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Well, after hubby's unsuccessful job search for the last 2 years in the Civil Engineering field here in California and the rest of the world it seems. He's retiring! We can't afford to live on one income in Cali so Honolulu here we come.
I own a Graphic & Marketing Studio, which in theory I can do anywhere as long as I have internet/wifi. From my research here regarding household goods and cars, will be selling off one car and most of our furniture.
I need some feedback regarding computer/printer/hardware costs. Is there a good selection available or should I ship those type of goods with Matson in their smallest container. Just found out I can't ship my IKEA office bookcases (and I have a lot of Billies with glass doors plus Expedids cases) and other office furniture, as the inners are particle board.
Like the Ka O'lina area, what would the communite time be to downtown in the morning? 'Cause this girl will need to find clients or a job. ; )
Luckily, hubby has a paid for '72 convertible mustang, we'll be using that for our weekend trips around the island. Is there a classic car club? Old surfer hang out...he's older than me. Don't let him know I told you guys!
We're looking at end of May, July at the latest to make this move. Going to do a vacation rental as suggested by many, so we can take our time looking for a two bedroom.
Thanks for your help from the short timers on the Mainland.
Um, you can't afford Cali so you're moving to Honolulu? Have you done your research. Honolulu is the most expensive city in the US except for Manhattan. (And in Manhattan, you can live more cheaply in Brooklyn, say, or even New Jersey... and it's possible to commute to work in the city. Not so here.)
If you're living right in the heart of San Francisco, then your expenses *may be* comparable to here, but given the cost of moving here, I have to doubt the wisdom of this.
And, no, commuting from Ko'Olina to downtown during rush hour is really not do-able. It'll take you a couple of hours, probably. I guess if you really, really like your car...
We live in Ko'Olina and the commute is rough...just about the same as the 405 in the rush hour. Its doable, but it ain't pretty! Depending on when you leave it's anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. This Sat at 10:30 am, it took me 45 minutes to the Ala Moana mall.
There is a classic car club that meets regularly at the Wendy's in Kapolei. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of it, but I'm sure once you get here, you can stop by and find out. Tell your hubby to stock up on car parts before you leave. We had a water pump go out on one of our cars. The first pump arrived damaged, second one was air freighted, but it still took around 10 days to get our car running.
Does the mustang have a/c? Cause you'll definitely need it!
There are quite a few Ko'Olina properties on craigslist right now, so you can easily see what the going prices are for 2 bedrooms. Usually anywhere from 1700 to 2400 per month, depending on location and whether its furnished or not.
Last edited by Joliefille; 04-03-2011 at 09:00 PM..
Like others have said, my co-worker told me he would never wish that commute on anyone. He used to live there, and commute to downtown Honolulu. He ended up buying a condo in town, and now walks to work.
Don't believe everything in statistics. A very small two bedroom in the suburbs runs $1950 with a 2 hour commute into LA. That's pretty normal.
So if we're going to live smaller, we're going to be doing it Oahu or Maui.
Now the 405 drive...did that for 10 years to Fluor in Irvine...guess we will be living more URBAN , since I really don't want to sit on the freeway again. But wait...there are Ebooks now. ; )
DHubby loves his '72 conv Mustang, hate to have him sell that, it's all stock and his baby.
Don't believe everything in statistics. A very small two bedroom in the suburbs runs $1950 with a 2 hour commute into LA. That's pretty normal.
I moved here from LA 3 years ago. Don't believe me if you don't want to, but here's the truth: I spend more on everything here. Everything. Really. Rent, especially. (My 2 bedroom is a fair bit higher than what you quote.) Food, too. (Shop at Trader Joe's? Yeah, you can't do that here.) I only don't spend more on gas because I drive a lot less. Because I didn't even consider for a single second living someplace like Ko'Olina
My salary here is 1.5 times what it was in LA, and it doesn't go as far. Again, you can choose not to believe me. But I've got no reason to lie.
Prof, the rental costs on the island have dropped alot just like they have elsewhere in the US. For $2000, I can get something nice in Down Town (since Ko'Olina is out because of the commute time) and have the Island weather/livestyle. My $800 plus in gas alone (Calif) can be used towards any increases. It just using our $$ in a different manner. Like I say, if you're going to have to live simpler/poorer, hey live somewhere where you can spend time outdoors at no extra costs. ; )
You sound like you might have made a Muligan in your career/location choice!?!
Prof, the rental costs on the island have dropped alot just like they have elsewhere in the US. For $2000, I can get something nice in Down Town (since Ko'Olina is out because of the commute time) and have the Island weather/livestyle. My $800 plus in gas alone (Calif) can be used towards any increases. It just using our $$ in a different manner. Like I say, if you're going to have to live simpler/poorer, hey live somewhere where you can spend time outdoors at no extra costs. ; )
You sound like you might have made a Muligan in your career/location choice!?!
Have you seen the apartments in downtown? I'd be careful what I called nice. For $2000, I rented an 800 sq ft place close to downtown that was straight out of the 70s. Tiny, tiny, tiny rooms. Smaller than anything I ever saw in So Cal. I'm from So Cal, and I like the weather & outdoors here a lot. But it's not *that* much better, really. What is keeping you from living this outdoor lifestyle there?
Let me add: it cost me about $10K to move here, almost all of which was paid for by my employer. The rest was tax deductible, because I was moving here for a job. How much of those gas savings are going to be needed just to cover the cost of your move?
I'm actually very happy here. I hate So Cal with a passion. I grew up there, and should have known better than to go back. I love my job a ton. I love the beach more than anything (but, actually, I went to it every week when I lived in So Cal, and I don't here... too busy working every weekend). I'm not the least bit unhappy with the choice to come here, or the cost of living here. (Like I said, I make 1.5 times what I did in LA, so with small adjustments it works out OK... one car instead of two, eat out less often.)
It's just that the thought "we can't afford California, we're moving to Honolulu" is... well, ludicrous. I felt like I should say so. It's clear you don't want to hear it, so I'm done with the conversation.
LOL...if you are from So. Cal. you should know than that you need two cars in a two person household. In Oahu, we would only need one car, that would save another big expense. As I said, we're going to live simpler.
The cost of living between Honolulu, LA, San Francisco isn't that different given that there are some expenses that aren't necessary in Honolulu. Yes, coming from Idaho, Chicago, Texas...Honolulu is extremely expensive. But if you had any type of lifestyle in So. Cal., there isn't not that type of sticker shock.
Silverlining, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you sound like your name should be "rose colored glasses". Please take the time to look through the many, many discussion threads on moving to and living in Hawaii, especially those that discuss the cost of living, availability of jobs, etc. Try to learn from those who have come before you and want to share their wisdom with you. There are realities to living in Hawaii that make it very, very different from anywhere on the mainland.
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Southern CA Housing and the 405
, since I really don't want to sit on the freeway again. But wait...there are Ebooks now. ; )
