The Puna District Subdivisons (Hilo, Hawaiian Beaches: rent, vacation home, water heater)

[indigoblues]

DMPM,

Missed your question about Lava tubes. Lava tubes are just about everywhere, I've a small one below my Kula Kai lot but I've already excavated it for the house pad area, ripped and rolled over 30k s.f. consisting of a 20'X250' driveway crossing a deep ravine and had no problem with the tubes. I'd say the more you have in the way of tubes, ravines etc, the more diverse your property for landscaping and the more interesting overall, use them for water features, etc, get creative with them. I'd not concern yourself with the tube issue too much or ravines etc as long as you can cross them (ravines) at some point within reason $$$ wise. I believe I payed around $5k for my excavation in Kula Kai using a D-9 dozer and operator back in 2003. If you find a tube on a perspective lot, check it out inside with a flashlight and determine where it leads and if it will pose a problem for house position. A good tube offers storage to some folks, others as those in Kula Kai are used for spelunking and visitors are charged a fee to be taken through them... Kula Kai Caverns.

As per staying away from the VOG... lower puna is the best bet as the predominate winds push the vog away from lower puna. Leilani estates does have a geothermal powerplant nearby to the north east and there was some talk about health problems from the offgassing of the plant drifting into Leilani Estates... I'm not sure if I buy the few complaints I've read about though... sounds like a little whinning to me.

Anyhow... if you're from the city and want some peace now with the off-grid green lifestyle, want the cleanest air etc and a neighborhood that isn't tainted with visible junker cars and falling apart houses etc. I'd say to make Waa Waa your first stop and then check out Leilani estates. The lower portion of Leilani Estates is protected by CC&Rs while upper Leilani Estates phase 1 has no CC&R's in place but still very nice. As per the rest of the developments, either not as much privacy and not as well maintained. Leilani offers very reasonable and well enforced CC&Rs, Waa Waa offers excellent privacy and that "Old Hawaii" personality in feel and appearance.

One more issue... Lava Zones are only important for insurance reasons, lava zone 1 and 2 are harder to get your house insured on. As per reality... the old Kona Airport was in a lava zone 4 and got the wrath of Pele over the runway etc, so Lava zones in all reality are really worthless until they get honestly updated via the applied newer technology methods. A true Rule of thumb is that the northern and western/eastern slopes of Mona Kea are fairly safe the rest is a true crap shoot.

[indigoblues]

Originally Posted by indigoblues

Parcels were on average selling for $120k in 96-97 and a couple just recently sold for $81k and $86K since Dec 98.

LOL... Appears I'm stuck in the 90's...
The above years were meant to be 06-07 and Dec. 08. Just replace the 9's with a 0.

[Hawaiian wannabe]

We are interested in semi retiring on Hawaii, and have friends in the Puna area, who are encouraging us to move there. My husband is a plumber here in California (we live on the central coast in the redwood rain forest) and hopes to get his plumbing license in Hawaii (we are counting on living on my pension, not any income from plumbing). And his hobby is working with glass (there is a great glass program at the Univ. of Hawaii), so we need electricity that is stable for a kiln. Does that mean Hilo? Or do any of the developments mentioned have electricty?

[leilaniguy]

Nearly all sudivisions have grid electricity available, but there maybe hookup surcharges if the power co. has to set poles, install transformers. Leilani Estates already has 100%. Nanawale Estates will install poles free when you pull a building permit.

[cynmkolohe]

Click here for more information: HELCO > SSPP

Check to see what the SSPP balance is for any lot you consider purchasing. This is sometimes included in listing information, sometimes not. On some properties, it has already been paid by the Seller or a previous owner.

You will incur additional costs if you need power poles beyond a certain distance from the street, or if you choose to run underground lines.

[dpmp]

Thank you for all of the input, especially IndigoBlues. Your insights have been valuable and I took all of your comments to the next level..

I'm coming home. :-))))).

June 18, I and my wife will fly out to Maui. I'll have to find ways to go to the Big Island, preferrably on a ferry so we could drive our rental car around. I'd need some tip on transportation. Apparently that giant inter-island catamaran super-ferry has been put out of commission by the environmental group. Sad!

Oh, and by the way, I've just bought that vacant lot in Hawaiian Shores, on Palani St, just off from that main road going down the park and the "beach". To be honest with you, I have little idea about it except it is on a mildly sloped terrain; which would make a very decent location for an A-frame with a wrap-around... atrium. .

But on a cautious note, please tell me if I made a wrong turn.

I have looked at Waa Waa. They have some big lots there and I can't afford it. I was able to afford one until last Sept, my wife decided that we needed a bigger house. And so we got one. I had to scale back my plan and this Palani St. property fell on my lap last week.

I look forward to be your neighbor.

