North Florida to Big Island (Hawaiian Beaches, Nanawale Estates: renters, mortgage, month to)

[Old_Rider]

Hi folks, the wife and a I have been looking around for a more "temperate" climate when we find our "forever home"
Lately I have been looking at rural areas on the Big Island near Hawaiian Beaches and Nanawale Estates, seeing as they look like a rural area that we are used to.
Most of the homes we have been looking at are small 1,000-1,4000 square ft. and we were actually wondering if we could "add-on" to a stilt (3' old style) home.
I've read that the codes changed back in 2012 and don't know what the new ones are all about, so i'm reserving any opinion on them, and would like to find out from some of the local folks.
I'm am not a "certified" anything, other than aircraft engine mechanic and a window/door installer
But was raised by a fella that could fix and build anything to code and I can do the same, if I get the guidelines.
Any comments would be welcome and help us to make our decision
Even though we have never been, we have had close family members who have visited quite often (which lead us to start looking there) and have filled us with great stories
Thanks!

[terracore]

Hawaiian Beaches and Nanawale Estates are very close together geographically but they are nothing alike. I'm not even sure where to begin... somebody else got this one?

[Old_Rider]

The few houses we have seen in Hawaiian beaches near the elementary school (side streets off the oval) look more like the rural area we live in, the Nanawale ones looks to more "secluded"
We like the idea of an end street because we have always lived areas similar.
They packed the houses here near to 20 feet apart on 87' by 110' lots. So the lots we are looking at are comparable, maybe just a tad larger.
Our life style will not change much, if we move, seriously, we don't get out much, and know our neighbors on each side of us and get along
Seeing as we are both over 50 and soon to be retired for good, we were thinking a smaller place and or maybe renting until we find one we really like.
I have been reading a bit about the BI, but I know once we get there it will be a lot to take in and get used to.
Not sure about employment, but I am good with my hands, I will probably be using my military retirement to pay for the mortgage and electric, so if we get the urge to go this year or early next, i'll be flying over to look around for a couple of weeks.
This is part of my "study session" to get the feel of what I will really be needing to do. I have only been looking at this area for a couple of weeks, and liked what I was reading on this forum.


EDITED: Just realized I did not ask about networking connections, or cable/satellite services

[hotzcatz]

Instead of deciding on an area from the other side of the planet, how about moving over to the Big Island and renting for six months to a year? You'll find a much better location if you're here for a length of time instead of a quick flit over to buy something.

You don't have to look for rural on the Big Island, it's all over the place.

[Old_Rider]

Yeah, we talked about renting and looking.... how are the leases though? Here in Florida they are mostly 2 year deals, unless you are military (ret. Air Force) and are going to a new base elsewhere, then they have a renters clause for that.
The other thing is our personal stuff..... we discussed selling everything, except personal items, pictures, a couple motorcycles, a vehicle and my tools, but i'd part with them if I "had to" ... LOL.
That way we could rent and would not have much shipped, or to store and wait until we got a place.
How are shipping fee's if you buy online?
Actual rent costs... furnished 2 br? I can look online, but hey... you folks probably know a few locals that have a place.... and I would volunteer to keep it up or fix broken stuff. I once scraped and painted one of the places I rented for free because the landlord let us in before he finished renovating the place.
Right now we are in the "discussion stage" I'm going to start moving on to the "selling stage" next month... we really do need to thin out our collection of life's little " I want that" things.

[Due]

You must research (by being here in person for at least a year) to make valid decisions.


We researched on island for over 5 years before choosing a location; after buying and living here for years (and liking our neighborhood) we would probably choose a different location on this island.

[leilaniguy]

Most of the lots in Nanawale are only 60' wide by 135'. Most of the "Beaches" lots average 72' by 150'. It's actually more suburban than rural, but many lots are not built on yet. The only way to secure the "rural" feel is to buy the lots on either side. (They are cheap right now). There are many landlords here who will rent month to month.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

OP, you asked about shipping fees. What you'll find here is that Amazon is the best for shipping. At least they'll ship to Hawaii; a lot of places, such as Overstock.com, don't. Because we order so much on-line, a lot of us have Amazon Prime for the free shipping.

We do a lot of shipping using flat rate boxes.

You'll also find that places like Home Depot and Sears add on $50 to $100 to the cost of EACH appliance when you order from them. Oh, and we found something new -- I went to Home Depot's website looking for a specific product, and the website said that it couldn't be shipped to Hawaii and they wouldn't even ship to the store. However, when I went to the Home Depot store and talked with customer service, they could order it and have it shipped to the store. Explain that!

Note that shipping times can be as long as six weeks (said order from Home Depot, for example).

[lily4]

When you visit you will be able to get a better feel for what you like, but I agree with those who have recommended you rent first and take your time choosing an area. Also, you will find out if you like living on a remote island. Some people get island fever, miss their friends and relatives, miss all the amenities of the mainland, or just have trouble adjusting to the culture. Also, if you are used to turning on the air conditioner when it gets hot, you'll find it's much more expensive for utilities and most people can't afford to run an air conditioner. Yes, the weather is more temperate than Florida, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't get uncomfortably hot in the summer. Also, it depends on where you choose to live. The higher up you go the cooler it is. There is so much to consider that it makes very little sense to make a quick decision on where to purchase a home.

As for employment, jobs are scarce, so I wouldn't count on finding a job right away. Plan on having enough cash to survive for minimally a year, if not longer.

The COL is a lot higher than Florida. If you live local, it's more doable. Just understand that it's not Florida with more temperate weather. Its' a completely different environment that takes getting used to. So, take your time and don't buy a house too quickly.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by lily4

As for employment, jobs are scarce, so I wouldn't count on finding a job right away.

Scarce? The unemployment rate on the Big Island is 3.8%, a rate many states would find envious, such as Florida, which is 5.6%

Hawaii Island unemployment rate goes unchanged | West Hawaii Today

Regardless, if you said - you could probably find a job - but it might be very low paying compared to what you are used to - that would be more accurate.