possible move to Oahu w/ parents (Honolulu, Kailua: fit in, for sale, real estate)

[mykidsmom]

Hi. My family is considering a move to Oahu for my husband and I to work at U of H. Our combined income should be around $330,000 - 350,000. However, we will need a home where my parents can live with us and we have two children who will need to attend private school. So, I wonder if this is possible. I don't mind a long commute to live some place safe and have a large enough house to not get on each other's nerves - and preferably have 2 master suites. I'm guessing that we could go up to $650,000 for a house given our potential down payment. This sounds like a fortune coming from Kansas City, but I worry it won't buy us what we need in Oahu. If possible, where should we look?

I also worry about island fever. We are land-locked in Kansas City and have never spent more than 2 weeks at a time in Hawaii. What have been the experiences of others? Thanks.

[cynmkolohe]

You will be able to find a home in your price range with 4+ bedrooms. The question will be whether you will find a location that will be comfortable for getting the kids to school and yourself to work! Have you started looking into schools? When you have that location narrowed down, your search criteria will be easier to determine. Do you know if your jobs will be on the Manoa campus?

As for island fever...never experienced it and personally believe it is very closely related to the attitudes you bring with you and how much you want to become a part of the local community. If you surround yourself with folks who are unsatisfied with Hawaii because it is not "like home" you will probably tend to pick up on that mentality. If you find ways to connect to this place and are able to take the occasional trip to visit family, you may find after a short time that you can't imagine yourself living any place else!

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by mykidsmom

Hi. My family is considering a move to Oahu for my husband and I to work at U of H. Our combined income should be around $330,000 - 350,000. However, we will need a home where my parents can live with us and we have two children who will need to attend private school. So, I wonder if this is possible. I don't mind a long commute to live some place safe and have a large enough house to not get on each other's nerves - and preferably have 2 master suites. I'm guessing that we could go up to $650,000 for a house given our potential down payment. This sounds like a fortune coming from Kansas City, but I worry it won't buy us what we need in Oahu. If possible, where should we look?

Thanks.

$650,000 won't buy you much in a good neighborhood. Especially 4br.

To help you do some research on housing prices before you get here, I reccommend Zillow - Real Estate Valuations, Homes for Sale, Free Real Estate Information

You can start with the address of a private school you are thinking of, put that address into Zillow, and you will see values and descriptions (no of bedrooms, sq ft etc) of homes in the neighborhood. For Example:

Hawaii Baptist Academy. I know families that really like this school for their kids, and it is in a good neighborhood, close to downtown and about ten minutes from UH 2429 Pali Hwy. Here's the link:

Zillow - Real Estate Search Results

or, Le Jardin Academy, in Kailua, across the Pali. 917 Kalanianaole Hwy. Kailua 96734

Zillow - Real Estate Search Results

or, La Pietra - Hawaii School for Girls. My daughter went there (about forty years ago) 2933 Poni Moi Rd.

Zillow - Real Estate Search Results

In each of these cases, the properties right around the neighborhood are pretty expensive. You will have to drag the map to see areas nearby that might have lower prices that you could handle. If you don't find a neighborhood near the school that you can afford, you can go to MapQuest.Com: Maps, Directions and More and find an area, say half way from the school to UH, pick a street, and put a fake number on that street (try 100) back into Zillow.

When you find a neighborhood that sounds attainable, if you post the address here, maybe someone here would drive by and give you their impressions.

Hank

[mykidsmom]

Okay. We've revised our plan. The budget is now around $800,000 and we would look for a subdivided place with something like a bottom unit where mom and dad could live and an upstairs unit with at least 3/2 where the rest of us could live. Or, a house with a guest house in back. Anyway, I would prefer to be in an area that is more lush and less beach. I've been able to pick up on a few areas NOT to look, and I've checked out some of the private schools (many look good). But I still don't have too good a lay of the land to figure where schools are in relation to the areas I should consider and how they relate (commuting time-wise ) to the University (UHM).

