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Aloha - My husband and I are thankfully employed with companies allowing us to live anywhere in the US near an airport & with internet. I am a technical project manager working remotely and he is an airline pilot. Background - we are both from La La land (los angeles) and were happy to escape the smog, violence and general chaos when we moved to Monterey/Carmel a long while ago which was the total opposite - stayed there 7 happy years before moving to the bay area for better jobs. We have been in the bay area for over 10 years. Lived in Foster City and then San Francisco and settled in the quiet suburbs near the coast. We have 4 children ranging form 2 to 12 years.
For many reasons, we have been wanting to move away for a while. Our main goal is to move to Europe for a couple of years but I will not have an opportunity with my current job for another year or two. In the meantime, we are contemplating a move to Hawaii to give the kids the island experience. I have been there numerous times and love the environment and lifestyle pace. My dad lived in Kona for about 7 years and enjoyed it a great deal but moved back to the mainland when I lost my airline passes for him to visit his family. I actually think he might return with me if we move.
I plan to fly to Hawaii this summer before making a move to look around at our options, neighborhoods, rentals, etc. We will not buy but rent. From what I have seen on Craig's List, it does not look impossible to rent a decent looking home for $2-3000/month.
So my questions...
1-island - our first thought was/is Kauai -- we like the weahter, the beauty, etc. I have been reading about the meth/ice problem. Is it worse on Kauai or Oahu? Is there any other qualitative difference between Kauai & Oahu I need to consider with a family?
2-housing - Is there a better resource for locating rentals? Craigslist seems to have a decent list but not sure how reliable this is. Our current house is about 2300 sq feet. 3-4 bedrroms if I cna make an office out of one of the rooms. From first glance, I think I can get a better deal on Kauai but it might be the resource. Can anyone recommend nice neighborhoods in ether Kauai or Oahu?
3-education - my daughters (will be in 1st, 4th & 7th in 2010) are in a private school right now. Not sure if we would have time to enroll them for the fall at this point. We might consider homeschooling for a year but also just wondering on thoughts about the schools in general on Kauai and/or Oahu. Any that should be avoided? I realize the entier US schools system has large issues.
4-fitting in - i am sure this iwll be an issue of sorts and have read a lot about this. My kids are a hispanic/irish mx so they will probably blend in after a couple of months. In fact my dad & I are mistaken for locals anytome we are there - not that this means much but I guess I am not thinking we would stick out too much - but our dress and accents will rpaobly be a flag...again, not sre if either island is more accepting.
5-centipedes - i have to ask my dad lived in KOA for 7 years and never saw one. I have been to HI numerous times - the same. Our last trip, we stayed in a house rental in Laie and my then 7 year old daughter was bitten by one of these buggers in the middle of the night...poor thing. It was extremely painful and it became infected so we ended up at Queens Medical center a week later. She is still afraid of centipedes and this one was 7 in long. Is this commonplace or does it depend on the pest control? I just have to ask after having this happen last time...
6-if anyone has moved a family out to the islands for a year or two, i would love to hear about your experiences. Please free free to email me separately.
I don't think island fever will be an issue - we have the ability to travel if needed but we tend to live in smaller towns whenever we can - enjoy that lifestyle much more. I do think we will miss some of the culture SF has to offer but having said this, we stay in our little coastal area much of the time.
My recommendation is that if you value your children's education do not move to Hawaii. The public education system is dismal and the private schools aren't on par with most private schools on the mainland. I read an article in the local newspaper here on Kauai that said that by the year 2012 25% of high school students here will not graduate. When it comes to education Hawaii is bordering on third world. Hawaii spends more per student on education then most states but the bloated administration eats the funds up before they benefit the students. Drugs, violence and anti Haole (Caucasian/mainlander) sentiment are also bad within the schools.
Personally I love living in Hawaii but I’m retired; I would never put my kids through school here.
PS: Some people will disagree with my assessment but then everyone’s expectations for their children are different; many have lower expectations then I do.
You would make your husband commute from Hawaii back to the mainland? With time zone differences, getting to the airport, etc. he would be looking at 12 hours of travel!
Your children would have a better "island experience" if you simply vacationed here.
I agree, it might sound negative but I would NEVER want to go to school here and if I had kids, I wouldn't live here on Kauai. There is one private school, Island School, which is okay but you will have to pay the tuition.
Yes there are centipedes on Kauai. I lived in a very woodsy area and constantly had centipedes in my house. My current house rarely has them but I got bit here. Centipedes are just something you accept.
I have to agree with the previous posters. The education system here is so broken down that I wouldn't even consider subjecting my children to it. We have a college senior attending UH, who is constantly amazed at many (not all) of the local students, who have never left the island of their birth. Not even to visit neighbor islands. Have never been to a natural history museum. Can't (not won't) but can't construct a sentence using proper grammar. Read below HS level. Even though we have a nice library here in Kapolei, the materials are pretty outdated. Tried to find a LSAT study guide and the most current was 2002! YIKES!
We love it here and will stay until retirement, but with young kids, I'd have to say 'Nay'!
AS for centipedes...I find them daily on our lanai and crawling under our front door. (Probably need new weather stripping).
Last edited by Joliefille; 06-28-2010 at 06:16 PM..
Reason: centipedes
Hi Dolores,
For rental housing you may want to google for property management companies on Oahu or Kauai.
I subscribe to Honolulu magazine. I think it was the May issue that had a huge article on Hawaii schools. The article rated all of the schools. Check out their website; the article may be posted online.
