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I may not be popular after this post but at least you'll get another opinion...
Leilaniguy mentioned that Leilani Estates is in a lava flow zone 1. Contact your insurance agent before you even consider buying property in zone 1 or 2 (that includes Ocean View HOVE on the west side of the island). My sister lived in Ocean View and had to pay big $$$ (double what we paid in Waikoloa) for insurance over there. I lived on the Big Island for 7.5 years (Kona, Waikoloa & HPP) and I would not live in Leilani Estates. Check into the history of lava flows, steam vents and earthquakes in that area. I would think three-times about moving to Puna at all. I know, the prices are the best you can find in all of Hawaii and it's very tempting but it's not for everyone. We had mold inside and outside of our 1 yr old house (yes, even with good airflow and windows open all of the time) so we had to wash the house with Clorox. I had this throat clearing thing that did not go away until we moved. Our solid wood furniture cracked when it dried out because it had absorbed so much moisture. Also, groceries, gas, electricity, etc. are very expensive in Hawaii. It's romantic to think about living in Hawaii but it's hard being on the island and your retirement $$$ will go a lot further elsewhere. I still love Hawaii as a place to visit but I don't think I would ever live there again. IF (and that's a big IF!) I moved back to Puna I'd move to Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) down closer to the Ocean (6th & below). It's dryer so you may have to buy water once in awhile and there are still lots of mosquitoes (even during the middle of a sunny day) that may prevent you from going out and enjoying your yard and lanai. My first choice for moving to the Big Island would be Waikoloa Village. It's pricier than Puna but much drier (10+ inches of rain a year on average) and can be VERY windy at times but it's worth waiting out the wind to have sunnier days and very few mosquitoes. It's also closer to the best beaches in the world!
desert cats, remember that the lava zones should not be seen as predictions of future volcanic events, they are merely a summary of historic events and have to be therefore taken with a grain of salt. If the Mauna Loa erupts on the east side than most of what the lava zone map says will not matter.
Don't get me wrong, you are right it could be risky to buy in Puna, but so is Florida and other places in the US. Of course for other reasons.
You mention HPP closer to the ocean. What about a Tsunami wave? Oceanfront is nice, but in an event like that you might not want to sit in the first few rows. No matter if it's in Puna or in Lanikai (Oahu).
Puna has a certain charm that you either like or not. Most of the residents here accept the circumstances, some because they would be not able to afford housing anywhere else in Hawaii.
Thank you Michael. Puna may not be the cheapest or safest place in the world to live , but being from the Oregon Cascades area, (Volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires). It's at least as safe as there,(and nearly as cheap), without near as many people and at least as safe as most anywhere else in America, much safer than any large city. Also, no cost for heat, wardrobe changes by season, etc. I chose to live here knowing about volcanoes, mold, rain, etc.... So what! Welcome to the tropics! Don't bring your crummy mainland style furniture, it will rot. You won't need it. This is not North America, this is Polynesia, adjust! Before I moved here I looked at New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, The Bahamas, Belize, Cabo San Lucas and Costa Rica before I settled on Puna, Big Island, because I knew it was a much better place than any of these others. I can grow just about anything I want, every day is warm, perfect. I acknowledge it takes a certain mindset and change of attitude to live/love Puna/Hawaii, as there is to loving New Mexico, ( Myself, I don't know how anyone could stand such a stark, desolate, parched place). There are risks and advantages to every place on earth.
Wow! I guess I hit the nail on the head! Where is the Aloha?
New Mexico a "stark, desolate, parched place"? I guess you've never been to New Mexico?
Gee, didn't know I would get "attacked" for my honest opinions of a place I love and lived for over 7 years! I have lots of friends in Hawaii (locals and haoles) and I would not expect a response like this from any of them.
Read the facts and forget the personal attacks...
I don't have "crummy mainland style furniture". Solid wood is the best type of furniture for Puna due to the humidity. If you move it may crack. Don't even think about using partical board...it absorbs even more moisture and your doors and shelves will swell.
