Wondering what my childhood home is like now... (how much, houses) - Big Island - Hawaii (HI) -The Island of Hawaii - City-Data Forum

spix14 · 03-01-2008, 03:19 PM

Hello all, I know the odds of someone being able to help me are slim, but I figured I would give it a shot. I lived in Hawaii with my mother and stepfather back in 1990-91, and I have been trying to find a picture or some kind of information about what has become of my old house for curiosity's sake.

I know that it was in the Puna district, and that it was right across the street from the ocean. We had a rock wall running across the front of the lawn next to the road. This was a handmade stone wall, not a brick or manufactured looking wall. The house was surrounded by forest to the back and left side, and on the right there was a deep gulch as well as more forest. (this is all as though you are looking at it from the road) It was a two story house that was originally on stilts though I imagine it has been enclosed on the bottom story by now.

We also had a shed in the back yard and a very tall palm tree that went higher than the house. When we lived there there was no water or electricity run to the house so we had a generator and our own water source (I hear this is still common in the area though it too may have changed). We had no side by side neighbors that I can recall though once again, it's been a long time, and I have no idea how much the area has been developed. If anyone thinks they might know of the house I am talking about or lives in the area I would be happy to send you pictures of the house as it looked then to see if you know it. Please help if you can, I have so many good memories of the place and would love to know what it looks like today. Thank you for your time!

leilaniguy · 03-02-2008, 02:08 AM

Aloha. I lived in the area at that time, do now too, but your description of rock walls, generators, houses on stilts and palms sounds like many homes on the coast. Do any of these placenames sound familiar? Paradise Park, Waa Waa, Kapoho, Green Lake, Pua Laa, Pohoiki, Issac Hale, Mac Kenzie, Opihikao, Kaueleau, Kamaili, Seaview, Puna Palisades, Kehena, Kaimu, Red Road? That was also during the time when Kalapana was overrun by lava. Do you remember that happening and how far away from there you lived?

spix14 · 03-02-2008, 08:59 AM

Red Road is the one that really rings a bell. I do remember that lava flow, I don't think it was close enough for us to be overly worried but I remember driving to see it and seeing roadblocks set up...if I recall correctly (and I'm not sure I do) it covered a black sand beach that we used to visit. Does that help at all? Thanks so much for taking the time to try and help me out.

leilaniguy · 03-02-2008, 06:57 PM

Well, Red Road narrows it down to somewhere between Kapoho and Kaimu. Kaimu was the beach buried by lava. My guess is you lived around either Opihikao or Kehena. Those two places have forest and gulches, most other places on Red Road are nearly level with the ocean or are barren & rocky. A photo of the house might help, but it has been a long time, maybe changed completely.

cynmkolohe · 03-03-2008, 12:14 AM

Any possiblity you know the street name? Or, if one of your parents was on title--was an owner of the property--if you DM me with their name and the years they were the owners, I might be able to look it up for you!

sevenofsix · 03-03-2008, 10:22 AM

you could try looking at it in google map under satellite.

spix14 · 03-03-2008, 03:12 PM

Thanks for all the help guys!

Unfortunately I have no idea what the street name is. The house was not level with the ocean, once you went across the street to the shore there was a rocky sort of drop off. My scanner's out of commision right now but I took some pictures of the photos with my camera, they are rather blurry but they give you an overall look at the house.

Here's the house...
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/dragon1488/house.jpg (broken link)

Here's the view across the street from the yard...
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/dragon1488/houseacrossstreet.jpg (broken link)

And the view down the road if you were coming down it with the house on your left side.
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/dragon1488/smalldownstreet.jpg (broken link)

Does that help at all?

cynmkolohe · 03-03-2008, 04:05 PM

I've DM'ed you with some information...if the property is 4.21 acres, I think I've found it!

leilaniguy · 03-04-2008, 02:38 AM

It looks very familiar, not the house, but the view down the road. My guess is about milepost 17 or 18 near Kalani Honua. Am I close cyn?

cynmkolohe · 03-04-2008, 10:22 AM

If I have the right property, it is between mile marker 17/18 on Kapoho-Kalapana Rd! Closer to 17. If I've correctly matched the info provided to the MLS data from a recent listing of the property, it is now a yellow house with the bottom completed for a total of 6 bedrooms. Looks like it is a really nice place! (I've emailed Spix14 the old listing data and photos from the MLS.)