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Mommy, as a resident of Ninole, HI (at the 21 mile marker north of Hilo) for three years, I will share what I learned. This was about 6 years ago and I was a late 50's haole (white) woman from the mid-west.
The first glaring issue for you to consider is your allergies!!! I was told by my doc that HI has the worst allergies of any state. Mold/mildew is a major factor. Being fair, when we moved back to the Mainland (Tennessee), I was told THat state had the worst allergies in the world!
Schools: I believe it is common knowledge that Mainland children may encounter more issues in school as far as acceptance.
The Locals; We found them wonderful, warm, caring and interested in us; most locals never leave the island.
Jobs: Times are difficult everywhere and it is indeed difficult to find a job; the locals are favored as it should be I suppose. The reasoning is that most Mainlanders return toooo the Mainland; over 50% do. The book you referred to will reiterate many of my views.
Activities: Learn to snorkel...as an 'old lady' I went often and it is the most liberating experience in the world. Many local parks have easy access to safe snorkeling. Learn to fish as a family...wonderful! Local parks are wonderful, but tiny and mostly just picnic tables, not really playgrounds in Hilo. Another think you CANNnn't do is take nice road trips...there is just not enough road; once you have driven around the island a few times you're bored of it!
Prices: Food is horrendously expensive as is most everything. You are dependent on the barges and the operators go on strike at every contract after which you'll see prices that will make you gasp. These same strikes can and do cause shortages of common items like toilet paper.
Electricity is gold. At that time it was over $100 just to run the fridge, a clock and a couple hours of tv at night.
Water is gold as well. Unless you are in town, you will have a catchment system ... always worried me as to the safety. Town water can dry up and you have to do without or buy a truck load of water which costs a truck load of money.
Vog is nasty; I can't imagine with your allergies that you could tolerate it.
The weather can be awful. We lived near the Ma-a-lua Gulch and clouds hung there literally for weeks during the winter rainy season. Mother came over for three weeks and it rained the whole time...looking out the window was just like looking out at a grey sheet! The dampness gets into your bones and you ache/freeze although I know it sounds silly to a Michigan person; however, your blood thins in couple years and you'll be wearing boots, gloves, and leather jackets like every other local.
More about MOLD/mildew...it will coat the walls, furniture, ruin you clothes and shoes UNless you have a fireplace, heat source, a/c or something. We didn't which was a huge mistake.
Humidity...Kona is hot as heck; desert-like and Hilo/east side is highly humid rainy at times.
Also, HEALTH INS. is another 'gold' issue. I went to work at Walmart just to have affordable ins. I took the civil service test, but they told me it would take over a year to be hired; as I said before, they pick the locals first.
One last issue I can think of is: WHERE DOES rest of your family/parents live? Ours lived in the mid-west and could not afford to bring their families to see us...and we soon found with rising airline costs we were not going to be able to visit them twice as year as we had once planned.
All said and done, I did not want to leave HI, but DH did due to the never ending, sharply rising cost of living. From what you have stated, I don't think it would be a fit at all for your family...but JMHO.
We live in Florida now and love it, but in my heart of hearts, I'd go back and live in HI in a heatbeat!
If I can shed anymore light on anything, let me know...
Thanks OpenD, HiloDiver and CyberCity. I guess there's no harm in leaving my info on here and it makes sense that the conversations benefit others - I have certainly gained a lot of knowledge from reading through hundreds of threads on here.
Hoosier Girl:
Thanks for all the info! I would love to pick your brain more if you have time!
Mommy, as a resident of Ninole, HI (at the 21 mile marker north of Hilo) for three years, I will share what I learned. This was about 6 years ago and I was a late 50's haole (white) woman from the mid-west.
The first glaring issue for you to consider is your allergies!!! I was told by my doc that HI has the worst allergies of any state. Mold/mildew is a major factor. Being fair, when we moved back to the Mainland (Tennessee), I was told THat state had the worst allergies in the world!
That's funny. My allergist told me living here was really bad for me because I am so allergic to our native trees and grasses/weeds. I have read stories about how people from Michigan moved to Hawaii and they felt they could finally breathe and feel healthy for the first time.
I've also read where the vog made them so sick they had to move away too though
I suppose there isn't any speculation from scientists on if/when the vog will ever improve on the BI?
