Seriously considering moving to Kona from Dallas! (Honolulu, Kailua: car rental, extended stay)

[Smalleyh]

Hi, I'm Heather and I know your going to think that I'm crazy. I just recently married my Husband who's family is from Kailua-Kona, so for various reasons we decided, that were married and want to get out of dodge and kind of "start over" in Hawaii. We also have a 4 year old son, and just want a change of pace, my husband has been countless times and has wanted to move back since he was 13, and I am more then welcoming the idea. Please locals, let me know what we're getting ourselves into! We're planning on bringing $10,000 with us and shipping our Toyota rav4, selling our materials and moving with only our suitcases and each other. I've done so much research on unemployment ratings, rent costs, electricity cost, groceries etc. We're smart, outdoorsy hard working people looking for advice from the only real search engine we should, y'all. So please! Help!

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Do you have any marketable job skills? Jobs are few and high paying jobs are even more scarce.

Does your husband still have family in the area who can help you get settled?

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Smalleyh

We're smart, outdoorsy hard working people looking for advice from the only real search engine we should, y'all. So please! Help!

Aloha.

The best advice I have for anyone new here is to follow the suggestions given to you at registration:

Please use the Search this Forum tool to find info you need, as much has already been written about schools, jobs, weather, crime, prices, rentals, walkability and other aspects of a location. If you don't find it, please sign in and ask your questions. New users should use the Search this Forum tool before posting a question that may have already been answered. Let us know that you have searched the forums, so we don't assume otherwise.

//www.city-data.com/forumtos.html

Also:

When asking questions about a location, give as much detail as you can, so we can zero in on the info you need. If house hunting, what is your price level or rental amount... ...Please avoid open-ended requests like "I'm moving to your city, tell me EVERYTHING I need to know."

I think you'll find the regular members here are mostly friendly and eager to help, but you shouldn't expect us to do all the work for you. Once you've done your homework you'll be in a better position to ask focused questions that are pertinent to your specific situation. Since you posted the exact same message about Honolulu in the Oahu forum (another no-no, please read the TOS) it's clear you have some reading to do.

Good luck!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

You say your husband's family is from Kailua-Kona. Do they still live here? Does he have any family here at all? Have you spent much time here? If so, then you would certainly be in a better position than other dreamers wanting to move to Hawaii with a soon-to-be-of-school-age child and no job prospects.

I second OpenD's comments about you needing to do your homework as these very same questions have been discussed many times. Please be prepared to hear a read a lot of what some people call "negative" information, which is really us trying to give people a realistic picture of life in Hawaii. Living in Hawaii is very different than whatever Dodge you are trying to get out of.

[hotzcatz]

Having family in Kailua-Kona would be of immense help. Since your husband has been back to Hawaii (was it to the Kailua-Kona area?) countless times, he should have an idea of the area. Hopefully you will be able to move in with his family until you find your own place and they will be close enough for baby sitting if necessary. A lot of things are by word-of-mouth, so ask them to ask around for a place to stay as well as possible employment. If you have family, things will be immeasurably better.

If you can somehow move to Hawaii without burning any bridges, that would be a good thing. Frequently, moving to Hawaii doesn't turn out the way many folks expect and they return to the mainland pretty quickly. If you had a place and a support group on the mainland just in case you needed them later, that would be a good thing.

The schools here aren't that good, but the schools are not the only place your child can learn. Teach your child the basics - reading, writing, math, etc., and let the school fill in for the social aspects.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Smalleyh

We're planning on bringing $10,000 with us

Do people really believe these kind of posts anymore? Nobody finds it odd they pretty much all say $10,000 exactly? That is such a weird number to come up with over and over again.

[CyberCity]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Do people really believe these kind of posts anymore? Nobody finds it odd they pretty much all say $10,000 exactly? That is such a weird number to come up with over and over again.

I'm getting further and further from wanting to spend too much time on "first time posters" that ask general questions, give a bit of their history, and then want us to do the research they should be doing. Or that ask right-off-the-bat provocative questions (trolls). Or might be one of the many "hit and run" posters who never come back. Or those who simply want to be reinforced that their moving here is a good idea (no matter what we spot as potential problem areas of their plan), "Don't give me any reasons I should not do this, I only want to read positive postings!"

