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I I'm considering it over the Big Island and Maui as I think those islands would be a bit boring for me.
BI definitely isn't boring - I'm a 34 year old single guy and can say that. I lived in Hono for a little bit, and while there was alot of 'action', it was very ephemeral and I found myself missing nature (seriously). BI has lots to do year round (cultural, both Hawaiian and Pacific Rim). There's plenty to do here from ocean to snow and some of the best stargazing ever (this coming from a guy who grew up in Fairbanks).
I'm just saying, don't knock out the BI just because it doesn't have a crazy club-life. However, if that is what you are looking for, O'ahu will be your best bet. If you're really looking for the Waikiki lifestyle, you'll enjoy your time there, but for me, it eventually 'got' to me, and I had to move closer towards the Hawai'i that I loved.
Wow $2,500/mo for a studio or 1 bed....that is steep. That might be out of my range making it not worth it. Florida is also an option.
wow you give up easily. Do some research. Everybody has an opinion, it may or may not be 'the only one' lol. Maybe another hawaii board too. The main problem is you know very little about hawaii or waikiki. I'm not sure what the age has to do with it. You would not be the only person to come here and live for a few months. the options are way tooo vast. so many towns, cities, islands to choose from, If it were me? I'd choose a rental in Kona, or Hilo, or in the thick of waikiki, but yes, you mentioned Oahu specifically. A quick simple search gave me at one hotel:
Nice Waikiki Economy Studios starting @ $1,100 a month Deluxe Ocean View Waikiki Studios starting @ $1,600 a month
Have you even stated a price range? Are you open to sharing a waikiki apt? Some would welcome a short termer, or maybe they are subletting or housesitting. Some people own condos and rent them out during certain months. You never know, search on craigslist or internet searches. The Royal Grove in Waikiki lists
[CENTER]Category 3:
Room 2 beds-2 singles (only) kitchenette, color TV, no a/c , phone, bath/shower.
All Rooms are NON Smoking
$57 - $60 per nite, $375 - $400 weekly[/CENTER]
If I had a place in seattle, had the option to move and take my work with me (assume you have the option to return to seattle if things dont work out?), I would just secure something on a weekly basis, get on the plane and start living. Can't think of anything more exhilarating. You have the job to take with you and you have the housing 'back home'. Make a run for it!
Last edited by manapua12; 06-16-2013 at 07:11 AM..
Thanks for the awesome encouraging post manapua12! I would actually consider all the other HI islands too. I was thinking Honolulu just because of the amount of activities, restaurants, social networking, & hustle/bustle. Also the Diamond Head college hoops tournament and Univ Hawaii basketball games are attractive in Honolulu as I'm a big college hoops fan (I go see Univ of WA here in Seattle). I don't plan to go out to the clubs at all and bars probably very little (except for a sunset happy hour here and there) as I'm well beyond my club days at 43 years old.
So you like Kona and Hilo as options too? I will definitely do a lot more research. It's still a ways off before I go. June-Sept are the most beautiful months in Seattle so I wouldn't be heading over until November at the earliest. What I could do this winter is get a weekly place and hop to a few different islands to see what I would like best. I lived in Maui for one year 20 years ago and really liked it, but I have never been to any of the other islands. What I will likely do the most in HI is swim in the ocean, hike, work my job from home, and get out and meet new people. I'm thinking Hawaii might have better meetup.com group activities to meet new friends because it's much larger. Since I'm going alone, it's a priority to meet friends and develop a circle of friends there.
...at 43 years old. I lived in Maui for one year 20 years ago and really liked it, but I have never been to any of the other islands.
Just curious. Why did you leave Maui after staying there one year?
I'm sure things changed drastically in the past 20 years, especially the prices. I think you'll find that the rental prices, in general, are drastically cheaper in Maui and The Big Island compared to Oahu.
I think it's only practical if you can work remotely for more money. Working for a local company might be a 20% to 50% cut in pay, depending on the job, while the cost of living is probably 20% higher than Seattle.
We plan to start by vacationing there for 2 - 3 weeks this winter when the weather in Minnesota is cold and snowy. If we like it, I'll try to stay for 2 - 3 months after my wife retires in one year, using my vacation time and working remotely, if I can get it approved to work remotely for 1 - 2 months, to extend the vacation. Gradually over the 3 - 6 years left to work, I could get a better feel for if Hawaii is a good fit for us by taking extended vacations for several years. If things don't work out, then it is easy to reverse and minimize the cost and risk. We might determine that southern California or Florida is a better option for us.