I know we will have to make sure our realtor knows we don't want to be at a high elevation (even when it's 60 degrees I'm cold), don't want to be in a windy spot, don't want to be right in the path of vog, would rather have a house up off the ground (pier/post whatever they call it) to keep bugs out, etc. etc. (I can see how house hunting in Hawaii presents unique challenges I would love to hear any other tips...I know about staying away from shared meters and checking fee simple/leasehold status and lava zones for insurance purposes. Any thing else you guys can think of?
I am not even considering the Hilo side (despite that it sounds a lot prettier/greener/more lush & tropical), because the rain would depress me. I have seasonal affect disorder and daily sunshine is the only cure For now, I have a tanning bed in my house and take lots of Vitamin D, but it just isn't the same. At. All.
In the summer, I am a very happy, upbeat, energetic, easy going person. In the winters, I isolate myself and get really depressed and have a bad attitude.
We have a mold/mildew problem here as well.
I'm used to that. I live right by Lake Michigan and due to our hilly property (We have 8 acres of rolling land that all sends water towards the house we get mold in our lowel level. We've had to rip walls out and re-drywall and put in new floors, gutters, you name it from mold problems. It just keeps happening. You can't really prevent it. We've even brought in pricey excavating companies with heavy equipment to level our land, bury underground drainage systems/culverts and done all sorts of things, spending a fortune to try to help my allergies. So I am no stranger to the headaches of mold problems.
I'm sure with the ocean air, it's bad over there. However, I find that just keeping air moving (purifiers, dehumidifers, fans, etc.) helps tremendously to cut down on it.
Do the trade breezes help with air flow in Hawaii? Or is the air damp and heavy like the tropics? A problem we have here is that there is rarely ever a breeze. (Maybe a frigid wind that hurts your lungs But you can't really live with your doors and windows open here. It's either sweltering humidity in the summner or freezing cold the rest of the time. So you either blast the heat or blast the air conditioning and stay indoors A LOT. I can't wait to live OUTSIDE more. Sit out on the lanai. Grill out.
I presume the Kona side doesn't have as many issues as the wet side of the island wiith mold...but I'd love to hear tips (besides running a/c).
Schools: I believe it is common knowledge that Mainland children may encounter more issues in school as far as acceptance.
I have read a ton on the school issues and unless we get really lucky with a charter school lottery, we will most likely homeschool. We can afford private tuition for our kids here, but won't be able to there with the higher cost of living and lower rate of pay.
The Locals; We found them wonderful, warm, caring and interested in us; most locals never leave the island.
I have heard that. I have also heard that you get back what you put out there. Meaning, if you aren't judgmental or ignorant and treat others with respect, you will get it back. We are very open to other cultures, ways of life, beliefs, etc.
We have a daughter from China (and we have spent time overseas for weeks at a time), have hosted a student from Hong Kong, etc. We are looking forward to embracing the Hawaiian ways, manner of speaking, customs, traditions, becoming "locals." Not acting like Mainlanders that want things done the Mainland way. We are moving to the island to change who we are, not expect the people there to change to what we are accustomed to.
Jobs: Times are difficult everywhere and it is indeed difficult to find a job; the locals are favored as it should be I suppose. The reasoning is that most Mainlanders return toooo the Mainland; over 50% do. The book you referred to will reiterate many of my views.
It's the same here. In a very small town where everyone knows everyone else, it's very much a Good Old Boys system where someone's brother/cousin will be handed a job over someone that moved here from out of town that is ten times more qualified and educated.
At my last law firm, I posted a job for our office. I received nearly 300 applications. The starting pay was only $30,000. For an attorney. Who probably has $100K in student loans to pay off from law school. Maybe $250K with undergrad. That's how desperate people are for work here. They were fighting over a job that paid peanuts, just to be gainfully employed.
So I guess what I'm saying is, I'm used to those scenarios as well.
Activities: Learn to snorkel...as an 'old lady' I went often and it is the most liberating experience in the world. Many local parks have easy access to safe snorkeling. Learn to fish as a family...wonderful!
We cannot wait to all learn to snorkel...and we all love to fish! Such fun family activities outdoors that don't cost much. Can't wait to do that any weekend we feel like it, as opposed to only having a short window of opporunity to jam in as many outdoor activities as we can in just a few short months.
There's so much pressure here once June hits. You think "Ok, now, we only have X number of free weekends and we have to fill them up and try to go ____ (camping, golfing, hiking, swimming, whatever) at least one time." Before you know it, you're already storing the patio furniture, riding lawn mower, etc. away because summer is already over!
