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Regardless, I actually agree - most rentals under $3K and 3 bedroom that are cheap (read, small - barely habitable, etc) aren't usually available to the general public - they get snapped up by word of mouth - which brings us back to this thread - the likelihood of someone in the military or someone moving to Hawaii and grabbing one of those kinds of rentals isn't terribly high, unless they get hooked up by another military member leaving the island or they happen to get very lucky.
A friend I hope? Anyway Mr Viper sorry I'm on my phone and it likes to sometimes auto correct without my approval lol, pain in the okole!
Don't tell me I'm wrong. What makes you rude closed minded mainland people think you can come here and attack the locals? Stay in Michigan or where ever you're from.
You're wrong...I lived in Hawaii for many years and I know all about the locals and their BS.
Koale
Due to the horrific traffic on Oahu, living on base might be the best thing. If you lived on base you'd save several HOURS each and every day you went to work that could be better spent with your family. An extra TWO HOURS (or more) EACH DAY is priceless and any "living in the culture of Hawaii" you'd be able to find wouldn't compensate for that.
As a military person, everyone on the island knows that you will be leaving in several years. They will be nice to you and all, but they aren't going to take you into their inner circle. It's too painful to make friends all the time and then have them leave so island folks usually wait until you've been around for a year or two before they begin to open up to you.
A lot of the houses in Hawaii are too small to entertain much, so a lot of entertainment and social activities are outside of the actual physical community. Join a paddling group, a hula halau, join a local social group - lions, elks, temple, church, whatever and that will be your community. Pretty much in Hawaii a community is made up of a group of people and not just a physical location. If you live on base, you'll have time to join a social circle. If you live off base, you'll spend all your prime time in traffic. So give your family the gift of yourself and not spend it sitting in your car.
The other thing is add up the costs of living off base. An extra car, gas, time spent in commute (that's got a value), lunches away from home, etc. It can all add up to a surprising amount.
And, on a social level, when housing is so tight on the island, if you are living off base you're making the housing tighter for the rest of the folks since we don't have the option of base housing.
Due to the horrific traffic on Oahu, living on base might be the best thing. If you lived on base you'd save several HOURS each and every day you went to work that could be better spent with your family. An extra TWO HOURS (or more) EACH DAY is priceless and any "living in the culture of Hawaii" you'd be able to find wouldn't compensate for that.
As a military person, everyone on the island knows that you will be leaving in several years. They will be nice to you and all, but they aren't going to take you into their inner circle. It's too painful to make friends all the time and then have them leave so island folks usually wait until you've been around for a year or two before they begin to open up to you.
A lot of the houses in Hawaii are too small to entertain much, so a lot of entertainment and social activities are outside of the actual physical community. Join a paddling group, a hula halau, join a local social group - lions, elks, temple, church, whatever and that will be your community. Pretty much in Hawaii a community is made up of a group of people and not just a physical location. If you live on base, you'll have time to join a social circle. If you live off base, you'll spend all your prime time in traffic. So give your family the gift of yourself and not spend it sitting in your car.
The other thing is add up the costs of living off base. An extra car, gas, time spent in commute (that's got a value), lunches away from home, etc. It can all add up to a surprising amount.
And, on a social level, when housing is so tight on the island, if you are living off base you're making the housing tighter for the rest of the folks since we don't have the option of base housing.
Aloha hotzcatz not to embarrass you ok? Can I say I have read a lot of your posts and I have to be honest. You are one of the best posters on here. For a transplant your an example that others should follow. Your the real deal. Thank you
Due to the horrific traffic on Oahu, living on base might be the best thing. If you lived on base you'd save several HOURS each and every day you went to work that could be better spent with your family. An extra TWO HOURS (or more) EACH DAY is priceless and any "living in the culture of Hawaii" you'd be able to find wouldn't compensate for that.
As a military person, everyone on the island knows that you will be leaving in several years. They will be nice to you and all, but they aren't going to take you into their inner circle. It's too painful to make friends all the time and then have them leave so island folks usually wait until you've been around for a year or two before they begin to open up to you.
A lot of the houses in Hawaii are too small to entertain much, so a lot of entertainment and social activities are outside of the actual physical community. Join a paddling group, a hula halau, join a local social group - lions, elks, temple, church, whatever and that will be your community. Pretty much in Hawaii a community is made up of a group of people and not just a physical location. If you live on base, you'll have time to join a social circle. If you live off base, you'll spend all your prime time in traffic. So give your family the gift of yourself and not spend it sitting in your car.
