Coming to the BI on a house hunt (income, taxes)

[Amadrid]

Well I will put to rest the answer of county water versus catchment system. We made an offer on a property in Hawaiian Beaches which is on county water. Yes it’s in lava zone two, we are very happy with the decision. Yes it is insurable. We spent time in Oceanview looking at properties, but settled on Hawaiian beaches.

[hotzcatz]

Hawaiian Beaches is a good choice over HOVE, at least, in my estimation. HOVE (Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, although I guess they just call themselves Oceanview these days), anyway, that's just a bit too far from any supply sources without having to make the big trek into either Kailua-Kona or Hilo. At least, for me, it may be great for other folks.

Hawaiian Beaches is a faster access to Hilo and there's some shopping in Pahoa. The lava zone 2 can be a bit worrisome, though, but it's slow lava so you have time to get out of the way and hopefully insurance will fix anything the lava does.

Not a lot of soil in HB, but you can always make raised bed gardens. It's a low enough elevation that you'll be able to grow all the tropical plants.

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Hawaiian Beaches is a good choice over HOVE, at least, in my estimation. HOVE (Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, although I guess they just call themselves Oceanview these days), anyway, that's just a bit too far from any supply sources without having to make the big trek into either Kailua-Kona or Hilo. At least, for me, it may be great for other folks.

Hawaiian Beaches is a faster access to Hilo and there's some shopping in Pahoa. The lava zone 2 can be a bit worrisome, though, but it's slow lava so you have time to get out of the way and hopefully insurance will fix anything the lava does.

Not a lot of soil in HB, but you can always make raised bed gardens. It's a low enough elevation that you'll be able to grow all the tropical plants.

Will they still insure in LZ2 so one can obtain financing?

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

Will they still insure in LZ2 so one can obtain financing?

OP said yes in their most recent post. Best of luck to them.

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

OP said yes in their most recent post. Best of luck to them.

Whoops, missed it. Seems like a lot of nice houses in Hawaiian Beaches at good prices, but would prefer larger lots. How is crime in HB?

[Lodestone]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

Whoops, missed it. Seems like a lot of nice houses in Hawaiian Beaches at good prices, but would prefer larger lots. How is crime in HB?

Petty theft and drug use in some areas, but none at all on our street. It largely depends on your neighbors, ours are great and we all keep an eye on each other's properties. The bad neighbors/neighborhoods self-identify by keeping their houses a mess. The Hawaiian Shores portion is more upscale and a bit safer. There are plenty of vacant lots; consider a house bordered by jungle or just buying the adjacent lots.

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by Lodestone

Petty theft and drug use in some areas, but none at all on our street. It largely depends on your neighbors, ours are great and we all keep an eye on each other's properties. The bad neighbors/neighborhoods self-identify by keeping their houses a mess. The Hawaiian Shores portion is more upscale and a bit safer. There are plenty of vacant lots; consider a house bordered by jungle or just buying the adjacent lots.

Mahalo. Definitely want to live in a safe neighborhood. We are going to have to finance. We have a few grand to put down $20,0000. We don’t have a lot of savings, but most of our money is put into a monthly check for life. There are a couple 401K’s and annuities for extra cash, but my pension is a monthly payout to my death. I’m looking at $5000 a month. My wife will teach and I’ll grab some part time job for a few extra bucks.

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

Mahalo. Definitely want to live in a safe neighborhood. We are going to have to finance. We have a few grand to put down $20,0000. We don’t have a lot of savings, but most of our money is put into a monthly check for life. There are a couple 401K’s and annuities for extra cash, but my pension is a monthly payout to my death. I’m looking at $5000 a month. My wife will teach and I’ll grab some part time job for a few extra bucks.

A pension of $5K a month in Puna and you're still looking to earn more?

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

A pension of $5K a month in Puna and you're still looking to earn more?

I still want to work part time to keep my mind busy. I think it is good to continue working.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

I still want to work part time to keep my mind busy. I think it is good to continue working.

If Puna is like Ka'u, there will be no need for part time work. There are lots of ways to volunteer on the island. In fact, there are probably still plenty of volunteer opportunities to help out the people displaced by the volcano.

In Ka'u we have a very active grass roots volunteer organization that helps everyone in the community, from keiki to kupuna. We keep very busy with many small activities and also sponsor several large events (keiki fishing tournament, coffee trail run, 4th of July parade and family fun day) that take good administrative skills.