Fall is so cold and miserable, you have to put snowsuits on your kids to take them trick or treating and you can't even see their costume! Winter is downright dangerous here. People in ditches or flipped over every day. Black ice, white-out storms with zero visibility, wind chills below zero.
Spring is pretty ugly and depressing. A lot of mud, trees and plants look dead. Everything is brown - the grass, the foliage. No real signs of "life" outside until summer is practically here and things are blooming and birds are singing again. I love greenery. And water.
Anyway, I'm over it. Done, done, done. I am ready for the next chapter. Was with the same employer for 11 years and now I'm ready to branch out into something new.
Local parks are wonderful, but tiny and mostly just picnic tables, not really playgrounds in Hilo. Another think you CANNnn't do is take nice road trips...there is just not enough road; once you have driven around the island a few times you're bored of it!
We rarely go to the playground in town. My kids are getting a little old for that and would rather go out to our state park and go tubing down the river or something else more adventurous.
I had a really nice playground installed in our backyard two summers ago- complete with a zipline, clubhouse, teeter totter, trampoline, swings, slides, you name it. The kids never use it
We don't ever take road trips to speak of. We stay in our little 20 mile radius most of the time. We live in a rural small town. I grew up on an almost 400 acre farm here. The farthest we ever travel is an hour and a half away from home (about 100 miles max) for a weekend if we want to go to the mall or a museum or something. But we only do that a couple times a year. And I really don't even look forward to it anymore. The last time we went to an art festival there, I couldn't wait to leave and go back home.
We are planning to take one little vacation each year on another island if we get bored.
The Big Island has so much to do out in nature...I think it will take us quite awhile to get bored. I ended up ordering all four of the "Revealed" books (Maui, Kauai, Big Island, Oahu) and have read them all cover to cover. I have a HUGE bucket list of things to do and try as a family on the BI. Most of them are free outdoor activities - which is awesome.
After all of our research, we once again have settled on the Kona side of the Big Island, which is what I was drawn to in the first place. Although Maui & Kauai seem prettier, home ownership doesn't seem to be a reality there, only renting. I would like to "buy in" on the BI while it's still a buyer's market. (Although we will rent a VRBO for our first month there, then look for a long term rental for the first 6 months to a year until we learn more about neighborhoods, schools, etc.) With my hubby being a veteran, we don't have to cough up a down payment whatsoever. Although we decided to go the conventional route with the last house we bought, so we are prepared to again if need be.
Prices: Food is horrendously expensive as is most everything. You are dependent on the barges and the operators go on strike at every contract after which you'll see prices that will make you gasp. These same strikes can and do cause shortages of common items like toilet paper.
I have heard that and am prepared for the sticker shock. However, as I was saying, I currently feed a family of eight on less than $100 a week because I do very detailed meal planning, extreme couponing, buy generic, buy what's on sale, buy in bulk at Sam's Club, etc. Years ago, when we only had two kids, I sometimes spent upwards of $1,000 a month on groceries because I would just throw things in the cart. I guess what I'm saying is that I already know how to stretch a dollar really far when it comes to food. We are debt free and live very frugally. And not spending thousands on heat for half the year should help offset it.
Electricity is gold. At that time it was over $100 just to run the fridge, a clock and a couple hours of tv at night.
Is there a way to post a photo on here? Because I can take a picture of my bill to prove to you how high it is. My electric bill just for this month from Consumers Energy was $1,100.00 (yes, eleven hundred dollars). So that's something I am already used to as well. Consumers has a monopoly here and I have hired master electricians and had the head foreman for C.E. out to my house, ran new lines, put in new meters, complained to the state utility commission, etc.
They are such a horrible company. They actually let an impoverished little old lady freeze to death in her home last winter because she couldn't afford to pay her outrageous bill and they shut her off. There was another guy in Detroit that was overcharged thousands for years and finally proved that they had been putting his neighbor's bills on his. Sometimes I think I'm paying for my neighbor's huge horse farm (lights on in barns, etc.) or something.
We don't have air, I run around shutting off lights constantly, we don't watch tv much, don't have a hot tub, nothing that uses that kind of KWH. Our meter spins faster than cars at Nascar and no one can get to the bottom of it. Something isn't running to ground. We've re-wired everything we can think of, put in all new appliances, we've done it all. We don't have electric heat, don't run space heaters. I even unplugged the tanning bed (which I have hooked up to 220 anyway) for a few months to see if it would make a difference. Nothing.
