Anyone live in San Juan Islands?

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by tropix

Hi all,
Just found this thread - some of which is kinda old (2007-8), anyone care to update? Anything change that much?
I currently live in Hawaii and am looking for a place to retire - definitely can't afford Hawaii on a social security check - and have always wondered about the SJIslands. I like the outdoorsy lifestyle.
Part of being a "small community" is the knowing/caring about/helping your friends and neighbors, but another part is the downside of, as one poster put it, people being "sheltered," "immature," and "knowing nothing about the real world?" I think that kind of comes from being in a limited geographical area and close to parents/relatives all the time - so you don't really have to grow up and mature because they can always save your okole if you get in trouble. I don't mind people not knowing what's going on in the "real world" -- hey, we're not all connected to a computer 24/7 - but I really don't like the insular way of thinking that's very prevalent in Hawaii. They dislike haoles (can't tell you how many times I have been the most qualified applicant but didn't get the job because I'm white and not "local"), and, although I am lucky to have friends of many different ethnicities, as a stranger, you are always treated badly unless you stay in the tourist areas. There's a lot of prejudice here, unfortunatly. Is that true in SJIslands also?
What's the cost of living like? I have a condo in Honolulu that I would sell for approx. $300,000 - would that buy a decent house? I want a yard again!
Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

I live in the San Juans part of the year ... and in Hawaii part of the year ...
You can find houses for $300K in a few spots, but they will be modest, at best.
That said, I can find houses in Hawaii for well under that, as well, in certain areas ...
yes, rural -- but so are all the San Juans.

No, you won't find any prejudice in the San Juans as a new arrival.
That said, I don't have any trouble in Hawaii -- although I understand the attitudinal influences you mention.

Cost of living differences?
I am a minimalist, so I live cheaply wherever I am ... but I could live a pretty normal lifestyle in Hawaii for about the same as in the San Juans. The SJ islands are close to the mainland compared to Hawaii, but food and gas is higher than mainland, just as in Hawaii -- and selection more limited. There are heating expenses most of the year, as well.

Don't know where you are in Hawaii, but there is more to do on any island there -- except Lanai and Molokai -- than anywhere in the San Juans ... I speak of both cultural and outdoors activities ... although boating is a bit easier about half the year in the San Juans.

You DO know how dismal the weather is in the NW, right? You can't count on any nice weather more than about 4 months out of 12. Seriously. I have loved it here anyway for 40 years, but, now retired, I spend more and more of my year in Hawaii (and California) to escape the dismal, depressing, elephant-arse gray skies and chilly - cold damp.

Bottom-line: if you can enjoy living rural in the San Juans, you can live rural in Hawaii (Big Island style) for pretty similar budget.

Also: don't know if you need to find employment, but it is actually easier to find a job in Hawaii than in the San Juans.

[HonuMan]

My wife and I currently live in Portland, Oregon. She's from the Big Island of Hawaii, and it's long been our dream to retire there in a few years. We recently got back from a vacation on Orcas Island, and it's the first place we've been to that's offered some serious competition to the BI. Orcas feels a lot like the BI to my wife: slow pace of life, friendly and and happy people (the ones we met, anyway), incredible natural beauty, peace and quiet, and many outdoor activities. We had some extended conversations with locals, and were told that, except for families that have lived there for a long time, nobody just "ends up" living there, because you have to take a ferry to get there, and there are few jobs. The people who move there make a conscious choice to do so, and have to be willing to make sacrifices. That, too, is similar to the BI. Orcas has attracted a lot of people who are involved in the arts, so there's more of a cultured and educated feeling than you find in many small, rural locations elsewhere.

The drawbacks are what you'd expect: almost no jobs, lack of diverse things to do when compared to a big city, lack of places to shop, higher cost of living than on the mainland, and summer crowds and congested ferries. We also didn't see any inexpensive places to eat. There were no fast-food or chain restaurants, and pretty much every place we saw was "PNW gourmet" – all of which is great, except for the hit on your wallet. If you lived there, you'd probably want to do most of your own cooking to save momey.

