Can you live on BI and commute to Oahu (how much, buying a house)

[Alicia64]

Aloha,

My husband is considering applying for an IT job at the health care system on Oahu. The system is advertising on the mainland. It's a specialty job that involves a specific software program.

Is it crazy to think about living on BI and having my husband commute to Oahu?

If that's possible, how would he do it. Do you know what kind of time that would involve?

Living on Oahu and even thinking about buying a house seems impossible. Even if we live in a small box, I'm afraid he'd have a bad car commute on Oahu.

So I had the bright idea about possibly living on BI and commuting -- crazy?

We don't have any family so missing family wouldn't be an issue.

Mahalo!

Alley

[mdand3boys]

A daily commute would probably be tough to do with the uncertainty of airline schedules.

[Alicia64]

Thanks M! I'm beginning to get that idea.

There's an ideal job for my husband on Oahu. Is living there a terrible idea? We don't feel like we have to buy, but the idea to go and have fun for a few years, not be broke and miserable.

We don't know what they'd offer, but a similar job in Virginia is offering $90,00. Any idea at all what the comparable might be?

Thanks!

Alley

[mdand3boys]

The pay is "probably" less than on the mainland. Before despairing though, there are exceptions, mainly when a non-Hawaiian company is looking to hire a very qualified person.

[newUHprof]

Originally Posted by Alicia64

Living on Oahu and even thinking about buying a house seems impossible. Even if we live in a small box, I'm afraid he'd have a bad car commute on Oahu.

I don't think there exists a car commute on Oahu bad enough to compare with daily: drive to airport, check in, get through security, 1-hour(ish) flight, then drive from HNL to wherever he works.

I know some folks who work on the BI and spend every weekend on Oahua (with family, girlfriend, whatever). Even that they don't keep up for long.

[PacificFlights]

What would it be like commuting from Sacramonto to Oakland by plane every day? The time also depends on where on the Big Island you will be living and where on Oahu he will be working.

[KoaKine]

Thinking that its an IT job. How much of this job could be done at home and not on Oahu ? This could reduce the amounts of trips like to once ore twice a week. Just a thought I have friends that do this.

[Alicia64]

KoaKine ~ I like how you think. Actually there's a lot of remote work involved, but it's not officially sanctioned. Every night the poor guy works from home on his laptop remotely -- and when he's on pager.

But on paper his job is at the office 40 hrs. a week. I expect this job on Oahu would be similar. But who knows?

The job is w/ Hawaii Pacific Health and the IT job is specialized. Do jobs generally pay comparable salaries to mainland? Are relocation packages unheard of?

My husband is Mr. Practical. He'll need to see that the math makes sense before he'd take on a move like this. (Although he's ready for a new work challenge.)

Me on the other hand just does a count of the awesome beaches and calls it good.

I'm sitting on pins and needles hoping this could possibly come together and work out. At the same time I'm trying not to get my hopes up. But they're kind of up there already!!

Alley

[cynmkolohe]

Originally Posted by Alicia64

Me on the other hand just does a count of the awesome beaches and calls it good.

I know that feeling! Hope it works out for you. Oahu is a great place to live. I was there almost 5 years and loved it. Miss it sometimes and always enjoy going back to visit.