Our bills have always been $600-$800 to $1,000 a month. Anyway, I digress. Point being, we've been paying outrageous electric bills for over 11 years. It's not like I'm used to only having an $80 bill. So that won't be a shock to me living in Hawaii. At least there's a legitimate reason for it there! Do very many of the houses have solar there to cut down on costs?
Water is gold as well. Unless you are in town, you will have a catchment system ... always worried me as to the safety. Town water can dry up and you have to do without or buy a truck load of water which costs a truck load of money.
Do the people in town get a monthly water bill then? We have a private well on our property here, but often buy bottled water anyway. Is it a lot of work to deal with the catchment system? Do you just empty it every so often and then what? Those systems already come with the house, correct? Does it cost anything to maintain them?
Vog is nasty; I can't imagine with your allergies that you could tolerate it.
I am worried about that myself. I'm hoping if I take a fact finding trip that I can get a sense of whether or not it will bother me. Some say it's unbearable. Some say it doesn't effect them. Hard to know. The beauty of renting is that we can pick up and move elsewhere on the island (or to a different island if we have to) if it is something I just can't tolerate whatsoever.
The weather can be awful. We lived near the Ma-a-lua Gulch and clouds hung there literally for weeks during the winter rainy season. Mother came over for three weeks and it rained the whole time...looking out the window was just like looking out at a grey sheet! The dampness gets into your bones and you ache/freeze although I know it sounds silly to a Michigan person; however, your blood thins in couple years and you'll be wearing boots, gloves, and leather jackets like every other local.
I'm prepared for the blood thinning, have relatives in Florida that went through the same thing. Hoping Kona & surrounding areas aren't as bad. Still can't compare to 30 below here
More about MOLD/mildew...it will coat the walls, furniture, ruin you clothes and shoes UNless you have a fireplace, heat source, a/c or something. We didn't which was a huge mistake.
We're only bringing two weeks of clothing at first and I do this "cycle" with our clothes anyway where we buy cheap for the season, then replace, so we're always in new clothes. We don't have big wardrobes. Hoping to buy teak/rattan/wicker furniture that can tolerate the elements after we get there via yard sales or Craigs List.
Humidity...Kona is hot as heck; desert-like and Hilo/east side is highly humid rainy at times.
I love the heat. I don't break a sweat, even when it's a 105 here. Is it "ugly" desert-like though? I really hate the look of Arizona/New Mexico and the west. I know that one area (where the Parker Ranch is) probably looks like that, with cowboy themes and cacti, etc. so I know I don't want to live up that way....but I'm hoping the Kona areas are greener...? Someone on here recommended Waikoloa...is that desert-looking?
Also, HEALTH INS. is another 'gold' issue. I went to work at Walmart just to have affordable ins. I took the civil service test, but they told me it would take over a year to be hired; as I said before, they pick the locals first.
Hubby has an excellent policy through his bank. Most banks offer great insurance benefits. Really hoping he can eventually get into a bank or credit union there, even if he has to do something else (unload lumber at Home Depot, whatever) when we first arrive just to have a paycheck. If not, we can go back on my private insurance with the same agent we've used for 15 years.
One last issue I can think of is: WHERE DOES rest of your family/parents live? Ours lived in the mid-west and could not afford to bring their families to see us...and we soon found with rising airline costs we were not going to be able to visit them twice as year as we had once planned.
We are moving to get away from family Being so close, they are always in our business creating drama/issues. I don't plan to return to the mainland to visit. If they choose to come visit us, so be it. But I doubt they will.
Except my parents (who are divorced). They would both like to live in Hawaii as well. Once my dad retires, I'm sure he will relocate too and follow us to be near his grandkids. My mother may end up living with us and paying us rent, which will help offset our mortgage payment.
All said and done, I did not want to leave HI, but DH did due to the never ending, sharply rising cost of living. From what you have stated, I don't think it would be a fit at all for your family...but JMHO.
I have heard and read about all the potential negatives and we will go into this expecting the worst and hoping for the best.
I won't be able to say I wasn't "warned" if it doesn't work out It will be my own fault.
Is there anything else you can think of that I should know? What would you do the next time around if you came back?
We live in Florida now and love it, but in my heart of hearts, I'd go back and live in HI in a heatbeat!
