Hilo area questions (Captain Cook: short sales, real estate, foreclosure)

[Beedude]

Aloha all! I'm a commercial beekeeper with a farm in Vermont. My wife and I fell in love with the Big Island last year, a sentiment shared by our son, who worked as a beekeeper in Captain Cook for 2 years. These postings really give a good picture of some of the pros and cons of moving to the Hilo area. We're been looking at properties in Hilo, Puna and the Hamakua coast for a few months (sticker shock, even in this economy!!!) and need advice from the locals. Where should we look for 5-10 acres of land where we can raise some bees, chickens, fruit trees, etc. (my wife's a landscape designer and big-time organic gardener) but not worry too much about crime. We're definitely NOT the cookie cutter house/subdivision types, but are low-key, friendly, leave a small footprint type of folks. Also, are solar houses a possibility in the Hilo area or is it too cloudy?

[hotzcatz]

Move over and rent for at least six months before deciding to buy, you'll get a place much more suited to what you want that way. Also prices are dropping so waiting six months might save you money. But I'm not a professional land person so YMMV.

The varroa mite has been found in some hives near the port in Hilo about three months ago. But we still need more bees.

Did you talk to Richard up in Ahualoa? He has a large bee operation. I have some friends who have ten acres of coffee farm which is lease land you could get for a real reasonable price. The big downside is it can't have a house on it but you could live in town nearby and then go tend the bees and trees. PM me if you want details.

Solar houses work great around here, we've been off grid for about eight years. A wind generator is the next thing we are planning to add to our array since if we get several cloudy days in a row we have to start up the "iron sun".

[Annyz]

I am not a local...still a Wisconsinite..and anyone please feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but....
I have been looking daily for over a month on various real estate sites for a home with a minimum of 5 acres (we presently have 40, so this is a major cutback!). Either they are way too expensive (over $300,000), are leasehold properties, or in subdivisions with restrictions. Beware of properties with homes that are unpermitted, in foreclosure or are short sales. Check these out thoroughly to avoid any future problems.
I would also recommend checking with the local Ag agents. Maybe they have some suggestions?

[hotzcatz]

Land in Hawaii is expensive. It is going to remain expensive because the supply is much less than the demand. You might be able to find vacant land in that price range, but it will probably be lacking in some things you might be used to such as soil. A lot of things will grow in cinders, but the cultivation techniques are entirely different than dirt farming and the learning curve is huge.

Don't buy anything without personally inspecting it. Online sales might work for areas on the mainland where everything is cookie-cutter but we don't have those areas here. Even the weather patterns can change from one side of a subdivision to another.

When buying farmland, check to make sure it has dirt, then check the rainfall for the annual amount as well as if it is spread throughout the year, check the lava maps and check the prevailing vog conditions. Also consider what crop you'd want to grow and if there are any processing facilities and enough labor force to plant and harvest.

A lot of the inexpensive farmland is leasehold and you can't build a house on it. They have fifty year leases, so it isn't like there won't be time to get crops and such going. The leases are renegotiated at the end of the fifty years. I have some friends with ten acres of mature coffee and citrus but they are getting too old to farm and they are selling it. It is just outside of a nice small town so you could live in town and still be farmers. Farming in Hawaii is a bit different than farming on the mainland but more folks are trying it these days so hopefully there will be some momentum and more processing and selling facilities becoming established.

[keoilani]

Hi,
I just wanted to add something here. There is no need to be afraid of REO, (foreclosed properties), they have already been taken back by the bank. You would do you typical inspection like any other property and negotiate with the Seller, in this case the bank, like any other deal. The only problem with short sale properties is if or when the bank, the current sellers owe to, agree to the sale. Can take a lot longer or not work out at all. But, if it is a good property might be worth the trouble. The biggest problem with short sale properties is usually how experiences or inexperienced the Realtor that has the listing is with doing short sales.
Find yourself a good Realtor on the island and let them do the work for you. Explain your criteria and tell them what exactly you want. If you have a good Realtor all will work out fine.
I would recommend someone but I only have one on Kauai and she doesn't work the big island.
Good luck and wishing I was moving with you!!
Keoi