Looking at Pahoa (Hilo, Volcano, Fern Forest: wood floors, transplants, rentals)

[CyberCity]

Don't forget, even cheap land and houses should have at least liability coverage. Make sure your regular homeowner's insurance covers it, or look into a separate policy. [And don't think that posting "private" or "no trespassing" will stop a lawsuit.]

[Lisa In Colorado]

Originally Posted by scottfree00

Do you guys know if Kauai st. In mountain view is a place to be avoided? There's a cheap tiny house listed over there I've been looking at online.

Hi Scottfree00,
I am interested in the same home and wondering if you found out any more info. I'm not worried about us competing on it, I figure that if its right for you it probably wouldn't have worked for me. Maybe we can help each other out if we are both looking for the same type of property. If you could let me know any details you find out; or if you actually make it out there to look at it and decide not to buy give me a quick heads up on the condition, etc. I would appreciate it.

There is a realtor who has been recommended on this forum called Cynthia: I would like to talk to her but can't find out contact info. She was simply highly recommended and I'm not sure what realty or town she works out of. If anyone could pass on this info I'd be very grateful.

[scottfree00]

Originally Posted by Lisa In Colorado

Hi Scottfree00,
I am interested in the same home and wondering if you found out any more info. I'm not worried about us competing on it, I figure that if its right for you it probably wouldn't have worked for me. Maybe we can help each other out if we are both looking for the same type of property. If you could let me know any details you find out; or if you actually make it out there to look at it and decide not to buy give me a quick heads up on the condition, etc. I would appreciate it.

There is a realtor who has been recommended on this forum called Cynthia: I would like to talk to her but can't find out contact info. She was simply highly recommended and I'm not sure what realty or town she works out of. If anyone could pass on this info I'd be very grateful.

Not sure what I'm gonna do. It would be easy to buy one of the cheap houses or lots and it would be a starting point but ultimately the big island isnt where I want to be. Well actually I cant say that for sure. I've never been. I need to make a visit as soon as I can. If you get there before me let me know if you like the area.

[fromthefigtree]

Hmm, well we will start setting aside funds for a move, whether that is to rent or buy, we will have to figure it out Thanks for all the responses!

[hotzcatz]

For what it's worth, I think the return to the point of origin percentage is much higher for folks who buy sight unseen. Until folks visit and get a feel for the place, they can make some horrendous mistakes. If one is merely renting, relocation is easy enough. If one has ended up somewhere inappropriate and has bought the place, relocating is a bit more difficult.

[Robin Rossi]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

For what it's worth, I think the return to the point of origin percentage is much higher for folks who buy sight unseen. Until folks visit and get a feel for the place, they can make some horrendous mistakes. If one is merely renting, relocation is easy enough. If one has ended up somewhere inappropriate and has bought the place, relocating is a bit more difficult.

Great Advice.

[smarino]

It's doable, for sure. But do you WANT to do it, that's the question? There are a lot of very good reasons why land may be cheap in certain areas, and you essentially do get what you pay for. Living a Daniel Boone sort of lifestyle is hard work, and requires a lot of sacrifices. What looks good on paper will look very different after 6 months of the noisiest little frogs you ever heard, vog, and quite a few more things. Culturally, you will find Hawaii very different too, and truthfully Puna was never my cup of tea. We did like Hilo, but the housing costs and lack of doctors, not to mention crazy food prices are what made us leave, and I doubt we will ever return. The numbers just don't work.

At least living on your own property would solve one of our pet peeves about Hawaii. It is so pet unfriendly, among other things. I can't tell you how many housing ads state "no pets, no county housing, no this, no that". Hey, at those prices, they should be grateful that anyone will bite. What is a little cat going to hurt? We couldn't even have one in the two condos that we owned. Nuts to that. At least you'll have the frogs and mongoose (mongeese?) if you go out in the boonies to live.

[CyberCity]

For those who read this thread during their "research", keep in mind that not everyone will love (or even like) it in Hawaii. You'll need to read closely to see if the "minuses" will even apply to you, or if you can work through them somehow.

For example, food prices might not be controllable, but your spending choices are. So if you shop with price in mind, you can budget well for food. If someone is thinking of moving to Hawaii, don't let that issue scare you off.

And, I do see why many landlords exercise their choice to not allow pets. It is amazing how problematic some of the rental houses nearby us have been, due to the lack of responsibility that some pet owner show. The sad reality is that when you see that as an observer, it makes you really think about not wanting to ever be the landlord of a renter with pets.

Matter of fact, there are some homeowners insurance policies that specifically have an "animal exclusion" that must be signed annually by the homeowner. One company I know of has a short list of excluded breeds of dogs, and another company excludes all pets.

Meanwhile, there are many landlords who feel comfortable renting to pet owners, but it does make house hunting a bit harder trying to hook up with those.

In any case, it is not just a "Hawaii" thing ,,, it is a "renter's challenge" in every state.

[gregir]

As a landlord and a pet owner I always advertise no pets. One irresponsible pet owner can cost you all the extra money collected from 5 resposible pet owners.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by smarino

........I What is a little cat going to hurt? ............

Apparently, you've never owned a bad cat, or a sick cat, or been inside a house where the cat owner does not take excellent care of his cat.

One little cat can do thousands of dollars worth of damage and stink up a house so badly that walls have to be torn out and flooring replaced and duct work torn out and replaced.

Maybe, OP, if you are so confident about your cat's behavior, you could give an extra $4,000 in security deposit to cover possible damage done by the cat.

Oh wait. Landlords in Hawaii can not charge a pet deposit. So, I guess you are just out of luck.

I suggest that you consider buying, and then all cat damage is yours to fix at your own expense.

(It wasn't just one cat, but my son purchased a house where it cost over $15,000 to repair damage done by the pets)