It's funny because I have read soooooo many comments from folks listing 50 reasons why living or moving to Hawaii is a horrible, terrible, idea......but they always end by saying, "I miss it", or "I want to move back" or "I regret leaving" or "It's the best place in the world to live"....just like you
I guess my family could very easily try it for a few years and be part of the 50% that can't make it or is severely disappointed that their Hawaiian dreams were nothing more than a pipe dream/fantasy and that life as a resident really SUCKS. I suppose we could end up being poor, homesick, jobless, homeless, starving and sick. Or it could be the best decision we've ever made too. We won't know until we've experienced it ourselves - everyone has a different point of view.
There are some people who live in my town that think this is paradise, they would never live anywhere else - not for love or money. I absolutely hate it here. I could easily join a forum about this area describe it to newcomers/visitors as a horrible place to live and someone else could describe it as their retirement dream destination. (Many people from Chicago, Fort Wayne, etc. retire here and think it's Mayberry or the "perfect" charming little town
We will give it a go and like anything in life, learn from our mistakes - if it indeed ends up being a mistake.
But as of right now, remaining here means the winters could drive me into such a deep depression that I have zero quality of life (I seem to get colder every year as I age, the winters bother me more and more), or some of the relatives here could drive us to divorce by constantly interfering in our lives if we stay put
Those are just two reasons. I have about two hundred, but won't bore you with the details.
In my opinion, it's a much bigger risk to simply remain here because it's a more predictable outcome, or makes more sense "on paper."
If I can shed anymore light on anything, let me know...
I sincerely appreciate any insight/advice/tips/guidance you can provide. I think it's great to be prepared for every possible negative scenario so that nothing is a shock. Less chance of disappointment that way. Then, if things DO work out, you're pleasantly surprised
Mommy, I am impressed with the amount of research that you are doing and the fact that you are paying attention to what you are being advised. So often people come on here, ask questions, and then argue with the answers!
Regarding the vog, scientists don't have any way of predicting when it will improve. It's all up to Madame Pele. The volcano has been spewing out vog for two or three years now (can't remember exactly how long) and the impacts have been devastatinoften some parts of the island. Where I live near South Point we don't notice it too much because the trade winds blow it right by, but it gathers in certain places due to the geography. Even so, some of my more sensitive friends have their bad days where they have to stay inside. Unfortunately, one of those places is Kona. The sky is rarely clear there due to the vog that just sits. Because they don't usually don't get the trade winds, it always feels hot and muggy to me. There are people who have had to leave because of their allergies. You would think that Hilo would get more vog because it is closer to the source, but the winds blow it away from Hilo.
Speaking of Hilo it does not rain all the time there. Yes, it is more rainy than Kona side, but it's more like a quick shower than an all-day-gray thing. Most of the time when I've been in Hilo the sun is shining, but I have my umbrella with me just in case.
If you are on county water you get a monthly bill. I have never heard of county water going dry, but maybe the person who posted that knows more than I do. Catchment relies on rainwater, or you pay to refill it. There are costs associated with maintaining the system and the filters. People I know on catchment use it for bathing and washing clothes, but buy bottled water or fill up their own containers at the town faucets for drinking and cooking.
I hope that you and hubby are planning to spend a couple of weeks here exploring the island and experiencing the vog. Since the vog is a big issue for you, you will need to be where you plan to live for at least a week because there are fluctuations depending on the lava activity.
Do the trade breezes help with air flow in Hawaii?
The trade winds, which blow maybe 80% of the time, are from the Northeast, so they primarily benefit the windward side... Hilo and Puna District, in this case. Unfortunately the trade winds are what pick up the emissions from the volcano, blow them south across Ka'u district, and then wrap around the island to bring the vog to Kona.
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Is it a lot of work to deal with the catchment system? Do you just empty it every so often and then what? Those systems already come with the house, correct? Does it cost anything to maintain them?
Catchment systems are not a lot of work, but there is some maintenance. Gutters need to be kept free of leafs and other debris. Filters typically need replacing every 6 months. Most people add a box of baking soda once a month to buffer the natural acidity of the rainwater, and some people add chlorine to the water rather than using a sterilization unit. Water should be tested yearly for contamination. If you have UV sterilization you should clean the bulb once a month. Every three years or so you should empty the water tank and have it cleaned.
But catchment systems are not as common on the Kona side because the rainfall is so much lower, so you may not run into it at all, or only have a simple system for watering the garden and landscaping, which don't really need maintenance. If they aren't on county water systems, many houses will have only water tanks, and have their water trucked in.
