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Contractors are tougher to get than you think. It takes longer to get contractors and longer to get the job complete than on the mainland. There aren't a thousand folks in the yellow pages ready to come out and bid on the job. There may be a couple and they probably already know the house/job/lot from prior work history. When you don't get a call back it isn't because they are being rude...they are busy enough and don't want to call to tell you "no".
HPM is a good source for building materials and supplies. Many people start with HD and Lowe's since they can shop online...maybe a mistake depending on the project. HPM also has a homebuilding dept. that has pre-drawn plans. You'll start to recognize HPM houses after a little while on the island.
Remoteness...DH and Ka'u in general are quite a ways off from "town". Walmart, airports, Home Depot and most of the main shopping and restaurants are an hour and half or more away. Ocean View does have two grocery stores (expensive but close-by). There are Ace Hardware stores in OV and Naalehu.
Electricity cost by kwh is expensive. Our bill isn't very high...@ $125/month on average. We don't have an AC or Heating system so it is just big screen tv's, pc's, washer/dryer and lights. We have a solar hot water heater. If you run AC or a lot of electricity the bill can go up pretty fast.
Friends/Acquaintances seem to be what you make of it. We have made a few friends and met several folks. Getting out and into the area meeting new people is exactly how you "meet new people". COVID has made this more difficult. Facebook has a few solid OV groups that pass lots of good community info...everything from food distribution to lost/founds animals (dogs, ducks, chickens, goats, pigs, etc.). The FB groups also provide great contacts for contractors and vendors...carpenters, electricians, plumbers, catchment tank cleaners and more.
Medical care isn't what you might expect. Remoteness and lack of doctors play a part. We use Ali'i Health in Keauhou and have been happy with them. If we ever have a really bad issue we most likely will go back to the mainland for treatment.
Crime to us in virtually non-existent. Coming from the mainland, we kept everything tied up and locked-down. Petty theft seems to be the biggest issue here...if you take care to put away your things and not be a target...you'll be ahead of the game. Some dogs always help keep you aware of anybody/anything on your property. Lock the vehicles and don't leave your wallet, keys or other valuables in your vehicle (even at your residence).
Daily life for us as retirees is great! Morning walks on the slope of Mauna Loa with the dogs. Weather is always very fair...a little warmer in the summer but so nice and mild compared to DFW. Raised bed gardens and fruit trees occupy a little of our day.
Location: Southernmost tip of the southernmost island in the southernmost state
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whtviper1
On Oahu - where I have hired over 100+ people - I'd peg the 1st year leavers at roughly 50% - it could be closer to the 70% number - but Honolulu probably has an easier adjustment than the outer islands. By the end of year 2, roughly 90% overall don't make it and leave. With that said - in my experience, if you can make it 2 full years - most of the remaining tend to stay long term.
Same experience I have had. I am usually very blunt when recruiting from the mainland. The worst is when we advertise for openings and get the mainland dreamers "I want to move there and just really need to secure a job first". No, you need to make the move and get established first. Finding affordable housing is probably the biggest challenge.
Finding affordable housing is probably the biggest challenge.
Perhaps - Oahu specific, the I'll settle for 1/3 the space for twice the price and a huge salary cut got old for many people.
Now, if you can keep a Bay Area salary - work remotely - the odds of success go up. Don't give up your CA salary. Quite frankly, don't tell your employer you moved.
Our new programmer neighbor is really happy since he's moved over here. He's in a time zone where he gets up early in the morning for his work calls and meetings and then has the afternoons off to go to the beach. He's brought his job with him and his employer knows he's moved to Hawaii. They let him do the contact work with the folks on the other side of the planet so sometimes he's talking to Asia instead of the North American continent. Some folks may be able to get their employers excited about someone in a later time zone if they'd bring that point up to the attention of their employers.
You mentioned that contractors are hard to get onsite, and that does actually make sense, but I do wonder what about people who can go the DIY route, and have good skills, but need help with the permitting and local codes, just guidance really. Are there any contractors who would be willing to work in more of consulting role, with the owner doing the majority of the work?
You mentioned that contractors are hard to get onsite, and that does actually make sense, but I do wonder what about people who can go the DIY route, and have good skills, but need help with the permitting and local codes, just guidance really.
Even if you are a owner-builder - all the electrical and plumbing must be done by a licensed contractor - that may make it even harder to get a contractor or they may require rework.
Chapter 444 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes has more info
Maybe a few...Good contractors are out there. I see a few posting on Facebook groups also see them getting referred in the same FB groups. Joining the FB groups for the local community is a good resource for finding the tradesmen that service the area...ask those in the group, they likely will have info on those doing work in the area. The OV groups have been very good in finding various folks as well as yard sales, items for sale and other things that we wouldn't have ever known about without the group(s).
I’m interested in additional inputs on build or buy an existing house.. My wife and I have been mulling over DH for a while now (just waiting for me to retire and it’s a matter of days now!). We just came back (again) from the BI and DH is definitely it for us. We have our minds set on a particular lot if we build, and missed out on a house we liked.
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...things that I need to be aware of