Activity in Lava Flow Zone 1 & 2 is based on very recent events and you will have to get special insurance to insure your property there. Just check it out before you buy...
Your dollars will go much further elsewhere. Most mainland groceries are 1/2 of the Hawaii price (even less than the farmer's markets).
Mosquitoes...Do I need to say more?
Waikoloa Village is my #1 choice (although it might be considered as "stark, desolate, parched" to some people in Hawaii since it is a desert) because it is beautiful and there are many good beaches nearby. Just can't afford to live there right now...
I guess I should also add, I would not live in the Tsunami Inundation zone in HPP either. Sorry, I overlooked that. So, I guess that leaves 3rd to 6th or 7th for the ideal areas to live in HPP. Close enough to get to the cliffs to watch the whales & waves but far enough to be "safe".
Fastest growing part of Hawaii, the Puna district, long the state of Hawaii's poor ******* stepchild, is rapidly coming into it's own. Once only the land of erupting volcanoes, earthquakes and marijuana gardens, tropical and wet Puna, on the east side of Big Island of Hawaii has become a mecca for Baby boomers and dreamers from all over the earth. Here you will find hippies, rednecks, rastafari, buddhists, shaman, square pegs of all sorts, along with black sand beaches, lava flows, jungles, and some of the nicest people on the planet. Thousands of retirees are moving here, rather suddenly, from all over the mainland U.S. If you are interested in discussing living in Puna, or maybe Kau, or the Big Island in general, just post, maybe I can answer some of your queries. Aloha, Leilaniguy, from deepest, darkest Puna!
Tell me about the hospital/health situation. We want to retire to Hawaii but now my husband has heart disease and frankly the things I hear about Hawaii for hospital care--scares me away! Is it true?
Wow! I guess I hit the nail on the head! Where is the Aloha?
New Mexico a "stark, desolate, parched place"? I guess you've never been to New Mexico?
Gee, didn't know I would get "attacked" for my honest opinions of a place I love and lived for over 7 years! I have lots of friends in Hawaii (locals and haoles) and I would not expect a response like this from any of them.
Read the facts and forget the personal attacks...
I don't have "crummy mainland style furniture". Solid wood is the best type of furniture for Puna due to the humidity. If you move it may crack. Don't even think about using partical board...it absorbs even more moisture and your doors and shelves will swell.
Activity in Lava Flow Zone 1 & 2 is based on very recent events and you will have to get special insurance to insure your property there. Just check it out before you buy...
Your dollars will go much further elsewhere. Most mainland groceries are 1/2 of the Hawaii price (even less than the farmer's markets).
Mosquitoes...Do I need to say more?
Waikoloa Village is my #1 choice (although it might be considered as "stark, desolate, parched" to some people in Hawaii since it is a desert) because it is beautiful and there are many good beaches nearby. Just can't afford to live there right now...
I guess I should also add, I would not live in the Tsunami Inundation zone in HPP either. Sorry, I overlooked that. So, I guess that leaves 3rd to 6th or 7th for the ideal areas to live in HPP. Close enough to get to the cliffs to watch the whales & waves but far enough to be "safe".
Okay, pau!
Aloha!
I'm sorry if my post sounded like a personal attack. It was not my intension.
I agree that Waikoloa Village is a nice area and all the other points are true too.
of course you have to do your own due diligence. Not just when you go to puna. Check with insurance companies, check with mortgage companies, check the forums etc ....
People live in this tropical climate for a long time and have adjusted their lifestyle to the climate. Like wearing snowboots and a thick jacket in the Rocky's. Of course you can find all kinds of things bad about Puna or Hawaii in general, but you will find that for any other place too if you want to.
I've lived in many places in this world and Puna is a great place.
I originally come from Vienna (Austria) and it's still my favorite city in the world - but there are plenty people who don't like it. And that's fine. Tastes are different. And that's good. Can you imagine everybody and their uncle living in Puna or in Vienna? It would be quite a scene.
We really like it here and i guess we are used to what you consider unbearable living conditions. That's probably the reason why we are still here and you are somewhere else.