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If not, we can go back on my private insurance with the same agent we've used for 15 years.
Best check your assumptions on that. Many mainland insurance companies are not licensed in Hawai'i.
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(Many people from Chicago, Fort Wayne, etc. retire here and think it's Mayberry or the "perfect" charming little town
Now I'm really curious. When I was doing a Cost of Living comparison for Maui for you I picked Grand Haven, Michigan as the From: location, just to have something to plug in that seemed like what you were describing. Sounds like I might not have been that far off, am I right?
Mommy, I am impressed with the amount of research that you are doing and the fact that you are paying attention to what you are being advised. So often people come on here, ask questions, and then argue with the answers!
Thanks Dreaming! I have been paying close attention and taking detailed notes. I have an entire legal pad filled up with notes. Plus writing in all the margins of my Hawaii book collection. Plus highlighted stuff. Plus favorites online that I've saved. I have a whole file folder of information I'm putting together. Trying to not leave any stones unturned or questions unanswered.
Regarding the vog, scientists don't have any way of predicting when it will improve. It's all up to Madame Pele.
That's what I suspected and have read elsewhere as well. Just didn't know if the locals had heard any updates. (Those moody volcano goddesses! Sheesh - just like a real woman, totally unpredictable )
The volcano has been spewing out vog for two or three years now (can't remember exactly how long) and the impacts have been devastatinoften some parts of the island. Where I live near South Point we don't notice it too much because the trade winds blow it right by, but it gathers in certain places due to the geography. Even so, some of my more sensitive friends have their bad days where they have to stay inside.
Unfortunately, one of those places is Kona.
Ugh
The sky is rarely clear there due to the vog that just sits. Because they don't usually don't get the trade winds, it always feels hot and muggy to me. There are people who have had to leave because of their allergies.
That could happen to me, certainly. So it's basically a DAILY occurence?
If it's only once a week or something, I would still trade an occasional vog migraine for the horrible daily seasonal allergies I have here, that leave me feeling fatigued and sickly all year round.
You would think that Hilo would get more vog because it is closer to the source, but the winds blow it away from Hilo.
Good point.
Speaking of Hilo it does not rain all the time there. Yes, it is more rainy than Kona side, but it's more like a quick shower than an all-day-gray thing. Most of the time when I've been in Hilo the sun is shining, but I have my umbrella with me just in case.
I can't seem to find an agreement on this. Half of the opinions out there (from my research) are just as you said, the other half of the people sound practically suicidal because they claim it's worse than Seattle. Perception is reality I guess.
I'm not willing to risk buying a house in Hilo (or starting a job and even renting) and hating it though. My odds are better on the sunnier Kona side of being happy, because I love sunshine.
Even on the cold winter days here, if the sun is shining, I'm motivated and get more done in one day than a lot of people do in a week. Energizer bunny mode. When it's gray and depressing out, I feel like being lazy and cuddling up with a blanket and a cup of coffee and doing absolutely nothing.
I also found more business type jobs on the Hilo side, which makes sense, considering they have more businesses there, or so it seems from my research.
After watching countless driving and walking tours (stalking other people's vacation videos or watching a million realty company tours of various towns across the island ) on YouTube and doing street level/bird's eye zooming on Google, etc. though...I like the look of Kona as a town better than Hilo Town.
Hilo reminds me (just what I've seen in pics and videos) more of a town in Mainland USA. Kona reminds me more of being in Hawaii (or my idea of that) for some reason. I'm sure there will be plenty of others that disagree with me on that. Perhaps when I get there and see it all firsthand, I will completely change my mind.
If you are on county water you get a monthly bill. I have never heard of county water going dry, but maybe the person who posted that knows more than I do. Catchment relies on rainwater, or you pay to refill it. There are costs associated with maintaining the system and the filters. People I know on catchment use it for bathing and washing clothes, but buy bottled water or fill up their own containers at the town faucets for drinking and cooking.
That makes sense. Anyone know what a typical water bill would be in town per month? Just ballpark?
With Kona being the drier side and not getting as much rain, I presume that means folks are paying to refill it more often than not then? Anyone know how much that runs on a monthly basis as well?
(I'm taking notes on what an average month of living expenses is going to look like over there.)
I like the idea of just using the rainwater for those purposes and drinking bottled water instead. Even though it's rainwater, seems it would still need adequate filtering before drinking.
