Moving to Kona for 3+ months (real estate, apartment, rentals)

[Nick72]

Hi,

I have a job where I'm telecommuting and am going to spend the winter on the Big Island. My question is regarding finding a place to stay. I don't want to pay vacation rental prices since I'll be there for a while. I'm not sure how to go about looking for a place though. I have a friend I can crash with briefly or could put myself up in a hotel for a few nights while I look for a place, so my thought is I'll just go there and find a place once there. So,

1. Does anyone see any reason not to do this?
2. How would you go about looking for a place for a three-monthish timespan? Craigslist? Local classifieds? Down on their luck vacation places and try to strike a deal?

[franklin42]

Originally Posted by Nick72

Hi,



1. Does anyone see any reason not to do this?
2. How would you go about looking for a place for a three-monthish timespan? Craigslist? Local classifieds? Down on their luck vacation places and try to strike a deal?

1. By all means do it if you can. Especially if it's only for like 3 or 4 months.
2. I would try and call around to some vacation rental places in Kona(there are a TON on and around Ali'i Drive and see what they are offering. Just tell them what your deal is(how long you will be there...). Most must be desperate right now with tourism way down. If you can get a condo vacation rental(1 br?) for about what you would pay monthly for a comp. apartment in the area, I would go for it. Call around you never now. Also I'm not sure if they would make you pay all of the money up front or weekly, monthly?

Good luck!

[mdand3boys]

The vacation rentals is THE WAY TO GO with the economy in such a mess. PHONE the owner and tell them what you are looking for. Don't email them. They get iemail inquiries all day long that go nowhere. You should be able to get a 2 bedroom house for around $1200-$1400 month that includes all utilities, gardener and the GET (tax). A condo may be as low as $1000 for a really nice one. vrbo.com is a good start. Be wary of anything listed on craigslist.

[hotzcatz]

Can you pay your friend to crash with them for awhile? They may need the money and it could help both of you out. Otherwise, crash with them for a few days and look around for somewhere else.

[KonaKat]

Originally Posted by mdand3boys

The vacation rentals is THE WAY TO GO with the economy in such a mess. PHONE the owner and tell them what you are looking for. Don't email them. They get iemail inquiries all day long that go nowhere. You should be able to get a 2 bedroom house for around $1200-$1400 month that includes all utilities, gardener and the GET (tax). A condo may be as low as $1000 for a really nice one. vrbo.com is a good start. Be wary of anything listed on craigslist.

I must comment. I advertise our rentals on craigslist all the time, as do many reputable realty companies, and we are by no means a scam.

Although the economy is hurting, our vacation rentals are pretty solidly booked from Christmas through March. But a non-ocean front condo might still be available. The tax on vacation rentals is 4.166% GE tax and 8.25% TA tax. Plus a cleaning fee and a security deposit; normally all funds are paid up front and no refunds for cancellations under 60 days out.

To the OP, you should be able to find something. Private owners can let you rent month to month if they want to, whereas we comply with Hawaii law that says anything less than a 6 month lease is technically a "transient accommodation" which adds to your cost and the owner must have that TA license in addition to the GE tax license. (yes, there is tax on regular rent here and just about every other thing you could name)

Best wishes in your search.

[Koale]

By no means should you waste your money w/a property management company. Seek a rental through a private party. One that includes all the taxes. I'm noticing that ' plus tax' has become quite popular w/real estate management companies...ouch. AND... month to month is ok. Know your rental laws as they differ from the mainland. 1st and equal last months rent is all the deposit legally allowed. Private owners don't charge a 'cleaning fee' and GE tax and that other tax mentioned by KonaKat. You should be able to find a decent rental for the time desired w/all taxes included. Be careful of application fees as they are non-refundable and make for great pocket cash for realty companies.
Renters are easy prey over hear. If you have questions, please ask them.
Aloha
Koale

[KonaKat]

Just an fyi regarding the TA and GE tax issue. If one is doing business in Hawaii you must have a GE tax license and pay 4% on the gross collected rent. If you have a vacation rental, you are also required to have a TA license and pay the 8.25% on the gross rate. What many people do is advertise a sum and do not detail the taxes, possible cleaning fee etc. One is allowed to pass along the tax visibly, or not (but it still has to be paid by the owner regardless of how the rate is advertised). Private owners that do their own cleaning often don't charge "extra" for that service but just roll all the costs into that total that they advertise. Hawaii also requires that owners who do not live on the island have an on-island property manager hence the reason that they are involved in the whole picture.

Application fees for long term rentals cover the cost of the credit report and other tasks involved in qualifying a tenant. They usually range from $15 to $25.