We were perusing the real-estate ads, and we saw a number of places for under $300K, but we didn't look at any and thus couldn't comment on their condition. During the housing boom a few years ago, we saw very little for under $600K. There seems to be plenty of land without houses for sale right now.

I can't comment on prejudice toward outsiders. Everyone we met ranged from friendly to extremely friendly. However, that's been my experience during my many visits to Hawaii, too. I'm a mainland haole, but I suspect having a Hawaiian wife and extended ohana has worked in my favor. Yes, I've experienced some rudeness there, but far less than I experience on the mainland among what are ostensibly my own kind. My wife has experienced far more prejudice on the mainland because she looks "ethnic" and speaks with a funny accent. People on Orcas were fascinated by her background, though. I've heard that there's some tension between full-time residents and vacationers because of the summer crowds, inflated housing prices caused by rich outsiders buying property, and a lack of respect shown toward the locals and their property – again, very similar to Hawaii.

My boss's family comes from the San Juans, and she thinks it's a great place to retire, although she admits to being biased. My wife and I plan to visit the other islands, as well. Hawaii wins when it comes to great weather and warm, swimmable ocean. The San Juans win when it comes to proximity to the mainland. For most other things, it's a draw.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by HonuMan

... We were perusing the real-estate ads, and we saw a number of places for under $300K, but we didn't look at any and thus couldn't comment on their condition. During the housing boom a few years ago, we saw very little for under $600K. There seems to be plenty of land without houses for sale right now...

There has always been a lot of "land" for sale on Orcas ... and most of the lower priced lots aren't real desirable ... don't be fooled by ads, of course ... and building permits and restrictions are considerable (especially compared to BI!) ... so, no easy snap there either (I built my place alone, from scratch, my own design and plans -- nightmare dealing with the "authorities")

Yes, housing prices took some hit in the SJ islands, like anywhere else ... but not as much of a hit ... it's NOT cheap ... but you can find a modest place or fixer here and there.

"Cultural life" differences? More access to sophisticated cultural venues? If you define "sophisticated" as Euro-centric, yeah -- but you're still going to have to go mainland for much of that. Definitely true that all the San Juans are loaded with artsy folks, though ... so, if your interests and comfort zone run stronger with Euro-centric art and social styles, then, yes, the SJ Islands have more to offer.

And then there's the weather

[Social Democrat]

Not to redirect this thread - well maybe just slightly - you advise the weather is pretty dreary 7 or 8 months out of the year in the Orcas. Would that apply to the Gig Harbor/Fox Island area as well based on your experience?
Ack - nevermind. I did a search (obvioulsy should have done that first) and found my answer. Maybe we need to do like Nullgeo and have multiple locales and enjoy the best of several states!

[rkcarguy]

^^^
This is very common, we have a large number of retired folks that head south for 4-5 months out of the year to get away from the drippy dreary weather.
Wish my job would let me do that.

[osprey48]

All this talk about dreary weather. Isn't the southern half of the islands including a lot of SJI and all of Lopez Island in the Olympic Rain Shadow?

[jacqueg]

Originally Posted by osprey48

All this talk about dreary weather. Isn't the southern half of the islands including a lot of SJI and all of Lopez Island in the Olympic Rain Shadow?

Yes, but that doesn't mean it's cloudless and sunny! Just less rainy, with a few more sunbreaks in the clouds.

[osprey48]

Originally Posted by jacqueg

Yes, but that doesn't mean it's cloudless and sunny! Just less rainy, with a few more sunbreaks in the clouds.

Thanks for the quick reply. Will be returning to the area next year for my 25th wedding anniversary. Will be staying on orcas island and sequim. Maybe one other place, maybe Coupeville area. Want to experience a variety of locales in the area and experience the advantages and disadvantages of being on island to live for retirement. Any suggestions?