Finding an apartment with bad credit on Maui (Kahului: living, prices)

[vin1127]

On Oahu, I had great credit, so I didn't have a problem finding places to live. I think in the four apartments we had throughout the 10 years I lived there, only one required a credit check. Maybe things have changed, and things are more stricter.

I make 55k, and my gf was making 40k, so between the two of us - 95k a year on Oahu is not a problem at all, especially when you dont have kids, and being pretty frugle folks anyways.

We prefer to enjoy the simple things in life, and in hawaii those things dont cost much - enjoying outside, nature, hiking, beaches, ect. Not into spending money on fancy material things, going out to eat all the time.

My credit score recently (few years ago) took a dive over a bad business decision. I am working my way back to get my credit score back up again the way it was. I'm not a deadbeat..lol..just made a few bad decisions. I have a nice retirement setup, and some family inheritance for the future, so I'm not worried about that.

The gf will be working as well. She works in retail, and tourism. So between the two of us, we should be ok on Maui. I was just worried about the rental market there.

Thanks for all your advice, and info guys. I think its just a matter of renting a place off airbnb for a month or so, and start searching for something more permanent. I have proof of my income, I will get all my references from Oahu ready, and my gf is a local gal from Waimanalo, so maybe that can help a little. It cant hurt.

Mahalo.

[Mauigrl2vgs]

I moved here with 3k and a job lined up at the DOE as a teacher making 50k my first year, and now I make 56k after three years. I rent an ohana for 900 that's beautiful and on the golf course in Pukalani. It can be done! I had bad credit as well, in the 600s and no one checked it at all. Maui is cheaper than Oahu. If you're making 55k if assume the girlfriend will find work as well so you should be fine. There are complexes that you could start at in the Kihei area. They range 1100-1600. Post an ad on Craigslist as well. Good luck!

[davephan]

Originally Posted by Mauigrl2vgs

I moved here with 3k and a job lined up at the DOE as a teacher making 50k my first year, and now I make 56k after three years. I rent an ohana for 900 that's beautiful and on the golf course in Pukalani. It can be done! I had bad credit as well, in the 600s and no one checked it at all. Maui is cheaper than Oahu. If you're making 55k if assume the girlfriend will find work as well so you should be fine. There are complexes that you could start at in the Kihei area. They range 1100-1600. Post an ad on Craigslist as well. Good luck!

Wow! Renting for only $900 a month sounds cheap! How many square feet do you have? We stayed In Pukalani near the golf course. The higher elevation is nice, since it's cooler at night. The golf carts are the old noisy gasoline powered, not quiet electric carts. The sprinkler heads on the golf course are the old noisy impact type, not the quiet newer type. Overall, I thought Pukalani was nice, and not far to drive to a lot of stores near the Costco.

[Koale]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

My, my, my, Perhaps if you dug a bit deeper.......

You could always check craigslist and see 1) the listings are out of the ops budget - and 2) and prominently state credit check required.

kihei villages 2 room 1.5 bath

So what business is it of yours what they can or cannot afford? Again, what business is it of yours? I suggested they research it. I did, and found what I needed. They can as well. You constantly jump to inaccurate and rude conclusions. Have a lovely day.
Koale

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Koale

So what business is it of yours what they can or cannot afford? Again, what business is it of yours? You constantly jump to inaccurate and rude conclusions.

Let's see - it looks like a refresher is in order since I actually read the posts.

Regarding affordability.

From post #1

Originally Posted by vin1127

How difficult would you say it is to find a decent apartment, say in the $1,400 to $1,600 range.

Regarding inaccuracies - you, not me - then directed them to a place outside of that range with little or no availability - and with the place listed that is available prominantly requiring a credit check.

So, who is inaccurate. Why point them into unrealistic expectations - just do a little research before you throw things out there.

[Mauigrl2vgs]

I have 500sq feet and it includes utilities. I wake up at 545, and rarely hear carts, the sprinklers aren't an issue either as my yard sprinklers are done by 8pm and I don't really pay much attention to the ones on the course. I'd take this place hands down over the crappy condo I had in Kihei which was much larger but had domestic violence fights below me nightly. Where I chose to live has nothing to do with being near stores in town or Costco as I don't even use Costco, but I am 3 minutes each way to work.

[davephan]

Originally Posted by Mauigrl2vgs

I have 500sq feet and it includes utilities. I wake up at 545, and rarely hear carts, the sprinklers aren't an issue either as my yard sprinklers are done by 8pm and I don't really pay much attention to the ones on the course. I'd take this place hands down over the crappy condo I had in Kihei which was much larger but had domestic violence fights below me nightly. Where I chose to live has nothing to do with being near stores in town or Costco as I don't even use Costco, but I am 3 minutes each way to work.

I'm surprised you don't have a Costco membership. When I visited, I found the difference between the gasoline price at Costco and the other gas stations was about 50 cents per gallon. It would only take 100 gallons for the gasoline savings to pay for the membership. Maybe you don't drive much. We don't drive much compared to other people we know, and we use about 400 gallons of gasoline per year for each of our two cars. A lot of people I work with that commute long distances and go through a tank of gas every two days. They choose to live a long way from the metro area, and the jobs close to them pay very little. Maybe there are other gas stations on Maui that are priced the same or close to Costco's price, but I didn't see them.

The nightly domestic violence fights sound like a 'ghetto' lifestyle for those people. I didn't think about that when I drove around Kihei when we visited Maui. Only 500 square feet is way too small for me, but you can spend a lot more time outdoors.

[alex-rer]

Originally Posted by Koale

If you concentrate your efforts on Private Landlords, and ignore the property management trap, it should be relatively easy for you to land a nice place for your suggested rent amount. Two of the complexes I'm familiar with are Kihei Villages and Southpoint. Both off of Kenolio Road in North Kihei. Both allow pets. Both offer fenced yards for dogs, if you have them. Both have affordable and nice units regularly available. Both have good management. I found both rentals via a personal ad I placed on CL. I know the Southpointe keeps a list of available units both current and future availabilities. Best of luck to you.
Koale

I have seen CL listings for both Kihei Villages and Southpoint and was wondering what they were like. The info you provided is very helpful. Thank you for your post.

[vin1127]

Originally Posted by alex-rer

I have seen CL listings for both Kihei Villages and Southpoint and was wondering what they were like. The info you provided is very helpful. Thank you for your post.

I found a place in Kihei Villages. My apartment here is very nice. Great location. Thanks for the recommendation Koale!

[hotzcatz]

Yay! Good job on finding your new place. Hopefully Maui will be a good island for you and you won't miss Oahu much.