Who has previously lived or is currently living in Puna? (Honolulu: health insurance, military)
Big IslandThe Island of Hawaii
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The rumours you hear about Puna are both true and untrue at the same time. The murder rate is considerably higher than my home town in Canada. There is more petty crime. But it changes dramatically, even within a subdivision. Remember, some of these subdivisions are HUGE. Even a 'small' subdivision like Eden Roc is 2.7 miles deep and 0.7 miles wide. HPP is the second largest subdivision in the USA (behind HOVE out in Ka'u at #1.) Two blocks away from an area with problems, you might notice absolutely no problems at all. Two months later, the situations could be reversed. Puna is where cheap land is located. This attracts people who don't have a lot of money. Crime tends to be higher in low income neighborhoods, but there are a lot of exceptions.
My tenant had a problem on our street recently, but it seems to have disappeared. Best of luck with your move.
The rumours you hear about Puna are both true and untrue at the same time. The murder rate is considerably higher than my home town in Canada. There is more petty crime. But it changes dramatically, even within a subdivision. Remember, some of these subdivisions are HUGE. Even a 'small' subdivision like Eden Roc is 2.7 miles deep and 0.7 miles wide. HPP is the second largest subdivision in the USA (behind HOVE out in Ka'u at #1.) Two blocks away from an area with problems, you might notice absolutely no problems at all. Two months later, the situations could be reversed. Puna is where cheap land is located. This attracts people who don't have a lot of money. Crime tends to be higher in low income neighborhoods, but there are a lot of exceptions.
My tenant had a problem on our street recently, but it seems to have disappeared. Best of luck with your move.
I really appreciate your reply. Some great info here and thanks for answering in a non-condescending way! =)
I really appreciate your reply. Some great info here and thanks for answering in a non-condescending way! =)
I'll add that for the most part, violent crime is between people who know each other. There are exceptions, but it's mostly drug related or relationship related. Be friendly but be cautious about being friends until you know people a bit.
That's for the violent crime, though. Theft is rampant. Partly because folks from not around here buy a second house here and leave it empty for long periods. I've heard of some where when they come back, the whole house has been stolen. Frequently, they will come back to missing water heaters and such, the whole house was a bit extreme. But, generators, tools, electronics, cars, ATVs, etc., etc. are frequently missing even from houses that people are currently living in.
Apparently they will also steal huge state owned backhoes on the side of the road - although I found it odd it was stolen back in December and only made the newspaper today.
I am not specifically looking at Puna. I just found Puna interesting because it's so controversial. I like to keep an open-mind and like to hear both side of the story regarding living there. I would like to live in a small to medium town with minimum traffic. I don't want to live on any part of the island where it's touristy or overdeveloped. I enjoy hiking, rain forests, beaches, ponds, and long walks in general. My housing budget is $500-$600/month at the moment. When I find work I'll gladly increase my budget =)
Thanks! =)
Where are you living now, and what's your housing budget where you are living. It's hard to imagine a housing budget that small almost anywhere in the US. Moving is expensive. A budget of $10K won't last very long in Hawaii. Almost everything will cost a lot more in Hawaii, not just housing. You have to eat and you'll need a car to get around. What kind of job skills do you have? What's your earning potential? Do you have any goals in your life, like educating yourself so you can raise your standard of living and save enough money for long term goals like retirement?
Puna is a beautiful tropical environment, no question about that. But there are a lot of sketchy people that live in that area from what I've read on the forum. We only passed through Puna a few times, during the daytime hours. We didn't encounter any of the sketchy people when we visited Puna, but we weren't there for very long.
It kind of sounds like you'd like to live in a beautiful tropical place, but aren't anywhere close to being financially independent. If you decide to make the move, then set a balance limit. When your money gets down to that limit, you'll have to return to the mainland. Otherwise, you might be homeless and trapped on an island. I saw many homeless people wandering around Hilo, collecting soda cans for pocket change, and eating out of garbage cans. If you visit Hilo, just look at those homeless people, and picture yourself as one of those people.
Update: I’ve been here for a month now. All is going well. Met a lot of people and made some new friends, found myself a roommate and got myself a job. Mahalo to all.
Update: I’ve been here for a month now. All is going well. Met a lot of people and made some new friends, found myself a roommate and got myself a job. Mahalo to all.
Good for you!
So what are your impressions so far? Are you living in Puna District, Hilo or somewhere else?
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