I hope that you and hubby are planning to spend a couple of weeks here exploring the island and experiencing the vog. Since the vog is a big issue for you, you will need to be where you plan to live for at least a week because there are fluctuations depending on the lava activity.
Well, we shall see...I did a lot of research and plannig for a visit. But we want to move regardless within only six months. So I really don't want to blow five grand on a vacation there (and get a sitter here for all six kids) then turn around and leave a few months later to live there permanently......when we could just use that five grand towards living expenses. We have decided we're going for it, no matter.
We have done tons of fact finding trips in the past to other states (South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, California, etc.) and even in a week or two week's time, it really is more like a vacation than living like a resident. Even though we didn't stay in resorts and we only spent our time running around with realtors, we weren't out acting like tourists.
I haven't found it to be that helpful in determining whether or not we would be happy there. They were all fine - I could see myself living in all those places - which I knew just from the research I had done, without having visited. Every time, we found decent communities, nice people, places to shop, things to do, etc. To me, it's more about your frame of mind. I have even looked into moving to Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. But there has never been a place that called me like Hawaii - it's more about the Aloha spirit of the people there than just the idea of a beach with a palm tree.
I tend to think that you aren't really going to know whether you're in a new place for the long haul and really LIKE LIVING THERE -until you've been somewhere at least a year or possibly even two years. Even though, on those previous fact finding trips, we always scouted schools, neighborhoods, jobs, what have you - it's all a gamble and you might have to move to a new community or neighborhood a few different times, or even change jobs a couple times, before you really feel "settled" in a new place. We are committing to 2 to 6 years minimum in Hawaii. I really don't want to ever move back to the Mainland - but if our kids are miserable or our health goes downhill or we end up bankrupt, then I guess we'll have to
So anyway, I'm giving myself six months to finish planning, researching, and narrowing things down. As of late, I have been researching this as if it were a full-time job, staying up reading books and researching online til 2 or 3 in the morning most nights.
Can't remember if this has been posted recently, it's the vog "forecast" as an animated map. I think they create it based on volcano activity/emissions, and wind modeling--I don't think it's based on actual measurements. I haven't found any historical data with actual measurements, but this gives you an idea of where the vog generally is:
Open D:
The trade winds, which blow maybe 80% of the time, are from the Northeast, so they primarily benefit the windward side... Hilo and Puna District, in this case. Unfortunately the trade winds are what pick up the emissions from the volcano, blow them south across Ka'u district, and then wrap around the island to bring the vog to Kona.
Ugh What are your thoughts about areas just north or just south of Kona (and not right in Kona, but following along the shore line) - are they as effected by the vog? Catchment systems are not a lot of work, but there is some maintenance. Gutters need to be kept free of leafs and other debris. Filters typically need replacing every 6 months. Most people add a box of baking soda once a month to buffer the natural acidity of the rainwater, and some people add chlorine to the water rather than using a sterilization unit. Water should be tested yearly for contamination. If you have UV sterilization you should clean the bulb once a month. Every three years or so you should empty the water tank and have it cleaned.
Wow - you're an expert on this! Thank you! Taking notes!
But catchment systems are not as common on the Kona side because the rainfall is so much lower, so you may not run into it at all, or only have a simple system for watering the garden and landscaping, which don't really need maintenance. If they aren't on county water systems, many houses will have only water tanks, and have their water trucked in.
Best check your assumptions on that. Many mainland insurance companies are not licensed in Hawai'i.
Left my agent a message to ask him specifically that - thank you for the tip!
Now I'm really curious. When I was doing a Cost of Living comparison for Maui for you I picked Grand Haven, Michigan as the From: location, just to have something to plug in that seemed like what you were describing. Sounds like I might not have been that far off, am I right? You are close! Although there are so many charming summer tourist beach towns along Lake Michigan...Grand Haven, South Haven, Holland, Saugatuck, Pentwater, Ludington, Silver Lake, Suttons Bay, Leland, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Traverse City, etc. etc. etc....we have 350 miles of coastline on this side of the state. In the - super short - summer, it's great. You can stroll the quaint little towns and get an ice cream cone and go in and out of the antique markets, or walk a pier out to a lighthouse. But the 3 short fun months don't make up for the 9 long miserable ones
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I would love to hear any other tips...I know about staying away from shared meters and checking fee simple/leasehold status and lava zones for insurance purposes. Any thing else you guys can think of?
