Discovery Harbour Houses (Hilo, Waimea, Naalehu: rental market, condo, new home) - Big Island - Hawaii (HI) -The Island of Hawaii - City-Data Forum

michelle_island · 07-29-2018, 06:43 AM

Is Discovery Harbour a small community? Are there HOA's? What lava zone is it in? We are relocating the BI this Wednesday to begin our house hunt and are interested in this area. Is it a pet friendly area? We have 2 dogs. One is older and the other is very friendly and playful.

JoDan · 07-29-2018, 07:44 AM

I don't live on the BI, but have stayed there several times on vacations. I have rented home for two months a few times. If I move to the BI I would buy here. It was very centrally located for us. Our times there were wonderful experiences. The people we met were very friendly and helpful with local information.

Not sure about the lava zone, but believe it's one of the safest. We saw several dogs so that shouldn't be a problem.

We're coming back in April, but unfortunately our "home" is being sold by the owner. This is the second time that's happened.

We love the quaintness of Naalehu and the country setting. Ideal for us...I think you'll like it, too!

Good luck on your house hunting. You might be buying "our" home.

Dreaming of Hawaii · 07-29-2018, 08:07 AM

DH has 825 lots, but only 300 have houses. There is a mixture of full-timers/snowbirds, and retired people/families. There is a homeowner's association that is very active. Most of the subdivision is in lava zone 6, with a small portion in lava zone 3. A lot of people have dogs and walk them frequently.

Michelle, if you haven't already make reservations, there are some VRBO and AirBnB properties in the neighborhood. If you are considering relocation, I suggest you stay in the area and see what it would feel like to live there. Some people (like us) like the remoteness, but it does take some lifestyle changes.

JoDan, we used to use our house as a vacation rental before we moved in. There was one couple who came every January for many years, and they were very upset when we took it off the rental market. That was eight years ago, and they still come visit us when they are on the BI.

JoDan · 07-29-2018, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

DH has 825 lots, but only 300 have houses. There is a mixture of full-timers/snowbirds, and retired people/families. There is a homeowner's association that is very active. Most of the subdivision is in lava zone 6, with a small portion in lava zone 3. A lot of people have dogs and walk them frequently.

Michelle, if you haven't already make reservations, there are some VRBO and AirBnB properties in the neighborhood. If you are considering relocation, I suggest you stay in the area and see what it would feel like to live there. Some people (like us) like the remoteness, but it does take some lifestyle changes.

JoDan, we used to use our house as a vacation rental before we moved in. There was one couple who came every January for many years, and they were very upset when we took it off the rental market. That was eight years ago, and they still come visit us when they are on the BI.

We love Discovery Harbor! You are very blessed to be there.

Grassyknoll · 07-30-2018, 08:13 AM

Not in DH, but live in Oceanview right up the road. There are lot's of great places to take your dog's on the South end of the island. There are also a few dog friendly places/beaches in town. My pack of dogs loves it here.
Just be cautious, there are a lot of free-roaming dogs on the island so watch your dogs when they are in your yard or on your property.
Also, here's a free tip. Bring wipes and water with you when picking up your dog's from the baggage area if shipped in the plane's hold. One of our dogs had a huge "accident" in transit. Not fun to try an clean up at the Kona airport when we landed.

steiconi · 07-30-2018, 10:32 PM

We lived in DH for six months. It's lovely, breezy, cooler than Kona and drier than Hilo.

The community center offers game nights, there's a sewing club, a red hat group that raises funds for the local hospital, and other great ways to meet people. The senior center in Na'alehu offers classes. Don't miss the fourth of July community celebration.

It is soo remote. I heard the grocery in Na'alehu closed, so the nearest is in HOVE. The hospital offers emergency room services, then will send you off to Hilo or Kona.

DH was kind of empty in the summer, with all the snowbirds gone.

The Pu'uo'o vent opened when I was there, and VOG was a problem--all my tools and even some jewelry corroded in the acidic air. That may be better now.

glassnumbers · 08-20-2018, 03:19 PM

Aloha, I live in DH. It exists in Lava Zone 6, and if you look at lava flow maps over the years, you will see that the hills surrounding DH and Naalehu have blocked lava flows for centuries, so as far as lava goes, this is one of the safer spots on the island. There's no shops in Discovery Harbor, it is strictly a sub-division. The closest shopping is in Ocean View or Naalehu. DH has plenty of dogs, its quite pet friendly. There is an HOA, but its not like California HOA's or Kona condo HOA's that demand everything look according to their schematic. There are codes that have to be met, but you walk down the street and every house is different with its own unique garden, its wonderfully eclectic, instead of bizarrely reminiscent of Camazotz (from A Wrinkle In Time) like the California HOA's I have experienced.

It's not as hot as Kona, nor as rainy as Hilo, it's not vulnerable to lava like Puna or Ocean View is, and you don't have to be practically a millionaire to live there like in Kohala or Waimea. It's biggest flaw is that affordable shopping is far away. Now, there IS the Wiki Wiki mart in Naalehu which just buys stuff from Costco and resells it at a higher price, so if you have money to spend you can just shop there, they have a lot of stuff there in that little supermarket in the back. The Ocean View and Malama Markets also have some good stuff, fish, etc, so its not like you have to go to Costco to get groceries.

dobanion · 08-20-2018, 03:52 PM

I stay in DH for nearly every trip to the Big Island. Love the place. Breezy, which is great as it cools down as soon as you open the windows. Always seem able to find someone selling the mornings catch out of a cooler (Ahi, Mahi Mahi, Ono). I enjoy a lazy vacation, and Naalehu area is perfect for my wife and I. We grab the weeks food at Costco after we get off the plane in Kona, and head south for our relaxation. Sunrises on the porch and sunsets at South Point.

I was there in May when the volcano started belching ash from the summit. That was bad. Got a cough that took a week to clear up once I got back to Oregon. But, the volcano seems to be done with that behavior. I imagine the air quality is fantastic now.

One thing to be aware of for DH in particular when house shopping, is that there are a lot of identical houses built all around 2006. Steel framed, a touch over 1100 sq/ft, 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car garage. I actually stay in one, and it seems like a great house. Just know if you get one, it will be far from unique.

Buckeye77 · 08-20-2018, 10:32 PM

Lived in DH for 2 1/2 years, moved back to mainland a year ago. I am told that there is a number of new homes under construction in DH. Is that still going on or has lava issue slowed this down?

Dreaming of Hawaii · 08-21-2018, 08:29 AM

We miss you, Hoot!

A new "developer" has bought a bunch of lots and is busy building new homes. The first one completed looks really nice but is still on the market. He is currently working on five more right now. Other than that, there have been a smattering of new homes being built. I think there are about a dozen houses on the market right now.

I don't think that the lava issue has slowed things down in DH. We are far enough away that we are not impacted and, like glassnumbers said, we are in a very safe lava zone.