North Florida to Big Island (Hilo, Waikoloa Village: how much, new home, to buy)

[Due]

Food costs: It's a learned experience.

Local farmer's markets and Costco supply great produce at a fair price.
Oyster mushrooms at the Wiamea farmer's market are fresher and half the price paid we in Texas. The locally grown lettuce and other vegetables, fruit, etc. are very good.
Costco milk in the 3 carton pack is a bargain: bread, nuts, Kona coffee, yogurt, juices, and many other items there are considerably less than the grocery store prices.

We grow banana's, citrus, mango, okra, squash, coconuts, pineapple and more if time allows.


Where you live: Unfortunately, every state and county has areas that are rough.
A great area here is North Kohala, but it's not inexpensive.

[Jane M]

1. I actually live in a mixed neighborhood (high and low incomes) i would not call it "rough" by any means. My neighbors are just being "themselves" and they unintentionally don't have neighbor etiquette. I wish they did. It IS very annonying, But I can't really do anything about it. I have a dog, so where I live is dictated only by which rental house will accept a dog. This was the only one I found on the entire Island within our price range and also in a decent area. It is a lovely house in an otherwise good location.There were some dog friendly houses in Puueo, but I did not want to live there or in pahoa.
2. I am not going to buy anything here in HI. I can't afford it.
3. I would never live in Waikoloa because it is white washed and flavorless. Same goes for Waimea and I would even say Kapa'a and the like even though they are both geographically, beautiful areas.
4 I agree that North Kona is the worst this Island has to offer. The only thing of worth is convenience of horrible shopping (walmart and safeway, stores that I never patronized in Cali).
5 I did have a delicious low acid pineapple once in south kona in 2010 from a man who ran his own stand on Middle Keei road. I asked the lady from Super J's if he was still there and she says that he seems to come and go, but has not seen him lately.
6. You have to pay for bags in Cali since 2012.
7 You don't need to explain the climate zones to me in Florida. I lived there for 30 years. I spent time in every nook and cranny of that place, so I know it very well.
8. As much as I like Florida, I like the bay area of CA the best. Will probably retire on the gulf coast of FL, however, when I am really old (like 75)
9. Have never received "stink eye".

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Jane M

8. As much as I like Florida, I like the bay area of CA the best. .

Very nice, though quite crowded. Also, a bit dry-and talk about expensive!

Not a great place for trail running either, I would imagine.

[Jane M]

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

Very nice, though quite crowded. Also, a bit dry-and talk about expensive!

Not a great place for trail running either, I would imagine.

Yes, it is VERY crowded and that is one of the reasons why we left.

Housing is EXTREMELY expensive, but if you move a little farther south or to the east, you can find more reasonable prices for renting or buying. If you are willing to move further into the state, housing prices will drop precipitously, but you won't really be in the bay area.

You are very wrong about trail running in CA. It's the perfect spot. It's were I started trail running because god knows, trail running is difficult (but can be done) in FL.

This website gives you an idea of how many places there is to run/hike/bike in the bay area:

Bay Area Hiker: Home page

[mikereilly]

One of the nice things about the Big Island is that you can pick your climate. Don't like it too hot? Move up mauka. Too cold? Move makai. Too wet? Go leeward side. Too dry? Windward side. My cottage in Mountain view is cool at night and just about right during the day. Rains a fair bit, but at least it's mostly just showers most days and not the months of dreary overcast weather like the Pacific Northwest gets in winter. Take the top off one of those pineapples people are talking about and stick it in the ground and an entire plant will grow up. Gardening is a breeze. We set our cottage up to be very low on utility costs. Gas dryer, gas stove, gas hot water. We found we'd use 1-2kWh/day with the two of us, but we tend to be dawn to dusk people maximizing our daylight waking time and not spending much time watching tv or on computers.

Yes, you can run for miles and miles in the big Puna (or Ka'u) subdivisions. Bring a stick, golf club or bear spray for the some times vicious roaming dogs (or maybe just a lot of dog treats until you train them to love you). Of course, you may be in an area with no roaming dogs. Some of these are very big subdivisions.

[evilcart]

Wow lots of "keep away" posts.


One thing I have noticed over the years, there are a lot of folk in HI who try to make out like living there is a really bad move, I am pretty sure most of those posters are just trying to scare people off.

[HPP_Since_79]

I would never live in Waikoloa because it is white washed and flavorless. Same goes for Waimea

I am completely dumbfounded by anyone considering Waimea 'white washed and flavorless', it is one of the most culturally vibrant and historically relevant places on the Island, also the most unique (as is opposite of what people outside think of 'Hawaii').

Unless you meant 'white washed' racially? Definitely some haole yuppies up there if that is what you meant, lol

[Buckeye77]

Old-Rider - We moved here in January 2015 from Central Florida (Mount Dora). We had been here on a cruise for our honeymoon in 2003, came back to Hilo in 2005 for vacation, and then to Kona for vacation in 2006. Had not been here since then. Looked at houses on the Big Island on-line on and off since then. Saw the one we eventually bought in the fall of 2014. It was bank owned, and had been empty for several years. It is in Discovery Harbour, near South Point, in the Kau district. I remember my wife and I sitting out by our pool in Florida, and me showing her the new listing. She looked at it for a few minutes and said "I want that house. Buy me that house." So I did. But it took a while, and we had not actually closed on it until February of 2015. We did the necessary due diligence of course, and that part has been okay. As for cost of living here vs Florida, I think it all kinda comes out in the wash, so to speak. Yes electric rates are outrageous but you use less, so our bill is less than in Florida (we had a heated pool there). Gasoline is higher, but again most folks use less. Grocery are higher by, maybe, 25% of so. Cable bill is less, cell phone about the same. What was a big issue for us was that down here in Naalehu you are literally 50 miles or more from everything. We were making at least one trip a week to Hilo for medical services, often more than that. While the drive was pleasant, in a medical emergency, well, good luck. I had quad bypass in a Florida hospital about 5 miles from our house. Here, I think they would have to fly me to Oahu. Since you are looking in the Pahoa area, the drive will not be so bad from there. I love it here, but the practicality of it all is beginning to set in, and I suspect that by next year I will have to move back to either Florida or Ohio. As my doctor told me "Your not a spring chicken anymore." Mahalo.

[Jane M]

Originally Posted by HPP_Since_79

I would never live in Waikoloa because it is white washed and flavorless. Same goes for Waimea


Unless you meant 'white washed' racially? Definitely some haole yuppies up there if that is what you meant, lol

Yes. That is exactly what I meant.

[whtviper1]

Interesting that a phrase 20 some years ago has come up in some threads recently.

So "yuppies" essential college educated professionals is a bad thing? Should they have skipped college and gone right to Burger King? Why the hate on degreed proffesionals