture usually have funky names for fish in Miami you have to know the names in spanish or more like cuban and english which cracks me up.

Mahi Mahi/Dolphin=Dorado,
Barracuda=Piquoa,
Snapper= Cubera
Jack= Gallego a gallego is also someone from a particular part in spain
Yellow tail, Rabirubia <which if you were to translate i would say The bloonde with the butt
lobster=langosta
Tarpon=sabalo
Croaker= Ronco=

Fishing is fishing not catching sometimes we load up a truck and borrow a big kart from the local supermarket so we can take our equipment because some of the bridges are 3-7 miles walk with a cooler,small gas grill ,chairs,bait bucket,rods,tackle box, drive down to the keys spend 24 hours on a bridge tired sleepless, hot and attacked by mosquitos to catch nothing but is the trip not the destination

look at the gas prices per gallon on the pic before,see i tell you is similar to Hi it was like $5 something but now is around $3-4


I like to see pictures of people in their day to day life

I hope people read my original post because I'm still looking to hear regarding other locations than hilo and other even if is not on the big island

[hotzcatz]

There aren't a lot of job opportunities on any of the islands, although Oahu has the most people and jobs. There are still areas of Oahu where you can live sort of out in the country and still be able to drive into the city of Honolulu. On any of the other islands, there is no drive to the city option. Sort of like living in the keys and not being able to drive to the mainland Florida. Just make that last bridge between the Keys and Florida about 2,500 miles long and non-existent and that's basically Hawaii. Oahu would be Key West and the rest of the islands the keys along the way. Oh, but at least you get to delete the alligators and we only have one or two small swamps.