Can anyone tell me why the Puna District land is so low-priced? (Hilo: for sale, squatters)

[coolcats]

I was looking at some lots for sale and some of them seem really cheap, even though they say they are ready for utilities.

[leilaniguy]

You may have heard of our volcano here in Puna.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by leilaniguy

You may have heard of our volcano here in Puna.

You left out the word "active" when mentioning the volcano.

[Grassyknoll]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

You left out the word "active" when mentioning the volcano.

You left out the words "breakout flows" when mentioning active.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by Grassyknoll

You left out the words "breakout flows" when mentioning active.

Nope, most of the cheap lots (e.g. $2,900 for 8,040 sq. ft.) are located in Nānāwale Estates, which isnʻt currently threatened by any "breakout flows."

[terracore]

There is a web forum entirely dedicated to the Puna district but to answer your question the entire district is on the flank of an erupting volcano, most of Puna has little infrastructure (no county roads in subdivisions (i.e. no pavement), no public water or sewer, expensive electricity, little or no broadband, bad traffic getting out, few stores), there are feral meth heads, squatters, rooster farms, little to no bus service, spaghetti lots (a 3 acre lot could mean your neighbor is 100 feet away from you, thusly named because the lot plat looks like a piece of spaghetti), very little soil. Most of Puna has an inch or two of "pig mud" so you need to get your lot ripped (an expensive process where a bulldozer rips out the top layer of lava exposing the soil/cinder underneath, and then flattens it out so you don't break your ankle when you walk) before you can grow anything.

All that being said, I think it's the best place on Earth.

[harrypritikin]

On the Big Island there are nine lava hazard zones; zone 1 being the most active and zone nine the least. They are actually figured on the percentage of land covered over a certain period of history. Zone 1 is 25% or more area covered since 1800. Nanawale is in Zone 1. Since 1983 the flow heading toward Kalapana covered a width of 8 miles. The flow just changed direction and started heading toward Pahoa last year. Over the next 30 years, most likely the same scenario will play out. That is, there will be a swath 8 miles wide all the way to the ocean. This will cover all the way from the edge of Hawaiian Paradise Part to Leilani Estates and definitely take Nanawale. First thing to happen will be the Pahoa-Keaau road will be covered. Then residents will have to go down the Kapoho Road, go through Waa Waa (dirt road) to Hawaiian Beaches, then Railroad Avenue across to Hawaiian Paradise Park to get out. Once the lava crosses Railroad then you will have to use the beach road to HPP. Once that goes, everyone will have to go over the 8 miles of cinder road they are building over the old Kalapana flow, up the Chain of Craters Road to Volcano's National Park, and then back down the Volcano road to Keaau and Hilo.

That, and the other items other people mentioned, are the reasons land is so cheap in Puna.

Mahalo, Harry

[leilaniguy]

Originally Posted by harrypritikin

On the Big Island there are nine lava hazard zones; zone 1 being the most active and zone nine the least. They are actually figured on the percentage of land covered over a certain period of history. Zone 1 is 25% or more area covered since 1800. Nanawale is in Zone 1. Since 1983 the flow heading toward Kalapana covered a width of 8 miles. The flow just changed direction and started heading toward Pahoa last year. Over the next 30 years, most likely the same scenario will play out. That is, there will be a swath 8 miles wide all the way to the ocean. This will cover all the way from the edge of Hawaiian Paradise Part to Leilani Estates and definitely take Nanawale. First thing to happen will be the Pahoa-Keaau road will be covered. Then residents will have to go down the Kapoho Road, go through Waa Waa (dirt road) to Hawaiian Beaches, then Railroad Avenue across to Hawaiian Paradise Park to get out. Once the lava crosses Railroad then you will have to use the beach road to HPP. Once that goes, everyone will have to go over the 8 miles of cinder road they are building over the old Kalapana flow, up the Chain of Craters Road to Volcano's National Park, and then back down the Volcano road to Keaau and Hilo.

That, and the other items other people mentioned, are the reasons land is so cheap in Puna.

Mahalo, Harry

Or maybe it won't happen. it almost happened this last year, then didn't. I plan on staying regardless. This is paradise.

[hotzcatz]

When they say they are ready for utilities, did they mention what type? I'd guess probably only overhead electric, if that.

Roads with pavement? That's almost a "utility" isn't it?

Very few areas in Puna have water service. No trash service unless you contract with a fellow with a truck. You can probably get the newspaper delivered. No landline phone service if your lot doesn't have an address. Cable, maybe, depends on the exact location. Same with cellphone service, some areas are covered, some aren't. Very few if any food deliveries so no ordering out for pizza. Sparse shopping.

[harrypritikin]

Is the Stash & Bury still open? You can shop there!! Did the new super market open back up when the flow stopped? BTW, Leilani Guy, the same thing happened with the Kalapana flow. Started and stopped. It took 30 years to get 8 miles wide. I believe it was the Civil Defense guy, or maybe a volcanologist, at the Pahoa town meeting just before the flow hit the dump, who said the same thing is likely to happen with this flow.