At age 43, you should be saving a lot of money for retirement, maximizing your contributions to 401k, 457B, etc, plus saving extra money, paying off the mortgage, cars, credit cards, living debt free. We have been debt free for years and saved quite a bit, but still, I don't know if we are willing to spend the extra money to live in Hawaii, verses elsewhere. The climate is nearly perfect there and just might be worth the higher cost.
Maybe you can save enough for retirement and become debt free where you live now, but couldn't in Hawaii, then I think the answer is you will have to wait. Otherwise, you might be in severe poverty when you retire, then your life would be very bad, unless you die early, but no one would want to count on that!
Consider buying a vacation rental in Curacao. You won't be allowed to move there, but you can get a tourist visa for the 4 months that you want every winter.
Their tourist season is 365 days a year, so you could have a manager keep your rental full, by the week, all year except for the months that you want it for yourself. That would keep the cost to you down to a reasonable range.
You might be able to do that on Oahu, too, but there are very limited properties where it is legal to use them as vacation rentals and property is massively expensive to purchase.
I've got friends that do that with a house in Costa Rica. It is rented by the week to tourist except when they want to use it themselves. They are making a nice profit on theirs, but, of course, no guarantees about making any money.
I had mentioned Kona and Hilo as I didn't fully realize at first you were looking at the excitment of a city. Those two places have little in terms of 'excitement' in the sense you are seeking.
I certainly can see the appeal of Honolulu. I have been off work this week (no off island vacation for me this time) and have spent several days at Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach. Very few places can you have a great beach and swim in the water and walk across the street (a long walk though) to a gigantic mall then head home with dinner.
I do find a lot of Honolulu to have an appearance of shanty town-ish espeically the areas outside of Waikiki (Waikiki is just a different beast all together). I think it's fine if you live here (say Makiki or Moilili or Nuuanu) but coming from Seattle, you're going to find a lot of Honolulu neighborhoods to look desperate unless you go condo or something. I'ts just how it is. Things aren't well kept outside. INside may be a different matter. Wealthier areas like Kahala are better kept, but maybe a ohana rental near Kapiolani park would be great. I love that area.
I'm really saying that because many only see the hotels and condos of waikiki or imagine how quaint it may be to live in a little shack near the beach, but i think that reality has long gone. The news that Saks Fifth Avenue is going to move into the International Market Place was a recent shocker and underscores how much Waikiki is changing and losing its home roots.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whtviper1
For $1,500 or less around Waikiki that is furnished think Motel 6. Then think worse. Much worse. And not particularly safe.
Reading your posts here and there, this comment doesn't surprise me. Some people just have refrigerators that pour San Pellegrino from the spout, and some drink plain ole tap water.
It's easy to find a decent apartment in the $1200-1600 range. But they're virtually all unfurnished and require a year-long lease. On the Big Island, especially around Hilo, you can find a lot more furnished and month-to-month places, or landlords that will allow you to pay a slightly higher rent in exchange for a short lease (virtually all the rentals on Oahu are through rental agents, whereas the ones on the BI are often through the owners).
I just went to Maui to do something different after college when I was 22, I called it my year of "postponement of reality" before I entered the rat race back in the mainland I worked as a bartender in a hotel in Maui, and after a year I was ready to go back to the excitement of San Francisco where I lived at the time.
I won't have to worry about working for a local company as I'm 100% self-employed and can work from absolutely anywhere, so my income will be the same if I am in Oahu or Kona or Seattle. I'm in great shape for retirement, I save most of my income every year and invest it as I have no kids or expensive wife, and I have zero debt. But I have the "frugal gene" and I just hate to waste money on things like expensive rentals! But I will sublet my place in Seattle while I'm in Hawaii, so renting there won't be much of an extra expense over my housing expense in Seattle.
In terms if Curacao, I like Hawaii better then the Caribbean. I like Asia/Pac Islander culture better the Caribbean culture. I have thought of Costa Rica too, but I still think I would like Hawaii better. I like the convenience factor of being in the U.S. & college sports at Univ of HI.
What is Kailiua like? Kapiolani park sounds interesting. I will be trying Hawaii out this winter so we will see how it goes. Nothing beats actually DOING something to figure out if it's for you vs. thinking about it too much.
I think at this point people are going to mention an area or town, you're going to ask what its like, someone is going to say you can't afford it and there are no options there, and someone else is going to say but wait there is this place, what about... lol
I always hesitate getting involved in these type of posts. I really only posted due to someone telling you could not do something under $2500. You'll find a wide range of opinions on this board.
Good luck in your endeavours.. bowing out.
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I worked as a bartender in a hotel in Maui, and after a year I was ready to go back to the excitement of San Francisco where I lived at the time. 