[Sunandsalt]

I lived in Puna for two years, and I have a few impressions of some of these areas. Leilani is a safe and friendly subdivision, but it is quite rainy and cool--not exactly my style, though considering the areas you're interested in, that seems fine with you. Are you looking to go off the grid? Leilani has no city water, just catchment. Lots are cheap, but I would never live in Nanawale. When I think of Nanawale I think of crazy ferns, mosquitoes, and creepy neighbors, though it is very close to Pahoa town if that's important to you. Mountain View and Fern Acres are cooler and rainier than the coast, but land is reasonably priced, and growing just about anything is easy. Ainaloa is ugly in my opinion--a bunch of on-grid houses with very little vegetation on the way to Hilo. Orchidland is in the same area but is a bit more pleasing to the eye, from what I remember.

Kapoho is my favorite part of Puna, but lots are fairly expensive because it is so beautiful: sunny, lush, and right on the water. Neighbors are immigrant hippies and farmers (except in the gated communities).

[islandantoinette]

"One particular location they thought was great had just had two murders, a rape, and meth lab explosion... all in a three month period."
WHAT was the location? More than just Puna please!!!

Originally Posted by seikaryusensei

Thanks, CynMKahole, for your thoughtful reply.


"One particular location they thought was great had just had two murders, a rape, and meth lab explosion... all in a three month period."
WHAT was the location? More than just Puna please!!!


As to land use zoning, lava zones, CC&R's, buidling codes, flood zones, right-of-ways, lot surveys, and the general nature of building in a specific subdivision, I am sure there will be much research and discussion with both professionals like yourself, and other friends & family. These are most certainly questions to seek answers to. There are many websites that you can get pretty good information on all of these issues

However, those questions seem less daunting than "talking story" with and finding the knowledge that comes from those that have lived in the area and know the "story" behind each neighborhood / subdivision.

I have family members who are moving to our neck of the woods in Northern California. They did some online research about some of the areas they had heard about. When they asked me about the areas I had to disabuse them of the idea these were the meccas they thought they had found. One particular location they thought was great had just had two murders, a rape, and meth lab explosion... all in a three month period. I guess I am looking for more of the insiders view of the various "social climes" of the various subdivisions.

The question of acreage is not as critical as the "buildability" of the lot. In some private conversations with one of the contributors of this forum, I was told that the 3 acre lots in one subdivision (Fern Forest) are only 100 feet wide. That makes them LONG and skinny. That might be okay, but the description of the lots in Eden Roc seem more conducive to our particular plans. The best bet is probably going to be a good ground recon of the main areas we end up feeling okay about. Since I am not there I just do not have anything to base an opinion on, and therefore, not not know how to limit my search.

The comment about the Pahoa traffic back up makes a big difference! Hilo is going to be relatively important, especially early on. Your info about Kurtistown cutoff avoiding the back up would be critical to a fully informed property buying decision for us. Thank you!!

As to CC&R's, it is not that I am against CC&R's, it is that some people get really officious and use the CC&R's as a way to force their agenda on others. We have lived in a subdivision that had the CC&R's STRICTLY enforced. If you left your trash can at the curb a day too long the board would warn you and fine you on the second offense. This put so many people off that the HOA board members became personas non gratis. Aftere most of their terms, none were re-elected. The newer boards have taken a more diplomatic and involved approach and it has lessened the tension of the community greatly. Yeah, there are few trash cans on the curb a day or two longer than needed, but a friendly reminder from a neighbor by just moving their cans up for them has worked way better.

In a couple conversations I have had with locals, some expressed their various general perceptions of the areas I mentioned. For example, one comment alluded to the reclusive nature of the residents of one subdivision, and the nature of the roads and their upkeep in another. The issue of drugs and their inherent problems in the Puna district as compared to a city on the mainland was discussed. HOA dues, junked cars and thei removal, wireless availability, fire fighting training and a community picnic were the subject in another subdivision's website.

Again, thanks for your post! These posts are great resources and help paint a little more detail into helping define where some of the best place to live might be. I hope we might hear from a few others here. That would be very...

Mahalo Nui & Aloha

[hotzcatz]

No panic, IslandAntoinette! The poster was talking about conditions in California, not Puna!

Hawaii Wannabe,
You may want to check out gas fired kilns. The electric rates around here generally make the use of electric kilns prohibitive. I think it's around forty to fortyfive cents per kilowatt hour although we aren't connected so I don't know the current rates. Get your electric bill and see how many kilowatt hours you used last month, multiply that by point forty five (.45) and then start thinking about what electrical things you have that can be run by other means.

[mdand3boys]

Current Big Island electric rate is about thirty five cents or slightly less, since yet another rate reduction occurred due to the dropping price of oil.