You mentioned that you would consider homeschooling. You may want to look into a charter school. My children attend a public charter school where they attend classes once per week and I home school the remainder 4 days. They really enjoy it. It gives the kids opportunity to have friends and the flexibility for us to travel. You could start your children in a charter school, then take your time in choosing a traditional school or stick with the charter if it works for you.
Best of luck to you and your family!
Thanks for the replies so far. I would go charter or homeschool so not quite as concerned with school unless we decide to go private at some point. I have noted a few private schools on Oahu which look good but for the first year, I might opt for charter or homeschool.
A bit more explanation -
My husband will have a commute no matter were we are located and in some ways this is easier than east coast - ca - just depends on the flight schedules. I think the worst was when he based in New Jersey and away much of the month. As a pilot and airline family, it is something we are used to although it sounds crazy to everyone else. We also fly standby which is another insane part of being in an airline family -add kids and it is almost comical. But it does allow us to escape every so often if needed.
There are a few places we would like to live while we are able to do so and Hawaii is one of them - even if it is for a limited time. We are lucky in that we have remote positions and our salary together should be sufficient to find a nice area on the islands and live a decent lifestyle for a family of 6 (~185k). If we were buying, I think we would probably need more but for renting, I think it should be ok - but let me know if you feel otherwise. The bay area is a killer for expenses so it cannot be much worse...
A few questions for those who might read this:
1- since commuting is not an issue, should we NOT limit ourselves to Kauai or Oahu? My husband has not been to Maui but I was there years ago and I remember it was also beautiful. Rentals there look a little pricier and I am less familiar with the areas. Just wondering if those on the Big Island or Maui have different thoughts on this. I do not see a Costco on the Big Island. True?
I realize we can easily island hop as well. With a family, is Oahu a better place since there are more activities - not my initial thought but wondering if this is the overall feeling.
2- Questions about neighborhoods:
KAUAI
-Kalaheo - nice for families?
-Kapaa - same ?
-Kiluaea - same? There are a few houses in this area less expensive I have noted and on fairly large properties.
OAHU
-Makalilo - is this a long commute to HNL airport. Is it worse than coming from the No. Shore?
-Hawaii Kai - nicer area than Makakilo? Commute to HNL worse than the west side?
-No shore - can anyone comment on this neighborhood - near Mamao St. - or north shore in general? Husband is a surfer too so I know he would love this area if it made sense.
-Kailua area - any comments on this?
Thank you and hope you all have a great holiday weekend...
Well, there is a Costco on the Big Island as well as a choice of two (or possibly three if we count Kameula) airports to fly out of. I'd think rental prices would be cheaper than Oahu and Kauai and there are a couple of schools that folks actually say nice things about. Pauuilo Elementary school is well regarded and they are one of the few public schools not under reorganization. There are several private elementary schools up in Waimea which are well regarded, too. The best high school in the state is possibly Hawaii Preparatory Academy up in Waimea although that is a private school and not cheap.
Up in the Waimea area, the town is separated into the "dry" side and the "wet" side of Waimea. On the wet side things can mildew with alarming speed although the lush greeness is a joy. Waimea is a small originally country cow town which has gone upscale lately. Still a nice town it hasn't become overly infested with big box stores and strip malls.
Kona has gotten most of those bland commercial crud type stores and Kona is about forty five minutes away from Waimea if you feel the need for that sort of thing. They have a whole gamut of K-Mart, Walmart, Target, etc. I have no idea how they manage to keep the stores open, though. I don't think we have the population base to keep that many of them open, especially with the lack of employment around here. Fortunately, employment won't be an issue with you.
If it were my kids, I'd consider taking them up to the Seattle area. From what I've heard they have excellent schools up there funded by the high tech companies. The weather is a bit miserable but with sunlamps and vitamin D supplements along with vacations to sunny places it might be a workable spot to be while your kids are growing up.
KAUAI
-Kalaheo - nice for families?
-Kapaa - same ?
-Kiluaea - same? There are a few houses in this area less expensive I have noted and on fairly large properties.
OAHU
-Makalilo - is this a long commute to HNL airport. Is it worse than coming from the No. Shore?
-Hawaii Kai - nicer area than Makakilo? Commute to HNL worse than the west side?
-No shore - can anyone comment on this neighborhood - near Mamao St. - or north shore in general? Husband is a surfer too so I know he would love this area if it made sense.
-Kailua area - any comments on this?
My son lives on Kauai, in Princeville, and I own a Vacation Rental there, and I live on Oahu half the year and California the other half, so I know both islands.
If I had a choice of all islands for a week or a month vacation, I would choose Princeville, Kauai. IMO, the most beautiful part of the most beautiful island.
If I were going to spend more than a month on any island, I would choose Oahu. Reason: Culture. A Symphony (until bankruptcy recently) - night life in Waikiki - multiple theater events - much more variety of shopping than any other island - World class museums, etc., etc., etc.
On Oahu, I would choose Kailua. Best commute to the Airport from any of the places you mentioned - the new freeway, H-3, takes me from my home in Kailua to the airport in 30 minutes, any time of any day. From Mililani, it could be an hour at the worst time of commute. Same from Hawaii Kai. Check the H-1 and H-2 freeway merge here at rush hour vs the H-3:
Last edited by HankDfrmSD; 07-04-2010 at 04:55 PM..
Reason: add link
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