I appreciate the feedback.

Risa

[HankDfrmSD]

I suggest that you leave all your furniture in storage on the mainland, and rent for six months or so, until you decide where you will be comfortable. You can find any number of "vacation rentals" on Oahu, and some of them will give you a good deal on a six month rental. Try VRBO.com or look on Craigslist.

We have considerable experience with this, because we spend half the year on the mainland (San Diego), and half in Kailua, where we own a home. Each year, we look for a couple or a small family that is willing to rent our home, furnished, for six months. We've done this for about fifteen years, and many of the families we have found are those that are moving to Oahu, and want to get "the lay of the land" before they commit to buying, schools, etc.

Hawaii is a diverse place. Different neighborhoods have different flavors. Some are predominantly Japanese, some Filipino, some Chinese, some Hawaiian. Some very few are Haole. It can vary from block to block, and definitely from town to town. You may come here thinking you will fit in, but you won't really find out till you get here. Finding out you don't after you've plunked down $800,000 could be a rude shock!

Let me give you two examples:

A few years ago, we rented to an airline pilot and his beautiful blonde wife. They each drove a little red sports car. Our house is in Kailua, one of the more "Haole" communities. When Mr and Mrs. Pilot left our house after six months, they rented the upstairs of a house right on Kailua Beach. It probably cost them $6,000 a month. They stayed there for about a year, then bought a lot a few blocks away, and built a house - two lots from the beach.

They found the town they wanted to stay in the first time.

Two years ago, we rented to a janitor who had worked for the Post Office for twenty five years, and was coming (from Minnesota) with his wife and grown son to Hawaii to realize his life-long dream of moving to Hawaii. He loved Kailua, but decided he coudln't afford to buy here, so they rented for another six months in Aiea. They didn't like that area, had a dispute with their landlord, and moved on. They finally bought a new house on the North Shore, ten miles from the nearest decent shopping, and more than an hour from his job at the airport. They live on a street where they have a homeowners association, because the houses on that street jointly own the road and the one water meter for the approx ten houses. The association is having some serious disputes.

It took them well over a year to get settled, and I'm not fully sure it will work out in the long run.

Rent first, is my recommendation.

Hank

[mykidsmom]

Hank -

Thanks for the suggestion. Actually, we intend to have my husband live in campus housing for a year and get to know the island and where the other faculty live before we bring the rest of the family out. I am jsut beginning my obsessing early.

Also, have you all heard anything about UH-Manoa having an elementary/high school on campus? I saw something about a day care, but couldn't find anything about the campus school. But, a colleague said he heard from another faculty member that they sent their child to the campus school.

Thanks again for the feedback.
Risa

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by mykidsmom

Hank -

Thanks for the suggestion. Actually, we intend to have my husband live in campus housing for a year and get to know the island and where the other faculty live before we bring the rest of the family out. I am jsut beginning my obsessing early.

Also, have you all heard anything about UH-Manoa having an elementary/high school on campus? I saw something about a day care, but couldn't find anything about the campus school. But, a colleague said he heard from another faculty member that they sent their child to the campus school.

Thanks again for the feedback.
Risa

My neighbor, who works at UH, but has no kids says she thinks so, but doesn't know details. A "Lab School", and elementary she thinks. I'd go to the UH web site, and start looking, then ask the contact points on that site.

UH Manoa Faculty and Staff

Hank

[mykidsmom]

Thanks. I did finally find it.

[TERRIE]

it definitly sounds like you would like the windward side of the island, leeward will be less expensive and you will probably find the house you like and need for your family. but, in the longrun i don't think you'd be happy there....keep to the east for sure! just my 2 cents...

[MsKapiolani]

myKidsmom, are you and your husband both professors? In what fields? I am shocked (in a good way) that UHM pays so well. I have always assumed that corporate jobs pay better than those in the higher ed. I am so wrong. Thanks for giving me hope about higher ed jobs!