Which side of the Big Island is better to live on? (Hilo: for sale, real estate)

[hjmontijo]

Hello again. As some of you know from my recent post on this forum, my fiance and I are planning a move to Hawaii in the next year or so, two tops. I have been doing quite a bit of research and trying to find as much information as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff that's out that I am reading out there is from a few years back. As we all know, a lot can change is just a few short years.

We would like to get some advice as to what side of the island would be better for us. We've been to the big island twice (going back in April). We've always stayed on the Kona side with one of my best friends from high school. Although we have been around the whole island and we've been to Hilo, we never really EXPLORED Hilo. My friend is originally from Hawaii, born and raised in Kona. His family is always saying that Kona is the best side of the island. Of course we can't take their advice because they are being biased.

We have been looking at home prices and land prices on both sides of the island. We have been mainly focusing in the Captain Cook area on the east side and Paradise Park on the west side due to the low cost. We explored the Captain Cook area slightly the last time we were there and although it wasn't all lush and green. It seemed like a decent area. We have not got the chance to explore Paradise Park but plan to in April. However, I have read in many older post about Paradise Park not being a nice place to live. I read about crime being really high and drugs on every corner. But I also read that some people say it's nothing like that. Again most of these posts are from a few years back. Has the area changed for the better or for the worse.

We would just like some advice about the different areas and whats affordable. Although the Kona side seems appealing, we feel that their would be more work opportunities for us on the Hilo side. We are also open to other areas and suggestions. We really just want to make this dream happen. I am 32 and my fiance is 27. We would love to possibly build our own small house and grow our own food. Although we are on a budget, we want to be somewhere safe. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

[LollySueReeves]

You have not even made your way around the entirety of the island yet you want advice on where is best for you to live your dream. Here is some advice. In April tour island. Make a list of the areas you find favorable. Go to a local real estate agent to discover which are affordable. Visit in person the locations that made the cut. Afterward come back to ask details.

You are way to vague with your inquiry.

[HonaunauLove]

Here we go again!

[bus man]

If you wish to avoid big crowds of tourists, pick the Hilo side. If you enjoy the amenities that tourism brings, pick the Kona side.

I've never lived on the Big Island, but as a day-to-day place, I greatly prefer Hilo to Kona. To me, it has an old-style charm that is entirely lacking in Kona. Not to mention, the traffic congestion in Kona seems much worse. Both sides have the standard daily-life amenities (grocery stores, Walmart, Target, etc.).

Sorry, I don't know enough about Captain Cook or Paradise Park to help you.

[hjmontijo]

[quote=LollySueReeves;42615700]You have not even made your way around the entirety of the island yet you want advice on where is best for you to live your dream. Here is some advice. In April tour island. Make a list of the areas you find favorable. Go to a local real estate agent to discover which are affordable. Visit in person the locations that made the cut. Afterward come back to ask details.

Aloha and thank you for you kindly for your input. As requested in our post we were specifically inquiring about some input in regards to the Captain Cook area, but mainly the Paradise Park area as we already have a budget in mind and know the costs in certain areas. We've visited a few places to possibly call home the last time we were on the island, but everything we did see was a little more than what we wanted to spend. Yes, one can visit the area and one can easily think it's a perfect place to live based on appearance. We all know looks can be deceiving. We wanted to get some of the local input into these areas. We were open to other suggestions was simply all that I stated. I look forward to all future posts. Thank you again.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Firstly, what you've read from several years ago is probably all still the same. One thing you'll find here is that change happens very slowly, if at all. The only things that I've seen go through change in my six years here is stores and restaurants that close because either the owners got old and tired, or they just couldn't make a go of it.

Will you be working when you move here? Work location would be the main factor for where to live. If you don't have jobs yet, then it really doesn't matter where low cost housing is. You can find low cost housing on both sides of the island, and places in between. Where I live near South Point, there are plenty of houses for sale under $200,000, but they are on catchment and black lava, and jobs are an hour and a half away.

We drive through Captain Cook every week on our shopping run to Kona. What specific questions do you have? There are low cost houses there, but you may be next door to someone with a yard full of dead vehicles or fighting roosters or barking dogs. Captain Cook is very lush and green; I'm not sure why you would say it isn't.

Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) can be a mixed bag. Very nice homes mixed in with meth labs. If you are concerned about someplace safe, you could look at the police reports. Empty houses do get broken into. There is a very interesting forum called Punaweb that you should check out to get a feel for the area.

[hotzcatz]

Which ever side you choose, rent first for at least six months so you'll get a feel for the place. It's almost impossible to pick the right place from the mainland.

Given a choice between Captain Cook and Paradise Park, I'd choose neither. Mostly because of the traffic between either of those places and anywhere else you'd have to go. There's no stores or shops in PP so any time you want something you must get in your car and drive. Everyone else has to do the same and there's only one road that connects HPP to Hilo/Keaau/Pahoa. Same with Capatain Cook, there's basically only one road and everyone has to go to Kailua to get stuff or go to work so they're all on the same road. Both Captain Cook and Hawaiian Paradise Park are basically plants growing out of rocks. Captain Cook might have a bit more variety of green stuff, but neither place is known for having actual soil to work with. Captain Cook would have more vog, I'd expect, but you could ask your friends.

The best reason, IMHO, for you to choose the Kona district would be to be near your friends. It's a very long drive from one side of the island to the other. However - if you had friends on that side, you'd be able to drive over, get your stuff done on that side of the island and then visit and stay with them and then go back the next day. They could do the same with you, too.