By the way HPP between road 3 and 6 is also one of my favorite areas.
michael
punaguide.com
Quote:
Originally Posted by astrid
Tell me about the hospital/health situation. We want to retire to Hawaii but now my husband has heart disease and frankly the things I hear about Hawaii for hospital care--scares me away! Is it true?
Hope this meets you and your husband in the best of health.
Hilo has a really nice and modern hospital. Hilo is very very close to Puna, from some spots only 10 minutes. So check it out: http://www.hmc.hhsc.org/
Mahalo nui loa for your reply Vindona. A'ole pilikia! This is a "forum" and negative and positive comments are more beneficial to everyone than "one-sided" or just positive comments.
Oh, and I want to say that the "unbearable living conditions" (for us anyway) was just the wet side (Hilo side) of the Island. We had mold in the highlands of Kona (all of our leather shoes & purses) too but far less than Hilo side. We should have given away all of our leather before moving to Hawaii in the first place. We knew it was wet in Kea'au and we had heard about the mold but we wanted to try living inexpensive (in Hawaii terms) anyway to see if we could retire early. Well, we did retire early but not in Hawaii.
Surprisingly Kea'au is warmer than Waikoloa because it's closer to the ocean and a lower elevation. I would make sure to put insulation in the ceiling and exterior walls of a house I built there. We did that in the house we built in Waikoloa and it was great! Some people might not know that most homes in Hawaii are 2x4 construction with no insulation. You only need to insulate to keep the heat out in the Summer unless you live at a higher elevation. If you purchase an existing home you may be able to roll insulation out between the rafters if you have attic space.
Desertcats; Sorry for being snarly, I was up with insomnia, and slightly irritable. I wholeheartedly agree Puna is not for everyone, just like anywhere. I lived here 2 different times in the 80's and 90's before I settled here permanently, so I already knew before I moved to get rid of anything that wouldn't hold up to the climate. I would advise anyone thinking of relocating here to visit here first, preferably a few times at different times of the year if possible, before jumping in with both feet. BTW, I have been to both Arizona and New Mexico, but only once, and once was enough for me. To each his own.
Tell me about the hospital/health situation. We want to retire to Hawaii but now my husband has heart disease and frankly the things I hear about Hawaii for hospital care--scares me away! Is it true?
Aloha Astrid,
Hilo does have a modern hospital but check into where YOUR Insurance Company would want to send you for certain procedures. I've known several people from the Kona side that had to go to Hilo for Cancer related treatments.
I had two friends who got into accidents (not auto related, and at different times) on the Big Island and they were both flown to Oahu. Another elderly friend needed a stent and they send him to Oahu for the procedure (Kaiser Insurance). Another friend needed foot surgery for heal spurs and was also sent to Oahu (Kaiser Insurance).
My experience was that's it's hard to find a doctor in Hilo because so many people are moving there. I had to keep my doctor in Waimea (Kamuela) because the ones in Hilo were not accepting new patients. Maybe that has changed in the past few months? I would call some doctors to see if they are accepting new patients.
My cardiologist (for minor heart related problems) was on the Kona side because that is where we lived when I started going to him. Some doctors treat patients in Kona, Waimea and Hilo. I found two cardiologists in the phone book for Hilo. Lim (808-969-3884) and Matsuura (808-935-0056). There were also several listed for Honoka'a and Waimea (over an hour drive from Hilo town). Now, if you're looking for a plastic surgeon...that's another story!
We are very interested in the profile of Hawaiian Acres in the Puna District.
I guess that would pertain to elevation and temperature, distance to the coast or any decent beach, and any pros and cons.
How close is Hawaiian Acres to the current and past lava flow and possible future lava flows.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve
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lava zones
We had mold in the highlands of Kona (all of our leather shoes & purses) too but far less than Hilo side. We should have given away all of our leather before moving to Hawaii in the first place. We knew it was wet in Kea'au and we had heard about the mold but we wanted to try living inexpensive (in Hawaii terms) anyway to see if we could retire early. Well, we did retire early but not in Hawaii. 
If you purchase an existing home you may be able to roll insulation out between the rafters if you have attic space.