That is thanks in part to the number of troll postings we have (and also what seems to be in some cases a single poster who comes here using more than one user name).

Not that this describes the OP. But I will probably wait until they've gotten more than their toe wet in this forum before I get too involved.

Perhaps it is late, and I'm tired.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by CyberCity

I'm getting further and further from wanting to spend too much time on "first time posters" that ask general questions, give a bit of their history, and then want us to do the research they should be doing.

Here is my thing - obviously $10,000 is not enough to move to Hawaii - but the exact number comes up over and over again. But just as odd, if someone was serious about moving to Hawaii - why would someone state the meager savings they have - or even if not meager, what real people say how much the have in the bank on an internet forum?

[khyron]

Originally Posted by CyberCity

I'm getting further and further from wanting to spend too much time on "first time posters" that ask general questions, give a bit of their history, and then want us to do the research they should be doing. Or that ask right-off-the-bat provocative questions (trolls). Or might be one of the many "hit and run" posters who never come back.

I think the best solution to those is for the regulars NOT TO KEEP ANSWERING something, if several other responses are already sitting on the thread and the OP has not returned. If the OP is seriously interested, they'd be returning frequently, eager to see responses and provoke further on-topic conversation. Then a thread is worth following up with.

[8o8state]

Originally Posted by Smalleyh

Hi, I'm Heather and I know your going to think that I'm crazy. I just recently married my Husband who's family is from Kailua-Kona, so for various reasons we decided, that were married and want to get out of dodge and kind of "start over" in Hawaii. We also have a 4 year old son, and just want a change of pace, my husband has been countless times and has wanted to move back since he was 13, and I am more then welcoming the idea. Please locals, let me know what we're getting ourselves into! We're planning on bringing $10,000 with us and shipping our Toyota rav4, selling our materials and moving with only our suitcases and each other. I've done so much research on unemployment ratings, rent costs, electricity cost, groceries etc. We're smart, outdoorsy hard working people looking for advice from the only real search engine we should, y'all. So please! Help!

Let me put things into perspective right off. It is going to cost you close to if not more than 10k just to get moved out to Kona, unless you do not bring a car and very few personal belongings (in other words all that you bring qualifies as check in luggage on the plane). But since you mentioned shipping a car, that will cost around 1k, assuming you do not have a rental located ahead of time you will need to stay in a hotel (approximately $200 per night) while you look for a place to stay. The apartment search usually takes 1-2 two weeks, unless you are really picky and then it may take even longer yet. Hawaii does not really have the mainland version of extended stay hotel options that I have yet to see. Once you find a place, expect to pay first months and a security deposit equal to first months, so assuming for a family of three it is a two bedroom costing around $1500 per month (which is on the cheap end), there goes another 3k.

There is also the car thing, unless you have impeccable timing so that your car arrives on the exact same day that you show up, you are going to need a rental and economy cars generally run around $500 per week. If you opt for full insurance coverage then expect a lot more. Assuming you miss your car arrival (out of your control) by a week, add on another $500 or more.

Add in air fare of at least $300 each that adds on another $900 so excluding misc fees such as application and credit check fees for rentals, food, parking, moving into new place costs, taxi fare to get to car terminal, etc...Let's base all this on it taking two weeks to find the perfect place to rent:

Car rental = $1000
Rent + deposit = $3000
Hotel = $2800 ($200 per night including taxes, tourist tax, service charges and fees is very low end)
Air fare = $900
Total = $7700

Some of these may be high estimates and others low but I believe for the most part they balance each other out so you can see how quickly your money will go just trying to get moved out to Hawaii.

Obviously there are options such as not renting a car, only bringing a backpack and one suitcase, not shipping a car, and sleeping on the beach while looking for rentals. Then again since your husband has family maybe they will be able to hook you up with accommodations and transportation.

I know I probably left out a lot of other costs that you are going to incur once out here such as having to register your vehicle within 30 days once out here and utility costs and/or internet, and I am sure there are many others that people are going to point out so please do not take what I put down as all inclusive.

Regardless, I am not trying to talk you out of it, just be prepared for the costs up front just to get out to paradise and good luck in making it all come together. Imo it is totally worth making happen.