My best suggestion would be for you to look in the area between Hilo and the zoo, kinda up on the hillside a bit. There's some fairly inexpensive places in there with actual soil to grow things in. It's the Ainaola area as opposed to the Ainaloa area in Puna. Amazing what transposing two letters can do. In any case, you'd still be rural with room to grow things, you'd save tons of money on not having to drive for miles to get anything as well as to go to work and there's a lot less crime in that area. Puna - which includes HPP - has a huge theft problem. Massively huge theft problem. Fences, dogs, security systems and locks just mean you'll have less theft, not that there won't be any. Once you move into Hilo, it's significantly less. Once you get to the other side of Hilo, it becomes something people talk about when it happens as some sort of novelty.

How about Honomu on the Hamakua Coast? There's some houses around there that aren't too expensive. Deep soil, no crime, gorgeous drive into Hilo with very little traffic and closer to your friends in Kailua.

[davephan]

You're quite young and just starting out in your working years. Hawaii is a very high cost of living place to live, unless you're a homeless person roaming around Hilo, collecting cans to recycle and eating out of garbage cans (which I saw when visiting Hilo on more than one occasion).

You haven't mentioned how much you've been able so far and your earning potential. As you research more, you will generally find the lower priced homes in areas that have very long commute times, perhaps an hour or more each way. There are cost of living comparison web sites which will allow you compare how much more income you'll need in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. It may be more difficult for you to obtain jobs that are not part time, no benefits jobs, than on the mainland. Nepotism may reduce you odds to secure jobs, because you may be viewed as an outsider.

You need to figure out where you can potentially work and determine if you can live in that area, or determine how far you're willing to commute. You'll need several 10s of thousands of dollars to make the move, setup a place to live, and prevent you from becoming homeless if you can't find a job or lose your job. If you have to work several low wage, part time, no benefits jobs, you'll need more cash reserves to attempt the move.

I only drove through the Captain Cook area a couple of times, but when I did, the VOG seemed pretty bad to me and made my throat sore from the pollution. Maybe the VOG was worse on those days when I drove through that area. The sore throat went away pretty quickly as I drove farther north into Kona. I was sure happy I didn't rent a VRBO home in the Captain Cook area when I visited. Without ever visiting the area in person, I knew very little about the pollution in the Captain Cook area and the very twisty roads, which made the drive in that area more difficult, stressful, and annoying.

Maybe you're thinking that the move to the Big Island will be a temporary move, about a year or two. That might set you back a decade or more in your retirement saving goals. If you were able to secure jobs and survive for many years, you might never be able to retire if you cannot save enough money. If you have to work multiple part time, low wage, no benefits jobs, plus commuting time between the jobs and your home, you might have very little free time and always broke, which could reduce your ability to enjoy living in Hawaii

[Harpaint]

Since jobs are so scarce all over the island, that should be your first concern. And nepotism will absolutely be a hindrance unless you have some specific training that is in demand. Living near your friends could possibly help in securing a job, since they are from the area.

[Jane M]

Other posters have given you good advice and I will just chime in a little on the Captain Cook, and Kona areas.

Personally, I really enjoy the south Kona area. The positives:
1. a good mix of local people and laid back mainlanders who have invested in living here. In my observations, there is not much of the "snowbirds" here as there is in Kona and other environs farther up west coast.
2. Lusher environs than Kona and South Kohala
3. Less touristy than Kona
4. Many locally owned, good businesses.
5. Lots of fruit stands and coffee houses. Lots and LOTS of coffee houses.
6. A couple decent farmers markets
7. Access to some damn good snorkeling and some swimming areas

The negatives:
1. one poster mentioned one road out of CC, one road in. So locals and tourists alike are up and down that road all day making for a lot of traffic.
2. a 40 minute drive to more diverse amenities. There are a couple of stores for supplies (Choice Mart, ACE hardware,Ohana Market) but if you want a broader range of items, 40 minutes to Kona you go!
3. Limited food choices for dining out. Not really a problem for all people, but maybe for some.
4. VOG. Now, I am a sensitive person who had minor respiratory issues in the bay area of CA where the air quality is actually better than it is on this island. I spent a whole month in Honaunau and I couldn't take it. My eyes were itchy and my nose was so irritated and dry it bled. I alway felt like there was a brick right in the middle of my chest. It wasn't a very pleasant experience. That said, the people that live there seem to not have any trouble at all, but it took me a good month to find out that I was sensitive to the air there.

Kona. I live in Kona now 1/2 mile from Ali'i drive (I call it the Bourbon Street of Hawaii.....that's NOT a compliment).
Pro's of Kona

1) close to all major amenities
2) kinda close to some good beaches on the Kohala coast
3) really close to some ok to decent beaches here in Kona
3) lots of choices for dining out (not necessarily good choices)
4) It is possible to live in North Kona away from the tourist section and be in a really nice area but it will be $$$$$ to live there.

Con's of Kona (some of this may be a bit biased)
1. VOG. Hazy everyday. You never have a good view of anything: the ocean, the hills. It's all covered in a blanket of vog. Also, respiratory issues. Better than South Kona, but that's not saying much.
2. Tourists. don't think I need to elaborate.
3. Little diversity of people. To me, it seems that Kona is all white old people. The east coast has much more diversity and I would say authenticity. I personally feel more comfortable in the Hilo area and I would have lived there, but no landlord would accept my dog.
4. Kona does not feel like Hawaii to me. It feels like every other suburb on the mainlaind. So, if you don't want to venture out of your comfortable mainland suburban bubble come live in Kona.