The other thing is add up the costs of living off base. An extra car, gas, time spent in commute (that's got a value), lunches away from home, etc. It can all add up to a surprising amount.
And, on a social level, when housing is so tight on the island, if you are living off base you're making the housing tighter for the rest of the folks since we don't have the option of base housing.
When we rotated to Okinawa, we brought our pets with us. The day we arrived, we were offered three units in the towers (military housing). However, the towers didn't allow pets so we were forced to rent out in town. We ended up in a small house by American standards and even though my neighbors never made mention of it, I'm sure they wondered why we (a childless couple) needed a three bedroom house with a large yard and car parking. As time passed and I got to know my neighbors - I became very uncomfortable that our housing allowance made it difficult for the local population to find affordable housing.
[color="Blue"]You need to live on the windward side if possible. We lived in Kaaawa. There is a nice apt. complex that sits right below The Crouching Lion, which is a rock formation that looks like it's name.
The Crouching Lion bar/lounge bit the dust awhile ago.
And has horrendous traffic to/from. Some of the worst on the island.
Hey everyone!
I just found out my family and I will be moving to the island next year and with that said where do I want to look for somewhere to live that will give me the best Hawaiian experience? I am in the Navy, (don't beat me up yet) my family and I are not your usual rude, closed minded mainland people, we enjoy different cultures and want to feel like part of the community. anyway....
I will be working on Hickam but I do not want to live in housing, nor do I want to be a part of the tourist scene. While it may be a long drive I was thinking somewhere in the North Shore, I prefer farmers markets and ethnic grocery stores over chain supermarkets and the commissary, so it would be nice if those are close, and a decent to good elementary school for my daughter. Cost wise I do need to keep it within my BAH range so i'll say $3,000 or less with 3 bedrooms if possible.
Let me know what you guys think, THANK YOU!!
I think that most of your intro makes you sound like a gentrifying hipster that thinks only other people are gentrifying because they "get it" and those other people don't... LOL. You would have been better off leaving that part out IMO. You are military being stationed in Hawaii, it is what it is... don't be ashamed of it, just come be a good person. You guys aren't all the same any more than the locals are all the same.
If you want the real local family experience... get a second job to pay for your kids private schooling, shop at costco, and live with your parents.
If you want to enjoy yourself... live on base, send your daughter to Hickam elementary (one of the best in the state), and be grateful that you can go to the beach on the weekend and spend time with your family after work because you have a decent income, a manageable commute, and work provided housing.
If you want local friends that badly join a paddling club or volunteer somewhere. There are limitless opportunities to get involved in the community.
You can find ethnic grocery stores and "farmers markets" most anywhere on the island. Chinatown and Kalihi are reasonably close to Hickam... plenty of that stuff around.
And in the name of all that is good in the world... do not try and live on the north shore and commute to Hickam everyday... I don't think I can adequately explain in words how awful that commute would be everyday especially if you travel anywhere near rush hour. If you have to live off base and want a little more country feel look to the windward side where they schools are decent and your commute would be tolerable.
I specifically looked at rentals under $3K on the North Shore. I also own several properties on the island. At the time of the posting there were exactly 2 somewhat dilapidated 3 bedroom houses available on the North Shore. So to imply there is an abundance of 3 bedroom houses for rent on the North Shore (and the island in general) and that you can actually rent one is doing a disservice to people trying to move here.
Nice spin. I never implied there was an abundance of homes for rent on the North Shore, I clearly stated that living there is a horrible idea and to look in other areas (Aiea, Halawa, Pearl City, etc).
Quote:
Originally Posted by whtviper1
$3,000/month even on the North Shore probably isn't going to cut it for a decent 3 bedroom house - that figure is starting to be a stretch island wide.
You CLEARLY implied that housing in the North Shore is more affordable than other areas on the island. With the exception of beach-front homes and a few luxury neighborhoods, that's obviously true.
Not everyone needs a freshly renovated home, 2,000 SF of space to sprawl across, a pool or a short stroll to the beach. Your perspective on rents (in general) skews to that of higher end, higher quality homes in more desirable areas. There are PLENTY of 3 bdrm homes available for rent on Oahu under $3,000. Sure, you'll likely have a hard time finding that in the desirable areas like town, East Honolulu or Kailua, but there are many other areas to live on Oahu.
And just because you rent your homes at the very top of what the market can bear doesn't mean other landlords do the same.
You're wrong...I lived in Hawaii for many years and I know all about the locals and their BS.
Koale
So you don't even live in Hawaii now but you are current with the locals and their BS? You do not represent Hawaii, never did never will. Arguing about who has the most Aloha, indeed!
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well...
